Market Signal Briefing

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Altimmune To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Altimmune between August 10, 2023 and June 25, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- , October 3, 2025 / PR Newswire / Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Altimmune, Inc. (“Altimmune” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ALT) and reminds investors of the October 6, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

According to the complaint, on June 26, 2025, Altimmune published a press release announcing topline results from the IMPACT Phase 2b MASH trial of Pemvidutide in the Treatment of MASH. While defendants had continuously provided inflated expectations ahead of these results, the analysis showed a pointed failure by the Company to achieve statistical significance in its analysis of the fibrosis reduction primary endpoint in its IMPACT Phase 2b MASH trial. In particular, while a positive trend in fibrosis improvement was observed, statistical significance was not met due to a higher-than-expected placebo response. When questioned about this concerning miss, defendants answered indifferently, attributing this result to the Phase 2 nature of the trial and stated that Altimmune was hoping for better results following the Phase 3 trial.

Following this news, the price of Altimmune’s common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $7.71 per share on June 25, 2025, Altimmune’s stock price fell to $3.61 per share on June 26, 2025, a decline of 53.2% in the span of just a single day.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.  

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Altimmune’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Altimmune, Inc. class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/ALT or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

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Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Unicycive To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Unicycive between March 29, 2024 and June 27, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (“Unicycive” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: UNCY) and reminds investors of the October 14, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (i) Unicycive's readiness and ability to satisfy the FDA's manufacturing compliance requirements was overstated; (ii) the OLC NDA's regulatory prospects were likewise overstated; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On June 10, 2025, Unicycive issued a press release "announcing an update on its [NDA] for [OLC] to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with [CKD] on dialysis." Therein, the Company disclosed that the FDA "had identified deficiencies in cGMP [current good manufacturing practice] compliance at a third-party manufacturing vendor"-specifically, a third-party subcontractor of Unicycive's contract development and manufacturing organization ("CDMO")-"following an FDA inspection" and that, "given the identified deficiencies, any label discussions between the FDA and the Company are precluded."

On this news, Unicycive's stock price fell $3.68 per share, or 40.89%, to close at $5.32 per share on June 10, 2025.

Then, on June 30, 2025, Unicycive issued a press release announcing that the FDA had issued a Complete Response Letter for the OLC NDA, citing the previously identified cGMP deficiencies at the third-party subcontractor of its CDMO.

On this news, Unicycive's stock price fell $2.03 per share, or 29.85%, to close at $4.77 per share on June 30, 2025.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.  

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Unicycive’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Unicycive Therapeutics class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/UNCY or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

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Despite a long history of returning value to shareholders, these two industry giants have traded lower over the past year -- but it's an opportunity for investors.

"Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in."

– John D. Rockefeller

Rockefeller was onto something there: Receiving quarterly dividend payments is one of the most satisfying things for anyone looking to reinvest for the power of compounding.

These two dividend stocks offer investors not only a long history of consistent dividends (and increases), they also both have strong economic moats to help ensure financial growth over the long haul. Here's why these two deserve income investors' consideration.

Getting back to its higher-margin roots
The Canadian National Railway (CNI 2.02%) is a powerful company, driving the economy by transporting more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America annually. It has nearly 20,000 miles of rail lines and related transportation services, connecting Canada's East and West Coasts, and the Midwest, including a valuable route through Chicago and all the way to New Orleans.

What makes CN (as it's known for short) a great dividend stock is an economic moat that's based not only on its geographic reach but also on its extensive railroad infrastructure that's nearly impossible to replicate. And it's the primary and most significant rail operator for the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia, which contributes to its intermodal growth potential.

Those competitive advantages and its moat help the company continue to print cash, and in turn increase its dividend. The growth of both is obvious in the graph below.

CNI Free Cash Flow data by YCharts.

CN has closed the margin gap with competitors in recent years, after having led the industry in the early 2000s thanks to pioneering the practice of precision scheduled railroading (PSR). However, the father of PSR, Hunter Harrison, took his talents to competitors in 2009, and while his innovations still have their imprint on the business, the company needs to refocus on margins.

While that process develops, investors have a respectable dividend yield of 2.7% and a history of consistent increases.

A snack and beverage juggernaut
PepsiCo (PEP -0.24%) is a household name and global leader in snacks and beverages with brands including its namesake Pepsi, as well as Gatorade, Lay's, Cheetos, and Doritos, among many others. The company dominates the global market for savory snacks and is the second-largest beverage provider, behind only Coca-Cola.

One factor in investors' favor is the company's diversification with exposure to carbonated soft drinks, water, sports and energy drinks, and convenience foods that generate roughly 55% of revenue. PepsiCo is truly global: International markets made up roughly 40% of both total sales and operating profits in 2024.

Image source: Getty Images.

This could prove to be a good time to pour a small investment into the company. The past few years of less than desirable growth -- due to self-inflicted wounds and underinvesting in its marketing and brands -- has left the stock trading lower over the past year. Management is working to reverse that and has steadied the top and bottom lines, so there should be room for improvement and a return to growth.

Not only does the demand for PepsiCo's snacks and beverages remain resilient through economic cycles, but it also attracts investors with a healthy 4% dividend yield.

Are the stocks buys?
Over the past year, PepsiCo and CN have traded 17% and 19% lower, respectively. But a couple of missteps and headwinds won't stop these two juggernauts for long because their competitive advantages are durable. PepsiCo is benefiting from the growth in its snack business and international expansion, while the Canadian National Railway is getting back to its roots and closing the margin gap with competitors, fueling its dividend in the future. Both warrant consideration for a small position for long-term investors looking for dividend income.

Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian National Railway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

October 05, 2025 7:46 PM EDT | Source: Raffles Financial Group Limited
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2025) - Raffles Financial Group Ltd (CSE: RICH) ("Raffles Financial"), a diversified financial services company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, today announced a strategic collaboration with CICADA Finance, a leading on-chain asset management protocol. Together, the two firms will launch the Raffles Reserve Treasury ("RRT"), an innovative digital asset designed to integrate high-growth cryptocurrencies into trade finance credit facilities for IPO-ready firms.

A New Era of Digital Trade Finance

This collaboration bridges traditional corporate finance and decentralized finance (DeFi), creating a unique model for tokenized trade finance. The initiative combines Raffles Financial's track record in public listings, compliance, and corporate finance with CICADA Finance's expertise in tokenomics, Web3 asset structuring, and decentralized asset management.

Under this cooperation, both organizations will advance the structuring of tokenized assets, Real World Assets (RWA), smart contract issuance, token circulation mechanisms, settlement systems, and security and risk control frameworks. The goal is to unlock the exponential demand for crypto assets and decentralized financial markets while providing robust, institutional-grade financial products.

The Proposed Raffles Reserve Treasury ("RRT")

The RRT will be issued through a Singapore-incorporated special purpose vehicle, leveraging Singapore's progressive digital finance framework. As exemplified by Token2049, the world's largest cryptocurrency conference, being held in Singapore during the first week of October. The event brought together over 25,000 global crypto-savvy investors to Singapore.

The RRT is designed to serve as a core value carrier, offering governance participation, platform access, and economic incentives to its holders. Inspired by strategies adopted by pioneers like MicroStrategy, Gamestop, the RRT will issue perpetual bond units to fund a diversified Cryptocurrency Treasury (CT) portfolio across assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Solana, and Chainlink.

The CT portfolio will act as collateral for both stablecoin issuance and revolving trade finance credit facilities, ensuring IPO-ready clients can accelerate growth while preparing for North American listings. For investors, this model generates value through arrangement fees and opportunities to buy clients' IPO shares at pre-IPO discounts.

Leadership Commentary

Dr. Charlie In, Chairman of Raffles Financial Group Ltd, said:

"The Raffles Reserve Treasury combines the rigor of traditional trade finance with the innovation of DeFi, enabling IPO-ready clients to secure scalable capital and stronger valuations for North American listings."

Dr. In is a capital markets leader with 40+ years of experience guiding companies to IPOs across Asia and North America.

Gary Yang, CEO of CICADA Finance, commented:

"The RRT is more than a digital treasury-it's a bridge between institutional finance and decentralized ecosystems, opening new highways for sustainable crypto-backed trade finance."

Mr. Yang is a veteran investor with 15 years in venture capital and funds-of-funds, having backed over 120 companies and 15 funds globally.

Iris Yu, Incubation Investor at CICADA Finance, added:

"The RRT offers a new liquidity framework, allowing clients to leverage crypto assets for trade finance while building momentum toward IPOs on North American exchanges."

Ms. Yu is a blockchain pioneer and early investor in Binance and Bybit, with a portfolio of 100+ projects spanning exchanges, infrastructure, and DeFi.

About Raffles Financial Group Ltd (CSE: RICH)

Raffles Financial Group Ltd is a diversified financial services company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Headquartered in Singapore with global reach, the Company provides corporate finance advisory, IPO facilitation, and investment services to high-growth companies seeking access to international capital markets. Raffles Financial specializes in structuring innovative financing solutions, helping clients achieve successful listings and capital expansion, particularly across North America and Asia.

About CICADA Finance

CICADA Finance is a leading on-chain asset management protocol that bridges liquid assets and liquid funds through real-yield instruments. By combining real-yield underlying assets with ecosystem incentive yields, CICADA Finance delivers layered yield strategies for institutional and retail investors alike. The platform focuses on revolutionizing emerging bond markets, offering secure DeFi-based stablecoin financing, tokenized risk assessment, and blockchain transparency.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Raffles Financial Group Limited's securities are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol RICH. The company's current trading status should be verified through official exchange sources. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269197

NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities of Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. (OTC: FLYYQ) between May 28, 2025 and August 29, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 1, 2025.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Spirit Aviation securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Spirit Aviation class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=45665 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 1, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the complaint, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Spirit Aviation was at substantial risk of being unable to meet certain of its debt and other financial obligations; (2) Spirit Aviation was also at substantial risk of being forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within a mere matter of months; (3) accordingly, defendants had overstated enhancements to Spirit Aviation’s financial condition, liquidity, and overall business and operations, while simultaneously downplaying the negative impacts of adverse market conditions on the same; and (4) as a result, defendants’ public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Spirit Aviation class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=45665 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
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New York, NY 10016
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The stock is slowly mounting a comeback.

The boom and bust cycle in electric vehicles (EVs) may be coming full circle. Stocks like Rivian Automotive (RIVN 0.89%) plummeted over the last few years as the bubble popped in the sector. Many companies have gone bankrupt, unable to make their business models viable.

Rivian remains unprofitable today, but it has large backers and a plan to greatly expand its manufacturing footprint through the rest of this decade. At around $15 a share today, Rivian stock has bounced back off its lows, but has traded in a similar range since the end of 2022.

With an inflection coming in its manufacturing plans, does that mean Rivian stock has finally bottomed and is set to make a comeback?

Slowing deliveries, new factory plans
Rivian debuted its EV models in 2022, beginning deliveries for its first consumer models called the R1. This included a premium SUV and truck powered by electric batteries. It also sells commercial delivery vans to companies such as Amazon, which is a longtime investor in Rivian.

The R1 models are loved by customers, but they have failed to garner huge customer adoption due to their high price points of $75,000 or more. Rivian's quarterly deliveries actually peaked in 2023 and have slowly fallen ever since. With only just over 10,000 quarterly deliveries, Rivian is still a tiny player in the automotive space, which has kept it unprofitable.

To fix this issue, Rivian is expanding its factory in Illinois and just broke ground on a new factory coming to Georgia later this decade. These facilities will help Rivian build its upcoming R2 and R3 models, which will be cheaper than the R1 and hopefully more accessible to a wider customer base.

Automotive manufacturers need scale in order to generate a profit, with a competitor like Tesla not reaching the black until it started delivering close to 100,000 vehicles a quarter, if not more. Rivian will likely need the same to happen for it to start posting consistent profits for shareholders.

Image source: Getty Images.

Dissecting Rivian's valuation
With the stock price still well off its highs from the initial public offering (IPO), Rivian's market cap is $17.7 billion today. It is impossible to value this stock based on its trailing earnings or cash flow, since both are negative. However, we can try to forecast what Rivian's revenue and profits could be in the future if its new factories are successfully pumping out R2 and R3 vehicles.

Today, Rivian's revenue is $5 billion. If the company scales up its R2 and R3 production, quarterly deliveries could grow from just over 10,000 last quarter to over 50,000. At a lower price point than the R1 vehicles, this could lead to around $20 billion in annual revenue for Rivian. An automaker will generally have a profit margin in between 0% and 10% given how hard the industry is to operate in (this is what Tesla's range has been in recent quarters). That would give Rivian $1 billion in net earnings by the end of this decade.

While this doesn't make the stock dirt cheap versus the current market cap, Rivian will be on much firmer financial footing if it can scale up production and reach positive earnings and cash flow.

RIVN Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

Is Rivian stock set to make a comeback?
With Rivian at a small market cap compared to competitors like Tesla, investors are discounting whether it can successfully scale up its new production facilities. If $20 billion in annual revenue and $1 billion in earnings are achieved before 2030, I think it is possible that Rivian stock has finally bottomed and will start producing positive results for shareholders again.

This doesn't make the stock a buy. Rivian may double its share price by 2030 if the factory expansion is successful, but there is also the risk the company fails to achieve this scale. It has historically lost money, has thin gross margins, and has burned a ton of cash since its founding. This level of risk should keep any investor away from Rivian stock, even if the company has the potential to turn things around with these new models.

The juice isn't worth the squeeze with Rivian stock today.

Brett Schafer has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

A great business doesn't always make it a great investment. Other considerations matter.

The Trade Desk (TTD 1.33%) has long been the independent alternative to the tech giants in the advertising industry. With connected TV (CTV) on the rise, retail media expanding quickly, and advertisers increasingly seeking transparency, the company has carved out a niche as a demand-side platform (DSP). Its high customer retention and steady profitability reflect a business with staying power.

However, as much as I respect the business, I don't think the stock is a buy at this time. Between competitive pressures, execution challenges, and valuation, the risk-reward balance isn't compelling.

Let's unpack why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Growth is solid, but no longer flawless
For much of the past decade, The Trade Desk built a reputation for consistency. The company routinely outpaced expectations, delivering more than 30 straight quarters of revenue beats. That streak ended in late 2024, when The Trade Desk reported its first revenue miss in over eight years.

Management bounced back quickly. In the second quarter of 2025, revenue increased 19% year over year, indicating that the business remains resilient even in a challenging advertising market. However, the miss served as a reminder that no company -- not even The Trade Desk -- can execute flawlessly all the time.

To be clear, the company still posts enviable results. Retention remains well above 95%, and advertisers continue to increase their use of The Trade Desk's platform. Innovations like Kokai aim to make campaigns more effective by applying deep learning to impression scoring, bid optimization, and budget allocation. These advances could strengthen the company's value proposition.

Still, the flawless-execution narrative has cracked. Investors who once assumed near-perfect consistency now need to weigh the risks of future bumps.

Competition ramps up
The Trade Desk positions itself as the neutral platform for advertisers. That neutrality is valuable, but the advertising ecosystem is shifting fast, and rivals with scale are raising the stakes.

Amazon has become the most pressing threat. Its advertising revenue now exceeds $50 billion annually, fueled by retail media and streaming. The recent partnership with Netflix gives Amazon direct access to some of the most premium CTV inventory available. That's a tough blow for The Trade Desk, even though it is also a demand-side platform (DSP) partner of Netflix -- it means competition is intensifying.

Alphabet and Meta, meanwhile, continue to dominate the digital ad market with their vast audience data. By embedding artificial intelligence (AI) directly into their platforms, they sharpen their targeting capabilities and improve return on investment (ROI) for advertisers. These walled gardens already control enormous pools of user attention, and The Trade Desk must compete by offering transparency and cross-channel reach.

The opportunity outside the walled gardens remains large, particularly in CTV and retail media. But as competitors build their own advantages, The Trade Desk's challenge grows: maintain relevance and prove it can deliver unique value advertisers can't get elsewhere.

Its valuation leaves little cushion
Even after a pullback, The Trade Desk trades at steep multiples. The stock changes hands at approximately 60 times earnings and about 9 times sales (as of the time of writing). Those levels still assume strong growth and durable moats.

High multiples aren't a problem when a company consistently outperforms and expands its competitive lead. But with execution risk reemerging and competition intensifying, the stock leaves little room for error. Even if The Trade Desk grows steadily, investors buying at today's valuation could face modest returns if multiples compress.

In other words, the company doesn't just need to perform well -- it needs to perform exceptionally well for today's valuation to make sense.

What could change the picture?
Despite my caution, I remain bullish on The Trade Desk. A few developments could tilt the investment case more positively:

Proven AI-driven results: Kokai has potential, but advertisers want clear evidence of ROI. If management demonstrates measurable improvements in campaign performance, it would strengthen the platform's value.
A more attractive entry price: A lower valuation could restore an appealing risk-reward profile, especially if fundamentals remain strong.

What does it mean for investors?
The Trade Desk remains a business I admire. It delivers sticky customer relationships, strong profitability, and constant innovation. But admiration doesn't automatically translate into a buy recommendation.

With Amazon pushing harder into streaming ads, Google and Meta doubling down on AI, and the stock still priced at a premium, I see more risks than rewards at current levels.

For investors, the best move may be to keep The Trade Desk on the watchlist and wait for either a more attractive price or stronger evidence of competitive gains. Sometimes the hardest -- but smartest -- decision is to wait.

Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Netflix, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

IonQ's share price is rocketing higher, but the company's long-term success is anything but guaranteed.

Quantum computing holds a lot of promise to impact fields such as climate science, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence (AI) modeling, and much more. Many investors are keen on getting in on the ground floor of new tech trends because, as artificial intelligence stocks have proven, buying early can pay off in spades.

That optimism may be fueling the staggering gains of more than 600% that IonQ (IONQ 5.29%) has returned over the past year. Some investors, no doubt, are wondering if they're missing out by not owning IonQ. But there are a few reasons why investors may want to pause before buying IonQ stock. Here are a few.

Image source: Getty Images.

Expenses are rising, and losses are widening
IonQ is in growth mode right now, which means that the company is investing heavily into building its technology so that it can, ideally, outpace its competitors and generate significant revenue and earnings down the road.

There's nothing wrong with that, and many growth companies, especially in the tech sector, do this. But it's important to highlight how much money IonQ is losing in relation to its revenue. The company's research and development spending spiked more than 230% in Q2 as the company invested in new tech and acquisitions. For reference, IonQ spent more on R&D in Q2 of 2025 than it did in the first nine months of last year.

That spending contributed to significant losses for the company of $177.5 million, up from a loss of just $37.5 million in the year-ago quarter. If we look at IonQ's loss on an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization basis (EBITDA), things look a little better, but not great. The company's EBITDA loss was $36.5 million in the quarter, an increase from $23.7 million in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue is growing quickly, with sales jumping 81% in the quarter, but it's still a modest amount of about $21 million. With losses expanding and IonQ likely to continue spending on R&D and potential acquisitions, revenue will have to accelerate dramatically for the company to eventually offset its losses.

The stock is pricey, and quantum computing is speculative
Even if you're comfortable with the company's losses, I think IonQ's valuation and the speculative nature of the quantum computing market are two more reasons to hold off on buying IonQ. The company's shares have a price-to-sales ratio of 303, which is very expensive even by tech stock standards -- with software application and infrastructure stocks having an average P/S ratio of just 4.

That means IonQ's sales have to grow at a tremendous rate in order to justify its stock's current premium price tag, making its most recent revenue increase of 83% in Q2 appear relatively modest.

What's more, quantum computing is still in its early stages, and even some technology heavy hitters, including Alphabet and Microsoft, believe its practical use cases are still years away. This means IonQ could continue investing in quantum computing technologies, widening its losses, with revenue increases that don't keep pace with spending, all while betting that quantum computing demand will be there years from now.

IonQ is not a buy
When you add up all of the above, I think IonQ is too risky to buy right now. Its share price has surged at a time when it seems like nothing could dent the stock market's returns, and I think a little too much optimism has crept into the market, pushing valuations very high.

I think investors would be better off monitoring how well the company's revenue grows over the coming quarters, see if it can narrow its losses, and find out whether the quantum computing market delivers on its high hopes. But for now, IonQ looks too speculative for my liking.

Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Freeport (NYSE: FCX) announced today an update on the search for the remaining five team members who were missing following the previously reported September 8 mud rush incident at the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia. On October 5, 2025, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) located the five missing team members who regrettably were found deceased. The Freeport organization extends its deepest condolences to the families of these individuals and continues to mourn the los.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AI either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of COP, CVX, XOM either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Q3 2025, historically quiet, became the most active stablecoin period due to regulatory breakthroughs and investor interest.

The total market capitalization of stablecoins has exceeded $300 billion for the first time in history this week. Genius Act and SEC accounting guidance have significantly boosted confidence in stablecoins.

This, in turn, drove institutional and retail adoption in 2025.

$300B Milestone
According to DeFiLlama, Tether (USDT) remains the dominant stablecoin as it accounts for 58.52% of the market with a valuation of $176.241 billion.  Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) follows with a market capitalization of more than $74 billion, while USDe, the third-largest yield-bearing stablecoin, holds $14.83 billion.

The milestone indicates the growing prominence of stablecoins in the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem, and comes amidst market-wide recovery after a volatile week.

Historically, Q3 is quieter for crypto, but 2025 reversed that trend and ended up becoming a record-breaking period for stablecoins. Activity surged thanks to both regulatory clarity and growing user engagement. A report by Cex.io revealed that Google searches for “stablecoin” spiked following landmark announcements.

For instance, the US enacted the Genius Act, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new accounting guidance, which classified USD-pegged stablecoins as cash equivalents. These regulatory developments boosted trust among both institutional and retail participants.

Impact On USD’s Global Role
The rapid growth of the stablecoin market is significantly influencing the global role of the US dollar, according to John Murillo, Chief Business Officer of B2BROKER. In a statement to CryptoPotato, Murillo said that this surge is partly due to last month’s slow momentum in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether, which prompted investors and users to turn to dollar-pegged stablecoins.

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He explained,

“With it, the global footprint of the US dollar has certainly deepened, because around 98% of all stablecoins are directly or indirectly dollar-pegged. This has been, for better or worse, embedding USD into decentralized finance, cross-border payments while helping stabilize many inflation-hit economies. In regions like Nigeria and Venezuela, digital dollars now circulate more freely than local currencies, extending the dollar’s dominance into the digital realm.”

However, Murillo warns that this growth carries systemic risks. The exec added that stablecoins typically operate outside conventional banking regulations, which raises questions about reserve transparency, liquidity vulnerabilities, and regulatory gaps. A sudden loss of confidence, whether from unclear backing or platform failures, could, in fact, destabilize both crypto markets and traditional fiat systems.

Additionally, as stablecoins increasingly operate within decentralized networks, they begin to function independently of US institutions, which potentially limits Washington’s direct control over monetary influence.

“The dollar remains dominant in form, but increasingly contested in function.”

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Key Takeaways
What’s behind Fartcoin’s recent recovery?
Top Fartcoin holders increased their holdings by 33.57%, with exchange deposits down 5.16%, signaling strong accumulation.

Can Fartcoin hold its gains?
If whale demand stays firm, Fartcoin could retest $0.79–$1, but fading momentum might drag it back toward $0.64.

After hitting a low of $0.64, Fartcoin [FARTCOIN] successfully defended $0.7 support and surged to $0.75 before retracing. 

At press time, Fartcoin was trading at $0.72, marking a 15.03% increase over the past 24 hours. Over the same period, its market cap jumped 13% to $729 million, reflecting steady capital inflow. 

What’s behind Fartcoin’s recovery?

Fartcoin whales aggressively accumulate
AMBCrypto’s analysis determined that Fartcoin has bounced back, backed by rising whale demand. 

After the memecoin retraced, hitting a low of $0.5, whale accumulation intensified. According to Nansen, Fartcoin whales have bought more than they offloaded since the 29th of September. 

As such, top holders have increased their holdings by 33.57% reaching 684.7 million, while their exchange deposits have dipped 5.16%. 

Source: Nansen

On the 5th of October, for example, whales bought 15.14 million tokens while offloading 4.48 million. As a result, the memecoin recorded a positive balance change of 10.67 million, extending a week-long positive change. 

Exchange activity echoed this accumulation trend. 

According to CoinGlass, since the 29th of September, when whales started accumulating, the memecoin has recorded negative Spot Netflow. 

At press time, Netflow -$968.5k, a drop from -$1.6 million the previous day, indicating higher inflows, a clear sign of accumulation. 

Source: CoinGlass

Historically, increased buying pressure from large holders has preceded higher prices as pressure to the upside rises.

Derivatives jump in, but…
Interestingly, as the market rebounded, participation in the Futures market skyrocketed. According to CoinGlass, derivatives volume surged by 14.12% to $1.11 billion, while Open Interest jumped 16.19% to $659 million.

Source: CoinGlass

Typically, when OI and volume rise in tandem, it signals increased participation in Futures, with traders taking either longs or shorts.

Meanwhile, Fartcoin’s Long/Short Ratio fell below one to 0.97, although OKX’s ratio jumped to 2.82. When this metric is below 1, it suggests that investors are mostly taking short positions.

In fact, shorts accounted for 51% while longs accounted for 49% of the total Futures contracts. With shorts dominating, it suggests most participants are bearish and actively betting against the uptrend.

Source: Coinglass

Can Fartcoin hold recent gains?
According to AMBCrypto, Fartcoin rebounded backed by strong and sustained demand from whales.

As a result, the memecoin’s Stochastic RSI surged to 94, reaching overbought territory. Likewise, its Relative Strength Index (RSI) jumped to 51, touching the bullish zone.

Source: TradingView

For now, overbought levels warn of brewing price volatility.

Having said that, if demand from whales holds steady, they could see FARTCOIN reclaim $0.79. In doing so, it will strengthen the memecoin to break out of the falling wedge and target $1.

Conversely, if the momentum fades with sellers jumping in, Fartcoin will drop to $0.64 again, and set for another leg up.

2 mins mins

Key Points:

Limitless completed community sale, raising $200.96M, 200x oversubscription.Substantial interest in Base-native ecosystems.Funding boosts Limitless’s positioning in crypto prediction markets.
Limitless announced the conclusion of its community sale on Kaito, raising $200.96 million, oversubscribed 200 times, on October 5th within the Base ecosystem.

This significant oversubscription underscores strong investor interest in Base-native prediction markets, potentially impacting liquidity and trading in the broader cryptocurrency market.

Limitless Raises $200M, Surpasses Expectations by 200x
Limitless’s sale on Kaito resulted in significant fundraising. Oversubscribed by 200 times, this reflects the strong demand and investor confidence in the project. Led by CEO CJ Hetherington and COO Roman Mogylnyi, the company has consistently focused on expanding its blockchain-based platform offerings.

The overwhelming investor interest showcased during the sale bolsters Limitless’s funding capabilities. With $200,963,519 secured, the transaction underscores the platform’s advocacy for robust governance and incentive strategies, paving the way for further Base-native developments.

Market experts highlighted the enthusiasm surrounding Base Layer 2 solutions, pointing to potential increases in liquidity and transaction volume. No immediate statements from influential KOLs such as Arthur Hayes or Vitalik indicate that the crypto community is closely watching future developments.

“The community sale on Kaito has officially ended, with a subscription amount reaching $200,963,519, oversubscribed by 200 times.” – Limitless, Official Announcement, Prediction Market Platform
Base Ecosystem Fundraising Reflects DeFi Trend Surge
Did you know? The 200x oversubscription in Limitless’s sale emphasizes a historical trend seen in high-demand prediction markets, where liquidity influx often results in short-term volatility, akin to early Kalshi and Polymarket launches.

As of October 5, 2025, Ethereum (ETH) is trading at $4,504.13 with a circulating supply of over 120.7 million. Its market cap is $543.66 billion, reflecting a 77.24% price increase over the last 90 days, according to CoinMarketCap.

Ethereum(ETH), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 21:55 UTC on October 5, 2025. Source: CoinMarketCap

The Coincu research team suggests that the influx of capital into Base-native technologies could spur greater DeFi adoption. This aligns with observed past performances where similar fundraising surges led to strategic ecosystem growth and technical advancements.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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In a stunning display of market dominance, Solana has secured a commanding 95.6% share of the burgeoning tokenized stock trading sector. This remarkable achievement is attributed to a series of strategic upgrades, an influx of stablecoins, and a notable increase in trading volume.

Ripple is positioning the XRP Ledger as the ultimate launchpad for institutional DeFi, combining built-in privacy with unstoppable scalability and regulatory compliance. Ripple Touts XRPL as Backbone for Scalable, Compliant Blockchain Finance Ripple shared an insight on Oct. 2 outlining how privacy and scalability could define the next stage of blockchain-based finance.

Solana’s Upcoming Architectural Changes and Why They MatterVanEck says Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade will make the network faster, more stable and easier to run, as developers prepare even deeper performance changes. Oct 5, 2025, 10:42 p.m.

Solana is preparing for a major overhaul that could make its famously fast blockchain even faster — and a lot easier to run.

In its "Crypto Monthly Recap for September 2025" research report published Oct. 3, global asset manager VanEck says Solana’s upcoming Alpenglow upgrade marks the biggest change to the network’s core software since launch.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

The firm calls it “the largest upgrade to Solana’s consensus in its history,” pointing to six key changes that together promise faster performance, lower costs, and greater reliability.

For readers less familiar with Solana’s design, Alpenglow essentially changes how the network’s thousands of validators agree on which transactions are valid. That process, known as consensus, is being streamlined so data moves through the system more efficiently and validators can operate with less friction.

What VanEck highlightedFaster finality. Today, Solana takes around 12 seconds to finalize a transaction, meaning to confirm it permanently.

Alpenglow cuts that to about 150 milliseconds — roughly the time it takes to blink. Faster finality makes trades, payments and app interactions feel instantaneous, bringing Solana closer to web-level responsiveness.

Off-chain voting. Validators currently vote on every new block by submitting thousands of small transactions on-chain.

That keeps the network secure but clogs bandwidth. Alpenglow moves voting off-chain, letting validators exchange votes privately and later post a single proof. This clears space for regular user transactions and helps keep network fees low.

Simpler validator costs. Instead of paying transaction fees for every vote, validators will submit a single Validator Admission Ticket each cycle.

This reduces costs and makes it easier for smaller operators to run validators, which strengthens decentralization and network security.

Streamlined communication. Solana’s nodes constantly share messages to stay in sync, a process known as “gossip.”

Alpenglow reduces this background traffic so validators spend less time and bandwidth coordinating with each other. That makes the system more stable, even when some validators go offline.

Bigger blocks. Developers plan to increase block capacity by 25% by the end of the year.

A block is a batch of transactions added to the ledger. More capacity means Solana can fit more transactions into each block, reducing waiting times and congestion.

The Firedancer client. Built by Jump Crypto, Firedancer is a second, independent version of Solana’s validator software expected to go live in late 2025.

Having two clients means the network can keep running smoothly if one experiences problems.

It also includes a proposal called SIMD-0370, which removes Solana’s fixed limit on block size. That would let the network automatically scale with faster hardware, improving long-term throughput.

P-tokens for efficiency. Solana’s current SPL tokens, used for most on-chain assets, require a lot of computing power to move.

VanEck says the new P-token format will reduce that demand by about 95 percent, freeing up space in each block and boosting total transaction capacity by roughly 10 percent. This makes token transfers cheaper and the network more efficient under heavy use.

Together, these changes show how Solana is redesigning its infrastructure to support the next generation of decentralized finance, gaming and tokenized asset applications.

What Solana’s Engineers Are Building Beyond ThatVanEck’s analysis captures the key elements of Alpenglow, but Solana Labs’ Alpenglow white paper shows that the upgrade goes even deeper than the firm described. Engineers have built several behind-the-scenes changes aimed at making Solana faster, sturdier, and easier to maintain over time.

One of the most significant additions is Rotor, a new broadcast layer that replaces Solana’s existing Turbine system for spreading data among validators.

Rotor transmits information more efficiently, cutting down on duplicated packets and shortening the time it takes for new blocks to reach the entire network.

The change helps transactions confirm more smoothly and makes the network more responsive under heavy load.

Another improvement involves local signature aggregation, which allows validators to combine multiple transaction signatures before broadcasting them to the rest of the network.

Every transaction on Solana carries a digital signature proving its origin; processing each one separately consumes computing power and bandwidth. By grouping signatures together, Alpenglow lightens that workload, reducing the computational cost of maintaining security.

The upgrade also strengthens fault tolerance, ensuring that Solana continues to function even if as many as 40 percent of validators lose connectivity or temporarily go offline. This improvement makes the network more resilient during regional outages or traffic spikes, limiting the risk of downtime.

In addition, Alpenglow cuts unnecessary “gossip” traffic — the background messages validators exchange to stay in sync. Reducing this chatter not only frees up bandwidth but also helps validators in regions with slower internet connections participate effectively, broadening Solana’s global base of operators.

Finally, Solana has reworked validator participation through a ticket-based system that replaces thousands of tiny voting transactions with a single predictable admission step. This change simplifies the cost structure and lowers barriers for smaller operators, promoting fairer participation and stronger decentralization.

Taken together, these refinements transform Alpenglow from a simple speed upgrade into a full redesign of how Solana communicates internally. They show Solana Labs’ push to make the network not just fast in theory but also dependable at scale — an essential step as more financial and consumer applications move on-chain.

AI 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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BTCFi’s Big Problem: 77% of Bitcoin Holders Haven’t Even Tried It, Says Survey

12 hours ago

A new GoMining survey shows Bitcoin finance has a marketing and trust problem — despite packed conferences and venture funding, most holders are staying away.

What to know:

Some 77% of Bitcoin holders haven’t tried Bitcoin finance (BTCFi).Trust and complexity are barriers, with 40% of users unwilling to allocate more than 20% of holdings.Two-thirds can’t name a single project, highlighting BTCFi’s marketing and awareness problem.Read full story

Hyperliquid (HYPE) continues to show bullish momentum as it consolidates above key support near $47. Rising trading volumes, staking activity, and strong community sentiment have fueled speculation that the token could reach $55–$60 in the near term.

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, recently surged past the $4,600 mark, marking an all-time high. This achievement is significant in the crypto ecosystem, underpinned by a variety of factors including growing optimism for Ethereum-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a substantial increase in decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, and an emerging trend of cryptocurrencies being viewed as safe-haven assets.

Post-halving returns fall, yet companies like Strategy keep accumulating Bitcoin, while miners strengthen network security.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) historical price trajectory highlights a clear pattern. While the asset has consistently climbed to new highs after each halving, the gains have diminished.

In fact, new research revealed that “the degree of post-halving price gains has compressed over time since the second halving.”

Returns Are Shrinking Fast
Halvings, which reduce the rate of new Bitcoin entering circulation, have slashed block rewards by 87.5% since 2012 – from 25 BTC to the current 3.125 BTC. This has fueled scarcity narratives that have long supported upward price momentum. Over this period, Bitcoin’s value has surged more than 9,110-fold, hitting $109,000 on September 1, 2025. A month later, the crypto asset has risen above $120,000.

Despite this, CoinGecko stated that the magnitude of returns post-halving has waned. The second halving cycle in 2017 delivered peak gains of 29x, the 2021 cycle dropped to 6.7x, and the latest run in 2025 has seen a comparatively modest 93.1% increase.

Interestingly, the cycle’s rhythm changed when Bitcoin posted a record $73,400 in March 2024 – months before the fourth halving -challenging historical expectations. Meanwhile, market activity has exploded, as evidenced by daily trading volumes surging from approximately $20 million in 2013 to nearly $30 billion in 2025.

This has not deterred publicly listed companies from increasingly adopting Bitcoin as a treasury asset. As of October 3rd, 1,040,061 BTC was held by almost 200 listed firms, which is almost 5% of the total BTC supply. Strategy leads with 640,031 BTC. According to data compiled by Bitcoin Treasuries, this represents 63.2% of all corporate-held Bitcoin, and added another 4,048 BTC on September 2.

Several new companies are making significant moves into Bitcoin. Twenty One, backed by Tether, Bitfinex, Cantor Fitzgerald, and SoftBank, has purchased 43,514 BTC since May. It has now become the third-largest corporate holder. Meanwhile, US-based healthcare firm KindlyMD expanded its holdings through a merger with Nakamoto BTC Holdings, and added 5,765 BTC. It had also announced plans to raise $5 billion for treasury growth.

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Internationally, organizations like MetaPlanet in Japan and Treasury BV in Europe are building sizable Bitcoin treasuries, with Treasury BV raising $147 million to acquire more than 1,000 BTC.

Bitcoin’s Backbone Strengthens
While institutional holdings climb, the network itself has seen remarkable expansion in computational power. The Bitcoin network’s mining hash rate has been on a steady upward trajectory, as participation from both individual miners and institutional players has kept growing. Over the past year alone, the hash rate surged 88%, from 670 million TH/s to 1.266 ZH/s.

Under the Trump administration, the US mining ecosystem has expanded, aided in part by the relocation of Chinese mining hardware manufacturers such as Bitmain, Canaan, and MicroBT to the US, spurred by tariffs and regulatory pressures.

Meanwhile, domestic firms including HIVE, Hut 8, Marathon, and CleanSpark are increasingly prioritizing alternative energy sources for new facilities. Adding to the momentum, Eric Trump recently co-founded American Bitcoin Corp, which debuted on the Nasdaq.

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In a significant turn of events, Binance Coin (BNB) has seen a substantial rise in its market position, with its value against XRP dropping around 60% recently. This notable shift highlights the increasing investor confidence in BNB while XRP faces ongoing struggles.

Solana is gearing up for a major transformation through its upcoming Alpenglow upgrade, which global asset manager VanEck calls the “largest upgrade to Solana’s consensus in its history.” The overhaul, detailed in VanEck’s September 2025 Crypto Monthly Recap, aims to make the blockchain faster, more cost-efficient, and easier to operate—solidifying Solana’s position as a leading high-performance network.

The Alpenglow upgrade introduces multiple core improvements. Transaction finality will shrink from roughly 12 seconds to just 150 milliseconds, enabling near-instant trades and payments. Validators will move from on-chain to off-chain voting, reducing bandwidth congestion and keeping fees low. Additionally, a Validator Admission Ticket system will simplify validator participation, cutting costs and promoting decentralization by making it easier for smaller operators to join.

Other optimizations include reducing “gossip” or background traffic between nodes, which enhances network stability even when validators go offline. Block capacity is also set to expand by 25%, allowing Solana to process more transactions per block and minimize congestion.

The upgrade complements the introduction of Firedancer, a secondary validator client built by Jump Crypto. Firedancer will increase redundancy and performance while enabling adaptive block sizes under proposal SIMD-0370, allowing scalability with improved hardware.

Solana’s P-token system will make token transfers up to 95% more efficient than current SPL tokens, boosting overall throughput by about 10%.

Beyond these visible changes, Solana Labs’ engineers have integrated Rotor, a next-gen broadcast system that replaces Turbine for faster data transmission, and local signature aggregation, which reduces computing demands. Together, these upgrades dramatically strengthen fault tolerance, efficiency, and decentralization—paving the way for the next generation of DeFi, gaming, and tokenized asset ecosystems.

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Michael Saylor’s company, Strategy, has temporarily halted its routine Bitcoin purchases, marking its first pause since July. In a recent X post, Saylor informed followers there would be “no new orange dots this week,” referencing the visual representation of the firm’s BTC buys. The announcement comes as Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings hit a record valuation of $79.4 billion, reinforcing its long-term investment vision.

The pause follows the company’s most recent acquisition of $22.1 million in Bitcoin at an average price of $113,048 per coin, bringing its total holdings to 640,031 BTC purchased for $47.35 billion at an average price of $73,983. Saylor emphasized that despite the break, Strategy remains committed to long-term accumulation, often timing pauses around earnings or market fluctuations.

Since its initial Bitcoin investment of $250 million, Strategy’s holdings have grown exponentially, even weathering an early $40 million unrealized loss. Over the past seven weeks alone, the company added 11,000 BTC, maintaining its position as the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, now controlling about 3% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply. The firm’s market value now exceeds that of traditional financial giants like Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and BNY Mellon.

Meanwhile, institutional adoption continues to surge. A VanEck report revealed that digital asset treasuries now hold $150 billion in cryptocurrencies, with significant allocations to Ethereum and Solana. BitMine recently expanded its ETH treasury with a $1 billion purchase, while Nasdaq Asia’s VisionSys launched a $2 billion Solana treasury strategy through Marinade Finance.

Despite a 16% decline in blockchain revenues due to lower market volatility, institutional confidence in digital assets remains strong, underscoring the growing belief in crypto’s role as a long-term financial cornerstone.

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Fast-rising decentralized exchange (DEX) Aster, seen by many as a potential Hyperliquid rival, is under fire after DefiLlama announced it would delist Aster’s perpetual trading volume data over integrity concerns. The move, paired with fallout from Aster’s unlocked airdrop, has intensified community unease and market pressure.

DefiLlama developer 0xngmi revealed that Aster’s trading volumes have begun to mirror Binance’s perpetual markets, particularly across pairs like XRPUSDT and ETHUSDT, suggesting potential wash trading or artificial volume inflation. The lack of transparent, lower-level trading data further deepened suspicion. In response, DefiLlama suspended Aster’s perpetual data listings until the exchange improves its transparency standards.

While some users urged DefiLlama to retain the data with a warning, 0xngmi explained that doing so would distort total DeFi volume metrics. Meanwhile, some market commentators, such as TechLead, argued the situation could signal innovation rather than manipulation, speculating that Aster might have successfully on-ramped Binance liquidity into DeFi—a move they deemed potentially bullish.

However, the controversy took a toll on market sentiment. ASTER’s price fell over 10%, trading around $1.86, as both the delisting and airdrop sell-off fears weighed on investors. The project’s Genesis Stage 2 airdrop, set to open on October 14, comes with no token lockup, allowing immediate selling. With 4% of the total supply released at once, analysts like Duo Nine predict increased selling pressure that could drive prices near $1.

Although Aster framed the airdrop as a step toward fairness and flexibility, many traders viewed it as risky, potentially flooding the market with liquidity. Combined with wash trading accusations, the move has sparked widespread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), threatening investor confidence.

For Aster to recover, the DEX must prove its trading volumes are genuine and its vision transparent—a crucial test for the platform’s long-term credibility in the DeFi ecosystem.

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MYX Finance has suffered a severe market crash, losing nearly 67% of its value over the past week. The altcoin’s steep decline comes as Bitcoin soars to fresh all-time highs, highlighting a growing disconnect between the two assets. Investors’ confidence in MYX’s recovery appears to be fading, with technical indicators pointing to sustained bearish momentum.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for MYX remains well below the neutral 50 mark, confirming that sellers hold control while buying pressure has all but vanished. Despite this weakness, MYX has yet to enter the oversold zone, implying that further downside may still be ahead. Traders remain cautious, preferring to wait for signs of stabilization before reentering the market. This hesitation reinforces a gloomy short-term outlook for the token as bearish sentiment dominates.

Compounding concerns, MYX’s correlation with Bitcoin has fallen to -0.32 — a striking inverse relationship that underscores its isolation from the broader crypto rally. Historically, MYX benefited from Bitcoin’s strength, often rising alongside broader market optimism. However, the current divergence suggests capital is rotating away from MYX toward stronger-performing assets, increasing volatility and downward pressure.

Currently trading at $5.16 after a 37.6% daily drop, MYX hovers just above the crucial $5.00 psychological support. A breakdown below this level could trigger further losses toward $3.45, aligning with signals from the 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) that confirm short-term bearishness. Conversely, if buyers step in at these lower levels, a rebound could push MYX to $7.00 or even $8.90, potentially invalidating the bearish trend. Until then, MYX Finance faces a challenging path as it struggles to regain investor confidence amid Bitcoin’s historic surge.

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