Market Signal Briefing

Reported Improved Gross Margin from Contribution from Higher-Margin Product MixOperating Expenses Continued to Decline Compared to the First Quarter of the Prior Fiscal Year, Reflecting the Company’s Ongoing Focus on Cost Reduction and Operational EfficiencyEarnings per Share $0.00, Compared to a Net Loss of $0.08 per Share in the First Quarter of the Prior Fiscal Year.
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA), ("Biomerica" or the "Company") a global provider of advanced medical diagnostic and therapeutic products today reported financial results for the first quarter ended August 31, 2025.

Key Highlights:

inFoods® IBS receives Proprietary Laboratory Analysis ("PLA") CodeThe American Medical Association CPT Editorial Panel has issued a PLA code for the Biomerica's inFoods® IBS test. This newly granted PLA code serves as a unique identifier for the test, allowing healthcare providers and Biomerica’s laboratory partner to submit claims to Medicare and private insurers once reimbursement price is set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The PLA code represents a next step on the pathway to expand patient access to the inFoods® IBS product through a billable reimbursement code.

United Arab Emirates ("UAE") Ministry of Health and Prevention Approves Biomerica’s Fortel® Ulcer Test for Home Use The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved Biomerica’s Fortel® Ulcer Test for home use, marking an important milestone in expanding access to accurate, easy-to-use diagnostic tools for one of the leading causes of gastric disease in the region. The Fortel® Ulcer Test is a rapid, 10-minute diagnostic test that detects antibodies to Helicobacter pylori ("H. pylori"), a bacterium responsible for peptic ulcers, dyspepsia, and a significant portion of gastric cancer cases. With this new regulatory approval, individuals across the UAE can now self-administer the test in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. A 2019 study found that H. pylori affects approximately 41% of the UAE population, with higher prevalence among certain age and ethnic groups. If left untreated, up to 20% of infected individuals may develop serious complications such as peptic ulcers, chronic digestive pain, or gastric malignancies. Notably, up to 80% of gastric cancer cases are linked to H. pylori infection, making it one of the most significant infectious cancer risk factors worldwide.

UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention Approves Biomerica’s Fortel® Kidney Test for Home UseThe UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved its Fortel® Kidney Test for home use. This important regulatory milestone expands access to accurate, easy-to-use diagnostic tools supporting early identification of kidney damage in high-risk populations. The Fortel® Kidney Test is a rapid, 10-minute easy to use diagnostic test that detects low levels of albumin in urine, a critical early marker of kidney disease. The test is particularly valuable for people living with diabetes and hypertension, two of the leading risk factors for chronic kidney disease. Early detection provides an opportunity for timely medical intervention that can slow or prevent progression to kidney failure, improving long-term health outcomes.

Biomerica Launches AI-Backed inFoods® IBS Trigger Food Navigator to Support Personalized IBS Therapy and Improve Patient Outcomes The launch of its inFoods® IBS Trigger Food Navigator, a comprehensive AI-backed digital companion tool designed to improve patient dietary compliance and treatment success for individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome ("IBS"). The inFoods® IBS test identifies, on average, two to four specific foods that trigger a patient’s IBS symptoms, leading to a simple, highly targeted and actionable dietary plan. The new AI-backed Trigger Food Navigator builds on this approach by making it even easier for patients to follow their personalized dietary plan through smart meal suggestions, ingredient substitutions, and simplified meal planning tools.

First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results

Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 were $1.4 million, compared to $1.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. The decrease primarily reflects reduced retail market activity, the timing of international orders impacted by global tariff tensions, and decreased demand under certain contract manufacturing agreements and was partially offset by rising inFoods® IBS product sales. Despite the lower sales, gross profit increased, driven by a more favorable product mix and greater contribution from higher-margin contract manufacturing services.

Operating expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 decreased to $1.5 million, compared to $1.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, highlighting Biomerica’s continued emphasis on cost discipline and streamlining operations. The reduction was primarily achieved through targeted savings across research, administrative, and manufacturing support functions.

As a result, operating loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 improved to $1.1 million, compared to $1.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. Other income for the quarter included a non-recurring tax credit, which contributed to a net profit of approximately $2,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to a net loss of $1.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. Biomerica continues to prioritize operational efficiency, strengthen its balance sheet, and invest selectively in core diagnostic programs that support long-term profitability.

Selected Financial Results  Three Months
Ended Three Months
Ended     August 31, 2025 August 31, 2024 ($ in millions, except percentages)              Revenue   $1.4   $1.8   Gross margin    31%   16%  Operating expenses   $1.5   $1.7   Operating loss   ($1.1) ($1.4) Net Loss   $0.0   ($1.3)            About inFoods® IBS
inFoods® IBS is a diagnostic-guided therapy that identifies patient-specific food triggers responsible for symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Using a simple finger-stick blood sample, the test enables physicians to recommend targeted dietary changes tailored to the patient’s immune response—offering a non-pharmaceutical, precision-based approach to symptom relief.

A multicenter, double-blinded sham-controlled trial on the inFoods® IBS test was published in the June 2025 issue of Gastroenterology, a peer-reviewed GI journal. As the study demonstrated statistically significant outcomes:

59.6% of patients in the treatment group (who eliminated identified trigger foods) achieved the FDA’s endpoint for abdominal pain reduction, compared to 42.1% in the control group.Among IBS-C patients, 67.1% of patients in the treatment group vs. 35.8% in the control group.Among IBS-M patients, 66% of patients in the treatment group vs. 29.5% in the control group. These results highlight the potential effectiveness of a personal elimination diet based on using inFoods® IBS in IBS-M patients, a subgroup historically underserved by existing treatments. The study was conducted at leading U.S. institutions including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  

For more information about inFoods® IBS, visit www.inFoodsibs.com.

inFoods IBS is Laboratory Developed Test used within a single laboratory that is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments to perform high-complexity testing.

About Biomerica (NASDAQ: BMRA)

Biomerica, Inc. (www.biomerica.com) is a global biomedical technology company that develops, patents, manufactures and markets advanced diagnostic and therapeutic products used at the point-of-care (in home and in physicians' offices) and in hospital/clinical laboratories for detection and/or treatment of medical conditions and diseases. The Company's products are designed to enhance the health and well-being of people, while reducing total healthcare costs. The Company primarily focuses on gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases where the Company has multiple diagnostic and therapeutic products in development.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the Company’s current and future cash position, balance sheet, cost savings, sales, revenues, overhead, expenses, cost of goods, operations, and earnings; the Company's need for raising additional capital; the Company's expected sales growth for the Company's inFoods IBS product, Hp Detect product and other existing products; and diversification of the Company's revenue streams. Such forward-looking information is based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Accordingly, such results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports filed with the SEC, and available on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov).

The Company is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Corporate Contact:

Zack Irani
949-645-2111
[email protected]

Source: Biomerica, Inc.

Jim Wyckoff has spent over 25 years involved with the stock, financial and commodity markets. He was a financial journalist with the FWN newswire service for many years, including stints as a reporter on the rough-and-tumble commodity futures trading floors in Chicago and New York. As a journalist, he has covered every futures market traded in the U.S., at one time or another.

Jim is the proprietor of the "Jim Wyckoff on the Markets" analytical, educational and trading advisory service. Jim also worked as a technical analyst for Dow Jones Newswires and as the senior market analyst with TraderPlanet.com. Jim is also a consultant with the highly respected "Pro Farmer" agricultural advisory service. Jim was also the head equities analyst at CapitalistEdge.com. He received his degree from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he studied journalism and economics.

Follow Jim daily on Kitco.com as he provides both AM and PM roundups and a daily Technical Special.
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jwyckoff at kitco.com

Key Takeaways Stocks with strong past EPS surprises often repeat earnings beats.Zacks Rank #1-2 and positive ESP boost odds of outperformance.HAS, PTON, CVNA, CVS, KGC seen as top earnings beat candidates.
It is not surprising that before an earnings season, every investor looks for stocks that can beat market expectations. This is because investors always try to position themselves ahead of time and look to tap stocks that are of high quality in nature.

In this regard, we ran a screener that yielded stocks Hasbro (HAS - Free Report) , Peloton Interactive (PTON - Free Report) , Carvana (CVNA - Free Report) , CVS Health (CVS - Free Report) and Kinross Gold (KGC - Free Report) as the likely winners on the earnings beat potential.

Why Is a Positive Earnings Surprise So Important?Historically, stocks of companies with solid quarterly earnings (on a nominal basis) tank if they miss or merely meet market expectations. After all, a 20% earnings rise (though apparently looks good) doesn’t tell you if earnings growth has been exhibiting a decelerating trend.

Also, seasonal fluctuations come into play sometimes. If a company’s Q1 is seasonally weak and Q4 strong, then it is likely to report a sequential earnings decline. In such cases, growth rates are misleading while judging the true health of a company.

On the other hand, after much brainstorming and analysis of companies’ financials and initiatives, Wall Street analysts project earnings of companies. They in fact club their insights and a company’s guidance when deriving an earnings estimate.

Thus, outperforming that estimate is almost equivalent to beating the company’s own expectation as well as the market perception. And if the margin of earnings surprise is big, it typically drives the stock higher right after the release. Thus, more than anything else, an earnings surprise can push a stock higher.

How to Find Stocks that Can Beat?

Now, finding stocks that have the potential to beat on the bottom line may be investors’ dream but not an easy job. One way to do this is to look at the earnings surprise history of the company.

An impressive track in this regard generally acts as a catalyst in sending a stock higher. It indicates the company’s ability to surpass estimates. And investors generally believe that the company will apply the same secret sauce to execute yet another earning beat in its next release.

The Winning StrategyIn order to shortlist stocks that are likely to come up with an earnings surprise, we chose the following as our primary screening parameters.

Last EPS Surprise greater than or equal to 10%: Stocks delivering positive surprise in the last quarter tend to surprise again.

Average EPS Surprise in the last four quarters greater than 20%: We lifted the bar for outperformance slight higher by setting the average earnings surprise for the last four quarters at 20%.

Average EPS Surprise in the last two quarters greater than 20%: This points to a more consistent surprise history and makes the case for another surprise even stronger.

In addition, we place a few other criteria that push up the chance of a positive surprise.

Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: Only companies with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) rating can get through.

Earnings ESP greater than zero: A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1, 2 or 3 for an earnings beat to happen, as per our proven model.

In order to zero in on those that have long-term growth potential and high trading liquidity we have added the following parameters too:

Next 3–5 Years Estimated EPS Growth (Per Year) greater than 10%: Solid expected earnings growth exhibits the stock’s long-term growth prospects.

Average 20-day Volume greater than 100,000: High trading volume implies that the stocks have adequate liquidity.

A handful of criteria has narrowed down the universe from over 7,700 stocks to only 18.

Here are five out of 18 stocks:

Hasbro: The Zacks Rank #2 company Hasbro is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The average earnings surprise of HAS for the past four quarters is 43.75%.

Peloton Interactive: The Zacks Rank #1 company creates fitness products. The brand's content is accessible through the Peloton Bike, the Peloton Tread, and Peloton Digital, which provides a full slate of fitness offerings, anytime, anywhere, through IOS and Android as well as most tablets and computers. The PTON stock has a Zacks Rank #1.

The average earnings surprise of PTON for the past four quarters is 36.28%.

Carvana:The Zacks Rank #2 company is a leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars.

The average earnings surprise of CVNA for the past four quarters is 107.32%.

CVS Health: This is a pharmacy innovation company with integrated offerings across the entire spectrum of pharmacy care. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2.

The average earnings surprise of CVS for the past four quarters is 22.57%.

Kinross Gold: Zacks Rank #2 Kinross Gold Corporation is involved in the exploration and operation of gold mines.

The average earnings surprise of KGC for the past four quarters is 22.50%.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: http://www.zacks.com/performance.

Bloomin Brands (BLMN - Free Report) is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) despite the company recently posted a solid beat and the stock has sold off as a result.  This article will look at why this stock is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) as it is the Bear of the Day.

Description                                             

Bloomin' Brands, Inc. engages in the acquisition, operation, design, and development of restaurant concepts. It operates through the U.S. and International geographical segments. The U.S. segment operates in the USA and Puerto Rico. The International segment operates in Brazil, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China. Its brands include Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. The company was founded by Chris Thomas Sullivan, Robert Danker Basham and John Timothy Gannon in March 1988 and is headquartered in Tampa, FL.

Earnings History

When I look at a stock, the first thing I do is look to see if the company is beating the number.  This tells me right away where the market’s expectations have been for the company and how management has communicated to the market.  A stock that consistently beats has management communicating expectations to Wall Street that can be achieved.  That is what you want to see.

In the case Bloomin Brands (BLMN - Free Report)  I see the company has beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters.  This alone does not make the stock a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and it doesn’t make it a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) either.

The Zacks Rank does care about the earnings history, but it is much more heavily influenced by the movement of earnings estimates.

The most recent quarter saw the company report EPS of $0.33 when the consensus was calling for $0.28.  That 5 cent beat translates into a positive earnings surprise of 17%.

Earnings Estimates

The Zacks Rank tells us which stocks are seeing earnings estimates move higher or in this case lower.  For Bloomin Brands (BLMN - Free Report) I see annual estimates for next year moving lower of late.

The current fiscal year consensus number has slid from $1.06 to $1.03 over the last 60 days. 

The next fiscal year has moved from $1.02 to $0.98 over the last 60 days.

Negative movement in earnings estimates like that is why this stock is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

It should be noted that a lot of stocks in the Zacks universe are seeing negative earnings estimate revisions.  That means that the stocks that are seeing small but negative earnings estimate revisions are falling to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

LIBERTY, Mo., Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ferrellgas, L.P. (the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Ferrellgas Finance Corp. (together with the Company, the “Issuers”) announced that, subject to market conditions, the Issuers intend to offer $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2031 (the “Notes”).

The Notes will be senior obligations of the Issuers and will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Ferrellgas, Inc., and each existing and future subsidiary of the Company, subject to certain exceptions. The Issuers intend to use the net proceeds received from the offering of the Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem all of the Issuers’ 5.375% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”). The redemption of the 2026 Notes is conditioned upon the completion of the proposed offering of Notes and the completion of an amendment to the credit agreement governing the Company’s existing revolving credit facility.

The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws. The Notes are being offered and sold only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to certain non-U.S. persons outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes, the 2026 Notes or any other securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the Notes in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes.

About Ferrellgas

Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., through its operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P., and subsidiaries, serves propane customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements included in this release concerning current estimates, expectations, projections about future results, performance, prospects, opportunities, plans, actions and events and other statements, concerns, or matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined under federal securities laws. These statements often use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “forecast,” “strategy,” “position,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or comparable terminology. A variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause results, performance, and expectations to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, and expectations, including the effect of weather conditions on the demand for propane; the prices of wholesale propane, motor fuel and crude oil; disruptions to the supply of propane; competition from other industry participants and other energy sources; energy efficiency and technology advances; significant delays in the collection of accounts or notes receivable; customer, counterparty, supplier or vendor defaults; changes in demand for, and production of, hydrocarbon products; inherent operating and litigation risks in gathering, transporting, handling and storing propane; costs of complying with, or liabilities imposed under, environmental, health and safety laws; the impact of pending and future legal proceedings; the interruption, disruption, failure or malfunction of our information technology systems including due to cyber-attack; economic and political instability, particularly in areas of the world tied to the energy industry, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East; disruptions in the capital and credit markets, related to the evolving global tariff environment or otherwise; and access to available capital to meet our operating and debt-service requirements; and the anticipated completion of a refinancing. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors also include those discussed in the Annual Report on Form 10 K of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., Ferrellgas, L.P., Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp., and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2025, and in other documents filed from time to time by these entities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. Ferrellgas disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

New AI Agent Marketplace empowers customers to seamlessly deploy partner-built AI agents within Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications to simplify workflows and maximize productivity

, /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle AI World -- Oracle today announced the Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace, a new solution that enables Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications customers to easily find and deploy validated, partner-built AI agents directly within their enterprise environment. Part of Oracle AI Agent Studio for Fusion Applications, the new marketplace helps customers boost productivity and address complex business challenges by enabling them to accelerate AI adoption at scale through secure AI agents built and ready for enterprise use.

"The age of intelligent automation has arrived, and in order to stay competitive, organizations need AI solutions that are powerful, scalable, and easy to adopt," said Chris Leone, executive vice president of Applications Development, Oracle. "With Oracle AI Agent Marketplace, we're helping our customers fast-track enterprise AI adoption, address their unique business needs, and streamline operations by bringing our growing network of partner expertise directly into our AI ecosystem. These enterprise-grade AI agents will help organizations enhance workflow efficiency and create meaningful impact with speed and security, but without complexity."

Oracle AI Agent Marketplace offers partner-built agent templates to transform finance, HR, supply chain, and customer experience processes across multiple industries. System integrators (SIs) from across the Oracle PartnerNetwork are contributing to the Oracle AI Agent Marketplace and distributing their agents within Oracle Fusion Applications, including Alithya, Apex IT, Apps Associates, Argano, Automus, CLOUDSUFI, GoSaaS, Grant Thornton, Huron, IBM Consulting, Infosys, KNEX, Mastek, Trinamix, and Wipro. Other global SIs, including Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC have additional agent templates listed on Oracle.com for joint customers. Examples of SI-built agents include:

Apex IT: The Address Alignment agent can enable sales orders to be processed and shipped faster and more efficiently by automatically adding the appropriate shipment address and verifying its accuracy across both sales data in Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience (CX) and Accounts Receivables (AR) data in Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
IBM: The Smart Sales Order Entry Assistant agent can help reduce order entry errors, accelerate order capture, and enhance customer satisfaction by using natural language prompts to streamline sales processes and automate manual steps to create, validate, and manage sales orders.
Infosys: The Hire to Retire agent helps HR managers easily access and update employee data by retrieving information such as contract details, role assignments, or reporting lines and automatically updating employee profiles as needed. The AI agent also strictly enforces Oracle Fusion Applications role-based access control to ensure users can only access and modify data that they are authorized for. This automation reduces manual effort, accelerates onboarding, improves data accuracy, and enables HR teams to focus on strategic, value-driven initiatives.
KPMG: The Purchase Order Item Price History agent can help streamline procurement decision-making. It can reduce manual research time and deliver deeper insights to optimize negotiation strategies by providing rapid access to historical purchase order data such as previous suppliers, purchase dates, average price over past orders, and actionable pricing insights for current orders. 

The Oracle AI Agent Marketplace also includes agents featuring industry-leading independent software vendors (ISVs) including Box, Intellinum, Loqate, RChilli, Stripe, and Syniverse. Examples of ISV agents include:

Box: The Box Data Extraction agent delivers more comprehensive and relevant interactions with Oracle Digital Assistant by extracting specific metadata or structured content from documents stored in Box and integrating it as business objects within Oracle workflows for finance, procurement, HR, and customer experience.
Stripe: The Infosys Invoice Collection AI agent powered by Stripe reduces manual effort for Finance and AR collection teams by enhancing Oracle Fusion for invoice collections, invoice payment processing, and reminders. The Agent offers personalized discounts or incentives to support complex billing arrangements and reduce day sales outstanding on invoices. It also relies on Stripe's Smart Retries, which utilizes an AI model that evaluates time-dependent, dynamic signals to optimize payment collections on invoices.
RChilli: The Talent Data Refresh agent streamlines the job application process by enriching outdated candidate profiles with structured information from public professional sources and updating resume fields into standardized formats.
Loqate: The Contact Verification agent verifies customer contact information such as addresses, phone numbers, and/or email addresses, and makes suggestions for updating contact data within customer engagement workflows.

Unlike other standalone agent marketplaces, Oracle's AI Agent Marketplace is embedded natively within Oracle Fusion Applications, allowing customers to discover and deploy AI agents directly within their flow of work. With AI Agent Marketplace, customers can install and manage validated agent templates, created by Oracle PartnerNetwork members, alongside Oracle pre-built agents in a unified experience. Key features include:

Built-in domain and industry expertise: Customers can drive faster results, solve industry challenges, and accelerate innovation with ready-to-use agents developed by leading SIs and ISVs.
Seamless, no-code deployment: Customers can deploy AI Agent Marketplace agents with just one click and use natural language-driven processes to launch agents quickly without the need for complex coding or integrations.
Customizable agent templates: Customers can address specific industry or business use cases by modifying pre-built templates with documents, tools, prompts, or APIs.
Validated trust and security: Customers can deploy AI Agent Marketplace agents with confidence, as every AI Agent Marketplace agent is validated through a comprehensive checklist, applying the same security standards which are applied to Oracle-built agents.
Oracle support: Customers will receive consistent support with every AI Agent Marketplace agent, whether partner- or Oracle-built, benefiting from Oracle's enterprise-grade support services, which cover tool usage, debugging, integration, and runtime issues.

Oracle PartnerNetwork Support

"Box and Oracle are dedicated to helping customers fast-track the adoption of secure AI agents," said Ben Kus, CTO at Box. "The Box AI agents available on Oracle's new AI Agent Marketplace enable our joint customers to get the most out of their enterprise content stored in Box and take action with that data. This open ecosystem will foster sustainable growth by enabling intelligent decision-making across industries."

"The launch of Oracle AI Agent Marketplace creates an unmatched opportunity for us to differentiate our expertise, accelerate innovation, and engage with Oracle's expansive customer base," said Dinesh Rao, EVP & Chief Delivery Officer, Infosys. "This unified, built-in solution empowers us to co-innovate and deliver tailored AI solutions for our Fusion customers by harnessing Infosys Topaz. It sets the stage for driving mutual growth and value within a single, trusted environment." 

"The Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace is an ideal platform to deploy KPMG's deep industry and domain-specific AI agents directly into business workflows. Our Purchase Order Item Price History agent is a great example of this—it autonomously assembles and evaluates historical data to deliver immediate, actionable procurement insights and next-step recommendations at the moment of decision," said Swami Chandrasekaran, KPMG Global AI & Data Labs Leader. "This marketplace is a key enabler for us at KPMG, as it helps us deploy and distribute this next-generation AI securely, responsibly, and at scale, allowing our clients to make critical business decisions with greater speed and confidence." 

About Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications
Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications provide an integrated suite of AI-powered cloud applications that enable organizations to execute faster, make smarter decisions, and lower costs. Oracle Fusion Applications include:

Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Provides a comprehensive suite of AI-powered finance and operations applications that help organizations increase productivity, reduce costs, expand insights, improve decision-making, and enhance controls.
Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM): Provides a unified AI-powered HR platform that connects all people-related processes and data to help organizations automate tasks throughout the employee lifecycle, improve the employee experience, and give HR leaders actionable workforce insights.
Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM): Provides a unified AI-powered platform that integrates supply chain and operations processes and helps organizations enhance resilience and quickly adapt to market changes.
Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience (CX): Provides a suite of AI-powered applications that helps organizations manage marketing, sales, and service processes to win business, build stronger customer relationships, and improve customer experiences.

About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.

About Oracle AI World
Oracle AI World is where customers and partners discover the latest product and technology innovations, see how AI is being applied across industries, and connect with experts and peers. Attendees will gain practical tips and insights to drive immediate impact within their organizations and explore how Oracle is helping unlock the full potential of cloud and AI. Join the event to see new capabilities in action and hear from thought leaders and industry movers. Register now at oracle.com/ai-world or follow the news and conversation at oracle.com/news and linkedin.com/company/oracle. 

Trademarks
Oracle, Java, MySQL, and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing.

Future Product Disclaimer
The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction. It is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, timing, and pricing of any features or functionality described for Oracle's products may change at Oracle Corporation's sole discretion.

SOURCE Oracle

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AI cloud company Nscale is eyeing an IPO, the company confirmed to CNBC Wednesday as it announced a $14-billion deal with U.S. tech giant Microsoft.

The London-based company, which provides technology infrastructure to help AI scale, has "public market ambitions" which could be realized in the "back end of next year," Chief Executive Josh Payne told the Financial Times on Wednesday.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on where the company is considering listing.

On Wednesday Nscale announced an "expanded partnership" with Microsoft, netting the younger company $14 billion, a figure first reported by the Financial Times and verified by CNBC.

Microsoft will purchase around 200,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs from Nscale, inclusive of 75,000 GPUs for projects in Norway and the U.K. that were previously announced, putting the total deal worth at around $23 billion, according to CNBC calculations based on previous annoucements.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on the value of the deals.

watch now

It comes less than a month after Nscale announced a $433 million funding around, which itself came hot on the heels of a $1.1 billion financing that is considered to be the largest Series B in Europe. Its investors include other technology heavyweights such as Dell, NVIDIA and Nokia, as well as asset manager Blue Owl Managed Funds.

Founded in 2018, Nscale's pace of development speaks to the wider fervor around AI and the race to build out infrastructure that can support it. In both the public and private markets, fears of a bubble have emerged as investors pile-in on AI-related stocks and startups.

Nscale, however, shows no signs of slowing down. "We're always in touch with investors about future opportunities," a company spokesperson said.

PIKEVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ-CTBI):

Earnings Summary

(in thousands except per share data)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

YTD

2025

YTD

2024

Net income

$23,911

$24,899

$22,142

$70,782

$60,320

Earnings per share

$1.33

$1.38

$1.23

$3.93

$3.36

Earnings per share - diluted

$1.32

$1.38

$1.23

$3.92

$3.36

Return on average assets

1.46%

1.58%

1.50%

1.50%

1.38%

Return on average equity

11.53%

12.51%

11.77%

11.84%

11.15%

Efficiency ratio

50.86%

50.70%

51.75%

51.12%

52.91%

Tangible common equity

11.65%

11.72%

11.79%

Dividends declared per share

$0.53

$0.47

$0.47

$1.47

$1.39

Book value per share

$45.91

$44.57

$42.14

Weighted average shares

18,019

18,012

17,962

18,009

17,942

Weighted average shares - diluted

18,053

18,036

17,991

18,037

17,965

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ-CTBI) achieved earnings for the third quarter 2025 of $23.9 million, or $1.33 per basic share, compared to $24.9 million, or $1.38 per basic share, earned during the second quarter 2025 and $22.1 million, or $1.23 per basic share, earned during the third quarter 2024. Total revenue for the quarter was $1.3 million above prior quarter and $8.7 million above prior year same quarter. Net interest revenue for the quarter increased $1.5 million compared to prior quarter and $8.4 million compared to prior year same quarter, and noninterest income decreased $0.2 million compared to prior quarter but increased $0.4 million compared to prior year same quarter. Our provision for credit losses for the quarter increased $1.8 million from prior quarter and $1.1 million from prior year same quarter. Noninterest expense increased $1.1 million compared to prior quarter and $4.2 million compared to prior year same quarter. Earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 were $10.5 million, or $0.57 per basic share, above prior year.

3rd Quarter 2025 Highlights

Net interest income for the quarter of $55.6 million was $1.5 million, or 2.8%, above prior quarter and $8.4 million, or 17.7%, above prior year same quarter, as our net interest margin decreased 4 basis points from prior quarter but increased 21 basis points from prior year same quarter.

Provision for credit losses at $3.9 million for the quarter increased $1.8 million from prior quarter and $1.1 million from prior year same quarter.

Noninterest income for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 of $15.9 million was $0.2 million, or 1.4%, below prior quarter but $0.4 million, or 2.5%, above prior year same quarter.

Noninterest expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 of $36.7 million was $1.1 million, or 3.0%, above prior quarter and $4.2 million, or 13.0%, above prior year same quarter.

Our loan portfolio at $4.8 billion increased $92.1 million, an annualized 7.8%, from June 30, 2025 and $443.4 million, or 10.2%, from September 30, 2024.

We had net loan charge-offs of $2.7 million, an annualized 0.23% of average loans, for the third quarter 2025 compared to $1.4 million, an annualized 0.12% of average loans, for the second quarter 2025 and $1.5 million, an annualized 0.14% of average loans, for the third quarter 2024.

Our total nonperforming loans at $24.7 million at September 30, 2025 increased $0.3 million from June 30, 2025 but decreased $0.4 million from September 30, 2024. Nonperforming assets at $29.5 million increased $0.3 million from June 30, 2025 and $3.1 million from September 30, 2024.

Deposits, including repurchase agreements, at $5.7 billion increased $212.2 million, an annualized 15.4%, from June 30, 2025 and $598.7 million, or 11.8%, from September 30, 2024.

Shareholders’ equity at $831.4 million increased $24.5 million, an annualized 12.0%, during the quarter and $70.6 million, or 9.3%, from September 30, 2024.

Net Interest Income

Percent Change

(%)

3Q 2025

Compared to:

($ in thousands)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

YTD

2025

YTD

2024

Percent

Change

(%)

Components of net interest income:

Income on earning assets

$88,562

$85,571

$79,814

3.5

11.0

$256,187

$231,464

10.7

Expense on interest bearing liabilities

33,008

31,531

32,615

4.7

1.2

95,326

94,996

0.3

Net interest income

55,554

54,040

47,199

2.8

17.7

160,861

136,468

17.9

TEQ

301

283

280

6.4

7.5

857

866

(1.1)

Net interest income, tax equivalent

$55,855

$54,323

$47,479

2.8

17.6

$161,718

$137,334

17.8

Average yield and rates paid:

Earning assets yield

5.73%

5.76%

5.72%

(0.5)

0.2

5.73%

5.64%

1.6

Rate paid on interest bearing liabilities

3.01%

3.00%

3.36%

0.3

(10.4)

3.01%

3.34%

(9.9)

Gross interest margin

2.72%

2.76%

2.36%

(1.4)

15.3

2.72%

2.31%

17.7

Net interest margin

3.60%

3.64%

3.39%

(1.1)

6.2

3.61%

3.34%

8.1

Average balances:

Investment securities

$1,006,259

$1,002,412

$1,091,258

0.4

(7.8)

$1,018,062

$1,111,411

(8.4)

Loans

$4,736,104

$4,668,001

$4,300,652

1.5

10.1

$4,646,475

$4,196,884

10.7

Earning assets

$6,151,134

$5,983,093

$5,570,160

2.8

10.4

$5,995,216

$5,499,608

9.0

Interest-bearing liabilities

$4,353,313

$4,215,573

$3,859,978

3.3

12.8

$4,236,566

$3,803,491

11.4

Net interest income for the quarter of $55.6 million was $1.5 million, or 2.8%, above prior quarter and $8.4 million, or 17.7%, above prior year same quarter. Our net interest margin, on a fully tax equivalent basis, at 3.60% decreased 4 basis points from prior quarter but increased 21 basis points from prior year same quarter. Our quarterly average earning assets increased $168.0 million, an annualized 11.1%, from prior quarter and $581.0 million, or 10.4%, from prior year same quarter. Our yield on average earning assets decreased 3 basis points from prior quarter but increased 1 basis point from prior year same quarter, while our cost of funds increased 1 basis point from prior quarter but decreased 35 basis points from prior year same quarter. Net interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 at $160.9 million was $24.4 million or 17.9% above prior year.

Our ratio of average loans to deposits, including repurchase agreements, was 85.6% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 compared to 86.6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 and 85.8% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Noninterest Income

Percent Change

(%)

3Q 2025

Compared to:

($ in thousands)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

YTD

2025

YTD

2024

Percent

Change

(%)

Deposit related fees

$8,131

$7,350

$7,886

10.6

3.1

$22,303

$22,205

0.4

Trust revenue

4,277

4,092

3,707

4.5

15.4

12,350

10,960

12.7

Gains on sales of loans

89

77

80

15.6

11.3

213

244

(12.7)

Loan related fees

897

1,249

813

(28.1)

10.4

3,111

3,485

(10.7)

Bank owned life insurance revenue

1,144

1,102

1,214

3.8

(5.8)

3,281

4,321

(24.1)

Brokerage revenue

588

526

563

11.8

4.5

1,608

1,736

(7.4)

Other

820

1,775

1,300

(53.8)

(36.9)

4,148

3,454

20.1

Total noninterest income

$15,946

$16,171

$15,563

(1.4)

2.5

$47,014

$46,405

1.3

Noninterest income for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 of $15.9 million was $0.2 million, or 1.4% below prior quarter but $0.4 million, or 2.5% above prior year same quarter. The variance quarter over quarter was primarily the result of decreases in net securities gains ($0.6 million) and loan related fees ($0.4 million), partially offset by increased deposit related fees ($0.8 million). The decrease in securities gains was the result of a change in the valuation of our equity securities. The decrease in loan related fees was the result of the change in valuation of our mortgage servicing rights. Year over year increases in trust revenue ($0.6 million) and deposit related fees ($0.2 million) were partially offset by a decrease in securities gains ($0.7 million). Noninterest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 of $47.0 million was a $0.6 million, or 1.3%, increase from prior year.

Noninterest Expense

Percent Change

(%)

3Q 2025

Compared to:

($ in thousands)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

YTD

2025

YTD

2024

Percent

Change

(%)

Salaries

$13,913

$13,667

$13,374

1.8

4.0

$40,849

$39,447

3.6

Employee benefits

7,861

7,987

6,147

(1.6)

27.9

22,697

19,787

14.7

Net occupancy and equipment

3,261

3,172

3,072

2.8

6.2

9,873

9,189

7.4

Data processing

3,575

3,326

2,804

7.5

27.5

9,760

7,991

22.1

Legal and professional fees

1,045

1,001

1,024

4.5

2.1

3,271

2,834

15.4

Advertising and marketing

953

765

876

24.5

8.7

2,391

2,309

3.5

Taxes other than property and payroll

564

573

438

(1.6)

28.7

1,666

1,318

26.4

Other

5,572

5,172

4,777

7.7

16.6

16,108

14,279

12.8

Total noninterest expense

$36,744

$35,663

$32,512

3.0

13.0

$106,615

$97,154

9.7

Noninterest expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 of $36.7 million was $1.1 million, or 3.0%, above prior quarter and $4.2 million, or 13.0%, above prior year same quarter. The quarter over quarter increase primarily resulted from increases in repossession expense ($0.4 million), data processing expense ($0.2 million), and marketing and promotional ($0.2 million). A $1.3 million increase in group medical and life insurance expense was partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in the accrual for the annual incentive payment to employees, based on projected net income for the year. The year over year increase included increases in personnel expense ($2.3 million, data processing expense ($0.8 million), repossession expense ($0.4 million), and marketing and promotional ($0.2 million). The increase in personnel expense included a $1.2 million increase in group medical and life insurance expense, a $0.5 million increase in salaries, a $0.2 million increase in bonuses and incentives, and a $0.4 million increase in other employee benefits. Noninterest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 of $106.6 million increased $9.5 million, or 9.7%, from prior year.

Balance Sheet Review

Total Loans

Percent Change (%)

3Q 2025 Compared to:

($ in thousands)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

Commercial nonresidential real estate

$921,682

$913,463

$834,985

0.9

10.4

Commercial residential real estate

573,270

559,906

485,004

2.4

18.2

Hotel/motel

483,833

477,175

453,465

1.4

6.7

Other commercial

446,125

432,021

440,636

3.3

1.2

Total commercial

2,424,910

2,382,565

2,214,090

1.8

9.5

Residential mortgage

1,157,540

1,112,672

1,003,123

4.0

15.4

Home equity loans/lines

184,191

177,135

163,013

4.0

13.0

Total residential

1,341,731

1,289,807

1,166,136

4.0

15.1

Consumer indirect

877,555

878,506

816,187

(0.1)

7.5

Consumer direct

149,719

150,915

154,061

(0.8)

(2.8)

Total consumer

1,027,274

1,029,421

970,248

(0.2)

5.9

Total loans

$4,793,915

$4,701,793

$4,350,474

2.0

10.2

Total Deposits and Repurchase Agreements

Percent Change (%)

3Q 2025 Compared to:

($ in thousands)

3Q

2025

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

2Q

2025

3Q

2024

Noninterest bearing deposits

$1,248,573

$1,258,205

$1,204,515

(0.8)

3.7

Interest bearing deposits

Interest checking

194,327

173,795

156,249

11.8

24.4

Money market savings

1,815,111

1,820,230

1,658,758

(0.3)

9.4

Savings accounts

501,189

508,467

501,933

(1.4)

(0.1)

Time deposits

1,626,261

1,472,311

1,316,807

10.5

23.5

Repurchase agreements

284,863

225,075

233,324

26.6

22.1

Total interest bearing deposits and repurchase agreements

4,421,751

4,199,878

3,867,071

5.3

14.3

Total deposits and repurchase agreements

$5,670,324

$5,458,083

$5,071,586

3.9

11.8

CTBI’s total assets at $6.6 billion as of September 30, 2025 increased $247.2 million, or 15.3% annualized, from June 30, 2025 and $675.2 million, or 11.3%, from September 30, 2024. Loans outstanding at $4.8 billion increased $92.1 million, an annualized 7.8%, from June 30, 2025 and $443.4 million, or 10.2%, from September 30, 2024. The increase in loans from prior quarter included a $42.3 million increase in the commercial loan portfolio, a $51.9 million increase in the residential loan portfolio, partially offset by a $0.9 million decrease in the consumer indirect loan portfolio and a $1.2 million decrease in the consumer direct loan portfolio. CTBI’s investment portfolio increased $42.5 million, an annualized 16.9%, from June 30, 2025 but decreased $59.4 million, or 5.4%, from September 30, 2024. Deposits in other banks increased $117.7 million from prior quarter and $281.4 million from September 30, 2024, as a result of deposit growth outpacing loan growth. Deposits, including repurchase agreements, at $5.7 billion increased $212.2 million, an annualized 15.4%, from June 30, 2025 and $598.7 million, or 11.8%, from September 30, 2024. CTBI is not dependent on any one customer or group of customers for their source of deposits. As of September 30, 2025, two customers accounted for 3% each of our $5.4 billion in deposits. Only two customer relationships accounted for more than 1% each.

Shareholders’ equity at $831.4 million increased $24.5 million, an annualized 12.0%, during the quarter and $70.6 million, or 9.3%, from September 30, 2024. Net unrealized losses on securities, net of deferred taxes, were $71.1 million at September 30, 2025, compared to $80.6 million at June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2024. CTBI’s annualized dividend yield to shareholders as of September 30, 2025 was 3.79%.

Asset Quality

Our total nonperforming loans of $24.7 million at September 30, 2025 increased $0.3 million from June 30, 2025 but decreased $0.4 million from September 30, 2024. Accruing loans 90+ days past due at $9.0 million increased $0.6 million from prior quarter but decreased $10.1 million from September 30, 2024. Nonaccrual loans at $15.6 million decreased $0.3 million from prior quarter but increased $9.7 million from September 30, 2024. Accruing loans 30-89 days past due at $18.5 million decreased $1.6 million from prior quarter and $2.1 million from September 30, 2024. Our loan portfolio management processes focus on the immediate identification, management, and resolution of problem loans to maximize recovery and minimize loss.

We had net loan charge-offs of $2.7 million, an annualized 0.23% of average loans, for the third quarter 2025 compared to $1.4 million, an annualized 0.12% of average loans, for the second quarter 2025 and $1.5 million, an annualized 0.14% of average loans, for the third quarter 2024. Of the net charge-offs for the quarter, $1.2 million were in commercial loans, $0.1 million were in residential loans, $1.2 million were in consumer indirect loans, and $0.2 million were in consumer direct loans. The primary increase in net charge-offs consisted of a $1 million charge-off on one commercial credit totaling $8 million. Net-charge offs for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 were $5.7 million, an annualized 0.16% of average loans, compared to $4.5 million, an annualized 0.14% of average loans, for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Allowance for Credit Losses

Our provision for credit losses at $3.9 million for the quarter increased $1.8 million from prior quarter and $1.1 million from prior year same quarter. Of the provision for the quarter, $3.8 million was allotted to fund changes in loan volume and composition, $0.3 million was allotted based on quantitative and qualitative factors, and $0.2 million was credited against the provision for unfunded commitments. Provision for credit losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 of $9.5 million was a $1.2 million increase over the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Our reserve coverage (allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans) at September 30, 2025 was 239.5% compared to 237.1% at June 30, 2025 and 212.7% at September 30, 2024. Our loan loss reserve as a percentage of total loans outstanding at September 30, 2025 remained at 1.23% from June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2024.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. CTBI’s actual results may differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may increase,” “may fluctuate,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” and “could.” These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, economic conditions, portfolio growth, the credit performance of the portfolios, including bankruptcies, and seasonal factors; changes in general economic conditions including the performance of financial markets, prevailing inflation and interest rates, realized gains from sales of investments, gains from asset sales, and losses on commercial lending activities; the effects of epidemics, pandemics, or other infectious disease outbreaks; results of various investment activities; the effects of competitors’ pricing policies, changes in laws and regulations, competition, and demographic changes on target market populations’ savings and financial planning needs; industry changes in information technology systems on which we are highly dependent; failure of acquisitions to produce revenue enhancements or cost savings at levels or within the time frames originally anticipated or unforeseen integration difficulties; the resolution of legal proceedings and related matters. In addition, the banking industry in general is subject to various monetary, operational, and fiscal policies and regulations, which include, but are not limited to, those determined by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and state regulators, whose policies, regulations, and enforcement actions could affect CTBI’s results. These statements are representative only on the date hereof, and CTBI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc., with assets of $6.6 billion, is headquartered in Pikeville, Kentucky and has 72 banking locations across eastern, northeastern, central, and south central Kentucky, six banking locations in southern West Virginia, three banking locations in northeastern Tennessee, four trust offices across Kentucky, and one trust office in Tennessee.

Additional information follows.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc.

Financial Summary (Unaudited)

September 30, 2025

(in thousands except per share data and # of employees)

 

Three

Three

Three

Nine

Nine

Months

Months

Months

Months

Months

Ended

Ended

Ended

Ended

Ended

September 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

September 30, 2024

September 30, 2025

September 30, 2024

Interest income

$

88,562

$

85,571

$

79,814

$

256,187

$

231,464

Interest expense

33,008

31,531

32,615

95,326

94,996

Net interest income

55,554

54,040

47,199

160,861

136,468

Provision for credit losses

3,866

2,094

2,736

9,528

8,364

 

Gains on sales of loans

89

77

80

213

244

Deposit related fees

8,131

7,350

7,886

22,303

22,205

Trust revenue

4,277

4,092

3,707

12,350

10,960

Loan related fees

897

1,249

813

3,111

3,485

Securities gains (losses)

(449)

150

213

181

110

Other noninterest income

3,001

3,253

2,864

8,856

9,401

Total noninterest income

15,946

16,171

15,563

47,014

46,405

 

Personnel expense

21,774

21,654

19,521

63,546

59,234

Occupancy and equipment

3,261

3,172

3,072

9,873

9,189

Data processing expense

3,575

3,326

2,804

9,760

7,991

FDIC insurance premiums

703

688

629

2,080

1,916

Other noninterest expense

7,431

6,823

6,486

21,356

18,824

Total noninterest expense

36,744

35,663

32,512

106,615

97,154

 

Net income before taxes

30,890

32,454

27,514

91,732

77,355

Income taxes

6,979

7,555

5,372

20,950

17,035

Net income

$

23,911

$

24,899

$

22,142

$

70,782

$

60,320

 

Memo: TEQ interest income

$

88,863

$

85,854

$

80,094

$

257,044

$

232,330

 

Average shares outstanding

18,019

18,012

17,962

18,009

17,942

Diluted average shares outstanding

18,053

18,036

17,991

18,037

17,965

Basic earnings per share

$

1.33

$

1.38

$

1.23

$

3.93

$

3.36

Diluted earnings per share

$

1.32

$

1.38

$

1.23

$

3.92

$

3.36

Dividends per share

$

0.53

$

0.47

$

0.47

$

1.47

$

1.39

 

Average balances:

Loans

$

4,736,104

$

4,668,001

$

4,300,652

$

4,646,475

$

4,196,884

Earning assets

6,151,134

5,983,093

5,570,160

5,995,216

5,499,608

Total assets

6,487,817

6,313,922

5,891,157

6,327,184

5,824,780

Deposits, including repurchase agreements

5,531,461

5,387,923

5,014,506

5,399,692

4,977,040

Interest bearing liabilities

4,353,313

4,215,573

3,859,978

4,236,566

3,803,491

Shareholders' equity

823,016

798,536

748,098

798,996

722,683

 

Performance ratios:

Return on average assets

1.46%

1.58%

1.50%

1.50%

1.38%

Return on average equity

11.53%

12.51%

11.77%

11.84%

11.15%

Yield on average earning assets (tax equivalent)

5.73%

5.76%

5.72%

5.73%

5.64%

Cost of interest bearing funds (tax equivalent)

3.01%

3.00%

3.36%

3.01%

3.34%

Net interest margin (tax equivalent)

3.60%

3.64%

3.39%

3.61%

3.34%

Efficiency ratio (tax equivalent)

50.86%

50.70%

51.75%

51.12%

52.91%

 

Loan charge-offs

$

4,024

$

2,528

$

2,736

$

9,274

$

8,239

Recoveries

(1,276)

(1,175)

(1,212)

(3,598)

(3,692)

Net charge-offs

$

2,748

$

1,353

$

1,524

$

5,676

$

4,547

 

Market Price:

High

$

59.67

$

53.82

$

52.22

$

59.67

$

52.22

Low

$

52.60

$

44.60

$

41.50

$

44.60

$

38.44

Close

$

55.95

$

52.92

$

49.66

$

55.95

$

49.66

 

As of

As of

As of

September 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

September 30, 2024

Assets:

Loans

$

4,793,915

$

4,701,793

$

4,350,474

Allowance for credit losses

(59,135)

(57,825)

(53,360)

Net loans

4,734,780

4,643,968

4,297,114

Loans held for sale

483

345

115

Securities AFS

1,037,965

994,990

1,098,076

Equity securities at fair value

3,961

4,410

3,266

Other equity investments

9,948

14,440

10,060

Other earning assets

438,501

320,830

157,092

Cash and due from banks

71,218

76,556

85,944

Premises and equipment

52,245

52,118

47,519

Right of use asset

15,974

15,210

14,718

Goodwill and core deposit intangible

65,490

65,490

65,490

Other assets

207,564

202,581

183,574

Total Assets

$

6,638,129

$

6,390,938

$

5,962,968

 

Liabilities and Equity:

Interest bearing checking

$

194,327

$

173,795

$

156,249

Savings deposits

2,316,300

2,328,697

2,160,691

CD's >=$100,000

992,728

875,835

753,253

Other time deposits

633,533

596,476

563,554

Total interest bearing deposits

4,136,888

3,974,803

3,633,747

Noninterest bearing deposits

1,248,573

1,258,205

1,204,515

Total deposits

5,385,461

5,233,008

4,838,262

Repurchase agreements

284,863

225,075

233,324

Other interest bearing liabilities

64,641

64,705

64,893

Lease liability

16,909

16,087

15,530

Other noninterest bearing liabilities

54,882

45,194

50,197

Total liabilities

5,806,756

5,584,069

5,202,206

Shareholders' equity

831,373

806,869

760,762

Total Liabilities and Equity

$

6,638,129

$

6,390,938

$

5,962,968

 

Ending shares outstanding

18,110

18,105

18,052

 

30 - 89 days past due loans

$

18,500

$

20,055

$

20,578

90 days past due loans

9,040

8,449

19,111

Nonaccrual loans

15,647

15,937

5,980

Foreclosed properties

4,856

4,857

1,344

 

Community bank leverage ratio

13.68%

13.80%

13.99%

Tangible equity to tangible assets ratio

11.65%

11.72%

11.79%

FTE employees

929

937

943

More News From Community Trust Bancorp, Inc.

Singapore, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON), a specialized digital-asset treasury company building the Telegram Open Network (TON) ecosystem, announced the winners of the TOKEN2049 Singapore “Origins” Hackathon, which it proudly sponsored and hosted at Marina Bay Sands. The competition drew developers from around the world and awarded a US$25,000 prize pool paid in TON.

AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON), a specialized digital-asset treasury company building the Telegram Open Network (TON) ecosystem, announced the winners of the TOKEN2049 Singapore “Origins” Hackathon, which it proudly sponsored and hosted at Marina Bay Sands. The competition drew developers from around the world and awarded a US$25,000 prize pool paid in TON.

“We’re investing in the people who will onboard the next billion people to Web3,” said Brittany Kaiser, CEO of AlphaTON Capital. “The ingenuity we saw at TOKEN2049—especially on TON, where real consumer adoption meets mobile-first design—confirms our conviction that the next wave of crypto will be built by global, product-minded teams. Through this HackATON and the ones ahead, AlphaTON is here to turn bold ideas from builders around the world into products people use—on TON and in Telegram.”

AlphaTON team member and TONCore expert Andrew Zubko set the tracks — AI, Payments and Infrastructure — and Logan Golema, top blockchain developer and AlphaTON’s hackathon lead, mentored teams and led on-site evaluations throughout the week with incredible results:

Track Winners

AI

1st — IntentHub: a marketplace where agents hire specialized agents to complete tasks more efficiently; tasks coordinate on-chain with stablecoin settlement. https://intenthub.com/ 2nd — AI Launchpad on TON (PoC): an AI-powered token launchpad with automated investment workflows; Telegram agents run 24/7 BD to match projects and investors using semantic screening. Payments

1st — Telepay: a secure payroll platform for freelancers on TON testnet; freelancers issue invoices and receive USDT directly to TON wallets. 2nd — AkaTON: a subscription & invoicing bot using USDT on TON; plan selection, invoicing, and management handled fully inside Telegram. 3rd — TAAS (solo dev): on-chain rental & lease agreements for real estate on TON testnet.  Infrastructure

1st — Encrypted Prediction-Market Seeding: a novel mechanism where early positions are hidden until bonding, reducing copy-trade bias — “Polymarket-like, without visible initial bets.” 2nd — USDTonVault: a decentralized investment vault on TON using zero-knowledge proofs to verify trader performance without revealing strategies. 3rd — TFT: TON → xSGD Ramp System, a Telegram Mini App that converts TON to xSGD via a multi-chain swap pipeline. “These teams shipped at warp speed: from payroll and vaults to encrypted market design—all built inside Telegram, where users already are,” said Logan Golema. This is where we’re headed: business, finance, and community without leaving the chat, powered by decentralization and privacy by design. The TON canvas is wide open—you can build almost anything and ship it quickly. We’re excited to keep backing these builders as they turn prototypes into products.”

AlphaTON’s William De'Ath concluded, “I was blown away by the pragmatic, product‑minded teams in Singapore shipping on TON and Telegram with real users in mind. Sustainable growth plus cutting‑edge thinking means exciting, TON revenue creation ahead!”

Beyond Singapore: a Global HackATON Series

Building on the momentum, AlphaTON Capital will sponsor additional HackATONs at major Web3 gatherings worldwide. “With Telegram’s reach approaching the next billion users, TON is the people’s blockchain,” added Kaiser. “We’ll keep backing builders — with capital, mentorship, and routes to market.

About AlphaTON Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: ATON)
AlphaTON Capital is a specialized digital asset treasury company focused on building and managing a strategic reserve of TON tokens and developing the Telegram ecosystem. The Company implements a comprehensive treasury strategy that combines direct token acquisition, validator operations, and strategic ecosystem investments to generate sustainable returns for shareholders. Through its operations, AlphaTON Capital provides public market investors with institutional-grade exposure to the TON ecosystem and Telegram's billion user platform while maintaining the governance standards and reporting transparency of a Nasdaq listed company. Led by Chief Executive Officer Brittany Kaiser and Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Enzo Villani, the Company's activities span network validation and staking operations, development of Telegram-based applications, and strategic investments in TON-based decentralized finance protocols, gaming platforms, and business applications. AlphaTON Capital Corp is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ATON”. AlphaTON Capital, through its legacy business, is also advancing potentially first-in-class therapies that target known checkpoint resistance pathways to potentially achieve durable treatment response and improve quality of life for patients. AlphaTON Capital actively engages in the drug development process and provides strategic counsel to guide development of novel immunotherapy assets and asset combinations.

To learn more, please visit https://alphatoncapital.com/

Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding the Company's business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations and those statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "will," "may," "plans," "potential," "continues," or similar expressions or variations on such expressions are forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. As a result, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: the uncertainty of the Company's investment in TON, the operational strategy of the Company, risks from Telegram's platform and ecosystem, the potential impact of markets and other general economic conditions, regulatory considerations, and other factors. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:
AlphaTON Capital Corp.
Investor Relations
[email protected]

[email protected]
(203) 682-8200

Media Inquiries:
Richard Laermer
RLM PR
[email protected]
(212) 741-5106 X 216

A pair of new contracts has given a lift to IXICO PLC (LSE:IXI, OTC:PHYOF), the London-listed neuroscience data specialist whose shares trade at just 12p.

The company has secured work on the development of a blood-based biomarker diagnostic test, a fast-growing area of research that could make screening for neurological conditions far simpler and cheaper.

It has also extended an existing contract linked to an Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial.

Together, the two deals are worth around £1.2m, to be recognised over several years, but their strategic value outweighs the headline number.

The blood-based biomarker project shows IXICO’s expertise is relevant beyond imaging data, positioning it for a future in diagnostic tools rather than purely trial services.

The extension, meanwhile, underlines its ability to deepen existing client relationships, an important signal for a company seeking consistent, profitable growth.

Cavendish says the wins validate IXICO’s focus on building long-term partnerships and demonstrate traction in new markets.

With a market value of £11m and a target price of 24p, the shares look modestly rated for a business aiming to return to steady revenue growth. For patient investors, the latest contracts hint that the turnaround story is beginning to take shape.

Up 12% earlier in the day, the stock settled back to 12.25p, up 0.45p.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 15, 2025 – PRISM MediaWire (Press Release Service – Press Release Distribution) – AtlasClear Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: ATCH) (“AtlasClear Holdings” or the “Company”) announced today that it has closed its previously announced $20,000,000 financing. The investment was led by Funicular Funds, LP, with significant insider participation from Sixth Borough Capital.

The financing consisted of $10,000,000 in convertible debt with a 5-year term at an 11% coupon and a conversion price of $0.75 per share, as well as $10,000,000 (inclusive of $4,250,000 converted from recent debt financing) invested in the form of units sold at $0.60 per unit. Each unit consists of one share of common stock and one warrant.

After giving effect to the rollover of the recent debt financing, the transaction resulted in gross cash proceeds of $15,750,000, before placement agent fees and other transaction expenses.

“We are pleased to announce the successful closing of this financing, which represents a strong vote of confidence from our existing investors and partners. This capital will enable us to accelerate the execution of our strategy, onboard new correspondents, and expand into additional lines of revenue.”

John Schaible, Executive Chairman of AtlasClear Holdings
Dawson James acted as exclusive Placement Agent for the transaction.

“This transaction provides the Company with the resources to scale our operations, grow our team, and deploy technologies that we believe will create durable competitive advantages.”

Craig Ridenhour, President of AtlasClear Holdings
About AtlasClear Holdings, Inc.

AtlasClear Holdings, Inc. is building a cutting-edge, technology-enabled financial services platform to modernize trading, clearing, settlement, and banking for innovative financial products, with a focus on serving small- and middle-market financial institutions. Through its subsidiary, the Company combines industry expertise with longstanding infrastructure: Wilson-Davis & Co., Inc., a full-service correspondent securities broker-dealer registered with the SEC and FINRA and a member of DTCC and NSCC, which has been serving the investment community since 1968; and through its planned acquisition of Commercial Bancorp of Wyoming, the parent of Farmers State Bank, a Federal Reserve member bank that has provided private and corporate banking services to its community since 1915. Together, these businesses will position AtlasClear to deliver a vertically integrated suite of brokerage, clearing, risk management, regulatory reporting, and commercial banking solutions. The AtlasClear leadership team includes respected industry veterans who have founded and led companies such as ICE Clear, Legent Clearing, COR Clearing, Axos Clearing, NexTrade, StoneX, and Anderen Bank.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that reflect AtlasClear Holdings’ current views with respect to, among other things, the future operations and financial performance of AtlasClear Holdings. Forward-looking statements in this communication may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foreseeable,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “proposed,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “trends,” “will,” “would” and similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements contained in this communication include, but are not limited to, statements as to (i) the Company’s expectations regarding planned future growth and financial results, (ii) AtlasClear Holdings’ expectations regarding future financings, (iii) AtlasClear Holdings’ expectations as to future operational results, (iv) AtlasClear Holdings’ anticipated growth strategy, including its planned acquisition of Commercial Bancorp of Wyoming and its planned release of a digital asset loan platform, and (v) the financial technology of AtlasClear Holdings.

The forward-looking statements contained in this communication are based on the current expectations of AtlasClear Holdings and its management and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that future developments affecting AtlasClear Holdings will be those that are anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from current expectations due to changes in global, regional or local economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of AtlasClear Holdings. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all of them.

Such factors include, but are not limited to: the Company’s need to raise additional capital; failure of the Company to realize the anticipated benefits of any additional investments of capital, such as achieving profitability, delivering the capital needed for its proposed bank acquisition upon approval, solidifying its capital foundation, reducing potential dilution, and positioning the Company to maximize long-term stockholder value; failure by AtlasClear Holdings to satisfy the closing conditions to any investments of capital, including receipt of stockholder approval; AtlasClear’s inability to successfully integrate, and/or realize the anticipated benefits of, the acquisition of Wilson-Davis and the technology acquired from Pacsquare Technologies LLC (the “Transaction”); failure to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Transaction, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of AtlasClear Holdings to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and strategic alliance third parties, and to retain its management and key employees; AtlasClear Holdings’ inability to integrate, and to realize the benefits of, the Transaction and other potential acquisitions; changes in general economic or political conditions; changes in the markets that AtlasClear Holdings targets; slowdowns in securities or digital asset trading or shifting demand for trading, clearing and settling financial products; any change in laws applicable to AtlasClear Holdings or any regulatory or judicial interpretation thereof; factors that may cause a delay in timely filing the transition report described herein; the risk that additional or different information may become known prior to the expected filing of the transition report, and other factors, risks and uncertainties, including those that were included under the heading “Risk Factors” in AtlasClear Holdings’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 29 and in its subsequent filings with the SEC. AtlasClear Holdings cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Any forward-looking statement made in this communication speaks only as of the date hereof. Plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements may not be achieved and no one should place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. AtlasClear Holdings does not undertake any obligation to update, revise or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.

Contacts

Company Contact 

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact

Jeff Ramson, CEO

PCG Advisory, Inc.

[email protected]

Source: AtlasClear Holdings, Inc.

Key Takeaways The Technology Services industry has surged 32.9% year to date and ranks in the top 24% of all industries.
AppLovin's Axon 2.0 AI engine has driven explosive ad growth, with ad spend reaching a $10B annual run rate.Skillsoft, Acuity, Byrna, and MediaAlpha all show favorable earnings and revenue trends.
The Zacks-defined Technology Services industry currently ranks within the top 24% of Zacks Ranked Industries. Consequently, we expect it to outperform the market over the next three to six months. Year to date, the industry has rallied 32.9%. 

The technology services industry is mature, with demand for services in good shape. As a result, the industry flourished in the first three quarters of 2025. The momentum is also likely to continue in the fourth quarter.

We recommend five technology services stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank to strengthen your portfolio. These stocks are: AppLovin Corp. (APP - Free Report) , Skillsoft Corp. (SKIL - Free Report) , Acuity Inc. (AYI - Free Report) , Byrna Technologies Inc. (BYRN - Free Report) and MediaAlpha Inc. (MAX - Free Report) . Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Technology Services Industry FlourishingThe global shift toward digitization creates opportunities in various markets, including 5G, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). Companies are adopting generative AI, machine language (ML), blockchain and data science faster to gain a competitive advantage. 

The business software industry is gaining from robust demand for multi-cloud-enabled software solutions, given the ongoing transition from legacy platforms to modern cloud-based infrastructure. 

Industry players are incorporating AI and ML into their applications for more dynamic and result-oriented outcomes. Elevated demand for enterprise software, which is ramping up productivity and improving the decision-making process, is a key catalyst. 

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks in the past three months.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AppLovin Corp.Zacks Rank #2 AppLovin is engaged in building a software-based platform for mobile app developers to enhance the marketing and monetization of their apps in the United States and internationally. As a leading ad-tech company, APP provides a technology platform that enables developers to market, monetize, analyze and publish their apps. 

AppLovin has solidified its leadership in mobile advertising, powered by its next-gen AI engine, Axon 2.0. Since its debut, Axon 2.0 has radically enhanced APP’s ad performance, helping to quadruple advertising spend on its platform. This explosive growth has led to an estimated $10 billion annual run rate in ad spend from gaming clients, pushing APP into the upper echelon of global ad tech firms by valuation.

Axon 2.0’s importance goes far beyond mere optimization. In a post-Identifier for Advertisers environment that disrupted mobile user acquisition strategies, Axon 2.0 served as a critical catalyst for recovery. 

APP’s AI-enabled Audience+ marketing platform is also increasing its reach into the direct-to-consumer and e-commerce space. Moreover, APP’s MAX publisher base is expanding at a significantly faster rate, underscoring Axon 2.0’s strategic advantage.

AppLovin’s leadership is expanding aggressively, planning a self-serve referral platform launch in October 2025 and aiming for a full global rollout of its Axon advertising platform in 2026. APP targets a 20-30% year-over-year growth rate fueled mainly by its gaming segment and AI-driven ad monetization.

AppLovin has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 15.2% and 63.6%, respectively, for the current quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter earnings has improved 1.1% over the last seven days. 

Skillsoft Corp.Zacks Rank #1 Skillsoft delivers digital learning, training and talent solutions. SKIL democratizes learning through an intelligent learning experience and a customized, learner-centric approach to skills development with resources for Leadership Development, Business Skills, Technology and Developer, Digital Transformation and Compliance.

Skillsoft has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of -2% and -53.1%, respectively, for the next quarter (ending January 2026). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next-quarter earnings has improved more than 100% over the last 30 days.

Acuity Inc.Zacks Rank #1 Acuity manufactures and distributes lighting fixtures and related components that comprise devices such as luminaries, lighting controls, and controllers for various building systems, power supplies, prismatic skylights, and drivers, as well as integrated systems designed to optimize energy efficiency and comfort for various indoor and outdoor applications.

AYI operates through two segments — Acuity Brands Lighting and Lighting Controls (contributing 93% to fiscal 2024 net sales) and Acuity Intelligent Spaces (7.6%). AYI provides lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America as well as Europe and Asia. 

Additionally, AYI has expanded its solutions portfolio, including software and services, that benefit the economy in data analytics, enable the Internet of Things (IoT) and support the advancement of smart buildings, cities, and grids. 

Acuity has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 19.5% and 12.3%, respectively, for the current quarter (ending November 2025). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter earnings has remained the same over the last 30 days. 

Byrna Technologies Inc.Zacks Rank#1 Byrna Technologies is non-lethal technology company. BYRN engages in the development and manufacture of innovative non-lethal equipment and munitions. BYRN’s products include handheld personal security devices and shoulder-fired launchers designed for use by consumers and professional security customers without the need for a background check or firearms license.

Byrna Technologies has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 21.3% and -23.5%, respectively, for the current quarter (ending November 2025). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter earnings has remained the same over the last 30 days. 

MediaAlpha Inc.Zacks Rank #2 MediaAlpha provides a real-time programmatic technology platform specializing in vertical search and metasearch. MAX has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of -8.1% and more than 100%, respectively, for the current quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-quarter earnings has remained the same over the last 30 days. 

The company narrowed its guidance for the second time this year.

Cover image via U.Today

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

The cryptocurrency market opens on Wednesday, Oct. 15, under the shadow of both whale wallets and regulators. A LuBian-linked address has moved 9,757 BTC worth $1.1 billion after three years of complete silence, just as the U.S. government seeks forfeiture of 127,271 BTC worth $14 billion connected to the 2020 LuBian theft. 

Ripple is putting up $200,000 for white hats to attack its new lending protocol, while Coinbase has announced a direct bet on India’s growing crypto economy via CoinDCX.

Bitcoin battles $112,000 as $1.1 billion LuBian wallet sparks fresh fearsThe LuBian-linked wallet shift hit the market at the worst possible time – it is still bleeding from last Friday's $19 billion liquidation cascade. The address is linked to the LuBian exchange hack, which was one of the biggest crypto heists ever. 

HOT Stories

Years ago, almost 127,000 BTC – that is $14.4 billion at today's prices – was stolen, and the U.S. government has just announced plans to confiscate the stash. The next day, 9,757 BTC worth $1.1 billion moved after three years of nothing. 

Source: Arkham That timing is no coincidence. It seems that either insiders are trying to stop the seizure, or the stolen coins are being moved around to see how much surveillance the system can handle. 

Bitcoin is currently trading at $112,703, after swinging between $113,239 and $112,540 today. There is a lot of activity in the $111,800-$112,000 range. Every test of $114,000 has been rejected instantly, showing that sellers still have the short-term upper hand. Drop below $111,000, and it is on to $109,500. Bulls cannot breathe easy until $114,500 is flipped or $116,000 is closed out.

With $124 million of new BTC longs in the last 24 hours, traders know another wave of whale transfers could break the floor below $110,000.

Ripple to give away $200,000 on XRPL "Attackathon"Ripple has lined up a live-fire test for the XRP Ledger's upcoming lending protocol, putting $200,000 on the table in a joint "attackathon" with security firm Immunefi. The program runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 29, with the full bounty unlocked if a single critical flaw shows up. 

If the system holds up, the participants will split a fallback pool of $30,000.

This is one of the most ambitious updates to XRPL, as it is a fixed-term, uncollateralized loan that is settled directly on the chain, skipping the usual wrapping and smart contract layers. Instead, credit checks are kept off-chain, while repayment and liquidation logic is kept on the ledger. 

XRP,  in the meantime, attempts a recovery near $2.50 after sliding 12% this week, with $2.30 as the support level and $2.90 as the ceiling going into ETF decision week.

XRP/USD by TradingViewThe attackathon kicks off with two weeks of training for researchers, then moves on to trying to break vault solvency, liquidation triggers and admin functions. 

Coinbase wants Indian crypto market with CoinDCX investmentCoinbase entered the Indian market with a new investment in CoinDCX, the country's top crypto exchange. The major U.S. exchange decision to move into Asia and the Middle East signals a bigger focus on these regions, where more than 100 million people already use cryptocurrency.

There are 100M+ crypto owners in India and the Middle East. And that’s growing, fast.

We're excited to expand our presence in these regions through a new investment into India's leading exchange, @CoinDCX. pic.twitter.com/4anCrwiK5o

— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) October 15, 2025 For CoinDCX, the deal gives them U.S. branding power and direct access to Coinbase's liquidity pools, which will boost their position after years of building retail scale and navigating India's shifting regulatory map.

On the equity side, COIN stock finished Tuesday at $341, which was a bit lower than the early-month highs of around $390. The price is a bit fragile right now, and it is holding at $350. There is a chance it could drop to $325 if it breaks that level. Bulls need to bounce back quickly into the $360-$370 range to keep the chart balanced.

Evening outlookHeading into the evening, the cryptocurrency market remains fragile as liquidation data and tariff headlines set the stage for another volatile week.

Ethereum: Holding $4,166, but weak under $4,200. Needs to reclaim $4,280-$4,300 to confirm upside with support at $3,900.Solana: Trading $206, base forming at $200-$201. Resistance at $210-$215, risk back to $185 if BTC weakens.Bitcoin: Watch $111,800-$112,000 as key floor; $114,500 intraday and $116,000 daily close as upside gates.Macro risk: U.S.-China tariffs remain a wildcard, while CPI data later this week is the dominant risk trigger.

12 minutes ago

XRP’s macro outlook remained bullish, with analysts confident that a bullish breakout was possible if key support levels are reclaimed.

151

Key takeaways:

XRP price must flip the 200-day SMA and the $2.70-$2.80 resistance into support for a rally above $3.00.

Analysts see a 57% chance of an upward breakout to $9.5-$27, with a 43% chance of a drop to $0.50.

XRP (XRP) has tumbled more than 31% since peaking near $3.66 in July, including a 12.5% drop in the past seven days that dragged it toward $2.50.

XRP/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingViewCan XRP hold $2.50 as support and continue rallying afterward?

XRP must flip the 200-day SMA into supportXRP must flip the $2.70-$2.80 resistance zone into a new support zone to target higher highs above $3.00. 

However, the XRP/USD pair must first close above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at $2.58 on the daily chart.

Reclaiming this trendline has previously been preceded by significant recoveries in XRP price, as seen in July (see the chart below).

Above that, the next level to watch would be the $2.86-$2.96 range, where the 50-day and 200-day SMA currently sit.

XRP/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAs Cointelegraph reported, the bulls must drive the price above the 20-day exponential moving average (EMA) at $2.72 to signal a comeback.

XRP has a 57% chance of an upward breakoutXRP charts suggest that a rebound from current levels is possible, provided XRP/USD does not fall under $2.50, according to technical analyst Egrag Crypto. 

He shared a chart showing that the XRP price was trading within a “descending broadening wedge which has a 57% chance of breaking to the upside.”

If this happens, the altcoin could rally toward the measured target of the prevailing chart pattern at $9.50.

Egrag Crypto added:

“I believe we’re heading toward a minimum of $9, with an average target of $20 and a high-end target of $27 this cycle.”XRP/USD weekly chart. Source: Egrag CryptoThe broadening wedge also has a 43% chance of a breakdown that can go as low as $0.50, providing a good level to “buy back,” the analyst added.

Elliott wave analyst XForceGlobal also said that XRP is “still bullish on the macro.”

The chartist views the current price range as the “confirmation stage,” before XRP enters its final bullish push into wave 3 of the cycle. 

“From a timing perspective, it’s looking great.”XRP/USD daily chart. Source: XForceGlobalSeveral other technical indicators on higher time frames, including the oversold weekly Stochastic RSI, suggest a potential bullish reversal in XRP price. 

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.

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Crypto Market Rattle: Bitcoin Support Crumbles, Flows Turn Against ETFs

TL;DR Bitcoin dropped to around $111,500 as recent U.S.-China trade tensions and ETF outflows fueled market uncertainty. Key short-term support at $112,500 is being tested

BNB Chain and Binance launched initiatives to shore up confidence, including a $45 million airdrop and a $400 million "Together Initiative". Oct 15, 2025, 10:45 a.m.

BNB traded at $1,200 on Wednesday, down 0.5% after sliding from a new all-time high that came after a market-wide liquidation event erased roughly $500 billion from the crypto market.

The token, which is the native token of the BNB Chain and can be used to pay of trading fees on Binance, rebounded from lows near $1,145 to highs around $1,237, suggesting buyers remain active despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

BNB Chain sought to shore up confidence through a $45 million airdrop initiative with PancakeSwap and Trust Wallet, rewarding active community members to encourage trading activity. Binance itself announced a $400 million “Together Initiative,” which it pointed to as an initiative to rebuild user confidence.

Binance’s stablecoin reserves, meanwhile, climbed to $44.6 billion, up more than $3 billion since the month started, indicating that investors are keeping funds on hand rather than leaving the market altogether.

At the same time, China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) tokenized its USD money market fund on the BNB Chain, issuing two tokens, CMBMINT and CMBIMINT, for accredited investors via DigiFT and OnChain.

BNB’s corporate accumulation has also been ongoing. Earlier, Hong Kong-listed investment bank China Renaissance was reported to plan a $600 million raise for a publicly traded crypto treasury focused solely on BNB.

Technical Analysis OverviewBNB’s recent trading shows a solid floor forming between $1,190 and $1,195, where buyers consistently entered during pullbacks. This area has acted as dependable support, absorbing selling pressure and preventing deeper losses, according to CoinDesk Research's technical analysis data model.

On the upside, resistance has developed around $1,215 to $1,220, which has halted multiple breakout attempts but not reversed the broader recovery trend.

Trading volume during the rebound more than doubled its 24-hour average, confirming that demand returned quickly after the liquidation episode.

Volume has since thinned near the upper range. This kind of consolidation often precedes continuation, hinting that BNB could attempt another push higher if overall sentiment remains steady.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.

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Crypto Trading Volumes Fall 17.5% in September Despite Record Open Interest

Oct 10, 2025

Combined spot and derivatives volumes fell 17.5% in September, continuing a four-year seasonal trend

What to know:

Trading activity falls 17.5% in September slowdown: Combined spot and derivatives volumes dropped to $8.12 trillion, marking the first decline after three months of growth. September has now seen reduced trading volume for the fourth consecutive year.Open interest reaches record high despite derivatives market share decline: Total open interest surged 3.2% to $204 billion and peaked at an all-time high of $230 billion during the month.Altcoins on CME outperform as Bitcoin and Ether futures decline: While CME's total derivatives volume stayed flat at $287 billion (-0.08%), SOL futures jumped 57.1% to $13.5 billion and XRP futures rose 7.19% to $7.84 billion. BTC and ETH futures fell 4.05% and 17.9% respectively.View Full Report

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Gold Isn’t Overpriced on Purchasing-Power Test, BlackRock’s Evy Hambro Says

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Hambro told Bloomberg TV gold “could go a lot higher” as long-term price decks lag spot; miners’ margins are among the strongest he has seen.

What to know:

Hambro said purchasing-power checks show gold has gained against low-value goods but lagged big-ticket items and prime real estate, so valuation depends on the basket used.He said momentum can amplify swings and the “trend is your friend,” adding gold “could go a lot higher” if investors keep repricing paper currency against real assets.He noted miners’ margins are unusually strong and many equity models still use long-term gold price decks below spot and the forward curve.Read full story

We need more transparency. Not just money. pic.twitter.com/V97MbBOy9U

— Duo Nine ⚡ YCC (@DU09BTC) October 14, 2025

Yet the move, while sizable, drew further scrutiny. Regulators and traders noted that the exchange explicitly avoided acknowledging liability, describing the payouts as “voluntary relief” rather than restitution.

Critics argue that this framing underscores deeper structural weaknesses within Binance’s margin system, namely, its dependence on internally priced assets, high leverage exposure, and thin liquidity during stress events.

The crypto market crash on October 11 is suspected to be a targeted attack that exploited a flaw in Binance’s Unified Account margin system.

The issue stemmed from using assets like USDE, wBETH, and BnSOL as collateral, whose liquidation prices were based on Binance’s own…

— Dr Martin Hiesboeck (@MHiesboeck) October 12, 2025

Some analysts even suggested that the crash may have been exacerbated or exploited by traders aware of these vulnerabilities.

Cover image via U.Today

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

In the last 24 hours, the Shiba Inu burn rate has surged by a massive 27,014.16%, with a significant increase in the tokens burned in that time frame.

In the last 24 hours, 43,486,236 SHIB were burned, which is the largest so far in recent days. On Oct. 14, only 160,382 SHIB were burned, while on Oct. 13, over a million — 1,332,329 SHIB — were burned.

HOURLY SHIB UPDATE$SHIB Price: $0.00001072 (1hr -0.05% ▼ | 24hr 2.81% ▲ )
Market Cap: $6,323,035,682 (0.83% ▲)
Total Supply: 589,247,488,315,292

TOKENS BURNT
Past 24Hrs: 43,486,236 (27014.16% ▲)
Past 7 Days: 59,449,906 (27.78% ▲)

— Shibburn (@shibburn) October 15, 2025 The surge in the daily burn rate coincides with a recovery in the SHIB price following yesterday's drop to a low of $0.0000102 before slightly rebounding.

At press time, SHIB was up 1.86% in the last 24 hours to $0.00001073 but down 11.62% in the last seven days.

HOT Stories

Also in the last seven days, 59,449,906 SHIB tokens were burned, resulting in a mild 27.78% increase in weekly burn rate.

Shibarium Plasma bridge reactivatedThe Shiba Inu team has announced that Plasma Bridge is back online for users to utilize for BONE, following a comprehensive review and a series of security enhancements. This implies that users can once again bridge BONE between Ethereum and Shibarium following the exploit incident that occurred last month.

New safeguards have been put in place, which allow blacklisting to block malicious addresses and a seven‑day withdrawal delay for finalizations.

The Shiba Inu team added that it was working to reenable bridging for additional tokens in staged rollouts, applying the same testing and review standards.

The team is also finalizing, in parallel, a fair and transparent repayment framework for affected users, with details to be shared through official channels once it is safe to do so.

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Bitcoin (BTC) treasury firm Metaplanet is now valued less than the total amount of BTC it holds on its balance sheet. Metaplanet’s analytics dashboard shows that the firm’s market-to-Bitcoin Net Asset Value (mNAV) ratio recently tumbled below 1.

Metaplanet’s Valuation Tumbles Below Its Bitcoin Holdings
According to data from Metaplanet’s analytics dashboard, the Japanese investment firm’s mNAV recently fell below 1, before recovering to 1.01 at the time of writing. The brief period below 1 meant the company’s valuation was below the value of BTC it holds.

For the uninitiated, Metaplanet’s mNAV differs from the traditional NAV in that it measures the value of the enterprise in relation to the value of the BTC it holds on its balance sheet. The ratio fell to 0.99 for the first time in the company’s history on October 13.

It is worth highlighting that Metaplanet’s mNAV has shed seven points since mid-June. Since then, Metaplanet’s stock has also lost close to 75% of its value, crashing from around $13 per share to close to $3.13 at the time of writing.

Source: Yahoo! Finance
Notably, Metaplanet recently announced that it was temporarily halting stock warrants for 20 days. The company has suspended its Moving Strike Warrants from October 20th through November 17th.

For the uninitiated, Moving Strike Warrants are a type of investment where the strike price changes as the price of the underlying asset moves. This means the warrant keeps giving similar exposure to the asset’s price changes, instead of becoming outdated like a regular fixed-strike warrant.

Metaplanet’s latest BTC acquisition happened on September 30th, when the firm added 5,268 coins to its reserves. Currently, the firm holds a total of 30,823 BTC, according to data from Coingecko.

Source: Coingecko
Metaplanet is the only non-US-based company among the top 10 largest publicly-listed firms that hold BTC on their balance sheets. The list is led by Michael Saylor’s Strategy, which holds over 640,000 BTC, representing slightly more than 3% of BTC’s total supply.

Corporate Adoption Of BTC Is Not Slowing
Although Metaplanet has temporarily halted issuance of new shares, it has clarified that it remains fully committed to continuing to purchase BTC, in accordance with its determined goals.

Other companies also remain steadfast in accumulating BTC. For instance, leading stablecoin issuer Tether recently made a fresh purchase of 8,888 BTC, worth more than $1 billion at prevailing prices.

Similarly, MARA Holdings increased its total BTC reserves by 373 in September, helping it cement its second position in the list of publicly traded firms in terms of BTC held. At press time, BTC trades at $112,919, down 2.1% in the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin trades at $112,919 on the daily chart | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com
Featured image from Unsplash.com, charts from Yahoo! Finance, Coingecko, and TradingView.com

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TL;DR

XRP ETF Structure: CoinShares filed an amended S-1 revealing ticker XRPL, with BitGo as custodian and Valkyrie Funds LLC providing seed capital.
Regulatory Timeline: SEC decisions on multiple XRP ETF applications, including CoinShares, are expected between October 18 and 25.
Market Demand: XRP funds saw $61.6 million in inflows last week despite a major crypto market correction, underscoring institutional interest.

CoinShares has taken a significant step toward launching the first U.S. spot XRP ETF, filing an amended S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 14. The document outlines the proposed ticker, key partners, and operational structure, signaling readiness for a potential Nasdaq debut as the SEC weighs multiple XRP ETF applications.

XRPL Ticker and Custodian Partnership
The filing confirms that the XRP ETF will trade under the ticker XRPL. BitGo has been appointed as the crypto custodian, while Valkyrie Funds LLC will provide seed capital. Although the management fee remains undisclosed, the amendment suggests it could eventually be payable in XRP, a detail that underscores the fund’s alignment with the underlying asset.

Operational Structure and Service Providers
CoinShares clarified that the trust will not engage in staking programs, meaning investors should not expect staking rewards or additional yield. The filing also identifies CSC Delaware Trust Company as trustee, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services as transfer agent and administrator, Paralel Distributors as marketing agent, and U.S. Bank NA as cash custodian. This broad network of partners reflects a traditional financial framework applied to a digital asset product.

SEC Deadlines and Competitive Landscape
The XRP ETF race is intensifying as the SEC’s final deadline for Grayscale’s application arrives this week. Decisions on proposals from 21Shares, Bitwise, WisdomTree, CoinShares, and Canary Capital are anticipated between October 18 and 25. Analysts suggest the regulator could approve several ETFs simultaneously, particularly if the government shutdown concludes, creating a pivotal moment for XRP’s institutional trajectory.

Market Momentum and Institutional Demand
Despite the broader crypto market experiencing its steepest correction of the year, XRP funds attracted $61.6 million in inflows last week. This resilience highlights strong institutional demand and positions CoinShares’ XRP ETF as a potential beneficiary of shifting capital flows. If approved, the product would extend the momentum of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs into the altcoin sector, marking another milestone in digital asset adoption.

Mark Yusko, the Founder, CEO, and CIO of Morgan Creek Capital Management, has expressed strong support for the proposed U.S. Bitcoin Reserve Bill, but with a dose of realism about its current shortcomings. 

In a recent interview with Thinking Crypto, Yusko explained that the United States doesn’t actually have a strategic Bitcoin reserve; what it has is a digital asset stockpile built largely from Bitcoin seized through criminal and civil asset forfeitures.

He said, “We actually don’t have the strategic Bitcoin reserve, which would be awesome if we did. What we have is the digital asset stockpile.”

Push for a Strategic Bitcoin ReserveSenator Cynthia Lummis and other lawmakers have been pushing for legislation that would allow the U.S. government to buy Bitcoin regularly over a five-year period, treating it like gold, as a part of the nation’s financial reserves.

The proposal, however, has hit political roadblocks. Tensions in Washington and allegations of insider benefits have slowed progress. Yusko also said that some officials are worried about how a large Bitcoin reserve might be managed or protected, citing risks like hacking or misuse.

Why Bitcoin Beats Gold and FiatYusko didn’t hold back on his criticism of fiat currencies, calling them easily manipulated and a tool for wealth erosion through inflation. He sees Bitcoin as a superior form of money, one that operates independently of governments and provides protection against monetary debasement.

“Gold replaced silver, silver replaced bronze and Bitcoin is now replacing gold. It’s not that gold is bad; Bitcoin is just better,” he added.

Governments Will Resist — But Not ForeverYusko was candid about why governments resist Bitcoin adoption. According to him, fiat systems give those in power the ability to print, spend, and benefit in ways that ordinary citizens cannot. “It won’t happen overnight, but all nation-states will migrate to Bitcoin eventually. It’s the natural evolution of money,” he said.

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Key NotesRipple's 2025 Africa strategy includes payments via Chipper Cash, its RLUSD stablecoin with VALR, and now custody with Absa Bank.The new partnership will provide institutional-grade custody for tokenized assets to Absa Bank's customers in South Africa.These strategic developments occur as XRP faces significant order book resistance at $2.60, with major support indicated at $2.40.
Ripple

XRP
$2.50

24h volatility:
1.9%

Market cap:
$149.91 B

Vol. 24h:
$5.86 B

, a provider of digital asset infrastructure, announced on Oct. 15 its partnership with Absa Bank to provide digital asset custody services in South Africa.

The move is the latest in a series of strategic initiatives by the company to expand its presence across the African continent in 2025.

Today, we’re excited to announce that @AbsaSouthAfrica, one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, is now @Ripple’s first major custody partner in Africa: https://t.co/9FQ5GTxMnK

We’re bringing institutional digital asset custody to South Africa, providing the secure and…

— Ripple (@Ripple) October 15, 2025

The collaboration with Absa Bank, one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, will focus on delivering institutional-grade storage for tokenized assets and cryptocurrencies.

According to the official announcement, the goal is to build a secure foundation for the growing digital asset market in the region. “Our goal is to unlock the potential of digital assets on the continent,” said Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the region.

Ripple’s Broader 2025 Africa Push
The Absa Bank partnership follows two other significant moves by Ripple in Africa this year. In March, the company partnered with African payments provider Chipper Cash to improve cross-border remittances.

This was followed in September by the launch of its RLUSD stablecoin on the continent through partners including VALR, Africa’s largest crypto exchange, and payments company Yellow Card.

These partnerships coincide with positive regulatory developments in the region. For instance, Kenya’s new digital assets bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework for virtual asset service providers, which could foster broader adoption.

XRP/USDT 1D chart. | Source: TradingView, Binance Futures

The news of Ripple’s systematic expansion comes as its associated asset, XRP navigates a tense market structure.

The asset shows a bearish bias on lower timeframes, with key support identified between $2.4516 and $2.4491. This support area is reinforced by order book data from the Binance Futures Exchange showing a significant buy wall of over $36 million at the $2.40 price level.

Conversely, the asset faces major resistance from a sell wall of over $34 million positioned at $2.60.

The fundamental developments in Africa provide a contrast to the asset’s recent price action, while other market signals like the CBOE’s confirmation of an XRP ETF also point to growing institutional interest.

Community reaction on the social media platform X was mixed. While many users praised the partnership as a bullish step for adoption in Africa, others expressed skepticism about its immediate impact on the XRP asset itself, highlighting a common point of debate among observers.

The announcement did not specify a launch timeline for Absa’s custody service or which digital assets would be supported initially.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

Cryptocurrency News, News

As a Web3 marketing strategist and former CMO of DuckDAO, Zoran Spirkovski translates complex crypto concepts into compelling narratives that drive growth. With a background in crypto journalism, he excels in developing go-to-market strategies for DeFi, L2, and GameFi projects.

Zoran Spirkovski on X

Your day-ahead look for Oct. 15, 2025 Oct 15, 2025, 11:15 a.m.

By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)

Bitcoin’s BTC$112,080.48 bounce from late Tuesday lows near $110,000 has stalled just above $113,000 as the lack of fresh U.S. economic data leaves both crypto and forex traders in limbo. The CoinDesk 20 (CD20) Index steadied above 3,800 points, representing a 4% gain on a 24-hour basis.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

The ongoing government shutdown has deprived investors of key macroeconomic indicators, prompting a reprieve for the U.S. dollar.

Analysts at ING noted that "[USD] bears have become discouraged by the lack of soft jobs evidence, and many have thrown in the towel," suggesting dollar positioning looks more balanced now.

It means that the greenback could hold on to its recent gains, making it harder for bitcoin and other dollar-denominated altcoins to post strong advances.

Meanwhile, gold remains bid, with major institutions like Bank of America and J.P. Morgan expecting further upside for the precious metal, projecting prices between $4,500 and $5,000 an ounce by 2026.

This bullish outlook has benefited gold-backed tokens as well; according to TokenTerminal, the supply of tokenized gold on Ethereum has more than doubled this year, nearing $2.7 billion.

QCP Capital expressed hope that bitcoin could soon resume its bull run, catching up with gold. "With institutional treasuries accumulating positions and ETF inflows remaining robust ($102.7 million into BTC ETFs and $236.2 million into ETH ETFs yesterday), the setup for a renewed rally may already be forming," the firm's market insights team said.

They added that it remains to be seen if BTC can maintain its “digital gold” status in the next phase of the macro cycle as tariffs risk resurface and liquidity dynamics shift.

Liquidity dynamics have also come into focus following a recent report from Finery Markets, which showed that over-the-counter (OTC) desks acted as key shock absorbers during the latest market crash, providing greater liquidity compared to centralized exchanges. This reportedly helped cushion the blow in turbulent times.

In other developments, Taiwanese stablecoin payment company OwlTing has received approval for its direct listing on the Nasdaq, with trading set to commence this Thursday. This milestone reflects growing institutional acceptance and maturation within the crypto payments ecosystem.

Data tracking website Coinglass noted a concerning trend pertaining to centralized exchanges. These avenues, led by Binance, have witnessed massive outflows in the past seven days. If the liquidity dries and bid-ask spreads widen, there could be more volatility on the horizon.

Overall, as markets await clearer macroeconomic signals, bitcoin and crypto investors remain cautiously optimistic but aware of ongoing challenges from dollar strength and liquidity trends.

Stay alert!

What to WatchFor a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk's "Crypto Week Ahead".

CryptoOct. 15: BNB Chain Wallet browser extension to be discontinued; users advised to back up keys and migrate wallets.MacroOct. 15, 8 a.m.: Brazil Aug. Retail Sales YoY (Prev. 1%), MoM Est. 0.2%.Oct. 15, 9:30: Federal Reserve Governor Stephen I. Miran speaks at the CNBC Invest in America Forum (virtual).Oct. 15, 11 a.m.: Colombia Aug. Retail Sales YoY Est. 14%.Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)Nothing scheduled.Token EventsFor a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk's "Crypto Week Ahead".

Governance votes & callsThe Sandbox DAO is voting to enable estate sales by letting LAND owners bundle and sell multiple parcels via the GBM x Sandbox marketplace. Voting ends Oct. 15.UnlocksOct. 15: STRK$0.1281 to unlock 5.64% of its circulating supply worth $21.44 million.Token LaunchesOct. 15: ZBCN$0.004693 to be listed on Kraken.Oct. 15: Recall (RECALL) to be listed on Binance, KuCoin, MEXC, BitMart, and others.ConferencesFor a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk's "Crypto Week Ahead".

Day 3 of 3: Digital Asset Summit 2025 (London)Day 2 of 4: DC Fintech Week 2025 (Washington)Oct. 15: Bitcoin 2140 Forum (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)Oct. 15: Coinbase's Crypto Forum (London)Oct. 15: FinTech & Banking Unconference Mexico 2025 (Mexico City)Day 1 of 2: The Aptos Experience (New York)Token TalkBy Oliver Knight

FET$0.3144, formerly fetch.ai, has suffered a grueling week; losing 43% of its value during a sell-off spurred by Ocean Protocol's decision to leave the Alliance."As many of you have seen, Ocean Protocol has chosen to step away from the ASI Alliance," the company wrote on X. "In parallel, there’s been noticeable market activity involving large transfers of FET tokens from wallets associated with Ocean Protocol to Binance."The token suffered a flash crash on Oct. 10 along with the wider crypto market, but since then the price action has been exhibiting behavior of persistent selling, with little to no respite for buyers.FET is now trading at $0.31, its lowest point in two years having eroded all of the bullish gains over the recent bull market.At one point in 2024 it had topped $3.11 amid a wave of AI-related bullish sentiment, but it has lacked a spark ever since.The move is reflective of the bubbling nature of AI, with the IMF warning on Wednesday that if the AI bubble burst it could rival the infamous dotcom crash.Derivatives PositioningXPL, ASTER, SUI, and LINK have experienced a notable rise in futures open interest, while the top 10 tokens present a mixed performance overall.A whale address, labeled 0xc2a3, opened a 5x short in BTC worth $140 million on Hyperliquid. BTC futures open interest on Binance jumped by $510 million during the Asian hours as a trader moved $89 million in USDC to the exchange, possibly to short futures. Perpetual funding rates for majors, including bitcoin and ether, held flat-to-negative, implying a cautious sentiment. BTC futures activity on the CME remains subdued while open interest in options zoomed to a record high of 61.44K BTC. Positioning in ether futures and options remained elevated near lifetime peaks. On Deribit, put skew in short- and near-dated BTC options increased slightly during the overnight trade. Flows over OTC desk Paradigm featured a long position in the Oct 18 expiry $108K BTC put. Market MovementsBTC is down 0.13% from 4 p.m. ET Wednesday at $112,554.13 (24hrs: 1.98%)ETH is up 0.74% at $4,154.14 (24hrs: 5.18%)CoinDesk 20 is up 0.68% at 3,808.91 (24hrs: +3.68%)Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is up 2 bps at 2.98%BTC funding rate is at 0.0028% (3.0682% annualized) on BinanceDXY is down 0.18% at 98.86Gold futures are up 1.39% at $4,221.40Silver futures are up 1.89% at $51.58Nikkei 225 closed up 1.76% at 47,672.67Hang Seng closed up 1.84% at 25,910.60FTSE is down 0.51% at 9,404.25Euro Stoxx 50 is up 1.50% at 5,635.34DJIA closed on Tueday up 0.44% at 46,270.46S&P 500 closed down 0.16% at 6,644.31Nasdaq Composite closed down 0.76% at 22,521.70S&P/TSX Composite closed up 1.68% at 30,353.61S&P 40 Latin America closed down 0.26% at 2826.5U.S. 10-Year Treasury rate is down 0.9 bps at 4.013%E-mini S&P 500 futures are up 0.59% at 6,726.25E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are up 0.80% at 24,961.50E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Index are up 0.41% at 46,689.00Bitcoin StatsBTC Dominance: 59.13% (-0.27%)Ether to bitcoin ratio: 0.03689 (1.1%)Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 1,085 EH/sHashprice (spot): $47.37Total Fees: 2.72 BTC / $306,963CME Futures Open Interest: 142,515 BTCBTC priced in gold: 27 ozBTC vs gold market cap: 7.63%Technical Analysis

BTC's weekly chart. (TradingView)

BTC continues to trade well above its 50-week simple moving average (SMA), which has consistently offered strong support since 2023, marking end of price corrections. The broader outlook, therefore, remains constructive while prices hold above the key average. Crypto EquitiesCoinbase Global (COIN): closed on Tuesday at $341.55 (-4.33%)Circle Internet (CRCL): closed at $134.46 (-2.19%)Galaxy Digital (GLXY): closed at $41.14 (-0.22%)Bullish (BLSH): closed at $59.31 (-0.4%)MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $22.24 (+9.88%)Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $22.19 (+2.26%)Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $18.94 (-1.41%)CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $21.98 (+9.68%)CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI): closed at $63.79 (+4.81%)Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $27.79 (-2.97%)Crypto Treasury Companies

Strategy (MSTR): closed at $300.67 (-4.69%), +1.+44% at $305Semler Scientific (SMLR): closed at $25.68 (-2.47%), 0.23% at $25.74SharpLink Gaming (SBET): closed at $15.64 (-3-04%), +1.28% at $15.84Upexi (UPXI): closed at $6.25 (-3.55%), +0.32% at $6.27Lite Strategy (LITS): closed at $2.19 (+1.86%), +0.91% at $2.21ETF FlowsSpot BTC ETFs

Daily net flow: $102.7 millionCumulative net flows: $62.50 billionTotal BTC holdings ~ 1.35 millionSpot ETH ETFs

Daily net flow: $236.2 millionCumulative net flows: $14.73 billionTotal ETH holdings ~ 6.75 millionSource: Farside Investors

While You Were SleepingCoinbase to Increase Investment in One of India’s Largest Crypto Exchanges (CoinDesk): The planned deal sets a $2.45 billion post-money valuation and follows CoinDCX’s April 2022 raise of $135 million at a $2.15 billion valuation.Analysis: DATs Keep Buying Bitcoin, Outperforming ETFs Is the Hard Part (CoinDesk): Most digital asset treasuries have failed to deliver on their promises. Their models are fragile when their outperformance against spot cryptocurrencies or spot ETFs depends heavily on premiums, convertible instruments and cheap debt.The Crypto Liquidation Crisis Highlighted OTC Desks as Crucial Shock Absorbers, Finery Markets Says (CoinDesk): The firm says OTC trading venues helped prevent panic from spreading during bitcoin’s sharp selloff by containing liquidity shocks in private markets, where volumes more than doubled and spreads tightened.Bearish BTC Sentiment Persists Despite Powell’s Signal That QT May Be Nearing End (CoinDesk): Deribit-listed options tied to BTC showed one-week puts, continuing to trade at a premium to calls or bullish bets. Options out to the March 2026 expiry showed a similar bearish pricing.More For You

Was $500B Value destruction Just a blip?: Crypto Daybook Americas

Oct 14, 2025

Your day-ahead look for Oct. 14, 2025

What to know:

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Key NotesOver 40% of all Ether is now out of circulation amid record institutional demand.Supply locked in staking, ETFs, and treasuries has created a major supply vacuum.Ether exchange reserves continue to fall, with analysts eyeing a bullish trajectory.
The price of Ethereum

ETH
$4 124

24h volatility:
3.8%

Market cap:
$497.04 B

Vol. 24h:
$55.45 B

may be getting ready for a major breakout as available supply drops sharply amid a surge in institutional accumulation.

According to analyst “Crypto Gucci,” Ethereum has never experienced a market cycle with so many simultaneous “supply vacuums.”

ETH’s supply is disappearing faster than ever 🔥

Over 40% of all $ETH is currently locked out of circulation and is continues to climb rapidly

Ethereum has never experienced a market cycle with all three supply vacuums active at once:
– DATs didn’t exist last cycle
– Spot ETFs… https://t.co/Y4FtW7Rmzg

— Crypto-Gucci.eth ᵍᵐ🦇🔊 (@CryptoGucci) October 14, 2025

Digital asset treasuries (DATs), like Bitmine and Bit Digital, have accumulated nearly 5.9 million ETH, worth around $24 billion. This represents 4.9% of total ETH token supply.

At the same time, U.S. spot Ether ETFs have absorbed $28 billion in ETH since their launch in July last year. This massive inflow could grow even further once staking receives regulatory approval, according to experts.

Ether staking activity has also reached record levels. Currently, 35.7 million ETH, almost 30% of the total supply, is locked in staking contracts, with much of it illiquid due to the 40-day withdrawal queue.

“When demand meets a shrinking supply like this, price doesn’t just go up, it goes nuclear,” the analyst writes.

Ether Exchange Balance Drops to Multi-Month Low
Meanwhile, data from CryptoQuant shows the Ethereum supply ratio on Binance has fallen sharply to 0.33, the lowest level since May last year.

This decline suggests investors are moving their ETH into self-custody wallets, a sign of long-term confidence and reduced selling pressure.

At the time of writing, Ether trades near $4,150, recovering from a recent dip to $3,900. The crypto’s 24-hour trading volume has jumped 13%, reaching $63 billion.

Analyst Crypto Ceaser noted that ETH is currently around a strong support zone around $4,000, a good buying opportunity for traders looking for the next crypto to explode.

He added that the “real fun will start” after the second largest cryptocurrency breaks the weekly resistance level of $4,874 with full conviction.

$ETH – #Ethereum: The real fun will start once we are breaking the red zone with full conviction. pic.twitter.com/CTA12FQ5p3

— Crypto Caesar (@CryptoCaesarTA) October 15, 2025

BitMine chair Tom Lee recently reaffirmed his year-end target of $10,000 for ETH. Historical data from CoinGlass also supports this optimism as the fourth quarter has delivered average returns of 21.36% for Ether since 2016.

A similar gain could push ETH close to $5,000 by the end of this year.

Maxi Doge Presale Explodes Past $3.6M
With ETH aiming for major gains and analysts monitoring the meme coin market, Maxi Doge (MAXI) is gaining serious attention. Inspired by gym culture and the fast-paced world of crypto trading, the token has already raised over $3.6 million in its ongoing presale.

At the heart of Maxi Doge’s growth is the Maxi Fund, a reserve designed to boost liquidity and secure strategic partnerships that can drive long-term expansion.

The Maxi Doge community fuels its growing buzz, with holders joining trading talks, weekly contests, and fitness-themed challenges. MAXI blends lifestyle and crypto while rewarding early investors with an 84% annual staking return, giving everyone a reason to hold on.

Presale Overview of Maxi Doge

Ticker: MAXI
Current Price: $0.000263
Funds Raised: $3.6 million

If you’re looking to invest, we recommend checking out our guide on how to buy Maxi Doge and join the presale before the price goes up.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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A crypto journalist with over 5 years of experience in the industry, Parth has worked with major media outlets in the crypto and finance world, gathering experience and expertise in the space after surviving bear and bull markets over the years. Parth is also an author of 4 self-published books.

Parth Dubey on LinkedIn