Five payment giants committed $1 billion to launch a stablecoin that gives away its reserve yield and equity. One week in, with Coinbase access about to open, the model faces its first real test.
Most stablecoin issuers operate on a simple, extractive premise: they hold the reserves, they keep the yield, and they charge fees for the privilege of minting or burning. It is a classic toll-booth business. On September 23, 2026, Open USD (OUSD) launched on Ethereum, Solana, Coinbase’s Base, and the Stripe-backed Tempo blockchain with a different objective. As CEO Zach Abrams told CoinDesk: “Every other stablecoin is building a fund. We’re building money.”
The mechanism is designed to remove the friction that usually acts as a tax on institutional users. OUSD eliminates minting and burning fees entirely. More importantly, it inverts the traditional economic model by sharing reserve revenue directly with distribution partners rather than hoarding it at the issuer level. By turning the distribution network into the primary beneficiaries of the reserve yield, OUSD incentivizes its own adoption through direct financial alignment.
This alignment is cemented by an equity-for-usage model. The “overwhelming majority” of Open Standard‘s equity is slated for distribution over the next four to five years, tied directly to supply growth and transaction activity. It is a strategy designed to ensure that the partners – which have grown from 140 at the June announcement to over 200 at launch, including major global banks like UBS, DBS, and ANZ – are not just users, but stakeholders with a vested interest in the network’s long-term velocity. Five founding partners – Coinbase, Mastercard, Shopify, Stripe, and Visa – each received an equal initial equity stake, backed by $1 billion in committed liquidity.
One week after launch, the model is about to face its first major test. Coinbase access opens October 1, bringing the largest US exchange into the distribution network. The timing is notable: the UK FCA crypto gateway opened for applications on September 30 – one week after OUSD’s launch – while the US remains mired in the regulatory fog of the GENIUS Act, which missed its July 2026 deadline and has produced little more than Notices of Proposed Rulemaking. OUSD launched into a pre-clarity US environment and is now onboarding Coinbase the same week the UK opens its doors.
This shift toward distribution-first infrastructure mirrors broader trends in the industry, including the infrastructure acquisition pattern documented in this week’s Capital Flows analysis and the distribution-first thesis explored in the HSBC RedCoin piece. OUSD is entering a $300 billion market currently dominated by Tether and Circle, and the inertia of existing payment rails is substantial. Dan Romero of Tempo has projected $10 billion in volume during 2027 and potentially $100 billion over several years, but these targets rely on the assumption that the founding partners will prioritize OUSD over their existing stablecoin integrations.
Execution risks remain. The consortium’s cohesion is unproven, and the history of the partner list is already marked by friction; some companies, such as Samsung, publicly disputed their participation following the initial June announcement. Managing a group of 200-plus entities, ranging from global banks to crypto-native protocols like Aave and Uniswap, is a logistical and political challenge that dwarfs the technical task of issuing a token. The project is a bet that the future of money is not a proprietary product, but a shared infrastructure. One week in, the bet has not yet been disproven. The market is now watching Coinbase.
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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) remain rangebound, while speculative capital has rotated into institutional-infrastructure altcoins over the past days.
Why Quant Is Leading the RotationSantiment on Tuesday flagged on X that whale wallets are piling into Quant (CRYPTO: QNT) at a record pace, with 645 transactions worth at least $100,000 hitting the network in a single day, the most ever recorded.
The reason is simple: Quant builds technology that lets banks move money and assets across different blockchain systems without switching platforms.
On Sept. 24, The Clearing House, the bank-owned network that handles trillions of dollars in daily U.S. payments, picked Quant to help power its new system for moving bank deposits on-chain.
Analyst Greg Lunt laid out the broader case on X, pointing to real banks and institutions already using Quant’s technology:
Murex — software used by 65 of the world’s 100 largest banks now includes Quant’s tools Oracle — the tech giant added Quant’s technology to its own enterprise software for handling digital assets Central banks — the Bank for International Settlements, Bank of England, and European Central Bank have all tested Quant’s systems for moving money across borders Lunt also pointed out that Quant has a hard cap of just 14.88 million tokens in existence. With that little supply available, big buying can push the price up fast, which is part of why QNT is moving so violently right now.
Where the Rest of the Rotation Is FlowingSantiment also flagged that The Graph (CRYPTO: GRT), a project that helps apps pull data from blockchains, saw 24 transactions worth $100,000 or more in a single day, its busiest day all year.
Meanwhile, Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK), which helps blockchains talk to real-world data and other networks, touched a fresh high even as some smaller holders sold into the rally. Santiment reads that as bigger buyers stepping in to absorb the coins retail traders are selling for profit.
Chainlink also rolled out an upgrade this week to the technology it uses to move assets between different blockchains, a network that has already handled more than $24 billion in transfers to date.
Veteran trader Peter Brandt separately named Stellar a long-shot pick for the next several years, sharing a long-term monthly chart to back the call.
What’s Trending?: XRP Compresses Around $1.50: What Does Technical Analysis Say?
Why This Rotation Could Be a Warning Sign for BitcoinGlassnode reported that altcoin spot trading volume has climbed to nearly four times Bitcoin’s, the highest ratio since September 2025.
They also noted similar bursts of risk appetite have often lined up with local Bitcoin tops in the past, though the ratio alone can’t predict a reversal.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on September 16. The following week, investors poured $3.55 billion into crypto funds, the most in any week of 2026.
Higher rates make safe assets like government bonds pay more. Crypto pays no interest at all. Yet big money went the other way.
Why Investors Bought Crypto After a Rate HikeThe Fed raised its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%. Markets had seen it coming.
CoinShares, the asset manager that tracks these flows, says the hike ended weeks of guessing. Buyers then rushed back.
“The scale and breadth of the week’s demand suggest institutional conviction returned once the policy decision removed a key source of uncertainty, a pattern consistent with buying the fact after weeks of caution,” CoinShares wrote in the report.
CoinShares also sells crypto funds of its own.
The rebound came after a bruising stretch. On September 15, the CLARITY Act, a bill to set federal rules for crypto markets, failed a Senate vote 49 to 50. Bitcoin sank below $75,000. Lawmakers are now drafting replacements.
US Funds Led the Buying as Strategy Sold Stock for BitcoinBitcoin (BTC) funds took $2.52 billion. Ethereum (ETH) funds added $702 million. Solana (SOL) and XRP (XRP) followed with $193 million and $92.3 million.
US products drew $3.43 billion of the total. US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) took in money on all five trading days. In late May, crypto funds lost $1.67 billion in a week.
Bar chart of weekly crypto fund inflows by asset. Source: CoinSharesMicroStrategy, the company that holds 847,666 BTC, bought 1,666 more last week. It paid for part of that $143 million purchase by selling new shares of its stock, MSTR. CoinShares noted this dilutes existing shareholders.
Another Fed Hike Could Test the RallyBitcoin now trades near $84,236, up 1.37% in 24 hours, per BeInCrypto data. Traders see a less than 40% chance of another hike in October. The 10-year Treasury yield sits near 5.28%.
10-Year US Treasury Yield. Source: TradingViewWednesday offered some relief. US PCE inflation cooled to 3.4% in August. Friday’s jobs report comes next.
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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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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.
Key Takeaways Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes forecasts Ethereum will reach $10,000 before 2026 concludes, representing more than a tripling from current levels. ETH is currently hovering around $2,700, remaining approximately 46% beneath its record high of $4,946. Ethereum spot ETFs recorded a $2.8 million withdrawal, breaking an inflow trend that started on September 18. The cryptocurrency surged nearly 70% during Q3 2026 following consecutive quarterly declines. Total accumulated ETH ETF inflows have climbed to $13.95 billion. For the last two weeks, Ethereum has maintained trading activity above the $2,500 threshold, though breaking through $2,800 has proven challenging. Technical charts reveal the cryptocurrency is consolidating within a triangular formation.
Ethereum (ETH) Price During his appearance at the KBW2026 conference held in Seoul, Arthur Hayes, who previously served as BitMEX’s chief executive, was questioned about his price outlook for Ethereum. In footage shared on X by CoinDesk, Hayes provided a straightforward response: “$10,000 by the end of the year.” This projection represents over three times ETH’s present trading value around $2,700.
Throughout the conversation, Hayes elaborated on the foundation of his forecast. He noted his confidence in deploying substantial capital into ETH stems from the absence of concern about experiencing a catastrophic 75% decline due to security vulnerabilities.
🚨ARTHUR HAYES JUST CALLED $10,000 ETH BY YEAR-END!
BitMEX co-founder @CryptoHayes tells @CoinDesk he sees ethereum:native at $10,000 by the end of the year.
He said he can put real size into Ethereum without waking up to a 75% hack, and that it is still the most secure… pic.twitter.com/NvqWCLADgE
— Crypto Banter (@crypto_banter) September 30, 2026
He also explored why Ethereum has underperformed relative to competing blockchain platforms. According to Hayes, the explanation lies in market attention and narratives gravitating toward alternative chains.
Hayes’s Confidence in Ethereum’s Security Infrastructure Hayes highlighted Solana as a case study. The platform successfully dominated the memecoin sector and experienced rapid expansion while Ethereum’s momentum decelerated.
“Ethereum pioneered this whole decentralized computer thing and then was the victim of its own success,” he stated. Alternative blockchain networks absorbed the transaction volume that Ethereum relinquished.
Nevertheless, Hayes maintained that Ethereum continues to be the most robust layer 1 blockchain network available. He supported this assertion by referencing its market capitalization relative to competing altcoins.
Hayes’s personal ETH trading activity has not consistently aligned with his optimistic projections. Last August, he liquidated 2,365 ETH at approximately $1,821 per token, resulting in a $241,000 deficit. His acquisition cost averaged $1,923 per ETH.
During July, he divested 5,900 ETH for nearly $10 million. His purchase just days prior cost $10.58 million, producing a loss exceeding $600,000.
Recent ETF Flow Dynamics Signal Market Transition Spot Ethereum ETF products maintained consecutive daily net positive flows beginning September 18. Throughout this period, these investment vehicles accumulated over $850 million.
This momentum reversed with a $2.8 million withdrawal during the latest 24-hour trading period. The preceding week alone generated $689.9 million in net positive flows.
Aggregate cumulative capital entering Ethereum ETFs has reached $13.95 billion. September contributed $892 million in net inflows independently, with one session remaining in the month.
Ethereum’s quarterly performance has demonstrated greater strength than recent daily fluctuations indicate. According to Coinglass analytics, ETH appreciated almost 70% throughout Q3 2026.
This recovery followed a 29.26% decline during Q1 and a 25.28% decrease in Q2. The third quarter represented a significant reversal following two consecutive periods of losses.
As of this writing, ETH had declined 1% across 24 hours and approximately 3% over the previous week. However, the two-week window showed gains exceeding 11%, and monthly performance registered 9% higher.
Ethereum delivered an estimated 60% surge in the third quarter, data from PrimeXBT revealed, placing Q3 among the network’s best quarterly performances to date.
Strong institutional interest supports price actionInstitutional appetite for Ethereum has remained steady through the end of September. Over the last five trading days through September 29, US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw $287.5 million in net inflows. Total tracked institutional funds currently hold around 5.91 million ETH, translating to $24.17 billion at current values.
On September 25 alone, spot ETH ETFs drew in approximately $87 million in net inflows, marking a continuation of strong institutional demand after the asset experienced significant outflows earlier in the month.
ETH ETF flows remain strong, with net inflows totaling $287.5 million over a single week and a daily intake of $87 million on September 25, highlighting ongoing institutional attention even as broader investor appetite fluctuates.
Coinpaper, a cryptocurrency news and analysis platform, has pointed to a pattern of Ethereum outperforming Bitcoin recently, correlating this trend with ongoing positive ETF flows.
Mini dictionary: Coinpaper, a digital media outlet, delivers news and specialized analytical content focused exclusively on the cryptocurrency sector.
Key resistance remains at $2,800Despite its impressive quarterly rally, Ethereum has repeatedly failed to maintain momentum above the $2,800 mark. Recent price action saw ETH briefly rise above $2,800 only to fall back below, reinforcing the significance of this level as immediate short-term resistance.
Coinpaper has documented several instances where ETH’s ascent was halted at or near $2,800. Analysts now consider a clear and sustained move above that threshold as necessary for further gains toward $3,000 and potentially $3,050 in the near term.
ScenarioSupport LevelResistance/TargetBullish$2,650$2,800 then $3,000-$3,050Neutral$2,600$2,800BearishBelow $2,600No clear resistance, risk of further downsideQuarter ahead: Market scenarios for ETHAnalysts describe the outlook for Ethereum in the fourth quarter as “relatively straightforward.” A bullish scenario could unfold if ETH can break and retain levels above $2,800, potentially driving prices quickly toward $3,000 or higher.
A neutral outlook would see Ethereum consolidating between approximately $2,600 and $2,800, following the sharp appreciation in Q3. This would suggest the market is pausing for direction after substantial recent gains.
On the downside, sentiment may turn more negative if Ethereum falls below the $2,600 area, particularly if larger risk markets also show signs of weakness.
If ETH fails to hold above $2,600, the bearish case strengthens, especially amid wider risk-off movements, whereas a firm close above $2,800 could open the way to new quarterly highs.
Open interest in ETH options now equals about 23% of futures open interest. That ratio points to a market that prefers leveraged directional bets over convexity, the asymmetric payoff profile that makes options distinct.
Reading the ratio Open interest is the total value of derivatives contracts still open, not yet closed or settled.
Data from Coinalyze in late September 2026 put ETH options open interest at roughly 23.8% to 24.3% of combined futures and perpetual contract open interest.
Coinalyze tracked aggregated ETH futures and perpetuals open interest at about $17.8B to $18.1B. Traditional delivery futures made up only around $271M to $272M of that total. The rest belongs to perpetual futures, contracts that never expire and are kept in line with spot prices through periodic funding payments between longs and shorts.
Other market estimates place total ETH futures and perpetuals open interest between $20B and more than $32B across over 20 exchanges, including Binance and Bybit. If the larger figures are closer to the truth, the options share of the pie would look even thinner than the headline ratio suggests.
The options side of the market is also highly concentrated. Most of the activity runs through Deribit. In mid-2026, calls made up about 55% to 60% of ETH options open interest on Deribit.
What this means for ETH traders With roughly $18B or more sitting in futures and perpetuals, a sharp move in either direction can set off liquidation cascades, where falling prices trigger forced closures, which push prices lower, which trigger more forced closures.
For anyone watching ETH, a rising options share would indicate traders are shifting toward hedged or volatility-focused strategies. A falling share, especially alongside climbing futures open interest, would mean leverage is stacking up faster than protection. Pairing that ratio with funding rates gives a clearer read on how crowded the trade has become.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Ethereum has traded above $2,500 for the past two weeks, but strong resistance at $2,800 has limited further upward movement. Technical indicators show that ETH is consolidating within a triangular chart pattern, signaling potential for volatility ahead.
Arthur Hayes projects $10,000 ETH by year-endArthur Hayes, former chief executive of cryptocurrency derivatives exchange BitMEX, outlined a bullish outlook for Ethereum during this year’s KBW2026 conference in Seoul. When asked about his price target, Hayes stated his expectation that ETH would reach $10,000 before the end of 2026, a target over three times higher than its current trading level of approximately $2,700.
Hayes explained that such a forecast is grounded in his confidence in Ethereum’s underlying technology and its lack of critical security concerns. He noted he is comfortable allocating substantial funds to ETH because he does not fear a sudden 75% loss triggered by security breaches.
Hayes cited Ethereum’s pioneering role in decentralized computation and its resilience as justifications for his view. He acknowledged that alternative blockchain networks have absorbed some of the transactional activity that once took place on Ethereum, but argued that, “Ethereum pioneered this whole decentralized computer thing and then was the victim of its own success. Alternative blockchain networks absorbed the transaction volume that Ethereum relinquished.”
The former BitMEX CEO highlighted his practical experiences with ETH trading. In August, he sold 2,365 ETH at a price of $1,821 per token, incurring a $241,000 loss given his average purchase price of $1,923. In July, another sale involved 5,900 ETH for nearly $10 million—a transaction that followed a purchase worth $10.58 million and resulted in a loss exceeding $600,000.
Founded in 2014, BitMEX is a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange known for pioneering perpetual swaps and margin trading in the digital asset market.
Mini dictionary: BitMEX, launched in 2014, is a Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange specializing in leveraged contracts and has played a significant role in the development of crypto derivatives trading infrastructure.
Ethereum’s market performance and ETF flow changesWhile Hayes remains confident in Ethereum’s security, he acknowledged that the network has fallen behind competitors like Solana in certain sectors. He pointed out that Solana managed to capture significant share in the memecoin market and accelerated its ecosystem’s growth, contributing to Ethereum’s comparative underperformance during the same period.
Ethereum’s spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) products recently experienced a change in capital flows. After consistent daily net inflows since September 18, with total net investments exceeding $850 million, the trend reversed with a single-day withdrawal of $2.8 million. Despite this outflow, Ethereum ETFs have seen a cumulative inflow of $13.95 billion so far, with $892 million attributed to September alone and one session remaining before the month concludes.
MetricLatest ValueReference PeriodETH price$2,700CurrentPrevious All-time High$4,946November 2021Spot ETF Inflow (September)$892 millionSeptember 2026Total ETF Inflows$13.95 billionAggregateLargest Recent Daily Outflow$2.8 millionSeptember 2026From a quarterly perspective, Ethereum delivered a nearly 70% gain in the third quarter of 2026, recovering from consecutive declines of 29.26% in Q1 and 25.28% in Q2. The recent improvement marked a significant reversal from previous losses, even as daily and weekly trends remain mixed. In the latest 24 hours, ETH dropped 1%, and over the past week, it slipped 3%. However, the two-week period brought 11% gains, with the monthly chart indicating a 9% increase.
ETH is currently trading approximately 46% below its all-time high of $4,946, recorded in November 2021. Analysts continue to monitor whether recent consolidation and positive ETF flows can serve as a catalyst for future growth.
The crypto market cap is finally moving beyond the accumulation range that has defined much of the year, with total market value around $2.86 trillion. The move comes as the business cycle starts expanding, according to the market analysis by an analyst Dan Gambardello.
Crypto Market Cap Moves Beyond Year-Long RangeThe latest setup focuses less on CZ’s “Soon…” post and more on what the charts are showing. His September 29 post was heavily reposted across crypto Twitter, but its meaning wasn’t specified.
The bigger signal is the crypto market cap breaking out of its long-running accumulation range. The analysis frames February 2026 as the start of the accumulation phase, with current market-cap action suggesting that sideways trading may be ending.
Ethereum Charts Add Another LayerEthereum is also central to the setup, with its accumulation channel and ETH/BTC dynamics forming part of the broader analysis.
The 11-minute market review also examines bearish divergences and compares post-QT conditions in 2019 and 2025. Those comparisons are being used to frame the current market structure rather than relying on a single social-media post. The business cycle expansion is another part of the argument.
2026 Accumulation Window Faces A ShiftThe analysis describes 2026 as a year for bullish positioning and preparation for expansion. It argues that the crypto accumulation and opportunity window is approaching its end as market capitalization pushes beyond the established range.
That doesn’t make CZ’s “Soon…” post any clearer. It simply makes the chart more relevant than the speculation surrounding a two-word message.
For now, the crypto market cap remains around $2.86 trillion while the breakout from accumulation, Ethereum’s structure and the expanding business cycle form the core of the current market thesis.
Story Ends Here
Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
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Ethereum (ETH) price briefly surged above $2,700 on September 30 before dropping to trade at $2,679 at the time of writing. That initial gain occurred after the US PCE inflation came in lower than expected.
The PCE inflation data has now reduced the odds of the Fed hiking interest rates in prediction markets and the CME FedWatch Tool.
Ethereum Price Fails to Gain Despite Bullish Inflation Data The crypto market has erased most of the gains made after the US PCE inflation for August 2026 came in at 3.4%, with this being lower than the expected 3.7% as earlier reported by CoinGape.
While the PCE inflation print remains above the Fed’s target of 2%, the latest data shows that US inflation is cooling and could reduce the need for the Fed to hike interest rates further.
Data from the CME FedWatch Tool shows that the odds that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates by 25 basis points during the October 28 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting have dropped to 34%.
CoinGape prediction markets also show that the Fed rate hike odds have fallen from 67% to 34%.
Source: SoSoValue This drop is usually bullish for risk assets such as Ethereum. If markets begin to price in the possibility of the Federal Reserve not hiking interest rates at the October FOMC meeting, it could drive gains for Ethereum price.
ETH ETF Outflows Return Data from SoSoValue shows that there were $2.81 million in outflows from Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on September 29.
This marks the first time that Ethereum ETFs have posted outflows since September 18, with the products also ending their seven-day inflow streak.
Source: SoSoValue Ethereum was the only crypto ETF that recorded outflows on September 29, suggesting that demand from institutional investors is becoming weak.
Still, Ethereum ETFs have posted $892 million in inflows in September 2026, with this marking the third straight month of inflows for the ETFs.
Ethereum Price Remains Above Key EMA as Bulls Test Resistance Ethereum price is now sitting above the support at the 200-day EMA of $2,462. When the price is above this EMA, it suggests that the long-term Ethereum price outlook is bullish.
Still, ETH price is facing resistance at $2,816. If the largest altcoin can close above this resistance, it could begin another uptrend towards the psychological resistance at $3,000.
The AO bars that are green and growing in length suggest that the momentum is favoring bulls, and this could support the upward move.
ETH/USDT 1W Chart (Source: TradingView) However, if macro pressures weigh on risk assets and cause a sell-off across risk assets, Ethereum price could drop to test the support at $2,500.
While everyone’s watching Bitcoin, one expert says there are 4 other assets quietly leading this entire bull market. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, said his long-standing “Mount Rushmore” of crypto assets remains unchanged: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink. He described this basket as essential exposure for anyone playing crypto’s two biggest macro themes: currency debasement and tokenization. “It’s hard to argue with those four assets not being part of your exposure,” he said.
Challengers Making Their Case
Hougan said the basket isn’t set in stone. Hyperliquid, he said, is “making its case to be chiseled into the Mount Rushmore,” while Zcash is arguing privacy deserves a spot and Venice is pushing the case for real-world AI applications. He said he’s bullish on several of these downstream DeFi assets, but still views the original four as the core, broad-based play.
Why He’s Bullish On Chainlink Despite Its Token Weakness
Asked specifically about Chainlink, given its steady stream of positive news around on-chain data and real-world asset integration, Hougan acknowledged the token itself remains “questionable.”
His broader thesis is that current tokenomics represent the worst version of themselves for nearly every crypto asset, and that regulatory pressure easing will force progressive improvement across the board.
He said he’s already seeing that reflected in Chainlink’s price, and that the underlying protocol business is strong enough to carry the token forward even as its economics catch up. He compared his current view on Chainlink to how he felt about Uniswap for years before its tokenomics improved.
A New Frontier: Tokens Tied To Real Assets
Hougan also flagged growing interest in pairing tokens with real-world assets, floating ideas like companies distributing rewards through tokenized stocks or fund companies marketing through tokenized funds.
He said while the current economics behind some of these paired-asset trades look unusual and likely temporary, the underlying concept, attaching a token to a real asset, still has significant unexplored potential ahead.
Story Ends Here
Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
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Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2, is set to activate its Cobalt hard fork on mainnet on September 30, according to Base’s upgrade documentation. The network upgrade, already live on the Base Sepolia testnet since September 23, improves the B20 token standard, adds conditional validity transactions, lays groundwork for onchain-scheduled node upgrades, and changes how trusted-execution-environment (TEE) provers register. It is the network’s third upgrade of 2026, following the Azul and Beryl forks, with a fourth, Denim, targeting October.
What Cobalt adds to the network Cobalt expands the B20 token standard with scheduled multiplier updates, a simplified transfer-blocking mechanism, and new Union and Intersect policy types. The Beryl fork made Base a first-class issuance platform for B20 tokens, and Cobalt widens that standard rather than replacing it. The upgrade also introduces validity transactions: signed transactions that Base includes only when onchain conditions such as balance, storage, block-number, and Flashblock-index predicates match. The mechanism enables conditional swaps, withdrawals, and other state-dependent actions.
Dynamic upgrades and a new prover registration flow The fork ships two infrastructure changes. Dynamic upgrades introduces an Ethereum smart contract that stores upgrade timestamps for Base nodes, so they can query the contract and apply changes live; on mainnet it is rolled out in metrics-only mode while Base collects data to validate that upgrades work smoothly. Cobalt also changes how new TEE prover signers register: AWS Nitro attestations are verified fully onchain using P-384 hints, replacing the RISC Zero and Boundless proving flow, so registration is faster and no longer depends on an external proving service. Enclave key generation, PCR0 image selection, and proof verification stay unchanged.
Cobalt builds on Base’s B20 rollout Base, built on the OP Stack, has grown into one of the most-used Ethereum Layer 2 networks, and Cobalt refines the B20 issuance platform introduced in the Beryl upgrade. The standard has already drawn exchange support, including Binance Wallet’s B20 token trading, while Base’s position as the largest Ethereum Layer 2 by total value locked makes each protocol upgrade a closely watched event for developers and traders. The fork continues a busy 2026 schedule: Azul strengthened security and decentralization in May, and Beryl added B20 tokens and reduced withdrawal delays in June. The next upgrade, Denim, is targeting October with native 200-millisecond blocks that replace Flashblocks with canonical block and RPC streams.
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Entrepreneur and freelance writer based in Nakuru, Kenya. I cover cryptocurrency, the Blockchain technology, and financial topics. It’s my joy to transform the simplest phrases in a way they reach a reader’s heart to help them discover how crypto is disrupting the world as we have known it. I believe in transforming the world, one word at a time.
Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine Immersion Technologies, and Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, have sparked renewed optimism in the cryptocurrency market with a series of public statements and social media posts suggesting an upcoming bull market. Both are among the most prominent figures in the industry, and their comments have drawn widespread attention.
The conversation gained momentum after Zhao shared an AI-generated image of himself on social media, depicting a meme format with green night vision tones. The image humorously suggested that many market participants may be caught off guard when crypto valuations start to recover.
Following the post, Zhao echoed earlier remarks about the robust fundamentals of BNB Chain and the ongoing strength of the BNB token. In response to Zhao’s meme post, Lee replied, “Agree, do you own enough crypto?” The brief exchange led to renewed market speculation about a potential bull cycle.
Tom Lee has maintained that the next crypto bull market could surpass previous cycles, and he has encouraged investors to evaluate their exposure and consider if they are prepared for a recovery.
Lee’s bullish price projectionsLee, known for his bold forecasts in the cryptocurrency sector, continues to stand by his prediction of $150,000 for Bitcoin, while expecting Ethereum to reach $60,000 in the coming years. These projections have been repeated throughout recent months, underlining Lee’s long-term optimism.
Speaking at Korea Blockchain Week, Lee stated that “Ethereum has been consolidating for five years,” highlighting his view that the market is primed for a major breakout.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies, a firm specializing in blockchain infrastructure and digital asset management, has kept its strategy of weekly Ethereum purchases. In the latest acquisition, Bitmine bought 17,362 ETH last week, pushing its total Ethereum holdings above 6 million tokens, valued at more than $16 billion based on current prices.
Mini dictionary: Bitmine Immersion Technologies is a company focused on cryptocurrency mining, digital asset management, and blockchain infrastructure. Its ongoing Ethereum accumulation reflects a treasury strategy aimed at long-term asset growth.
The company initiated its Ethereum accumulation strategy in June of the previous year and has not missed a weekly purchase since, regardless of market volatility.
Market trends and recent performanceDigital assets saw significant gains throughout September, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB each closing the month higher. However, momentum slowed recently as rising Treasury yields exerted downward pressure on crypto markets.
AssetWeekly ChangeMonthly ChangeBitcoin-4%+7%EthereumSimilar to BitcoinMonthly gainsBNBSimilar to BitcoinMonthly gainsBitcoin dropped approximately 4% in the last week, while still trading over 7% above monthly lows. Ethereum and BNB displayed comparable patterns, with declines on a weekly basis but overall upward movement for the month.
Bitmine’s own shares experienced a modest downturn, closing lower in after-hours and standard trading sessions.
During his appearance at Korea Blockchain Week, Lee offered further analysis, suggesting this emerging bull market could be the most significant in cryptocurrency history. He highlighted the recent outperformance of crypto-focused equities in the third quarter as a sign that a new cycle is underway.
Lee also pointed to evolving market catalysts. While earlier cycles were driven by ICOs, NFTs, meme tokens, and stablecoins, he expects the latest cycle to be shaped by tokenization, advancements in artificial intelligence, and improved regulatory environments.
Lee concluded that these factors could set the stage for a larger breakout following several years of consolidation, particularly as new technologies and investor sentiment align.
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.
Open Standard announces the official launch of its U.S. dollar stablecoin OUSD, enabling enterprises and developers to build internet-native financial services and products—such as banking, cross-border payments, settlements, and institutional transactions—using OUSD. OUSD currently offers four integration paths, with related APIs and tools covering settlement, payment orchestration, trading, foreign exchange conversion, wallets, and bank card services. All channels support the free minting and burning of OUSD at a 1:1 U.S. dollar exchange rate. Enterprises can now integrate via Mastercard, Stripe, and Visa Stablecoin Platform; Coinbase integration will open on October 1. OUSD natively supports Base, Ethereum, Solana, and Tempo, and will first be listed on centralized and decentralized trading platforms including Coinbase, Kraken, and Uniswap. Issued by Bridge, a subsidiary of Stripe, OUSD’s reserve assets are held at BlackRock, Lead Bank, and The Bank of New York Mellon, with reserve proofs published monthly. Open Standard currently boasts over 200 partners spanning financial institutions, fintech companies, banks, and global enterprises.
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Goldman Sachs has pushed back its forecast for the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike from October to December.
Goldman Sachs said Wednesday’s U.S. inflation data, paired with New York Fed President John Williams’ comments yesterday, has led the firm to now view an October Federal Reserve interest rate hike as unlikely. Economists Jan Hatzius, David Mericle, and Alec Phillips noted in a research report that, based on the latest inflation data, they project fourth-quarter core PCE year-over-year growth will reach 3.0%, well below the 3.4% median forecast from FOMC participants. The bank has thus pushed back its expectation for a second rate hike to December, and believes the FOMC has a high likelihood of ultimately determining no further rate increases are needed.
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The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note rose to 5.29%, hitting a new high since 2007.
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Developer of meme coin SI sold off 32% of the token’s supply, missing out on $15 million in potential profits.
Bubblemaps stated in a post that meme coin Super Inu (SI) was launched around the time former US President Donald Trump pushed to rebrand artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence", and the token rallied rapidly after Trump publicly used the "SI" shorthand. On-chain data reveals wallet 9pkJqJ created SI, minting 20% of its total supply for itself, then acquired an additional 12% via eight other wallets, bringing its total holdings to 32% of the token’s supply. The wallet later sold all its SI for approximately $24,000; had it held onto the tokens, they would now be valued at around $15 million. The developer repurchased SI after selling prematurely, but by that point the token’s price had already surged.
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ENS founder denies issuing tokens on Robinhood Chain, stating that the mnemonic phrases for the relevant accounts have long been made public.
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) founder Nick Johnson has released a statement denying that he issued tokens on Robinhood. He explained that the relevant account was created for a Twitter contest, where participants needed to find the account’s mnemonic phrase from an image. The account and its mnemonic phrase have thus long been public, and are not his private account intended for token issuance.
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US SEC plans to relax private investment thresholds, pushing retail investors to enter the private market.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday unveiled a series of reform proposals aimed at expanding individual investors’ access to private markets, enabling more retail investors to gain exposure to private equity, early-stage startups and other alternative assets. One proposal would allow registered investment advisors to charge performance fees of up to 20% based on fund performance, aligning the fee structure closer to the “2% management fee + 20% performance fee” model used by some hedge funds, in a bid to attract more private fund managers to serve individual investors. SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated that the commission aims to explore ways to expand individual investors’ participation in private markets while preventing fraud and misconduct. The SEC also proposed expanding the definition of an “accredited investor” to qualify more individuals with professional credentials, including certified public accountants (CPAs) and Chartered Financial Analysts (CFAs), as eligible investors.
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The Open Standard plan will allocate the vast majority of equity based on contributions to OUSD growth, with founding partners not entitled to special revenue shares.
Open Standard CEO Zach Abrams stated that the firm will center its stablecoin economic allocation mechanism on the OUSD model. Founding partners will not receive special revenue splits; instead, they will follow the same rules as other partners, earning rewards based on the OUSD volume they drive. Abrams added that Open Standard plans to allocate the vast majority of the company’s equity to founding partners and other network partners over the next four to five years. Partners meeting the minimum threshold will be eligible for equity based on the OUSD supply and transaction activity they drive, a move aimed at encouraging partners to boost OUSD circulation rather than just holding tokens. The company has not yet disclosed specific participation thresholds. Abrams argued that OUSD’s growth opportunities are not limited to capturing market share from USDT or USDC; sectors including card settlements, foreign exchange trading, and cross-border payments can also leverage stablecoins to facilitate faster, more frequent fund flows than traditional banking networks.
Open Standard's much-anticipated dollar stablecoin, Open USD ($OUSD), is now live. According to Crypto Briefing, , marking the formal market entry of a project that first surfaced in late June.
The token offers 1:1 USD mint and burn at no cost, making it accessible for corporate treasuries, remittances, and FX liquidity without the fee friction common to competing stablecoins.
A Consortium Built for Enterprise Scale The project is unusual in both its size and structure. , spanning payments, banking, big tech, and crypto infrastructure.
That structure directly inverts the model used by incumbents such as Tether and Circle, where the issuer retains the float on reserves.
Integration Pipelines and What Comes Next @BVNK and the @Visa Stablecoin Platform are available immediately.
@Coinbase's full integration is set to go live on October 1.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Open USD goes live as Coinbase, Mastercard, Stripe and Visa commit $1 billion to liquidity
Crypto Briefing: Stripe makes Open USD its default stablecoin for business payments
The Defiant: Open Standard Unveils Open USD, a Bank and Tech-Backed Stablecoin
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.
Open Standard’s OUSD stablecoin has officially launched, backed by firms such as Coinbase, Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa. The stablecoin is available across four networks, including Ethereum and Solana. It also launched on exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, and Uniswap.
OUSD Stablecoin Goes Live Across Four Networks In a blog post, Open Standard announced that its stablecoin is now live, with the platform offering four integration paths through Coinbase, Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa. “All paths support mint and burn functionality at a 1:1 USD conversion rate, at no cost,” the post read.
The official launch of the OUSD stablecoin comes three months after Open Standard first unveiled it, backed by financial firms such as Coinbase, BlackRock, Ripple, among others. The stablecoin notably creates a collaborative governance system in which partners get to share earnings from its reserves.
Meanwhile, the OUSD stablecoin is supported natively on Ethereum, Solana, Base, and Tempo. It will also be available across exchanges starting with Coinbase, Kraken, and Uniswap, with plans to add other exchanges over time.
Bridge is the stablecoin’s issuer, while BlackRock, Lead Bank, and BNY hold the stablecoin’s reserves. Open Standard confirmed that it plans to release monthly attestations of the stablecoin’s reserves.
Commenting on the OUSD stablecoin launch, Open Standard CEO Zach Abrams said, “Stablecoins should be better money. Today, they fall short. OUSD is built to change that.” The Bridge co-founder recently left Stripe to become Open Standard’s full-time CEO.
OUSD is set to compete with existing stablecoins such as Circle’s USDC, Ripple’s RLUSD, and Tether’s USAT. It is worth noting that Circle’s stock fell on the day Open Standard first unveiled the stablecoin.
The CRCL stock is down again today as Circle now faces increased competition in the stablecoin market. The stock is currently trading at around $83, down over 1% today and 9% in the last five days.
Open Standard’s dollar stablecoin launched Wednesday on Ethereum, Solana, Base and Tempo, issued by Stripe’s Bridge, with Coinbase access starting Oct. 1.
Open USD stablecoin live, Stripe, Visa, Mastercard open access
Posted September 30, 2026 at 12:49 pm ET.
Open USD (OUSD), the dollar stablecoin backed by Coinbase, Mastercard, Shopify, Stripe and Visa, went live on Wednesday, its operator Open Standard announced on X.
Businesses can start building with OUSD through Mastercard, Stripe and the Visa Stablecoin Platform now, with Coinbase access beginning Oct. 1. Each of the four integration paths lets businesses mint and burn the token at a 1:1 rate against the dollar at no cost, Open Standard said. The token runs natively on Ethereum, Solana, Base and Tempo, and will first be available to trade on Coinbase, Kraken and Uniswap.
OUSD is issued by Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure firm Stripe owns, with reserves held at BlackRock, Lead Bank and BNY. Bridge will publish reserve attestations monthly.
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What Stripe Is Offering Stripe said OUSD will be available alongside the stablecoins it already supports. Developers can use it across Stripe’s stablecoin products, including Bridge orchestration, Privy embedded wallets and stablecoin cards through Stripe Issuing, and businesses can hold OUSD balances in Stripe Treasury and send them to crypto wallets in more than 100 countries.
Stripe pitched the token at high-volume cross-border businesses such as remittance and payroll companies, arguing that the variable fees to convert other stablecoins in and out of dollars make them expensive to use. Open Standard instead charges a small transaction fee. Ramp, an Open Standard partner, uses Stripe to run stablecoin accounts that will let its customers hold OUSD and earn rewards.
“OUSD offers businesses better economics than any other stablecoin,” Privy co-founder Henri Stern said in Stripe’s announcement.
Equity for Partners Open Standard unveiled the project in June with more than 140 partners. It now counts more than 200, and says partners earn rewards in proportion to the supply and activity they drive, along with a chance to earn equity in the company.
“The overwhelming majority of our cap table is going to be distributed back to founders and non-founders based on how they help grow the network,” CEO Zach Abrams said in an interview with CoinDesk. The five founders are also putting up more than $1 billion to seed OUSD’s supply at launch, Open Standard said on Sept. 24.
Abrams co-founded Bridge, which Stripe bought in a $1.1 billion deal announced in 2024.
Related Listen: Stripe Bid $53B for PayPal: Who Actually Wins Stablecoin Payments?
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
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.
Open Standard stablecoin OUSD has officially launched, issued by Bridge, a subsidiary of Stripe.
Open Standard announces the official launch of its U.S. dollar stablecoin OUSD, enabling enterprises and developers to build internet-native financial services and products—such as banking, cross-border payments, settlements, and institutional transactions—using OUSD. OUSD currently offers four integration paths, with related APIs and tools covering settlement, payment orchestration, trading, foreign exchange conversion, wallets, and bank card services. All channels support the free minting and burning of OUSD at a 1:1 U.S. dollar exchange rate. Enterprises can now integrate via Mastercard, Stripe, and Visa Stablecoin Platform; Coinbase integration will open on October 1. OUSD natively supports Base, Ethereum, Solana, and Tempo, and will first be listed on centralized and decentralized trading platforms including Coinbase, Kraken, and Uniswap. Issued by Bridge, a subsidiary of Stripe, OUSD’s reserve assets are held at BlackRock, Lead Bank, and The Bank of New York Mellon, with reserve proofs published monthly. Open Standard currently boasts over 200 partners spanning financial institutions, fintech companies, banks, and global enterprises.
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Analyst: Inflation remains elevated, but the pace of its cooling has exceeded expectations.
Bank of Montreal analysts noted in a research report that annual benchmark revision data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows the U.S. Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge was revised down more than expected, though inflation remains far above the Fed’s 2% target. The August core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose less than anticipated, with year-over-year growth slowing to 3%—lower than the market consensus of 3.3% and the Fed’s own estimate of 3.2%. The economy is still expanding, and private sector hiring has held steady. Analysts believe these factors, paired with the downward inflation revision, have somewhat eased the urgency of another interest rate hike in October.
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Solv Protocol responds to a user's inability to redeem approximately 50 BTC: individual transactions triggered its risk control mechanisms, and the relevant assets remain fully held within the protocol.
Solv Protocol has issued a clarification on the recent BTC+ redemption incident that sparked public discussion, stating that BTC+ deposit and redemption mechanisms are currently operating normally. The incident is an isolated case: a specific transaction triggered the protocol’s risk review, and it does not affect BTC+’s overall deposit and redemption functions. Assets related to the incident remain safe and intact within the protocol, with no transfer, destruction, or other disposal. The matter is under review in accordance with established risk management processes. The protocol will handle the incident based on verifiable information and evidence, rather than making judgments solely based on social media identities or one-sided public statements. If necessary, Solv Protocol will cooperate with legal counsel or pursue relevant judicial procedures to further verify the situation. Solv added that it will not respond to future public discussions based on online identities or similar cases, and will continue to prioritize asset safety and the normal operation of BTC+. Earlier, X user @neillee99 posted that he withdrew approximately 50 BTC from Binance on July 8, converted it to SolvBTC and BTC+ via standard processes to earn an annualized return of around 3%. BTC+ subsequently suspended minting and redemption; Solv Protocol announced the resumption of these functions on July 31, but the user claimed his address remains restricted and his related assets have not been redeemable to date. The user noted he has submitted proof of fund sources, transaction records, and wallet control, with his demand being the lifting of the address restriction.
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US Senate Majority Leader Thune: Congress may raise the debt ceiling after the midterm elections.
US Senate Majority Leader Thune stated that Congress may raise the debt ceiling after the midterm elections.
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MSCI launches AI supply chain sub-index, supporting precise allocation and risk hedging.
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U.S. Treasury: Will purchase up to $60 billion in 10-to-20-year U.S. Treasuries in its liquidity repurchase operation on October 1.
The U.S. Treasury Department said it will buy up to $60 billion in 10- to 20-year U.S. Treasury bonds as part of its liquidity repurchase operation on October 1.
According to Farside’s monitoring, on September 29, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted a total net inflow of $66.2 million, broken down as: BlackRock’s IBIT: +$51.1 million; ARK’s ARKB: +$33.2 million; Bitwise’s BITB: -$18.1 million; while Fidelity’s FBTC, Invesco’s BTCO, Franklin’s EZBC, Valkyrie’s BRRR, VanEck’s HODL, WisdomTree’s BTCW, Morgan Stanley’s MSBT, Grayscale’s GBTC, and BTC saw no inflows or outflows. U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded a total net outflow of $2.8 million yesterday, with details: Grayscale’s ETH: +$12.8 million; BlackRock’s ETHA: -$8.9 million; Fidelity’s FETH: -$6.7 million; and BlackRock’s ETHB, Bitwise’s ETHW, 21Shares’ TETH, VanEck’s ETHV, Invesco’s QETH, Franklin’s EZET, Morgan Stanley’s MSSE, and Grayscale’s ETHE had no inflows or outflows.
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Bonk Guy (@theunipcs) has now made over $1M on $SI! He invested $168K to buy 19M $SI, now worth $1.2M — a 6x return.
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ARK Invest, a prominent US asset management firm led by Cathie Wood, has brought its flagship venture capital strategy onto the blockchain by tokenizing the ARK Venture Fund on Ethereum. Collaborating with Securitize, ARK Invest is enabling certain investors to access private market holdings like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Stripe via blockchain-powered channels. This initiative, announced on September 24, marks the company’s first move into fund tokenization and is considered one of the largest such efforts in the venture space to date.
Fund structure and blockchain integrationInstead of directly tokenizing shares in the underlying portfolio companies, the ARK Venture Fund provides a regulated, blockchain-based tokenized interest in the fund itself. This approach leverages public blockchains for fund administration and broadens access to private technology firms that have attracted rising investor demand, especially in the artificial intelligence sector.
The fund’s tokenized share class, ARKVX, trades on Securitize’s platform. Ethereum functions as the settlement network for ARK Venture Fund’s $1.3 billion portfolio, making on-chain proof of ownership possible for select investors via digital tokens.
ARK Venture Fund operates as an actively managed closed-end interval fund. As of August 31, 2026, net assets stood at $1.3 billion. The portfolio typically holds between 25 and 50 assets, blending private positions—such as OpenAI (5.26%), Anthropic (3.86%), and Stripe—with public equities including Tesla and Coinbase. Notable allocations also include SpaceX at 7.54%, alongside Databricks and Figure AI.
For eligible investors, access is limited to the ARK Venture Fund itself and does not represent direct equity in portfolio companies like OpenAI or Anthropic. Securitize, which manages over $5 billion in tokenized real-world assets, serves as the issuer and administrator for ARKVX. Subscriptions are accepted in USDC, with a minimum investment of $500, and tokens are distributed following net asset value determination. The offering remains restricted to qualified investors and is not open to the general public.
Mini dictionary: Securitize, a digital asset securities platform, specializes in tokenizing traditional investment funds and private company shares for compliant blockchain trading and administration.
Regulatory developments and trading mechanicsOn September 21, the US Securities and Exchange Commission issued a modified order for the ARK Venture Fund, permitting ARKVX holdings to be tracked using a distributed ledger and to trade through regulated alternative trading systems and quotation facilities.
Given the interval fund structure, share repurchases only occur periodically through scheduled offers that may be oversubscribed. Currently, Securitize does not expect a secondary trading market for ARKVX in the near future. This setup distinguishes ARK Venture Fund from tokenized money market funds such as BlackRock’s BUIDL, which offers daily liquidity, anchoring it instead in a model typical of private-market infrastructure where blockchain use centers on administrative transparency rather than on immediate tradability.
FundSubscriptionLiquidityPlatformARK Venture Fund (ARKVX)USDC, $500 minimumPeriodic buybacks onlySecuritize (Ethereum)BlackRock BUIDLRegular cash investmentsDaily redemptionVarious (private blockchains)Leadership perspectives and industry implicationsCathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, emphasized that trading the ARK Venture Fund token exemplifies a tangible step forward for blockchain adoption in capital markets. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo commented that the fund’s on-chain launch showcases how established fund managers are embracing new technologies. The partnership between ARK Invest and Securitize was strengthened after ARK Invest participated in a funding round for Securitize in October 2025, underpinning their cooperation on ARKVX issuance.
Trading the ARK Venture Fund token demonstrates how established managers are able to place existing investment products onto blockchain rails, offering streamlined access and transparent ownership registration.
Broader impact on private markets and tokenization trendsIn the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem, ARK Invest’s initiative cements Ethereum’s status as a preferred settlement network for compliant real-world asset tokenization. Securitize has previously supported offerings for large institutions such as BlackRock and Hamilton Lane, but the ARK Venture Fund brings tokenization into the traditionally inaccessible realm of venture capital, where operational hurdles once discouraged broader institutional participation.
For eligible buyers, the fund’s structure removes some obstacles to investing in private artificial intelligence companies previously limited to specialist venture capital vehicles. Industry observers are watching whether Securitize will eventually migrate ARKVX to other chains, whether alternative trading systems will list the token for secondary trading, and whether investor demand will hold up as on-chain share repurchase programs become available.
While the fund’s interval structure may restrict liquidity, ARK Venture Fund’s tokenization may serve as a prototype for other venture funds seeking to expand investor access, combining private technology exposure with blockchain-based recordkeeping and administration.
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes stated during Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) that he expects Ethereum (ETH) to reach $10,000 by the end of this year. The executive also expressed a bullish outlook on ETH’s future prospects in an interview with CoinDesk. As of now, ETH is trading at roughly $2,672.
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.
Aztec Labs has relaunched the zk.money wallet, which can hide the recipient, amount, and balance of transactions. However, there are significant usage limitations in the early version.
Aztec Labs is relaunching its privacy-focused zk.money wallet, which was shut down in 2024, after nearly three years. The wallet, which uses a custody model, allows stablecoins transferred from Ethereum to be sent privately on the Aztec Network.
Users will be able to deposit DAI, USDC, or USDT into the system. However, USDC and USDT deposits will be converted to DAI upon login, and payments within zk.money will be processed in DAI. After switching to the Aztec network, the amount sent, the recipient’s identity, and the user balance will not be publicly visible.
Users wishing to make payments will be able to use readable usernames or payment links instead of long wallet addresses. However, the initial deposit from Ethereum to the zk.money system is not entirely private. The user’s Ethereum address and the amount deposited will be traceable on the public chain. Privacy will only apply to activities after the asset enters the Aztec network.
In the early Alpha version, all deposits, payments, and withdrawals will be kept below $2,500. The common daily deposit limit for all users will be $50,000. Aztec Labs stated that they plan to raise these limits as the system matures and trust levels increase.
Deposits will incur a 35-cent fee in addition to the Ethereum network fee, while withdrawals will cost 20 cents. Users will be allowed 100 sponsored transactions per day on the network. Addresses used for Ethereum deposits and withdrawals will also be checked against sanctions lists.
Aztec documentation explicitly warns that the software has not yet been fully reviewed and may contain critical vulnerabilities. A critical flaw was identified in the network’s V5 proof-of-work system in August, and it was stated that a fix would be included in version V6. The fact that zk.money will launch before this fix poses a technical risk for early users.
The previous version of zk.money served over 75,000 wallets and processed over $100 million in transactions before it shut down.
*This is not investment advice.
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Aztec Labs has relaunched zk(.)money, a self-custodial wallet designed for private crypto payments, three years after shutting down the original version as the company shifted focus toward building its Layer 2 network.
What zk(.)money DoesThe new version runs on Aztec Network (@aztecnetwork), the company's privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2. Unlike a standard Ethereum wallet, zk(.)money does not publish users' balances, payment amounts, or counterparties on a public ledger. The wallet uses zk-SNARKs to hide balances, transfer amounts, and transaction parties from the public ledger.
Users can deposit DAI, USDC, or USDT from Ethereum, though USDC and USDT are converted to DAI, and deposits remain publicly traceable even as subsequent activity is private. Users can claim a simple handle such as bob.zk(.)money instead of using a long wallet address, and can send or request payments by sharing a link. The handles use Ethereum Name Service technology and can work with apps that support ENS.
The Alpha version limits deposits, payments, and withdrawals to $2,500 per transaction and $50,000 daily. A mobile app and DeFi integration are expected in Q4 2026, though partners have not yet been announced.
Context and What Comes NextThe original version served 75,000 wallets and processed $100 million in transactions before being discontinued in 2023. CEO Joe Andrews cited scalability challenges as the reason for the shutdown. Now that the network is live and stewarded via the non-profit Aztec Foundation, Aztec Labs says it is back shipping open-source privacy products on top of it.
The relaunch arrives just eight days after Aztec activated private smart contract execution on September 21, giving the relaunched app a fundamentally more capable foundation than its predecessor ever had.
The timing also aligns with a broader shift at the Ethereum protocol level. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published an updated protocol roadmap on 10 August 2026, setting his original 2023 diagram side by side with the current "Strawmap," a working plan that maps upgrades through 2029. He noted that quantum security and privacy, two major focus areas for Ethereum now, were not even on the old roadmap.
Aztec Labs warns the software is not fully audited and may contain bugs. Users should weigh that risk before committing significant funds to the platform in its current Alpha state.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Ethereum users get another way to pay privately as zk(.)money returns after three years
The Block: Aztec relaunches zk(.)money privacy wallet on its Ethereum Layer 2
CoinPaprika: Privacy and Quantum Defense Move to the Heart of Ethereum's Roadmap
On-chain financial operating system Concrete has announced that its native governance and configuration token CT will hold its Token Generation Event (TGE) today, September 30, and will be deployed on the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain (BSC) blockchains. The token’s fixed initial total supply is 1 billion units, with allocations broken down as follows: 35% to the ecosystem, 15% to the foundation, 22% to the team, and 28% to investors; specific airdrop-related shares were not disclosed. Prior reports noted that Binance Alpha and Coinbase sequentially announced today that they will list the Concrete token.
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Anthropic discloses a computing power agreement worth up to $84.5 billion, SPCX rises nearly 2%
Reuters cited confidential IPO documents from Anthropic, revealing that the company’s computing power agreement with SpaceX’s xAI involves potential spending of up to $84.5 billion by 2029 for accessing Nvidia chip-based computing resources. Most of the agreement can be canceled with 90 days’ prior notice, and the related amounts are not locked-in revenue. Earlier, SpaceX’s Starship completed its first Earth orbital flight during the 14th test flight, successfully deploying 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, though the mission ended earlier than planned. According to TradingBeats monitoring, the marked price of the SPCX perpetual contract on Hyperliquid stands at $149.50, up roughly 2.01% in 24 hours, with trading volume of approximately $52.65 million over the same period, and current open interest nominal value is around $118 million.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghi has informed the cabinet that he has received a U.S. proposal.
Iranian government spokesperson: Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has informed Iran’s cabinet that he has received a U.S. proposal. Earlier reports said Araghchi and his team held talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday evening. Araghchi received the U.S.’s feedback on the seven-day plan and will discuss the matter in Tehran on Wednesday. The document under negotiation outlines a seven-day initiative aimed at building mutual trust and returning to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the U.S. and Iran in June. The main point of contention between the two sides lies in the sequence of implementing measures under the seven-day plan, rather than the specific content included in the plan.
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Standard Chartered Bank has initiated coverage on ENA in its research report, projecting that its price will rise to $2 by the end of 2028.
Standard Chartered has initiated coverage of Ethena’s token ENA, projecting it will appreciate to $2 by the end of 2028. The bank’s report notes that Ethena sits at the intersection of perpetual contracts, tokenization, and stablecoins, with ENA set to benefit from growth in these sectors and its newly launched buyback program. It adds that Ethena is currently the fourth-largest stablecoin issuer globally, trailing only Tether, Circle, and Sky, and the second-largest interest-bearing stablecoin issuer after Sky. Its USDe stablecoin holds the record for reaching a $10 billion market cap the fastest.
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It is reported that ByteDance's personal AI assistant has been named "Xiaodou" and will have a standalone app.
Beating AI News Flash: ByteDance’s Doubao is developing a personal AI assistant product named “Xiaodou” and plans to launch a standalone app. “Xiaodou” was not a last-minute initiative launched after Muse’s viral rise; the name was finalized this summer. Doubao kicked off internal beta testing for its personal assistant project codenamed “Spell” back in April this year, initially led by Doubao’s mobile assistant team. Recently, the project has started further integration with Doubao’s existing products, and is now jointly managed by the Spell project team and Doubao’s dialogue team. ByteDance is accelerating the push to bring its existing personal assistant projects to official product status. The main Doubao app will remain the general AI entry point, “Doubao Work” is positioned for office use, while “Xiaodou” targets consumer-grade personal assistants.
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Bitwise's NEAR Spot ETF records $35.5 million in net inflow on its first day of trading.
Bitwise officials announced that the U.S.’s first spot NEAR ETP, the Bitwise NEAR ETF (ticker: NRR), reached $36 million in assets under management (AUM) on its debut day, with a net inflow of $35.5 million and trading volume of $15.1 million. Earlier reports noted that Bitwise plans to internally stake the NEAR tokens held by the fund to maximize participation in NEAR’s average ~5% staking rewards.
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German stablecoin startup AllUnity launches US dollar stablecoin USDAU.
EU MiCA-regulated stablecoin issuer AllUnity has announced the launch of its USD stablecoin USDAU, which maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar through segregated reserves. The stablecoin will first be issued on Ethereum, Solana, Base, Tempo, Arc, and Polygon. This is AllUnity’s fourth fiat stablecoin, following the euro-pegged EURAU, Swiss franc-backed CHFAU, and Swedish krona-linked SEKAU. AllUnity CEO Alexander H?ptner said USDAU aims to bring U.S. dollar liquidity into the European regulatory framework, providing a USD settlement tool for European enterprises’ global trade and cross-border payments. (Cointelegraph)
Key Takeaways Ethereum is currently trading around $2,680, stuck beneath the critical $2,710-$2,720 resistance barrier. Approximately 125K ETH have moved to exchanges since last Friday, indicating increased selling pressure. Spot Ethereum ETF inflows in the US plummeted from $269.9 million to just $17.1 million within one week. BitMine expanded its Ethereum position by 17,362 ETH recently, pushing total holdings to around 6 million ETH. Market participants are closely monitoring $2,650 as support and $2,720 as resistance for directional clarity. Ethereum is currently hovering around the $2,680 level. Over recent trading sessions, the asset has remained range-bound just under $2,700, maintaining its position above crucial moving average indicators.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Since Friday, exchange balances for Ethereum have increased by approximately 125K tokens. This migration of coins to trading platforms typically signals that investors may be positioning for potential sales.
According to Santiment analytics, realized gains reached $222 million last Friday. This metric has moderated in subsequent sessions as trading activity cooled.
The Coinbase Premium Index, which measures purchasing sentiment from US-based traders, declined to -0.0483. This represents the lowest value recorded in nearly fourteen days.
Institutional demand through US-based spot Ethereum ETFs has weakened considerably. SoSoValue data reveals inflows contracted from $269.9 million last week to merely $17.1 million by Monday.
Source: SoSoValue Market participants appear to be reducing exposure ahead of critical US economic releases, with inflation data expected Wednesday and employment figures due Friday. Geopolitical tensions have intensified following President Trump’s rejection of a proposed ceasefire arrangement with Iran.
Bond Market Pressures Mount as Yields Climb The US 10-Year Treasury yield has surged approximately 70 basis points throughout this month. According to The Kobeissi Letter’s analysis on X, bond markets are currently anticipating four additional 25-basis-point rate hikes extending through June 2027.
Liquidation activity for Ethereum totaled $61.6 million across the last 24-hour period. Of this amount, short position liquidations accounted for $33.7 million.
Technical indicators on the daily timeframe show ETH maintaining a 14-day RSI reading of 62 alongside a Stochastic value of 71. Both metrics remain in positive territory while avoiding overbought conditions.
Initial support zones are established at $2,612 to $2,626, with additional backing at $2,544 and $2,431. More substantial support levels can be found near $2,275, $2,172, and $1,961.
For upside movement, initial resistance appears at $2,786, followed by barriers at $2,894 and $3,177. Market analyst Ash Crypto noted on X that Ethereum successfully defended $2,550 and concluded last week with a 1.66% gain, observing that the $2,300 to $2,800 zone has historically generated three significant breakouts on weekly charts, with a sustained push beyond $2,800 potentially targeting $3,600-$4,500.
ETHEREUM IS GETTING READY FOR A BIG MOVE.$ETH held $2,550 and closed the week up 1.66%.
The $2,300 to $2,800 range is what matters now. This same zone has produced 3 major breakouts on the weekly chart.
Each time ETH broke out of this range, the next move was big.
A… pic.twitter.com/5QrnpIVTzG
— Ash Crypto (@AshCrypto) September 29, 2026
Exchange Demand Shows Signs of Strengthening Analyst Trader XO identifies $2,720 as the critical threshold required to unlock a trajectory toward $2,900 and the yearly opening price. Failure to breach this level keeps the broader $2,300-$2,700 consolidation range intact.
And that’s why I’ve never been a huge fan of rigid trading plans being shared ahead of time…
Took the long above 2710s. Liquidations came in, with no passive support – the information changed, so I cut it.
Price trading back under 2720… flipped short.
You’re not going to… https://t.co/9N6Nf2gpeI pic.twitter.com/vVq4c2t5Z4
— XO (@Trader_XO) September 25, 2026
Analyst Trader Symba identified a potential bullish checkmate formation, designating the $2,650 to $2,710 area as a reaccumulation phase. Breaking above $2,710 could trigger moves toward $2,800 with subsequent targets at $3,000.
Technical observer CW8900 noted strengthening Coinbase buying activity accompanied by minimal selling pressure in recent sessions. Trading patterns from Binance and OKX display comparable demand characteristics, suggesting broad-based recovery momentum across multiple platforms.
Institutional investor BitMine acquired another 17,362 ETH during the past week. This purchase elevates the company’s cumulative Ethereum position to roughly 6 million ETH.
30 September 2026 | 10:28 Arthur Hayes says Ethereum could reach $10,000 by the end of 2026. Before that distant call becomes relevant, ETH is testing a support area near $2,650 on the daily chart.
Key Takeaways Hayes bases his call on Ethereum’s institutional role. ETH is testing support around $2,640-$2,660. The zone combines former resistance and trendline support. $2,500 is the next major Fibonacci area. Other end-2026 forecasts remain materially lower. At the time of writing, ETH traded near $2,660, according to CoinMarketCap data. A move to $10,000 from that area would require an advance of roughly 276% before December 31.
Two very different ETH reference points
$10,000 · Arthur Hayes’ end-2026 prediction
A personal long-term view based on Ethereum’s role as infrastructure for large capital.
$2,640-$2,660 · Immediate daily support
The area ETH needs to defend before the market can argue that the latest recovery remains well supported.
Why Hayes sees room for $10,000 During an interview at Korea Blockchain Week, BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes said Ethereum appeals to him because it can absorb a large allocation. In the CoinDesk interview clip, he said he is less concerned about an exploit suddenly cutting the value of such a position by 75%.
📈 @CryptoHayes calls $10,000 $ETH by the end of the year.
His bullish take at the desk from @kbwofficial pic.twitter.com/6bVhc2lS0X
— CoinDesk (@CoinDesk) September 30, 2026
Hayes described Ethereum as the most secure Layer 1 in his view and linked that confidence to its scale and market capitalization. That is an investment judgment, rather than a security measurement established by market value alone.
He also argued that Ethereum underperformed while rivals such as Solana captured faster-moving market narratives, including meme-coin trading. Ethereum’s size has brought trade-offs of its own: a slower path to upgrades, more complex coordination and stronger competition for activity.
Hayes’ argument fits the longer-term debate over whether Ethereum can grow without giving up the qualities that make it attractive to institutions. Coindoo recently examined the ideas behind Ethereum’s Lean roadmap, where scaling, verification and security are being treated as connected problems.
Other prominent forecasts rely on different conditions Hayes is not alone in expecting higher ETH prices, though the range of estimates shows that there is no clear consensus around a year-end number.
Arthur Hayes · $10,000
His view focuses on Ethereum’s scale, liquidity and perceived suitability for large capital.
Tom Lee · Around $6,000
Lee’s reported scenario is tied partly to Bitcoin reaching $150,000, making it dependent on a much stronger wider crypto market.
Standard Chartered · $4,000
The bank reaffirmed this end-2026 view in May, citing Ethereum activity and potential demand from stablecoins and tokenization.
Tom Lee’s $6,000 view was reported in connection with a $150,000 Bitcoin scenario, while Standard Chartered’s May note placed more weight on network activity and tokenized-finance demand.
The forecasts start from different assumptions. Hayes focuses on Ethereum’s ability to attract large allocations; Lee’s scenario requires a stronger Bitcoin market; Standard Chartered expects activity and adoption to translate into demand for ETH. Their price figures should therefore be read as conditional views, rather than competing measurements of the same outcome.
ETH is testing a former resistance area near $2,650 The daily chart shows ETH trading just above a $2,640-$2,660 support zone. A horizontal line in that region held price back during the earlier September advance. Over the past eight to ten days, ETH has begun returning to the same area from above.
The rising blue trendline now reaches that range as well. The two references create the closest support area below the market during the current consolidation.
The $2,640-$2,660 zone is the immediate support area, while the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement near $2,500 is the next major reference. Source: TradingView. A brief move below the range followed by a recovery would leave the rising structure largely intact. Continued daily trading beneath it could put the next support area near $2,500 back in focus.
The $2,500 Fibonacci level has recent price history The 23.6% Fibonacci retracement sits near $2,500, drawn from the visible daily swing between the June low around $1,500 and the latest high near $2,800.
Its importance does not come only from the Fibonacci tool. ETH met repeated resistance and support around $2,500 from late August through mid-September before moving into the current range. That trading history gives the level more context than a Fibonacci line alone.
A return to $2,500 would test whether that earlier trading range can absorb another pullback. Holding and recovering from the area could keep the decline within the broader advance. Continued daily trading below it could bring the rising 50-day simple moving average near $2,435 into view, followed by the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement near $2,310.
The support map beneath the $10,000 call Hayes’ forecast asks readers to consider how Ethereum could be valued if it becomes a larger destination for institutional capital. The daily chart cannot settle that longer-term argument, but it can show whether buyers are still defending the structure behind the latest recovery.
For now, the first evidence sits around $2,650. If that area gives way, $2,500 becomes the more important test because it combines the 23.6% retracement with a recent stretch of heavy price interaction. How ETH behaves across those levels may offer a clearer reading of the recovery than any year-end prediction alone.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Price forecasts and technical levels are interpretive tools, not guarantees of future market performance.
Author
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
US spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $2.81 million in net outflows on September 29. The move ended a 7-day inflow streak that had brought roughly $850.8 million into the products.
Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs moved in the opposite direction on the same day. They took in $66.19 million, extending their own inflow run to 9 straight sessions.
How the Ethereum ETF Streak Lost Steam Before It BrokeThe streak began on September 18, according to SoSoValue data. It followed 3 sessions of outflows between September 15 and 17, which pulled about $404.8 million from the funds.
BeInCrypto reported that those outflows coincided with the Clarity Act stalling in the Senate. The largest day of the run came on September 21, when the funds drew $269.98 million.
Daily totals then eased across most of the following sessions and slipped to $17.1 million by September 28.
Ethereum ETF inflow streak ends with outflow. Source SoSoValueWeekly figures show how strong the run was at its height. The funds added $689.88 million in the week ending September 25, their biggest week since late August.
On September 29, BlackRock’s ETHA recorded the largest outflow at $8.94 million. Meanwhile, Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust took in $12.83 million, which kept the net loss small.
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Ethereum Price Slipped While the Money Kept Coming InEthereum’s price fell during the same week the funds were attracting capital. ETH traded at $2,673.54 at press time, down 3.32% over 7 days, according to BeInCrypto Markets data. The token gained 0.41% over the past 24 hours.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance. BeInCrypto MarketsBitcoin showed the same split between price and flows. BTC dropped 3.78% over the week to $83,359, although its ETFs gathered roughly $3.08 billion during their 9-session streak.
Ethereum ETFs still hold $17.79 billion in net assets, equal to 5.45% of Ethereum’s market capitalization. They have also attracted $979.69 million in net inflows over the past 30 days.
The funds have opened this week with $14.29 million in net inflows, a fraction of the previous week’s pace. Flow data from the coming sessions will show whether ETHA’s exit stays isolated or spreads to other issuers.
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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a detailed essay arguing that the network is rapidly outgrowing the conventional idea of a blockchain. In “The Cryptographic World Computer,” he describes a hybrid system that fuses classic blockchain consensus with modern cryptographic tools and large-scale off-chain computation.
By 2030, he suggests, calling Ethereum “just a blockchain” will be more a matter of historical habit than technical accuracy.
The essay contrasts the original 2009 Bitcoin design with the Ethereum of 2015, 2025, and the version planned for the end of the decade.
Almost every foundational property is changing.
Transaction authorization will move from simple digital signatures toward a mix of quantum-resistant signatures and zero-knowledge proofs.
Identifying the canonical chain will rely on a highly optimized proof-of-stake system that reaches finality in a small number of slots rather than proof-of-work.
Block verification will no longer require every node to download and re-execute every transaction; instead, nodes will sample data availability with PeerDAS and check a succinct SNARK proof.
Block production itself is shifting from a single proposer to multi-party construction.
Mechanisms such as FOCIL are intended to guarantee timely inclusion and strengthen censorship resistance.
Computation is becoming parallel rather than strictly serial, with gas rules and mempool design encouraging work that can be processed independently before it ever reaches a block.
Clients will store far less history and state, often keeping only a fraction of the data and using different storage formats for different object types.
Light clients will be able to verify both consensus and validity rather than trusting an honest majority for the latter.For users the trade-offs look different.
Uptime and rule-based execution remain, but censorship resistance becomes stronger through guaranteed real-time inclusion.
Privacy improves across writes, account policies, reads, and the network layer via ZK-SNARKs, private account abstraction, and mixnets.
Slot times of four to eight seconds and finality of eight to thirty-two seconds replace the roughly 17-second blocks and multi-minute confirmation windows of early Ethereum.
Running a node becomes lighter because SNARKs remove the need to re-execute everything, though the strongest guarantees still come from participating directly.
Buterin notes that decentralization is no longer only a cost paid for robustness.
Parallel storage and computation across many machines can increase throughput, and only a decentralized network can hide metadata effectively.
The missing piece that made this vision impractical a decade ago—cheap, reliable verification of split-up work—has been supplied by modern cryptography.
He identifies Hegota, the upgrade planned for next year, as likely the last “normal” fork whose technology would still feel familiar to a 2015 developer.
Everything after it centers on recursive STARKs, automated formal verification, optimized consensus, and quantum safety.
PeerDAS marked the beginning of the shift; after Hegota the transformation becomes the network’s main narrative.
The intended result is cheaper, more scalable, and more private high-security computation than earlier-generation technology could deliver.
Challenges remain, especially making zero-knowledge proofs efficient and managing massive parallel access to state. Yet the direction is clear: Ethereum is becoming a cryptographic world computer rather than a simple shared ledger.
Post-quantum security infrastructure firm Project Eleven has acquired post-quantum digital asset infrastructure provider Riva Labs. The specific acquisition amount was not disclosed. The deal brings Riva’s technology and intellectual property developed on Ethereum and other public blockchains into Project Eleven, strengthening the latter’s capabilities in post-quantum cryptography and blockchain infrastructure. Riva’s research areas include hash-based post-quantum signatures, post-quantum multi-party computation, account abstraction, wallet infrastructure, and hardware signing, including post-quantum signatures recently demonstrated on consumer-grade hardware.
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Anthropic discloses a computing power agreement worth up to $84.5 billion, SPCX rises nearly 2%
Reuters cited confidential IPO documents from Anthropic, revealing that the company’s computing power agreement with SpaceX’s xAI involves potential spending of up to $84.5 billion by 2029 for accessing Nvidia chip-based computing resources. Most of the agreement can be canceled with 90 days’ prior notice, and the related amounts are not locked-in revenue. Earlier, SpaceX’s Starship completed its first Earth orbital flight during the 14th test flight, successfully deploying 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, though the mission ended earlier than planned. According to TradingBeats monitoring, the marked price of the SPCX perpetual contract on Hyperliquid stands at $149.50, up roughly 2.01% in 24 hours, with trading volume of approximately $52.65 million over the same period, and current open interest nominal value is around $118 million.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghi has informed the cabinet that he has received a U.S. proposal.
Iranian government spokesperson: Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has informed Iran’s cabinet that he has received a U.S. proposal. Earlier reports said Araghchi and his team held talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday evening. Araghchi received the U.S.’s feedback on the seven-day plan and will discuss the matter in Tehran on Wednesday. The document under negotiation outlines a seven-day initiative aimed at building mutual trust and returning to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the U.S. and Iran in June. The main point of contention between the two sides lies in the sequence of implementing measures under the seven-day plan, rather than the specific content included in the plan.
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Standard Chartered Bank has initiated coverage on ENA in its research report, projecting that its price will rise to $2 by the end of 2028.
Standard Chartered has initiated coverage of Ethena’s token ENA, projecting it will appreciate to $2 by the end of 2028. The bank’s report notes that Ethena sits at the intersection of perpetual contracts, tokenization, and stablecoins, with ENA set to benefit from growth in these sectors and its newly launched buyback program. It adds that Ethena is currently the fourth-largest stablecoin issuer globally, trailing only Tether, Circle, and Sky, and the second-largest interest-bearing stablecoin issuer after Sky. Its USDe stablecoin holds the record for reaching a $10 billion market cap the fastest.
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It is reported that ByteDance's personal AI assistant has been named "Xiaodou" and will have a standalone app.
Beating AI News Flash: ByteDance’s Doubao is developing a personal AI assistant product named “Xiaodou” and plans to launch a standalone app. “Xiaodou” was not a last-minute initiative launched after Muse’s viral rise; the name was finalized this summer. Doubao kicked off internal beta testing for its personal assistant project codenamed “Spell” back in April this year, initially led by Doubao’s mobile assistant team. Recently, the project has started further integration with Doubao’s existing products, and is now jointly managed by the Spell project team and Doubao’s dialogue team. ByteDance is accelerating the push to bring its existing personal assistant projects to official product status. The main Doubao app will remain the general AI entry point, “Doubao Work” is positioned for office use, while “Xiaodou” targets consumer-grade personal assistants.
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Bitwise's NEAR Spot ETF records $35.5 million in net inflow on its first day of trading.
Bitwise officials announced that the U.S.’s first spot NEAR ETP, the Bitwise NEAR ETF (ticker: NRR), reached $36 million in assets under management (AUM) on its debut day, with a net inflow of $35.5 million and trading volume of $15.1 million. Earlier reports noted that Bitwise plans to internally stake the NEAR tokens held by the fund to maximize participation in NEAR’s average ~5% staking rewards.
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German stablecoin startup AllUnity launches US dollar stablecoin USDAU.
EU MiCA-regulated stablecoin issuer AllUnity has announced the launch of its USD stablecoin USDAU, which maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar through segregated reserves. The stablecoin will first be issued on Ethereum, Solana, Base, Tempo, Arc, and Polygon. This is AllUnity’s fourth fiat stablecoin, following the euro-pegged EURAU, Swiss franc-backed CHFAU, and Swedish krona-linked SEKAU. AllUnity CEO Alexander H?ptner said USDAU aims to bring U.S. dollar liquidity into the European regulatory framework, providing a USD settlement tool for European enterprises’ global trade and cross-border payments. (Cointelegraph)
EU MiCA-regulated stablecoin issuer AllUnity has announced the launch of its USD stablecoin USDAU, which maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar through segregated reserves. The stablecoin will first be issued on Ethereum, Solana, Base, Tempo, Arc, and Polygon. This is AllUnity’s fourth fiat stablecoin, following the euro-pegged EURAU, Swiss franc-backed CHFAU, and Swedish krona-linked SEKAU. AllUnity CEO Alexander Höptner said USDAU aims to bring U.S. dollar liquidity into the European regulatory framework, providing a USD settlement tool for European enterprises’ global trade and cross-border payments. (Cointelegraph)
Tom Lee, Chairman of Bitmine (BMNR), a DAT company known for its Ethereum accumulation strategy, said that a new bull run has begun in the cryptocurrency market and that the current cycle could be even bigger than previous bull runs.
Lee made these remarks during Korea Blockchain Week 2026, offering his assessment of the outlook for the cryptocurrency market. He noted several key factors that could support the current bull market.
Tokenization is at the forefront of these developments. According to Lee, efforts to represent real-world assets on the blockchain are attracting far more attention compared to previous crypto bull markets. The widespread adoption of tokenization is seen as one of the developments that could accelerate the integration of blockchain technology with traditional finance.
Lee also stated that capital flows linked to intergenerational wealth transfer and increased cryptocurrency purchases by institutional investors could provide new resources to the market.
Lee also highlighted digital asset treasury (DAT) companies, arguing that the fact that their capital is not subject to the repayment pressure seen in traditional investment funds could amplify the impact of the new bull market. The ability of these entities to hold crypto assets on their balance sheets for extended periods, in Lee’s view, represents a significant difference in terms of market dynamics.
Lee also noted that the increased use of digital currencies by AI agents could support the growth of the crypto ecosystem.
Considering these factors together, Lee believes the current crypto bull cycle may be more widespread than in the past. However, this assessment reflects Lee’s market expectations and does not offer any certainty regarding future price performance.
*This is not investment advice.
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Solana held steady above $120 on Tuesday, maintaining a firm technical stance after a brief rally toward $125 the previous week. The cryptocurrency’s resilience at the $116 to $120 zone coincides with broad strength in digital asset markets, as total crypto capitalization approached $2.9 trillion over a 24-hour period. Market leaders Bitcoin and Ethereum also remained robust, trading near $84,000 and above $2,700 respectively.
Sustained ETF inflows highlight institutional demandFor 11 consecutive weeks, US-based spot Solana ETFs have reported persistent positive net inflows. Analyst Ali Charts confirmed that, since July 13, these funds have accumulated around 4.37 million SOL, currently valued at approximately $450 million. His analysis suggests this accumulation phase extends through September 25, covering the latest completed trading week.
Ali Charts outlined that institutional demand for SOL remains strong, with significant absorption of available tokens by ETF products. He set a $150 upside target for the asset, citing ongoing capital inflows as a critical supporting factor for further price appreciation.
With institutional demand continuing to absorb Solana, the analyst expects the next price move upward toward $150 as SOL ETFs reach $450 million in holdings over an 11-week period.
This development underlines Solana’s mounting appeal among institutional investors, who continue to increase their exposure despite recent market volatility.
Weekly ETF inflows reach year-highDuring the week ending September 27, spot Solana ETF products in the United States collected $188.21 million in net inflows, according to SolanaFloor. This stands as the highest single-week inflow in the past 10 months and reflects growing confidence from market participants.
Bitwise’s BSOL led the pack, drawing in $128.46 million in new assets. Grayscale’s GSOL contributed $28.06 million, while Fidelity’s FSOL added $17.59 million over the same period. Additional figures from SoSoValue revealed another $12.70 million in SOL ETF inflows on September 28, bringing the cumulative total across all US-listed Solana ETFs to $1.62 billion. These products now collectively manage $1.93 billion in assets, representing about 2.76% of Solana’s total market capitalization.
In related activity, DeFi Development Corp expanded its Solana holdings by approximately 47,706 tokens since September 21, now holding nearly 2.54 million SOL in total.
Dominance in tokenized commodities and technical outlookSolana’s ecosystem is also strengthening in the tokenized commodities sector. Between September 21 and 27, decentralized exchanges built on Solana processed $91.1 million in tokenized commodities trades. This figure accounts for 28% of the $322.7 million total market, up markedly from just 5% four weeks earlier. Competitors such as Robinhood Chain and Ethereum lagged behind with $81.3 million and $62.6 million in transaction volumes, respectively, while Canton Network registered $67.4 million.
The stablecoin supply on Solana reached $17.3 billion as of September 25, based on network data, with DeFiLlama reporting a slightly more conservative estimate of $16.37 billion.
Analysts pointed to technical indicators showing momentum is building. The four-hour Relative Strength Index stood at 55.99, while the MACD remained below its signal line, with a negative histogram still present. Analysts and investors continue to watch the $120 zone as primary support, with additional levels at $115 and $110. A successful close above $125 could open the way to $130, with the $150 target remaining a longer-term focal point.
Given the potential for rapid market change driven by key macro events, technical breakouts, or surprises such as new altcoin listings, many investors face challenges managing their positions across various platforms. In response, privacy-focused applications like CryptoAppsy are gaining traction among traders seeking efficiency. These tools provide real-time charts, price alerts, and crypto news without account registration, consolidating essential trading information on one screen.
Spot Solana ETF inflows for the latest full week totaled $188.21 million, marking the strongest capital influx for the asset class in nearly a year and underlining increasing institutional adoption.
Cover image via depositphotos.com 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.
Fundstrat cofounder and BitMine chairman Tom Lee, whose company holds a massive $16 billion position in Ethereum, has turned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao's (CZ) viral Twitter humor into pragmatic investment analysis.
While retail investors try to determine the market's phase from charts, the fund under Lee's control has accumulated nearly 5% of the world's entire ETH supply.
The trigger was CZ's nighttime selfie in green tones, with the brief caption "Soon...".
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Tom Lee’s comment on CZ's viral crypto meme. Source: Thomas (Tom) Lee via X.comWhile traders searched the green filter for a hint at an "Uptober" rally or a rise in the BNB token, Tom Lee reposted the post, responding to the Binance founder with a direct question to his audience: "Agreed. Do you own enough crypto?"
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The interaction between the two industry heavyweights coincided with major shifts in the ecosystem. At the recent Korea Blockchain Week conference in Seoul, Tom Lee confirmed that the market is in an active phase of the bull cycle, supported by demand from AI systems, and maintained his $150,000 price target for Bitcoin.
CZ himself has previously urged readers not to look for hidden financial advice in his posts, stating that any alignment with price movements was coincidental, while also emphasizing the fundamental strength of BNB Chain's infrastructure.
This entire dialogue is unfolding against a stable market backdrop. By the end of September, Bitcoin is firmly holding around $83,300, Ethereum is trading near $2,698, and BNB remains close to $757, with the major assets recording net gains of 7–11% over the past 30 days.
While everyone is jokingBehind Tom Lee's rhetorical question lies a concrete corporate practice, backed by his company's status as the largest institutional holder. Publicly traded investment company BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR) provides an example of aggressive long-term accumulation.
According to its official financial report dated September 28, BitMine reached a historic milestone, holding 6,001,302 ETH (around $16.2 billion).
The corporate purchasing program "Alchemy of 5%," launched in the summer of 2025, is already 98% complete, giving Tom Lee's companies control of 4.9% of Ethereum's total market supply.
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Meanwhile, around 84% of these holdings (~5.067 million ETH) have been staked, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual passive income for the company.
The heavyweights' synchronized optimism comes as October 10 approaches—the date when, last year, the market suffered the largest liquidation event in its history, totaling $19 billion. At the time, the industry consensus was that systemic failures and vulnerabilities in Binance's margin system had caused the cascading collapse.
It will soon become clear what really lies behind this multibillion-dollar humor: real groundwork for a surge or another trap ahead of a critical date.
Bitcoin (BTC) maintains its position as the premier cryptocurrency investment as ETF-driven institutional interest accelerates. Ethereum (ETH) provides essential infrastructure for decentralized finance, stablecoin operations, and asset tokenization platforms. Solana (SOL) merges growing institutional participation with one of the industry’s most rapidly expanding ecosystems. Chainlink (LINK) stands to gain significantly as tokenized traditional assets gain traction in conventional finance. Hyperliquid (HYPE) represents the highest-risk option among these selections, though its expanding derivatives trading platform offers compelling fundamental support. Those seeking the best crypto to buy now are navigating a markedly different landscape than in previous market cycles. The role of institutional participants and exchange-traded funds has expanded considerably.
Cryptocurrencies demonstrating genuine utility are beginning to separate themselves from tokens dependent primarily on speculative momentum. For investors with longer time horizons, five digital assets warrant particular attention: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Chainlink, and Hyperliquid.
Bitcoin’s recent trading activity placed it near the $84,000 level. The leading cryptocurrency posted gains exceeding 40% throughout Q3 of the year.
American spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds attracted approximately $2.4 billion in capital between September 21 and September 25. These figures indicate persistent institutional appetite despite periods of portfolio rebalancing.
Bitcoin Serves as the Foundation for Crypto Portfolios Bitcoin frequently represents the initial position for investors establishing long-term cryptocurrency exposure. Its protocol enforces a hard cap of 21 million coins.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price This immutable supply limit, paired with substantial market liquidity, distinguishes Bitcoin from alternative cryptocurrencies with smaller market capitalizations. The emergence of regulated investment vehicles has simultaneously lowered barriers to entry for retail participants.
Bitcoin is progressively viewed as an institutional asset class rather than purely a speculative trading vehicle. Strategy has expanded its treasury position to 847,666 BTC.
The return of capital flows into Bitcoin ETF products has introduced an additional demand dynamic.
Ethereum Underpins Digital Finance Infrastructure Ethereum presents a fundamentally different investment thesis compared to Bitcoin. It functions as the foundational layer supporting stablecoin networks, decentralized financial protocols, tokenized securities, and countless blockchain-based applications.
Corporate and institutional interest in Ethereum has intensified. American spot Ether ETFs have recently attracted several hundred million dollars in net inflows.
Current estimates suggest over 40 million ETH is actively staked on the network. This represents a substantial portion of circulating supply being committed to validation rather than available for trading.
Solana Draws Growing Institutional Attention Solana potentially delivers superior growth characteristics relative to Bitcoin or Ethereum, albeit with elevated risk factors. The blockchain has established itself among the most heavily utilized networks in the cryptocurrency sector.
High-speed transaction processing combined with minimal fee structures has enabled Solana to expand its decentralized finance and trading ecosystems. Institutional accessibility through regulated products continues to improve.
American Solana ETFs registered $5.4 million in net positive flows on September 29. This marked the seventh consecutive trading session with inflows.
Chainlink Bridges Blockchain Networks and Legacy Finance Chainlink delivers the oracle infrastructure and interoperability protocols enabling blockchain networks to interface with established financial systems. This functionality gains importance as equities, fixed income, and investment funds migrate to blockchain rails.
The protocol deployed CCIP 2.0 on September 28. The upgrade incorporates enterprise-grade capabilities including enhanced compliance frameworks and cross-chain security mechanisms.
According to Chainlink, CCIP has facilitated over $84 billion in cross-chain token transfers. Its partnership network now encompasses banking institutions, asset managers, and technology providers, including collaborations with Coinbase and Ondo.
Hyperliquid Presents Maximum Risk-Reward Profile Hyperliquid constitutes the most speculative selection among these options. The platform has developed into one of the cryptocurrency industry’s largest decentralized derivatives exchanges.
Data from DeFiLlama indicates the protocol maintains approximately $7.5 billion in total value locked. Trading activity reached roughly $210 billion in perpetual futures volume during the preceding 30-day period.
The majority of eligible platform fees generated by Hyperliquid are allocated to a treasury that purchases HYPE tokens. This mechanism establishes a direct correlation between trading volume and token buying pressure.
Hyperliquid simultaneously introduces greater valuation uncertainty, competitive threats, and execution challenges compared to Bitcoin or Ethereum.
These five digital assets each fulfill distinct roles within a diversified long-term cryptocurrency portfolio. Bitcoin and Ethereum establish the core positions, Solana introduces growth-oriented exposure, Chainlink provides infrastructure layer access, and Hyperliquid incorporates higher-risk, higher-reward potential.
Key Takeaways Tom Lee and Changpeng Zhao indicated optimism about an incoming crypto bull cycle Changpeng Zhao shared a meme-inspired post suggesting the market may soon recover Lee responded by challenging investors to evaluate their crypto exposure Lee maintains his ambitious price projections for Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitmine continues its weekly Ethereum acquisition strategy Tom Lee and Changpeng Zhao have reignited cryptocurrency market discussions this week. Lee serves as chairman of Bitmine Immersion Technologies, while Zhao founded the Binance exchange. Both industry leaders suggested that a significant bull market may be on the horizon.
The conversation began when Zhao shared an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself. The picture depicted him lying in bed, rendered in green night vision tones, with a drowsy yet startled expression.
The image referenced a widely recognized internet meme format. It implied that market participants might be unprepared when cryptocurrency valuations begin their next ascent.
Zhao’s social media activity also reinforced a previous statement highlighting the strong fundamentals of BNB Chain. That earlier message emphasized the sustained potential of the BNB cryptocurrency.
Lee replied to Zhao’s content with a concise question. He asked, “Agree, do you own enough crypto?”
Ambitious Projections and Continued Accumulation Lee has publicly stated his belief that the cryptocurrency sector has already entered a fresh bullish phase. He continues to stand by his long-term forecast of $150,000 for Bitcoin.
🇰🇷LATEST: Bitmine's Tom Lee says "a crypto BULL MARKET is underway.”
Tom Lee at Korea Blockchain Week 2026 outlines his reasons on why a crypto bull market is underway.
“Ethereum has been consolidating for 5 years” he adds. pic.twitter.com/Xd8n0qZIqL
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) September 30, 2026
Additionally, he anticipates Ethereum will climb to $60,000 within the next few years. Lee has reiterated these price predictions consistently throughout recent months.
Meanwhile, Bitmine has maintained its commitment to acquiring Ethereum. The company purchased 17,362 ETH during the previous week.
This latest acquisition brought Bitmine’s cumulative Ethereum position beyond 6 million tokens. Based on present market valuations, this reserve exceeds $16 billion in value.
Bitmine has executed Ethereum purchases weekly without interruption since launching its treasury accumulation approach in June of the previous year. The company has maintained this discipline regardless of market volatility.
Digital asset prices experienced substantial recovery throughout September. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB all recorded monthly advances.
However, that upward movement decelerated recently. Rising Treasury yields applied downward pressure on cryptocurrency valuations.
Bitcoin declined approximately four percent during the preceding seven-day period but remains up more than seven percent for the month. Ethereum and BNB demonstrated comparable performance, declining weekly while maintaining monthly gains.
Bitmine’s equity also experienced weakness. The stock retreated modestly in extended trading and finished Tuesday’s standard session in negative territory.
Lee offered additional perspective on the cryptocurrency landscape during his appearance at Korea Blockchain Week. He suggested the approaching bull market may develop into the most substantial cycle on record.
He referenced cryptocurrency-related equities, which have outperformed during the third quarter. Lee interprets that performance as confirmation that a bull market has already commenced.
He also noted this cycle exhibits distinct characteristics compared to previous ones. Past cycles were propelled by ICOs, NFTs, meme tokens, and stablecoins.
For this cycle, Lee anticipates tokenization, artificial intelligence, and improved regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrency will serve as primary catalysts. He projects the market could experience a more significant breakout than previous cycles following an extended consolidation period.
Bitwise's NEAR Spot ETF records $35.5 million in net inflow on its first day of trading.
Bitwise officials announced that the U.S.’s first spot NEAR ETP, the Bitwise NEAR ETF (ticker: NRR), reached $36 million in assets under management (AUM) on its debut day, with a net inflow of $35.5 million and trading volume of $15.1 million. Earlier reports noted that Bitwise plans to internally stake the NEAR tokens held by the fund to maximize participation in NEAR’s average ~5% staking rewards.
2 minutes ago
German stablecoin startup AllUnity launches US dollar stablecoin USDAU.
EU MiCA-regulated stablecoin issuer AllUnity has announced the launch of its USD stablecoin USDAU, which maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar through segregated reserves. The stablecoin will first be issued on Ethereum, Solana, Base, Tempo, Arc, and Polygon. This is AllUnity’s fourth fiat stablecoin, following the euro-pegged EURAU, Swiss franc-backed CHFAU, and Swedish krona-linked SEKAU. AllUnity CEO Alexander H?ptner said USDAU aims to bring U.S. dollar liquidity into the European regulatory framework, providing a USD settlement tool for European enterprises’ global trade and cross-border payments. (Cointelegraph)
2 minutes ago
Instinct just announced it would not run ads, yet immediately began curating stores and products for its users.
Beating AI News: Personal AI agent assistant Instinct has launched a new feature called Selections, which integrates recommendations from real human experts into the agent. The company partners with local chefs, designers, architects, travel guides, and other professionals, who curate restaurants, travel itineraries, and products in their areas of expertise. Instinct then delivers recommendations tailored to user preferences. For example, if a user is looking for a restaurant, Instinct will draw on a list curated by local chefs; for home goods, it will suggest options matching the user’s style and budget from products recommended by independent designers. Noah Shinn said the team aims for these recommendations to be significantly higher quality than those from standard web searches and other chatbots. Notably, Shinn recently made clear his opposition to ad-based models in his first public long-form interview. He argues that personal agents hold large amounts of user data, so allowing brands to pay agents to persuade users to purchase items they wouldn’t otherwise want would create major conflicts of interest. Instinct plans to offer free access to users, generating revenue by taking commissions from merchants for orders driven by the agent. Selections is not currently classified as an ad product. Instinct has not stated whether merchants can pay to be included in recommendation lists, nor has it disclosed whether collaborating experts are compensated. However, if Instinct does eventually rely on transaction commissions for revenue, Selections will face a pressing question: Will its recommendations be tied to how much the platform stands to earn from them? Shinn did not address this in the interview.
2 minutes ago
Bitcoin retail investor demand has fallen rapidly, reflecting the short-term inflow and subsequent withdrawal of small capital.
Crypto analyst Darkfost’s data shows that demand from Bitcoin retail investors (trading volumes between $0 and $10,000) has rapidly faded during this latest BTC rally, with the 30-day change rate shifting from over 17% to -3.5%. Darkfost notes that this indicates retail investors tend to engage in quick in-and-out trades at current market highs, which could impact BTC’s short-term volatility.
2 minutes ago
Paid launches new claim system, adjusts fee structure: 25% allocated for PAID buybacks, protocol retains 10%
Solana ecosystem project Paid has announced its new claim system is now live. The fee distribution structure has been adjusted: previously, recipients received 80% of fees while 20% went toward PAID buybacks; under the new setup, recipients get 65%, 25% is allocated to PAID buybacks, and 10% is retained by the protocol.
2 minutes ago
Bitget initiates replenishment of its protection fund, transferring 2,000 BTC from cold wallets over nearly two hours.
On-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa) reports that Bitget has started replenishing its protection fund, with the fund size now back to $200 million. In the past two hours, 2000 BTC (valued at $166 million) was transferred from Bitget’s cold wallet to the protection fund address. The latest on-chain balance stands at 2484.71 BTC, worth $206 million, indicating that Bitget’s earlier commitment to “replenish $300 million within a week” is being fulfilled.
The crypto market starts the month of October with multiple events likely to change the balance of power. Indeed, Bitcoin remains essential, however Ethereum, Solana, Chainlink, and BNB also have catalysts that would attract investors’ attention.
In brief Bitcoin remains at the center of the market, supported by flows to ETFs and the seasonality of October. Ethereum prepares a new stage of Glamsterdam with the Sepolia testnet scheduled for October 6. Solana bets on Alpenglow to significantly reduce transaction finality time. Chainlink enters October with CCIP 2.0 and new tools dedicated to interoperability. BNB Chain prepares the Jenner hard fork, expected on testnet before deployment in November. October 2026 concentrates several crypto catalysts Bitcoin closed the month of September around 84000 dollars after reaching levels unseen in many months. Moreover, the US Bitcoin ETFs have especially come back with significant inflows. Approximately 2.4 billion dollars were captured by these funds between September 21 and 25.
However, the macroeconomic context will remain crucial. On October 27 and 28, the Federal Reserve will meet. Therefore, US interest rates and mandatory yields remain capable of triggering strong fluctuations in risky assets.
Various events deserve particular attention in October :
Bitcoin behavior and flows to ETFs ; The Sepolia test of the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade on October 6 ; The expected deployment of Alpenglow on Solana ; The adoption of CCIP 2.0 at Chainlink ; The preparations for the Jenner hard fork of BNB Chain. Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the two references Bitcoin (BTC) remains the primary crypto to watch during October. Beyond its weight in the total valuation of the crypto market, it continues to set the pace for altcoins. Currently, institutional flows represent one of the essential indicators. Bitcoin ETFs recorded a significant return of capital at the end of September, after many more hesitant weeks.
Thus, October also benefits from a favorable reputation among investors. Bitcoin has closed this month up ten times out of thirteen between 2013 and 2025. Such seasonality, often called “Uptober”, does not necessarily guarantee an increase in 2026.
Regarding the crypto Ethereum (ETH), it has its own schedule. The network prepares Glamsterdam, its next major update expected in the fourth quarter. Starting October 6 with the Sepolia testnet fork, an important phase must occur.
The Glamsterdam upgrade should notably improve how Ethereum designs and verifies its blocks. Thus, the stakes go beyond the ETH price. The success of these tests will provide indications about developers’ ability to meet the planned schedule before transitioning to the main network.
Solana and Chainlink have technical catalysts Solana (SOL) would be one of the most watched cryptos during the month. The Solana Foundation plans the arrival of Agave 4.3 in October, with Alpenglow. This new consensus protocol aims for a finality close to 150 milliseconds, against nearly 12.8 seconds with TowerBFT.
It could be one of the most important technical changes in Solana’s history. The blockchain has already reduced its slot time and increased the maximum size of certain transactions in recent months. Alpenglow must push this latency reduction strategy much further.
Chainlink (LINK) also deserves a place in this selection. On September 28, the project launched CCIP 2.0. This new version of its interoperability protocol notably adds compliance tools, new verification options, and faster cross-chain transfers.
The timing is notable as tokenization of financial assets gains ground. Thus, the actual use of CCIP 2.0 by institutions or asset issuers will be one of the indicators to watch in October.
BNB completes the cryptos to watch in October This list is completed by BNB (BNB). BNB Chain is coming out of the Pasteur hard fork, which increased network capacities. The next project is Jenner, whose deployment on testnet is scheduled for the end of October before going live on the mainnet expected in November.
Jenner mainly aims to introduce a standard intended for assets compliant with regulatory requirements as well as an infrastructure reserving space in blocks for payments. BNB Chain thus wants to consolidate its positioning on stablecoins, payments, and tokenized assets.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Chainlink, and BNB therefore present five different profiles. However, their interest for October relies less on a promise of increase than on institutional flows, technical upgrades, and concrete developments of their ecosystems. In a market still sensitive to Fed decisions, these catalysts will however have to be confronted with the macroeconomic context.
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Luc Jose A.
Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.
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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
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Leading cryptocurrencies stayed resilient on Tuesday while rising government bond yields weighed on stock markets.
Crypto Market Holds SteadyBitcoin held on to support in the mid-$82,000 region, while bulls attempted a break above $85,000. Ethereum oscillated between $2,650 and $2,740, while XRP and Dogecoin inched higher.
Cryptocurrency-related stocks also fell, with Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc. (NYSE:BMNR) closing down 1.57% and 0.41%, respectively.
More than $220 million in crypto positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, with long traders suffering most of the losses, according to Coinglass data.
Bitcoin’s open interest slid 2.20% over the last 24 hours. A fall in open interest alongside a price increase typically suggests short sellers are buying back contracts to close losing positions.
Investor sentiment leaned toward “Greed,” according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.96 trillion, up 0.30% over the last 24 hours.
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Stocks Extend LossesThe stock market continued its downward trend on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 131.59 points, or 0.26%, to close at 51,349.9. The S&P 500 dropped 0.16% to end at 7,670.84, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.09% to close at 26,797.54.
Bond yields climbed further, while talks aimed at ending the war in Iran made limited progress.
The returns on long-dated 10-year Treasury notes climbed to 5.29%, its highest level since 2007, while the 30-year yield rose above 5.6%, reaching its highest level since June 2002.
On-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant noted that Bitcoin profit-taking has reached its highest level since Dec. 2024, a signal that demand is “fading.”
“The bull market is intact, but the rally is showing cracks. $80,000 is the first support to watch,” CryptoQuant added.
Blockchain research firm Santiment highlighted that wallets holding 10-10,000 Bitcoin accumulated 41,025 BTC over the past 10 days, increasing their share to 67.93% of the total supply.
However, retail wallets under 0.01 BTC have remained largely “flat” since the $87,000 price peak.
“The current divergence is encouraging, but it isn’t a guaranteed price signal,” Santiment stated. “That combination has repeatedly appeared before stronger Bitcoin moves.”
Aztec Labs has relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial wallet for private crypto payments, three years after discontinuing the original product.
The new version runs on Aztec Network, the company's privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2. Unlike a standard Ethereum wallet, zk.money does not publish users' balances, payment amounts or counterparties on a public ledger, Aztec said Tuesday.
The return comes as privacy has become a larger focus for Ethereum. Its public roadmap calls for making privacy a "first-class property" of the network, while Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has highlighted the risks of making people's financial activity publicly traceable.
"Onchain transactions between two individuals shouldn't mean publishing your financial history to the world," Aztec Labs CEO Joe Andrews said in a statement. "zk.money is a self-custodial crypto wallet where your financial history stays yours."
Why zk.money is returning The original zk.money launched in 2021 and was discontinued in 2023 as Aztec Labs shifted its focus to building Aztec Network. Aztec said the wallet reached more than 75,000 unique wallets and processed over $100 million in volume.
Andrews told The Block that demand was not the reason for shutting it down. The earlier system was difficult to expand and could not scale globally, he said.
"We sunset in 2023, not because private payments were a failed thesis, but because they needed infrastructure that did not yet exist," Andrews said. "The system back then was very hard to add features and did not scale globally."
Aztec spent the following three years building Aztec Network, a decentralized Layer 2 designed to support private applications on Ethereum, he added. The network is now overseen by the nonprofit Aztec Foundation, while Aztec Labs develops products on top of it.
"Now that the network is live and stewarded via the non-profit Aztec Foundation, our team at Aztec Labs is back shipping open-source privacy products on top of it," Andrews said. He added that the new infrastructure gives developers more room to add features using Noir, Aztec's programming language for zero-knowledge applications.
How the wallet works Users can claim a simple handle such as bob.zk.money instead of using a long wallet address, Aztec said. They can send or request payments by sharing a link.
The handles use Ethereum Name Service technology and can work with apps that support ENS. Users can also choose who can interact with their handles.
Users can send funds from Ethereum-based exchanges directly to a zk.money handle. Aztec also plans to connect the wallet with DeFi protocols on Ethereum. The company said it is working with potential partners, with integrations expected in Q4, but declined to name them ahead of future announcements.
Since the wallet is non-custodial, Aztec Labs said it cannot spend, move or freeze users' funds.
Users can access zk.money through the web or run it locally. A mobile app is also planned for Q4, though Aztec said there is no set launch date yet.
The relaunch comes after two older Aztec smart contracts were exploited in June. Aztec said the contracts were linked to separate products that had been shut down years earlier and were not part of the current Aztec Network. The new zk.money runs on the newer network and was not affected, the company said.
Aztec has raised $125 million to date, including a $100 million Series B backed by a16z crypto and Paradigm in 2022.
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