Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Memecoins have changed from simple internet jokes into a major part of cryptocurrency culture. Dogecoin started as a playful digital currency, while PEPE gained attention through its connection to a famous internet meme. Both show how online communities can turn cultural ideas into widely traded crypto assets.

However, a new generation of AI memecoins is bringing technology into the picture. Instead of depending entirely on viral attention, these projects aim to use artificial intelligence for research, token discovery, and automated launch preparation.

MemeToro is building an AI-powered memecoin ecosystem on BNB Chain. Its open-source AI agent researches trends, prepares token proposals, and connects them with transparent smart-contract rules.

With more than $163,000 raised in Stage 8 and $MT priced at $0.00528, MemeToro is developing a different approach to memecoin participation. The project combines AI research, future trading infrastructure, and token utility within one ecosystem.

Why AI Memecoins Could Become the Next Major Crypto TrendThe main difference between AI memecoins and classic memecoins is how technology supports their ecosystems. Traditional memecoins often depend on community enthusiasm, exchange listings, and social media attention.

Dogecoin uses its own blockchain and has an established history as a payment-focused cryptocurrency. PEPE operates as an Ethereum-based token whose identity comes from internet meme culture.

MemeToro takes a different route by developing an AI agent that can study online conversations, news, and emerging cultural themes. The goal is to turn those signals into documented memecoin proposals.

The planned process includes:

Trend research: The AI agent examines public signals to identify emerging cultural themes.Proposal creation: MemeToro generates concepts with supporting evidence and launch parameters.Smart-contract execution: Public contracts are designed to enforce funding conditions after validation.This gives AI memecoins a technology-led angle beyond their branding. MemeToro’s development also creates a possible connection between automated discovery and future memecoin trading.

Potential 9.82x Returns on a $500 $MT Buying Right NowCommitting $500 at the current Stage 7 price secures roughly 94,697 $MT tokens.

Should the token successfully reach its publicized launch price of $0.05186, the resulting paper value of this stake would land around $4,911, representing the familiar 9.82x step-up from the initial investment. 

Pushing the scenario further into optimistic territory, if MemeToro’s project eventually scales to a $1 billion fully diluted market cap, implying a token price close to $0.8333, this same token count would theoretically be worth about $78,911. 

MemeToro’s AI Agent Brings a New Approach Beyond DOGE and PEPEDOGE and PEPE already have recognizable identities, but MemeToro focuses on the infrastructure used to discover and prepare new memecoin concepts.

MemeToro’s AI agent follows a Propose, Verify, Fund, and Launch model. The AI researches ideas, while deterministic software checks whether the proposals meet predefined requirements.

MemeToro has published real code, tests, and development examples through its GitHub repository. These materials describe how proposal evidence, rejected candidates, and funding parameters can be recorded.

Another development involves launch manifests. These structured records contain important information about a proposed token, including supply, pricing, and funding conditions.

MemeToro’s latest proposal-fingerprint system is designed to connect published information with the corresponding BNB Chain funding round.

The technology gives MemeToro a distinctive position among AI memecoins. Rather than relying only on the popularity of one character, the project is developing tools for researching and launching future memecoin concepts.

Why $MT Utility and Stage 8 Pricing Strengthen MemeToro’s AppealMemeToro’s $MT token supports the project’s planned ecosystem of platform access, transactions, rewards, staking, and memecoin-related services.

Unlike DOGE and PEPE, $MT is associated with a developing AI-assisted launch infrastructure. MemeToro also plans trading features that connect token discovery with broader ecosystem activity.

The total $MT supply is 1.2 billion tokens. Its corrected allocation includes 852 million for public sale, 120 million for CEX reserves, 90.72 million for marketing partners, 60 million for trading, 53.28 million for rewards, and 24 million for the team.

How to Buy MemeToro Before the Prices Increases in the Next StageUsers interested in $MT can begin through MemeToro’s official how to join page. The website provides card and cryptocurrency payment routes for presale participation.

The basic process involves connecting a compatible wallet or selecting an available payment method, entering the purchase amount, and following the displayed instructions.

MemeToro states that public-sale tokens are claimable at launch without a presale vesting schedule. This makes the token distribution structure particularly relevant to buyers comparing early-stage projects.

The project’s separate FairLaunchEscrow architecture is still under development. Its proposed exit windows and refund functions apply to future launchpad funding rounds, not automatically to existing $MT purchases.

What’s Ahead for Top Crypto Presales: MemeToro Offers a Different Direction for MemecoinsThe comparison between AI memecoins and classic memecoins is ultimately about how each project creates value for its community.

DOGE demonstrates the lasting influence of a familiar cryptocurrency brand. PEPE shows how internet culture can support a widely recognized token.

MemeToro is pursuing another direction through AI-assisted research, transparent launch proposals, and planned BNB Chain trading infrastructure.

Its Stage 8 presale, $MT utility model, and published development work give investors several measurable areas to follow as the ecosystem develops.

The strongest distinction is not that MemeToro uses a meme-based identity. It is that MemeToro is building technology intended to help communities research, evaluate, fund, and launch new memecoins through documented rules.

That makes MemeToro an interesting project in the growing AI memecoins category.

FAQsWhat Makes AI Memecoins Different From DOGE and PEPE?AI memecoins combine meme culture with artificial intelligence tools. MemeToro uses an AI agent to research trends, generate token proposals, and prepare transparent funding rules, while DOGE and PEPE mainly rely on their established communities and market activity.

Why Is MemeToro Considered a Promising AI Memecoin?MemeToro combines AI-powered memecoin discovery, planned trading features, and $MT token utility. Its open-source development and BNB Chain funding architecture give the project a technology-focused approach beyond traditional memecoin branding.

How Much Could a $500 MemeToro Investment Be Worth?At the stated Stage 8 price of $0.00528, $500 buys approximately 94,697 $MT before fees. If the token reached $0.05186, those tokens would have a hypothetical value of around $4,911, representing approximately 9.82x the original amount.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/ 

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt 

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA 

Bank of America stock fell as much as 9% on Wednesday, a day after the bank admitted willful money laundering control failures and agreed to pay $1.21 billion. Nobody was charged with a crime.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) served four months in a US prison over his exchange’s anti-money laundering (AML) failures. On Wednesday, the Binance executive highlighted this double standard.

According to the Treasury, the bank failed to report more than $5 billion in suspicious transactions on time. Over $1 billion involved national security risks, including suspected Chinese money laundering networks.

The release says the bank often relied on law enforcement inquiries to spot problems, rather than its own monitoring.

The penalty cut quarterly profit by 17 cents a share, as BeInCrypto flagged Tuesday. Even without it, adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share missed estimates, per TipRanks.

Meanwhile, CZ referred to deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), deals where prosecutors drop charges if a company complies.

Why Did No One at Bank of America Face Charges?The penalties came from three Treasury agencies. These are civil regulators, and they issue fines, not criminal charges.

Criminal cases come from the Justice Department. None of Tuesday’s Treasury announcements mention it.

That department changed course in 2025. A May 2025 Criminal Division memo widened the paths for companies to avoid prosecution if they self-report, cooperate, and fix problems.

Law firm Paul Weiss counted 21 corporate guilty pleas in 2025 and read the data as a slowdown. In 2013, then-Attorney General Eric Holder told senators that the size of some banks made them difficult to prosecute.

Why an HSBC Whistleblower Wants Bank of America Executives ChargedEverett Stern reported money laundering at HSBC while working there as a compliance officer in 2010. On Wednesday, he published an open letter on X to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Dear Secretary Bessent @SecScottBessent,

My name is Everett Stern. In 2010 I was a compliance officer at @HSBC. From a back office in New Castle, Delaware, I watched billions of dollars move to drug cartels, sanctioned regimes, and terrorist organizations. The enemies of the…

— Everett Stern (@EverettStern1) October 14, 2026 Stern asked Bessent to refer Bank of America executives for criminal prosecution. He also urged an end to “too big to jail” and a review of the bank’s national charter.

HSBC settled its own case in December 2012. It admitted that at least $881 million in cartel drug money moved through its US arm, according to the Justice Department.

HSBC paid about $1.92 billion and signed a deferred prosecution agreement. Stern says no banker was charged, and that reporting the bank cost him his career.

“The fines are not working. A fine is paid by shareholders, absorbed by the balance sheet, and forgotten by the next earnings call.”

What Made the Binance Case CriminalBinance never filed a single suspicious activity report with US authorities, according to Justice Department filings.

It also let Americans trade $898 million with users in Iran, breaching US sanctions. Prosecutors said CZ told staff it was better to ask forgiveness than permission.

Binance pleaded guilty and paid $4.3 billion. CZ got four months, though prosecutors sought three years. He has since called underestimating compliance his biggest Binance mistake.

Banks have faced criminal cases too. TD Bank pleaded guilty in 2024 after employees helped launderers move money. Prosecutors charged over two dozen people, including two bank insiders.

How US Enforcement Shifted Since CZ’s SentenceIn April 2025, the Justice Department told prosecutors to end “regulation by prosecution” of crypto platforms. It disbanded its national crypto enforcement team.

Six months later, President Donald Trump pardoned CZ. Bank of America now has to pay for an outside review to find suspicious transactions it missed.

Buying a token before its public trading launch usually means committing funds before the final product becomes available. Many buyers focus on the token price, potential growth, and launch date without fully understanding what happens to their contribution.

This raises an important question: can you get your money back in a memecoin presale?

The answer depends on the funding agreement and the smart contract controlling the money. Some token sales provide refund conditions, while others treat purchases as final.

MemeToro is developing a different funding model for future AI-generated memecoin launches on BNB Chain. Its FairLaunchEscrow contract introduces a defined exit window, permissionless withdrawals, and refunds when certain funding conditions are not met.

MemeToro has also raised more than $163,000 in its separate $MT Stage 8 presale, priced at $0.00528. The new refund architecture concerns future launchpad rounds rather than automatically changing existing $MT presale terms.

Why MemeToro’s Refund System Could Change Memecoin PresalesA memecoin presale refund system determines when contributors can recover their original funds. MemeToro’s FairLaunchEscrow design makes these conditions part of the smart contract rather than leaving every decision to the project team.

The latest update introduces a published exit deadline. Contributors can withdraw their funds before that deadline without asking for permission.

This creates a clear sequence:

Contribution: A buyer sends funds into the designated escrow contract.Exit period: The contributor can withdraw while the published window remains open.Finalization: The funding round can proceed only after the exit period closes and the required conditions are satisfied.MemeToro’s contract design prevents a launch from finalizing while contributors still have the right to withdraw.

Even if a funding round reaches its hard cap almost immediately, the published exit deadline remains in place.

This is an important design choice because the contributor’s decision period cannot be shortened simply because other buyers contributed quickly.

How the $163K MemeToro Presale Is a Bullish Sign for New InvestorsMemeToro’s existing $MT presale is separate from the future FairLaunchEscrow funding rounds. The project has raised more than $163,000 in Stage 8, with $MT priced at $0.00528. Its total supply is fixed at 1.2 billion tokens, with 71% allocated to public sale.

MemeToro plans to use $MT for ecosystem access, transactions, staking, rewards, and memecoin-related services.

The project also describes AI-assisted memecoin discovery and future trading infrastructure as part of its wider ecosystem.

Buyers can review current participation options through the official how to join page.

Can a $50 Entry in $MT Generate Significant ROI?Even a modest $50 allocation at the current $0.00528 rate buys around 9,470 $MT tokens before any transaction fees come into play. 

Based on the project’s publicized launch price target of $0.05186, this small position would be worth roughly $491 on paper, mirroring the same 9.82x valuation jump seen at every other tier examined here. 

If MemeToro reach a $1 billion fully diluted valuation with a token price near $0.8333, those same 9,470 tokens would carry a value of about $7,891. 

How MemeToro Uses Smart Contracts to Give Buyers More ControlMemeToro’s FairLaunchEscrow architecture uses Solidity smart contracts to manage funding conditions on BNB Chain.

The design includes minimum funding thresholds, maximum contributions, wallet limits, refund conditions, and finalization rules. These parameters are intended to be fixed when the funding round is created.

MemeToro’s latest refund update gives contributors two important forms of control.

First, they can withdraw during the published exit window. Second, refunds can become available if the round fails to meet the conditions needed for a successful launch.

For example, imagine a funding round reaches its minimum target but several contributors withdraw before the exit deadline. Those withdrawals could reduce the remaining contributions below the required minimum.

Under MemeToro’s design, that round should not launch using capital that contributors have already withdrawn.

The contract is also designed so contributed funds have only two permitted destinations: back to contributors or toward liquidity after successful finalization.

MemeToro has published code and tests demonstrating these rules, although FairLaunchEscrow remains an undeployed development contract.

Why MemeToro’s New Funding Interface Matters for Refund AccessA smart-contract refund system becomes more useful when contributors can understand their balances and interact with the contract directly.

MemeToro’s developing funding interface is intended to make actions such as contributions, withdrawals, refunds, and claims easier to access.

The underlying contract design does not require an AI agent or private backend to approve eligible withdrawals.

That means the planned funding system separates website convenience from contract authority. The interface helps users interact with the blockchain, while the contract determines whether an action is allowed.

MemeToro is also developing launch manifests that publish supply, funding targets, wallet caps, and timing rules.

Each proposal can carry a digital fingerprint that links its published information to the funding round.

Together, these features create a clearer record of what contributors agreed to before sending funds. For an AI-powered launchpad, this is a significant development because the software can prepare proposals without controlling contributor money.

Final Words: Is MemeToro the Best Crypto Presale Right Now?Refund access is becoming an important topic as memecoin launchpads introduce more automated funding systems.

MemeToro’s approach focuses on giving contributors a published period to reconsider their participation before a round becomes final.

Its FairLaunchEscrow design also includes permissionless refunds when the required launch conditions are not satisfied.

The latest exit-window update strengthens this approach by preventing early finalization, even when a funding round fills quickly.

MemeToro’s broader AI ecosystem adds another layer through documented proposals, fixed funding parameters, and public smart-contract development.

For buyers researching future memecoin presales, the central benefit is clarity. They can examine when withdrawals are allowed, when refunds apply, and what conditions must be met before funding proceeds toward a launch.

FAQsCan You Get a Refund From a Memecoin Presale?Refunds depend on the project’s funding rules. MemeToro’s developing FairLaunchEscrow system allows contributors to withdraw during a published exit window and receive refunds when a future funding round fails to meet its required conditions.

How Does MemeToro’s Smart Contract Refund System Work?MemeToro’s FairLaunchEscrow contract is designed to hold contributions and enforce funding rules on BNB Chain. Eligible contributors can withdraw or claim refunds directly through the contract without requiring approval from the project team.

Does MemeToro’s Refund System Apply to the $MT Presale?No. MemeToro’s FairLaunchEscrow refund system is being developed for future AI-generated memecoin funding rounds. The current $MT presale follows separate participation terms.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/ 

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt 

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA 

Stellar (XLM) declined by approximately 3.6% on October 14, trading near $0.184, as the token continued to struggle despite new partnerships and increasing institutional involvement in its blockchain. The drop extended recent losses, keeping Stellar below the $0.20 level even as industry initiatives signal a growing role for its infrastructure in global finance.

Institutional Expansion Meets Token Price WeaknessStellar’s ongoing efforts to modernize traditional finance have been highlighted by collaboration with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), which processes infrastructure for trillions of dollars in traditional financial assets annually. In May, DTCC announced plans to connect its tokenization platform with the Stellar public blockchain, aiming to bring eligible assets onto Stellar’s network by the first half of 2027.

Assets under consideration include prominent US equities such as Russell 1000 stocks, major exchange-traded funds, and US Treasury securities. These plans, however, remain in development, and no such assets have yet been moved onto the Stellar blockchain.

DTCC custodianship covers more than $114 trillion in assets, illustrating the scale of the opportunity. While the announcement initially boosted optimism for Stellar, XLM’s price has since decoupled from the pace of institutional adoption.

XLM’s recent decline highlights a growing gap between advances in financial tokenization and the investment demand for its native cryptocurrency. The underlying infrastructure may attract institutional interest, but this does not guarantee increased market value for XLM itself.

One critical factor behind XLM’s price difficulties involves how the Stellar network operates. Institutional activity, such as securities or stablecoin transfers, does not require holding an equivalent amount of XLM, as the token’s primary role is to cover transaction fees and minimum balances.

MoneyGram Deepens Its Stellar PartnershipBeyond securities tokenization, Stellar’s institutional expansion is also evident through its partnership with MoneyGram. The payments company, along with the Stellar Development Foundation, has recently strengthened their alliance by rolling out stablecoin-powered services and digital-dollar solutions across Latin America.

MoneyGram’s extensive network now supports receiving, holding, and withdrawing funds using stablecoin integrations, making the transfer of digital assets easier for users in the region. Additionally, MoneyGram has joined Stellar’s ecosystem as a Tier 1 validator, joining other institutional nodes such as Figure Markets and Range. This move is expected to reinforce Stellar’s technological reliability and governance.

Despite these advances and a surge in tokenized real-world asset volumes, volatility in XLM persists. Analysts point out that the network’s evolution does not necessarily translate into direct purchasing demand for XLM, mirroring adoption trends throughout the crypto sector.

Meme Tokens and Market MonitoringDetailed observation of market cycles has become increasingly vital in the crypto sector, especially with the rising prominence of meme tokens. In this space, viral trends can rapidly catch fire, drawing millions of dollars of interest within a matter of days. Data from Fomo App pointed to the example of “Niu Lai,” where an initial purchase of just $99 ballooned to approximately $370,000. For participants, monitoring the timing, investor choices, and price movements is essential. Fomo App aggregates token discovery, social activity, investor rankings, and trade notifications in a unified platform, helping traders keep pace with the swift dynamics of meme coins and investor sentiment.

XLM Price Levels and Broader Macro TrendsBroader conditions in the cryptocurrency market have also weighed on XLM’s performance. Recent data shows Bitcoin’s dominance climbing toward 60%, with overall trading activity in altcoins diminishing, suggesting a shift toward larger, more established cryptocurrencies.

Macroeconomic concerns have added pressure. The US inflation rate rose to 3.7% in September, raising expectations that the Federal Reserve could maintain tighter financial conditions and reduce speculative inflows to digital assets.

Market participants are closely watching the $0.182 to $0.185 zone, historically a region where buyers have emerged. A conclusive move below this range could shift attention to the next psychological support near $0.18, while a sustained recovery above $0.19 would signal the first signs of stabilization. The $0.20 threshold remains a key marker following the recent selloff.

While institutional involvement with the Stellar blockchain is growing, wider adoption does not directly fuel sustained demand for XLM, especially as regulatory shifts, inflation, and competitive pressures continue to shape the market environment.

Foundation News

Author

Stellar Development Foundation

Publishing date

Chainlink is unleashing a new wave of DeFi adoption on the Stellar network. With Chainlink’s Data Feeds and Data Streams now live on Stellar, developers have access to the market data needed to launch secure lending markets, prediction markets, perpetual futures, and other innovative onchain financial applications that connect the Stellar network’s growing real world asset (RWA) ecosystem to DeFi.

The Stellar network already supports $4+ billion in RWAs, but assets moving onchain are only part of the story. These assets also need to be priced, traded, borrowed against, and used as collateral. The next phase is utility and distribution. Chainlink is providing industry-standard data infrastructure required to put more of that value to work securely and reliably.

Through Chainlink, assets and liquidity on the Stellar network become the foundation of a productive DeFi ecosystem where stablecoins, tokenized equities, and other digital assets gain utility as collateral and tradable assets, giving users more ways to put their capital to work. Chainlink creates a powerful engine for the Stellar network’s growth by removing a critical barrier to launching new DeFi applications, enabling developers to build the markets that attract new users and capital.

Enhancing asset utility is the next phase of the lifecycle after asset issuance. This integration gives builders access to the same Chainlink oracle infrastructure that secures the vast majority of DeFi and has enabled tens of trillions of dollars in onchain transaction value.

This launch delivers on the previous announcement about the Chainlink Scale program by giving developers access to Chainlink’s high-quality, enterprise-grade oracle infrastructure.

Leading ecosystem applications are adopting Chainlink data infrastructure on the Stellar network at launch to power critical DeFi functions including collateral processing, loan-to-value calculations, automated liquidations, and stablecoin reference rates.

“The Stellar network’s adoption of Chainlink as its data infrastructure unlocks a new generation of DeFi and tokenized asset applications across its ecosystem. With Data Feeds and Data Streams now available natively, developers have the high-quality, reliable market data needed to build secure lending markets, stablecoins, and tokenized assets and scale them for widespread adoption.”—Johann Eid, Chief Business Officer at Chainlink Labs

“Tokenization is only the beginning. For onchain financial markets to operate at institutional scale, assets need reliable infrastructure for pricing, execution, and movement. Chainlink's oracle infrastructure strengthens that foundation by giving developers access to the data and connectivity required to build next-gen financial applications on Stellar. As these layers mature together, the opportunity shifts from simply issuing assets onchain to putting them to work.”—Raja Chakravorti, Chief Business Officer, Stellar Development Foundation

About StellarThe Stellar network is a decentralized, fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable blockchain built for financial products and services. It offers builders smart contracts functionality and a protocol optimized for payments, with a design intended to keep fees low and to provide transaction speeds that can scale with increased adoption. Financial institutions and innovators worldwide issue assets and settle payments on the Stellar network, which has processed billions of operations with millions of accounts since the network was first launched.

About ChainlinkChainlink is the industry-standard oracle platform bringing the capital markets onchain and the market leader powering the majority of DeFi. The Chainlink stack provides the essential data, interoperability, compliance, and privacy standards needed to power advanced blockchain use cases for institutional tokenized assets, lending, payments, stablecoins, and more. Since inventing decentralized oracle networks, Chainlink has enabled tens of trillions in transaction value and now secures the vast majority of DeFi.

Many of the world’s largest financial services institutions have also adopted Chainlink’s standards and infrastructure, including Swift, Euroclear, Mastercard, Fidelity International, UBS, S&P Dow Jones Indices, FTSE Russell, WisdomTree, ANZ, and top protocols such as Aave, Polymarket, Lido, Lighter, and many others. Chainlink leverages a novel fee model where offchain and onchain revenue from enterprise adoption is converted to LINK tokens and stored in a strategic Chainlink Reserve. Learn more at chain.link.

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.

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Chainlink price is approaching a key technical test, with traders watching whether LINK can hold $11.50–$13.20 and begin a broader recovery. The weekly chart marks $52.86 as a potential all-time-high target, implying roughly 309% upside from the displayed $12.938 price. Big target, certainly. But the route there has several hurdles.

Chainlink Price Tests Support After ReboundingLINK has rebounded from the $7–$9 demand zone and is now testing the $11.50–$13.20 support area. If buyers defend this range, $14.77 becomes the first level to watch, followed by the $17.81 reclaim zone, per the analyst post.

Above that, $20.93 is another important threshold. A sustained move beyond it, alongside a break of the descending macro trendline, would strengthen the recovery setup. If support fails below $11.50, however, the lower demand zone could come back into focus.

Chainlink Reserve Reaches 6.2 Million LINKThe technical picture isn’t the only development. Chainlink Reserve holdings have reached 6.2 million LINK, with the latest addition recorded on October 8, 2026.

The broader network metrics are also substantial. Chainlink oracles have facilitated a cumulative $36.42 trillion in transaction value, while smart contract applications secured by its oracles hold or have borrowed against $57.9 billion in assets.

CCIP and Oracle Metrics Show Network ScaleChainlink oracles have published 20.28 billion verified outputs on smart contract blockchains. Meanwhile, the fully diluted value of Cross-Chain Tokens integrated with CCIP stands at $85.63 billion, and cumulative asset transfers through CCIP have reached $25.48 billion.

These figures show the scale of activity associated with Chainlink’s infrastructure, which can be useful data points to assess network’s adoption. They don’t, by themselves, guarantee that LINK’s market price will rise. Adoption and token performance aren’t interchangeable.

For now, the Chainlink price prediction hinges on support holding and buyers reclaiming successive resistance levels. A confirmed breakout could put $28.01 and $36.42 into view before the chart’s $52.86 target. Until then, the bullish path remains conditional with better odds, if demand aligns.

Story Ends Here

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Stellar announced native Chainlink data services for DeFi applications, while XLM’s seven-day loss reached 7.85%.

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The share-backed tokens would trade on HyperCore against USDC, with US persons excluded under EQX’s eligibility rules.

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Financial supervision shifts to the EBA on Nov. 12, while France’s ACPR keeps responsibility for governance and other corporate matters.

Financial supervision shifts to the EBA on Nov. 12, while France’s ACPR keeps responsibility for governance and other corporate matters.

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Circle built its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol to do one job: move USDC between blockchains. That job description just got longer.

CCTP has now handled more than $100 million in cross-chain volume for assets other than USDC, including cirBTC, EURC and WETH. The milestone arrived shortly after Circle switched on multi-asset support in September 2026. In other words, this was not a slow multi-year climb. It happened within weeks.

How Circle’s CCTP moves tokens without wrapping them CCTP uses a burn-and-mint model, destroying tokens on the source chain and creating the same amount fresh on the destination chain. Users end up holding the real asset, not a stand-in. There is no wrapped version to track, and no liquidity pool that needs to be stocked for the transfer to go through.

A September rollout in three acts The expansion began on September 2, 2026, when CCTP added native EURC transfers. Circle’s euro stablecoin started out on routes between Ethereum and Base, then extended to Arc, a network aimed at institutions.

Next came cirBTC. The token, which is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin, launched on Arc on September 21, 2026. Native cirBTC transfers through CCTP were switched on just days later, on September 23-24, 2026.

The third piece is WETH, the wrapped form of Ether that many DeFi apps use as a building block. CCTP now supports select third-party assets, and WETH is the headline example. WETH carries particular weight in lending applications within the Arc ecosystem, such as Aave V4.

The full supported list now reads USDC, EURC, cirBTC and WETH, plus whatever other third-party tokens Circle chooses to admit.

Putting $100 million in context Over its lifetime, CCTP has processed more than $110 billion in cumulative volume across all supported assets. Next to that figure, $100 million in non-USDC transfers is a small slice.

The broader CCTP toolkit has also been getting heavier. Its V2 release added Fast Transfers, which speed up settlement, and Hooks, which let developers trigger actions automatically once funds arrive on the destination chain. The protocol is also adding blockchains. Sui is slated to join in October 2026.

Background: from stablecoin plumbing to multi-asset rails CCTP started life as Circle’s answer to a specific headache. USDC existed on many chains, but moving it between them often meant relying on third-party bridges and their wrapped versions of the token. By handling the burn and the mint itself, Circle could keep USDC native everywhere. The September expansion applies that same playbook to a growing portfolio of Circle-issued tokens and a handful of outside assets.

For developers, multiple assets can now be supported through a single CCTP integration, rather than wiring up a separate bridge for each token.

What this means for Circle, developers and DeFi Arc is the other thread to watch. Both EURC and cirBTC were routed to the institution-focused network early, and WETH’s role in Arc lending markets like Aave V4 hints at where Circle hopes the activity concentrates.

There are real tradeoffs to weigh. Burn-and-mint transfers concentrate trust in the issuer and the protocol running the attestations, and the third-party asset list is selected by Circle rather than open to anyone.

The near-term markers are straightforward. Watch whether non-USDC volume keeps compounding after the launch novelty fades, whether more third-party tokens get approved, and whether the Sui integration lands on its October 2026 timeline.

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

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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The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced that it has classified USDC, issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, as an Important Electronic Money Token (EMT) under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. To date, 45 EMTs in the EU have completed notification under MiCA, with USDC being the first to be designated as an Important EMT. Starting November 12, 2026, USDC will be subject to dual supervision for Important EMTs under MiCA: direct regulatory responsibilities for own funds, asset reserves, liquidity requirements, and recovery and redemption plans will be transferred from the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) to the EBA; ACPR will retain oversight of governance, qualifying holdings, suitability assessments, outsourcing, and conflicts of interest. USDC is issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS in the EU and Circle Internet Financial, LLC in the U.S. The EBA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New York State Department of Financial Services to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on cross-border stablecoin activities.

Relevant content

Ledger: German retail and distribution inventory devices show no signs of tampering, and no financial loss reports have been received across Europe.

Hardware wallet provider Ledger’s security team Donjon has updated on a German-related report, stating that after receiving a report from a German user, it inspected inventory devices at retail outlets and distributors in the country, including products at the named stores, and found no signs of tampering. Ledger also noted that there have been no reports of financial losses linked to hardware implants across Europe. Separately, regarding the suspected abnormal devices circulating online, the security team has not obtained physical units for testing. It has now invited holders of such devices to send them to Ledger’s security team for further analysis, with investigation results to be made public.

4 hours ago

Hyperliquid HIP-3 Cumulative Revenue Reaches $75 Million

Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 has generated a total of $75 million in cumulative revenue, with $37.5 million going to deployers and the remaining $37.5 million allocated for repurchasing and burning Hyperliquid’s native token. HIP-3, the Builder-deployed perpetual contract mechanism, allows eligible deployers to launch their own perpetual markets on Hyperliquid: they can define oracles, contract specifications, and manage operations, while leveraging the protocol’s core infrastructure such as order books and liquidation systems. Fees from these markets are typically split 50/50 between deployers and the protocol, with the protocol’s revenue share used for token repurchases and burns.

4 hours ago

xAI releases Grok Voice 3.0, topping Speech-to-Speech benchmarks.

Beating AI Express News: xAI has launched its speech-to-speech model Grok Voice 3.0, claiming it ranks first on the Speech-to-Speech Index in an independent test by Artificial Analysis, scoring 86.9 points—higher than Grok Voice 2.0 (81.3), GPT-Live-1 (83.2), and Gemini 3.8 Live (82.6). The model also features end-to-end latency of under 1 second. It is now available via the Voice Agent API, priced at $0.08 per minute, matching the previous generation; agents using the "grok-voice-latest" tag will automatically switch to the new model. According to xAI, Grok Voice handles millions of daily conversations for Tesla and SpaceX: Starlink’s customer service center receives around 20,000 calls daily, with roughly 70% resolved without human intervention, and about a quarter of sales calls resulting in a purchase before the call ends. On benchmarks, Grok Voice scores 74% accuracy on ServiceNow EVA-Bench and 71.6% on τ-Voice, which the company says is comparable to GPT-Live-1 but with roughly 40% lower latency.

4 hours ago

White House Crypto Committee 'effectively defunct' as Executive Director Patrick Witt’s secondment is set to expire.

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett said she emailed the White House three times over the past week to inquire whether Patrick Witt still serves as executive director of the White House Crypto Council, and received no reply. Witt himself declined to comment.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Witt, a U.S. Department of Defense employee temporarily seconded to the White House Crypto Council, has reached or is nearing the end of his secondment, with his reappointment status unclear. Earlier this year, he delayed his service in the Georgia National Guard, and is expected to resume his military service soon.
Terrett added that Harry Jung, deputy director of the White House Crypto Council, left his post at the end of July, and after David Sacks’ tenure as Crypto and AI “tsar” concluded, Witt is now the only remaining staff member of the council.
The crypto policy community is now debating: after the CLARITY Act (officially the Crypto Market Structure Act) failed to advance in the Senate, whether the White House still prioritizes the crypto industry.
The relevant personnel changes have not yet been officially confirmed by the White House.

4 hours ago

US stocks slump, with the optical communication sector leading the decline; semiconductor, storage, and crypto-related stocks all fall across the board, and Strategy drops 5.8%.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), during U.S. stock trading hours, the S&P 500 index’s decline widened to 1.1%, the Nasdaq fell 1.64%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3%. Semiconductor, storage, optical communication, and crypto-related stocks all fell across the board, with the optical communication sector leading losses, as most major individual stocks in the sector declined by over 7%. In the semiconductor and storage sectors: Seagate Technology (STX) fell 2.8%; Western Digital (WDC) dropped 3.2%; SanDisk (SNDK) declined 4.7%; Micron Technology (MU) fell 3.3%; NVIDIA (NVDA) dropped 2.9%; Intel (INTC) fell 4.2%; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) declined 5.3%. Among crypto-related stocks: Strategy (MSTR) fell 5.8%; Coinbase (COIN) dropped 4.6%; Circle (CRCL) declined 6.4%; BitMine Immersion (BMNR) fell 5.3%; SharpLink Gaming (SBET) dropped 7.4%. In the optical communication sector: Pure Photonics ETF (FOTO) fell 6.2%; Marvell Technology (MRVL) dropped 5.8%; AAOI (Applied Optoelectronics) declined 9.8%; LITE (Lumentum Holdings) fell 7.2%; COHR (Coherent Corp.) dropped 7.8%; CIEN (Ciena Corporation) declined 7.8%.

4 hours ago

OpenAI accuses a former employee of leaking confidential data before joining Apple, as the intellectual property rights dispute escalates once more.

According to Reuters, OpenAI has accused a former employee of sending more than 100 files related to the company’s unreleased devices to his personal account before leaving to join Apple, and subsequently presenting the relevant products to Apple’s senior management. Apple had earlier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the latter stole trade secrets of its unreleased hardware products, marking a further escalation of the intellectual property dispute over hardware technology between the two parties.

4 hours ago

Circle has a new customer segment in mind, and it does not have a pulse.

In an October 12, 2026 appearance on the NYSE/ICE House Podcast, Circle Chief Commercial Officer Kash Razzaghi described AI agents as a fresh category of buyer. He also argued that these agents gravitate toward USDC for a handful of practical reasons.

What Razzaghi laid out Razzaghi framed USDC’s appeal around three priorities that matter to machines more than to people: programmability, low transaction costs, and availability at any hour.

Circle’s own figures suggest the pitch is landing. As of mid-October 2026, the company reported 165 million transactions involving approximately 80,000 agents.

Circle also reported that USDC accounted for 99-99.8% of transaction value on the x402 protocol, a payments standard used for these agent-driven transactions.

Cost is a big part of the story. Circle says USDC enables near-zero-cost settlement, with transactions as small as $0.000001.

AI agents are becoming new customers that prefer USDC based on three key priorities.

That framing, shared alongside the interview, captures how Circle wants the market to see this shift. Agents are not just tools that move money on someone’s behalf. In Circle’s telling, they are customers in their own right.

The Agent Stack behind the numbers The figures Razzaghi cited trace back to a product launch earlier in the year. On May 11, 2026, Circle rolled out its Agent Stack, a suite of tools built specifically for autonomous AI agents.

The stack has four main pieces: Agent Wallets, an Agent Marketplace, the Circle CLI, and nanopayments.

The wallets give agents somewhere to hold funds, while the marketplace gives them somewhere to spend them. The CLI lets developers work with Circle’s tools directly from code rather than through a dashboard. Nanopayments handle the ultra-small transactions that make machine-to-machine commerce viable.

Together, the tools are meant to let agents transact programmatically across different chains and protocols. Traditional payment methods typically carry higher costs and onboarding hurdles, which Circle argues makes them a nonstarter for high-frequency machine-to-machine transactions.

What this means for Circle and the agentic economy Circle is trying to make USDC the default settlement asset for what it calls the agentic economy, and the early data gives it a credible claim to that position.

That said, the numbers deserve some context. Roughly 165 million transactions sounds enormous, but when individual payments can be as small as $0.000001, transaction count and economic value are very different measurements.

There is also the question of concentration. A market where one stablecoin captures 99-99.8% of transaction value on a key protocol means the agent economy’s payment layer leans heavily on a single issuer.

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

KuCoin has historically served as a popular derivatives exchange for retail traders seeking altcoin perpetual contracts and high leverage. However, active traders have increasingly sought alternatives following heightened regulatory actions in the United States, enforcement of mandatory identity verification tiers, and periodic engine latency during major market liquidation cascades.

Summary

BloFin, Bybit, OKX, Binance, Bitget, MEXC and Kraken Pro are among the seven KuCoin alternatives compared for futures trading in 2026.
BloFin offers up to 150x leverage on Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetuals, while MEXC advertises up to 500x leverage on eligible contracts with position size restrictions.
Binance stands out for derivatives liquidity, while OKX offers portfolio margin and automated trading tools for traders managing multiple positions.
Trading fees, VIP eligibility, custody arrangements and regional restrictions differ across platforms, making them important considerations when choosing an alternative to KuCoin.

Traders looking for KuCoin alternatives prioritize matching engine reliability during volatile market spikes, higher leverage ceilings on major pairs, more accessible VIP fee structures, and transparent third-party asset custody. KuCoin serves as the reference benchmark in this guide and is excluded from the ranking table.

KuCoin alternatives compared
RankPlatformBest ForMax Leverage (BTC/ETH)First Fee CutStandard Maker / TakerPerpetual Markets1BloFin150x leverage, stop automation, and 50k VIP150x50,000 USDT equity0.0200% / 0.0600%5082BybitHigh-speed matching engine and bracket orders100x100,000 USDT assets or 10M USDT volume0.0200% / 0.0550%~8603OKXPortfolio margin and algorithmic trading bots100x100,000 USDT assets or 5M USD volume0.0200% / 0.0500%4824BinanceDeepest order book liquidity in crypto125x5M USD volume plus 5 BNB0.0200% / 0.0500%~8005Bitget125x leverage with transparent reserves125x30,000 USDT assets0.0200% / 0.0600%700+6MEXC500x opening leverage and 1000+ pairs500xVolume based0.0000% / 0.0200% (web)1000+7Kraken ProSpotless security record and regulated access100xVolume based0.0200% / 0.0500%300+
1. BloFin: higher leverage and native stop automation with institutional custody
BloFin is the leading alternative for traders moving away from KuCoin who seek higher leverage combined with institutional asset protection. While KuCoin caps major futures at 100x and has faced heightened regulatory headwinds, BloFin supports up to 150x leverage on BTCUSDT and ETHUSDT, alongside 125x on SOLUSDT and BTCUSDC across 508 perpetual markets under isolated and cross-margin modes. Client assets are safeguarded by Fireblocks MPC custody, ISO 27001 certification, and verifiable 1:1 proof of reserves.

For active execution, BloFin provides native risk automation directly on the order ticket. Auto Breakeven recalculates your stop to cover opening fees, closing fees, and accumulated funding once an activation price triggers, preventing winning positions from closing at a loss. Multi-Position allows separate entries on the same contract with independent leverage and stops. VIP 1 arrives at an accessible 50,000 USDT equity tier with 0.0060% maker fees, supported by a 5,000 USDT live demo account.

Key strengths: 150x leverage on BTC and ETH, accessible VIP 1 at 50,000 USDT equity with 0.0060% maker fees, Auto Breakeven stop protection, and Fireblocks MPC custody.
Limitations: Secondary altcoin depth is lighter than Binance, making it optimal for retail and mid-size active traders rather than massive institutional block orders.

2. Bybit: Reliable 100,000 TPS matching engine and integrated bracket orders
Bybit serves as a reliable infrastructure alternative for traders frustrated by order lag during market volatility on KuCoin. Its matching engine is built to process 100,000 transactions per second per contract, keeping order placement, bracket executions, and stop triggers responsive during severe liquidation spikes. The exchange lists roughly 860 perpetual contracts with deep liquidity across USDT and USDC settlement options.

The terminal features native TradingView charting and integrated bracket orders that attach take-profit and stop-loss instructions directly upon entry. BTC and ETH leverage reaches 100x, with select assets supporting higher multipliers through Smart Leverage. Reaching VIP 1 cuts taker fees to 0.0400% at 100,000 USDT in assets or 10 million USDT in volume. Detailed risk parameters are hosted on Bybit Learn. Access excludes the US and Canada.

Key strengths: 100,000 TPS matching engine per contract, roughly 860 perpetual markets, integrated bracket orders, and competitive VIP fee cuts.
Limitations: Maximum leverage on BTC and ETH caps at 100x, base taker fee is higher than Binance at 0.0550%, and access is prohibited in the US and Canada.

3. OKX: Cross-product portfolio margin and advanced algorithmic bots
OKX is the alternative for traders who require institutional portfolio margin rather than simple isolated futures accounts. The platform allows spot holdings, perpetual swaps, and options to share a single collateral pool across 482 perpetual markets. Dynamic portfolio margin offsets calculate risk based on aggregate portfolio exposure, drastically reducing ongoing capital requirements on hedged books.

International accounts benefit from low-latency WebSocket API feeds, flexible sub-accounts, and pre-built quantitative algorithmic trading bots. Leverage reaches 100x on major pairs, with VIP 1 rates (0.0160% maker and 0.0450% taker) unlocked through either 100,000 USDT in assets or 5 million USD in 30-day derivatives volume. Risk frameworks and contract parameters are detailed on OKX Learn. Derivatives services remain strictly prohibited in the United States.

Key strengths: Advanced unified portfolio margin, multi-currency collateral offsetting, automated trading bots, and institutional API infrastructure.
Limitations: Complex margin screens create a steep learning curve for newer retail traders, and access is prohibited in the United States.

4. Binance: Unmatched liquidity depth for high-volume order execution
Binance is the liquidity alternative for traders seeking the thickest order books in crypto derivatives. For accounts executing substantial market orders, Binance maintains deep order books within 1% of mid-price across roughly 800 perpetual markets, ensuring that large taker orders fill near expected index prices without the slippage typical of mid-tier venues.

The platform provides up to 125x leverage on Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts across USD-M and Coin-M settlement modes. However, VIP 1 requires 5 million USD in monthly volume plus 5 BNB held, and new accounts face a 20x cap for their first 30 days. Contract mechanics are published on Binance Academy. Binance completed an official exit from the EU on 1 July 2026, and US residents trade via Binance.US.

Key strengths: Deepest order book liquidity in crypto derivatives, 125x leverage on BTC and ETH, multi-asset margin support, and roughly 800 perpetuals.
Limitations: First fee tier requires 5 million USD volume plus 5 BNB, new accounts face a 20x limit for 30 days, and services are restricted in Canada and the US.

5. Bitget: Broad derivatives board paired with social trading Leadership
Bitget offers an accessible alternative featuring more than 700 active perpetual markets across major contracts across USDT-M and Coin-M settlement options, supporting up to 125x leverage on major pairs. The platform has achieved widespread retail adoption through its flagship One-Click Copy Trade system, allowing users to replicate verified master traders with transparent drawdown disclosure and real-time portfolio visibility.

To ensure execution solvency during market liquidations, Bitget maintains an exchange user protection fund that averaged about 382 million dollars in August 2026, well above its committed 300 million dollar floor. The venue also publishes verifiable monthly Merkle tree proof of reserves. VIP 1 arrives at 30,000 USDT in assets, though taker fees stay near 0.0600%. Contract parameters and fee schedules sit on Bitget Academy.

Key strengths: Over 700 perpetual markets, largest social trading network, 125x leverage on major pairs, and a protection fund exceeding its 300 million dollar floor.
Limitations: VIP 1 does not significantly reduce the 0.0600% taker rate, and secondary altcoin liquidity can thin out during volatility spikes.

6. MEXC: Massive altcoin variety and zero maker web rates
MEXC is the alternative for traders seeking newly listed altcoins and extreme leverage multipliers. The platform advertises up to 500x leverage on BTC and ETH on opening position brackets, alongside promotional commodity contracts reaching 1000x across an extensive board of more than 1,000 perpetual pairs under USDT-M and Coin-M settlement on initial tiers.

Manual web execution features 0.0000% maker and 0.0200% taker fees on eligible contracts. However, automated API execution carries an elevated schedule of 0.0600% maker and 0.0800% taker. Position brackets taper rapidly as size expands. Order books on secondary altcoins can thin rapidly, and the platform operates under an unlicensed entity alert from Hong Kong regulators. Contract specifications are hosted on MEXC Learn. Access excludes the US, UK, and Canada.

Key strengths: Zero maker fees on manual web execution, extensive catalog of over 1,000 perpetual contracts, and up to 500x leverage on BTC/ETH.
Limitations: API trading carries elevated fees (0.0600% / 0.0800%), position brackets taper rapidly, and the entity carries an SFC warning.

7. Kraken Pro: Regulated custody with spotless security history
Kraken Pro caters to traders who want complete regulatory transparency and custodial integrity after leaving offshore exchanges. Operating under regulatory oversight in the US, UK, and European Union, Kraken maintains an unblemished security record dating back to 2011, having pioneered cryptographic proof of reserves in 2014 across more than 300 perpetual markets under isolated and cross margin.

In May 2026, Kraken increased maximum perpetual leverage on BTC and ETH to 100x, matching major global competitors. Base pricing starts at 0.0200% maker and 0.0500% taker, with discounts scaling progressively with monthly volume. Eligible US traders access regulated CME-cleared micro contracts via Kraken Derivatives US with clean domestic clearing. Rules are documented on Kraken Learn. Altcoin leverage remains at 20x to 50x.

Key strengths: Regulated access across the US, UK, and EU, spotless security track record since 2011, CME micro contracts, and 100x leverage on BTC/ETH.
Limitations: Smaller perpetual selection than offshore platforms (300+ pairs), altcoin leverage capped at 20x to 50x, and jurisdictional variations in product access.

What to consider when migrating from KuCoin
When transitioning derivatives balances to a new platform, traders should evaluate three key operational factors:

Matching engine capacity: Ensure the alternative exchange operates high-throughput matching clusters (like Bybit’s 100k TPS engine) to avoid the execution freezes during high-volatility breakouts.
Third-party custodial audits: Look for institutional custody setups like BloFin’s Fireblocks MPC infrastructure and regular proof-of-reserves reporting to verify that client collateral is not commingled.
Fee structure and VIP thresholds: If your trading volume is under 10 million USD monthly, choose platforms like BloFin (50,000 USDT equity VIP 1) or Bitget (30,000 USDT balance) to unlock discounted maker rates without massive turnover requirements.

FAQ

Why are traders seeking KuCoin alternatives?
Traders look for KuCoin alternatives due to past US regulatory actions, strict identity verification requirements, occasional engine latency during volatility spikes, and higher taker fees on early volume tiers.

Which KuCoin alternative offers the highest leverage?
BloFin offers the highest credible leverage among mainstream alternatives, providing up to 150x on BTC and ETH perpetuals alongside 125x on SOLUSDT. MEXC advertises up to 500x on micro-position brackets with an SFC warning attached.

How does BloFin ensure platform uptime during high volatility?
BloFin utilizes modular matching engine architecture and institutional-grade cloud infrastructure, maintaining real-time order routing, stop execution, and sub-account access during violent market swings.

Can US traders access KuCoin alternatives?
Offshore exchanges (including BloFin, Bybit, and OKX) enforce geoblocking on US IP addresses. Binance operates in the US via Binance.US without futures trading. US traders seeking legal leveraged trading use platforms like Kraken Derivatives US for CME-cleared micro contracts.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Zcash (ZEC) gained 2% on Wednesday, extending the previous day’s 4% rally and recovering much of Monday’s losses. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency traded near $1,264 as buyers attempted to surpass nearby resistance levels, yet persistent outflows from Grayscale’s ZCSH fund continued to create uncertainty for demand.

Ongoing withdrawals from Grayscale’s ZCSH fundGrayscale, a major digital asset management company known for its crypto investment products, recorded $5.19 million in net outflows from its ZCSH fund on Tuesday. The fund, which offers institutional exposure to Zcash, also saw $1.66 million withdrawn on Monday and a total of $30.72 million in redemptions over the previous week. This brings net withdrawals for the opening two days of the week to $6.85 million.

The selling pressure has persisted since late September, following Grayscale’s three-for-one share split in the ZCSH fund on September 30. While the timing of the split coincides with increased redemptions, there is no direct evidence linking the two events.

These figures indicate that, despite the recent rebound in ZEC’s spot price, institutional investors have not increased their exposure through the fund. Redemptions remain a challenge as traders monitor whether the latest advance in price can evolve into a longer-term recovery.

For a turnaround in institutional demand, a reduction in fund outflows or a return to net positive inflows would offer clearer confirmation of renewed interest alongside rising price momentum.

Persistent redemptions from Grayscale’s ZCSH fund highlight ongoing caution among institutional investors, which continues to affect the market’s demand outlook for Zcash.

Mini dictionary: Grayscale is a leading digital asset management company that offers investment products allowing institutional and accredited investors exposure to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Zcash without direct ownership.

DateZCSH Fund Net OutflowsMonday$1.66 millionTuesday$5.19 millionPrevious week$30.72 millionTechnical outlook for Zcash: Key resistance at $1,320ZEC has rebounded from Tuesday’s low near $1,123 and is now testing its 50-period and 200-period exponential moving averages on the four-hour chart. These averages are positioned at approximately $1,261 and $1,269, respectively. With ZEC trading at $1,264, the token sits above the shorter-term average but remains just below the longer-term threshold.

A confirmed break above this moving-average band could bolster the bullish recovery in the near term. Conversely, failure to hold this zone leaves ZEC vulnerable to renewed selling pressure. Stronger validation of the recovery would require ZEC to surpass and establish support above $1,320, which marks Monday’s local high.

If ZEC manages to clear $1,320, analysts identify $1,422—September 18’s low—as the next major resistance. However, if momentum fades, support may be found at Thursday’s low near $1,115, with additional support at $1,050 (the September 4 high) and the psychological $1,000 mark.

Momentum indicators present a mixed picture: the Relative Strength Index stands at 48, slightly below its neutral midpoint, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence metric is marginally bullish.

The technical structure for Zcash remains uncertain, with immediate outlooks tied closely to whether buyers can sustain momentum above the moving-average zone and break through $1,320 resistance.

Mini dictionary: The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a technical indicator measuring the speed and change of price movements to assess whether a cryptocurrency is overbought or oversold. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is another technical tool used to identify trend direction and potential momentum shifts by comparing two moving averages of a security’s price.

Key LevelPrice ($)Significance50-period EMA1,261Short-term resistance/support200-period EMA1,269Long-term resistance/supportMonday local high1,320Breakout targetNext upside target1,422Major resistanceImmediate support1,115Recent lowNext support1,050September 4 highPsychological support1,000Round number thresholdZcash’s near-term direction depends on buyers’ ability to sustain momentum and overcome resistance. A breakout above $1,320 would reinforce the recovery, while failure could expose support zones below.

After being convicted in 2023, losing his appeal to a Second Circuit court in 2026 and awaiting a decision on a presidential pardon that may never come, former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried is hoping to take his criminal case to the US Supreme Court.

Jeffrey Fisher, counsel at the law firm Hecker Fink LLP and representing Bankman-Fried in his Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) appeal, spoke to Cointelegraph about the potential timeline surrounding the former FTX executive’s case and what onlookers could expect to see should the justices choose to accept his petition for a writ of certiorari, possibly resulting in a new trial.

Bankman-Fried is pursuing the high court’s review while also seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump. According to Fisher, SCOTUS rules require SBF to file a petition for a writ of certiorari within 90 days of a decision from an appellate court, requesting that the justices consider the case.

The Supreme Court initially gave the US government until Oct. 15 to respond to SBF’s petition, but it already granted an extension to Nov. 16, which could allow the justices to decide whether to hear the case in late 2026 or early 2027. If the court grants review of his client’s case, it could issue a decision in the current term, which ends in June 2027, or during its next term, which begins a year from now.

Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven felony fraud counts related to the misuse of customer funds by FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded and led, and which filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture.

‘Assets are fine’: Why FTX’s losses and recoveries were irrelevant at trialBankman-Fried’s petition to the Supreme Court presents two main arguments for justices, should they consider the case, based on lower courts weighing “evidence indicating victims lost money” and that the $11 billion forfeiture order following his conviction violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “excessive fines.” 

“The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the years for prosecutorial overreach in criminal fraud prosecutions,” Fisher told Cointelegraph. “This kind of evidence introduced in this prosecution raises a real question about prejudice to the defendant.”

The argument presented by prosecutors at SBF’s criminal trial and reiterated by the Second Circuit ruling found it was “immaterial as a matter of law” whether the former CEO had the funds and planned to repay FTX’s victims for their losses at the crypto exchange. 

“As the district court made clear, FTX customers were defrauded as soon as Bankman-Fried transferred their money to Alameda regardless of how strongly he believed he might later return the money,” the Second Circuit said in its June 2026 decision.

According to Fisher, this theory differs from many fraud cases in which a defendant “swindled people out of money and enriched himself at their expense.” 

“Our whole point is the theory the government chose makes it irrelevant whether any customers lost money or, if so, how much,” the lawyer said.

The Supreme Court petition noted that the highest court had ruled in Kousisis v. United States in 2025 that prosecutors could “seek decades-long prison sentences anytime people are induced by misrepresentations to part with their money — even if they suffer no pecuniary harm.”

SBF’s lawyers instead argued the 2007 ruling by the First Circuit in United States v. Carpenter, in which a defendant “intended all along to ensure his customers suffered no financial losses,” was more applicable to the FTX case. The appellate court initially ruled in that case that a jury’s decision may have been based on “moral disapproval“ rather than evidence related to fraud.

Mark Bini, a former federal and state prosecutor and currently a partner at Reed Smith, told Cointelegraph he believed that the chance that the court would accept SBF’s arguments and grant a new trial “seems low,“ but the conditions around forfeiture were “really interesting“ based on the size: $11 billion. He called reliance on United States v. Carpenter instead of Kousisis v. United States an “uphill battle“ for Bankman-Fried, legally.

While many FTX users were eventually paid out for their losses at the exchange beginning in 2025, the token values were based on the price at the time of the 2022 collapse, meaning many could have missed gains in the three years between bankruptcy and repayments.

How forfeiture could affect SBF’s ‘future livelihood’Bankman-Fried’s forfeiture order could follow him long after his release from prison, potentially allowing the government to make claims on his future earnings. The former FTX CEO is expected to remain in prison until 2043.

“He has no money to pay it,” said Fisher. “Under the terms of the penalty, it is an $11 billion debt for the rest of his life, to the government. Any dime he would ever make upon release would have to be turned over to the government [...] There’s rules, maybe he gets to keep a dime.”

If the court accepts the forfeiture argument but rejects the claim that SBF had a right to present evidence related to repaying users, Bini said it’s more likely to reduce the forfeiture amount than to warrant a new trial.

“It’s a huge forfeiture amount and there is this tension because the case law is such that the government is entitled to seek both forfeiture and restitution,” said the Reed Smith lawyer, adding: “It’s a very unusual case where the defense is arguing that ‘gosh, everyone is being made whole’ [...] yet you have this tremendous forfeiture.”

Cointelegraph reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the case but did not receive a response.

Caroline Ellison now employed at a charitable organizationFormer Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, one of the central figures tied to the downfall of FTX, has been working at Manifund, a charitable fundraising organization connected to the effective altruism movement, after serving time in prison as part of a plea agreement with US authorities. 

According to Manifund co-founder and CEO Austin Chen, Ellison began on a work trial at the company on July 13, about six months after she was released from federal custody. She accepted a full-time role on Aug. 10.

“I believe in redemption,” said Chen. “Caroline has admitted her faults, worked to make creditors whole, and served her time in prison. I’d like to give her the opportunity to contribute back to the world; I hope that the world will concur.”

In a rare public statement, Ellison said that she was “grateful to Austin for giving me a second chance, and judging me on my current work performance rather than my past.” 

Many of the comments on Chen’s Substack post were extremely negative, ranging from calling Ellison’s hiring an “extremely rogue move” to an action showing “truly terrible judgment.” 

“[Ellison is] a cynical opportunist who stole billions, and got a sweetheart deal because prosecutors were willing to give everything up to get Sam,” said Coin Metrics co-founder Nic Carter. “She was extremely lucky that she got such a light sentence. The utmost shame on you for attempting to rehabilitate her.”

Magazine: Could THORChain face prosecution over stolen Bitget funds? Legal opinion

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.

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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The proposal would keep collateral on Bitcoin but use WBTC to settle permissionless liquidations. Risk settings and further governance votes are still pending.

The proposal would keep collateral on Bitcoin but use WBTC to settle permissionless liquidations. Risk settings and further governance votes are still pending.

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DeFi lending protocol Spark has disclosed that its net protocol returns exceeded $4 million in the third quarter of 2026. In the first half of the year, DeFi lending spreads narrowed significantly, with lending capital profitability turning negative in the second quarter. After driving growth for Spark Savings USDT in Q3, related returns rebounded above capital costs. During the same period, Spark partnered with Uniswap and Sky to launch a stablecoin swap layer, which went live with $150 million in USDS liquidity, offering stablecoin swap services to banks, fintech firms and payment companies, and recorded over $14 billion in trading volume in its first month.

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The VolatilePair Hook adds temporary charges on trades reversing large price moves, aiming to retain more arbitrage value for liquidity providers.

The VolatilePair Hook adds temporary charges on trades reversing large price moves, aiming to retain more arbitrage value for liquidity providers.

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Uniswap [UNI] showed signs of a potential reversal after buyers defended the $6.80 daily demand zone.

The rebound produced a bullish shift on the hourly chart, following the setup outlined in AMBCrypto’s earlier analysis.

Meanwhile, Uniswap reported that v4, its fourth-generation decentralized exchange protocol, processed over $44 billion in 30-day Trading Volume.

With buyers regaining ground and protocol activity growing, UNI’s recovery had support from two fronts. Whether that translates into sustained gains would depend on demand for the altcoin itself.

Source: TradingView
Can UNI buyers build on THIS?
On the hourly chart, UNI’s positive reaction at $6.80 strengthened the recovery setup. Buyers defended the daily demand zone before breaking the recent bearish pattern, suggesting short-term momentum was turning bullish.

For holders, this offered an encouraging change after the altcoin’s recent weakness. However, an hourly reversal still needs follow-through before supporting a broader recovery.

On the daily chart, UNI traded above its 20-day, 30-day, and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). That positioning supported the bullish outlook. Buyers would need to sustain the rebound, as renewed selling could undermine their recently regained control.

Source: TradingView
Could crowded UNI longs threaten the recovery?
The Long/Short Ratio data showed longs accounting for roughly 63% of the tracked positioning, indicating a clear bullish preference. That bias could accompany further gains if Spot demand strengthens. However, leveraged longs can also become vulnerable when buying pressure fades.

If UNI reverses, forced closures could amplify selling and put the recovery under pressure. The next test is whether buyers continue supporting the price after the initial bounce.

Long positioning alone would give bulls limited protection against another rejection.

Source: Coinalyze
Can Uniswap v4 activity help UNI reach $11?
Uniswap v4’s $44 billion in 30-day Trading Volume represented approximately 49.9% of volume across Uniswap versions. That showed substantial usage of the latest iteration.

However, protocol Trading Volume measures swaps across supported tokens, rather than buying demand for UNI alone.

For now, defending $6.80 and reclaiming the hourly trend favored buyers. Sustained demand could help the altcoin advance toward overhead liquidity.

The Liquidation Heatmap showed a cluster worth approximately $535.10 million around $11, making that area a potential upside objective.

Source: CoinGlass
Still, the cluster does not guarantee a move to $11. Renewed weakness or a sharp unwinding of longs could interrupt the recovery before UNI reaches that level.

Final Summary

UNI’s defense of $6.80 supported a recovery, while crowded longs could amplify losses if demand weakens.
Uniswap v4’s growing usage strengthened the adoption case; $11 remained a conditional liquidity target for UNI.

Internet Computer apps get random numbers from the network, not an oracle

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts is using Avalanche to make documents verifiable anywhere in the world, as the network also moves into the UAE’s national digital identity infrastructure.

A court order is only useful if the institution receiving it can trust that it is real. That gets more complicated when the court is in Dubai, the recipient is a bank or company thousands of miles away, and the two have no existing relationship.

The question matters most for a court whose documents are meant to travel. Any two parties, anywhere in the world, can choose the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts as the forum for their commercial disputes by including a single clause in their contract, with no UAE connection required. When a DIFC Courts document is used in another jurisdiction, the recipient may need to establish both its legal status and its authenticity. 

That problem is particularly relevant for the DIFC Courts. The independent, English-language common law jurisdiction has been open to businesses worldwide since 2011, and any two parties can choose it as the forum for a commercial dispute regardless of whether either has a connection to the UAE. Its documents, in other words, are designed to travel.

The systemThe DIFC Courts are an independent, English-language common law jurisdiction in Dubai. Established in 2004, they have been open to businesses worldwide since 2011, and they operate at 99 percent digital.

Court orders and hearing records issued by the DIFC Courts carry a unique, non-transferable digital authenticity credential. A recipient anywhere in the world can use it to confirm, within seconds, that the DIFC Courts issued the document and that the file is identical to the version recorded at issuance.

Documents covered: court orders and hearing records

Time to verify: seconds, from anywhere in the world

Network: Avalanche C-Chain, Avalanche's public blockchain

Recorded onchain: a cryptographic hash of the document and the credential, and nothing else

Credential: non-transferable, representing no ownership, monetary value or transferable right

What Avalanche makes possibleVerification from anywhereWhen the DIFC Courts issue a court order or hearing record through their existing digital document infrastructure, a cryptographic hash of the file is linked to a unique NFT-based credential recorded on Avalanche. This creates a timestamped record tying the credential to the document as issued. A recipient checks the file against the credential, a match confirms that the DIFC Courts issued the document and that it has not changed. If anything in the file has been altered, the check fails.

Because the record sits on Avalanche's public blockchain, verification does not depend on access to the Courts' internal systems. The record also settles quickly. For parties who choose the DIFC Courts, the credential resolves the authenticity step of using a court document abroad. 

Verification without disclosureBecause Avalanche is a public network, the system is designed to make authenticity verifiable without making the underlying document public. Only a cryptographic fingerprint of the document and its authenticity credential are recorded onchain while the document itself, its contents, and any confidential case information remain private. The credential exists solely to verify that the document is the version issued by the DIFC Courts. It carries no ownership, monetary value or transferable right in the underlying judicial document.

A model for other institutionsHis Excellency Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of DIFC Courts, summarized the principle behind the system: "Confidence in the authenticity of a court document should not depend on geography." As one of the institutional pillars of Dubai's economic growth strategy, the DIFC Courts frame the initiative as support for the objectives of the Dubai Digital Strategy and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

For any business weighing blockchain, the features that matter here are practical ones. The system runs behind the Courts' existing document infrastructure, so the people who use it do not have to change how they work. Confidential data never goes onchain. Verification does not depend on access to the issuer's systems. Records on Avalanche also settle in under a second, with no way to roll them back.

"The strongest blockchain applications are often the ones people barely notice," said Ava Labs Chief Business Officer John Nahas. "DIFC Courts is using Avalanche to make critical documents verifiable across borders in seconds while keeping confidential information offchain. It is a powerful example of trusted institutions adopting purpose-built infrastructure without asking people to change how they interact with them."

The same direction in UAE digital governmentThe DIFC Courts are not alone among UAE public bodies in turning to Avalanche for verified documents. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is working with Deca4 and Ava Labs to bring Avalanche technology into the blockchain layer behind the Digital Vault in UAE PASS, the national digital identity platform. The Digital Vault lets users store, request and share verified government documents, and UAE PASS serves more than 12.5 million people across more than 15,000 services. 

The two systems serve different audiences. A national identity platform mostly serves people inside the UAE. A court whose jurisdiction any two parties can choose issues documents that travel to recipients who may have no connection to the UAE at all. That is why a public chain fits the court's case. What the two systems share is the requirement. A document issued by a public authority should be checkable by whoever receives it.

ConclusionGo back to the bank from the start of this piece. When a court order from the DIFC Courts arrives, the bank no longer has to contact the Courts to find out whether it is real. It checks the file against the credential on Avalanche's public blockchain. If the file matches, the DIFC Courts issued it and no one has changed it since. If anything has been altered, the check fails. Whether the order applies in the bank's country is still a legal question, but whether the document is genuine can now be answered across borders.