Market Signal Briefing

Robinhood Markets Today

HOOD

Robinhood Markets

$148.48 +2.78 (+1.91%)

As of 03:09 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Polygon.io. Learn more.

52-Week Range$22.61▼

$150.21P/E Ratio75.24

Price Target$113.59

Robinhood Markets NASDAQ: HOOD may have just found its next key growth driver.

Shares recently surged due to strength in one of Robinhood’s newest features: prediction markets. Robinhood closed up by more than 12% on On Sept. 29, putting the finance stock’s year-to-date return above 250%.

Meanwhile, sports betting giants DraftKings NASDAQ: DKNG and Flutter Entertainment NYSE: FLUT plummeted on Sept. 30 as markets reacted to Kalshi’s—Robinhood’s prediction markets partner—new sports betting feature.

Get Robinhood Markets alerts:

As this market gains traction, investors are asking: How meaningful is this growth trend, and can it translate into sustainable revenue for Robinhood?

HOOD Event Contracts Are Doubling—and Could Soon Move the Needle
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev revealed in a recent social media post that the platform hosted over two billion event contracts in Q3, up from one billion in Q2, a staggering 100% growth quarter-over-quarter. "Event contracts" allow users to wager on real-world outcomes, from Oscar nominations to NFL games.

In its Q2 earnings call, Robinhood noted that event contracts reached $1 billion, which was more than double what it was in Q1. This data clearly positions prediction markets as a substantial new opportunity for Robinhood that can help drive shares higher. Additionally, event contracts might soon impact Robinhood's finances significantly.

While the company currently charges two cents in commissions and fees on event contracts, half goes to Robinhood and half goes to Kalshi. The two billion contracts in Q3 equate to around $20 million in revenue, or $80 million on an annualized basis. That equals around 1.7% of the approximately $4.77 billion in total revenue analysts expect Robinhood to generate over the next 12 months. 

Should volumes keep doubling, prediction markets could exceed 5% of total revenue, a major milestone for a business unit that only launched in Q4 2024. Such growth would not only support higher share prices but could redefine Robinhood’s monetization model beyond traditional brokerage and crypto services.

Kalshi’s Sports Betting Push Could Disrupt DraftKings and Flutter
Robinhood’s upside potential may extend far beyond event contracts. Kalshi recently launched parlay-style NFL bets, which allow users to link multiple wagers into a single, higher-payout bet. These complex bets are a cornerstone of traditional sportsbook profits—often accounting for more than half of sportsbook revenue.

When Kalshi entered this space, DraftKings and Flutter shares immediately dropped, indicating that markets view Kalshi as a legitimate threat. 

According to the American Gaming Association, sportsbooks generated approximately $13.7 billion in revenue in 2024. This was an increase of around 24% from 2023. This highlights the large and growing opportunity that Robinhood has in event contracts longer term if it can take share in this market.

Still, the economics of event contracts may be significantly different from sportsbook wagers. This makes it difficult to determine the size of Robinhood’s total addressable market in this space. However, the point remains that Robinhood is early in its prediction markets push. The offering represents a significant long-term growth driver for revenues and shares.

One important risk is that Kalshi faces a significant number of lawsuits as its platform blurs the line between investing and betting. Kalshi, and Robinhood by extension, could face significant legal challenges down the road that limit prediction markets' growth.

Analysts Boost Price Targets, Long-Term Outlook Strong Despite Valuation
Robinhood Markets Stock Forecast Today12-Month Stock Price Forecast:
$113.59
-23.97% Downside

Moderate Buy
Based on 19 Analyst Ratings

Current Price$149.40High Forecast$157.00Average Forecast$113.59Low Forecast$47.00Robinhood Markets Stock Forecast Details

Based on early prediction markets success, analysts at Needham and Piper Sandler significantly upped their Robinhood price targets. The average of their targets comes in at $142.50, essentially equal to the stock’s Sept. 30 closing price.

Overall, Robinhood has an elevated valuation, with most analysts seeing downside potential in the stock.

However, the company’s ability to continue finding new revenue streams makes its long-term outlook promising. Additionally, further prediction markets wins could influence analysts to move their price targets higher.

Should You Invest $1,000 in Robinhood Markets Right Now?Before you consider Robinhood Markets, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Robinhood Markets wasn't on the list.

While Robinhood Markets currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

Enter your email address and we'll send you MarketBeat's guide to investing in 5G and which 5G stocks show the most promise.

Get This Free Report

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

OnePay, the fintech firm majority-owned by Walmart, will soon offer cryptocurrency trading and custody on its mobile app, CNBC has learned. CNBC's Hugh Son joins 'Squawk on the Street' with details.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Century Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:LCE, OTCQX:CYDVF) CEO Bill Willoughby spoke with Proactive about the company’s recent progress at its Angel Island project in Nevada.  

Willoughby explained that Century Lithium completed a financing in the summer, providing sufficient funds to update its feasibility study and advance into the permitting stage. 

He highlighted the company’s inclusion as a FAST-41 transparency project, saying, “It also will help us, moving forward in, the permitting and review process and hopefully accelerate it.”  

This federal program posts project timelines and environmental steps publicly, improving communication with both regulators and the public. 

Willoughby outlined that the critical milestone ahead is submission of a plan of operations, which will then enter the NEPA process.  

This will involve either an environmental impact statement (EIS) or environmental assessment (EA), depending on federal review. He added that around 20 supporting studies have already been completed, with the last currently under review by the Bureau of Land Management. 

Looking further ahead, Willoughby noted that Century Lithium has worked with First Phosphate to test lithium iron phosphate material in batteries, confirming the company’s ability to produce high-quality, battery-grade material.  

He added that 2026 is shaping up to be a significant year for the company. 

Proactive: Alright welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom and joining me now is Bill Willoughby. He is the CEO of Century Lithium. A couple of things I want to talk to you about, about Angel Island, of course, which we’ve talked extensively about over the last little while. The work keeps happening, things keep progressing forward. And that’s what today’s announcements are about. First off, FAST-41. Tell me a bit about the status and what it means and what exactly it is. 

Bill Willoughby: Well, FAST-41 is a federal program. It was under the 2016 Infrastructure Act. And it’s now evolved into supporting mining companies through the permitting process. So as a FAST-41 transparency project, which we were selected for, our project timeline is posted, environmental steps are posted on the FAST-41 dashboard that allows the public to look at our project, look at the documents that are related to it, and it just helps us communicate with the government and the public on that basis. 

It also will help us moving forward in the permitting and review process and hopefully accelerate it. 

And just so people understand, there is a number of permits that you have to get in order to do what you want to do. And this fast tracking allows that process to be a little smoother because it can get sort of down in the weeds, so to speak, when you start putting all these things through. 

Right. And the main one that we’re working with, that’s the critical one on our critical path, is the record of decision from the federal government and getting to that point. There’s a number of other permits related to the state, for example, air quality and water quality, water pollution control permit. But the key one for us right now that we’re focused on is getting to the point where we submit a plan of operations and then entering the NEPA process, whether that’s going to be an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA). That will be determined by federal review. 

But we’re working to that point. We’re updating a feasibility study that we completed last year to bring all the design parameters into line, and that’s going to support the plan of operations submittal. 

So yeah, that NEPA one, a lot of that is there’s a lot of things within that legislation that you have to follow along, but not to say related all to your project. These are specific things that you have to get done in order to move past that process. 

Right. Well, yeah, they are related to the project in the fact that there are social and economic impacts. There are general impacts around the area that we have to be reporting on. And that forms all the basis of the studies that we completed. We completed about 20 studies that form the review package, the last one under review now with the Bureau of Land Management. So we’re in a position now to move forward. We completed a raise during the summer that gave us sufficient funding to do the updated feasibility study and then move us onward into the plan of operations, and probably through the permitting process. So we’re quite well positioned now at the forefront of lithium companies in Nevada. 

Lastly, 2025 obviously you’ve been pretty busy with all the work that you’ve been doing, but it sounds like 2026, in the beginning of it, is going to be very significant for the future of the company. 

Exactly. And we’ve been doing a lot of things on the general site prep, downstream battery interface. During the summer we worked with a company, as we told you before, which was First Phosphate, making lithium iron phosphate material, which they put successfully into batteries. So we know that our material that comes out of our project will be decent quality, battery grade. So that’s all good. Just a lot of things in different areas that we’re concentrating on and we’re looking forward to.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with losses related to Fluor Corporation ("Fluor" or the "Company") (NYSE: FLR) have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit.

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN FLUOR CORPORATION (FLR), CLICK HERE BEFORE NOVEMBER 14, 2025 (THE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

 What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between February 18, 2025 and July 31, 2025, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) costs associated with the Gordie Howe, I-635/LBJ, and I-35 projects were growing because of, inter alia, subcontractor design errors, price increases, and scheduling delays; (2) the foregoing, as well as customer reduction in capital spending and client hesitation around economic uncertainty, was having, or was likely to have, a significant negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; (3) accordingly, Fluor's financial guidance for FY 2025 was unreliable and/or unrealistic, the effectiveness of the Company's risk mitigation strategy was overstated, and the impact of economic uncertainty on the Company's business and financial results was understated; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More: 
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz,
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us at: 310-914-5007
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+

Newsrooms &

Influencers

9k+

Digital Media

Outlets

270k+

Journalists

Opted In

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with losses related to Quantum Corporation ("Quantum" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: QMCO) have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit.

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN QUANTUM CORPORATION (QMCO), CLICK HERE BEFORE NOVEMBER 3, 2025 (THE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between November 15, 2024 and August 18, 2025, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Quantum improperly recognized revenue during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025; (2) as a result, Quantum would need to restate its previously filed financial statements for the fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2024; and (3) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz,
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us at: 310-914-5007
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Frank R. Cruz,
Telephone: 310-914-5007
Email: [email protected]
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com

SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+

Newsrooms &

Influencers

9k+

Digital Media

Outlets

270k+

Journalists

Opted In

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Fortinet, Inc. ("Fortinet" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FTNT).

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN FORTINET, INC. (FTNT), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH BEFORE NOVEMBER 21, 2025 (LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email at [email protected], by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between November 8, 2024 and August 6, 2025, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the refresh cycle would never be as lucrative as they represented, nor could it, because it consisted of old products that were a "small percentage" of the Company's business; (2) Defendants did not have a clear picture of the true number of FortiGate firewalls that could be upgraded; (3) while telling investors that the refresh would gain momentum over the course of two years, Fortinet misrepresented and concealed that it had aggressively pushed through roughly half of the refresh in a period of months, by the end of 2Q 2025; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact:
Howard G. Smith, Esq.,
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith,
3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112,
Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020,
Call us at: (215) 638-4847
Email us at: [email protected],
Visit our website at: www.howardsmithlaw.com.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
[email protected]
www.howardsmithlaw.com

SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+

Newsrooms &

Influencers

9k+

Digital Media

Outlets

270k+

Journalists

Opted In

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against SelectQuote, Inc. ("SelectQuote" or the "Company") (NYSE: SLQT).

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN SELECTQUOTE, INC. (SLQT), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH BEFORE OCTOBER 10, 2025 (LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email at [email protected], by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between September 9, 2020 and May 1, 2025, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company was directing Medicare beneficiaries to the plans offered by insurers that best compensated SelectQuote, regardless of the quality or suitability of the insurers' plans; (2) that SelectQuote did not provided unbiased comparison shopping for Medicare Advantage insurance plans; (3) that SelectQuote received illegal kickbacks to steer Medicare beneficiaries to certain insurers and limit enrollment in competitors' plans; (4) that as a result, SelectQuote had not complied with applicable laws, regulations, and contractual provisions; (5) that SelectQuote was vulnerable to regulatory and legal sanctions as a result of its conduct, including claims that it had violated the False Claims Act; and (6) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact:
Howard G. Smith, Esq.,
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith,
3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112,
Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020,
Call us at: (215) 638-4847
Email us at: [email protected],
Visit our website at: www.howardsmithlaw.com.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
[email protected]
www.howardsmithlaw.com

SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+

Newsrooms &

Influencers

9k+

Digital Media

Outlets

270k+

Journalists

Opted In

, /PRNewswire/ -- Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN); ("Huntington") and Veritex Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: VBTX); ("Veritex") jointly announced that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have approved the proposed merger of Veritex with and into Huntington, with Huntington continuing as the surviving corporation, and the merger of Veritex Community Bank, with and into The Huntington National Bank.

Huntington-Veritex

All required regulatory approvals to complete the Huntington-Veritex transaction have now been received and the transaction is expected to be completed on October 20, 2025, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement between Huntington and Veritex. Veritex shareholder approval was received at the Veritex special meeting of shareholders on September 22, 2025.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $208 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle-market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates 971 branches in 13 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Visit Huntington.com for more information.

About Veritex Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Veritex is a bank holding company that conducts banking activities through its wholly owned subsidiary, Veritex Community Bank, with locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and in the Houston metropolitan area. Veritex Community Bank is a Texas state chartered bank regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. For more information, visit www.veritexbank.com.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, certain plans, expectations, goals, projections, and statements about the benefits of the proposed transaction, the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated ("Huntington") and Veritex Holdings, Inc. ("Veritex"), the expected timing of completion of the transaction, and other statements that are not historical facts and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Huntington and Veritex. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, estimates, uncertainties and other important factors that change over time and could cause actual results to differ materially from any results, performance, or events expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including as a result of the factors referenced below. Statements that do not describe historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as expect, anticipate, continue, believe, intend, estimate, plan, trend, objective, target, goal, or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as will, may, might, should, would, could, or similar variations. The forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Huntington and Veritex caution that the forward-looking statements in this communication are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to assess and are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond Huntington's and Veritex's control. While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, below are certain factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in the forward-looking statements or historical performance: changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions; deterioration in business and economic conditions, including persistent inflation, supply chain issues or labor shortages, instability in global economic conditions and geopolitical matters, as well as volatility in financial markets; changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs; the impact of pandemics and other catastrophic events or disasters on the global economy and financial market conditions and our business, results of operations, and financial condition; the impacts related to or resulting from bank failures and other volatility, including potential increased regulatory requirements and costs, such as FDIC special assessments, long-term debt requirements and heightened capital requirements, and potential impacts to macroeconomic conditions, which could affect the ability of depository institutions, including us, to attract and retain depositors and to borrow or raise capital; unexpected outflows of uninsured deposits which may require us to sell investment securities at a loss; changing interest rates which could negatively impact the value of our portfolio of investment securities; the loss of value of our investment portfolio which could negatively impact market perceptions of us and could lead to deposit withdrawals; the effects of social media on market perceptions of us and banks generally; cybersecurity risks; uncertainty in U.S. fiscal and monetary policy, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve; volatility and disruptions in global capital, foreign exchange and credit markets; movements in interest rates; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success, impact, and timing of our business strategies, including market acceptance of any new products or services including those implementing our "Fair Play" banking philosophy; changes in policies and standards for regulatory review of bank mergers; the nature, extent, timing, and results of governmental actions, examinations, reviews, reforms, regulations, and interpretations, including those related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Basel III regulatory capital reforms, as well as those involving the SEC, OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, CFPB and state-level regulators; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement between Huntington and Veritex; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Huntington or Veritex; delays in completing the transaction; the failure to satisfy any conditions to the transaction on a timely basis or at all; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where Huntington and Veritex do business; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business, customer or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; the ability to complete the transaction and integration of Huntington and Veritex successfully; the dilution caused by Huntington's issuance of additional shares of its capital stock in connection with the transaction; and other factors that may affect the future results of Huntington and Veritex. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Huntington's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including for the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025, each of which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available in the "Investor Relations" section of Huntington's website, http://www.huntington.com, under the heading "Investor Relations" and in other documents Huntington files with the SEC, and in Veritex's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including for the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025, each of which is on file with the SEC and available on Veritex's investor relations website, ir.veritexbank.com, under the heading "Financials" and in other documents Veritex files with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based on information available at that time. Neither Huntington nor Veritex assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or other factors affecting forward-looking statements that occur after the date the forward-looking statements were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by federal securities laws. If Huntington or Veritex update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that Huntington or Veritex will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. As forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, caution should be exercised against placing undue reliance on such statements. 

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+

Newsrooms &

Influencers

9k+

Digital Media

Outlets

270k+

Journalists

Opted In

Companies

Walmart’s OnePay Rumored to Unlock Exciting new Crypto Services Soon

TL;DR Walmart’s fintech unit, OnePay, is reportedly planning to introduce cryptocurrency trading and custody services, focusing on Bitcoin and Ethereum. The company is said to

Lido DAO News

Lido DAO Rallies on VanEck’s Push Into Staked Ethereum ETFs

TL;DR VanEck filing: The asset manager submitted a Delaware proposal for a staked Ethereum ETF, aiming to let institutions capture staking yields without handling blockchain

Ethereum News

Alarming Move: Hackers Snap Up ETH as 3 Wallets Dump $38M DAI

TL;DR Three on-chain wallets suspected to be operated by bad actors converted over $38 million worth of DAI into Ethereum in under an hour. Despite

Bitcoin News

Bitcoin ETFs Surge with $676M Inflows – Confidence Soars on 3-Day Streak!

TL;DR Bitcoin ETFs recorded $676M in inflows over three days, fueled by institutional capital after September’s correction. BlackRock’s IBIT topped the charts with $405M in

Ethereum News

Ethereum’s Fusaka Upgrade Achieves Milestone on Holesky, Accelerating Path to Mainnet

TL;DR Ethereum successfully completed Fusaka’s first test on Holesky, a key step toward its final mainnet deployment. The upgrade introduces PeerDAS, allowing validators to verify

Markets

Crypto ETFs See $1.1B Surge as ‘Uptober’ Momentum Lifts Bitcoin and Ether

TL;DR Ethereum ETFs: Net inflows of $547M ended a five‑day losing streak, with Fidelity and BlackRock leading gains. ETH trades at $4,155, still down 7%

After months of uncertainty and sideways trading, fresh technical analysis suggests that Bitcoin (BTC) may have finally exited its bear trap phase. A leading crypto pundit indicates the market has entered a classic cycle of emotions, transitioning from fear to optimism. If this trend continues, the next phase could spark a major rally, with altcoins set to explode. 

Bitcoin Bear Trap Ends, Altcoins Next
Crypto analyst Ardizor posted on X social media on Wednesday that Bitcoin has officially reached the end of its bear trap stage. He argued that the recent downturns were not signs of further collapse but a final shakeout before the next stage of the cycle. 

To support his view, the crypto expert shared a chart illustrating the classic psychology and emotional transitions of a market cycle. From early momentum building to euphoric peaks and painful capitulation, the chart identifies where traders currently stand in the market. Ardizorn’s chart also emphasized that the declines and false breakdowns that rattled investors and caused extreme fear in recent weeks have concluded, and now, the market is at the stage of “renewed optimism.” 

Interestingly, this shift has led the analyst to believe that altcoins could soon start outperforming as traders rotate their capital from BTC. Based on this trend, Ardizor boldly predicts that altcoins will explode next, with many potentially reaching new all-time highs. 

Source: Chart from Ardizor on X
His outlook is reinforced by another market analyst, Mister Crypto, who argues that September was merely a bear trap for Bitcoin, and that October, often dubbed “Uptober” in trading circles, will spark a new bullish phase, with altcoins poised to outperform dramatically. Adding further weight to the bullish case, crypto expert Jelle pointed out that both of Bitcoin’s last two cycles lasted exactly 1,064 days. If history repeats, the current cycle could peak around October 27, giving altcoins extra room to perform strongly into late November.   

Altcoin Season On The Horizon
With the broader altcoin market already recovering from past declines, market analyst Chiefy paints a similarly bullish picture for these assets in 2025. His chart demonstrates a series of breakouts, each marking a significant surge in altcoin valuations relative to Bitcoin. According to the crypto expert, altcoins could reach their breakout stage on October 5, ushering in what he calls “the biggest altseason in history.” 

The analyst’s chart highlights past breakout points that have multiplied prices by 120x, 175x, and 150x, with the next stage projected to reach as high as 200x. This exponential growth pattern mirrors what traders witnessed in previous cycles, reinforcing the idea that the crypto market trends to rhyme, if not repeat. 

Chiefy has stated that the unfolding altcoin season could push prices to new ATHs and deliver massive opportunities for traders. He highlighted that, after months of consolidation and endless shakeouts, the market momentum has officially shifted toward a clear uptrend phase, with low-cap cryptocurrencies poised to kick off rallies. According to him, back in 2017 and 2021, traders who accumulated altcoins in this stage saw life-changing gains.

BTC trading at $120,330 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com
Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Plasma, a high-performance layer-1 blockchain for stablecoins, has integrated with Chainlink as it looks to tap into the oracle platform’s solutions to scale applications on its network.

Summary

Layer 1 stablecoin plaform Plasma has integrated with Chainlink.
The collaboration sees Plasma join the Chainlink Scale program, with Chainlink its official oracle provider.
Integration will help boost stablecoin development and adoption on the L1.

Plasma has picked Chainlink as its official oracle provider, the platform announced on Oct. 3, as the stablecoin network joins Chainlink Scale.

According to a press release, the team plans to leverage the oracle solutions and infrastructure accessible via this collaboration to spark further growth. 

Selecting Chainlink (LINK) as its oracle provider means developers will have access to solutions such as Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, Data Streams, and Data Feeds, with these live and accessible to developers from day one.

Aave integration
Adoption of Chainlink services is key to bringing more integrations to Plasma’s network, which already supports Ethereum’s leading decentralized finance protocol Aave. The Aave platform has attracted more than $6.2 billion in deposits since going live, with CCIP and Data Feeds helping to power this traction.

“By adopting the Chainlink standard and joining the Chainlink Scale program, Plasma is demonstrating how new layer 1 networks can launch with enterprise-grade stablecoin infrastructure from day one,” said Johann Eid, chief business officer at Chainlink Labs.

CCIP, Data Streams, and Data Feeds, as well as the Aave integration, add to Plasma’s ecosystem, with deep stablecoin liquidity key. The move will boost the platform’s quest to become a leading network for stablecoins and on-chain payments, Eid added.

With more than $5.5 billion in stablecoin supply, Plasma is rapidly expanding, and hits the key milestone just days after its mainnet launch.

Plasma joins growing list Chainlink partners
Chainlink’s growing adoption across the DeFi ecosystem continues, with the platform recently surpassing $100 billion in total value secured.

The top oracle provider’s stack cuts across key ecosystem features and functionalities like data feeds, interoperability, and compliance.

Growth has pushed some of the world’s largest infrastructure providers and financial institutions to integrate with Chainlink. These include SWIFT, UBS, Euroclear, Mastercard, and Fidelity International. DeFi and crypto platforms already tapping into Chainlink include Aave, GMX, and Lido.

The MSTR stock price has moved into a bull market this month as it jumped by more than 20% from its lowest level in September, while Bitcoin rebounded.

Summary

MSTR stock has rebounded as Bitcoin price nears its all-time high.
Technical analysis points to Bitcoin jumping to $131,250 in this cycle.
MSTR may rebound and retest the important resistance at $450.

Strategy, the biggest treasury company, rose to an intraday high of $355, its highest level since Aug. 19. This rebound happened after it crashed by nearly 40% from its highest level this year and reached its lowest level since April 11.

MSTR’s rebound has mirrored the performance of other Bitcoin treasury companies like Metaplanet and Bullish, which have jumped by double digits in the past few days.

The rally coincided with the ongoing Bitcoin (BTC) price rebound as it moved from a low of $108,585 in September to $122,250 today. This is notable as Strategy is the biggest publicly traded Bitcoin holder with 640,031 coins worth $78 billion.

Technicals suggest that Bitcoin price has more upside, potentially challenging the all-time high of $124,200 and beyond. The chart below shows that Bitcoin has formed a bullish flag pattern, which is made up of a vertical line and a descending channel, resembling a hoisted flag.

The flag pattern and the Murrey Math Lines analysis point to an eventual Bitcoin surge to $131,250, which is the extreme overshoot level and 7.40% above the current level.

BTC price chart | Source: crypto.news
The odds of a Bitcoin price rally rose after ADP published a weak jobs report earlier this week. Its report showed that the private sector lost more than 36,000 jobs in September, much lower than the expected gains of 50,000. The Fed has now pivoted from focusing on inflation to the labor market, raising the possibility of another cut this month.

MSTR stock price technical analysis 
The daily timeframe chart shows that the MSTR stock price has rebounded after bottoming at $293 in September.

Strategy stock chart | Source: TradingView
This rebound happened after it formed the highly bullish falling wedge chart pattern, which is made up of two falling and converging trendlines. This pattern often leads to a strong bullish breakout.

It has now moved above the 50-day and 25-day Exponential Moving Averages, while the Relative Strength Index has pointed upward and crossed the neutral point at 50.

Therefore, the stock will likely continue rising as bulls target the psychological level at $462. A drop below the support at $300 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is drawing fresh attention as analysts highlight strong accumulation signals and structural resilience on its long-term charts. Despite several market fluctuations, the cryptocurrency has managed to hold critical support levels, fueling optimism that a significant breakout may be close. With trading activity surging and new investment flows entering the ecosystem, DOGE appears to be preparing for its next upward phase in the ongoing cycle.

Accumulation Structure Holds Above Key SupportAccording to analyst Ali Martinez, Dogecoin continues to consolidate within an ascending channel, showing strength above its accumulation range. The token has repeatedly defended support near $0.13, an area that has triggered rallies in past cycles. Price action now focuses on the $0.25–$0.26 range, where buyers are attempting to reestablish momentum. 

Martinez noted that a decisive move above $0.34 could push DOGE toward $0.50, aligning with long-standing channel projections. Hence, as long as $0.13 remains intact, the market structure suggests Dogecoin is still building the base for its next advance.

Retest Confirms Breakout PatternAnalyst EtherNasyonaL emphasized that Dogecoin recently completed a successful retest of a multi-year descending trendline, confirming a bullish reversal. This retest mirrors a setup observed during late 2024, where support at $0.22–$0.23 preceded a strong rebound. 

Source: X

Immediate resistance now sits near $0.30, but EtherNasyonaL noted that sustained buying could extend gains toward $0.42 and $0.60. Consequently, the technical structure reinforces the idea that DOGE has validated its breakout and may be entering its next upward leg.

Transition Into Parabolic PhaseTrader Tardigrade presented a broader view, pointing to Dogecoin’s weekly chart as evidence of a shift into a parabolic phase. After spending much of 2022–2023 consolidating between $0.05 and $0.09, DOGE gradually advanced into a slow-bull cycle through 2024 and early 2025. 

The recent breakout above $0.40 marked the start of parabolic momentum, with psychological targets at $0.75 and $1.00 now in sight. Significantly, strong support near $0.25 and rising volumes provide the structural foundation for this transition.

Market Momentum and Mining ExpansionBeyond chart patterns, fundamental developments are also bolstering sentiment. Dogecoin’s price as of press time stands at $0.2646, representing a 3.43% daily gain and 17.31% growth in the past week. Market capitalization has climbed to nearly $40 billion, supported by $3.1 billion in daily trading volume. 

Additionally, Nasdaq-listed Thumzup Media Corporation recently invested $2.5 million into Dogehash Technologies, boosting its DOGE mining capacity. The capital will fund the deployment of over 500 miners, expanding the active fleet to more than 4,000 ASIC units. This increase in infrastructure signals growing institutional confidence in the asset.

Sid Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, says that Bitcoin lending will reach $200 billion, and that BTC is this generation’s wealth engine.

Summary

Maple Finance CEO Sid Powell believes that Bitcoin lending will 10x in three years
Rate cuts are making DeFi more attractive for investors
Bitcoin is this generation’s wealth engine, like housing was for baby boomers

Maple Finance has quietly grown into one of the biggest players in crypto credit. Sid Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, told crypto.news that he expects this growth to continue, driven by Bitcoin’s increasing valuation and institutional adoption.

For this reason, Powell expects Bitcoin-backed lending to grow 10x in three years, reaching $200 billion in value. He also explained why he believes that Bitcoin will be this generation’s wealth engine, like housing was for baby boomers.

crypto.news: You’ve recently surpassed $4 billion in assets under management. Just two weeks ago, that figure was under $3 billion. What’s driving this rapid growth?

Sid Powell: Two main things. First, macro conditions. As rate cuts begin or are anticipated, yields in crypto credit become more attractive relative to traditional options. Investors start looking for better returns, and platforms like ours benefit from that shift.

Second, DeFi integrations. Our work with Spark and the Sky ecosystem has driven a lot of growth. Launching SyrupUSD (SYRUP) on Plasma was also huge. That cross-chain expansion opened up new capital and user bases very quickly.

Our goal is to reach $5 billion by the end of the year, and we’re on track for that. Syrup USD is now the third-largest stablecoin yield product out there, behind Sky and Athena. That’s a strong milestone for us. Looking ahead, we’re working on getting Syrup integrated into Aave and planning launches on a couple more chains before year-end.

CN: Do you expect your AUM to fluctuate based on macro factors?

SP: A little, yes. If we see more rate cuts, that will likely accelerate inflows. On the other hand, if rates hold steady or if we see more instability, like government shutdowns, trade friction, or macro shocks, that could slow things down temporarily.

But overall, we’re optimistic. Stability and rate compression tend to push more capital toward DeFi yield products like ours.

CN: How do you see Maple’s role in DeFi compared to what traditional financial institutions or banks do?

SP: We’re not trying to be a bank, and honestly, we don’t want to be. What we’re doing is closer to what alternative asset managers like Apollo, Ares, or Blackstone do. We originate credit and manage lending strategies, but we’re not offering checking accounts or on-demand liquidity like a bank would.

Banks have to maintain capital, credit, and liquidity reserves because they allow people to withdraw money at any time. That’s a very complex business model with lower returns on equity. It’s not attractive for us, and we don’t have the capital structure to support it.

Instead, we operate like a credit fund. We take in capital, lock it for a defined term, and then lend it out — overcollateralized and primarily to institutional borrowers in crypto.

CN: And what are the key advantages of doing this in DeFi?

SP: Three things: speed, reach, and cost-efficiency.

First, we can settle loans 24/7 using stablecoins. If someone needs a loan at 2 a.m. on a Sunday, we can do that. No traditional lender can match that turnaround.

Second, we have global reach. Whether you’re running a trading firm in Japan, Argentina, or South Africa, we can onboard and fund you with USDC instantly and with no geographic barriers.

Third, we automate a lot of the infrastructure using smart contracts. That reduces overhead and increases transparency, which means we can offer better terms.

Another thing is capital raising. When we launched Syrup USD on Plasma two weeks ago, we raised $200 million in under two minutes. That level of speed and access to capital just isn’t possible in TradFi.

CN: What are the main differences between DeFi lending and traditional lending? Are DeFi lenders exposed to certain systemic risks?

SP: One key difference is the type of collateral we deal with. We use digital assets, primarily Bitcoin, ETH, Solana, and XRP, as collateral. That introduces a different risk profile because these assets are more volatile than, say, real estate or corporate debt.

But it also gives us a major advantage: liquidity. In traditional finance, if a borrower defaults, it can take six months or more to repossess and sell off a house or business asset. In our case, if a borrower defaults, we can liquidate the collateral within an hour. That makes risk management more responsive and efficient.

There’s also a risk premium we benefit from. Since the space is still early, yields are higher to compensate for perceived risk. But we believe the actual risk-adjusted returns are quite strong, especially with overcollateralization and real-time collateral monitoring.

Over time, as the space matures, I expect yields will compress, just like they did in traditional credit markets as they matured.

So the upside is liquidity and yield. The downside is price volatility, and that’s something we mitigate by managing LTV ratios tightly and having real-time risk systems.

CN: You’ve recently expanded to Arbitrum and Avalanche. Do you see going multi-chain as a necessity? And how do you decide which chains to prioritize?

SP: Yes, going multi-chain is essential in the medium to long term. These ecosystems are growing quickly, and to serve more users and deepen liquidity, we need to be where the activity is.

That said, we’re careful about which chains we choose. Launching on the wrong chain wastes time and resources, especially if its ecosystem is stagnating or losing total value locked.

We look at two main things. First, the size of the stablecoin supply on the chain. That’s essentially our customer base. Chains like Solana, Plasma, and Arbitrum were attractive because of strong stablecoin liquidity.

Second, we look at the quality of DeFi partners on the chain. Are there lending markets, yield protocols, or integrations where Syrup USD can be used meaningfully? If we can’t enable things like looping or secondary markets, the launch won’t gain traction.

So the decision is based on those two pillars: stablecoin supply and quality of DeFi integrations.

CN: What’s something you think most people in crypto still aren’t paying enough attention to?

SP: One thing I’ve been talking about a lot recently is the growth of Bitcoin-backed lending. I think it’s going to be a $200 billion market within the next three years, up from around $20 to $25 billion today.

The reason for this is that it’s an entirely new credit market that doesn’t exist in traditional finance, unlike some other segments. And we’re already starting to see interest from firms like JPMorgan and Cantor Fitzgerald. They see the opportunity.

For Maple, we currently have about 5% of the Bitcoin-backed lending market among CeFi players. If the market 10x’s and we grow our share to 10%, that’s a 20x increase in our own business. That’s the long-term vision, to get to a $20 billion loan book.

CN: Will that growth track Bitcoin’s price, or are there any other factors?

SP: Partly, yes. Bitcoin’s market cap is around $2 trillion today, and I think it can easily double to $4 trillion over the next few years. But the more important factor is adoption.

You’re seeing people like Ray Dalio suggest that investors should put 10 to 15% of their wealth in Bitcoin or gold as a hedge. As that mindset spreads, Bitcoin becomes a core part of people’s portfolios, and then the financialization around it accelerates.

For the baby boomers, real estate was the core wealth accumulation mechanism. They bought homes when mortgage rates were 15%, and over the decades, those rates dropped to nearly zero, driving property values up massively.

That cycle can’t repeat. Housing is already 10x household income in many places, it they can’t go up much higher. Moreover, interest rates won’t drop like they did from 15% to 0% again. So the next generation needs a new asset that can grow over 10, 20, 30 years. I think that’s Bitcoin.

And I think we’ll eventually see products like 20-year Bitcoin loans, where you put down 10 or 20% and finance the rest like a mortgage, betting that Bitcoin will be worth far more down the line. That’s the financial infrastructure we’re building toward.

Cardano-backed privacy blockchain Midnight has announced a partnership with Google Cloud to advance zero-knowledge technology and power the “next generation of digital systems.”

According to an official statement, Google Cloud will operate critical network infrastructure, potentially running a validator node for Midnight. Flowing from the above, Google’s suite of cloud computing services will not only interact with Cardano’s ADA but will hold NIGHT tokens as part of the arrangement.

According to the announcement, Google Cloud will deploy its confidential computing capabilities to enhance Midnight’s data protection services. Furthermore, Google Cloud plans to extend its Mandiant Threat Monitoring service to scan Midnight for early signs of cyberattacks, providing advanced incident response to developers.

“This collaboration will help developers, startups, and enterprises innovate across advancements in zero-knowledge, incident response, and privacy-enhancing technologies,” read the statement.

Both parties are eyeing privacy-enhancing applications across various industries, including government processes, healthcare, and finance. Particularly, the parties view utilities in private trading, verifiable credentials, and cross-border payments as low-hanging fruit for privacy-enhancing technologies.

Advertisement
 

As part of the partnership, developers building with Midnight are eligible for $200K in credits via the Google for Startups Web 3 program.

James Tromans, Senior Engineering Director at Google Cloud, disclosed that the partnership offers a rare first-hand chance for the Big Tech firm to understand Web 3 technologies. He stated that Google Cloud will bring its wealth of experience as part of the partnership, accentuating the fact that a large chunk of Web 3 attack vectors originate from Web 2.

“With Midnight, we’re happy to collaborate by running protocol validators,” said Tromans. “Running validators teaches you the hard lessons about security, attack surfaces, and what it takes to operate a secure network.”

ADA Price Surges Following Partnership
The Google Cloud collaboration occurs amid the Midnight Glacier Drop, a large-scale token distribution for NIGHT, available to eligible holders of ADA, BTC, ETH, AVAX, BAT, BNB, SOL, and XRP. Scheduled to last until October 8, the Glacier Drop is allocating 24 billion NIGHT tokens to eligible participants, with the ADA price surging due to the buzz around Cardano’s privacy-focused sidechain.

Following the Google Cloud partnership, ADA price has spiked by 11% on the weekly chart as it inches toward the $1 mark. Trading at $0.86, Cardano’s price has increased by 2.03% over the last day, with daily trading volume exceeding $1 billion.

Bitcoin surpassed the $124,000 mark and headed for a new all-time high as the bullish October sentiment picked early momentum. The top coin's price surge saw the total cryptocurrency market capitalization climb to over $4.15 trillion, with Ethereum's steady climb to above $4,600 notable.

Chainlink (LINK) trades near $22 after a 10% weekly gain. Analysts track $47 targets as on-chain growth and technical signals support momentum.

Chainlink (LINK) is trading around $22 after gaining almost 10% over the past week. Daily price movement shows a slight dip, while trading volume stands near $950 million.

Attention is now on whether LINK can continue its climb toward $47, a level that matches the highs of 2021.

Technical Setup Signals Higher Levels
Analyst Ali Martinez shared a 3-day chart showing LINK moving inside an ascending parallel channel since 2023. The price action is holding above $20, which aligns with the 0.786 Fibonacci retracement level. Staying above this zone gives room for further gains.

Notably, the projection marks potential steps toward $29, $35–$39, and then $46 at the 1.272 Fibonacci extension. That level also meets the top line of the channel. Martinez wrote,

$47 could be next for Chainlink $LINK! https://t.co/N2QWDZNiIB pic.twitter.com/HNjRP9Kyp2

— Ali (@ali_charts) October 2, 2025

Channel Structure and All-Time High Zone
EtherNasyonaL pointed to LINK breaking above the middle band of the channel. The asset is now consolidating above this level, which has historically served as a pivot point for past moves.

If LINK holds above this band, the chart shows a possible move toward the upper boundary of the channel. The next heavy resistance remains the 2021 all-time high supply zone between $47 and $52. Support has firmed in the $18–$20 area after a successful retest.

You may also like:

Chainlink (LINK) Faces Supply Crunch: Bullish Breakout Ahead?

Chainlink Partners With SBI Group for Cross-Chain Tokenized RWAs

Data Reveals Why Chainlink’s Rally Might Only Be Getting Started

Source: EtherNasyonaL/X
Additionally, on-chain activity is also expanding. Martinez noted that 1,963 new addresses joined the network on October 1. Data from DeFi Llama reports that total value secured (TVS) in Chainlink has reached $66 billion, up from $25 billion in April this year.

Meanwhile, this increase in adoption strengthens Chainlink’s position in decentralized finance and may support higher price levels if momentum continues.

Short-Term Market Signals
LINK is trading near $22 on the 4-hour chart, where the EMAs 20, 50, 100, and 200 have converged. This tight cluster of moving averages marks an important decision zone, with a clear break above or below likely to set the next short-term direction.

Source: TradingView
The MACD indicator has given a slight bearish crossover with a red histogram. The momentum is likely to lose its strength, indicating sideways movement or a pullback will be seen merely before another breakout attempt.

Outside of technical analysis, Chainlink continues to penetrate the real-world asset space, with partnerships involving global institutions such as Swift, DTCC, Euroclear, UBS, and BNP Paribas.

Tags:

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a no-action letter effectively allowing investment advisers to use state-chartered trust companies as qualified custodians for cryptocurrencies.

According to the wording of the staff letter, state-chartered trust companies can provide crypto custodial services after due diligence from investment advisors. The SEC’s no-action letter is in response to an earlier inquiry by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP seeking assurances that the SEC will not recommend enforcement action for treating state trust companies as banks.

Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, financial advisors are required to keep client assets with a qualified custodian, typically a bank or trust company. However, state-chartered trust companies are generally not considered as eligible custodians for crypto assets, with industry players keen on seeking clarity from the SEC.

Pundits have predicted that the no-action letter will have far-reaching effects for the cryptocurrency industry, potentially opening the floodgates for new players in the custody space. By virtue of the latest SEC’s stance, Coinbase Custody and Ripple, via its subsidiary Standard Custody & Trust, will be recognized as qualified custodians.

Already, Coinbase is charting its path with crypto custody after being tapped by the DOJ’s US Marshals Service to hold crypto assets. Ripple’s attempt to launch crypto custody services for banks has gained significant momentum as the local ecosystem heats up.

Advertisement
 

Furthermore, BitGo and WisdomTree are expected to account for a significant portion of the market share in the cryptocurrency custody market. Apart from the prospect of earning custody fees, Web 3 firms are entering the custody market to meet institutional demand while capitalizing on the benefits of increased control over infrastructure.

Although still a staff letter, experts have disclosed that the SEC will update its rulebook in the near future to reflect the changing stance. While public crypto-related SEC no-action letters are rare, optimists are bracing for an incoming wave as the US lowers its guard for the industry. 

“This is a staff letter, so at some point, this topic could be addressed by future rulemaking,” said Brian Daly, Director of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. “We believe the market will benefit from having this guidance for today’s products, today’s managers, and today’s issuers.”

U.S. PMI has fallen to 50 and markets have increased probabilities of a Fed Rate cut as labor has softened and core PCE has held at 2.9%. Bitcoin has reached a 50-day high with strong ETF demand, record open interest, and technical strength toward a potential $150K path.

This Friday, global and domestic headlines make for a volatile mix. Trump sets a hard deadline for a Gaza ceasefire, while SEBI clarifies it won't regulate family offices. Canada's economy shows signs of slowdown, and Bitcoin rallies past $120,000 amid the US government shutdown. From geopolitics to markets, here's what you need to know.

Key takeaways:

CME open interest for SOL hit a record $2.16 billion, signaling strong institutional activity.

Retail traders remain cautious after $307 million in liquidations, keeping leverage muted.

Solana ETPs surpassed $500 million AUM, reinforcing institutional accumulation trends.

Solana (SOL) futures have entered a pivotal phase, with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) open interest (OI) reaching an all-time high of $2.16 billion as SOL price rebounded 23% to $235, from a local bottom at $195 on Friday. The timing was notable as institutional volumes surged on CME after SOL established its bottom, demonstrating how market participants are positioning ahead of the SEC’s Oct. 10 SOL ETF decision.

SOL CME futures data. Source: Velo.dataThe CME annualized basis sat at 16.37%, well below its 35% July peak, reflecting optimism but not overheated sentiment. By contrast, retail-driven OI on centralized exchanges has stayed relatively flat during the rally, while funding rates hover near neutral. 

SOL price, aggregated open interest, and funding rate. Source: Velo.dataThis divergence suggested that while institutions are positioning aggressively, retail remains cautious, likely cautioned by the $307 million in liquidations on Sept. 22, where $250 million longs were wiped out. Traders appear reluctant to chase momentum, leaving the market less prone to over-leveraged volatility.

Solana total liquidation chart. Source: CoinGlassFrom a structural standpoint, this creates a balanced but bullish setup. Institutions are layering into positions with conviction, while retail hesitation helps prevent froth from building up. With CME volumes surging at the point of SOL’s local bottom, the data implies that accumulation by stronger hands is occurring rather than speculative blow-off positioning.

At the same time, inflows into Solana exchange-traded products (ETPs) have reinforced institutional appetite. Total Solana ETP net flows crossed $500 million in assets under management this week, led by the Solana Staking ETF (SSK) from REXShares, surpassing $400 million, while the Bitwise Solana Staking ETP (BSOL) broke above $100 million AUM. This milestone underscored both the rapid growth of BSOL and SSK since launch and the accelerating adoption of regulated vehicles for Solana exposure.

Total SOL ETP net flows. Source: Hunter Horseley/XShort-term SOL price scenarios: Rally or dip?The short-term path for SOL hinges on whether retail confidence returns. On the downside, a retracement toward $218 to $210 would not undermine the broader bullish structure, as it would retest a fair value gap (FVG) on the four-hour chart and retest the 200-period exponential moving average (EMA).

SOL four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe liquidation heatmap also outlined that a dense liquidity cluster of over $200 million sat between $220-$200, which could act as a price magnet. A correction into this zone could act as a healthy higher low, maintaining bullish market structure while flushing out late entrants.

Solana liquidation heat map. Source: CoinGlassOn the upside, a decisive push above $245 to $250 would signal strength, potentially driving SOL toward its all-time highs near $290. Given institutional flows, this scenario gains weight if ETF speculation remained a dominant narrative.

In both cases, the lack of aggressive retail leverage works in SOL’s favor, reducing downside risk from cascading liquidations. The more institutions continue to anchor CME OI growth, the more likely any correction is shallow rather than trend-breaking.

For now, SOL futures painted the picture of a market transitioning from fear into cautious accumulation, with institutions leading the charge.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? KeyCorp (KEY - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Major Regional industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

When looking at the last two reports, this company has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 3.03%, on average, in the last two quarters.

For the last reported quarter, KeyCorp came out with earnings of $0.35 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.34 per share, representing a surprise of 2.94%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.32 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.33 per share, delivering a surprise of 3.13%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for KeyCorp lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

KeyCorp has an Earnings ESP of +2.89% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on October 16, 2025.

With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Seagate (STX - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry.

This electronic storage maker has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 6.62%.

For the most recent quarter, Seagate was expected to post earnings of $2.59 per share, but it reported $2.46 per share instead, representing a surprise of 5.28%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.76 per share, while it actually produced $1.9 per share, a surprise of 7.95%.

Price and EPS Surprise

For Seagate, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Seagate currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.75%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner.

With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.