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There is an ongoing debate on X about lattice versus hash-based cryptography in blockchain design, with Zcash cofounder Eli Ben Sasson, Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin, and Delphi Labs GC Gabriel Shapiro joining the discussion.
The conversation began with a16z crypto making the case for embracing lattices in a recent X post. In a write-up, a16z crypto explained its rationale; it claims Ethereum's planned hash-only signature aggregation design relies on SNARK recursion, with the coordination overhead, bug surface, and unestablished security that come with this approach.
Engaging with a16z crypto's post, Zcash cofounder Eli Ben Sasson strongly disagreed, noting that lattices have a juicy mathematical structure that is ripe for AI to attack.
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According to a16z crypto, relying solely on hash-based cryptography may appear safer, but in such designs, it can result in more brittle systems. Expanding the conversation further, Delphi Labs GC Gabriel Shapiro shared his take on X: "I think the Ethereum approach remains the best option here for Ethereum," disagreeing with a16z crypto's take.
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Ethereum's Lean consensus roadmap includes fully replacing BLS signatures with hash-based signatures (some variant of Winternitz) and using STARKs to do aggregation. Shapiro suggested utilizing lattice cryptography for accounts and wallets through a precompile if it is proved to be AI-secure, adding that hash-based cryptography allows Ethereum to go full speed.
Vitalik Buterin weighed in on the discussion, agreeing with Shapiro: "we could still ultimately do lattice stuff for accounts and wallets through a precompile if it is proved to be AI-secure."
"The ideal route to support everyone's cryptography is imo through 8288. You make whatever signature you want locally, then STARK it, and then it gets included through the stark aggregator machine. Don't need any calldata onchain. Ethereum can then never add a new precompile again," Buterin added.
@VitalikButerin @lex_node agree this is the right way for Ethereum
— Eli Ben-Sasson | Starknet.io (@EliBenSasson) October 19, 2026
To this, Zcash cofounder Eli Ben Sasson responded, saying, "Agree, this is the right way for Ethereum."
Ethereum prepares quantum resistanceAside from Bitcoin, most large blockchains use proof of stake, which allows validators to vote on each block by signing it. Large validator sets are practical because of signature aggregation. Ethereum utilizes BLS signatures, which have an algebraic structure that allows them to combine tens of thousands of validator signatures per slot into a single group element.
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However, as beneficial as BLS is, it is not post-quantum because no known post-quantum signature schemes aggregate in this manner.
Explaining the quantum resistance roadmap earlier this year, Buterin mentioned the solution to be protocol-layer recursive signatures and proof aggregation. He spoke about adding native account abstraction through EIP-8141, which provides a framework abstraction for transaction validation, execution, and gas payment so that first-class accounts could use any signature algorithm.
Bitcoin started the new week with a recovery, pushing the price above $82,000. However, despite the recovery, uncertainty for BTC persists, while treasury companies continued their purchases this week as well.
Firstly, Strategy, the world’s largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, also made purchases this week.
According to a statement by Strategy founder Michael Saylor, Strategy purchased an additional 267 Bitcoin. This brings the company’s total Bitcoin holdings to 848,517 BTC. The company also repurchased STRC preferred shares worth $193 million.
Saylor noted that Strategy also holds $5.3 billion in assets, adding that the company’s dollar-denominated assets could cover current preferred stock dividends and interest payments for approximately 3.4 years.
“Strategy purchased 267 BTC and repurchased STRC worth $193 million. As of October 18, 2026, we hold 848,517 BTC and $5.3 billion USD in assets.”
Besides Strategy, Strive also purchased an additional 1,223 Bitcoin last week. Strive CEO Matt Cole announced in a post on his X account that they bought 1,223 BTC last week at an average price of $81,734. With this purchase, Strive’s total Bitcoin holdings increased to 36,818 BTC.
Ethereum Purchases Continue! Bitmine, the world’s largest holder of Ethereum, also announced last week that it purchased an additional 12,535 ETH, bringing its total holdings to 6,041,481 ETH. According to the announcement, this represents 4.9% of the total circulating ETH supply.
The official statement indicated that Bitmine’s total assets, including cryptocurrency, cash, marketable securities, and strategic investment assets, amount to $15.1 billion.
This figure includes 6.04 million ETH, 215 Bitcoin, $582 million in cash and marketable securities, $180 million worth of Beast Industries shares, and $74 million worth of Eightco Holdings shares.
Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee stated, “We believe Bitmine will outperform the crypto bull market we anticipate, given that it strengthened its competitive position last year amidst the crypto winter (bear market). We acquired 12,535 ETH last week. Bitmine’s consistent success in purchasing cryptocurrencies is unparalleled by any publicly traded company in the world. Bitmine has purchased ETH every week since the launch of its ETH Treasury Strategy on June 30, 2025.”
Solana Procurement Announced Too! Last week, Nasdaq-listed company DeFi Development Corp. announced it had purchased an additional 3,983 Solana, bringing its total SOL holdings to 2.59 million. The company also stated that it generated additional SOL and commission revenue by using its SOL holdings for staking and operating its own validator.
This acquisition comes just two days before the rollout of Alpenglow, a significant upgrade to Solana’s consensus protocol. CEO Joseph Onorati stated, “We believe Solana is entering a significant new growth cycle as Alpenglow enhances the network’s capabilities and expands the role of tokenization in global finance. We will also be increasing the annual dividend of our variable-rate Series C perpetual preferred stock, ‘CHAD,’ to 14%. This strengthens our income offering at a time when we believe there could be a major bull market for SOL. Our aim is to make CHAD more attractive to income investors while also expanding our SOL accumulation capacity for common shareholders.”
*This is not investment advice.
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Germany’s Sparkassen savings bank network launched cryptocurrency trading on Monday, allowing customers to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Polygon. The service is being rolled out through DekaBank and will be launched slowly in the participating savings banks, albeit with restrictions on transfers to personal wallets.
Sparkassen Launches Five Cryptocurrencies Through Banking App Under certain conditions, the Sparkassen customers of DekaBank can trade five cryptocurrencies directly via the existing banking application. The offering is named “Krypto – powered by Deka,” and it enables trading in BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and POL.
The service can be used in the investment part of the Sparkasse app without the need for a separate securities account. Each transaction costs €0.99, although additional costs arise from the difference between buying and selling prices.
The launch comes after a series of initiatives by German banks to bring on-board cryptocurrency trading to existing customer accounts. DekaBank has created the Sparkassen service, and DZ Bank has backed up a separate rollout amongst Germany’s cooperative banks.
DekaBank is custodian of cryptocurrencies on its own wallet infrastructure and participates in trading arrangements with Börse Stuttgart. Users will have the ability to see their cryptocurrency assets in addition to various other monetary products and services in the current application.
DekaBank Restricts Crypto Withdrawals to Approved Providers While it is possible to buy cryptocurrencies at Sparkassen, they cannot be transferred directly to private hardware wallets. DekaBank maintains the private keys, and only specific cryptocurrency service providers are allowed to make transfers.
The agreement involves customers having to trust that DekaBank will keep their digital assets safe and handle their permitted withdrawals. However, the restrictions do not prevent users from selling their cryptocurrencies through the banking application.
The service is aimed at adult customers who make it on their own, and Sparkassen will not give investment advice on cryptocurrencies. DekaBank also cautions investors that the value of digital assets could be volatile with a potential loss of investment.
The custody is part of a broader trend across German financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank’s cryptocurrency custody plans. These services are regulated under EU laws, such as the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.
Sparkassen Plans Wider Crypto Trading Rollout Into 2027 More than 230 Sparkassen institutions have expressed interest in introducing cryptocurrency trading, according to German banking representatives. Each savings bank, however, will determine on its own if and when it will provide the service.
Around 30 to 40 institutions can join monthly, said Joachim Schmalzl, an executive board member of the German Savings Banks Association. The group is targeting the first half of 2027 for the largest number of interested banks to be connected.
The first phase is limited to the participating institutions and not nationwide through Germany’s savings banking network. Before opening a cryptocurrency account, customers should therefore inquire whether their local Sparkasse has switched on the service.
The expansion comes after the banking group’s earlier stance on digital assets. Sparkassen had previously been against the retail trading of cryptocurrencies due to concerns about price volatility and losses by investors.
The group is still pushing traditional securities and savings products as a way to build up long-term wealth, even with the introduction of cryptocurrency trading.
Michaël van de Poppe just set his Ethereum price prediction at $25,000 this cycle, and we checked his numbers. Crypto News: Pepeto Passes $11.2 Million While Ethereum Price Prediction at $25,000. Michaël van de Poppe now puts his Ethereum price prediction at $25,000 for this cycle, with stops at $15,000 and $20,000 along the way,.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Pepeto has officially announced its presale passing $11.2 million, and no new crypto in this week's crypto news gets more attention. 43,000 holders are in, each stage selling out quicker than the last, and traders calling it the next Shiba Inu of 2026. These buyers watched tiny early SHIB buys on this chain turn into money that bought houses, and they are spotting the same opportunity here again.
Ethereum, the chain Pepeto is built on, adds the second reason. Michaël van de Poppe just set his Ethereum price prediction at $25,000 this cycle, and we checked his numbers. The article breaks down this prediction in detail, and gets into Pepeto to see why it is gaining this viral attention as the next Shiba Inu breakout of the year.
Crypto News: Pepeto Passes $11.2 Million While Ethereum Price Prediction at $25,000
Pepeto announced the milestone during Ethereum’s best news run this year, and it matters because Pepeto lives on Ethereum, and when the chain gets stronger, everything on it rises. Michaël van de Poppe now puts his Ethereum price prediction at $25,000 for this cycle, with stops at $15,000 and $20,000 along the way, (Source: The Coin Republic). Here is why, in simple terms. ETH hit its record near $4,878 in November 2021 and only passed it by a little in August 2025, so it spent close to four years moving sideways, the longest flat stretch of any major crypto. And here is what most people miss: during that quiet phase, whales buy while everyone else gets bored and sells.
The proof is on chain: 1.5 million ETH is waiting to be locked up for staking. Whales are putting coins away for years, not selling them, and institutions keep buying while ETH holds near $2,374. These wallets do not lock up millions of ETH to lose.
But from $2,374, even $25,000 is a 10x, and a coin already worth hundreds of billions in market cap moves slowly, because every double needs oceans of new money. Strong, yes. Fast, no.
Ethereum’s life-changing money went to those who bought it early and cheap, and the meme coins born on it repeated the rule: Shiba Inu launched without a single product and still turned early buyers into millionaires on community power. Every cycle, that early chance lands on one new name.
New Crypto Pepeto Follows Shiba Inu Success, With a Real Platform Underneath
Shiba Inu's story shows why missing this new crypto could turn into a big regret. SHIB started in August 2020 as a pure hype token on Ethereum. It launched with no tools, yet its community alone made it a crypto giant by October 2021, and the people who bought before the crowd made millions in returns. It was all about the timing: every life-changing SHIB story began while the token was cheap, unknown, and not yet on big exchanges.
Put Pepeto next to that story point by point and it matches. Same chain, Ethereum. Same engine, a meme community growing on word of mouth alone, 43,000 holders deep. Same stage, still unlisted and still cheap. Then come the differences, all favoring Pepeto: a zero-fee exchange built, a bridge linking Ethereum with BNB Chain and Solana, an AI scanner screening every token.
One presale analyst, after reviewing hundreds of launches, told a crypto news desk plainly: the first token since Shiba Inu to show viral growth and a working trading platform at the same time. Shiba Inu had only the first of those and still hit a $41 billion market cap.
Conclusion
Pepeto announced its $11.2 million milestone just as everything around it turned positive. A top analyst now backs the $25,000 Ethereum price prediction, and that is big news for every project built on Ethereum, because when Ethereum rises, the money flows into the smaller tokens on its chain, and a small token needs far less money to multiply than a chain already worth hundreds of billions.
That is why every past Ethereum rally lifted its meme coins many times more than ETH itself. Pepeto adds one more reason: Ethereum's biggest problem is that it is busy and expensive to use, and Pepeto fixes exactly that.
The big wallets in this presale are set up for returns as big as Shiba Inu's, and smart money buys on research small traders never see. Getting in early with them is how people win in crypto.
For more information about Pepeto (PEPETO): Website: Official Pepeto Website, where what remains of the current stage is visible.
FAQs
Where does the Ethereum price prediction land this cycle?
Michaël van de Poppe holds the strongest Ethereum price prediction, $25,000 this cycle with steps at $15,000 and $20,000, per The Coin Republic, roughly 10x above today’s $2,374.
Is Pepeto really the next Shiba Inu on Ethereum?
Pepeto shows Shiba Inu's early profile on Ethereum, viral growth before listing, plus the zero-fee exchange, a bridge, and an AI scanner SHIB never built, $11.2 million raised, 43,000 holders.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.
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Ethereum faces renewed downside risk as sellers keep price pinned near the $2,410 support zone. Sellers took over after the loss of $2560 and pushed the price down to $2350, causing significant selling activity.
Although buyers attempted a short-term rebound, they were unable to sustain that bounce and failed at the $2460-$2480 region. As a result, Ethereum [ETH] is back at the $2404-$2410 area, where sellers may test the bottom again.
In turn, this will likely continue to deteriorate the support of this region.
Source: TradingView
Sellers had more conviction than buyers in the form of higher volume throughout the entire sell-off process. Also, the current consolidation does not indicate an abundance of buying power either.
A 4-hour closing below $2404 would most likely trigger additional stop-loss orders and create an opening for a breakdown to $2350, then potentially to $2320.
On the flip side, if buyers are able to hold and close above $2450 with larger volume, it would be a sign of increasing demand and open up the possibility of breaking back to $2480-$2520.
Ethereum ETF outflows deepen selling pressure
While Ethereum continues to battle to defend the $2410 level, persistent ETF outflows are eroding another layer of potential buyer support. In addition, U.S.-based Spot Ethereum ETFs withdrew $319.97 million last week, ending on the 16th of October.
The withdrawal was preceded by $689.88 million flowing into these ETFs on the 25th of September. However, subsequent weekly outflows eliminated all of that momentum. Prior to the latest withdrawal, outflows totaled $138.02 million and $542.07 million, respectively.
Source: SoSoValue
Therefore, cumulative net inflows decreased from $13.94 billion to $12.94 billion, and total assets decreased to $14.95 billion. This reduction in institutional spot demand is increasing dependence on other buyers.
Unless new demand emerges or materializes, continued withdrawals may increase selling pressure and make recovery above $2450 even more difficult. Institutional ETF withdrawals decrease macro demand for ETH.
Consequently, high levels of leverage on crypto-native exchanges are increasing downside pressure caused by liquidating individual positions.
ETH long liquidation hits $1.08M
Ethereum’s decline has exposed the risks of leveraged bullish bets. This comes after one trader suffered a major liquidation. Five hours ago, ETH’s drop forced the closure of a 3,206 ETH long near $2,355.97. This trade resulted in an overall loss of $286,767.
Further partial liquidations and position reductions added losses of $71,270, $28,991, and $30,658. These examples demonstrate that the trader is still being pressured from all sides regarding their current level of exposure.
Source: Lookonchain
These forced exits can amplify selling when leveraged buyers rush to reduce risk, although one account cannot confirm broader market-wide liquidations.
All together, Ethereum risks further declines as repeated $2,410 support tests, $319.97 million ETF outflows, and leveraged liquidations weaken buying support. These pressures could overwhelm buyers and expose $2,350 and $2,320 if support breaks.
Final Summary
Ethereum could fall to $2,350 and $2,320 if selling pressure pushes it below $2,404.
ETH faces more selling pressure as ETF outflows reach $319.97 million and leveraged traders suffer liquidations.
04:28 AM EDT, 10/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is making its JPM Coin deposit token available to institutional clients on the Ethereum blockchain, media outlets reported Monday.
The token represents US dollar deposits held at the bank and enables clients to transfer funds around the clock, the reports said, adding that JPM selected Ethereum because of its liquidity and established use among clients.
JPMorgan Chase did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.
Altcoin piyasasında işler hızla tersine dönüyor. Binance’te listelenen altcoinlerin %48,4’ü 18 Ekim itibarıyla 200 günlük hareketli ortalamasının altına geriledi. Ekim başında bu oran %10’un bile altındaydı. Son 15 günde altcoinlerin toplam piyasa değerinden 134 milyar dolardan fazla silinirken Bitcoin’in piyasa hakimiyeti %60,7’ye yaklaştı.
Altcoin Rallisi İki Haftada Güç Kaybetti Ağustos sonunda başlayan toparlanma, ekim başında altcoin piyasasının büyük bölümüne yayılmıştı. Analist Darkfost’un paylaştığı verilere göre ağustos sonunda Binance’teki altcoinlerin %81’i 200 günlük hareketli ortalamasının altında işlem görüyordu. Ekim başında ise bu oran %10’un altına düştü. Başka bir deyişle, borsadaki altcoinlerin yaklaşık dokuzu uzun vadeli ortalamasının üzerine çıkmıştı.
Ancak bu görünüm uzun sürmedi. 18 Ekim’de altcoinlerin %48,4’ü yeniden 200 günlük ortalamanın altına indi.
Darkfost’un paylaştığı verilere göre ağustos sonu ile ekim başı arasında altcoinlere 814 milyar dolardan fazla giriş oldu. Ancak yükselişin ivmesi kısa sürede zayıfladı. Analist, son 15 günde altcoin piyasasından 134 milyar dolardan fazla çıkış yaşandığını tahmin ediyor. Ona göre hızlı kâr satışları bu gerilemede etkili oldu.
Analiste göre bu çıkışta hızlı kâr satışları etkili olmuş olabilir. Yine de söz konusu rakamları piyasadan çekilen nakit miktarı olarak yorumlamamak gerekiyor. Bunlar, altcoin piyasasının toplam değerindeki değişimi ifade ediyor.
Altcoin Sezonu Endeksi Bitcoin Sezonuna Yaklaşıyor Zayıflama, altcoinlerin Bitcoin karşısındaki performansını ölçen endekslere de yansıdı. Blockchaincenter’ın 30 günlük Altcoin Month Index göstergesi 29’a kadar geriledi. Bitcoin sezonunun başladığı kabul edilen eşik ise 25.
Buna karşılık 90 günlük Altcoin Season Index, 51 seviyesinde ve nötr bölgede. İki gösterge arasındaki farkın nedeni ölçüm süreleri: 90 günlük endeks ağustos ve eylül aylarındaki yükselişleri de hesaba katarken, 30 günlük gösterge son haftalardaki kayıpları daha hızlı yansıtıyor.
Üstelik 90 günlük endeks 388 gündür altcoin sezonu eşiğine ulaşamadı. Bu da son yükselişin henüz kalıcı ve geniş tabanlı bir altcoin sezonuna dönüşmediğini gösteriyor.
Bitcoin Dominansı %60,7’ye Yükseldi Bitcoin’in toplam kripto para piyasasındaki payı eylül sonundaki yaklaşık %59 seviyesinden %60,7’ye çıktı. Böylece dominans, eylül başındaki %60,4 civarındaki zirveyi de geride bıraktı. Bu seviye, günlük grafikte en azından mayıs sonundan bu yana görülen en yüksek oran olarak öne çıkıyor.
Altcoinler açısından bir diğer önemli veri, borsalardaki sabit coin rezervleri. CryptoQuant verilerine göre Ethereum tabanlı sabit coinlerin borsa rezervi 57,4 milyar dolara geriledi. Kasım 2025’te bu tutar yaklaşık 78 milyar dolardı.
Rezervlerdeki düşüş, borsalarda yeni alımlarda kullanılabilecek sabit coin miktarının azaldığına işaret ediyor. Ancak tek başına bu veri, yatırımcıların alım yapmayı bıraktığını kanıtlamıyor.
Altcoinlerdeki düşüşün ne kadar süreceği henüz belli değil. Fakat 200 günlük ortalamanın altına inen coin sayısının artması, kısa vadeli endeksin Bitcoin sezonu eşiğine yaklaşması ve Bitcoin dominansının yükselmesi, piyasanın yön değiştirdiğini gösteren önemli sinyaller.
Bu içerik genel piyasa verilerine dayanır ve yatırım tavsiyesi değildir. Kendi araştırmanızı yapmanızı öneririz.
Son Dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has backed EIP-8288 as a proposed way to support complex cryptography without repeatedly adding new verification functions to Ethereum, arguing that most heavy cryptographic work should happen outside the network’s main execution process.
Summary
Vitalik Buterin wants Ethereum to verify complex cryptography through aggregated proofs instead of repeated protocol upgrades.
EIP-8288 proposes combining cryptographic signatures and STARK proofs before Ethereum validators verify their collective validity efficiently.
The proposal could support quantum-resistant wallet signatures without requiring separate Ethereum precompiles for every signature type.
Ethereum developers have not approved EIP-8288, which remains a draft requiring further implementation and network consensus.
The proposed system would keep large proofs outside block data while retaining transaction commitments for verification.
In a series of October 19 posts on X, Buterin argued that Ethereum’s existing virtual machine and specialized cryptographic functions are unsuitable for supporting every new signature or proof system. He instead favored a design that would let users generate proofs locally and submit them through an aggregation mechanism.
The proposal, EIP-8288, would allow Ethereum to verify that cryptographic operations were performed correctly without including every original signature or proof in a block.
Vitalik Buterin described this approach as part of his vision for Ethereum as a cryptographic world computer, where substantial computation can happen outside the blockchain while its results remain verifiable.
The specification remains a draft and has not received approval for deployment on Ethereum mainnet.
Vitalik Buterin wants less cryptographic work inside Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin’s latest comments focus on how Ethereum handles cryptographic operations that require large amounts of computation or data.
Currently, developers can use the Ethereum Virtual Machine, or EVM, to run smart contracts that verify certain cryptographic statements.
Ethereum provides precompiles, which are built-in functions that perform specific calculations more efficiently than ordinary smart contract code.
These functions can help developers verify signatures, hashes and zero-knowledge proofs.
However, supporting additional cryptographic methods directly through precompiles can require changes to Ethereum’s protocol.
Vitalik Buterin argued that neither approach should become the default solution for every new cryptographic system.
His concern centers on the amount of data that must be included in Ethereum blocks when applications submit large signatures or cryptographic proofs for verification.
In the October 19 discussion, he estimated that even with improvements such as PeerDAS and blocks-in-blobs, the network would face practical limits around 8 megabytes per second before additional data became difficult to handle.
Ultimately, precompiles and EVM are both the wrong place to put most cryptography support into Ethereum. The reason is that precompiles and EVM both operate on data that has to be included into the ethereum chain somehow, which realistically means included in a block as calldata.… https://t.co/kb3JfEQKpj
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 19, 2026
The estimate represents Buterin’s assessment of future engineering constraints, not Ethereum’s currently measured transaction throughput.
He described Ethereum as a cryptographic world computer in which the blockchain should handle only information requiring shared execution and verification.
The idea is consistent with his earlier work on reducing the amount of computation that every Ethereum validator must independently perform.
In September, crypto.news covered his cryptographic computer vision, which described Ethereum’s proposed transition toward proof-based verification, privacy and more efficient handling of data.
His October comments focused on a specific proposal for making that approach work across different cryptographic systems.
EIP-8288 would combine proofs before they reach Ethereum
The proposed mechanism is described in EIP-8288, titled In-mempool signature and proof aggregation.
Buterin and Ethereum researcher Thomas Coratger created the proposal on June 3, 2026.
According to the official specification, the system would let transactions declare which cryptographic statements must be verified without including all of the original proof material in the final block.
Those declarations would identify the verification scheme, a hash representing the relevant data and a hash associated with the verification key.
The network would use these references to connect transactions with evidence that the required operations were performed correctly.
Users would generate signatures or cryptographic proofs outside Ethereum’s main execution environment.
The proposal allows these proofs to be combined recursively, meaning one proof can establish the validity of several smaller proofs.
Instead of individually verifying every original signature and STARK, Ethereum would verify an aggregated proof covering the relevant transaction dependencies.
A STARK is a cryptographic proof that allows someone to demonstrate that a computation was performed correctly without requiring every verifier to repeat the entire calculation.
The proposed aggregation system would use Lean Ethereum tooling to generate and verify these proofs.
EIP-8288 describes a new transaction frame mode that would declare cryptographic dependencies. The proposal builds on EIP-8141, which introduces a framework for transactions with multiple execution and verification steps.
At the block level, a recursive STARK would demonstrate that the declared dependencies had been satisfied.
The system would continue recording necessary transaction information and cryptographic commitments on Ethereum.
However, its intended design would avoid publishing the original large signatures and proofs as ordinary transaction calldata.
The proposal is not a plan to remove all transaction data from the blockchain or allow applications to operate without verifiable records.
Quantum-resistant signatures are a major part of the proposal
EIP-8288 includes support for cryptographic signatures designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers.
Ethereum currently relies on established digital signature systems for account authentication and blockchain consensus.
Developers are researching alternatives that would remain secure if sufficiently powerful quantum computers become available.
Some proposed quantum-resistant signatures are much larger than the signatures used in conventional Ethereum transactions.
According to EIP-8288, hash-based signatures under consideration can require roughly 2–3 kilobytes and an estimated 150,000–200,000 gas to verify directly.
Lattice-based signatures present comparable challenges in the proposal’s cost discussion.
STARK proofs can require more than 128 kilobytes, with some configurations reaching approximately 512 kilobytes when optimized for fast proof generation.
Including large amounts of this material directly in transactions could create substantial data and execution costs.
Vitalik Buterin argued that users should be able to produce their preferred signatures locally and prove their validity through STARK aggregation.
He discussed the possibility of using lattice-based cryptography for Ethereum accounts and wallets if the relevant security assumptions were established.
His October 19 statement referred specifically to cryptography that might be proven secure against AI-related attacks. That condition is separate from the standard definition of resistance to quantum-computer attacks.
Earlier reporting on Ethereum’s roadmap described how quantum resistance and privacy had become priorities for the network’s future development.
The roadmap includes changes to signature verification and the cryptographic systems supporting Ethereum’s consensus and data availability.
EIP-8288 addresses part of that work by proposing a common method for verifying multiple cryptographic schemes.
Recursive aggregation would start before block production
The proposed process does not depend solely on a block producer collecting every signature and generating one final proof.
EIP-8288 describes recursive aggregation beginning in Ethereum’s mempool, where transactions wait before being included in blocks.
Under the design, users would submit transactions along with the cryptographic evidence required to authorize them.
Mempool participants could validate the submitted evidence, combine several proofs into one and pass the resulting package to other participants.
The specification describes an aggregation interval of 1,000 milliseconds for this process.
Block builders would then collect the relevant transactions and aggregated proofs before constructing an Ethereum block.
A final recursive STARK would cover the dependencies associated with the transactions selected for inclusion.
The draft proposes technical limits intended to prevent malicious users from overwhelming the aggregation system with excessive proof requirements.
For example, its current parameters allow up to 16 specified signature dependencies and one STARK dependency per transaction.
The specification also addresses compatibility with FOCIL, a proposed transaction-inclusion mechanism designed to make censorship more difficult.
An Ethereum analysis of proof-based verification published in September examined the distinction between verifying a computation’s result and ensuring the underlying data remains accessible.
EIP-8288 addresses cryptographic verification while retaining the transaction information needed to identify and validate dependencies.
Its design introduces additional work for mempool participants and block builders, which would need to generate, update and combine proofs. The proposal’s security section identifies the correctness of the proof circuits, hashing functions and recursive verification as assumptions that require careful evaluation.
EIP-8288 remains a draft requiring network approval
The official Ethereum Improvement Proposal repository classifies EIP-8288 as a draft standards-track proposal in the core category.
Its implementation would alter Ethereum’s consensus rules because blocks containing the proposed recursive proof format would not be understood by nodes running software without the update.
The specification identifies EIP-2718 and EIP-8141 as dependencies. Several implementation details remain incomplete, including parameters associated with the aggregated verification key and dependency hashing.
The proposal’s reference implementation is listed as forthcoming. Ethereum developers would need to complete technical work, review the security assumptions and agree on network activation before the design could be deployed. The repository does not currently list an approved mainnet activation date for EIP-8288.
The proposal’s existing test cases cover individual signature verification, multiple proof dependencies, invalid recursive proofs, mempool aggregation and compatibility with transaction inclusion lists.
Its backward-compatibility section states that ordinary transactions without the new cryptographic verification frames would retain their existing behavior.
Nodes that do not implement the new rules would reject transactions using the proposed frame mode and blocks carrying the recursive proof header.
The proposal therefore requires a coordinated network upgrade before its cryptographic aggregation system can become part of Ethereum’s mainnet rules.
JPMorgan takes JPM Coin to Ethereum for institutional clients: ReportJPMorgan is reportedly expanding its JPM Coin deposit token to Ethereum, allowing institutional clients to make payments and settle tokenized asset transactions.
JPMorgan Chase, the world’s biggest bank by market capitalization, is expanding its JPM Coin deposit token to Ethereum, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
JPM Coin represents US dollar deposits held at JPMorgan and lets eligible clients transfer funds within seconds, around the clock.
Emma Landriault, global head of Kinexys Labs, said crypto companies could use the token for blockchain payments, while financial institutions could use it to settle trades and post collateral.
Landriault said JPMorgan chose Ethereum for its liquidity and existing use among clients. While the tokens are issued on public networks, JPM Coin will remain restricted to approved institutional participants.
The expansion follows JPMorgan’s November 2025 rollout of JPM Coin on Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network built by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. At the time, JPMorgan said it planned to support additional public blockchains. In January, JPMorgan announced plans to bring JPM Coin to the Canton Network.
Cointelegraph contacted JPMorgan for additional details but did not receive an immediate response.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
JPMorgan takes JPM Coin to Ethereum for institutional clients: ReportJPMorgan is reportedly expanding its JPM Coin deposit token to Ethereum, allowing institutional clients to make payments and settle tokenized asset transactions.
JPMorgan Chase, the world’s biggest bank by market capitalization, is expanding its JPM Coin deposit token to Ethereum, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
JPM Coin represents US dollar deposits held at JPMorgan and lets eligible clients transfer funds within seconds, around the clock.
Emma Landriault, global head of Kinexys Labs, said crypto companies could use the token for blockchain payments, while financial institutions could use it to settle trades and post collateral.
Landriault said JPMorgan chose Ethereum for its liquidity and existing use among clients. While the tokens are issued on public networks, JPM Coin will remain restricted to approved institutional participants.
The expansion follows JPMorgan’s November 2025 rollout of JPM Coin on Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network built by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. At the time, JPMorgan said it planned to support additional public blockchains. In January, JPMorgan announced plans to bring JPM Coin to the Canton Network.
Cointelegraph contacted JPMorgan for additional details but did not receive an immediate response.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Standard Chartered has enabled eligible wealthy clients in the United Arab Emirates to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum directly through their existing bank accounts.
Standard Chartered has begun offering direct cryptocurrency trading to its wealthy clients classified as professional investors in the United Arab Emirates. Under the new service, eligible clients will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum using their existing bank accounts.
According to the bank’s statement, custody and settlement operations will be conducted within the Standard Chartered ecosystem via a closed-loop model. Therefore, customers will not need to create a separate cryptocurrency wallet, store private keys, or open an account on a third-party exchange.
The service combines Standard Chartered’s asset and retail banking units with its corporate and investment banking activities. Transactions are conducted through the Zodia Markets platform, which is backed by the bank’s venture capital arm, SC Ventures.
Standard Chartered announced that it has received the necessary license approval from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority for the service. The bank states that this product is the first of its kind offered by an international bank in the United Arab Emirates. This also marks Standard Chartered’s first foray into offering cryptocurrency trading directly to wealthy individual clients in any country.
The bank had previously launched institutional Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading through its UK arm, later expanding its institutional service to the UAE. It also offers crypto ETFs, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives to eligible clients.
It shouldn’t be assumed that the service is open to all individual customers. Users need to meet professional investor requirements, and initially, only Bitcoin and Ethereum are supported. While Standard Chartered has stated its intention to expand the system to other markets, it has not announced any new countries or implementation schedule.
*This is not investment advice.
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Wall Street giant JPMorgan is bringing its USD-denominated deposit token JPM Coin (JPMD) to Ethereum for institutional clients. Ethereum’s “established depth of onchain liquidity and tokenized assets” makes it a natural next public blockchain for JPMD.
JPMorgan Brings Deposit Token to Ethereum for Institutional Clients $5 trillion AUM JPMorgan Chase is launching its deposit token on Ethereum, extending the lender’s push into blockchain payments as Wall Street grows more comfortable moving money on public networks.
JPM Coin represents US dollar deposits at the bank and is made available to the company’s institutional clients on the Ethereum network, Bloomberg reported on October 19.
The deposit token was first launched on Coinbase-linked blockchain Base last year. It allows clients to send and receive money in real time and 24/7.
“We’ve clearly been in a year of further convergence between Wall Street and crypto,” said Emma Landriault, global head of Kinexys Labs at JPMorgan. “It’s not just Wall Street going to public chains, but the institutional web3 players getting more embedded and partnering with traditional financial institutions,” she added.
The expansion comes as banks and other large financial firms seek ways to move assets faster and beyond the limitations of traditional systems. TradFi-crypto convergence has witnessed massive adoption on the tokenization side.
JPM Coin is now live on Ethereum mainnet for institutional clients. Another meaningful step for institutional finance on public infrastructure! https://t.co/MeAKUP0461
— Marius Smith (@mariuslsmith) October 19, 2026
J.P. Morgan has now added a cash leg to the products it already live on Ethereum mainnet, with tokenized money market funds MONY and JLTXX both already on the network.
As CoinGape reported, JPMorgan is expanding its Digital Assets and Blockchain Solutions team as it explores tokenized deposits, blockchain payments, digital assets and new products for consumers.
Ethereum price jumped more than 1% to hit a 24-hour high of $2,445. The price is currently trading at $2,434 amid a recent rebound in the crypto market. Trading volume has also increased by 42% over the last 24 hours, indicating a rise in interest among traders.
As global banks deploy money market funds and deposit tokens on public blockchains, institutions require regulated institutional custody solutions for tokenized assets to safeguard capital.
JPMorgan to bring JPM Coin to Ethereum. (Ikechukwu Julius Ugwu/Unsplash)Summary
JPMorgan will make JPM Coin, a token representing dollar deposits at the bank, available to institutional clients on Ethereum, Bloomberg reported.The bank said Ethereum’s liquidity makes it attractive for crypto companies seeking blockchain payments and financial firms settling trades or backing tokenized assets.The move expands JPMorgan’s blockchain efforts beyond its private Kinexys network, which processes more than $7 billion in transactions daily.JPMorgan(JPM), the largest U.S. bank, is bringing its almost year-old crypto token, JPM Coin, to Ethereum as part of a plan to expand beyond Base, the layer-2 blockchain built by Coinbase Global COIN.
The bank chose Ethereum because the blockchain offers more liquidity than rival networks and is already used by institutional clients, Emma Landriault, the head of Kinexys Labs at JPMorgan’s blockchain division Kinexys, said in an interview with Bloomberg.
The banking giant flagged a move outside Base back in January, saying it was planning to take the token to the Canton Network. Broadening its availability aims to serve crypto firms that want to make blockchain payments and financial firms that need a digital token to settle trades or back tokenized assets, Landriault said.
Landriault didn’t say when JPM Coin, which represents dollar deposits at the bank, would become available on Ethereum. The bank had not responded to a CoinDesk request for details by publication time.
Tokenization is the process of converting real-world assets and financial assets into a digital form that’s recorded and traded on a decentralized ledger. The advantage is speed, including faster settlement of trades, quick movement of money while bypassing delays and frictions involved in traditional rails.
Banks have embraced tokenization, but mostly away from public networks. In the U.S., JPMorgan, Citi (C), Bank of America (BAC) and Wells Fargo (WFC), along with more than a dozen other banks, have plans to start a shared network for tokenized deposits.
JPMorgan’s private blockchain network, Kinexys, already handles more than $7 billion a day, a small piece in the bank’s $12 trillion a day payments business. Almost $50 billion worth of crypto assets are locked in Ethereum-based applications, according to DeFiLlama.
Abroad, JPMorgan is among more than 30 banks that are helping Swift, the interbank messaging service, define the features and governance of its blockchain-based ledger. In July, Swift said 17 banks, including Citi and Wells Fargo, were preparing to pilot live transactions on it. JPMorgan wasn’t on that list.
19 October 2026 | 13:07 JPMorgan has expanded JPM Coin to Ethereum, putting its deposit token on a network that already hosts tokenized investments. The next step is connecting those payments with transactions.
Kinexys by JPMorgan announced the expansion on October 19 in a statement reported by The Block. The dollar-denominated token, which uses the ticker JPMD, launched on Base in November 2025. The bank cited Ethereum’s existing liquidity and tokenized assets as reasons for adding the network.
A payment option beside the investments A tokenized investment still needs a way for buyers to pay sellers. JPM Coin could fill that role for eligible institutions that want to transact using money held with JPMorgan.
The bank already has investment products on Ethereum. Its asset-management division launched JLTXX in May, adding a registered government money-market fund to the network. That followed MONY, a private-placement tokenized money-market fund introduced in 2025.
Although these products can share blockchain infrastructure, they represent different claims:
Instrument Financial claim Role in a transaction JPM Coin A bank deposit represented by a token Can provide the payment JLTXX or MONY fund tokens An interest in an investment fund Represent the investment being acquired or held The Ethereum announcement does not confirm that investors can subscribe to JLTXX or MONY using JPM Coin. JLTXX’s launch materials describe subscriptions through Morgan Money using cash or stablecoins through a third-party vendor. Those arrangements should not be confused with a newly confirmed deposit-token integration.
What a purchase using JPM Coin could look like JPMorgan’s public- and private-blockchain strategy describes deposit tokens as a possible payment component for tokenized-asset transactions. The practical benefit would come from coordinating the payment with delivery of the investment.
Consider an approved institution buying a tokenized security from another eligible participant. In an application supporting both instruments, the buyer could supply JPM Coin while the seller supplies the security. The application could make each transfer conditional on the other completing.
This arrangement is called delivery versus payment. It reduces the risk that a buyer pays without receiving the asset, or that a seller delivers without receiving payment. Achieving it requires a transaction mechanism that links the two transfers; placing both tokens on Ethereum is only part of the work.
The application must accept JPM Coin, the asset must permit the transfer, and both parties must satisfy the relevant access rules. Custody, transaction approvals and the legal treatment of settlement also need to fit the arrangement.
For a treasury team, the useful question is therefore specific: can the institution pay its intended counterparty for its intended asset using this token? The network expansion creates another place to build that service, but does not establish that every such transaction is available today.
The bank relationship travels with the token JPMorgan’s product documentation limits participation to vetted, approved counterparties. Its description of peer-to-peer transfers refers to eligible participants sending money to one another within those restrictions.
JPM Coin also retains the credit exposure associated with a deposit at the issuing bank. Recording and transferring that claim on Ethereum does not turn it into a money-market fund holding or remove JPMorgan from the relationship.
For companies already banking with JPMorgan, this offers a way to explore blockchain payments while retaining a commercial-bank deposit structure. The approach echoes the corporate preferences discussed in Citi’s assessment of stablecoins and tokenized deposits.
Whether a deposit token is suitable still depends on the recipient. A business cannot assume that a supplier accepting a particular stablecoin can also receive JPM Coin. Access, acceptance and redemption arrangements determine which payment instrument works for that transaction.
More networks do not automatically connect more banks Adding Ethereum broadens JPM Coin’s blockchain availability. It does not, by itself, make deposits issued by other banks interchangeable with JPMorgan’s token.
Cross-bank payments require arrangements covering how institutions exchange, recognize and redeem those claims. Separate projects, including the DBS and Citi tokenized-dollar payment test, address that problem.
The next evidence to look for is named applications and counterparties accepting JPM Coin for specific transactions. A confirmed fund subscription, securities purchase or collateral workflow would show how institutions are using the Ethereum deployment beyond transfers between approved wallets.
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.
Tron has emerged as the leading blockchain by network revenue, generating $23.41 million over 30 days and significantly outpacing Ethereum and Solana in the latest DeFiLlama ranking. The performance highlights Tron’s role in stablecoin transfers, particularly USDT, which drives substantial activity across its network. However, the key question for investors is whether this revenue advantage can translate into sustained demand for TRX or remain an indicator of network usage alone.
Tron Leads Major Blockchains in RevenueTron generated $23.41 million in 30-day revenue, compared with $6.34 million for Ethereum and $3.4 million for Solana in the displayed ranking. Base recorded $2.78 million, while Polygon generated $2.27 million.
The gap places Tron well ahead of these competitors on this specific metric. However, network revenue does not capture every aspect of blockchain activity, and differences in fee structures make direct comparisons more complex.
USDT Transfers Drive Tron’s Network ActivityTron’s revenue strength is closely linked to its role as a major network for Tether’s USDT stablecoin. Users frequently rely on Tron to transfer dollar-pegged tokens between exchanges and wallets, supporting consistent transaction demand.
This payment-focused activity helps explain why Tron can generate substantial revenue without relying solely on speculative trading or decentralized finance. Transactions require network resources, linking usage to Tron’s fee mechanism and TRX.
What Does This Mean for TRX?Tron’s revenue leadership strengthens its network-usage narrative, but it does not automatically signal a bullish move for TRX. The token’s price also depends on broader market sentiment, circulating supply, staking activity and whether network usage creates sustained demand.
Investors should monitor whether monthly revenue continues to rise, stablecoin activity remains strong and TRX price action confirms improving momentum. A single 30-day ranking is useful evidence of current activity, but consistent growth across multiple periods would provide a stronger signal.
Can Tron Turn Revenue Strength Into Demand?Tron’s $23.41 million in monthly revenue puts it comfortably ahead of Ethereum and Solana in the latest ranking. Its stablecoin-transfer activity offers a clear explanation for that lead, reinforcing its position in crypto payments infrastructure.
The next test is sustainability. If Tron maintains strong revenue and USDT activity, its network fundamentals could strengthen further. For TRX holders, however, the decisive factor will be whether that usage translates into durable token demand rather than simply keeping Tron at the top of the revenue leaderboard.
Story Ends Here
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JPMorgan Chase, currently the world’s largest bank by market value, is expanding its JPM Coin deposit token to operate on the Ethereum blockchain, according to Bloomberg.
Wider access to blockchain financeJPM Coin represents US dollar deposits held at JPMorgan and enables qualified clients to transfer funds instantly, 24 hours a day. The token had previously launched on Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network developed by Coinbase, and now broadens its reach to the main Ethereum public blockchain.
Emma Landriault, who leads Kinexys Labs at JPMorgan, explained that cryptocurrency companies may find the token particularly useful for blockchain-based payments, while traditional financial institutions could use it to settle trades and provide collateral. Landriault stated that Ethereum was chosen due to its liquidity and widespread adoption among institutional clients.
JPMorgan selected Ethereum for the next phase of expansion, citing the network’s liquidity and the broad client usage it already enjoys. The bank intends for JPM Coin to be available on public networks, but access will remain limited to approved institutional participants.
Mini dictionary: Kinexys Labs, a fintech innovation division within JPMorgan focused on digital assets, blockchain technologies, and the development of tokenized financial solutions for institutions.
JPM Coin remains restricted to verified institutional clients, even as it goes live on additional public blockchains. These steps are part of JPMorgan’s strategy to integrate more blockchain services into its offerings for major financial players.
Recent developments and expansion plansJPMorgan expanded JPM Coin to Base, the Coinbase-developed Ethereum layer-2 network, in November 2025. At that time, the bank revealed plans to eventually support more public blockchains, reflecting increasing institutional demand for digital asset services.
In January, JPMorgan announced that it intended to bring JPM Coin to the Canton Network, a privacy-focused blockchain platform optimized for financial institutions seeking secure, compliant on-chain transactions.
Mini dictionary: Canton Network, a blockchain network designed for regulated financial institutions, provides interoperability and the ability to execute private, permissioned transactions.
JPMorgan’s latest moves come as major global banks accelerate efforts to adopt blockchain technology to streamline payments, settlements, and other financial operations.
BlockchainJPM Coin Launch DateMain PurposeAccessBase (Ethereum Layer-2)November 2025Institutional instant transfersInstitutions onlyEthereum (Mainnet)2026Expansion for blockchain paymentsInstitutions onlyCanton NetworkPlannedPrivate, compliant transactionsInstitutions onlyIndustry context and market outlookFinancial experts have noted a growing trend among established banks toward leveraging blockchain infrastructure to offer faster, more efficient, and transparent payments. While JPM Coin is not available to retail users, its continued expansion signals increased confidence in digital deposit tokens for regulated institutions.
Recent reports have also highlighted that Argentine banks are testing JPM Coin as part of their efforts to accelerate settlements, suggesting that the token may play a larger role in global finance moving forward.
The adoption of JPM Coin by institutions reflects the sector’s evolving strategy to embrace blockchain technology as a core component of modern banking operations.
While altcoins continue to be in the focus of investors, Grayscale research head Zach Pandl said that investors in the cryptocurrency market are chasing altcoins such as Zcash and Hyperliquid.
However, Pandl says the real opportunity may lie in large smart contract networks that investors are overlooking. At this point, Pandl noted that Ethereum, Solana, and BNB are not currently a common choice among investors.
Investors’ Focus is Shifting!
Zach Pandl stated that while investor interest is focused on projects like Zcash and Hyperliquid, the potential of Ethereum, Solana, and BNB is not being sufficiently assessed.
Pandl noted that these three major smart contract networks have not yet become a common preference among investors. He pointed out that investors might overlook the networks that form the core infrastructure of the crypto ecosystem while focusing on new opportunities. The expert emphasized the importance of Ethereum, Solana, and BNB, urging investors not to disregard the classics.
Pandl highlighted the importance of ETH, SOL, and BNB, while also acknowledging that Zcash has achieved a remarkable position in the financial privacy space and Hyperliquid in the perpetual futures market.
However, he noted that interest in these projects should not overshadow the long-term potential of large smart contract networks. According to Pandl’s assessment, the widespread adoption of blockchain-based financial services could bring the importance of established networks back into focus.
Finally, Pandl stated that he does not expect the Fed to make another interest rate hike this month. He said that raising rates right before the upcoming election would be somewhat bold, so he does not expect a rate hike in October, but that another hike in December is possible.
However, he noted that Bitcoin and altcoins could withstand one to three minor interest rate hikes, as a tightening like the 500 basis point increase expected in 2022 and 2023 is not anticipated.
*This is not investment advice.
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Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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ESMA adds 9 new crypto asset service providers, bringing its total number to 375.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has added nine crypto asset service providers (CASPs) to its register under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. The new additions include BingX’s Austrian entity MEGE zweite, YouHodler’s Italian subsidiary, and Santander’s Openbank Deutschland, bringing the total number of registered CASPs to 375.
4 minutes ago
QCP: Bitcoin demonstrates resilience against price declines; a drop below the $80,000 to $88,000 range could trigger a sharp repricing.
QCP Capital’s daily market report today noted that Bitcoin traded in a range of $80,000 to $83,000 last week, with strong support near the $80,000 level and showing resilience amid ongoing pressure on tech stocks. AI financing risks continue to simmer: CoreWeave’s 5-year credit default swap (CDS) spread widened to over 1,100 basis points, reflecting market concerns over debt-driven AI investments. On the macro front, higher-than-expected U.S. CPI once pushed 2-year U.S. Treasury yields to 4.9% and 10-year yields above 5.3%; yields later pulled back on defensive demand. Fed Chair nominee Warsh’s comments on Friday also lowered market expectations for an October rate hike to 15%, down from nearly 30% earlier this week. The pullback in U.S. Treasury yields has supported Bitcoin’s rebound.
QCP pointed out that funds are shifting from the semiconductor sector to healthcare and bank stocks, with markets likely reducing exposure to crowded AI trades, though there is no clear evidence of direct inflows into crypto markets so far. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s implied volatility remains below its one-year average, and market makers’ positive Gamma positions may temporarily cap price swings. However, this stability could weaken as options expire and positions roll over; if Bitcoin breaks sustainably above the $80,000 to $88,000 range, the market may face more sharp price revaluations. This week’s tech giant earnings reports will be a key watchpoint.
4 minutes ago
BNB Foundation completes its 37th quarterly burn, destroying 1.6462 million BNB.
According to official announcements, the BNB Foundation has completed its 37th quarterly token burn, with a total of 1,646,200 BNB tokens burned in this round, valued at approximately $1.197 billion. Post-burn, BNB’s total circulating supply has fallen to around 131.5 million tokens.
4 minutes ago
A new wallet has been liquidated of 8,163 ETH in total over the past 10 hours, worth $19.78 million.
According to Lookonchain's monitoring, the newly created wallet 0xb15b has been liquidated multiple times over the past 10 hours, with a total of 8,163 ETH liquidated, valued at approximately $19.78 million.
4 minutes ago
Analysis: Bitcoin's recovery faces a test as trading platform reserves rebound and spot demand turns negative again.
CryptoQuant certified analyst XWIN Japan stated in a post that the latest on-chain data shows Bitcoin still exhibits signs of bottoming, though its recovery is uneven. Exchange reserves have rebounded, spot demand has turned negative again, and holding behaviors of whales of different sizes have diverged.
1. Exchange reserves rebound: In early October, Bitcoin exchange reserves stood at around 2.67 million coins, and have now risen to approximately 2.68 million. While still lower than the level in January, the rise in reserves does not necessarily mean increased selling pressure; it may also be related to changes in custody methods.
2. Spot demand recovery blocked: The 30-day spot demand indicator once approached zero, then turned negative again. Perpetual contract demand remains positive, providing support for total demand. This indicator differs from the previously discussed apparent demand indicator, and their values cannot be directly compared.
3. Divergence in holdings among different-sized whales: The group holding 100 to 1,000 BTC has remained net buyers over the past 60 days, but the buying intensity is lower than the peak in late September. The net decline in holdings of the group holding 1,000 to 10,000 BTC has narrowed to nearly zero, while the group holding more than 10,000 BTC is still in a net selling state, indicating that buying has not yet spread widely. The above rolling data includes activities before October and may also be affected by address transfers between groups of different holding sizes.
XWIN Japan believes that low exchange reserves and continued net buying by some whales still support Bitcoin's bottoming. However, for a sustainable recovery, spot demand needs to stay positive, buying needs to absorb BTC flowing back into exchanges, and buying behavior needs to expand to more holding groups. Additionally, market expectations from the U.S. midterm elections and monetary policy also need to translate into actual buying.
4 minutes ago
MiniMax finally names "Space Rabbit": M3.1 Flash is set to launch, and the anonymous model's identity has been revealed.
Beating AI News: MiniMax’s official X account posted a teaser with the message “Welcome back, Space Bunny”, announcing the upcoming launch of MiniMax-M3.1-Flash. This marks the first time MiniMax has publicly linked its previously viral anonymous model Space Bunny to the M3.1 Flash line. On September 23, Space Bunny Alpha launched anonymously on OpenRouter and OpenCode, available for free for a limited time. It supports a 1 million-token context window, image and video input, and adjustable inference intensity, once topping the daily usage charts of both platforms. Developers later identified it as highly consistent with MiniMax’s M-series via tokenizer fingerprint and token count tests, though the company never confirmed its identity at the time. In fact, MiniMax opened the public beta of M3.1-Flash-Preview as early as September 27, focusing on high-speed inference and programming tasks. The official API documentation now features MiniMax-M3.1-Flash without the Preview suffix, supporting five levels of inference intensity and tool calling.
The best crypto to buy right now comes down to one number: market cap. Bitcoin has reclaimed $82,000, Ethereum is holding $2,400, and Solana is two days from the largest consensus change in its history — three dated setups where the arithmetic, not the chart, decides which one gives $1,000 the most room to run. As of 01:00 UTC on October 19, 2026, the only one of the three where a 10x is still mathematically possible is Solana, whose Alpenglow upgrade goes live at about 14:50 UTC on October 21, according to Solana’s official upgrade page.
The 10x arithmetic that rules Bitcoin out of the moonshot Bitcoin trades at $82,249, up 0.9% over 24 hours, with a market cap near $1.65 trillion and dominance still north of 60%, per CoinGecko. The size is now the whole story. A 10x from here would value Bitcoin at roughly $16.5 trillion — about six times the value of the entire crypto market today. That is arithmetic, not a forecast, and it makes Bitcoin the capital-preservation pick rather than the upside pick. The reclaim of $82,000 after a Saturday dip below $81,000 follows the same pattern our last look at a Bitcoin reclaim described: round levels hold until a macro catalyst moves them, then they give way. A return to the $126,080 all-time high is a slow grind, not a rerating.
Ethereum’s catalyst is a schedule, not a candle Ethereum trades at $2,414, up 0.3% on the day, with a market cap near $295 billion. The story is the upgrade calendar, not the price. Glamsterdam — the largest change since the Merge — bundles enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732) with Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928), and it is moving through its testnets: Sepolia ran first, Hoodi is next, and mainnet is targeted for the fourth quarter. A 2x from here is a $590 billion outcome, credible for the network that still settles more value than any other, but the trade carries no hard date yet. Ethereum is the middle-risk pick — bigger than Solana, smaller than Bitcoin, still waiting on its catalyst instead of counting down to one.
Why Solana’s Alpenglow is a dated event, not a rumor Solana trades at $104.23, up 0.6% on the day, with a market cap near $61 billion. The catalyst is Alpenglow, which replaces TowerBFT — the consensus mechanism Solana has run since launch — with a voting protocol called Votor. Under TowerBFT, validators post their votes as on-chain transactions and a block becomes final only after 32 slots of votes pile up, a process that takes about 12.8 seconds. Votor changes the mechanics: validators message each other directly, bundle those votes into certificates, and lock a block in one or two rounds of voting. The target is roughly 150 milliseconds to finality — about 99% faster.
Mainnet activation begins at epoch 1064, around 15:00 UTC on October 21, behind feature gate SIMD-0384. That is a hard date attached to a specific mechanism, and our full breakdown of the Alpenglow upgrade walks through what the handoff requires — validators certifying a new genesis block with at least 82% of stake — and what breaks if it misfires.
The arithmetic is where Solana separates. A 10x from a $61 billion market cap is $614 billion, roughly Ethereum’s size today. Solana is the only one of the three where that multiple is still on the table, and the only one with a dated catalyst firing this week. The risk is execution: a consensus migration of this size has never been done mid-flight on a network settling this much volume, and 150 milliseconds is a target, not a measured result. Bitcoin offers safety with the 10x math closed. Ethereum offers a credible 2x with no hard date. Solana offers the only live 10x path, gated on a handoff that has to go right in a single slot. That is the arithmetic and the calendar — the only honest way to answer “what to buy now” while the market chops sideways.
Frequently Asked Questions What is the best crypto to buy now? It depends on the goal. Bitcoin is the capital-preservation pick with the 10x arithmetic closed, Ethereum is a credible 2x play still waiting on its Glamsterdam upgrade, and Solana carries the only live 10x path via the Alpenglow consensus upgrade on October 21 — at the highest execution risk.
Why can’t Bitcoin deliver another 10x? Market-cap arithmetic. A 10x from Bitcoin’s $1.65 trillion market cap would value it near $16.5 trillion, roughly six times the entire crypto market. Larger assets need far more capital to move the same percentage.
When does Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade go live? Mainnet activation begins at epoch 1064, around 15:00 UTC on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, behind feature gate SIMD-0384. It replaces TowerBFT with Votor and targets about 150-millisecond finality, down from roughly 12.8 seconds.
Is Solana’s 150-millisecond finality guaranteed? No. 150 milliseconds is a design target, not a measured result. The migration happens in a single slot and the handoff must be certified by validators holding at least 82% of stake, so execution risk is real.
AUTHOR
Tokoni Uti is a Lagos-based writer with several years of experience. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Free Press and the San Diego Free press among others. She is a graduate of Bowen University.
Crypto-native traders are chasing Zcash and Hyperliquid. Grayscale’s head of research, Zach Pandl, says the bigger opportunity may be in the large smart contract networks those traders are overlooking. Pandl said Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain “are not a consensus trade” among crypto natives right now. His advice to investors was “don’t sleep on the classics.”
Why Ethereum, Solana And BNB Chain Are Pandl’s Top Picks
Pandl’s case rests on where traditional finance is heading. He expects trillions of dollars in assets to move on-chain and said almost all of that activity will need a smart contract platform, including:
Tokenized real-world assetsStablecoinsTokenized bank depositsPandl said many crypto-native investors are buying privacy tokens and revenue-generating projects while ignoring the core infrastructure. He described the three networks as having “an absolute key role to play in a crypto portfolio.”
Zcash: Privacy Moves Into The Mainstream
Pandl said he still has a positive view of Zcash, which Grayscale offers investment products for. He argued that crypto has spent years exporting innovations such as stablecoins and perpetual futures to Wall Street. Financial privacy, he said, is something crypto now needs to import from traditional finance, where people expect their salaries, debts and tax payments to stay confidential.
He expects Zcash to keep gaining market share among privacy-focused currencies. He also expects privacy tools to spread to smart contract platforms, stablecoins and perpetual futures markets, and called privacy “a huge part of the next cycle.”
Hyperliquid And The Spread Of Perpetual Futures
Pandl said perpetual futures will become a standard instrument for institutional and retail traders. He pointed to Grayscale’s own Hyperliquid ETF for US investors as a sign of demand. For firms like Grayscale, he said, the open questions are regulatory: whether they can use these platforms to hedge their balance sheets or run carry trades. He credited the CFTC with making progress on those rules.
Grayscale Thinks Bitcoin’s Bottom Is In
Pandl’s broader view of the market is constructive. Grayscale’s estimate is that Bitcoin bottomed near $58,000 at the end of June. He said prices have recovered even though recent news has been mixed:
The Federal Reserve raised rates.Long-term bond yields climbed.The CLARITY Act failed to pass.He took that resilience as a sign that crypto was oversold over the summer. He said institutional clients buying Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs still see them as long-term portfolio diversifiers.
Pandl also linked part of the summer sell-off to pressure on Stretch (STRC), the preferred product issued by Strategy. That pressure peaked around Bitcoin’s late-June low. As STRC has moved back toward its $100 target price, he said, concern about tail risks has eased.
What The Fed Means For Altcoins
Pandl does not expect another Fed rate hike this month. He said hiking just before the election would be “a bit bold,” though one more increase in December is possible. Even so, he said Bitcoin can absorb one to three small hikes, since nothing like the 500 basis points of tightening in 2022 and 2023 is expected. He blamed higher interest rates on heavy borrowing by both the government and private companies funding the AI buildout.
Story Ends Here
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A recent forecast from cryptocurrency YouTuber Crypto Rover has generated significant conversation, with bold predictions for the leading digital assets over the next 8 to 16 months.
High targets for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRPCrypto Rover projected that Bitcoin could reach $200,000 during this period, while Ethereum may surpass $10,000. He also expects Solana to climb to $1,000, and sees the possibility for XRP to rally to $5.
He expanded on his XRP outlook, suggesting that in a potential super bull market, XRP’s price could range between $11 and $15. He called on investors to be prepared if such a scenario unfolds.
Crypto Rover envisions a scenario where Bitcoin targets $200,000, Ethereum moves above $10,000, Solana advances to $1,000, and XRP approaches $5, with the possibility of XRP reaching as high as $11 to $15 during a strong market surge.
Currently, Bitcoin trades around $81,500, Ethereum sits near $2,430, Solana is about $104, and XRP is around $1.30. These figures illustrate the substantial growth needed to achieve his targets: Bitcoin would have to increase by 145%, Ethereum by 312%, Solana by 860%, and XRP by approximately 285% to hit $5.
XRP’s biggest potential upsideAmong the projected gains, XRP’s targets are particularly notable. Achieving $5 would mean a 285% jump from current prices. The upper end of his super bull market forecast, between $11 and $15, equates to gains of roughly 746% to 1054%.
This outlook for XRP comes as CoinDesk recently highlighted that the token remains below its 2018 peak and has not delivered returns comparable to Bitcoin or Ethereum. If Crypto Rover’s projections materialize, XRP would surpass its all-time high of $3.65, a move that some proponents expect could attract new institutional interest, especially with regulatory headwinds potentially waning and growing adoption in cross-border payment solutions.
Community reaction and need for liquidityReactions within the crypto community were mixed. Some users voiced support for these ambitious predictions, while others questioned their probability. One observer underscored the critical role of liquidity and Bitcoin confirmation before major altcoins could follow such substantial upward moves.
Doubts also surfaced regarding XRP’s specific targets. While some agreed Solana could reach $1,000, they remained unconvinced about XRP hitting $5, raising skepticism over the credibility of such forecasts. Further skepticism was expressed in light of possible macroeconomic challenges, including inflation, interest rate hikes, geopolitical tensions, and oil price volatility, which could all impact overall crypto market momentum.
Other commentators stated that a proper market-wide bull run would be essential for these levels to become realistic, suggesting that broader market conditions would ultimately dictate any potential surge in large-cap altcoins like XRP.
Given the market’s sensitivity to major macro events and rapid shifts—such as a single decision by the Federal Reserve or an unexpected altcoin listing—retail traders are increasingly moving toward privacy-focused solutions like CryptoAppsy to streamline their trading workflow. By using platforms that offer real-time charts, smart price alerts, coin-specific news, and integrated macro data on one screen and without requiring account creation, investors are able to react quickly and efficiently to emerging trends.
The next 8 to 16 months could see significant changes for crypto investors, given the volatility and unpredictability of the current market environment.
PANews reported on October 19, citing SoSoValue data, that crypto sectors were mixed, with the PayFi sector up 1.12% over 24 hours, led by Monero (XMR) up 2.37% and Zcash (ZEC) up 2.32%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.89%, breaking above $82,000; Ethereum (ETH) rose 0.45%, oscillating narrowly around the $2,400 level.
In other sectors, the Layer1 sector rose 0.48% over 24 hours, with NEAR Protocol (NEAR) up 2.22%; the CeFi sector rose 0.48%, with Binance Coin (BNB) up 0.77%; the DeFi sector rose 0.14%, with Convex Finance (CVX) up 6.06%.
In addition, the Meme sector fell 0.02%, with Pons (PONS) down 10.35%; the Layer2 sector fell 0.32%, with Starknet (STRK) down 4.31%; the RWA sector fell 1.32%, with Maple Finance (SYRUP) down 3.82%; the DePIN sector fell 1.57%, with Grass (GRASS) down 3.56%.
CT surges over 48% in the short term, its FDV climbs to $300 million.
According to HTX market data, likely driven by news that Upbit will list CT on its KRW, BTC, and USDT trading pairs, CT surged over 48% in a short period, briefly breaking above $0.44, and has since pulled back to $0.39, with its fully diluted valuation (FDV) rising to $300 million.
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Bitcoin briefly broke through $83,000.
According to HTX market data, Bitcoin briefly broke through $83,000, with a 24-hour gain of 1.54%.
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Over the past 12 hours, UNITREE saw total liquidations of $1.9284 million across its network, including $1.9049 million in short position liquidations.
According to Coinglass data, UNITREE saw $1.9284 million in total liquidations across the network over the past 12 hours, with short positions accounting for $1.9049 million and long positions only $23,500. Unitree Technology’s stock rose 16.15% today, pushing its market capitalization to 200.58 billion yuan. Meanwhile, UNITREE perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid have recorded five consecutive negative funding rate settlements between 10:00 and 14:00 today, with a cumulative rate of approximately -0.47087%. Hyperliquid’s current funding rate is around -0.13732% per hour, with the estimated annualized funding rate rising to 1,240%. On Binance, UNITREE contracts currently carry a rate of approximately -0.777501% per 4 hours, with the next settlement scheduled for 16:00 Beijing Time, roughly 38% higher than Hyperliquid’s rate. If prices and funding rates remain at current levels, the 24-hour funding cost for a $10,000 short position would be around $338 on Hyperliquid and $467 on Binance.
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Google open-sources Harness²: Allows AI to autonomously improve toolchains, lifting GLM-5's benchmark score by 11.5 points.
Insight: Beating AI Flash News, Google Research has open-sourced Harness2, enabling AI agents to automatically modify system prompts, memory, skills, tool rules, and even scripts and plugins without retraining the underlying model. The project is licensed under Apache 2.0 and supports OpenCode and Codex. Its core mechanism lets agents learn through trial and error: when facing a new task, the system first proposes multiple improvement plans, has different agent versions execute them separately, compares their performance, and finally combines the best elements to form a more suitable solution. Even without a standard answer, it can identify improvement directions based on actual execution processes. After a task is completed, the system retains records of which modifications worked and why, so it can reference this data for similar tasks in the future instead of starting from scratch each time. Google tested Harness2 using GLM-5 and Gemini 3.5 Flash. On WorkBuddy-Bench, GLM-5 paired with OpenCode saw its average score jump from 64.2 to 75.7 after just one round of optimization, outperforming unoptimized Gemini 3.5 Flash’s 72.4 points. In legal task tests, GLM-5’s pass rate for some scoring criteria also rose from 59.6% to 71.4%. However, the experiment defaulted to Claude Opus 4.8 for proposing and implementing improvements, with GLM-5 and Gemini primarily responsible for executing tasks—meaning the evolution was not achieved entirely by these models on their own. Chinese developer Joseph Zhou also demonstrated an experiment integrating Harness2 with Jev 1.14, noting consistent improvements in performance on visual tasks.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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A new set of bullish cryptocurrency price targets has captured attention in the digital asset community. Crypto analyst Modern Investor, a well-known figure among retail traders and content creators, has outlined significant upside projections for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano in an online video shared by John Squire, also recognized in the crypto sphere under the handle @TheCryptoSquire.
Modern Investor’s bold cycle targetsIn his latest commentary, Modern Investor stated that he expects Bitcoin to reach $295,000 within the ongoing bullish cycle. He also projected that Ethereum could rise to a range of $9,000 to $11,000, while XRP could hit $8.95. Cardano’s potential, according to his outlook, stands at $5 per token.
He framed these projections as consistent with the typical patterns of previous crypto market cycles, noting that although the gains are substantial, they remain within the realm of possibility based on past performance. Modern Investor’s perspective suggested that current conditions leave room for further significant growth across multiple leading assets.
The target of $8.95 for XRP indicates a nearly 590% increase from the current price of $1.30. In the same analysis, Modern Investor placed XRP alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, suggesting all three could benefit considerably in the next major market uptrend.
Modern Investor envisions Bitcoin reaching $295,000, Ethereum at $11,000, and XRP climbing to $8.95 in the current market cycle, seeing these levels as aligned with previous bull market patterns.
AssetCurrent PriceTarget PriceProjected IncreaseBitcoin$41,000$295,000~620%Ethereum$2,200$9,000 – $11,000~309% – 400%XRP$1.30$8.95~590%Cardano (ADA)$0.52$5~860%Modern Investor is a digital content creator and market commentator known for his cycle-based analyses and optimistic price forecasts. John Squire, who amplified the predictions on social media, is also recognized for sharing insights and news with the crypto community.
Mini dictionary: Modern Investor — An influential crypto market analyst on multiple digital platforms, known for extensive market cycle analysis and widely-followed forecasts.
XRP positioned for major cycle growthXRP’s long-term development has centered on increasing its adoption in cross-border payments and institutional finance. Modern Investor’s price target for XRP suggests confidence that ongoing efforts to build practical use cases could translate to major price appreciation if market conditions remain favorable.
Squire commented that after years of building, a price target of $8.95 for XRP “doesn’t sound like an impossible dream.” This view resonates with those in the XRP community who believe that the token’s strong fundamentals and expanding utility give it significant upside potential in the next cycle.
These ambitious forecasts sparked active discussion across multiple platforms. Some respondents felt that the projected prices were overly optimistic or out of step with current market realities. Criticism also touched on Bitcoin, with one commentator arguing that it lacked sufficient utility compared to XRP and other alternatives.
A portion of the community expressed skepticism or frustration, seeing such commentary as part of a larger trend of sensationalist predictions designed to drive engagement. One user dismissed the $9 price prediction for XRP as a “joke,” while another urged others to refrain from amplifying what they described as “dishonest” influencer narratives.
A prediction fueling market dialogueThe specificity of Modern Investor’s targets has prompted close scrutiny throughout the crypto community. Whether or not these levels are ultimately reached, his analysis has ensured that XRP, along with Bitcoin and Ethereum, remains a focal point in ongoing discussions surrounding the trajectory of the current market cycle.
The Ethereum gas limit on Hoodi is scheduled to rise from 60 million to 200 million when Glamsterdam activates on October 26, the Foundation said.
The Ethereum Foundation has not set a mainnet activation date; Hoodi is the next scheduled public test network after Sepolia for Glamsterdam.
Glamsterdam adds enshrined proposer-builder separation, block-level access lists, and gas repricing that reflects execution costs and state growth.
A higher block gas limit creates room for more computation in each block, but it does not guarantee faster confirmations or higher transaction rates.
The Glamsterdam upgrade will raise the Ethereum gas limit on Hoodi to 200 million on October 26. The planned setting expands the computation each block can hold, giving developers another chance to examine Ethereum’s layer-one capacity. The Foundation has not set a mainnet launch date or activation schedule.
The increase could leave room for more transactions or complex contract calls, depending on demand and gas use. A larger gas target, however, does not translate directly into a fixed transactions-per-second figure. Client teams must assess execution behavior and node requirements under load before weighing results against a potential mainnet deployment plan.
Ethereum Gas Limit Moves to 200 Million on Hoodi Testnet
The Ethereum gas limit rise takes Hoodi from 60 million to 200 million, about 3.3x its former level. The Ethereum Foundation’s Hoodi announcement places that change at the same fork epoch as Glamsterdam. Sepolia activated the upgrade on October 6, and now the Hoodi testnet follows. Hoodi’s result will help developers evaluate client behavior under the revised rules.
Hoodi is the final testnet before mainnet.
With Glamsterdam going live soon, Ethereum will 3.3x its gas limit, from 60M to 200M.
From there, 300M feels like a realistic next step. https://t.co/rt9ebj6wkU
— Toni Wahrstätter ⟠ (@nero_eth) October 18, 2026
The Ethereum gas limit sets a ceiling on computation each block can contain. Every transaction uses gas based on the work it requires. A higher cap could leave room for more transactions or more complex contract activity when demand exists. It does not promise faster confirmations or a fixed transactions-per-second figure. Actual throughput also depends on block demand, transaction size, and how quickly nodes propagate and process blocks. The 200 million figure describes the Ethereum gas limit ceiling, not guaranteed network activity.
The higher Ethereum gas limit may add pressure to node hardware, storage, and bandwidth. The Glamsterdam upgrade includes changes intended to manage those demands. Block-level access lists record accounts and storage locations accessed during a block. That record could help clients read state and validate transactions in parallel.
Gas repricing will also adjust costs to better reflect execution and long-term state growth. Developers will watch whether these changes let nodes handle larger blocks reliably. Researcher Toni Wahrstätter has discussed 300 million gas as a possible longer-term target, not a confirmed Glamsterdam setting.
Glamsterdam Upgrade Pairs Capacity Gains with Node Testing
The Ethereum Foundation identifies enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists as core parts of the Glamsterdam upgrade. Under ePBS, the protocol separates the validator proposing a block from the builder assembling its execution payload. The change formalizes that handoff within Ethereum and gives validators more time to check execution data.
Access lists track which accounts and storage locations transactions touch across a block. This structure could let clients process state reads and validation work in parallel. That could support higher layer-one capacity while keeping validation practical. The Ethereum gas limit also aligns with Glamsterdam’s broader processing and validation changes.
The Hoodi testnet is the next scheduled public network after Sepolia for this fork. Wahrstätter has described it as the last testnet step before a possible mainnet launch. Client teams will review test results before establishing the next schedule. Node operators must also install compatible execution and consensus clients before Hoodi’s activation.
The Sepolia client guidance showed that some validator clients defaulted to a 60 million gas target after the fork. Those operators needed an explicit setting to propose blocks with 200 million gas. The Hoodi announcement also tells validators to check their gas-target settings.
Ethereum’s next planned fork after Glamsterdam is Hegotá, expected in 2027. Wahrstätter said developers were considering 23 proposals, including FOCIL and Frame Transactions, though the final package remained undecided.
Buterin has described Hegotá as a possible last fork using conventional cryptography. He pointed to future work on advanced cryptography, formal verification, consensus, and quantum resistance. PeerDAS has also been discussed as a way for nodes to verify data availability without downloading every block.
TLDR: Bitcoin must hold $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel, to target $84,000 and $86,500. A break below $81,000 would shift Bitcoin’s focus to $76,000 as the next downside level to watch. Ethereum must hold $2,350 on a daily close to target $2,700 and $3,000; a loss puts $2,000 in focus. XRP needs $1.25 to hold and a sustained close above $1.56 to open the path toward $2; $1 is the downside. Bitcoin rebound prospects depend on whether buyers defend key support levels, according to crypto analyst Ali Charts.
The analyst named $81,000 for Bitcoin, $2,350 for Ethereum, and $1.25 for XRP as the levels to watch. Each asset has reached a technical test on its daily chart.
Holding these zones could trigger recoveries across all three assets in the near term. A breakdown, however, would shift attention toward lower price targets instead.
Bitcoin Rebound Depends on $81,000 Support Ali Charts shared the outlook in a thread on X on October 18. For Bitcoin, the analyst pointed to $81,000 as the key level.
This price marks the lower boundary of its daily rising channel. The channel connects a series of higher lows and higher highs on the daily chart.
2/5 For Bitcoin, the level is $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel.
If buyers defend it, $BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000, then to its upper boundary at $86,500.
A break below $81,000 would shift my focus to $76,000. pic.twitter.com/Ev21vQ1GLz
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) October 18, 2026
If buyers defend that support, BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000. The $84,000 mark sits near the midpoint of the channel. From there, the next target sits at the upper boundary near $86,500.
However, a break below $81,000 would change the setup. In that case, the analyst would shift focus to $76,000 as the next level.
The $76,000 level would then become the main area for buyers. The Bitcoin rebound case therefore rests on this single channel boundary.
Ethereum Tests $2,350 Support Ethereum faces a similar test at $2,350. This level acts as the support line of a right-angled ascending broadening pattern. Such patterns form when price swings widen while support rises over time.
A bounce from this zone could lift ETH toward $2,700. A stronger move could extend the rally to $3,000. The $3,000 target would require sustained momentum after the first move. Both targets depend on buyers holding the pattern’s lower boundary.
On the other hand, a daily close below $2,350 would change the outlook. A close below that line would invalidate the support the pattern relies on. In that scenario, the analyst would watch $2,000 instead. Ethereum therefore needs to hold that line on a closing basis.
XRP Watches $1.25 Inverse Head-and-Shoulders For XRP, Ali Charts is watching $1.25. Holding this level could complete the right shoulder of a potential inverse head-and-shoulders pattern.
The pattern appears on the 3-day chart. This formation often signals a potential trend reversal when the price breaks above its neckline.
The rebound would still need confirmation, though. A sustained close above $1.56 could open the path toward $2. The $1.56 level acts as the resistance XRP must clear first. Such a move would confirm the setup on the higher timeframe.
Failure to hold $1.25 would change the picture. In that event, $1 becomes the downside level to watch. That level would mark a drop of roughly 20% from the $1.25 support. All three setups, including the Bitcoin rebound case, depend on support holding in the coming sessions.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined an experimental privacy framework for artificial intelligence agents that layers anonymous payments, network anonymization, and on-device prompt handling.
The approach, which he describes as a “paranoid mode” wrapper around his personal agent harness, aims to limit the exposure of user identities and sensitive details when agents interact with external language models.
The system is packaged as a daemon compatible with the OpenAI application programming interface. Inside it, three distinct protections operate together.
First, every conversation is assigned its own circuit on the Tor network.
Wrapped zkAPI + Tor + extra cover traffic + local LLM prompt rewriting in an open-AI compatible daemon, and made a "paranoid mode" wrapper for my agent harness (pi):
Each conversation gets assigned a separate Tor circuit, your requests are masked with random cover traffic, zkAPI… pic.twitter.com/2y236zA0cw
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 16, 2026
Requests are further obscured by the injection of random cover traffic, which is intended to make genuine queries harder to distinguish from background noise on the basis of timing or volume.
Second, payment for model usage is handled through zkAPI, a protocol developed with involvement from the Open Anonymity Project and the Ethereum Foundation.
zkAPI allows a user to maintain a private balance and prove, via zero-knowledge proofs, that sufficient funds exist for a request without linking that request back to a specific on-chain deposit or wallet identity.
Third, prompts are rewritten on the user’s own machine by a local language model before they leave the device.
Buterin has indicated he uses a Qwen 3.8 Flash Next model for this step, so that stylistic markers and potentially identifying wording can be altered prior to transmission.
The agent harness itself runs inside a bubblewrap sandbox, with additional experiments underway involving MicroVM isolation.
The entire environment is then wrapped with torsocks, forcing all outbound connections through Tor.
In a short demonstration, Buterin asked the agent to perform a simple research task—identifying vegan restaurants in Tallinn—and reported that the stack returned usable results.
He characterized the overall experience as increasingly practical, while noting that the added layers introduce noticeable latency, particularly when a new conversation begins and a fresh Tor circuit must be established.Buterin has also flagged remaining limitations.
He observes that Tor, while helpful against passive observers, is far from ideal for this use case.
Cover traffic offers only modest protection if an AI service provider colludes with a Tor entry (guard) node and actively manipulates timing patterns.
In such scenarios, he suggests that a purpose-built mix network, accepting higher bandwidth overhead and continuous cover traffic, would be more appropriate.
Separately, he notes that substantially lower gas costs for zkAPI deposits and withdrawals are expected to arrive on Ethereum mainnet in the near term, which could enlarge the anonymity set available to users.
The arrangement offers a concrete illustration of how AI-powered agents might access remote models while reducing the linkage between prompts, network metadata, and payment credentials.
It does not eliminate all possible leakage paths, nor does it claim to replace the need for stronger anonymity systems in the long run. The code for the daemon and related components has been made available for inspection, allowing others to examine, test, or adapt the design.
Cysic halted its bridge after an attacker minted 10 million CYS tokens without backing on BNB Smart Chain.
Cysic blacklisted the wallet about 76 minutes later, restricting 2.8 million CYS, or 28% of the mint.
Initial on-chain reports link sales of 7.2 million CYS to 306.6 ETH worth roughly $727,000 on Ethereum.
The 10 million unauthorized tokens equaled 1% of total supply, while mainnet operations remained unaffected.
Cysic suspended its cross-chain bridge after an attacker created 10 million unauthorized CYS tokens on BNB Smart Chain and moved reported proceeds to Ethereum. The October 17 breach exposed faulty authentication of bridge messages authorizing token issuance.
The mint occurred at 12:31:38 UTC, according to its October 18 incident report. Investigators traced the breach to unauthorized access to a bridge database. The attacker then exploited a message-processing vulnerability to submit fraudulent mint instructions without a corresponding asset transfer.
On-chain activity cited in initial reporting linked the incident to sales of 7.2 million tokens and approximately 306.6 ETH received on Ethereum. Those proceeds were valued near $727,000, although the foundation has not verified the complete transaction trail or final losses.
How Hacker Minted 10M CYS Before Cysic Suspended Its Bridge
Cross-chain bridges use authenticated messages to recognize transfers between blockchains and release matching assets. In this case, fraudulent instructions caused the system to mint tokens that lacked a legitimate transfer backing them. The breach therefore centered on bridge message validation, rather than a breakdown in the underlying network’s consensus.
Cysic blacklisted the receiving address at 13:47:52 UTC, about 76 minutes after the mint. By that point, 2.8 million tokens remained in the blocked wallet. That was 28% of the issuance; the remaining 7.2 million, or 72%, had moved out. The project’s cross-chain bridge was suspended to prevent further unauthorized activity.
An external security firm is now examining bridge messages, permissions and asset records, while investigators trace affected addresses. The bridge remains closed without a reopening date, pending security review and validation.
Unauthorized 10M CYS Mint Equals 1% of Supply as Probe Continues
The scale of the issuance matters beyond the reported transfer proceeds. Project tokenomics document a total supply of 1 billion tokens, used for governance, computing services and network incentives. The 10 million unauthorized units equaled 1% of that stated supply, raising questions about unrecovered circulation.
However, the amount transferred to Ethereum should not be treated as the confirmed financial loss. Although initial tracking attributed 306.6 ETH to the attacker, the foundation has yet to establish how much was ultimately retained. Similarly, the 2.8 million restricted tokens are a verified containment measure, not evidence of recovery.
Mainnet consensus, block production and transaction execution continued normally, and existing assets in users’ wallets were unaffected. Users have also been warned against fake compensation links, recovery pitches and requests for private keys. A follow-up report is expected to address verified losses, fund tracing and remediation.
Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
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CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
Binance founder CZ announced in a post that the Japanese edition of his autobiography *Freedom of Money* is released today, with more language editions set to roll out soon, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
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Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss. He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage. Positions: 96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74 158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28 38,529 $SOXL
1 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M). As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated. It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
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The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
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ETH addresses that hoarded ETH in September are suspected of liquidating their positions, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), the address 0xF4B…496eb withdrew 1417.77 ETH from Binance between September 19 and 23, worth $3.78 million. Eight hours ago, it deposited all the ETH into a trading platform at a price of $2364.18; if sold, the asset would shrink by 11.38%, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
Crypto is bleeding into the weekend, and that is exactly when the “best to buy” question gets interesting. Bitcoin has slipped below $81,000, Ethereum is down about 2% on the day, and the whole board is red as of October 18, 2026 — yet three names still carry dated catalysts that outlive a down candle. The question is not whether the market bounces, but which asset has a reason to move that has not already been priced in.
Bitcoin and Solana hold the line, but the 10x math has closed
Bitcoin trades at $80,899, down 0.46% in 24 hours with a $1.63 trillion market cap and roughly 63% dominance, per CoinGecko on October 18. It has spent most of October defending the $80,000 zone rather than challenging highs, and the size is now the whole story: a 10x from here would value Bitcoin above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. That is arithmetic, not a forecast. Bitcoin is the value-preservation pick, not the upside pick, and a recent slide below $82,000 showed how macro-sensitive it still is.
Solana has the more interesting profile. At $101.37, down 1.6% on the day with a $59.8 billion market cap, it sits about 60% below its all-time high near $295 — and a 10x from here would still only take it to roughly the size of Ethereum today. The catalyst is the Alpenglow upgrade, which reworks how validators agree on blocks and targets finality of about 150 milliseconds, down from 12.8 seconds. It is live on testnet, but with no confirmed mainnet date, SOL is a leveraged bet on altcoin rotation rather than a dated catalyst.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam is the only hard-dated catalyst
Ethereum trades at $2,357, down 2.0% on the day with a $288 billion market cap, but the story is the schedule, not the candle. Glamsterdam — the biggest upgrade since the Merge — bundles enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), which pulls block building into the protocol and cuts reliance on MEV-Boost middleware, with Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928), which let clients process transactions in parallel. The Foundation says testing supports a gas-limit floor of 200 million after the fork, more than three times current capacity.
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27 and mainnet targeted for the fourth quarter. A hard-dated catalyst is what turns a coiling chart into a breakout, and it is why ETH is the lowest-risk way to play this rotation — a 2x from here is a $576 billion outcome, credible for a network that has been grinding through ETF outflows all month.
Zcash: the quantum bet that pulled back 6%
The wildcard is Zcash (ZEC), down 5.7% on the day to $1,064.85 with an $18.1 billion market cap. The pullback does not change the catalyst: Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments, moving the network toward signatures a future quantum computer could not forge. That puts ZEC in a small group of assets shipping a quantum-safety timeline rather than talking about one, and the market has been re-rating it accordingly through October — a retracement after a run is normal, not a signal the thesis broke.
The trade is not without risk. A quantum-resistant signature scheme is research-grade work, and the January date is a target, not a guarantee, as our breakdown of the plan makes clear. But the asymmetry is the point: at an $18 billion market cap, a 5x takes ZEC to roughly XRP’s size — credible if quantum-safety becomes a real institutional requirement — while the top of the table is locked into single-digit monthly moves by its own size.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best crypto to buy in October 2026?
It depends on the goal. Ethereum offers the most concrete dated catalyst (the Glamsterdam upgrade) at lower risk, Zcash carries a quantum-resistance timeline with more upside and more risk, and Bitcoin remains the value-preservation pick.
Why can’t Bitcoin deliver another 10x?
Market-cap arithmetic. A 10x from Bitcoin’s $1.63 trillion market cap would value it above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. Larger assets need far more capital to move the same percentage.
When does the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade launch?
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, 2026, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27. Mainnet is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, with no exact date confirmed.
Is Zcash’s quantum-resistance real?
Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments. It is a research-grade upgrade and the date is a target, not a guarantee, but it is a concrete timeline rather than a talking point — which is why the market has been re-rating the token.
AUTHOR
Blockchain analyst specializing in the regulatory impact of government policies on the crypto industry. Known for his thorough research and clear, engaging writing, Emmanuel provides insightful analysis on the latest trends, market shifts, and emerging crypto innovations. His work aims to educate and inform both novice and experienced readers, offering expert perspectives on the fast-evolving world of digital assets. With a passion for staying ahead of the curve, Ogwu is a trusted voice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
TLDR: Justin Sun sold 80%–90% of his Ethereum near $3,600–$4,000 after identifying a fragile double-top pattern. He has not repurchased the Ethereum sold, although he retained a smaller core position and kept Bitcoin. Following the sale, Sun shifted capital into U.S. stocks, identifying Nvidia and Nasdaq-100 exposure. Ethereum closed near $2,402 on October 17, about 33%–40% below Sun’s reported $3,600–$4,000 exit range. TRON founder Justin Sun reduced his once-dominant Ethereum position by roughly 80%–90% as the cryptocurrency approached $4,000, then redirected substantial capital into American stocks. In an October 16 interview with Jin Ming, Sun said he sold between $3,600 and $4,000 and has not repurchased those tokens.
Instead, he kept a smaller Ethereum stake while leaving his Bitcoin holdings intact. Before that decision, Ethereum had been his largest cryptocurrency holding, making the reduction his most consequential disclosed digital-asset shift. The disclosure revealed a divide between assets he considered vulnerable to a reversal and investments he wanted to retain longer term.
Nvidia and Nasdaq-100 exposure became central to that shift. However, Sun provided no token volumes, proceeds, or precise execution dates, leaving the transactions independently unverified. He described the move as a response to market structure rather than a withdrawal from decentralized finance.
Double-Top Fears Behind Justin Sun’s 80%–90% ETH Sale Near $4,000 Sun linked the sale to a double-top formation he perceived after Ethereum approached $4,800, fell back, and staged another advance. That pattern describes two attempts to sustain higher prices, although it cannot independently establish a reversal.
Justin Sun: Sold 80–90% of ETH at $3,600–$4,000, Then Bought Heavily Into US Stocks
On October 16, 2026, Justin Sun @justinsuntron said in an interview with William Joy that he had sold 80–90% of his ETH position at around $3,600–$4,000, keeping only a core holding and had not… pic.twitter.com/yNSBZIRFHr
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) October 18, 2026
He said exchange-traded fund demand supported the second rally, citing investor Tom Lee when describing its buying momentum. Rather than rely on continued support, he considered the rebound fragile and reduced his exposure.
The market subsequently weakened. Ethereum reached approximately $4,950 in August 2025 and approached $4,755 again that October. By October 17, 2026, it closed near $2,402, roughly 33%–40% below Sun’s reported selling range.
Even so, the exit did not end his Ethereum involvement. He described the network as his preferred venue for large-scale decentralized finance operations because of its deeper liquidity. The distinction separates trading an asset from using its underlying blockchain.
Nvidia and Nasdaq-100 Investments Followed the ETH Reduction After trimming ETH, Sun moved funds into U.S. equities, expecting investor attention to concentrate on American stocks. He identified Nvidia as a major holding and reported significant Nasdaq-100 exposure, without detailing allocations or purchase prices.
His position did not imply an unqualified bullish view of technology shares. Sun said he had become slightly bearish on the Nasdaq over the medium term, citing crowded AI investments and borrowing costs. That caution coincided with the Nasdaq Composite’s 2.1% decline on October 16. The index lost approximately 4.5% that week as investors questioned heavy artificial intelligence infrastructure spending.
Bitcoin remained a separate holding. Sun said he retained it throughout the previous year while monitoring potential cryptographic threats from artificial intelligence and quantum computing. He also described isolating Bitcoin in previously unused cold-storage addresses as a precaution, without predicting when such threats might materialize.
Justin Sun, the founder of TRON and a notable figure in the blockchain industry, stated that he sold approximately 80% to 90% of his Ethereum holdings when ETH traded between $3,600 and $4,000. He shared this information during an October 16 interview with Jin Ming, disclosing that the decision reflected concerns about market fragility and potential price reversals.
Reasons behind the Ethereum saleSun attributed the major reduction in his Ethereum portfolio to technical factors. He referenced a double-top formation after Ethereum approached its earlier highs near $4,800 before pulling back, then advancing toward the $4,000 zone again. Although this pattern is widely watched for possible reversals, it does not confirm a turn by itself.
He indicated that the second rally was driven by exchange-traded fund demand, and reported citing investor Tom Lee to describe strong but ultimately fragile buying momentum. In light of this, Sun elected to trim his ETH holdings rather than maintain full exposure to what he believed were increasingly uncertain conditions.
In remarks about the timing and structure of the move, Sun pointed to a double-top setup and signaled diminished confidence in Ethereum’s ability to sustain its previous highs.
After the sale, Ethereum’s performance reflected Sun’s caution. The cryptocurrency, which had reached a high of about $4,950 in August 2025 and hovered near $4,755 in October that year, closed at approximately $2,402 on October 17, 2026—a decline of around 33%–40% from Sun’s disclosed exit level.
Despite the sizable reduction, Sun said he maintained a smaller Ethereum holding and continued to use its blockchain for large-scale decentralized finance activities, describing its liquidity as a key advantage.
Mini dictionary: Double-top pattern, a technical analysis formation signaling two failed attempts to surpass a resistance level, often considered a potential indicator of a trend reversal if confirmed by subsequent price action.
Following the ETH sale, Sun directed significant capital into U.S. equities. He specifically identified Nvidia, a global leader in graphics processing units and artificial intelligence hardware, as a principal holding. Additionally, he reported sizable exposure to the Nasdaq-100 index, though he did not disclose precise allocation details.
Sun clarified that his shift toward equities did not signal an unconditionally bullish outlook. Instead, he characterized his stance on technology stocks as increasingly cautious, citing elevated valuations in the artificial intelligence sector and rising borrowing costs as concerns. His comments came as the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.1% on October 16 and posted a weekly loss of about 4.5%, reflecting investor unease over heavy AI spending.
After reducing his Ethereum allocation, Sun maintained his Bitcoin holdings without change. He noted that he had opted to use cold-storage solutions for Bitcoin, with the goal of mitigating risks associated with potential future advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Mini dictionary: Nasdaq-100, a stock market index comprising 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, with a strong emphasis on technology and growth sectors.
Asset / IndexSun’s ActionPerformance (Oct 17, 2026)Ethereum (ETH)Sold 80%–90% at $3,600–$4,000Closed at $2,402Bitcoin (BTC)Held entire positionUnchanged as per SunNvidiaIncreased holdingsNot specifiedNasdaq-100Gained substantial exposureIndex down 4.5% for the week
The crypto market enters October’s final weeks near $2.74 trillion, with several Crypto Events drawing attention across digital assets.
Bitcoin price trades at $82,000, Ethereum is at nearly $2,421, and XRP is valued at roughly $1.30.
Federal Reserve Interest Rate Decision — October 28 The Federal Reserve meets on October 27–28, with its policy announcement scheduled for October 28 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The accompanying press conference starts at 2:30 p.m., offering further guidance about inflation, employment, and the interest rate outlook.
Fedwatch data The current federal funds target range stands at 3.75%–4.00%, following September’s quarter-point increase. Market expectations remain sensitive to incoming figures, particularly inflation readings and employment reports released before the meeting.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam Upgrade on Hoodi — October 26 Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade is scheduled for Hoodi on October 26 at 17:42:48 UTC, according to the Ethereum Foundation. The activation will test changes affecting block production, transaction validation, and gas accounting across the network.
Hoodi’s gas limit will also increase to 200 million, giving developers another opportunity to assess performance under updated rules. If it works, the testing will also bolster the confidence of people in Ethereum’s development path, but the impact on the market will depend on the market environment.
Finally, it may be necessary for developers to do more testing or tweak deployment approaches before taking it further in case of any technical problems. The Foundation has not announced a mainnet activation date, leaving the timing of wider deployment undecided. The Hoodi deployment itself will not reduce Ethereum mainnet fees or immediately increase the network’s transaction capacity.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Monthly Options Expiry — October 30 Deribit’s monthly Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire on October 30 at 08:00 UTC, the month’s final Friday. The exchange determines delivery prices using the relevant index’s average between 07:30 and 08:00 UTC.
Traders approaching settlement may close contracts, shift exposure into later expiries, or adjust hedges as market prices fluctuate. These modifications may exacerbate short-term volatility in prices, particularly if there are lots of outstanding shares that are concentrated around the strike price.
However, expiry alone provides no reliable indication of whether Bitcoin or Ethereum will move higher or lower. Position sizes, liquidity, and the market’s preceding direction will determine how strongly this settlement affects trading.
Other Top Crypto Events To Watch This Week Before those Crypto Events, the October 19–23 economic calendar brings additional signals about growth, inflation, and financial conditions.
Tuesday features ADP’s weekly employment update alongside housing releases, offering fresh evidence about hiring and property demand.
Oil data for Wednesday may affect the price of energy, and demand for Treasury auction offers may influence the cost of borrowing for the government.
🚨 NEXT WEEK COULD BE BRUTAL FOR THE U.S. STOCK MARKET.
Wall Street is already under pressure from rising inflation, surging bond yields, and growing concerns about the AI debt boom.
And several major events next week could trigger even more volatility.
MONDAY: U.S. markets reopen amid rumors of a major AI fund blowup, although no collapse has been confirmed.
TUESDAY: ADP employment data and U.S. housing data. Weak numbers could raise fears of an economic slowdown just like 2007-08.
WEDNESDAY: U.S. oil inventory data and a $13 BILLION 20-year Treasury auction. Weak bond demand could push yields even higher, while low inventory data could pump oil prices, making the inflation situation worse.
THURSDAY: U.S. jobless claims and mortgage rates. More signs of weakness could increase recession concerns.
FRIDAY: S&P Global Manufacturing and Services PMI. This will show whether business activity is slowing while inflation pressures remain high and bond yields hit multi-decade highs.
And all of this is happening a week before the Fed’s October 27–28 meeting.
With inflation rising, bond yields above 5%, and AI stocks already under pressure, next week could bring another major market selloff.
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) October 17, 2026
Thursday’s jobless claims will provide another employment reading, with mortgage rate updates adding context about household financing pressures.
Friday’s preliminary manufacturing and services PMIs will indicate whether business activity and pricing pressures are strengthening or easing.
Galaxy Research analyzes why Bitcoin weakened in October, pointing to weak corporate treasury buying and ETF outflows as the primary causes.
Galaxy Research Head of Research Alex Thorn points out that Bitcoin’s weakness in October is tied to weak growth in corporate Bitcoin reserves and net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs. Using the “institutional absorption vs. long-term holder address distribution” metric for analysis, the calculation is: spot ETF net inflows plus net additions to corporate reserves, minus the amount of Bitcoin that has been dormant on-chain for over five years and reactivated. Data shows that as of October 18, the year-to-date net value of this metric stood at roughly negative 127,300 BTC, meaning the distribution of old coins from long-term holding addresses has overall outpaced institutional uptake. The analyst also noted that the year-to-date net inflow of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs returned to positive territory in September and has barely held steady since, currently at around $355 million, with a small net outflow recorded so far in October.
50 minutes ago
Qubic discloses security incident: Approximately $1.3 million in QU tokens stolen, affecting 1,404 Qubic wallets.
Qubic announced that between 23:42 UTC yesterday and 01:26 UTC today, attackers exploited insufficient randomness in the seed of some wallets to access and siphon approximately 2.94 trillion QU tokens from 1,404 Qubic wallets. The root cause lies in the seed generation mechanism, not the Qubic protocol itself. Affected seeds include those created in any iPhone or iPad browser before October 18, 2026, those created in Mac Safari on the same date, and those generated via the Qubic iOS App before July 2025. The network has been halted at tick 85,371,949. 87.1% of the stolen funds remain in the Qubic network and are frozen, while the remaining 12.9% has been transferred to MEXC, with the associated receiving accounts also frozen. Qubic said the seed generation issue has been fixed in version 4.26.4. Subsequent actions will be decided by the Computor quorum per network rules, and a full technical report will be published after a fund recovery plan is finalized.
50 minutes ago
Viewpoint: Bitcoin has completed bottom hunting to liquidate long positions, may shift to a short squeeze next week, and maintains a bullish stance above $79,800.
Renowned trader Killa reviewed Bitcoin’s weekly chart trends, noting that last week, BTC fell from $87,000 to the $80,000 range before bouncing back 50%. After the current weekly chart opened, the token rallied on Monday but faced persistent resistance, eventually retesting the prior week’s low around $80,000. Currently, longs are the main targets of market liquidations, so there’s a high chance the trend will shift to targeting shorts next week. For short-term trades, closely watch for a retest of this week’s low at $79,800; if that occurs, look for long entry opportunities. Killa laid out a clear observation framework: If BTC does not retest the lows, focus on the $83,600 level. If the price fails to break above this level, the market will remain in a range-bound capitulation phase; if it breaks through successfully, the rally will push higher. He expects next week’s weekly chart open will move upward, forcing late shorts who entered short positions against the recent rally to cover their positions. In the worst-case scenario for bulls, BTC could dip to the $76,000–$78,000 range. The analyst also explicitly ruled out the extreme scenario of a retest of $74,000.
50 minutes ago
US and South Korean stock market price preview for Monday: SK Hynix and Samsung are expected to open nearly 5% lower, while US stocks are set to open nearly flat in pre-market trading.
During the weekend when traditional markets are closed, Trade.xyz — dubbed the "On-Chain Nasdaq" — leverages perpetual contracts to enable continuous trading and real-time price discovery that traditional finance cannot achieve, pricing in advance the upcoming Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock market trends. Most popular U.S. stock assets on Trade.xyz saw minor declines from their Friday after-hours levels, with an overall flat-to-slightly-weak opening expected on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: SpaceX is currently priced at $144.66, down from $145.47 in U.S. Friday after-hours trading; Micron (MU) is at $869.99, versus $875.98 in Friday after-hours; SanDisk (SNDK) is at $1,275.4, compared to $1,292.43 in Friday after-hours; NVIDIA is at $213.57, versus $213.75 in Friday after-hours; Marvell Technology (MRVL) is at $225.84, versus $226.9 in Friday after-hours; Intel is at $88.89, versus $89.33 in Friday after-hours; Google is at $339.68, versus $339.22 in Friday after-hours; AMD is at $527.09, matching its Friday after-hours level. Popular South Korean stocks on Trade.xyz have dropped notably from their Friday closing prices, with an expected opening decline of 4%–5% on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently priced at $155.81, down from $161.75 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $907.95, versus $954.75 at Friday’s close.
50 minutes ago
Bitcoin Jesus renounced his U.S. citizenship to evade taxes, only to be ordered to pay nearly $50 million in expatriation tax a decade later.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus", under which fraud and tax evasion charges against him will be dropped in exchange for a maximum fine of $49.9 million. As one of the earliest Bitcoin evangelists, Ver purchased large amounts of Bitcoin in 2011 for less than $3 million. In February 2014, to avoid high tax burdens, he obtained citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and renounced his U.S. citizenship the following month. At that time, he and his companies held at least 131,000 Bitcoin, worth over $70 million at the then-current price. He thought changing his nationality would let him escape the U.S.'s high taxes, but the U.S.'s strict "expatriation tax" foiled his plan. Under U.S. tax law, eligible expatriates must treat their global assets as if sold on the day before expatriation and pay capital gains tax. Ver reported $1.03 million in taxes, but not only failed to disclose his personal Bitcoin holdings, he also severely undervalued his company assets. A decade later, the IRS uncovered his fraudulent tax evasion (fraud and tax evasion are not subject to statute of limitations), ultimately forcing him to pay up to $49.9 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest—48 times the amount he had self-reported paying that year.
50 minutes ago
Justin Sun resumes trading PEPE after a two-year hiatus, receiving $28.44 million worth of the token from Poloniex's multi-signature address.
On-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa) has monitored that Justin Sun is trading PEPE again after a two-year hiatus. 22 hours ago, Sun’s address 0x176…0a132 received 7.2 trillion PEPE tokens from Poloniex’s multi-sig address, valued at $28.44 million. This marks his first on-chain PEPE transaction since June 2024, when the token was priced at $0.00001256.
Galaxy Research analyzes why Bitcoin weakened in October, pointing to weak corporate treasury buying and ETF outflows as the primary causes.
Galaxy Research Head of Research Alex Thorn points out that Bitcoin’s weakness in October is tied to weak growth in corporate Bitcoin reserves and net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs. Using the “institutional absorption vs. long-term holder address distribution” metric for analysis, the calculation is: spot ETF net inflows plus net additions to corporate reserves, minus the amount of Bitcoin that has been dormant on-chain for over five years and reactivated. Data shows that as of October 18, the year-to-date net value of this metric stood at roughly negative 127,300 BTC, meaning the distribution of old coins from long-term holding addresses has overall outpaced institutional uptake. The analyst also noted that the year-to-date net inflow of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs returned to positive territory in September and has barely held steady since, currently at around $355 million, with a small net outflow recorded so far in October.
50 minutes ago
Qubic discloses security incident: Approximately $1.3 million in QU tokens stolen, affecting 1,404 Qubic wallets.
Qubic announced that between 23:42 UTC yesterday and 01:26 UTC today, attackers exploited insufficient randomness in the seed of some wallets to access and siphon approximately 2.94 trillion QU tokens from 1,404 Qubic wallets. The root cause lies in the seed generation mechanism, not the Qubic protocol itself. Affected seeds include those created in any iPhone or iPad browser before October 18, 2026, those created in Mac Safari on the same date, and those generated via the Qubic iOS App before July 2025. The network has been halted at tick 85,371,949. 87.1% of the stolen funds remain in the Qubic network and are frozen, while the remaining 12.9% has been transferred to MEXC, with the associated receiving accounts also frozen. Qubic said the seed generation issue has been fixed in version 4.26.4. Subsequent actions will be decided by the Computor quorum per network rules, and a full technical report will be published after a fund recovery plan is finalized.
50 minutes ago
Viewpoint: Bitcoin has completed bottom hunting to liquidate long positions, may shift to a short squeeze next week, and maintains a bullish stance above $79,800.
Renowned trader Killa reviewed Bitcoin’s weekly chart trends, noting that last week, BTC fell from $87,000 to the $80,000 range before bouncing back 50%. After the current weekly chart opened, the token rallied on Monday but faced persistent resistance, eventually retesting the prior week’s low around $80,000. Currently, longs are the main targets of market liquidations, so there’s a high chance the trend will shift to targeting shorts next week. For short-term trades, closely watch for a retest of this week’s low at $79,800; if that occurs, look for long entry opportunities. Killa laid out a clear observation framework: If BTC does not retest the lows, focus on the $83,600 level. If the price fails to break above this level, the market will remain in a range-bound capitulation phase; if it breaks through successfully, the rally will push higher. He expects next week’s weekly chart open will move upward, forcing late shorts who entered short positions against the recent rally to cover their positions. In the worst-case scenario for bulls, BTC could dip to the $76,000–$78,000 range. The analyst also explicitly ruled out the extreme scenario of a retest of $74,000.
50 minutes ago
US and South Korean stock market price preview for Monday: SK Hynix and Samsung are expected to open nearly 5% lower, while US stocks are set to open nearly flat in pre-market trading.
During the weekend when traditional markets are closed, Trade.xyz — dubbed the "On-Chain Nasdaq" — leverages perpetual contracts to enable continuous trading and real-time price discovery that traditional finance cannot achieve, pricing in advance the upcoming Monday’s U.S. and South Korean stock market trends. Most popular U.S. stock assets on Trade.xyz saw minor declines from their Friday after-hours levels, with an overall flat-to-slightly-weak opening expected on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: SpaceX is currently priced at $144.66, down from $145.47 in U.S. Friday after-hours trading; Micron (MU) is at $869.99, versus $875.98 in Friday after-hours; SanDisk (SNDK) is at $1,275.4, compared to $1,292.43 in Friday after-hours; NVIDIA is at $213.57, versus $213.75 in Friday after-hours; Marvell Technology (MRVL) is at $225.84, versus $226.9 in Friday after-hours; Intel is at $88.89, versus $89.33 in Friday after-hours; Google is at $339.68, versus $339.22 in Friday after-hours; AMD is at $527.09, matching its Friday after-hours level. Popular South Korean stocks on Trade.xyz have dropped notably from their Friday closing prices, with an expected opening decline of 4%–5% on Monday. Their weekend performance is as follows: Samsung Electronics is currently priced at $155.81, down from $161.75 at Friday’s close; SK Hynix is at $907.95, versus $954.75 at Friday’s close.
50 minutes ago
Bitcoin Jesus renounced his U.S. citizenship to evade taxes, only to be ordered to pay nearly $50 million in expatriation tax a decade later.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus", under which fraud and tax evasion charges against him will be dropped in exchange for a maximum fine of $49.9 million. As one of the earliest Bitcoin evangelists, Ver purchased large amounts of Bitcoin in 2011 for less than $3 million. In February 2014, to avoid high tax burdens, he obtained citizenship of the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and renounced his U.S. citizenship the following month. At that time, he and his companies held at least 131,000 Bitcoin, worth over $70 million at the then-current price. He thought changing his nationality would let him escape the U.S.'s high taxes, but the U.S.'s strict "expatriation tax" foiled his plan. Under U.S. tax law, eligible expatriates must treat their global assets as if sold on the day before expatriation and pay capital gains tax. Ver reported $1.03 million in taxes, but not only failed to disclose his personal Bitcoin holdings, he also severely undervalued his company assets. A decade later, the IRS uncovered his fraudulent tax evasion (fraud and tax evasion are not subject to statute of limitations), ultimately forcing him to pay up to $49.9 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest—48 times the amount he had self-reported paying that year.
50 minutes ago
Justin Sun resumes trading PEPE after a two-year hiatus, receiving $28.44 million worth of the token from Poloniex's multi-signature address.
On-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa) has monitored that Justin Sun is trading PEPE again after a two-year hiatus. 22 hours ago, Sun’s address 0x176…0a132 received 7.2 trillion PEPE tokens from Poloniex’s multi-sig address, valued at $28.44 million. This marks his first on-chain PEPE transaction since June 2024, when the token was priced at $0.00001256.
According to TradingBeats' monitoring, prominent crypto figure Jeff Huang (nicknamed "Maji Big Brother") had his entire account liquidated earlier this morning. Later that evening, he added $100,000 in margin and opened a new 25x long Ethereum position worth $4.3 million at an entry price of $2,398. A year ago, Huang had earned $44.84 million in profits on Hyperliquid; he has since given back all those gains and incurred an additional $36.85 million in losses.
