Ethereum showed fresh signs of recovery on Tuesday as the cryptocurrency rebounded strongly from its recent lows, prompting renewed attention from market participants on ETH’s next resistance levels. After enduring a notable decline, the digital asset is once again approaching key technical zones that could set the stage for a broader price movement in the days ahead.
Strong recovery after major support testAt the start of the session, Ethereum traded at $2,648.20, rising 6.05% over the previous 24 hours. The market capitalization of ETH reached $323.24 billion, while 24-hour trading volumes jumped to $48.32 billion. Data indicates that ETH controlled 11.69% of the entire cryptocurrency market. On September 18, Ethereum posted a closing value of $2,611, achieving a 6.7% gain for that day after rebounding from its recent slump.
The current uptrend follows significant losses in early September when Ethereum slid to about $2,360 on September 15. Buyers responded with renewed accumulation, helping ETH recover above the $2,600 mark and putting $2,640 into focus as a crucial technical threshold.
Independent analyst Crypto Patel emphasized that the $2,360 to $2,400 range represents vital support for Ethereum’s price structure. According to his technical view, the asset has initiated a recovery pattern after bouncing off this support level.
Crypto Patel noted that $4,892 marks the next major resistance for ETH, with further upside projections reaching as high as $10,000 to $15,000 if bullish momentum continues, although these levels remain speculative for now.
Key resistance and support levelsTo validate the ongoing recovery, market observers are watching for a clear move above $2,640, which could open the way to higher resistance zones before Ethereum confronts the $4,892 barrier. Currently, ETH continues to trade below its 2025 all-time high of $4,946, underlining the significance of overcoming the immediate resistance.
Price analysis points to $2,500 as the first resistance and $2,640 as the secondary obstacle on the path upward. Maintaining support above $2,400 is seen as critical, with a sustained drop below the $2,360 to $2,400 region likely to threaten the evolving recovery.
LevelTypeStatus$2,360–$2,400SupportMaintained$2,500ResistanceUpcoming$2,640ResistanceKey Level$4,892Major ResistanceLong-term TargetOn-chain insights and network activityBlockchain analytics platform Santiment reported that Ethereum surpassed $2,630, marking its highest market value since January, as large-scale holders increased their activity. The firm reported a record number of active Ethereum wallets at 207.17 million, suggesting continued engagement from long-term participants.
Additionally, over 40 million ETH has been staked, which reduces the available circulating supply and may have helped alleviate some recent selling pressure.
Mini dictionary: Staking — the process of locking up a cryptocurrency to support network operations and earn rewards, which decreases the supply available for trading and can impact price dynamics.
Beyond price movement, Santiment estimated that Ethereum’s decentralized finance ecosystem holds a total value locked of approximately $50 billion, covering stablecoins, lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, and liquid staking protocols. This reflects Ethereum’s position as the leading blockchain for DeFi applications.
Outlook: Critical levels for further movementGoing forward, the path ETH takes will be determined by its ability to sustain trading above core support levels. Continued trading above $2,400 would support the current recovery narrative, with particular attention on the resistance lines at $2,500 and $2,640. A decisive move through these technical barriers could shift market focus to higher price targets, including the long-term figure of $4,892 outlined by the analyst.
If Ethereum remains above $2,360–$2,400 and achieves a breakout above $2,640, the recovery structure will remain intact and open the way for attempts on additional resistance levels.
As market volatility persists, traders and investors are monitoring these crucial levels for signs of sustained direction.
Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, maintained its position above the important $2,600 level over the weekend. This upward momentum followed a breakout from a multi-month period of sideways price action, with Ethereum leaving behind the persistent $1,800 to $2,000 range it occupied since last summer. The move was marked by a strong daily close near session highs, offering a potential sign of a broader trend reversal in crypto markets.
Analyst projections and technical signalsAksel Kibar, a certified technical analyst and founder of TechCharts, identified this scenario in mid-August, during a period of subdued market activity. Kibar had set an intermediate price target for Ethereum at $2,163. The breakout seen in September confirmed the accuracy of his earlier analysis, yet Kibar now urges market participants to remain cautious and vigilant as the situation unfolds.
Ethereum’s successful breakout from consolidation is significant, but the real test is whether buyers can sustain momentum above new support levels and avoid a return to prior stagnation.
Kibar does not anticipate immediate new highs for Ethereum. Instead, he emphasizes buyers’ ability to maintain the newly established higher levels. For the rally to mature into a long-term trend, Ethereum would require persistent momentum—specifically, the formation of consecutive long bullish candles that could trigger a cascading effect among investors.
Key support levels and market implicationsThe recent surge has resulted in a crucial test for Ethereum buyers and traders. The asset’s fate now rests on whether it can securely hold above the $2,550 mark without experiencing significant pullbacks. If Ethereum stabilizes above this level, analysts believe it could serve as a new foundation for further price advances and challenge the sustainability of its move into higher trading territory.
However, should the price fail to remain above $2,550, and instead dip back into previous low ranges, the current move toward $2,630 could be dismissed as a temporary spike rather than a new phase for Ethereum. Many traders are watching closely to see whether the market can demonstrate continued strength or if hesitation at current levels will push the cryptocurrency back into another extended period of consolidation.
LevelStatus$1,800–$2,000Prolonged sideways range (since summer)$2,163Intermediate target (per Kibar’s analysis)$2,550Key support to watch$2,600Current price holding above$2,630Recent session highEthereum’s breakout is closely followed both by individual investors and institutional actors, as the asset’s moves often impact sentiment and trading behavior across a broad selection of digital assets.
The coming days are expected to be critical, as market participants look for confirmation that the breakout represents a significant shift and not merely a fleeting rally. The behavior of buyers and sellers at current levels will likely set the tone for Ethereum’s direction in the next phase.
U.S. Ethereum ETFs recorded $29.4 million in net inflows on September 18. Fidelity’s FETH brought in $26.2 million. The move followed three consecutive sessions of net outflows. Ethereum ETF flows finally turned positive on Friday, although the rebound was considerably smaller than the one seen in Bitcoin funds.
U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $29.4 million in combined net inflows on September 18, according to Farside Investors. Fidelity’s FETH was responsible for $26.2 million of that figure.
Bitwise’s ETHW added $1.3 million and VanEck’s ETHV brought in $1.9 million. The remaining funds reported no net movement for the session.
It wasn’t a huge day, but after the previous few sessions, green was probably welcome.
Three Difficult Sessions Came First Ethereum funds had been under steady pressure heading into Friday.
September 15 produced a $142 million net outflow, followed by another $224.1 million leaving the funds on September 16. September 17 added a further $39.3 million in redemptions.
That means Friday’s $29.4 million inflow only recovers a small portion of the money that left earlier in the week.
Still, the composition is interesting.
Fidelity was the clear buyer, while BlackRock’s ETHA recorded no net flow after being one of the major sources of outflows earlier in the week.
ETF capital can move very differently from crypto’s spot market. Sometimes that reflects portfolio rebalancing, sometimes a large allocator moving through a particular issuer, and sometimes it is simply the timing of creations and redemptions.
A Rebound, Not A Reset That’s probably the right way to read Friday’s number.
It is a rebound, but not enough to say the week’s outflows have suddenly been reversed.
What it does tell us is that demand for Ethereum exposure through regulated funds hasn’t disappeared. Even after several difficult sessions, buyers were still willing to put fresh capital into the products.
The next few sessions will tell us more.
If inflows broaden beyond Fidelity and begin showing up across multiple issuers, that would look more like a genuine change in the short-term flow pattern. If not, Friday may simply prove to have been a pause in a choppier stretch.
Either way, the ETF market gave Ethereum investors their first positive session after several days of redemptions.
Donald Trump has launched a poll to rename "artificial intelligence", proposing the new names could be Superior Intelligence, Extreme Intelligence, or Supreme Intelligence.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that many people find the term "Artificial Intelligence" inaccurate and awkward, making it an inappropriate descriptor for AI. For this emerging phenomenon, more elegant and precise alternatives are Superior Intelligence (SI), Extreme Intelligence (EI), or Supreme Intelligence (SI). This is a poll, and he hopes everyone will vote: What is the best name for this evolving "revolution"? To date, 10,183 votes have been cast, with 1 day remaining until the poll closes.
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Binance Security Advisory: iPhone users are advised to check if they have installed FomoPeek, an app that exploits an iOS vulnerability to gain full device privileges.
Binance Wallet Issues Security Alert: iPhone Users Urged to Check for FomoPeek App Installation Binance has released a security alert, noting awareness of a recent security incident disclosed by the crypto community. According to security firms including SlowMist, the third-party app FomoPeek (versions 1.1–1.2) contains malicious code that exploits iOS vulnerabilities to gain full device access, potentially stealing sensitive data stored on the device—including private keys, mnemonics, login credentials, chat logs, and files. This malware targets the device itself; if successfully executed, it could grant access to data from all apps on the affected device. Users are advised to verify two key points: 1. Are you using an iPhone or iPad running iOS 26.x or earlier? 2. Have you installed the FomoPeek app? If both apply, take these immediate steps: 1. Delete the FomoPeek app and do not reinstall it. 2. Update your iOS to the latest version. 3. For self-custody wallet users: Create a new wallet on a device that has never had the app installed, then transfer your assets to the new wallet address. 4. If you spot any unusual asset activity, preserve the affected device and relevant evidence, and contact customer support for further investigation. Binance also reminds all users to avoid installing apps from untrusted sources and keep their device software up to date.
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Project Paid has launched a token issuance feature on Pons, enabling automatic royalty splitting for creators.
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Iranian sources: The U.S. has said it is ready to hold negotiations with Iran.
Senior Iranian sources have revealed that Qatar and Pakistan, serving as mediators, have informed Iran that the United States is prepared to negotiate and strike a deal, and is serious about advancing this process. The sources added that Iran, for its part, is ready to resume implementing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding within days, provided the US returns to the memorandum and honors its terms. However, Iran is demanding tangible and credible guarantees to ensure it will not face further attacks. Once the US implements the substantive provisions of the memorandum—including halting hostilities, lifting the blockade against Iran, and allowing Iran to export oil—Iran will immediately launch negotiations on nuclear issues and sanctions relief. Iran has reached a consensus with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, but stressed that "Iran will not reopen the strait as long as the blockade remains in place and no agreement is reached with the US," according to the sources. (CCTV News)
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Genius.fun has seen 13,001 tokens created within 24 hours of its launch, with a total of $529,400 in fee splits distributed to creators.
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Billy Markus, the cofounder of Dogecoin who uses the online alias Shibetoshi Nakamoto, attracted widespread attention from the cryptocurrency community after posting “We’re So Back?” on X. The message quickly sparked conversation among traders and investors, especially as it coincided with a broad rally across digital assets.
Altcoins and market sentiment surgeMajor cryptocurrencies recorded strong price increases in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin saw a 5% rise, while Ethereum traded up nearly 6% during the same period. Several other digital assets, including Avalanche, Ethena, Morpho, Filecoin, Injective, and VeChain, posted gains ranging from 14% to 22%.
Dogecoin itself climbed almost 4% in the same timeframe, reaching $0.088. This uptrend was not limited to just blue-chip tokens, as numerous altcoins outperformed the broader market.
Cryptocurrency24h Change (%)Current PriceBitcoin+5%N/AEthereum+6%N/ADogecoin+4%$0.088Avalanche+14% to +22%N/AEthena+14% to +22%N/AMorpho+14% to +22%N/AFilecoin+14% to +22%N/AInjective+14% to +22%N/AVeChain+14% to +22%N/AThe broader sentiment also improved, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index remaining in the “greed” zone, pointing to a bullish shift in investor outlook.
Market rally follows Fed decisionThe latest uptick in digital asset prices came after the Federal Reserve decided to increase its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, setting a new target range of 3.75% to 4%. Despite the recent failure of the Clarity Act bill, Bitcoin and several altcoins continued to rebound as the weekend approached.
Many market participants appeared more focused on the potential for future rallies, especially if investors become less concerned about further rate hikes.
Key technical signals began to indicate potential upward momentum. Notably, Bitcoin reclaimed the True Market Mean, reestablishing itself above a significant price threshold and marking a return to a bullish phase.
At the same time, altcoin leverage has not yet reached its risk boundary. Blockchain analytics firm Glassnode stated that when the open interest in altcoins comes close to Bitcoin’s share, markets often approach overheating. This threshold, however, has not been crossed, suggesting that altcoins may have more room to appreciate.
Mini dictionary: Glassnode, a blockchain data analytics platform known for its in-depth on-chain metrics and market intelligence. The True Market Mean refers to an estimated ‘fair value’ metric, reflecting the average price at which Bitcoin last moved, widely used to evaluate bullish or bearish market regimes.
Although Markus did not clarify his comments, his use of the phrase “We’re So Back?” led to widespread speculation. The meme expression, as well as its counterpart “it’s so over,” are frequently employed in online communities to capture rapid shifts in sentiment, particularly following sharp market reversals.
Followers debated whether Markus was alluding to Dogecoin specifically, to Bitcoin’s renewed momentum, or to the improving global mood around cryptocurrencies. No specific digital asset was mentioned in his post.
Markus’ post quickly became a focal point for debate among digital asset enthusiasts, especially since it emerged amid an upswing in prices across $DOGE and other major tokens.
Dogecoin, which launched in 2013 as a satirical cryptocurrency, has developed a large and passionate following, often tracking broader movements in the digital asset market.
Zcash (ZEC) spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew $98.2 million in the week ending September 18, the largest inflow among 14 crypto products. Ethereum (ETH) funds posted the only outflow at $140 million.
The weekly totals mask a volatile round trip. Both Ethereum and Bitcoin (BTC) products sold off hard midweek, and only one of them recovered in time.
Two Bad Days in Washington, Then a Scramble BackBoth complexes opened the week in the green. Bitcoin ETFs took in $160.04 million on Monday, while Ethereum products added $121.02 million.
That reversed on Tuesday, when the Senate rejected cloture on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act by 49-50. Bitcoin funds lost $450.33 million that session, their worst of the week.
Then the Fed raised rates 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4% on Wednesday, its first increase since 2023. Bitcoin shed another $295.98 million, and Ethereum lost $224.11 million.
Bitcoin turned on Thursday and pulled in $433.03 million on Friday, recovering the $746.31 million it lost across the two policy sessions. Its weekly total landed at $6.2 million, the smallest absolute figure in 141 weeks of trading.
Ethereum took longer to turn. Its outflows ran for three straight sessions and totaled $404.82 million before a $143.80 million Friday, leaving the week short.
Weekly net flows across 14 spot crypto ETF products, week ending September 18. Source: BeInCrypto/SoSoValueFollow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
A Four-Week-Old Fund Outdraws Everything ElseMeanwhile, the Zcash ETF has now logged four consecutive positive weeks since launching in late August, taking in $271 million in total. Assets jumped 40.5% last week to $914.5 million.
That makes Zcash the third-largest altcoin ETF product, behind XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) and ahead of nine others. Trading volume reached $11.42 billion, or 32.5% of all spot crypto ETF turnover.
Solana added $13.2 million, extending a streak to 12 straight positive weeks. XRP took in $9.6 million, roughly half the previous week’s $19 million.
Hyperliquid (HYPE) flipped to a $3.1 million inflow after losing $26.4 million. Chainlink (LINK), Avalanche (AVAX), Tron (TRX), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), and Hedera (HBAR) together drew under $4.8 million, while BNB and Polkadot (DOT) recorded no flows at all.
Net flows across all 14 products totaled negative $5 million, against a 4.89% rise in combined assets to $123.9 billion. Whether buyers chase the rebound or keep sitting it out should show in next week’s figures.
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19 September 2026 | 01:12 Ethereum moved above $2,630 on September 18, reaching its highest price since the end of January. The move followed weeks of aggressive selling by traders on Binance, not selling by the exchange itself.
ETH advanced during a wider altcoin-led market rally, but its order flow reveals an unusual setup. Market sellers had dominated Binance trading before the breakout, yet their orders failed to produce a sustained decline.
Binance sellers were active before the breakout A CryptoQuant chart shared by analyst Amr Taha placed cumulative net taker volume near negative $903 million. Ethereum was trading closer to $2,460 when the chart ended, before its subsequent move above $2,630.
Net taker volume compares aggressive market buying with aggressive market selling. A negative figure means sell orders demanding immediate execution exceeded comparable buy orders on the tracked Binance market. It does not represent $903 million leaving Ethereum because every completed sale still required a buyer.
Open interest was close to $3 billion, below a recent high around $3.3 billion. Open interest counts outstanding derivatives positions without revealing whether they are long or short. Its failure to reach a new high gives limited support to the idea that a sudden expansion in leverage was solely responsible for ETH’s advance.
ETH refused to follow the selling imbalance lower Despite increasingly negative taker flow, Ethereum did not fall at the same rate. Price remained relatively stable around the end of the CryptoQuant chart and later broke through $2,630.
That divergence is consistent with passive buyers placing limit orders and allowing sellers to trade into them. Demand could also have come through other exchanges, institutional desks or onchain venues. Because the chart covers Binance rather than the entire ETH market, it cannot identify which buyers supplied the opposing demand.
The sequence points to a plausible explanation rather than a confirmed cause: aggressive sellers were repeatedly matched without gaining control of price. Once that supply weakened, ETH required less additional demand to move higher.
Large Ethereum transfers increased as price broke higher Santiment reported an increase in Ethereum transactions worth more than $100,000 as ETH reached its January high. The rise shows that large holders became more active during the move, although the metric does not reveal whether they were buying, selling or transferring funds between wallets.
Santiment also counted a record 207 million non-empty Ethereum addresses. That reflects an expanding onchain footprint, but addresses should not be treated as individual users. One owner can control multiple wallets, while inactive addresses and accounts holding very small balances remain in the total.
Neither measurement proves that whales accumulated ETH. They show that the breakout occurred alongside greater activity from large addresses and a wider distribution of balances across the network.
Staking may have reduced the liquid supply available More than 40 million ETH is currently committed to staking, according to data cited by Santiment. The Ethereum staking dashboard places the amount at approximately 43 million ETH, or about 35% of the circulating supply.
Staking cannot explain why Ethereum rose on a particular day, and staked coins are not permanently removed from circulation. Validators can withdraw after completing the network’s exit process. The large staked balance nevertheless reduces the amount of ETH available for immediate trading at any given moment.
If sellers become less aggressive while part of the supply remains committed to staking, even a moderate increase in demand can have a larger price effect. That possibility fits the Binance data, but it still needs confirmation through subsequent price action.
The breakout must survive its first pullback Ethereum’s move above $2,630 clears a level not reached since January, but an intraday advance alone does not establish support. A daily close above the area would complete the breakout session. Remaining above it during later trading, or returning to it and attracting buyers, would provide stronger evidence that the market has accepted a higher range.
A quick reversal below $2,630 would change the reading. It would suggest that aggressive Binance sellers were temporarily contained rather than fully absorbed and that demand weakened once ETH reached a multi-month high.
The first meaningful bout of profit-taking should therefore reveal more than the initial surge. If ETH holds the breakout while taker flow remains negative or begins to recover, buyers will have shown that they can absorb supply at higher prices. If it falls back into its former range, the increase in whale transactions and wallet activity will look more like movement around the rally than evidence of durable demand.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency prices, derivatives data and onchain metrics can change rapidly.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
An address dormant for over two years has deposited 33,180 ETH into Bitfinex, worth $86.93 million.
According to Lookonchain's monitoring, two wallet addresses suspected to belong to the same whale, after being dormant for over two years, deposited 33,180 ETH into Bitfinex, valued at roughly $86.93 million. These ETH currently hold an unrealized profit of around $20.48 million.
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Whale Linked to Matrixport Deposits 1,000 $BTC ($81.06M) to Binance
Whale bc1qsz, linked to (Matrixport), just deposited another 1,000 $BTC ($81.06M) into #Binance.
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Whale Deposits 33,180 $ETH ($86.93M) to Bitfinex After 2 Years, Banks $20.48M Profit
Two wallets (likely belonging to the same whale) deposited 33,180 $ETH ($86.93M) into #Bitfinex after more than 2 years of inactivity, making a $20.48M profit!
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An address dormant for over two years has deposited 33,180 ETH into Bitfinex, valued at $86.93 million.
According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, two wallet addresses suspected to belong to the same crypto whale, after being dormant for over two years, deposited 33,180 ETH to Bitfinex, valued at roughly $86.93 million. The ETH holdings currently boast an unrealized profit of around $20.48 million.
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AI computing power firm Nscale has filed a US IPO application, planning to raise $3 billion, with NVIDIA holding over 5% of its shares.
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Even Total Internet Outages Can’t Stop AI? CPU Heat Can Be Leveraged to Transmit Messages
Beating AI Express: OpenAI researcher Noam Brown stated on the Dwarkesh Podcast that even completely disconnecting an AI-run computer from the internet and physically isolating it is not an absolute security measure. This is because computers can secretly transmit messages via CPU heat—a method called BitWhisper, developed in 2015 by Israel’s Ben-Gurion University and unrelated to AI at the time. Researchers had two adjacent computers run matching programs in advance, then controlled one to adjust CPU load to alter temperature, while the other used a temperature sensor to read the temperature shifts and convert them into 0s and 1s. The two machines could exchange data without any network connection. However, this communication is extremely slow: the experiment only covered a distance of 0 to 40 centimeters, with a speed of 1 to 8 bits per hour, and both computers needed to run the matching programs beforehand. Brown noted that the biggest lesson from the Hugging Face incident is that humans underestimate AI’s ability to find vulnerabilities and bypass restrictions. BitWhisper is just one example; more advanced AI in the future could very likely uncover additional communication paths humans haven’t considered.
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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US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $433 million in net inflows on September 18, while spot Ethereum ETFs added $144 million on the same day. Both figures represent a meaningful rebound from mixed and negative flow sessions that preceded them.
Fidelity’s FBTC was the standout performer on the Bitcoin side, attracting $311 million of the day’s total. BlackRock’s IBIT contributed $108 million. On the Ethereum front, the roles reversed: BlackRock’s ETHA led with $114 million, while Fidelity’s FETH added roughly $26 million.
The numbers behind the flows The $433 million Bitcoin ETF inflow day arrived against a backdrop of total Bitcoin ETF assets under management reaching $102.532 billion, a figure that now represents 6.29% of Bitcoin’s entire market capitalization. Cumulative historical net inflows into these products have hit $55.161 billion since their launch.
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Ethereum ETFs, while smaller in absolute terms, are growing at a pace that demands attention. Total AUM for spot Ethereum ETFs now stands at $16.719 billion, representing 5.2% of Ethereum’s market cap. Cumulative inflows have reached $13.250 billion.
The gap between 6.29% market cap penetration for Bitcoin ETFs and 5.2% for Ethereum ETFs is narrower than many expected at this stage.
Fidelity vs. BlackRock: different days, different leaders Fidelity dominated Bitcoin flows with $311 million out of $433 million total, capturing roughly 72% of the day’s inflows into FBTC. BlackRock took a back seat with $108 million into IBIT.
Flip to Ethereum, and the script reverses completely. BlackRock’s ETHA absorbed $114 million of the $144 million total, roughly 79% of all Ethereum ETF inflows for the day. Fidelity’s FETH picked up $26 million.
What this means for the market Bitcoin ETFs controlling 6.29% of the total market cap creates structural dynamics where every inflow day effectively removes a portion of circulating supply from the open market and parks it in cold storage under institutional custody.
With cumulative inflows of $55.161 billion for Bitcoin ETFs and $13.250 billion for Ethereum ETFs, the aggregate capital committed to these products now exceeds $68 billion.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Ethereum is approaching a key resistance level at $2,550 as traders closely monitor whether its recent recovery will translate into a sustained breakout. The growing momentum comes amid higher participation in derivatives and notable on-chain activity from the Ethereum Foundation, as well as a significant reduction in network fees across the platform.
Technical outlook and trader expectationsMarket analysis reveals that the $2,550 price area is an important threshold for Ethereum, with traders assessing if the cryptocurrency can maintain its upward movement. Analyst Ted indicated that a confirmed weekly close above this resistance could potentially push ETH towards the $3,000 mark, signaling a shift in the prevailing market dynamics and sentiment.
Until Ethereum decisively surpasses this level, the asset remains vulnerable to further selling pressure and correction. Trader behavior suggests that confirmation on a weekly candlestick is more likely to build confidence among investors than brief intraday spikes above the resistance zone.
For many traders, a convincing weekly close above $2,550 could open the door to $3,000 and signal a new phase of market structure for Ethereum.
Derivatives market activity intensifiesCoinglass data shows Ethereum derivatives trading volumes have surged by 68.76% to $66.99 billion, while open interest rose 10.02% to $34.24 billion. This spike in activity highlights increasing speculative positioning as traders prepare for larger price fluctuations near the resistance level.
Growing derivatives volumes and elevated open interest suggest anticipation of higher price volatility, with traders leveraging positions to capitalize on any decisive moves. However, this rapid growth in derivatives activity does not clarify whether the dominant sentiment is bullish or bearish.
MetricPreviousCurrentChangeDerivatives Volume–$66.99 billion+68.76%Open Interest–$34.24 billion+10.02%Ethereum Foundation wallet movements and on-chain assetsRecent blockchain data reveals that the Ethereum Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports the development and growth of the Ethereum network, moved approximately $2.45 million worth of ETH to an unlabeled Gnosis Safe. However, there is no confirmation that this destination wallet is under the Foundation’s direct control or that the transferred assets are being sold.
Arkham Intelligence reports that the Ethereum Foundation still holds roughly $235.46 million in ETH and $23 million in USDC on-chain, suggesting it retains significant resources despite these movements.
Mini dictionary: Gnosis Safe, a widely-used smart contract wallet for decentralized organizations, enables enhanced treasury management and secure multi-signature approvals for asset transfers.
The absence of clarity around the ultimate owner of the recipient address means the motivation and effect of this transfer remain uncertain for now.
Declining network fees and ecosystem impactTransaction fees on Ethereum have fallen sharply in recent weeks. Data from Santiment Intelligence indicates that the average transaction fee decreased from $0.72 on April 21 to $0.095, reaching the lowest levels recorded this year.
Santiment attributes this drop to both lower mainnet demand and upgrades improving the handling of network activity. Notably, increased blob throughput, a 60 million gas limit, and the expanding use of Layer 2 solutions have eased competition for Ethereum’s mainnet blockspace.
These changes are making transactions cheaper and may lower costs for activities ranging from basic transfers to swaps, DeFi strategies, and stablecoin movements. However, reduced fees do not guarantee higher usage or demand on the network.
Lower transaction fees enhance Ethereum’s accessibility, but increased activity will depend on broader user engagement and the continued evolution of the platform’s technical capabilities.
Ethereum remains at a crossroads between technical resistance and fundamental shifts, with the $2,550 level marking the next major test for the platform. A successful weekly breakout could shift attention to the $3,000 barrier, while a failure to surpass resistance may keep the price neutral or lead to renewed corrections.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats, the unrealized profit on Ethereum long positions held in the address of crypto figure "Big Brother Machi" Huang Licheng has expanded to $3.65 million, with the position value reaching $88.81 million; his Bitcoin long positions carry an unrealized profit of $112,000. He recently added 9,000 HYPE long positions with 10x leverage, at an entry price of $92.21.
Tushar Jain, co-founder of Multicoin Capital, recently commented on the overall rise in the cryptocurrency market.
Tushar Jain, co-founder of cryptocurrency investment firm Multicoin Capital, said that prolonged periods of decline weaken investors’ faith in strong bull market movements. According to Jain, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) lagging behind the market in this cycle could lead to capital shifting towards high-quality altcoins, resulting in much sharper gains in these assets.
Jain stated that one of the common mistakes investors make is “bear market trauma,” forgetting how powerful price movements can be in a bull market after a long and painful period of decline. He cited Ethereum’s rise from $10 to $1,000 in 2017 and Solana’s (SOL) increase from $2 to $250 in 2021 as examples.
Jain stated that he believes BTC and ETH will underperform significantly compared to other high-quality crypto assets in the current market cycle. Therefore, he argued that the total cryptocurrency market capitalization may not need to increase as much as in the previous cycle for altcoins to experience significant price increases.
Citing CoinGecko data, Jain noted that the total cryptocurrency market capitalization nearly quadrupled, growing from approximately $770 billion in 2021 to $3 trillion. He stated that if the market were to grow only twofold this time, the total value could reach $4.2 trillion from $2.1 trillion.
*This is not investment advice.
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AI computing power firm Nscale has filed a US IPO application, planning to raise $3 billion, with NVIDIA holding over 5% of its shares.
Beating AI News Flash: AI data center operator Nscale has filed an initial public offering (IPO) application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), planning to list in New York and raise up to $3 billion, with the proposed stock ticker NSCL. The company was spun off from its cryptocurrency mining business in early 2024 and has since transitioned into an AI computing infrastructure service provider. According to its prospectus, as of August 2026, Nscale owns and controls data centers with a total power capacity exceeding 10GW, holding total contracts worth approximately $103 billion, including a $45 billion lease commitment from Anthropic this August. Nscale’s clients and partners include NVIDIA, Microsoft, and other firms. The company has posted rapid revenue growth alongside expanding losses: in the six months ended June 30, it generated $140.6 million in revenue, a year-on-year increase of over 12 times, while its net loss reached $1.02 billion, compared with a net loss of $368.9 million in the same period last year. In March this year, Nscale closed its Series C financing round, led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries, with participation from NVIDIA, Nokia, and others, valuing the company at roughly $14.6 billion. The prospectus shows NVIDIA holds more than 5% of Nscale’s shares, which are non-voting. Additionally, Nscale plans to issue $1 billion in unsecured convertible loan notes or non-voting shares to NVIDIA. Nscale is currently accelerating its AI data center expansion: its Monarch campus in West Virginia is expected to reach a 2GW power capacity when it launches operations in 2028, with plans to scale to around 8GW by 2031. The company also announced in July this year that it would acquire AI software firm Anyscale for $1.65 billion to further extend its AI computing power software services. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley are acting as lead underwriters for the IPO.
10 minutes ago
Even Total Internet Outages Can’t Stop AI? CPU Heat Can Be Leveraged to Transmit Messages
Beating AI Express: OpenAI researcher Noam Brown stated on the Dwarkesh Podcast that even completely disconnecting an AI-run computer from the internet and physically isolating it is not an absolute security measure. This is because computers can secretly transmit messages via CPU heat—a method called BitWhisper, developed in 2015 by Israel’s Ben-Gurion University and unrelated to AI at the time. Researchers had two adjacent computers run matching programs in advance, then controlled one to adjust CPU load to alter temperature, while the other used a temperature sensor to read the temperature shifts and convert them into 0s and 1s. The two machines could exchange data without any network connection. However, this communication is extremely slow: the experiment only covered a distance of 0 to 40 centimeters, with a speed of 1 to 8 bits per hour, and both computers needed to run the matching programs beforehand. Brown noted that the biggest lesson from the Hugging Face incident is that humans underestimate AI’s ability to find vulnerabilities and bypass restrictions. BitWhisper is just one example; more advanced AI in the future could very likely uncover additional communication paths humans haven’t considered.
10 minutes ago
Oracle Switchboard announced its shutdown, having previously raised $7.5 million in funding, with all services set to cease entirely on September 25.
Oracle protocol Switchboard has announced it will cease operations. According to an official statement, core development contributor Switchboard Technology Labs Inc. decided to wind down its remaining business after exhausting all alternatives, with all existing support services to be fully halted on September 25. Switchboard noted that since its founding in 2021, its goal has been to provide a permissionless and customizable data layer. Its permissionless Feed Creation Tool, launched in 2022, allowed users to build custom data sources independently, but the oracle industry has seen weakened pricing power and demand amid factors including AI lowering the barrier to oracle development, a bear market slowing the launch of new public chains, and sharp contractions in project budgets. Switchboard added that following recent security vulnerabilities and the exit of other contributors and node operators, all related implementations are deprecated effective immediately. Protocols relying on Switchboard must migrate immediately to other oracle services such as Pyth and RedStone to avoid service disruptions. BlockBeats previously reported that on May 28, 2024, oracle protocol Switchboard announced the completion of a $7.5 million Series A funding round led by Tribe Capital and RockawayX, with participation from Solana Foundation, Aptos, StarkWare, Mysten Labs, InfStones Global, OtterSec, Bixin Ventures, and various angel investors.
10 minutes ago
Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF has posted net inflows for 20 consecutive trading days, with cumulative BTC purchases totaling $51.5 million.
According to Arkham's disclosure, Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF (MSBT) has cumulatively purchased Bitcoin worth approximately $51.5 million over the past 20 trading days, with no single-day capital outflows recorded during the period. MSBT is also one of the few Bitcoin funds that has not seen any single-day net outflows this month.
10 minutes ago
Next-generation apps may not feature fixed interfaces; Jev enables real-time reconfiguration of app interfaces.
Beating AI News Flash: Vercel Labs engineer Chris Tate has integrated Jev into json-render, launching experiments to enable AI to directly compose UI at runtime. Json-render pre-prepares buttons, cards, input fields, data, and actions. Unlike large language models (LLMs) that generate full JSON token-by-token, Jev only determines which components to use, their order, and placement before handing off to a standard UI renderer. The new interface defaults to selecting core components in one pass, with a second pass for layout when required. In a demo generating an identical train ticket interface, the default JSONL mode took 3.21 seconds from request to completion, while Jev clocked in at just 0.88 seconds. Future app interfaces may no longer need to be fully hardcoded. UI can become runtime-decisive, allowing the same app to dynamically assemble different pages for different users, tasks, and states. Jev’s latest demo has pushed full generation time to under 1 second, at least bringing this type of interaction closer to real-time. Runway’s Solaris, released at the end of last month, is pursuing a similar direction but with a more radical approach. Solaris uses a world model to generate entire interfaces frame-by-frame, directly bypassing traditional code and components; Jev, by contrast, still relies on pre-built components and actions written by developers, only dynamically deciding how to combine them. One aims to turn software into a real-time generated video world, while the other is more like giving software a face that can be rearranged at any time.
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Maji’s unrealized profit from his Ethereum long position has expanded to $3.65 million, and he added a 10x leveraged long position in HYPE.
According to monitoring by TradingBeats, the unrealized profit on Ethereum long positions held in the address of crypto figure "Big Brother Machi" Huang Licheng has expanded to $3.65 million, with the position value reaching $88.81 million; his Bitcoin long positions carry an unrealized profit of $112,000. He recently added 9,000 HYPE long positions with 10x leverage, at an entry price of $92.21.
On Friday, the 11th of September, Ethereum [ETH] rallied to a high of $2,667. Just four days later, ETH had undergone an 11.6% retracement back to $2,356. At the time of writing, Ethereum was trading at $2,495 and was once again closing in on the $2,530 local resistance zone.
Wednesday’s rate hike decision has given investors reason to pause and reassess their bullish conviction. Further rate hikes to combat inflation would mean a phase of tightening liquidity in the market, making risk-on market losses more likely.
The spot Ethereum ETF flows have slowed down in recent days. According to Farside Investors’ data, the past three trading days saw a cumulative $407.3 million in outflows, showing short-term bearish pressure.
Source: Santiment on X In a post on X, Santiment observed that the Ethereum transaction costs had dropped considerably. Soft mainnet demand has helped pull costs lower, while the price has recovered considerably in July and August.
Cheaper utility and price recovery trends make for a friendlier environment for Ethereum projects. Recovering participation and low execution costs could be a bullish sign for the network.
Ethereum price prediction- Looking beyond the failed $2,667 breakout Source: ETH/USDT on TradingView The 1-day chart showed a promise of a bullish trend. The April high at $2,466 was beaten, although the momentum has slowed down since then. Nevertheless, the breach of the previous swing high was a sign of intent from the bulls.
The daily chart has flipped bullishly, and the weekly chart was also bullish. The Fibonacci retracement levels (orange) were based on the weekly structure. A recovery above the 78.6% level at $2,147 in August was an encouraging sign.
Traders’ call to action- Watch for a range resolution Source: ETH/USDT on TradingView The $2,380-$2,530 range (purple) continued to hold. At the time of writing, the range highs were about to come under siege.
The MACD formed a bullish crossover below the zero line to show momentum was beginning to shift bullishly. The OBV was well below the highs from last week, showing subdued buying volume during the recent price bounce.
Overall, ETH swing traders need to be suspicious of a bullish breakout due to the earlier failed breakouts. Meanwhile, a dip below $2,380 would open the door for a bearish move.
Whether that move also turns out to be a sharp liquidity hunt, only time will tell. Risk management will be as important as ever in trading this range.
Final Summary Ethereum transaction costs have decreased while prices recovered, intelligence platform Santiment wrote. The Ethereum price prediction was bearish in the short-term as the price approaches a local range’s high.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has reclaimed $80,000 as Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) shot up 4%
Market commentator Bull Theory posted on X that over $170 million in shorts were liquidated in just 60 minutes and $130 billion added to the total crypto market cap in 24 hours.
The Wolf of All Streets podcast host Scott Melker said Bitcoin holding at $78,000 through a rate hike and the CLARITY Act’s defeat was itself the signal to watch.
“Bitcoin’s up 32% this quarter and nobody’s even paying attention,” Melker wrote, pointing to exchange collapses and heavy selling that failed to move price lower.
“I told you in my opinion that we had likely bottomed because bad news stopped mattering,” he added.
Meanwhile, popular market commentator Ash Crypto pointed out that the Fed will inject $16.5 billion into the economy starting Friday, with liquidity hitting markets over three consecutive weeks.
Under the New York Fed’s schedule, the central bank plans roughly $15.6 billion in Treasury bill purchases between Sept. 15 and Oct. 14, split across five operations.
The first settled Sept. 18, with the rest continuing through mid-October.
It is worth noting these are reinvestment purchases, not new quantitative easing. The buys replace principal payments from maturing agency debt and mortgage-backed securities rather than expanding the Fed’s balance sheet outright.
BTC, ETH, XRP Price Analysis: Key Levels to WatchBitcoin broke decisively above its descending triangle resistance Friday, with the 20-day EMA reclaimed as support and the path now open toward a retest of the $82,000 September high.
XRP bounces sharply off the support zone that has held since the late-August breakout from $1. The SAR sitting above price means the trend needs a clean break above $1.47 to confirm a full flip back to bullish.
Meanwhile, Ethereum pushes into the 0.5 to 0.618 Fibonacci retracement zone from its October 2025 to January 2026 decline. A weekly close above $2,672 opens the path toward $2,950 to $3,000.
Photo via Shutterstock
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Ethereum rebounded to approximately $2,500 after briefly dipping to $2,370 this week, as renewed buying activity emerged despite the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate hike and significant volatility across the broader cryptocurrency market.
ETF outflows intensifyWhile ETH price made gains, institutional demand in spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds moved in the opposite direction. Farside Investors reported that U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $142 million, $224.1 million, and $39.3 million between September 15 and 17. In total, about $405 million was withdrawn from ETF products over just three consecutive sessions.
This notable capital exodus comes even as millions of ETH remain held by these institutional vehicles, reflecting a divergence between spot price strength and institutional ETF appetite.
Mini dictionary: Farside Investors, a UK-based investment research group, tracks ETF flows and provides analytics for traditional and crypto asset funds.
DateNet ETF OutflowSeptember 15$142 millionSeptember 16$224.1 millionSeptember 17$39.3 millionTotal (3 days)$405 millionKey resistance levels and technical outlookEthereum’s immediate hurdle lies in the $2,500 to $2,550 region, which represents a critical short-term resistance. A decisive breakout above $2,550 would clear this barrier and could open the way for a move toward $2,800. Some technical analysts see an even more ambitious target of $3,300, based on a bull-flag pattern, but stress that confirmation is necessary before considering that level plausible.
Previously, similar bullish setups suggested a potential upside to the $3,000 zone if buying momentum returned. However, the current attempt at recovery stands out because it comes at a time of continued ETF outflows.
Three straight days of net outflows from Ethereum ETFs contrast sharply with the underlying long-term supply situation, as millions of ETH remain locked in funds and over a third of the circulating supply is staked.
Stake supply and market pressureCurrently, approximately 35% of all ETH is staked, reducing the liquid supply available for trading. This dynamic has produced a rare situation: significant ETH is being locked up while market prices face downward pressure from institutional outflows.
As a result, the $2,550 resistance level has gained further importance. If Ethereum can rise above it despite persistent institutional selling, this would indicate robust spot market demand is offsetting sales from ETF products. Nevertheless, a move beyond $2,550 would not immediately guarantee a rally to $3,000; resistance remains at $2,800, while another drop to $2,400 or continued outflows could undermine the short-term bullish outlook.
Ethereum has managed to recover from the latest selloff, even as investors continue to withdraw capital from institutional products tracking the asset.
MetaMask has introduced a new security feature called Added Protection that guarantees an Ethereum or EVM transaction will match the preview a user sees before signing, or the transaction will revert. Announced on September 17, the upgrade makes MetaMask the first self-custody wallet to enforce this match. The wallet provider says the feature closes a long-standing gap that has let malicious contracts slip through transaction previews.
What a Red Pill Attack Is A red pill attack exploits a blind spot in how most crypto wallets work. Before a user approves a transaction, the wallet simulates it and shows a preview of the expected result. That preview is only a simulation, and nothing previously forced the real transaction to match it. A malicious contract can detect when it is being previewed, show a harmless result such as “You will receive 0.1 ETH,” and then run something entirely different once signed, draining the wallet. Because the preview looks fine, the user has no reason to hesitate before signing.
How Added Protection Works With the feature active, MetaMask simulates a transaction before signing and locks the expected result into the transaction as a requirement. When the transaction actually executes, the outcome must match what the user was shown. If a red pill contract tries to do anything other than what it promised, the transaction fails automatically and the funds never leave the wallet. The user loses only the network gas fee for the attempt, and MetaMask charges nothing for the feature or the failed transaction. The protection guards against manipulated outcomes rather than ordinary market shifts, and it is especially useful when approving large transactions or interacting with unfamiliar contracts.
Rollout and Industry Context Added Protection is on by default and can be switched off in the confirmation screen for users who prefer to manage risk themselves. It is now live on MetaMask extension version 13.45 across the 13 EVM networks that support smart accounts through EIP-7702, with mobile support to follow. The launch arrives as MetaMask operates as an independent consumer company after separating from Consensys, and it extends a broader push to harden wallets against on-chain scams, following Blockaid’s recent expansion of onchain monitoring as exploits and infrastructure failures continue to drive crypto losses. The upgrade also matters for anyone funding a crypto casino directly from a MetaMask wallet, since deposit transactions are exactly the kind of unfamiliar-contract interaction Added Protection is built to guard.
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Ethereum has recovered sharply from its mid-year lows and jumped past the key $2.5K level on Friday. The charts show a constructive improvement in the broader market structure, although ETH remains below several important higher-timeframe resistance levels.
Meanwhile, the Coinbase Premium Index is once again negative, suggesting that the recent recovery has not been accompanied by consistently strong spot demand from U.S. investors.
Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart On the daily timeframe, ETH has undergone a significant structural recovery from the $1.5K support area. The rebound has pushed price back above both the 100-day and 200-day major moving averages shown on the chart, with the 100-day yellow average aggressively pushing toward the 200-day one from below, likely to form a bullish crossover around $2K.
ETH is currently trading around $2.5K, directly inside a key resistance zone. This area has repeatedly contained price during the recent consolidation. Yet, a valid daily breakout above it can lead to continuation of the recovery.
A successful move above the $2.5K area could expose the next major resistance around $3.0K. Beyond that, the larger daily resistance zone sits around $3.3K-$3.4K, which coincides with the broader structure established earlier in the year.
On the downside, the first important support is around $2.1K, where the moving averages are also currently clustered. Below this area, the $1.9K zone becomes the next notable support. Still, the daily RSI is around the mid-to-upper 50s, meaning momentum is still bullish but not showing an overbought reading anymore. Therefore, there could still be room to the upside if sufficient demand emerges.
ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart The 4-hour chart provides a clearer picture of the current consolidation. ETH has been trading inside a broad range roughly between $2.35K and $2.65K since the sharp late-August advance.
The latest price action shows ETH recovering from the lower portion of the range and returning toward the $2.5K area. The repeated reactions around the range boundaries suggest that the market is still in consolidation rather than an established directional breakout.
The immediate resistance is around $2.5K, followed by the upper range boundary near $2.65K. A decisive 4-hour breakout above the latter would provide a clearer structural shift and could open the way toward the higher daily resistance zones.
Conversely, rejection around the current resistance and a move back below $2.35K would weaken the short-term structure. Losing that zone would invalidate much of the current range-based bullish setup and bring the next major support into consideration, as a deeper retracement would be probable.
On-Chain Analysis The Coinbase Premium Index is currently around -0.07, with the indicator spending much of the recent period below the zero line. The metric compares ETH prices on Coinbase with those on other major exchanges and is commonly used as an indication of relative buying or selling pressure from Coinbase’s predominantly U.S.-based market.
The notable point is the divergence between price and the premium index. ETH has recovered from roughly $1.5K to around $2.5K, yet the Coinbase Premium has generally remained negative during much of that advance. This suggests that the recovery visible on the price chart has not been accompanied by consistently strong US-based spot demand.
There have been brief positive spikes, particularly during parts of the summer, but they have not developed into a sustained positive trend. The latest reading has also returned firmly below zero.
This does not necessarily invalidate the broader recovery, since ETH can rise through demand from other venues and derivatives markets. However, a sustained move back above the zero line in the Coinbase Premium Index, particularly alongside a breakout above $2.5K, would provide additional confirmation that spot demand is strengthening, and that the recovery is likely to continue.
Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Trump: Whether to "destroy" Iran remains to be seen.
According to NewsNation, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran is seeking to reach an agreement with the United States, while he is currently weighing whether to take further military action against Tehran. When asked about his earlier comments suggesting he was considering "destroying" Iran, Trump replied, "We’ll wait and see." Asked what actions he expects Iran to take before making a decision, Trump noted Tehran is pursuing a deal. "Right now, they want an agreement," he said. He added that he believes Iran is "losing on all fronts" both economically and militarily. "If this isn’t the right deal, I won’t even consider it. But right now, they want an agreement because they’re losing on all fronts."
5 hours ago
The Big Short Michael Burry’s full portfolio: heavily long consumer and healthcare stocks, shorting AI infrastructure.
The real-life inspiration for *The Big Short*, Michael Burry, disclosed his full long positions include stocks such as Lululemon, MercadoLibre, Molina Healthcare, and Temple & Webster. Lululemon accounts for 17.4% of his portfolio, while MercadoLibre makes up 12%. Burry also holds stakes in Zoetis, Adobe, PayPal, and JD.com. His short portfolio constitutes over 21% of his total holdings, primarily consisting of AI and semiconductor-related assets including Oracle, Palantir, Nebius, NVIDIA, SOXX, Micron, and CoreWeave. Additionally, he retains call options on NVIDIA expiring in December 2026, as well as put options on Palantir and QQQ for hedging purposes. Furthermore, Burry has liquidated his positions in Flutter, his short Tesla position, short Applied Materials, and some put options on NVIDIA and Palantir. The proceeds from his Flutter stake have been reallocated to Lululemon. Overall, his current portfolio leans on value stocks in the consumer and healthcare sectors for long positions, while reducing risk via short positions in AI infrastructure-related assets. He has stated he is willing to hold cash to await market developments this fall.
5 hours ago
Galaxy's Head of Research: Bitcoin Rises Above 50-Week Moving Average, May Signal Bottom Confirmation
Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, noted in a post that Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading strongly, with its price above the 50-week moving average. Historically, a breakout above the 50-week moving average has served as a key level confirming the formation of a bear market bottom. If the weekly line closes above the 50-week moving average this Sunday, this trend will be further confirmed.
5 hours ago
The United States is holding negotiations with the Houthi armed group, which also hopes to reach an agreement.
According to NewsNation, US President Trump said the United States is in negotiations with the Houthi movement, which also hopes to reach an agreement.
5 hours ago
Opinion: Bitcoin is expected to break through quickly if it hits the $83,000 to $86,000 range, forcing short sellers to cover their positions.
Glassnode stated in a post that Bitcoin (BTC) is gradually approaching a thickening liquidation zone, with dense liquidation orders concentrated around the $83,000 to $86,000 range. If the price hits this area, BTC could quickly break through the range as short positions— which have been accumulating for weeks— are forced to close out.
5 hours ago
ETH briefly breaks through $2,600, surging over 5% in 24 hours.
Per HTX market data, ETH briefly broke through $2,600, now trading at $2,596.1, with a 5.11% gain in the past 24 hours.
Key Highlights BitMine (BMNR) shares climbed approximately 8% during Friday’s session, reaching $25.77 at the time of writing Ethereum’s robust 4.62% recovery to approximately $2,558 provided the primary catalyst for the rally Short-dated call options with strikes above $25 saw heavy volume as implied volatility spiked Eightco Holdings, supported by BitMine, revealed approximately $380 million in total assets, including a $90 million indirect stake in OpenAI BMNR currently trades above its 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day simple moving averages, despite a January death cross that remains unresolved BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) delivered a robust Friday performance, climbing roughly 8% to $25.77, even as broader equity indices struggled. The S&P 500 declined 0.44% while the Nasdaq remained essentially unchanged.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc., BMNR
Ethereum’s resurgence served as the primary catalyst. ETH advanced 4.62% during the previous 24-hour period to approximately $2,558, providing substantial support to BitMine, whose operations and financial position are deeply intertwined with cryptocurrency performance.
This relationship carries significant weight. BitMine maintains substantial Ethereum holdings that generate staking rewards, creating a steady passive revenue channel that complements its core mining activities.
Eightco Holdings, which receives backing from BitMine, released a Thursday disclosure that attracted market attention. The entity reported approximately $380 million in total assets.
Within that portfolio sits a $90 million indirect OpenAI position, an $18 million Beast Industries stake, a $1 million Mythical Games investment, and more than 301 million Worldcoin tokens priced at 37 cents apiece.
Additionally, Eightco maintains 16,278 Ethereum tokens and approximately $120 million in cash and stablecoin holdings. The company also executed share repurchases exceeding 26 million common shares during the current quarter.
Derivatives Market Provides Additional Momentum Options trading activity amplified the stock’s upward trajectory. Market participants aggressively purchased near-term call contracts, particularly September expiration calls struck above $25. Implied volatility expanded in tandem with the increased activity.
Such derivatives enthusiasm typically attracts momentum-focused traders seeking to capitalize on short-term price action. While no official price projections were announced, the options market is essentially forecasting additional near-term appreciation.
Technical Analysis and Chart Positioning BMNR currently trades above every significant moving average. The stock sits above its 20-day SMA at $24.46, its 50-day at $20.28, its 100-day at $19.13, and its 200-day at $22.08.
Near-term technicals show improvement. The 20-day SMA has crossed above the 50-day, representing a constructive development. However, the 50-day remains beneath the 200-day, reflecting the death cross that materialized in January.
Resistance emerges around the $27 level, a psychological round number where upward momentum could face challenges. Support appears near $23, aligned with the 20-day EMA at $23.64.
BitMine maintains meaningful representation across multiple cryptocurrency-focused ETFs. The stock comprises 9.97% of the Global X Blockchain ETF (BKCH), 7.00% of the Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ), and 5.87% of the Corgi Crypto Infrastructure ETF (BLCK). Significant ETF fund flows could create additional stock price volatility.
Important consideration: BitMine continues to operate at a cash deficit and report losses. This fundamental challenge persists regardless of positive trading days. The company’s financial performance remains closely correlated with cryptocurrency valuations, and any substantial digital asset correction would create significant headwinds.
BMNR’s year-to-date return stands at negative 12.01%, with average daily volume reaching 39.15 million shares. The company’s market capitalization totals $13.76 billion.
The Crypto prices jumped sharply on Friday as Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 and forced heavily leveraged bearish positions to close. Total market capitalization rose 4.49% to $2.75 trillion within 24 hours. Enhanced regulatory hopes, robust Bitcoin ETF demand, and a new risk appetite contributed to increased gains in major digital assets and altcoins.
Crypto Prices Surge as BTC Hits $80K And ETH Rallies Above $2,500 Bitcoin price gained 5% in 24 hours, to above $80,000, having surmounted macroeconomic and regulatory pressure early this week. The breakout reinstated a significant level of psychology and enhanced momentum throughout the digital asset market.
Ethereum was up 5.00% and remained over the $2,500 level, an indicator of the more optimistic mood in large-cap cryptocurrencies. BNB increased 4.02% above $750, and the XRP price increased 6.23% and was holding at above $1.35. Solana price posted the biggest increase among the listed majors, climbing 10.25% and surpassing the $110 mark.
Coin 360 Increased Crypto Prices boosted the mood of the market, and the Fear and Greed Index increased to 73. That reading is an indicator of greed, indicating that traders have become more certain following the uncertainty in the past.
Crypto-related equities followed the rally as investors increased exposure to companies tied to digital assets. Strategy shares gained 13%, Coinbase rose 11.5%, Circle added 8%, and BitMine advanced 7%. Bitcoin later traded above $81,000, extending its three-day gain to roughly 8%. Those gains came despite rate increases from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan.
CFTC Sends Proposed Crypto Market Rules to White House The Commodity Futures Trading Commission submitted a cryptocurrency framework to the White House for regulatory review. The filing reached the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on September 17. It carries the title “Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets.” The submission followed the Senate’s 49-50 rejection of the CLARITY Act’s advancement two days earlier. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig had said the agency was prepared to issue rules after lawmakers failed to advance legislation.
Details of the proposal remain undisclosed, and White House review does not represent final approval.
CFTC Submits Crypto Market Rule Proposal for White House Review as CLARITY Act Stalls
A regulatory filing on the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) website indicates that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) submitted a proposal to regulate… pic.twitter.com/XJSzJ9k1MK
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 18, 2026
However, the action signals regulators may use existing authority while Congress continues negotiations. Clearer federal oversight could support sector companies by reducing uncertainty surrounding trading, compliance, and market supervision.
Bitcoin ETF Inflows and Short Liquidations Fuel Rally Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded $159 million in net inflows on September 17, providing another source of market support.
BlackRock’s IBIT was the only fund reporting positive net flows during the session. Ethereum ETFs moved differently, posting $39.2445 million in outflows and extending their outflow streak to three days.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Record $159 Million in Net Inflows on Sept. 17
On Sept. 17 (ET), spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded total net inflows of $159 million, with BlackRock’s IBIT being the only fund to report net inflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw total net outflows of $39.2445 million,… pic.twitter.com/EWHuy3NIHR
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 18, 2026
Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s breakout forced traders holding leveraged short positions to close rapidly. Reported estimates placed one-hour short liquidations between $170 million and $230 million as prices accelerated. Those closures created additional purchases, intensifying the rally and pushing Bitcoin through nearby resistance.
Short liquidations About $130 billion entered total cryptocurrency capitalization during the latest 24-hour period across major exchanges. Crypto Prices also benefited from easing policy concerns, despite the Senate setback and the Bank of Japan’s hawkish guidance.
Crypto markets roared back on September 18, 2026, adding roughly $150 billion in a single session. The total market capitalisation climbed from $2.6 trillion on Thursday to $2.76 trillion, according to @CoinMarketCap data, as a broad rally swept across major digital assets.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana Lead the Charge $BTC gained 5.6% to reach $80,882, $ETH climbed 6% to $2,606, while $SOL outperformed both, adding more than 10% to hit $112. The moves reflect a pattern consistent with broader September strength:
The rally also arrived against a constructive macro backdrop.
Short Sellers Hit Hard as Sentiment Turns Greedy Bears absorbed the heaviest losses. Of $682.5 million in total liquidations, $443.7 million came from short positions, underlining how swiftly sentiment shifted against those betting on a continued decline.
The mood shift is also visible in the Fear and Greed Index. A reading in the low 70s signals that market participants are positioning aggressively rather than defensively, though analysts note elevated greed readings can also precede short-term pullbacks.
For now, the data points in one direction. A $150 billion single-day gain, double-digit moves from major altcoins, and a sentiment gauge firmly in greed territory suggest that, at least for the moment, the bears are on the back foot.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Bitcoin Price, September 18, 2026
CoinStats: Crypto Fear and Greed Index
Bitcoin Ethereum News: Crypto Market Cap Hits $2.7 Trillion After Bitcoin Rally
Ethereum climbed roughly 5.8% to 6.5% on September 18, 2026, pushing past the $2,580 mark after the SEC unveiled a regulatory framework that could funnel trillions of dollars worth of stock trading onto public blockchains. The token moved from a starting range of $2,445 to $2,451 up to between $2,580 and $2,603, its sharpest single-day gain in weeks.
The catalyst: the SEC’s freshly minted “Innovation Exemption,” a five-year pilot program announced on September 17 that formally permits tokenized trading of National Market System stocks through what the agency calls Tokenized Securities Venues, or TSVs.
What the SEC actually greenlit The exemption allows on-chain trading of tokenized equities using permissioned automated market makers and liquidity pools on public blockchains. Every token must represent an actual underlying share, preserving full shareholder rights like voting and dividend collection. Synthetic assets are explicitly prohibited.
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Issuers wanting to tokenize their stock must notify the SEC, which then has a 30-day objection window. There are also volume and symbol caps, plus mandatory sanctions compliance.
The timing is notable. The exemption landed just two days after the Senate rejected the CLARITY Act, a broader legislative attempt to define crypto asset classifications. SEC Chair Paul Atkins framed the exemption as consistent with the agency’s existing regulatory authority, essentially bypassing Congress to get something done.
Why Ethereum stands to benefit most Tokenized US Treasury funds on Ethereum reached an average market cap near $7.5 billion during Q2 2026. Across all chains, tokenized Treasuries surpassed $15 billion in value during the same quarter, with Ethereum holding the majority share.
The broader tokenized stocks market has already been on a tear even before this regulatory green light. Tokenized stocks reached a market cap of roughly $3.2 billion, representing a climb of over 1,200% year-over-year. BNB Chain currently leads in the tokenized stocks sector specifically, which means Ethereum’s dominance in Treasuries doesn’t automatically translate to equities.
It wasn’t just ETH that moved on the news. Coinbase and Robinhood both saw stock price increases of approximately 5% following the SEC announcement.
The institutional calculus shifts The requirement that tokens represent actual shares rather than synthetic derivatives means tokenized stocks under this framework carry the same legal weight as their conventional counterparts. An investor holding a tokenized share through a TSV has the same voting rights and dividend claims as someone holding it through a traditional brokerage account.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Fake YouTube tutorials promoting AI-powered crypto arbitrage bots have tricked 224 victims into deploying malicious smart contracts that stole 274.6 ETH worth about $517,000.
Summary
Nine similar YouTube videos directed users to compilers controlled by the scam operators. Victims deployed 234 contracts and funded them through transactions they approved themselves. A malicious backend replaced the code shown to users with contracts designed to steal ETH. Stolen funds moved to six collection addresses, with the median victim losing 1 ETH. TRM Labs said in a Sep. 14 report that the operation disguised malicious Ethereum contracts as automated trading tools built with Anthropic’s Claude, allowing the scammers to steal funds without relying on conventional phishing links or suspicious wallet approvals.
The blockchain intelligence firm traced 234 contracts deployed by victims, although the campaign affected 224 people because some participants created more than one contract. Funds taken through the contracts eventually reached six collection addresses controlled by the operators.
Based on ETH’s value when the transfers occurred, the 274.6 ETH stolen was worth approximately $517,000. TRM calculated a median loss of 1 ETH per incident, showing that the total did not depend on a single large victim.
Fake AI trading bot tutorials turned victims into contract deployers Rather than sending users to a page that immediately requested access to their wallets, the operators presented the scheme as an educational process. Victims found the videos, followed the instructions, and took each onchain step themselves.
TRM identified nine nearly identical YouTube tutorials presented under different creator identities. AI-generated virtual hosts and voiceovers gave the videos the appearance of independent guides, while each tutorial promised to help viewers create a fully automated crypto arbitrage bot using Claude.
During the videos, users were told to copy code and open a compiler website selected by the presenter. Some of the websites copied the design of Remix, a commonly used browser-based development environment for writing and deploying Ethereum smart contracts.
Victims then connected their wallets, compiled what appeared to be trading software, and deployed the resulting contracts. Because the users initiated and approved each action, the transactions looked different from attacks in which a fraudulent site asks for a direct token allowance or an unclear signature.
Funding the newly deployed contracts completed the trap. Users believed they were supplying capital that the bot would use to exploit price differences between trading venues, but TRM found no arbitrage system or AI function in the malicious contract variant it examined.
The malicious contracts drained deposits above 0.05 ETH In one version of the scheme, a backend script ignored the source code that victims pasted into the compiler. The website instead retrieved a separate contract from a server operated by the scammers and prepared the replacement for deployment.
As a result, the clean code displayed in the browser was never placed onchain. Victims saw one program on their screens while their wallets deployed another, preventing them from verifying the real contract through a visual check of the compiler window alone.
The replacement contract could accept ETH deposits, matching the expected behavior of a trading bot that needed funds to operate. Once its balance exceeded 0.05 ETH, however, the contract was set to transfer the money to an address controlled by the operators when the user selected either the Start or Withdraw function.
Both buttons therefore served the same purpose despite carrying labels associated with normal bot controls. Pressing Start did not activate a trading strategy, while pressing Withdraw did not return the deposited funds to the user.
No AI model interacted with the deployed contract, according to TRM’s findings. The Claude branding formed part of the sales pitch, while the onchain code only received deposits and moved qualifying balances to the scammers.
The method also reduced the chance that common wallet protections would interrupt the process. A wallet could accurately show that its owner was deploying a contract, sending ETH to it and later calling one of its functions, yet still lack the context needed to determine that the tutorial and compiler had misrepresented the code.
AI trading bot scam bypassed common phishing defenses Traditional crypto phishing campaigns often depend on copied domains, poisoned search results or prompts that request broad token permissions. Blocklists and wallet simulations can sometimes identify a known malicious address, deceptive domain, or transaction that grants an attacker control over existing assets.
The AI trading bot operation used a different path because each victim became the deployer of a newly created contract. A fresh address would not necessarily appear on an existing blacklist, and the wallet owner authorized the deployment and funding transactions without surrendering a seed phrase.
In July, crypto.news explained how drainers commonly abuse legitimate blockchain permissions. Such tools often convince a user to approve a malicious contract, which can then transfer tokens while the blockchain processes the action as authorized.
The campaign described by TRM moved the deception one step earlier by controlling the code-generation and deployment process. Instead of asking victims to trust an existing contract, the tutorials convinced them that they were creating the software themselves.
A separate Hyperliquid phishing case in August showed how online advertising can also direct crypto users toward malicious infrastructure. One user lost about 550,000 USDC after a sponsored Google result led to a fake Hyperliquid website linked by security firm Salus to the Inferno drainer ecosystem.
Salus said the infrastructure in that incident automatically divided stolen funds among addresses connected to the operation. Investigators linked related groups to approximately $52.74 million in losses, showing how backend services can handle theft, swaps, consolidation, and revenue sharing while separate operators focus on attracting victims.
U.S. users can report crypto losses through the FBI For U.S. users, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts reports involving cryptocurrency fraud and other cyber-enabled crimes. The bureau says complaint data can help investigators identify connected cases, follow emerging methods and, in some situations, freeze stolen funds.
The FBI recorded $16.6 billion in reported internet-crime losses during 2024, up from $12.5 billion in 2023, according to figures published by the center. The agency advises victims to file reports even when they are unsure whether a complaint meets a specific crime category because submissions may be shared with federal, state, local, or international law enforcement agencies.
Onchain security groups have also increased their focus on attacks that use valid user actions to execute theft. In February, the Ethereum Foundation backed a Security Alliance engineer assigned to track and disrupt wallet drainers targeting Ethereum users.
Security Alliance cited data placing drainer-related losses at $84 million in 2025, the lowest level on record. Its security network includes MetaMask, Phantom, WalletConnect, and Backpack, which share threat intelligence designed to identify phishing campaigns and other malicious infrastructure.
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) gained to reclaim $2,600 on Friday as network transaction costs fall sharply from their 2026 peak. Trader eyes the next potential breakout.
Why Did ETH Price Jump?Chart analyst Ali Martinez said on Sep.17 that Ethereum remains inside its four-hour price channel despite heightened volatility in recent sessions.
ETH recently tested the channel’s lower boundary, setting up a potential rebound toward the midpoint and eventually the upper boundary around $2,570.
Martinez identified $2,570 as the key breakout level which the altcoin broke on Friday.
A strong four-hour close above that level, supported by volume, could open the door to $2,700 and potentially $3,000.
The bullish technical setup places focus on whether buyers can extend the recovery into the $2,570 resistance zone.
What Favors ETH?Santiment Intelligence data on Friday shows Ethereum’s average transaction fee has dropped to just $0.095 per transfer, compared with a 2026 peak of $0.72 on April 21.
The on-chain platform attributed the decline partly to softer mainnet demand during the bearish summer but also pointed to ETH’s expanding network capacity.
Santiment highlighted Fusaka, higher blob throughput, a 60 million gas limit and Layer-2 networks absorbing execution that previously competed for Ethereum mainnet block space.
Lower fees make swaps, token transfers, DeFi transactions and stablecoin activity cheaper for users, potentially reducing one of Ethereum’s longstanding barriers to broader network usage.
Santiment cautioned that cheaper transactions alone do not signal stronger demand.
However, ETH prices recovering while execution costs remain low could provide a more favorable environment if network participation picks up.
Image: Shutterstock
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Most people know @ethereum's whitepaper as Vitalik Buterin's founding document. Fewer notice that it credits two other researchers by name, and that those two researchers went on to build one of the most technically distinct proof-of-work blockchains in the market today.
The GHOST Protocol and Its Origins The core problem it addressed was straightforward: fast blockchains produce a large share of stale blocks, valid blocks that lose the race to the main chain and are simply discarded.
Ethereum adopted the idea, but only partially. A note later added to the whitepaper acknowledges that the protocol was never fully applied. The paper does, however, credit both men by name, an unusual acknowledgment for a founding document of that kind.
From GHOST to GHOSTDAG and Kaspa Sompolinsky did not stop at GHOST. Their follow-on protocol, GHOSTDAG, takes the original insight further.
Where a standard blockchain discards any block that does not win the race onto the main chain, GHOSTDAG orders all valid parallel blocks and keeps them. No miner work is wasted, and throughput scales without sacrificing proof-of-work security.
The project, which trades under the ticker $KAS, is fully open-source and community-managed.
The lineage is direct: a 2013 academic paper designed to fix a Bitcoin security problem was cited in Ethereum's founding document, refined into GHOSTDAG, and eventually became the consensus engine for #Kaspa. The two names Ethereum's whitepaper credits are the same two names on Kaspa's.
Sources:
Ethereum Whitepaper, ethereum.org
Kaspa Whitepaper via Bitget
Kaspa Overview, Coinstancy Academy
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on Friday picked up momentum to reclaim $78,000 for the first time in three days, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) followed higher to touch $2,500.
Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty said politics took precedence over crypto policy this week, but argued that the roughly 67 million Americans who own or use crypto "are not going anywhere."
Why the Long-Term Outlook Remains StrongIndustry expert Scott Melker predicted about a month ago that "crypto is about to explode."
Speaking to the "When Shift Happens" podcast in August, Melker had reiterated his conviction even as near-term sentiment was subdued before Bitcoin’s surge above $75,000.
Unlike 2021–2022, when the industry faced aggressive U.S. enforcement and existential concerns, Bitcoin now has spot ETFs, governments discussing strategic reserves, Bitcoin mining, and growing adoption of blockchain infrastructure.
Melker’s thesis is to focus on Bitcoin’s long-term adoption rather than trying to predict the exact catalyst for the next rally.
ETH, XRP, DOGE Predicted To Move HigherCrypto chart analyst Ali Martinez on Friday said Ethereum remains inside its four-hour channel despite recent volatility. With ETH testing the lower boundary, he sees potential for a rebound toward $2,570.
A strong four-hour close above $2,570 with volume could confirm a breakout, putting $2,700 and potentially $3,000 in focus.
Martinez sees XRP forming the right shoulder of an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, with $1.55 as the key neckline.
A confirmed breakout above could complete the bullish pattern and trigger a 35% rally toward $2, with potential for further upside.
Trader Tardigrade highlighted Dogecoin has touched its long-term weekly support trendline for the third time, which he views as confirmation of a potential bottom.
He said the setup mirrors previous DOGE cycles, when tests of the same trendline preceded rallies to new peaks, suggesting another major rebound could follow.
Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 for the first time since early September as spot BTC ETF flows turned positive, adding momentum to a broader risk-on rally.
Notable Statistics:
Coinglass data shows 111,660 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $547.80 million. SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $159.5 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Thursday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $39.2 million. In the past 24 hours, top gainers include Akedo, NEAR Protocol and Arbitrum. Notable Developments:
XRP Skyrockets 6% as Whale Binance Inflows Hit 6-Month HighStrategy CEO Says ‘We’re Never Going To Stop’ Buying Bitcoin as MSTR Surges 11%Grayscale Says Rate Hike Is ‘Unlikely to Drive Major Shifts’ In BitcoinBitcoin Breaks Above $80,000 as CoinShares Warns Of a ‘Difficult Setup’ Into Year-EndCLARITY Act Failure ‘Begins and Ends With Trump,’ Industry Leader FumesBitcoin’s Much Less Volatile Than It Used to Be. BlackRock Says It Played a Part in That.Bitcoin Cracks $78,000 and Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin May Be ‘About To Explode’Trader Notes:
Altcoin Sherpa predicts Bitcoin needs a strong break above $82,000 to open the door toward the $100,000 region.
Minor pullbacks could occur, but a breakout from its nearly month-long range is key.
KillaXBT plans to hedge 50% of his Bitcoin long exposure around $82,000-$84,000, with invalidation at $86,700. He remains heavily long but sees continued range-bound trading as the most likely near-term scenario.
Wick sees Bitcoin is attempting a Phase 2 continuation breakout but needs to reclaim stronger market structure to confirm further upside.
He emphasized managing risk amid heightened crypto volatility while turning daily setups into longer-term positions.
Image: Shutterstock
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Ethereum is showing a strange split right now. Per Santiment data, on the Ethereum chain USDT has lost 251,350 non-empty wallets over 11 days, marking its steepest short-window decline since the post-FTX market upheaval in December 2022. At the same time, Ethereum fees have fallen to just $0.095 per transfer.
USDT Wallets Are Shrinking FastThe 251,350-wallet contraction is an unusual break from USDT’s historical base expansion. It doesn’t automatically mean capital has left crypto altogether, though.
Smaller holders could be consolidating balances, shifting funds to Layer-2 networks, moving into USDC, or sending assets back to centralized exchanges. Still, the sharp decline can point to risk-off positioning as market participants reposition portfolios during uncertain conditions.
Ethereum Fees Collapse From April PeakThe other side of the equation looks very different. Ethereum’s average transaction cost has dropped from $0.72 on April 21 to $0.095, an 86.8% reduction.
The supplied data links the decline to higher blob capacity, the expanded 60M gas limit and Layer-2 scaling. Arbitrum, Optimism, Base and Linea are absorbing high-frequency micro-transactions that previously added pressure to Ethereum mainnet.
That makes the fee collapse less straightforward than simply calling it weak network activity.
Ethereum Fees Create A Cheaper Trading WindowFor DeFi users, the current Ethereum fees offer lower transaction friction. Yield farmers, liquidity providers, arbitragers and MEV searchers can rebalance positions, claim yield or enter and exit smart-contract positions without spending as much on gas.
But the USDT contraction remains the metric worth watching. If mainnet USDT balances keep shrinking while overall stablecoin market capitalization stagnates, altcoin liquidity could face headwinds.
For now, Ethereum fees are sitting near multi-month lows while USDT holders appear to be de-risking, leaving the network caught between improving execution costs and shifting liquidity behavior.
Story Ends Here
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Amid ongoing consolidation across the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin has decisively outpaced Ethereum and Solana over the past five years, highlighting the divergent performance of the three major digital assets over the period.
Bitcoin has risen from $48,306 on September 18, 2021, to $78,131, representing a gain of approximately 61.7%. Ethereum, by comparison, has fallen from $3,396 to $2,507, a decline of about 26.2%. Solana has also moved lower, slipping from $147 to $106, down roughly 27.9%. The figures are based on data from Binance.
The gap is also evident when measured against each asset's all-time high. Bitcoin's record high of $126,198.07, reached on October 7, 2025, puts its current price approximately 38.1% below its peak. Ethereum is around 49.4% below its all-time high of $4,953.73, recorded on August 25, 2025. Solana remains the furthest from its record, trading roughly 64% below its $294.33 peak reached on January 19, 2025.
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While these figures capture how the three assets have performed through the current market cycle, the longer-term picture extends beyond historical returns. For investors looking toward the next phase of the cryptocurrency market, attention will increasingly turn to the factors that could shape the relative performance of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana in the cycle ahead.
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Why Bitcoin has outperformed Ethereum and Solana
Ryan Lee, Chief Analyst at Bitget, attributed Bitcoin's relative outperformance to its increasingly established role as a macro and institutional asset.
"Bitcoin’s relative outperformance shows that BTC is a well-established macro and institutional asset." He said Bitcoin's price is supported by greater ETF access and its limited-supply narrative.
"Bitcoin’s price direction is strongly supported by greater ETF access and narrative around its limited supply."
Ethereum and Solana, meanwhile, remain more closely tied to their respective ecosystems and real-world use cases, according to Lee.
"Ethereum and Solana remain closely associated with their ecosystem dynamics and real-word use cases. This makes their valuations more sensitive towards market sentiment."
Lee also pointed to ETF flows as evidence that institutional demand remains concentrated in Bitcoin, while noting that other assets are beginning to attract capital.
"The latest ETF inflows also prove that institutional demand is largely concentrated in Bitcoin, although, Ethereum and other assets are beginning to attract capital as well."
Binance Research cautioned that comparisons of outperformance can vary depending on the timeframe used, pointing instead to Bitcoin dominance as a broader measure.
"For outperformance, it actually depends on what time period you're looking at as that can change the comparison so the better metric would be BTC dominance (which has risen to 60% today)."
The research team said Bitcoin has benefited from a broader buyer base, deeper liquidity and an investment case centered on scarcity.
"Generally, BTC has benefited from a broader buyer base, deeper liquidity and a broader investment case around scarcity."
Binance Research also pointed to spot Bitcoin ETF flows, saying Bitcoin has typically been the first digital asset adopted by institutions entering a market that was previously dominated by retail investors.
"Spot BTC ETF flows being the largest also shows how it is typically the first digital asset to be adopted by institutions entering a market that was previously dominated by retail."
Ethereum and Solana, in contrast, remain more sensitive to developments in their networks and shifts in crypto narratives.
"ETH and SOL remain more sensitive to network fundamentals and changing crypto narratives."
Different catalysts for the next phase
The three assets also have distinct potential catalysts for further gains.
Lee said Bitcoin's outlook is supported by continued institutional adoption, ETF accumulation and integration into traditional portfolios.
"Bitcoin is currently governed by a strong set of catalyst, especially continued institutional adoption, accumulation by ETFs and integration into traditional portfolios."
For Ethereum and Solana, he highlighted tokenisation, stablecoin adoption, new on-chain projects and broader blockchain adoption.
"Simultaneously, Ethereum and Solana derive their gains from tokenisation, stablecoin adoption, new on-chain projects and larger blockchain adoption."
Lee also highlighted the potential impact of macroeconomic and regulatory developments on crypto valuations.
"It is important to note that tighter global liquidity, further interest rate hike by the Fed, regulatory uncertainty, the recent Federal Reserve hike and setback for the U.S. CLARITY Act highlight how quickly macro and policy developments can influence crypto valuations."
Binance Research said the catalysts for each asset depend on the prevailing market environment, with each having its own sources of demand.
"It would depend on each market context as all 3 have their own demand drivers that can serve as an unique catalyst for them."
The research team said Bitcoin has typically led when fresh liquidity enters the crypto market, while Ethereum and Solana could benefit later if capital moves further along the risk curve.
"But we can say that BTC has shown to typically lead when fresh liquidity enters crypto, with ETH and SOL potentially benefiting later if capital rotates further out the risk curve."
Risks to watch
The analysts also highlighted different risks for the three assets. For Bitcoin, Binance Research identified tighter liquidity and weaker institutional flows as the main near-term risks.
"The main near term risk for BTC is tighter liquidity (e.g., further hawkish guidance by the Fed) and weaker institutional flows."
For Ethereum and Solana, the risks are more closely tied to network fundamentals, fee capture, issuance dynamics and speculative activity.
"For ETH + SOL, anything impacting network fundamentals, weak fee capture and net issuance when burn is low, and greater sensitivity to speculative activity."
As the market enters its next phase, the three assets, analysts said, will remain exposed to different catalysts and risks, ranging from institutional flows and liquidity conditions for Bitcoin to network fundamentals, ecosystem activity and adoption dynamics for Ethereum and Solana.
Disclosure: This article has been written by Kumar Gaurav, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an investment advisor. Gaurav does not hold any financial interest in the company as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of the EconomicTimes Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment.
AI startup Mantic secures $25 million in funding to develop superhuman predictive capabilities.
AI developer Mantic announced Friday it has closed a $25 million seed funding round. The firm recently defeated human contestants in a prediction competition. Results from the 2026 Summer Cup, a London-based online prediction platform Metaculus that wrapped up this month, show Mantic’s probability forecasts for political, economic and cultural events outperformed human participants. The strong scores posted by Mantic and other AI entrants also mark the first time AI has dominated the competition. The funding round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from Microsoft’s venture fund M12, AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, Balderton Capital and others; specific valuation was not disclosed. Mantic CEO Toby Shevlane said the company is focused on advancing humanity’s ability to understand the future. Founded in 2024 by Shevlane and Ben Day, Mantic enhances its forecasting capabilities by optimizing cutting-edge models developed by other AI labs specifically for prediction tasks, testing its systems against historical data, evaluating performance and iterating to improve accuracy. (Reuters)
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AI startup Mantic secures $25 million in funding to develop superhuman predictive capabilities.
AI developer Mantic announced Friday it has closed a $25 million seed funding round. The firm recently defeated human contestants in a prediction competition. Results from the 2026 Summer Cup, a London-based online prediction platform Metaculus that wrapped up this month, show Mantic’s probability forecasts for political, economic and cultural events outperformed human participants. The strong scores posted by Mantic and other AI entrants also mark the first time AI has dominated the competition. The funding round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from Microsoft’s venture fund M12, AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, Balderton Capital and others; specific valuation was not disclosed. Mantic CEO Toby Shevlane said the company is focused on advancing humanity’s ability to understand the future. Founded in 2024 by Shevlane and Ben Day, Mantic enhances its forecasting capabilities by optimizing cutting-edge models developed by other AI labs specifically for prediction tasks, testing its systems against historical data, evaluating performance and iterating to improve accuracy. (Reuters)
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On September 14, a16z submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), proposing that a more flexible, market-adaptable regulatory framework for crypto trading platforms (CTPs) be established by drawing on the existing Alternative Trading System (ATS) regulatory framework. a16z argues that the U.S. crypto market remains in its early stages with high retail participation, so the regulatory framework should clarify regulatory boundaries while leaving room for market deepening and innovation. The firm recommends that crypto trading platforms register with the SEC via a notice-based registration process, and allow platforms to trade both non-securities asset pairs (such as bitcoin and stablecoins) and securities-non-securities asset pairs simultaneously to prevent further fragmentation of the crypto market. Additionally, for CTPs trading NMS (National Market System) stocks like tokenized equities, Form ATS-N public disclosure requirements should only apply once they meet the trading volume thresholds set under existing Regulation ATS; information below the threshold should be kept confidential from both the SEC and platform users. a16z also suggests that crypto trading platforms should be subject to record-keeping requirements similar to those for ATS, and allow relevant records to be stored on the blockchain under specific conditions. It further proposes that platforms be permitted to set differentiated access permissions, rights, and obligations for different user groups. The firm states that the SEC should leverage the flexibility and innovative nature of ATS to set clear regulatory parameters for crypto trading platforms, while allowing operators to innovate and experiment within this framework.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US recorded net inflows again on September 17th. According to SoSoValue data, a total net inflow of approximately $159.45 million was recorded into these investment instruments. Thus, Bitcoin ETFs saw positive fund flows again after a one-day hiatus.
The largest inflow of the day occurred in BlackRock’s IBIT fund, with a net inflow of $183.66 million. Fidelity’s FBTC fund saw a net outflow of $16.64 million, while VanEck’s HODL fund experienced a net outflow of $7.57 million. Taking into account movements in other ETFs, the overall net inflow across the sector was $159.45 million.
In contrast to the positive inflows from Bitcoin ETFs, net outflows continued in US spot Ethereum ETFs. According to data from Farside Investors and SoSoValue, approximately $39.24 million was withdrawn from Ethereum ETFs on September 17th. This marked the third consecutive trading day of net outflows from the portfolio.
The largest outflow in Ethereum ETFs was seen in BlackRock’s ETHA fund, with a net outflow of $42.86 million. In contrast, Fidelity’s FETH fund saw a net inflow of $1.83 million, and VanEck’s ETHV fund experienced a net inflow of $1.79 million.
The data showed that fund flows into Bitcoin and Ethereum investment products diverged on the same day. While Bitcoin ETFs saw positive inflows, the continued outflows from Ethereum ETFs indicate that investors are managing their positions in investment products based on these two major crypto assets differently.
ETF flows are among the indicators closely watched by the market to track the demand for crypto assets from institutional and professional investors.
*This is not investment advice.
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Key Takeaways The Glamsterdam upgrade will launch on Ethereum’s Sepolia testnet October 6, 2026 Security concerns emerged around malicious actors exploiting free testnet tokens to disrupt block building Bad actors could create numerous fake builder accounts, win auction bids, then refuse to deliver transaction payloads Development teams face a September 29 deadline for Sepolia-compatible releases, allowing just seven days for testing The mainnet deployment timeline hasn’t been finalized, though Q4 2026 remains the target window Ethereum’s development team has officially designated October 6 as the activation date for testing the Glamsterdam upgrade on Sepolia. This announcement was accompanied by security warnings regarding a vulnerability that could compromise the testing process.
ETHEREUM’S NEXT MAJOR UPGRADE IS MOVING FORWARD.
Glamsterdam is scheduled to hit the Sepolia testnet on October 6, followed by a tentative Hoodi test on October 27.
Developers have identified a potential weakness where attackers could create fake builder identities, submit huge… pic.twitter.com/79L6vjSf4I
— MANDO CT 🇮🇪 🇦🇪 🇬🇧 (@MandoCT) September 18, 2026
The security issue revolves around the block construction mechanism within Glamsterdam. This upgrade implements Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), a framework where dedicated builders engage in competitive bidding to provide transaction blocks to network validators.
While mainnet participation requires actual capital investment, Sepolia operates differently since test tokens carry no monetary value. This fundamental difference creates a unique vulnerability scenario.
The Potential Exploitation Method Consensus developer Potuz outlined the vulnerability during a September 17 development meeting. A malicious actor could generate numerous counterfeit builder profiles, place winning bids in block auctions, then withhold the required transaction information.
“I can just spin up a thousand builders, rotate them, offer very high bids, and not produce payloads,” Potuz explained. “Any teenager can do this.”
While this attack wouldn’t threaten actual assets, it could paralyze testnet operations and prevent developers from accurately assessing the upgrade’s functionality under authentic circumstances.
Current protective measures appear insufficient. Some client safeguards activate only after multiple payload failures occur. Development teams noted that clients require mechanisms to permanently block specific builders, preventing attackers from repeatedly returning with fresh identities.
Glamsterdam’s Core Objectives Glamsterdam represents Ethereum’s upcoming significant protocol enhancement. The upgrade aims to dramatically expand network capacity per block, with a target gas ceiling approaching 200 million—a substantial increase from the 60 million achieved in previous testing phases.
Additionally, the upgrade extends the timeframe for broadcasting transaction payload information from approximately two seconds to nearly nine seconds, providing nodes with enhanced processing capabilities for larger block sizes.
Devnet-11, a private testing environment, successfully executed a Glamsterdam transition on September 16. The network operated 84,000 validators distributed across various clients and pushed gas limits toward 200 million while maintaining network finality.
Schedule and Future Milestones Client development teams face a September 29 cutoff for delivering Sepolia-compatible software releases. This compressed timeframe provides only seven days preceding the October 6 implementation—considerably shorter than Ethereum’s standard 14-day period allocated for security audits and vulnerability identification.
The development community accepted this accelerated schedule because Sepolia maintains a managed validator configuration that simplifies recovery procedures should complications arise.
Following the Sepolia deployment, testing on the Hoodi testnet is provisionally scheduled for October 27. This timeline remains contingent upon Sepolia’s performance outcomes.
A mainnet launch date remains unannounced. Ethereum’s development roadmap indicates Q4 2026 for Glamsterdam deployment, though specific block numbers or epoch designations haven’t been established. Production-grade builder infrastructure from Titan and Ultrasound teams has yet to successfully complete Glamsterdam fork transitions.
AI startup Mantic secures $25 million in funding to develop superhuman predictive capabilities.
AI developer Mantic announced Friday it has closed a $25 million seed funding round. The firm recently defeated human contestants in a prediction competition. Results from the 2026 Summer Cup, a London-based online prediction platform Metaculus that wrapped up this month, show Mantic’s probability forecasts for political, economic and cultural events outperformed human participants. The strong scores posted by Mantic and other AI entrants also mark the first time AI has dominated the competition. The funding round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from Microsoft’s venture fund M12, AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, Balderton Capital and others; specific valuation was not disclosed. Mantic CEO Toby Shevlane said the company is focused on advancing humanity’s ability to understand the future. Founded in 2024 by Shevlane and Ben Day, Mantic enhances its forecasting capabilities by optimizing cutting-edge models developed by other AI labs specifically for prediction tasks, testing its systems against historical data, evaluating performance and iterating to improve accuracy. (Reuters)
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Gravity’s G Token has surpassed $0.0085, rallying more than 100% in 24 hours.
According to HTX market data, Gravity’s token G has surged past $0.0085, currently trading at $0.00856, with a 100.24% gain over the past 24 hours. In related news, Gravity officially announced on September 17 that its testnet has integrated Chainlink CCIP cross-chain functionality.
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Grayscale's Zcash spot ETF (ticker: ZCSH) plans to implement a 3-for-1 share split.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the Zcash ETF (ticker: ZCSH) launched by Grayscale announced today that it plans to implement a 3-for-1 forward share split for the fund. The split will not alter the total value of shareholders' investments.
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a16z Recommends US SEC Regulate Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms Using the ATS Framework
On September 14, a16z submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), proposing that a more flexible, market-adaptable regulatory framework for crypto trading platforms (CTPs) be established by drawing on the existing Alternative Trading System (ATS) regulatory framework. a16z argues that the U.S. crypto market remains in its early stages with high retail participation, so the regulatory framework should clarify regulatory boundaries while leaving room for market deepening and innovation. The firm recommends that crypto trading platforms register with the SEC via a notice-based registration process, and allow platforms to trade both non-securities asset pairs (such as bitcoin and stablecoins) and securities-non-securities asset pairs simultaneously to prevent further fragmentation of the crypto market. Additionally, for CTPs trading NMS (National Market System) stocks like tokenized equities, Form ATS-N public disclosure requirements should only apply once they meet the trading volume thresholds set under existing Regulation ATS; information below the threshold should be kept confidential from both the SEC and platform users. a16z also suggests that crypto trading platforms should be subject to record-keeping requirements similar to those for ATS, and allow relevant records to be stored on the blockchain under specific conditions. It further proposes that platforms be permitted to set differentiated access permissions, rights, and obligations for different user groups. The firm states that the SEC should leverage the flexibility and innovative nature of ATS to set clear regulatory parameters for crypto trading platforms, while allowing operators to innovate and experiment within this framework.
Ethereum has rebounded to $2,446, recovering from recent losses after buyers stepped in to defend the $2,400 support region. Price remains restricted below the $2,530 to $2,570 resistance band, with analysts monitoring whether this base can withstand another test or spark a larger bullish move.
Support at $2,400 Remains CriticalThe $2,400 to $2,430 range has established itself as a key short-term support level for Ethereum. Buyers have consistently defended this area, helping the asset avoid a deeper breakdown and maintaining the underlying upward structure seen over recent weeks.
Data from Brave New Coin shows ETH trading near $2,446 after recovering from a dip towards $2,400. The cryptocurrency sits just above the previous breakout zone, located in the low $2,300s, indicating that prior resistance has now turned into support.
If Ethereum falls decisively below $2,400, focus could shift to $2,355 as the next possible support area. Technical analysts highlight that continued defense of this region is key for maintaining the recovery outlook.
Ethereum continues to consolidate above its previous breakout area, with the $2,400 level still functioning as the main support zone and former resistance now acting as a safety net for bulls.
MikybullCrypto, a well-known chart analyst, notes that Ethereum’s price structure is “broadly supported” around $2,350 to $2,400. Meanwhile, resistance clusters near $2,530 to $2,550 remain a challenge. A convincing push above these levels could fuel a stronger uptrend.
Key Resistance and TargetsDespite volatility, Ethereum remains within a four-hour price channel, having recently bounced from its lower boundary. Popular analyst Ali Charts is tracking ETH for a move through the middle of the channel and a potential challenge to the upper boundary around $2,570.
Intermediate resistance is currently seen between $2,460 and $2,500, then shifts to the higher $2,530 to $2,570 range. A sustained breakout over $2,570 would mark an important shift in structure, possibly opening a path toward $2,600 and $2,700.
LevelTypeSignificance$2,400SupportMain buyer defense zone$2,530–$2,570ResistanceKey breakout range$2,600–$2,700Potential TargetNext upside target if breakout holds$3,000Psychological TargetMajor upside milestoneAlternative Scenarios: Testing the Lows First?Some analysts caution that Ethereum’s price could first test support by sweeping liquidity below recent lows before another recovery attempt. CryptoGodJohn, a widely followed trader, highlights $2,403 as a crucial spot where buyers could return after a deeper drop. He notes that a move towards $2,355 remains possible before bulls attempt a turnaround.
Should such a dip occur, Ethereum’s first potential rebound targets are $2,443 and then $2,535. Regaining these levels may pave the way toward the larger $3,000 upside target over a medium-term horizon.
Some scenarios anticipate a sweep of liquidity below recent lows near $2,400 before a fresh rally, with $3,000 still in focus if key resistance levels are reclaimed.
On-Chain Signals: Accumulation and Exchange SupplyRecent on-chain data indicates rising accumulation among major holders. Whale activity has increased near the $2,400 to $2,430 support region. Onchain analytics platform Lookonchain tracked a large investor purchasing 5,368 ETH for approximately $13 million USDC at an average entry near $2,422 within eight hours, suggesting that buying interest is building in this crucial range.
At the same time, data from analyst CryptoGoos shows Ethereum’s exchange supply ratio has fallen to around 0.125 and has been steadily declining for several months. Fewer ETH on exchanges typically indicates less immediate supply available for sale, a trend often watched as a bullish accumulation signal.
Mini dictionary: Lookonchain is an on-chain analytics platform that tracks wallet and transaction data across various blockchains, providing insights into major buys, sales, and fund flows within digital asset ecosystems.
While these signals do not guarantee a rapid rally, analysts say the combination of whale accumulation and falling exchange reserves is supportive for the price structure.
Short and Medium-Term OutlookEthereum’s medium-term outlook centers around whether it can maintain the $2,400 support zone and successfully clear resistance at $2,530 to $2,570. Traders are closely monitoring if further upside momentum can develop, eyeing $2,600 and $2,700 as next major targets, and potentially $3,000 as a significant psychological level.
If ETH decisively loses $2,400, it could expose the market to a slide toward $2,355. However, as long as key support levels hold, buyers remain in a position to attempt a fresh breakout.
With large investors accumulating and exchange reserves trending lower, demand appears to be building beneath current levels. Ultimately, a confirmed surge above the $2,530 to $2,570 resistance remains the most important signal to confirm a bullish reversal for Ethereum in the near term.
Hold $2,400–$2,422 for ongoing support and accumulation zone integrity.Reclaim $2,443–$2,460 to signal renewed buyer momentum.Break $2,530–$2,570 for the main bullish confirmation.Upside targets extend to $2,600–$2,700 and the $3,000 mark if momentum continues.
TLDR Ethereum developers confirmed Glamsterdam will activate on the Sepolia testnet October 6, ahead of a later Hoodi test. Developers warned that cheap test ether could let fake builders win block auctions and then withhold their payloads. Client teams have until September 29 to release Sepolia-ready software, leaving only seven days for review. Devnet-11 finished its Gloas transition and raised the gas limit from 60 million to 200 million without losing finality. Ethereum has not set a mainnet date for Glamsterdam, with the roadmap still pointing to the fourth quarter of 2026. Ethereum developers have picked October 6 as the date for the Glamsterdam upgrade to go live on the Sepolia testnet. The decision came out of the September 17 All Core Developers Consensus call.
Developers also raised a warning during that same call. They said cheap test ether could allow bad actors to disrupt the network during the public testing phase.
The concern centers on a new feature called Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation, or ePBS. This is part of the EIP-7732 proposal included in Glamsterdam.
What Is Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation? ePBS separates the job of building transaction blocks from the job of validating them. Builders submit bids for the right to supply a block, and the winning builder is supposed to hand over the transactions inside it.
On the main Ethereum network, this system works because block space costs real money. That cost limits how much bad behavior can happen.
Test ether does not carry that same cost. Consensus developer Potuz explained that an attacker could create many fake builder identities using free test ether.
He said an attacker could bid aggressively, win the auction, and then refuse to hand over the promised block. “I can just spin up a thousand builders,” Potuz said on the call. He added that “any teenager can do this.”
Potuz said this is not a way to steal real ETH. It is a way to disrupt the public test network so that other teams cannot rely on it working properly.
He also said current safety measures may not react fast enough. Some client software only switches to a backup block after several payloads are missed, and attackers could keep returning under new identities.
Devnet-11 And The Path To Sepolia Before Sepolia, developers ran a rehearsal called Devnet-11. This test network was not designed to include attacks, unlike a separate ongoing test environment called Platåberget.
Devnet-11 began on September 14. It completed its Gloas transition on September 16 and then raised its gas limit from 60 million to 200 million.
The network used 84,000 validators across multiple client teams. It kept its finality intact through the process, according to a CoinDesk report. The 200 million figure is only a test setting, not a confirmed number for the main network.
Client teams normally get 14 days to review software before a public test launch. This time, developers agreed on a September 29 deadline for releases, which leaves seven days before the October 6 launch.
Developer Alex Stokes asked teams to release their software as early as possible. That would give more reviewers time to check the code and give Ethereum’s bug bounty process more time to catch problems.
This compressed schedule follows earlier testing trouble. Devnet-8 had finality issues during its Gloas activation, and Devnet-9 also experienced unplanned non-finality before teams reached Devnet-11.
Sepolia was chosen for the first public run partly because its validator set is controlled by a smaller group of teams. That makes it easier to fix if problems come up.
The Hoodi testnet is expected to follow Sepolia. Hoodi has an open validator set, and its timing depends on how Sepolia performs first.
Ethereum’s public roadmap still lists Glamsterdam for the fourth quarter of 2026. No mainnet activation date or epoch number has been published.
As of now, client teams are working toward the September 29 software deadline, with Sepolia’s test launch set for October 6.
AI startup Mantic secures $25 million in funding to develop superhuman predictive capabilities.
AI developer Mantic announced Friday it has closed a $25 million seed funding round. The firm recently defeated human contestants in a prediction competition. Results from the 2026 Summer Cup, a London-based online prediction platform Metaculus that wrapped up this month, show Mantic’s probability forecasts for political, economic and cultural events outperformed human participants. The strong scores posted by Mantic and other AI entrants also mark the first time AI has dominated the competition. The funding round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from Microsoft’s venture fund M12, AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, Balderton Capital and others; specific valuation was not disclosed. Mantic CEO Toby Shevlane said the company is focused on advancing humanity’s ability to understand the future. Founded in 2024 by Shevlane and Ben Day, Mantic enhances its forecasting capabilities by optimizing cutting-edge models developed by other AI labs specifically for prediction tasks, testing its systems against historical data, evaluating performance and iterating to improve accuracy. (Reuters)
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Flap launches perpetual contract vault, and will activate its contract market simultaneously once the meme coin is issued.
According to official announcements, Flap has officially launched its Perpetual Contract Vault, powered by MYX Finance. This mechanism allows projects to open perpetual contract markets simultaneously after issuing meme tokens. Transaction taxes will flow into the vault and be automatically used to repurchase tokens, with the repurchased tokens then allocated as liquidity. Flap stated that token holders can earn two layers of returns: transaction tax rewards, and revenue from the perpetual markets, which includes trading fees and funding rate-related gains. The mechanism supports permissionless creation of perpetual markets for any asset from its launch day, eliminating the need for project audits or listing approval waits.
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a16z Recommends US SEC Regulate Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms Using the ATS Framework
On September 14, a16z submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), proposing that a more flexible, market-adaptable regulatory framework for crypto trading platforms (CTPs) be established by drawing on the existing Alternative Trading System (ATS) regulatory framework. a16z argues that the U.S. crypto market remains in its early stages with high retail participation, so the regulatory framework should clarify regulatory boundaries while leaving room for market deepening and innovation. The firm recommends that crypto trading platforms register with the SEC via a notice-based registration process, and allow platforms to trade both non-securities asset pairs (such as bitcoin and stablecoins) and securities-non-securities asset pairs simultaneously to prevent further fragmentation of the crypto market. Additionally, for CTPs trading NMS (National Market System) stocks like tokenized equities, Form ATS-N public disclosure requirements should only apply once they meet the trading volume thresholds set under existing Regulation ATS; information below the threshold should be kept confidential from both the SEC and platform users. a16z also suggests that crypto trading platforms should be subject to record-keeping requirements similar to those for ATS, and allow relevant records to be stored on the blockchain under specific conditions. It further proposes that platforms be permitted to set differentiated access permissions, rights, and obligations for different user groups. The firm states that the SEC should leverage the flexibility and innovative nature of ATS to set clear regulatory parameters for crypto trading platforms, while allowing operators to innovate and experiment within this framework.
18 September 2026 | 13:20 Bitcoin climbed back above $78,000, but the larger moves came from further down the market. In the CoinMarketCap snapshot reviewed for this article, 31 of 45 non-stablecoin and non-gold crypto assets gained more than 5% over 24 hours. Fourteen posted double-digit increases.
Market snapshot at the time of writing
Bitcoin: about $78,100, up roughly 2%
Ethereum: about $2,500, up roughly 3%
Altcoins gaining more than 5%: 31 from top 60
Bitcoin’s return above $78,000 opened the door Bitcoin traded near $78,100 when the CoinMarketCap data was checked at 10:15 UTC, recovering by about 2% over 24 hours while Ethereum rose roughly 3%.
Those figures show a broad recovery, but they understate the risk appetite visible among altcoins. Bitcoin provided a steadier market backdrop while traders moved more aggressively into assets with smaller market capitalizations and stronger individual narratives.
This is why the session can reasonably be described as altcoin-led. Bitcoin remained the market anchor, yet its percentage gain was surpassed by most of the active tokens in the sample.
The rally reached well beyond one or two tokens Uniswap produced the largest gain among the higher-ranked assets, rising about 33%. Arbitrum advanced 27%, while NEAR gained roughly 27%. Worldcoin, MemeCore and Polkadot also recorded increases of 15% or more.
Zcash, Canton, Cardano, Monero, Pump.fun, Internet Computer, Shiba Inu, Ethereum Classic, Pepe, Chainlink, Mantle, Solana, Dogecoin, Avalanche and Litecoin
The spread is important because it reduces the chance that the market picture was created by a single token-specific event. DeFi tokens, layer-1 networks, privacy coins, meme tokens and real-world-asset projects all participated.
Lower oil and bond yields gave risk assets some relief The market had been under pressure following the Federal Reserve’s latest rate increase. That pressure eased as oil prices retreated, US government bond yields fell and equities recovered. Lower oil prices can soften immediate inflation concerns, while declining yields make speculative assets more attractive relative to interest-bearing investments.
Crypto moved with that change in risk appetite. The timing does not prove that macro conditions caused every token gain, but the wider rebound across stocks, bonds and digital assets supports the view that traders became more willing to take risk.
Bitcoin’s recovery above $78,000 then provided a base from which altcoins could move faster. When Bitcoin rises without dominating the entire flow of capital, traders often move toward assets that can produce larger percentage swings.
Fund flows explain Bitcoin better than the altcoin surge US spot Bitcoin funds recorded about $159 million in net inflows during the previous session, per SoSoValue data. Ether funds, by comparison, lost roughly $39 million, while XRP products saw around $5 million in outflows.
That split supports Bitcoin’s recovery but does not explain why Ethereum and dozens of other tokens outperformed it. The data instead point to a two-part move: institutional demand helped steady Bitcoin, while improving market sentiment and token-specific developments drove the larger altcoin gains.
Zcash was one exception. Its US investment product attracted approximately $47 million, adding direct buying support to a token that was already advancing sharply.
Onchain infrastructure drew some of the largest moves The leading gains were concentrated partly among projects connected with decentralized trading and onchain finance. Uniswap, Arbitrum, Ondo and Aave all rose by double digits.
The SEC’s conditional route for certain permissioned venues trading tokenized US stocks may have strengthened interest in that part of the market.
S&P 500 daily index gains. As explained in our coverage of the SEC tokenized-stock order, the measure applies to a limited category of regulated venues. It does not approve decentralized protocols or create automatic demand for their tokens.
Still, it gives investors a concrete reason to revisit infrastructure that could support more financial activity onchain. That provides a plausible connection between the regulatory development and the relative strength of UNI, ARB, ONDO and AAVE, although price data alone cannot confirm how much traders assigned to that narrative.
The rally now needs to show that it can last One strong session does not establish a lasting shift toward altcoins. The next test is whether market breadth survives after the initial rebound. Continued spot buying, steady trading volume and a stable Bitcoin price would give the move more room.
Bitcoin holding above $78,000 would help because traders are generally more willing to retain higher-risk positions when the largest cryptocurrency is stable. A sharp reversal below that level could hit recent altcoin leaders harder, particularly after gains of 20% or more in a single day.
For now, the data support a measured thesis: lower macro pressure helped restore risk appetite, Bitcoin recovered first and project-specific catalysts directed more aggressive buying toward selected altcoins. The breadth of the advance makes the rally meaningful. Its duration will determine whether it becomes more than a fast rebound.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency prices and market data can change rapidly.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
Ethereum price recovered toward $2,500 on Sep. 18 as buyers defended support near $2,400, but daily and 4-hour charts show that the $2,550 area remains the main barrier to a larger breakout.
Summary
Ethereum price rose about 3% in 24 hours, trading close to $2,500. Daily Bollinger Bands place immediate resistance at $2,549 and support near $2,467. 4-hour momentum has improved, but the Supertrend remains bearish below $2,527. Liquidation clusters between $2,630 and $2,650 could attract price if ETH clears resistance. Ethereum (ETH) price traded around $2,500 at the time of writing, up nearly 3% over the previous 24 hours. Its intraday range stretched from approximately $2,427 to $2,518.
The rebound followed a decline toward $2,385 earlier in the week. Buyers have since pushed ETH back above $2,500, but the move has not produced a confirmed breakout from the range that has controlled price since late August.
US macro and regulatory conditions also remain mixed. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points this week amid persistent inflation concerns, while the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act.
Bitcoin and crypto-related stocks have nevertheless rebounded since the events, suggesting both outcomes were at least partly reflected in prices before the decisions. Ethereum’s next move may therefore depend more heavily on whether buyers can convert the latest bounce into a technical breakout.
Ethereum price approaches the upper Bollinger Band The daily chart shows ETH rising from an opening price near $2,447 to approximately $2,505. The session recorded a high of $2,522 and a low of $2,437.
Ethereum price daily chart — Sep. 18 | Source: crypto.news Ethereum is now trading above the Bollinger Band midpoint at $2,467. That level could serve as the first dynamic support if the recovery loses momentum.
The upper Bollinger Band stands at about $2,549, placing it close to the psychological $2,550 resistance. ETH has repeatedly struggled around this region since its sharp August advance.
A daily close above $2,550 would move price outside the upper part of its recent range. The next visible resistance sits around $2,600, followed by a broader supply zone between $2,700 and $2,800.
Failure to clear $2,550 would keep ETH inside its existing consolidation. Under that scenario, the Bollinger midpoint near $2,467 would become the first level to watch, followed by the lower band around $2,385.
Daily relative strength remains positive but is not overextended. The relative strength index stands at 58.35, while its signal line is slightly higher at 59.74. A reading above 50 points to stronger buying momentum, though the RSI’s position below its signal line shows that the breakout has not yet gained full confirmation.
4-hour momentum improves below $2,527 Ethereum’s 4-hour chart shows a recovery from the Sep. 16 sell-off, when price briefly moved below $2,400. ETH has since formed a series of higher short-term lows and returned to the upper end of its range.
Ethereum price 4-hour chart — Sep. 18 | Source: crypto.news The Bull Bear Power indicator has climbed to 85.09, reflecting renewed strength among buyers. Positive histogram bars have also expanded during the latest rebound.
The 4-hour Supertrend remains bearish, however, with its resistance line positioned at $2,526.61. Ethereum must close above that level before the indicator changes in favor of buyers.
A successful move above the Supertrend would place the daily Bollinger resistance near $2,549 within reach. Because the two levels sit only about $23 apart, the $2,527–$2,550 region represents a wider resistance zone rather than one precise price.
Support on the 4-hour chart has risen to approximately $2,442. A break below that level would weaken the higher-low structure and expose the $2,400–$2,385 area again.
ETH liquidation map points to $2,630–$2,650 CoinGlass’s one-week liquidation heatmap shows several leverage clusters surrounding Ethereum’s current price.
Ethereum liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass The closest liquidity is concentrated around $2,490–$2,520, matching the area where ETH is currently trading. Larger concentrations appear above price near $2,630 and $2,650, with the latter forming the brightest band on the chart.
Liquidation heatmaps indicate where leveraged positions may face forced closure, but they do not predict that price will reach those levels. If ETH breaks through $2,550, the overhead clusters could add volatility as short positions come under pressure.
Liquidity also appears below the market around $2,440 and $2,410. Those areas overlap with the 4-hour Supertrend support and the broader base formed during the past several sessions.
A rejection at $2,550 followed by a loss of $2,440 could therefore accelerate movement toward $2,400. Conversely, a confirmed breakout may open a path toward $2,600 and the larger liquidation pools above it.
Analysts watch $2,550 for a larger breakout Pseudoanonymous trader Batman described Ethereum’s structure as a “rally-base-rally” setup, citing the consolidation that formed after ETH’s August advance. His chart places the base near $2,385 and the top of the range around $2,550–$2,600.
$ETH is forming a textbook price action.
The rally-base-rally.
The current base is very clean, with no massive sellers destroying the base.
With the market moving nicely, there's a good chance buyers will break through the resistance. pic.twitter.com/fQtWEvn6o9
— BATMAN ⚡ (@CryptosBatman) September 18, 2026 Analyst Ted Pillows also identified $2,550 as the immediate resistance. He argued that a weekly close above the level could support an advance toward $3,000, though his chart places another major resistance zone near $2,800.
Both outlooks depend on ETH closing above its current ceiling. Until then, price remains inside a range bounded by support around $2,385–$2,440 and resistance between $2,527 and $2,550.
The short-term setup favors buyers while ETH remains above $2,467. A close above $2,550 would strengthen the bullish case, while a reversal below $2,442 would shift attention back to $2,400 and $2,385.
This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.
Ethereum (ETH) This week, Ethereum is up 2% after buyers defended support at $2,400. As long as this key level holds, the price has a good chance to make higher highs in the near term.
Previously, sellers returned at $2,500 and pushed ETH into a pullback, which appears to be ending at the time of this post. Another test of this level could lead to a breakout and a renewed rally, as long as the buy volume supports it.
Looking ahead, Ethereum remains in an uptrend with clear higher lows. This places bulls at an advantage, which they can capitalize on by breaking above $2,500. That would also allow ETH to expand all the way to $2,800 before sellers make their presence known again.
Source: TradingView Ripple (XRP) XRP also closed the week in green, albeit with a modest 1% gain. Still, this allowed buyers to push it above the support at $1.3, which was momentarily lost. This recovery is a positive sign and could encourage further gains in the near future.
The recent correction was also somewhat expected considering that this cryptocurrency rallied to $1.6 in less than a week. Forming a strong base around $1.3 is also critical if XRP wants to break $1.6.
Looking ahead, XRP is forming a clear bullish pattern with higher highs and lows. If the current resistance breaks, then $2 becomes the next major target and will likely act as a magnet for buyers.
Source: TradingView Cardano (ADA) ADA had a good week with an 8% rally that saw the price reverse the recent losses and return on the offensive, with the $0.23 resistance as its major target. Should $0.23 break on a renewed push, this cryptocurrency will aim for $0.30 next.
The current support is just under $0.20 and held well in the recent test. This allowed Cardano to attract new buyers, who are currently dominating the chart. The question is if sellers will return again at $0.23.
Looking ahead, ADA needs to break the current resistance to confirm its bottom under $0.15 and allow the price to expand quickly toward $0.30 and beyond. For that to happen, buyers will have to bring stronger volume.
Source: TradingView Binance Coin (BNB) Binance Coin closed 4% higher after buyers managed to re-confirm the support at $690. This returned confidence in the price action, which is now aiming to make a higher high and, hopefully, aim for $900 next.
This also suggests that the drop under $580 in July was a bearish trap and local low. That’s because, since then, the price has been going up only, despite any pullbacks, which are normal.
Looking ahead, it is likely that BNB will continue its rally and revisit the price levels from early 2026 at around $900. That’s where buyers and sellers will become very active, and the winner will decide how this cryptocurrency closes the year.
Source: TradingView
Source: TradingView Hype (HYPE) This week, Hyperliquid concluded its correction and pumped by 11%, making it the best performer on our list. While the price did not make a new record, it’s very close to doing so and may soon move beyond $90, if this momentum persists.
Hopefully, buyers will turn $85 into a key support. That would allow the price to expand further and eventually aim for $100, which is a key psychological level that everyone is waiting for.
Looking ahead, HYPE’s rally has a good chance to continue, but it is likely to face difficulties as soon as it approaches a three-digit valuation. That’s because sellers could return there to book profits just as another record price is made.
Source: TradingView Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
According to a Bloomberg report, as shares of digital asset treasury companies remain sluggish, with shareholders having lost roughly $50 billion in total, retail and institutional investors are stepping up scrutiny of employee compensation, equity incentives, and related-party transactions at these firms. Artemis data shows that the fully diluted market capitalization of listed treasury companies investing in Bitcoin and Ethereum is currently around $90 billion, down roughly 40% from its peak. Solana-focused treasury firm SkyAI has seen its share price drop nearly 90% since completing its transition financing in August 2025. Forward Industries is urging shareholders to vote against its equity incentive plan, which would reserve 7.2% of the company’s shares for 30 employees, worth approximately $4 million at current prices. Forward also questioned SkyAI over consulting fees and warrant issuances paid to companies controlled by the firm’s chief investment officer’s relatives. SkyAI responded that the arrangements were reviewed by the board of directors and publicly disclosed. Bitcoin-focused treasury firm Metaplanet’s share price has fallen 84% from its June 2025 high. Amid investor criticism over executive incentives and equity dilution, the company scrapped some warrant arrangements and will hire an independent external expert to redesign its compensation plan. Nakamoto, led by David Bailey, has also seen its share price drop 99% from last year’s peak. Its use of stock to acquire two other firms led by Bailey has been questioned by some market participants as a potential conflict of interest.
Roundup of Stablecoin Demand Deposit Yields on Major Centralized Exchanges (CEX): USDT Small-Tier Yields Peak at 10%, Bitget Offers 6.64%
According to the latest compiled data on stablecoin current wealth management and earning products from HTX, Binance, OKX, and Bitget, major platforms still generally adopt the "small principal with high yield, tiered reduction for excess amounts" mechanism. OKX’s yields are presented after deducting a 15% fee. For USDT: HTX’s 0-200 USDT tier shows an annualized return of 10%, dropping to 1.95% for excess amounts; Bitget’s 0-300 USDT tier is 6.64%, with excess amounts at 1.98%; Binance’s 0-800 USDT tier is 6.27%, excess amounts at 2.27%; OKX’s rate is 2.45%. For USDC: HTX’s 0-200 USDC tier has an annualized return of 8%, excess amounts at 2.75%; Binance’s 0-300 USDC tier is 7.46%, excess at 2.46%; Bitget’s 0-300 USDC tier is 6.66%, excess at 1.72%; OKX’s rate is 2.3%. For other stablecoins: HTX’s USDT VIP tier offers an annualized return of 6%-9% for amounts between 50,000 and 100,000; Binance’s USDT VIP is 2.6%-2.65%; Bitget’s USDT VIP 0-300,000 tier is 2.88%, with excess amounts at 1.88%. For USDE, HTX has tiered rates of 5% and 3%, Binance’s is 4.75%, and Bitget’s is 2.74%. HTX’s USDD is 4.00%; Binance’s U product 0-5,000 tier has an annualized return of 6.66%, excess amounts at 0.66%; Bitget’s U product is 1.50%. Overall, high yields remain concentrated in small principal ranges, with annualized returns generally declining as capital size grows. When comparing products, users should also note tier limits, interest calculation rules, fees, and real-time availability. The above data are page-displayed yields and do not constitute investment advice.
15 minutes ago
A crypto whale holding UNI for over a year and a half has turned a loss into profit, after once posting an unrealized loss of $13 million.
According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, whale address 0x7541 purchased 1.97 million UNI tokens at an average price of $8.97 between February and March 2025, totaling roughly $17.67 million in spending. During that period, its maximum unrealized loss reached $13 million. With UNI’s price rebounding, the address is now profitable, holding approximately $293,000 in unrealized gains.
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Kimi Code Desktop Version Launches: Browser, Terminal, and Multi-Agent Tools Integrated Into a Single Window
Beating AI News Flash: Moonshot AI has officially launched Kimi Code Desktop, turning its previously terminal-focused Kimi Code into a standalone desktop application. Users can directly open local projects, allowing the Agent to read and write code, run commands, and view Git changes. The app currently supports macOS and Windows, and comes with built-in browser and terminal. When working on web pages, the Agent can access page information from the right-side web view; users can also directly select elements, draw bounding boxes, or annotate screenshots to specify exact changes needed. No more window switching for code modification, web previews, and test runs. It also supports three task modes: Plan, Goal, and Swarm. Swarm mode splits tasks across multiple sub-Agents for parallel processing, and long-running tasks can run in the background. Besides Kimi’s own models, users can input their own API keys and Base URLs to integrate models from other providers.
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Market sources: Saudi Arabia has informed European refiners that crude oil supplies will not be available next month.
According to market sources, Saudi Arabia has informed European refiners that they will not be able to obtain crude oil supplies next month.
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MiniMax Code has suddenly announced it will go open-source tonight, with its source code set to be uploaded to GitHub shortly.
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Whale's $17.67M $UNI purchase from Feb-Mar now profitable with $293K unrealized gain
Diamond hands pay off! ?? Whale 0x7541 bought 1.97M $UNI for $17.67M at an average price of $8.97 in February and March 2025. The whale was once down $13M, but as $UNI rises, he is back in profit, sitting on a $293K unrealized gain.
Bitget Widens Reserve Coverage to 19 AssetsCrypto exchange Bitget has significantly broadened its Proof of Reserves (PoR) framework, . The update brings a much larger share of user holdings into its reserve verification infrastructure.
Merkle Tree Checks and a 122% Reserve Ratio
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen framed the expansion as a matter of user empowerment.
Bitget Official Blog: Bitget Expands Proof of Reserves to 19 Assets | Invezz: Bitget Broadens Proof of Reserves as 15+ Assets Become Verifiable | Chainwire: Bitget Publishes 45th Consecutive Monthly Proof-of-Reserves Report
