ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
30 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
30 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
30 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
30 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
30 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
26 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
26 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
26 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
26 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
26 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
26 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
26 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
26 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
26 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
26 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
26 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
26 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
26 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
26 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
26 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Strive, Inc., a publicly traded company known for its significant Bitcoin holdings, reportedly generated sufficient cash from its preferred stock activity to purchase 638 Bitcoin this week. This development suggests a possible $55 million withdrawal from the open market for Bitcoin. Strive, led by CEO Matt Cole, has a history of leveraging its preferred stock instruments to expand its Bitcoin treasury, previously reporting substantial acquisitions of the cryptocurrency. However, the specific figures reported in this latest purchase have not been independently confirmed by other sources.
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The market appears to interpret this activity as supportive of a positive outlook for Strive’s financial positioning, as it indicates continued robust financial activity and commitment to Bitcoin acquisitions. This reported purchase aligns with Strive’s strategy of utilizing preferred equity proceeds to bolster its Bitcoin reserves. Despite the unverified nature of the exact numbers, the move is consistent with recent patterns of significant cryptocurrency investment by the company.
In the prediction market, this news appears to influence perceptions of Strive’s stock, with the “STRC Hits $100 by December 31” market currently priced at an 85.5% likelihood of reaching this target. This represents a slight increase from recent levels, suggesting that market participants see the potential for further upward movement in Strive’s stock price as a result of these financial activities.
Key Takeaways Strive’s reported purchase of 638 Bitcoin from preferred stock proceeds suggests active financial strategy consistent with ongoing Bitcoin acquisition. The market pricing for Strive reaching $100 by year-end has increased slightly, reflecting confidence in Strive’s financial maneuvers. The specific figures of the Bitcoin purchase remain unverified, but the activity aligns with Strive’s established pattern of Bitcoin investments. What to Watch Observers will focus on whether Strive independently confirms the 638 Bitcoin purchase figures, as well as any additional Bitcoin acquisitions by the company. The impact of this activity on Strive’s stock price will be closely monitored, especially any announcements that could influence the market’s outlook. Watch for further disclosures or market movements that could shift the current pricing of the “STRC Hits $100 by December 31” market.
Raheim Hamilton, the Virginia man who co-created and operated the dark web marketplace Empire Market, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and fined $5 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 7. As part of his guilty plea, Hamilton agreed to forfeit approximately 1,230 Bitcoin and 24.4 Ether, along with three properties in Virginia.
Hamilton, 30, of Suffolk, ran Empire Market from 2018 to 2020 alongside co-creator Thomas Pavey. The marketplace handled more than four million transactions worth over $430 million and generated nearly $375 million in net drug sales, according to the DOJ’s sentencing announcement.
A Crypto-Only Marketplace Built for Concealment Empire Market let buyers and sellers trade controlled substances, stolen account credentials, stolen personally identifying information, counterfeit currency, and computer-hacking tools. Court records cited roughly 13,314 grams of fentanyl, 446,683 grams of cocaine, 71,992 grams of methamphetamine, and 103,396 grams of heroin sold through the platform.
Every transaction on the site had to be settled in cryptocurrency. Hamilton and Pavey also encouraged users to run funds through tumbling and mixing services and to encrypt their communications, while letting vendors be rated on how well they concealed the drugs they shipped.
The Sentence and the Forfeiture U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the sentence on Monday, October 5, in Chicago. Hamilton had pleaded guilty earlier this year to a drug conspiracy charge. Pavey, 41, of Ormond Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty last year and agreed to forfeit roughly 1,584 Bitcoin, two boxes of 25-ounce gold bars, three automobiles, and two Florida properties; he is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
The case follows a run of high-profile crypto-linked sentencings, including the 78-month term handed to the so-called “Crypto Godfather” Adam Iza and the industry ban imposed on Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky.
What the Forfeiture Signals The combined forfeiture of more than 2,800 Bitcoin between Hamilton and Pavey underscores how asset seizure now sits at the center of dark web prosecutions. The announcement was attributed to U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case also highlights tumbling and mixing services as a recurring enforcement target, as investigators trace crypto-denominated drug proceeds across blockchains. The scale of any further seizures remains to be seen as Pavey’s sentencing approaches.
AUTHOR
A freelance writer with a passion for crypto, delivering insightful and accurate content on blockchain and fintech. With a knack for translating complex concepts into accessible content, Eric produces well-researched articles, blog posts, and thought leadership pieces that cover the latest trends and developments in the digital finance space. His writing is aimed at educating and engaging both newcomers and industry experts, offering fresh insights into the world of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), and blockchain innovations. Eric’s dedication to quality and accuracy makes him a trusted voice in the fintech and crypto communities
Meanwhile, the first life insurer licensed to operate entirely in Bitcoin, has raised $37.5 million in new funding from its existing investors, the company announced.
Bain Capital Crypto led the round, with participation from Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital. The raise brings Meanwhile’s total funding to more than $180 million. Sam Altman is also among its backers.
The company said the round follows a surge in demand for its Bitcoin life insurance policies outside the US, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, amid broader macroeconomic instability.
“Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven’t had is a regulated way to pass it on,” Zac Townsend, Meanwhile’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.
“Brokers came to us because their clients kept asking. This round lets us keep up with them.”
In early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy aimed at high-net-worth clients outside the US. It is the company’s second product line, after BTC 10-Pay, which is designed for US taxpayers.
Under BTC Life 1-Pay, a client pays one premium in Bitcoin and receives a guaranteed death benefit in Bitcoin for life. The policy’s value grows in Bitcoin, and after the first year the owner can borrow up to 90% of it, with no repayment schedule and no margin calls.
Policies can be owned by individuals, trusts or companies, which the company says makes them suited to succession and estate planning.
Since launch, Meanwhile has signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and Switzerland. Partners include Lioner, an insurance, trust and family office group with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich, and Apeiron Group, a marketplace for high-net-worth life insurance.
“We’re reaching a turning point where more high-net-worth clients are asking not just how to hold Bitcoin and digital assets, but how to plan around them and ultimately transfer that wealth to the next generation,” said Justin Man, CEO of Apeiron Group. Digital assets.
Meanwhile said its net long-term underwriting income has already passed last year’s total and is on track to more than double in 2026. The company did not disclose specific figures.
“Meanwhile owns every layer of a regulated life insurer and builds it like an AI-enabled startup,” said Stefan Cohen, partner at Bain Capital Crypto. “The growth this year proves the model, and we’re glad to back them again.”
The company’s operating entity, Meanwhile Insurance Bitcoin (Bermuda) Limited, holds the first Class IILT license granted by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. It received the license in July 2024 after two years in the regulator’s sandbox.
The insurer’s balance sheet, reserves and audited financial statements are all denominated in Bitcoin. Policyholder Bitcoin is held with regulated institutional custodians.
Mathew Di Salvo
Mathew is a reporter who's covered the space since 2019, reporting on everything from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele's Bitcoin bet to crypto exchange FTX's bankruptcy.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
26 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
26 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
26 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
26 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
26 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Meanwhile, a Bermuda-based life insurance company fully licensed to operate in Bitcoin, has secured $37.5 million in a fresh funding round led by Bain Capital Crypto. Other investors included Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital. Sam Altman is also among the notable backers. This latest capitalization brings Meanwhile’s total raised funds to over $180 million.
Rising demand from wealthy familiesThe company reported that demand for its Bitcoin-denominated life insurance products has been increasing outside the United States, especially in regions including Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Meanwhile attributed this trend to growing macroeconomic uncertainty and an increased focus by high-net-worth individuals and families on succession planning for digital assets.
Zac Townsend, co-founder and CEO of Meanwhile, said that affluent families worldwide often already hold Bitcoin but have lacked regulated solutions for passing those assets on to future generations. Townsend explained, “Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven’t had is a regulated way to pass it on.”
We’re reaching a turning point where more high-net-worth clients are asking not just how to hold Bitcoin and digital assets, but how to plan around them and ultimately transfer that wealth to the next generation.
Expansion of product offeringsIn early 2026, the insurer introduced BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy intended for high-net-worth clients outside the US. This followed the rollout of BTC 10-Pay, a product targeted at US taxpayers. Under BTC Life 1-Pay, policyholders pay a one-time premium in Bitcoin and are guaranteed a death benefit in Bitcoin for life. The policy’s value accrues in BTC, and after the first year, owners can borrow up to 90% of the policy value with no set repayment schedule and no margin calls.
Both individuals and entities such as trusts and companies can own these policies, making them suitable for estate and succession planning needs.
Meanwhile has signed 15 brokerage partnerships since launch, with firms serving clients in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Switzerland. Key partners include Lioner, a global insurance and trust group, and Apeiron Group, a marketplace focused on high-net-worth life insurance solutions.
Mini dictionary: BTC Life 1-Pay, a type of whole life insurance policy where a single Bitcoin premium is paid upfront, and both the policy’s value and death benefit are denominated in Bitcoin.
Business performance and regulatory standingMeanwhile stated its net long-term underwriting income has already surpassed last year’s total and is projected to more than double in 2026, although specific financial figures were not disclosed. Stefan Cohen, partner at Bain Capital Crypto, commented that the company’s growth in 2026 has validated its business model.
Meanwhile owns every layer of a regulated life insurer and builds it like an AI-enabled startup. The growth this year proves the model, and we’re glad to back them again.
The company operates through Meanwhile Insurance Bitcoin (Bermuda) Limited, which holds the first Class IILT license ever granted by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. The insurer received its license in July 2024, after spending two years in the regulatory sandbox.
Mini dictionary: Class IILT license, a Bermuda insurance regulatory permit enabling insurers to issue long-term insurance policies denominated in digital assets such as Bitcoin.
All of Meanwhile’s balance sheet, reserves, and audited financial statements are denominated in Bitcoin. The company emphasized that client assets are held with regulated institutional custodians to ensure safety and compliance.
BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF clients added $22.38 million worth of Bitcoin, extending the fund’s pattern of steady, if uneven, demand.
Farside Investors data shows the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) recorded a net inflow of $22.4 million on October 9, 2026.
What happened at IBIT A net inflow is simple arithmetic. It is the money investors put into the fund minus the money they pulled out.
BlackRock does not keep that Bitcoin in its own vault. Custody of IBIT’s holdings sits with Coinbase Prime, the institutional arm of the US exchange.
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The October 9 inflow came during a choppy stretch for the fund. On October 7, IBIT saw a $207.7 million outflow, a far larger move in the opposite direction.
Earlier in October, the fund pulled in $195.6 million within the first week of the month.
Bitcoin’s price has recently hovered in a range between $78,700 and $85,000.
The biggest fund in the room IBIT is BlackRock’s flagship US spot Bitcoin ETF. A spot ETF holds the actual asset rather than futures contracts, so every share is backed by real Bitcoin.
The fund is the largest US spot Bitcoin ETF by assets under management, and leads the category in cumulative flows. Total inflows since launch have exceeded $65 billion.
Broader US spot Bitcoin ETF flows were mixed in early October 2026. IBIT often led inflows on positive days, while the category as a whole saw periods of net outflows.
In July 2026, BlackRock cut the minimum threshold for in-kind Bitcoin-to-IBIT conversions from $25 million to $1 million. An in-kind conversion lets an investor hand over Bitcoin directly in exchange for ETF shares, instead of selling coins for cash first. The program has processed over $5 billion in such swaps.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin [BTC] recently faced a sharp rally. However, it’s now showing signs of a potential cooling period. This has happened because investors have started booking substantial profits, despite the price struggling to break past the resistance level.
According to Santiment, Bitcoin recorded roughly $1.03 billion in realized profits in a single day recently. This marked the second-highest profit-taking event of 2026, just below the year’s peak of $1.04 billion.
Source: Santiment However, while profit-taking is a normal part of market cycles, large-scale selling can increase short-term selling pressure and make it harder for Bitcoin to sustain its upward momentum.
This, because the price of Bitcoin is also facing selling pressure. At the time of writing, it was trading at $82,406.58 after falling by 4.5% in a week.
At the same time, the RSI was also in the healthy range, suggesting that bulls may be outpacing bears. Meanwhile, the parallely running Bollinger Bands suggested that BTC entered a steady state with the price moving in a structured channel.
Source: Trading View Can buyers save Bitcoin from falling into sellers’ hands? Needless to say, Bitcoin did face rejection around the $86,500-resistance level. This happened because of significant sell orders that prevented the price from moving higher.
Following this rejection, the world’s largest cryptocurrency moved south toward areas with significant buy orders. In fact, the largest concentration of these bids was reportedly hovering around $81,000.
Source: Glassnode So, given the case in point, if buyers absorb the available selling pressure, this zone could help stabilize the price and act as short-term support. However, if selling intensifies or buyers withdraw their orders, support is not guaranteed to hold.
Still, one thing is clear – Existing holders and investors who accumulated BTC earlier have played a significant role in supporting the rally.
Source: Glassnode However, the reported decline in fresh capital flowing through ETFs, stablecoins, and corporate treasuries may be evidence that new demand may be weakening.
Existing holders can sustain an advance for some time, but stronger inflows from new investors would provide additional buying power and make the rally more sustainable.
Is Bitcoin in a flux? Maybe, especially in the aftermath of BTC ETFs seeing outflows worth $409.71 million in October so far. This implied that maybe everything is not rosy yet.
Source: SoSo Value As it stands, Bitcoin is facing a critical test between profit-taking and fresh demand. The $81,000-zone could provide support, while resistance near $86,500 – $87,000 remains a hurdle.
Final Summary Bitcoin faced rejection around the $86,500-resistance level, where substantial sell orders prevented the price from moving higher. BTC ETFs have recorded outflows worth $409.71 million in October so far.
Bitcoin has never looked calmer on paper. Its annualized realized volatility has settled into a range of 40% to 47% in 2026, a sharp drop from historical averages above 80%.
The catch is that the calm average hides something stranger underneath. According to CoinDesk, extreme price swings are now happening more often than they did in 2018, one of the most chaotic years in the asset’s history.
The numbers behind the calm Realized volatility measures how much an asset’s price actually moved over a given period. Bitcoin’s version of that figure now sits between 40% and 47% on an annualized basis, compared to earlier market cycles that routinely produced volatility readings above 80%.
Implied volatility has followed the same downward path. That figure comes from options prices and reflects how much movement traders expect going forward. Both the backward-looking and forward-looking gauges have been trending lower heading into 2026.
Then there is the less comfortable statistic. Volatility tied to sudden price jumps has climbed by 71% compared to the first year of spot Bitcoin ETF trading. Those jumps are the tail events, the moves far outside a normal day’s range, and they are now landing more frequently than they did in 2018.
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A drawdown that broke the old pattern Bitcoin hit an all-time high around $126,200 in October 2025. From there, it slid to lows near $58,000 by mid-2026, a drawdown of approximately 53-54%.
Previous cycles saw the asset shed 70-82% after hitting a peak. As of early October 2026, Bitcoin was trading at roughly $85,000, leaving it about 32% below the prior year’s peak.
The staircase market The pattern now emerging has been described as staircase-style price action. Bitcoin climbs gradually, step by step, then drops abruptly when a correction hits.
That shape explains how average volatility and extreme swings can both move in opposite directions at once. Most days are quiet, which drags the average down. The sharp corrections, when they arrive, are concentrated and sudden, which pushes the tail-event count up.
The shift traces back to the post-2024 ETF era. Spot Bitcoin ETFs opened the door for institutional capital to flow into the asset through familiar brokerage accounts. Institutional participation has helped limit cascading liquidations, where leveraged positions get forcibly closed, triggering more selling and further forced closures. Fewer of those dominoes means shorter corrections and shallower overall drawdowns.
What this means for traders and investors For long-term investors, shallower drawdowns of around 53% compared to historical drops of 70-82% make Bitcoin easier to size into a diversified portfolio without one bad year sinking the whole strategy.
For active traders, low average volatility can encourage taking on more leverage, since daily swings feel manageable. When a tail event arrives, those positions are exactly the ones that get wiped out. The 71% rise in jump volatility since the first ETF year suggests that risk has grown, not shrunk.
If implied volatility keeps falling while sudden jumps keep rising, it could mean the market is underpricing the chance of a sharp move. Traders who sell options to collect premium in quiet conditions would be most exposed to that gap.
Buyers waiting for a classic 80% crash to load up may find this cycle does not deliver one. The drop from roughly $126,200 to near $58,000 shows the asset can still cut its value in half within months, but Bitcoin is spending more time behaving like a mature macro asset while its sharpest moments are arriving more often than in 2018.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
25 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
25 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
25 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
25 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
25 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $21.13 million in net inflows on October 9, according to data from SoSoValue. It’s a small number, but it arrived after a rough stretch.
The day before, the same group of funds bled $244.1 million.
Ethereum funds didn’t share the relief. Spot Ether ETFs shed $56.10 million on the same day, their ninth consecutive session of net outflows.
Who did the heavy lifting BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, ticker IBIT, did most of the work. It took in $22.38 million on its own, which is more than the entire category’s net figure.
VanEck’s HODL added $2.33 million.
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Fidelity’s FBTC went the other direction, with $3.58 million in net withdrawals. The remaining products posted no net change for the day.
The bigger picture is still red Over the past five trading days, spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded cumulative net outflows of approximately $679 million.
Since the products launched in January 2024, cumulative net inflows have reached roughly $57.11 billion.
Total assets under management across the US spot Bitcoin ETFs now sit at around $105.84 billion. The cumulative inflow figure stands at about 6.38% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization.
Ethereum’s losing streak keeps going The Ether side of the ledger tells a gloomier story. The $56.10 million outflow on October 9 marked the ninth straight day of net redemptions for spot Ethereum ETFs.
BlackRock’s ETHA accounted for a considerable share of that withdrawal. That’s an interesting split: the same issuer was the top buyer on the Bitcoin side and a major source of selling on the Ether side.
Major issuers in the space include BlackRock with IBIT and ETHA, Fidelity with FBTC and FETH, VanEck with HODL, and Grayscale with GBTC and ETHE.
Why daily flow data gets so much attention Spot ETFs hold the underlying asset directly. When money comes in, the fund generally needs to own more of the coin; when money leaves, it needs less.
That mechanical link is why trackers like SoSoValue and Farside Investors publish flow figures daily. Institutions watch the numbers as a rough read on how professional money feels about Bitcoin and Ether.
What this means for investors The concentration is worth noting. With IBIT supplying more than the net total by itself, the inflow depended heavily on a single product.
The split between the two assets is the most telling detail of the day. Investors aren’t abandoning crypto ETFs wholesale; on October 9, they were selectively adding to Bitcoin while trimming Ether.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Crypto and Web3 funding announcements totaled $380.51 million across 16 disclosed transactions from Oct. 3–9, led by matching $90 million rounds for Spiko and Nous Research.
Summary
$380.51 million was disclosed across 16 transactions, with two additional rounds announcing no investment amount. Spiko raised $90 million from NEA and other investors to expand its tokenized cash funds. Nous Research secured $90 million from investors including Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12 and Robot Ventures. Mecka announced a $60 million Series B led by Sequoia Capital for robotics data infrastructure. The three largest rounds accounted for approximately 63% of the week’s disclosed transaction value. Mecka followed with a $60 million Series B, while Bitcoin life insurer Meanwhile secured $37.5 million. The broader funding tally includes AI companies tracked by crypto funding databases and token transactions alongside venture rounds.
Crypto Fundraising, DropsTab and DefiLlama provided the funding inventory, checked against company announcements, investor statements and reporting. The aggregate counts Noah’s newly announced $16 million extension rather than its cumulative $38 million seed round, and includes token sales and purchases.
Spiko raises $90 million to expand tokenized cash funds Spiko raised $90 million in a Series B announced Oct. 6, led by U.S. venture firm New Enterprise Associates.
Investors included Index Ventures, Bpifrance, Speedinvest, Flourish Ventures, White Star Capital, Mirana Ventures and Wintermute Ventures. The company said the financing brought its total funding to $120 million.
Spiko reported $2.7 billion held in its funds by more than 10,000 businesses and individuals across over 25 countries. Its products allow customers to invest cash through its app or through financial platforms that integrate its services.
The London- and Paris-based company said it would use the proceeds to launch products, enter markets and grow its team. Planned European expansion includes Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the Nordics.
Nous Research secures $90 million for open AI Nous Research announced $90 million in funding, with databases recording the transaction as an Oct. 7 Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation.
The company named Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12, Samsung, Robot Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator and Menlo Ventures among its investors.
Founded in 2023, Nous develops open AI models and the Hermes Agent software. The company said users can choose where the agent runs and which models it uses, while retaining project knowledge across sessions.
Nous said the capital would support its open AI development. Its announcement also described Hermes Business, extending its software to companies. Crypto Fundraising classifies Nous within decentralized AI infrastructure and the Solana ecosystem.
Mecka lands $60 million for robotics infrastructure Mecka announced a $60 million Series B on Oct. 7, led by Sequoia Capital.
New investors included Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12, Qualcomm Ventures and Samsung. Existing backers Kindred, Framework Ventures and Neo also participated.
The company develops infrastructure for collecting and processing human movement data used to train robots. Mecka said the proceeds would expand that infrastructure, deepen its research work and support commercial robot deployment.
Individual investors included DoorDash founder Tony Xu, former Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman and former Tesla Optimus leader Milan Kovac.
DropsTab includes Mecka in its crypto fundraising inventory. The announced financing supports its robotics business, with the company identifying data collection and deployment as its principal uses of capital.
Meanwhile raises $37.5 million for Bitcoin insurance Meanwhile announced $37.5 million from existing investors on Oct. 8, bringing cumulative funding above $180 million.
Bain Capital Crypto led the round. Participants included Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital.
The Bermuda-based insurer said it had signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families across markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.
Its BTC Life 1-Pay product targets clients outside the United States, while its earlier BTC 10-Pay product was designed for U.S. taxpayers. Meanwhile holds a Bermuda Monetary Authority insurance license and denominates its balance sheet, reserves and audited financial statements in Bitcoin.
Funding from $10 million to $30 million Catalyst secured a $30 million seed round led by Sequoia Capital on Oct. 8. Legal adviser Wilson Sonsini said Jump Trading, Peak XV, Lux Capital, AntiFund, Coinbase and Premji Invest participated. Catalyst builds AI agents that turn written instructions into trading strategies. Navra announced a $19 million Series A led by Ribbit Capital, with Baseline, DCM, Jump Crypto and Figure participating. The company said proceeds would expand its blockchain access platform and AI infrastructure ahead of a limited late-October rollout. Noah added $16 million to its seed round from Endeit Capital, FJ Labs, LocalGlobe, Felix Capital and angels. The company announced plans to expand payment connections, hire engineering and compliance staff, and open a New York office. Vest Labs raised $13 million in a round led by Portal Ventures. Its company announcement said the financing would support the Vest Markets trading platform; funding databases classify it as seed financing. Transactions below $10 million Umia raised $6.11 million through a public token auction involving ten funds and nearly 700 individual bidders. The Block reported participation from Galaxy Ventures, DCG, Draper Associates and others. Anvil announced a $5 million ANVL token purchase led by Founders Fund, with Pantera Capital, Bullish and others participating, alongside the release of enterprise integration tools. IMMIX secured $3.5 million from Crane Venture Partners, BTSE and Portfolio Ventures. Crane said the funding would support stablecoin currency conversion technology, liquidity and partnerships. Soda Labs raised a $3 million seed round entirely funded by NextBlock to expand blockchain privacy infrastructure, its validator network and commercial integrations. HyperLink announced $2.5 million from Alliance, North Island Ventures, Reverie, Node Capital, Breed and Smartest Money for its Hyperliquid-based trading infrastructure. Antseed Foundation secured a $2.4 million token round led by Spark Capital, with DCG, Collider and others backing its decentralized AI inference marketplace. Imperial raised $1.5 million in seed funding backed by Foundation Capital for its Solana trading platform, according to DropsTab and DefiLlama. Anyflo announced a $1 million investment from Mysten Labs for its stablecoin payments business, alongside an acqui-hire of Native. Undisclosed strategic rounds OKX completed a strategic investment extension involving Circle, Ripple, Qube Research & Technologies, and SC Ventures at a $25 billion pre-money valuation. The investment amount was undisclosed. Xverse announced a strategic round led by Draper Associates, with Trust Machines and Draper Dragon participating, to expand self-custodial Bitcoin financial services. Terms were undisclosed.
Over $2.4 billion in crypto positions were liquidated this week as Bitcoin fell from $85.7K to $82.5K. Most of the damage landed on traders betting the price would go up.
The sell-off arrived during a rough stretch for markets in general, with bond yields climbing, oil getting expensive and money leaving Bitcoin ETFs.
How the week unfolded In early October 2026, Bitcoin dropped from near $86,600 to intraday lows of approximately $80,350.
Bitcoin pulled back from highs near $87,350 to lows of approximately $80,350–$82,900, depending on the session.
By October 9–10, the price had partly recovered to around $82,500.
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Individual 24-hour sessions saw between $696 million and over $1.2 billion in positions wiped out. Added up across the week, the total cleared $2 billion. The figure in the original report puts it at over $2.4 billion.
Long positions made up roughly 85%-93% of liquidations over several days. In single sessions, the forced closures hit somewhere between 100,000 and 180,000 traders.
The broader market felt it too. Total crypto market capitalization dropped roughly $110 billion within 36 hours during the downturn.
The macro backdrop and the ETF exits US Treasury yields climbed upwards of 5.3% during the period, while oil prices moved above $101 per barrel.
US spot Bitcoin ETF flows also turned negative. On peak days, the outflows ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
On-chain data added another uncomfortable signal. Short-term holders reportedly sent 55,600 BTC to exchanges at a loss during the decline.
A leverage flush, not a full capitulation Open interest, the total value of outstanding futures and derivatives positions, barely moved and held steady near $150 billion.
It also invites comparison with the last big wipeout. In October 2025, a liquidation event erased $19 billion in positions.
What traders are watching now Technical levels sit around $82,500, with clusters between $81,000 and $84,000. Bitcoin’s partial recovery landed right on that $82,500 line.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Meanwhile, a life insurer licensed to operate completely in Bitcoin, announced $37.5 million in new funding from existing investors.
Bermuda-based Meanwhile, whose backers include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has now raised more than $180 million.
Bain Capital Crypto led the new round, alongside Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital, it said in a statement.
The round follows increased international demand for Meanwhile’s Bitcoin life insurance policies, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, amid broader macro instability, according to the statement on Thursday.
“Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven’t had is a regulated way to pass it on,” Zac Townsend, Meanwhile’s co-founder and CEO, said in the statement. “Brokers came to us because their clients kept asking. This round lets us keep up with them.”
Passing Bitcoin to the next generationIn early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy built for high-net-worth clients outside the United States. It is the company’s second product line after BTC 10-Pay, which is designed for US taxpayers.
Policies can be owned by individuals, trusts or companies, which makes them a fit for succession and estate planning, the company said.
Net long-term underwriting income has already passed last year’s total and is on track to more than double in 2026, the company added, without revealing precise figures.
Cointelegraph reported in June that WTW, a global insurance broker and risk advisory company, had acquired crypto insurance platform Redefind and launched a digital asset protection service that covers expenses related to forensic investigations, asset tracing and legal recovery efforts following theft or loss.
Redefind is a crypto insurance platform that allows individuals and institutions to purchase coverage for digital assets held across different custody arrangements. The company said its system uses cryptographic proof of ownership to verify insured assets.
Magazine: France is world’s most dangerous place for Bitcoiners: 90 attacks in 7 months
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Meanwhile, a life insurer licensed to operate completely in Bitcoin, announced $37.5 million in new funding from existing investors.
Bermuda-based Meanwhile, whose backers include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has now raised more than $180 million.
Bain Capital Crypto led the new round, alongside Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital, it said in a statement.
The round follows increased international demand for Meanwhile’s Bitcoin life insurance policies, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, amid broader macro instability, according to the statement on Thursday.
“Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven’t had is a regulated way to pass it on,” Zac Townsend, Meanwhile’s co-founder and CEO, said in the statement. “Brokers came to us because their clients kept asking. This round lets us keep up with them.”
Passing Bitcoin to the next generationIn early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy built for high-net-worth clients outside the United States. It is the company’s second product line after BTC 10-Pay, which is designed for US taxpayers.
Policies can be owned by individuals, trusts or companies, which makes them a fit for succession and estate planning, the company said.
Net long-term underwriting income has already passed last year’s total and is on track to more than double in 2026, the company added, without revealing precise figures.
Cointelegraph reported in June that WTW, a global insurance broker and risk advisory company, had acquired crypto insurance platform Redefind and launched a digital asset protection service that covers expenses related to forensic investigations, asset tracing and legal recovery efforts following theft or loss.
Redefind is a crypto insurance platform that allows individuals and institutions to purchase coverage for digital assets held across different custody arrangements. The company said its system uses cryptographic proof of ownership to verify insured assets.
Magazine: France is world’s most dangerous place for Bitcoiners: 90 attacks in 7 months
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Major cryptocurrencies struggled with resistance levels across the board as NEAR Protocol, XRP, Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Bitcoin (BTC) each faced significant technical barriers amid ongoing uptrends. Despite recent pullbacks, analysts pointed to underlying bullish signals that could support further gains if key price thresholds are reclaimed.
NEAR Protocol stalls below $5.60 resistanceNEAR Protocol, the smart contract platform designed for scalable decentralized applications, traded close to $4.79 after a correction from its September peak. The token surged from $1.60 in late August to nearly $5.60 in just over a month before encountering stiff resistance at the $5.60 mark. NEAR has now failed to close above this level in three consecutive attempts, establishing it as a major barrier for further upside.
Recent price action saw NEAR drop sharply to $4.44 on heavy trading volume, but buyers responded by lifting the price back above the 20-day average, which now sits near $4.35. Technical indicators suggest the uptrend remains intact, with the 50-day and 200-day averages at $3.67 and $2.45, respectively, both trending upward. The relative strength index (RSI) cooled off to the mid-50s following an overbought phase, indicating that the market has room for another surge if momentum returns.
For now, the main focus rests on the $5.00 psychological threshold. A daily close above that level could bring $5.60 back within reach, while support at $4.35 is critical to avoid a drop toward $3.80 or even the $3.60 area. Until $5.00 is reclaimed, NEAR is likely to trade sideways between support and resistance.
TokenCurrent PriceMain ResistanceKey SupportNEAR$4.79$5.60$4.35XRP$1.38$1.40–$1.46$1.33SHIB$0.00000536$0.00000565$0.00000529BTC$82,949$87,000$80,000Mini dictionary: NEAR Protocol, a layer-1 blockchain focusing on scalability and usability for decentralized application development, uses sharding technology to increase throughput and keep transaction fees low.
XRP consolidates at 200-day moving averageXRP, the digital asset tied to cross-border payments provider Ripple Labs, hovered near $1.38 after slipping from the $1.50 region. The token is trading directly atop its 200-day moving average—highlighted as the chart’s most crucial level. Price action recently sliced through both the 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with demand surfacing near the 100-day average at $1.335.
Earlier momentum in September pushed XRP as high as $1.65 following a break above a descending trend line, but it failed to sustain values above $1.55, giving up most of those gains. The RSI has shifted lower to around 42, reflecting market hesitation. While neither buyers nor sellers are showing strong conviction, resistance has now gathered above $1.40, clustered between several moving averages. XRP must achieve a daily close above $1.46 for bullish momentum to resume, while sustained closes below $1.25 could shift the trend to bearish.
XRP’s $1.33 to $1.40 range now acts as the critical battleground for bulls and bears, with the direction of the next major move hinging on whether price can reclaim resistance or breaks key support.
SHIB and BTC face key support testsShiba Inu’s SHIB token retreated to $0.00000536 after sellers drove the price under its 200-day moving average at $0.00000565. A sharp drop halted at the 100-day average near $0.00000529, with buyers showing interest at that level. The token remains locked between support at $0.00000510 and resistance at $0.00000565, with higher volume on the sell-off suggesting sellers retain the upper hand for now. A close above the 200-day line would be needed for a bullish reversal to begin.
Bitcoin was last seen near $82,949, rebounding from recent lows close to $80,300. The leading cryptocurrency found buyers at its 20-day moving average near $80,700, keeping the uptrend alive. Bitcoin’s broader uptrend remains unchallenged, with resistance at $87,000 capping earlier advances. The RSI sits around 45, showing the market is no longer overheated and may have space for another rally if resistance yields.
With all main moving averages trending higher and price well above them, the Bitcoin uptrend remains intact as long as $75,000 support holds, while a breakout above $87,000 could open the door to $90,000.
XRP Ledger patched decade-old bug that could create billions of dollars in XRP from nothing. (Unsplash)Summary
A flaw dating to 2015 could have allowed attackers to create and spend new XRP, violating the cryptocurrency’s fixed supply of 100 billion tokens.The vulnerability exploited a counting error in the XRP Ledger’s built-in exchange, allowing hundreds of accounts to receive large amounts of XRP while the buyer paid almost nothing.RippleX said it found no evidence of exploitation on public networks and fixed the flaw in the xrpld 3.4.1 software release on Sept. 25.A flaw in the XRP Ledger’s payment system could have let an attacker create large amounts of new XRP without paying for it, breaking the token’s fixed-supply rule, according to a security report published Friday.
The bug, believed to date to 2015, was found by researcher Cayden Liao and Veria AI and internally reported on Sept. 22. Engineers at RippleX, Ripple’s developer arm, reproduced the attack on a standalone server and confirmed the newly created XRP could be spent in a later transaction.
RippleX said it found no evidence the flaw was exploited on any public network.
All 100 billion XRP were created when the ledger launched in 2012, and its software is built so no more can ever be added. But the security vulnerability could have allowed an attacker to create XRP from nothing and sell it on exchanges, undercutting a supply cap that institutions using the network rely on.
The attack worked through the ledger’s built-in exchange, where accounts post offers to swap one token for another.
An attacker could have, theoretically, open hundreds of accounts, have each one offer a tiny amount of a token in exchange for an unusually large amount of XRP, then send a single payment that bought every offer at once.
The total XRP owed would be too large for the software to count correctly, so the attacker’s selling accounts would be paid in full while the buying account was charged almost nothing — leaving the attacker with XRP that hadn’t existed before.
How one payment could have printed XRP from nothing. (Shaurya Malwa/CoinDesk)The XRP Ledger runs a check after every transaction to make sure no new XRP has appeared, but that would have relied on the miscounted total and missed it. A separate limit on how much XRP a single account can receive wouldn’t have triggered either, because the attack spread the XRP across hundreds of accounts.
The researchers’ method needed only a few hundred XRP to open those accounts, most of which could be recovered, plus transaction fees.
Developers shipped the fix in xrpld 3.4.1, the ledger’s server software, on Sept. 25 without disclosing what it repaired.
The incident joins a run of long-hidden crypto security flaws surfaced with AI help since July, including the Coldcard wallet bug behind the theft of at least 1,367 BTC and the vulnerabilities that forced Core Lightning to tell bitcoin node operators to disconnect.
Read More: XRP Ledger adds new controls for banks, stablecoins and tokenized funds
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
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According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
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According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
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Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
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2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
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Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Ripple has reportedly addressed a significant software bug from 2015 that, if exploited, could have led to unauthorized minting of billions of XRP. The bug remained dormant and unexploited, and the fix was revealed in a blog post. This development is linked to the XRP Ledger, which has a fixed supply of 100 billion XRP that was established at its launch in 2012. Ripple’s recent action underscores its ongoing commitment to maintaining protocol integrity, with no changes to the current XRP supply or its fixed-supply rules governed by ledger operations and Ripple’s escrow releases.
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Market participants appear to interpret the fix as supportive of future XRP stability, which could influence the cryptocurrency’s price potential. Ripple’s move may bolster confidence among investors, especially as the XRP market navigates regulatory landscapes and competition. This development is particularly relevant to markets speculating on XRP reaching new all-time highs by the end of 2026.
Key Takeaways Ripple’s fix of the 2015 bug appears to reinforce confidence in XRP’s stability and security. Market pricing suggests that this development could positively impact the potential for XRP’s future price movements. The XRP all-time high market remains at 5.8% YES probability, suggesting limited immediate effect from the recent news. What to Watch Observers should monitor any further statements from Ripple’s leadership or associated regulatory developments that could impact market confidence. Additionally, significant announcements related to XRP’s adoption or technological advancements could provide further insights into the likelihood of XRP achieving a new all-time high by the end of 2026. Market movements in response to macroeconomic factors, such as changes in Bitcoin’s price or U.S. Federal Reserve policies, may also influence XRP’s market trajectory.
XRPL released xrpld 3.4.1 on September 25, 2026, with a fix for a payment engine overflow that could let a crafted payment mint spendable $XRP while charging the buyer only a few hundred drops plus a fee. The public vulnerability disclosure, published October 9, says RippleX reproduced the attack and found no evidence that it had been used on a public network.
The finding was reported through the XRPL bug bounty program on September 22. The initial report rated it Major. RippleX reproduced the mint on a standalone server and in its unit tests, confirmed that the new $XRP could be spent in a later payment, and raised the severity to critical.
How the payment created new $XRP The vulnerable path ran through XRPL’s built-in order book. An attacker could create a few hundred accounts and use each account to offer a tiny amount of another token for a very large amount of $XRP. A separate account could then send one payment that consumed all those offers. Each offer remained valid when considered by itself.
The payment engine calculated what the buyer owed by adding the amounts across every offer taken in one pass. That calculation used ordinary 64-bit integer addition without an overflow check. Once the sum passed the integer’s maximum, it wrapped to a small value. The engine still credited every offer owner with the full requested amount, but it charged the buyer only the wrapped total. The difference became newly created $XRP.
The disclosure explains that all accounts in the construction could belong to the same attacker. The starting cost was a few hundred $XRP for account and offer reserves, most of which would be returned after the objects were removed, plus ordinary transaction fees. The attack required hundreds of deliberately mispriced offers and a payment designed to consume them together. Normal payments and trades could not reach the overflow because the total $XRP supply sits far below the point at which the arithmetic wraps.
A ledger invariant was supposed to reject any transaction that created $XRP. It failed here because it totaled balance changes with the same type of 64-bit counter. That counter wrapped in the same way, making the transaction appear to have burned only its fee. A second check limited the balance held by one account, but distributing the minted assets across hundreds of accounts kept each balance below that threshold.
The bug had been present since the current payment engine was written in 2015. The no-new-$XRP invariant arrived two years later with the same unchecked arithmetic. The report says a normal payment never approaches the overflow boundary, which left the path dormant until a researcher built the required offers.
What changed in xrpld 3.4.1 Starting with xrpld 3.4.1, the payment engine checks for overflow while summing offer amounts. A sum that would overflow now fails cleanly, producing a normal path-dry or partial-payment result without minting anything. Developers added the same check where the engine combines results from multiple payment paths.
The invariant now uses a wider counter that cannot wrap around in the same way. The team also hardened several other places that total balances across many accounts, although the disclosure says real transactions could not currently reach those paths. For server operators, the immediate requirement is concrete: the report says all operators must run xrpld 3.4.1 or newer to remain in sync.
XRPL normally changes transaction processing through amendments. A new rule ships disabled, then activates only after more than 80 percent of trusted validators support it for two weeks. The network did not use that route for this fix. Each server applied the new payment rule as soon as its operator installed xrpld 3.4.1. The disclosure calls this the first deliberate direct transaction-processing change since the amendment system began more than ten years ago.
The team chose the direct release because publishing an inactive amendment would expose the bug while leaving it usable during the upgrade, voting, and activation periods. The exploit was cheap, required no privileged access, and could create assets that would be difficult to unwind. On release day, more than 80 percent of validators on the default Unique Node List were already running the patched version, even though the fix’s source code had not yet been published.
That rollout created a short consensus risk. Patched servers would reject an exploit transaction while older servers would accept it. If someone had attempted the exploit during the mixed-version window, unpatched servers could have fallen out of sync, or the network could have halted over the next ledger. The team judged a halt preferable to validating a transaction that created an incorrect ledger state. Normal transactions did not enter the affected path.
What operators and users can verify The disclosure says no exploitation was found on public networks. It also says the attack could not occur accidentally, since it needed hundreds of offers at prices no ordinary trader would use and one purpose-built payment. Those statements narrow the user risk, but they do not replace an operator’s version check. Any server below xrpld 3.4.1 lacks the overflow rejection and the wider invariant counter described in the fix.
The report also separates this issue from a Batch transaction wrapper vulnerability fixed in the same release. The payment overflow fix took effect immediately with the software upgrade. The Batch fix depended on the fixBatchV1_2 amendment, which activated on Mainnet on October 9. Older servers are now amendment blocked, giving operators a second reason to update.
XRPL plans to add a re-verification step to its release process. Every security finding marked fixed, whether it came from an audit, bug bounty, attackathon, or AI-assisted red team, will be retested against the release candidate. The finding will close only after that candidate passes a test reproducing the original issue. The open operational question is whether this repeatable test process finds other arithmetic paths that share assumptions with the payment engine before a crafted transaction reaches them.
10 October 2026 | 08:20 XRP Ledger has disclosed a decade-old payment flaw that could create spendable XRP, detailing why operators received an emergency patch before the public report.
Key Takeaways A payment overflow could have created spendable XRP. XRPL found no evidence the flaw was exploited. The patch shipped in xrpld 3.4.1 on September 25. Developers bypassed the normal amendment timeline to close the risk faster. A payment calculation could produce XRP from nothing XRPL’s October 9 vulnerability report describes an integer-overflow flaw in the ledger’s payment engine. Under carefully constructed conditions, a payment that consumed many order-book offers could have credited accounts with XRP that the sender had not actually paid.
Each offer in the transaction could appear valid on its own. The failure arose when the engine added the XRP amounts across all of them. Once the total exceeded the maximum size of the number used for that calculation, it could wrap around to a much smaller value instead of producing an error.
The engine would still credit the offer owners with their full XRP amounts while charging the buyer only the wrapped-around total. The difference represented newly created XRP, which could then be moved, traded or sent to an exchange like any other balance.
Why the flaw was serious
The attack did not require a large XRP balance. An attacker could have controlled the accounts placing the offers, paid account reserves and transaction fees, then spread the created XRP across those accounts.
Account keys remained unaffected The vulnerability sat in payment arithmetic rather than wallet access. Triggering it required hundreds of deliberately priced offers and a transaction designed to consume them together; an ordinary XRP payment or trade would not approach the values needed to create the overflow.
XRPL said it found no evidence of exploitation on a public network, and no private-key compromise, loss of funds or consensus failure was reported. The flaw appears to have been present since the current payment engine was written in 2015, remaining undiscovered because normal activity never reached the arithmetic limit.
The existing protection against newly created XRP also relied on the same kind of addition. It could wrap around in the same way as the payment engine, allowing the transaction to appear normal instead of flagging the unexpected increase in balances.
Why developers used an emergency deployment Developers released the overflow fix before publishing its technical details because a normal amendment timeline would have left a known exploit available for weeks. The patch shipped in xrpld version 3.4.1 on September 25, while the public disclosure followed on October 9.
XRPL usually changes transaction rules through amendments. Validators first upgrade their software, then maintain the required support for a set period before the new rule activates at the same ledger point across the network. That process avoids situations in which different servers reach different conclusions about the same transaction.
Waiting for that process would have created a difficult problem here. Because xrpld is open source, publishing the repair could have shown attackers where to look while older software still accepted the vulnerable transaction path. The team therefore made the new overflow check take effect when an individual server upgraded.
That faster approach carried a temporary compatibility risk: an unpatched server could have accepted an exploit transaction that an upgraded server rejected. Developers considered that less dangerous than allowing created XRP to enter the market. The report says more than 80% of validators on the default UNL had upgraded on the day version 3.4.1 was released.
The disclosure covered a second, separate flaw The report also detailed a validation problem in XRPL’s forthcoming Batch feature, which lets users submit several transactions as one unit. It could have caused servers running different versions of the software to disagree over a malformed Batch transaction, interrupting ledger validation or breaking applications that parse transaction data.
Issue Potential consequence How it was addressed Payment-engine overflow Spendable XRP created beyond the intended supply. Overflow checks added in xrpld 3.4.1. Batch wrapper validation Server disagreement, stalled validation or broken transaction parsers. The fixBatchV1_2 amendment, activated on October 9. The Batch flaw was caught before the feature reached mainnet. The overflow issue affected existing payment-engine code, which is why its patch could not wait for a standard activation cycle.
The report arrived while XRPL was also activating new account-control tools for businesses. The changes address different parts of the ledger, yet both depend on node operators, wallet providers and developers following the same current rules.
What users and operators need to do Regular XRP holders do not need to move funds, replace a wallet or exchange their tokens. The update concerns the software that validates transactions, not a change to account balances, wallet keys or the XRP supply held by users.
Who needs to act?
XRP holders: No action is required. Exchange users: Follow platform notices if an exchange carries out maintenance on its own XRPL infrastructure. Node operators: Upgrade to xrpld 3.4.1 or later to remain in sync with the network. Older servers are now amendment-blocked following the activation of the Batch fix, meaning they cannot continue following the current ledger rules until they update.
The fix protected XRP’s supply rules before they were tested The disclosure shows how close the ledger came to a supply-integrity failure and why validators moved quickly. The flaw was fixed before its details became public, no exploit was found, and the payment engine now uses checks designed to stop the same class of arithmetic error before it reaches a validated ledger.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment or technical advice. Node operators should review current XRPL release documentation before updating production infrastructure.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
The XRP Ledger has disclosed a critical bug that could have let an attacker create XRP out of thin air, beyond the network’s hard limit of 100 billion tokens.
The flaw lived in xrpld versions 3.4.0 and earlier. It was patched quietly in September and made public on October 9, 2026. Investigators found no evidence it was ever used on a public network.
How the bug worked The software used a 64-bit integer to add up XRP amounts when a single payment pulled from multiple offers on the order book. If that running total grew past the largest number the integer could hold, it wrapped around. The result was a number far smaller than reality.
An attacker could exploit that gap to spend XRP that did not exist. The ledger’s books would look balanced, while the actual supply quietly ballooned. The existing safety checks did not catch it. When the inflated balances were scattered across many accounts, the system’s guardrails failed to flag the discrepancy.
The cost of pulling this off was strikingly low. According to the disclosure, the exploit required specially crafted offers from hundreds of accounts, costing only a few hundred XRP in reserves and fees. Most of that outlay would have been recoverable.
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The amount of XRP that could have been minted in a single transaction may have exceeded the token’s entire total supply.
A quiet fix, then a public disclosure The vulnerability was reported on September 22, 2026, by researcher Cayden Liao through the XRPL Bug Bounty program. RippleX, Ripple’s developer arm, confirmed the issue.
RippleX reproduced the attack on a standalone server and confirmed that the excess XRP could be spent in follow-up transactions.
Three days after the report, on September 25, 2026, an emergency release went out: xrpld 3.4.1. The fix also skipped the usual amendment process. Normally, changes to the XRP Ledger’s rules go through a validator voting procedure before taking effect. This one was deployed immediately instead.
The public disclosure came on October 9, roughly two weeks after the patch shipped. The team reported no loss of funds, no compromised keys and no consensus problems tied to the bug.
A decade in hiding The flaw is thought to have existed since the payment engine was first built, around 2015. That means the code processed payments for years with a latent overflow sitting inside it.
What this means for XRP holders and the ledger For XRP holders, the immediate takeaway is reassuring. There is no evidence the bug was exploited, and the integrity of the token supply appears intact.
The decision to bypass the amendment process deserves attention. A known path to unlimited XRP creation is not something you want waiting on a governance vote. Emergency patches that skip normal procedures put a lot of trust in the core development team, and the network’s security depended on validators and node operators upgrading quickly.
Node operators still running xrpld 3.4.0 or earlier are the most direct audience for this news. The patched version, 3.4.1, has been available since September 25, and anyone who has not upgraded is running software with a publicly documented supply-breaking flaw.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) disclosed two software vulnerabilities on October 9, 2026, including a critical bug that could have allowed attackers to create new, spendable XRP. The second flaw affected the network’s Batch transaction feature and could have disrupted transaction validation.
According to the official report, the payment engine bug was fixed in xrpld version 3.4.1, released on September 25. XRPL reported no evidence that the vulnerability had been exploited on any public network.
The critical vulnerability affected how the payment engine calculated the XRP required to complete trades across multiple offers in an order book. The calculation could overflow when the combined amount exceeded the maximum value supported by the system. This could cause the payment engine to charge a buyer less XRP than the amount credited to offer owners, effectively creating new XRP.
Exploiting the bug required a carefully prepared order book containing hundreds of offers with unusually high prices, followed by a specific payment transaction. The vulnerability could not be triggered through ordinary payments or trades.
A researcher reported the issue through the XRPL Bug Bounty program on September 22, 2026. The RippleX engineering team reproduced the bug and confirmed that any XRP created through the flaw could be spent.
The issue was fixed in version 3.4.1. Developers added checks to prevent the calculation from overflowing and strengthened the system’s safeguards against unauthorized XRP creation.
Second Bug Affected XRPL Batch TransactionsThe second vulnerability involved the XRP Ledger’s Batch transaction feature, which allows users to submit multiple transactions together. The flaw allowed a transaction inside a batch to use an incorrectly structured field. The server could still accept and process the transaction.
This created a risk that different versions of XRPL software could disagree on whether a transaction was valid. Such disagreements could prevent validators from reaching consensus and interrupt ledger validation.
The issue did not allow attackers to bypass transaction signatures or directly steal funds, according to the report.
XRPL addressed the flaw through the fixBatchV1_2 amendment, which requires transactions to use the correct structure. The Batch feature had not been activated on the mainnet when the vulnerability was identified, so the report did not identify any mainnet accounts or funds affected by this bug.
XRPL Activates Batch Security FixXRPL developers and validator operators withdrew support for the original Batch amendment to reset its activation timeline while the team prepared the fix.
The corrected amendment gained support and activated on the mainnet on October 9, 2026, the same day the vulnerability report was published.
The report also outlined a change to the security testing process. XRPL plans to retest reported vulnerabilities against release candidates to confirm that fixes work before software releases.
What XRP Holders Need to KnowBoth vulnerabilities have been addressed, and XRPL reported no evidence that the critical payment engine bug had been exploited on a public network. The report does not establish that either flaw caused an actual loss of funds or an increase in XRP supply. The payment engine fix is included in xrpld version 3.4.1, while the Batch issue was addressed through the fixBatchV1_2 amendment.
The report does not instruct XRP holders to move their funds or change their private keys. The software upgrade is relevant to XRPL server operators, who need compatible versions to remain synchronized with the network.
Story Ends Here
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10 October 2026 | 10:15 Evernorth has completed its public-market transaction with approximately 473 million XRP and about $300 million in gross cash proceeds before expenses. Its shares are expected to begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN on October 12.
The scale of the reserve makes the company easy to describe. Valuing an XRPN share requires a different question: how much of Evernorth’s net XRP value, cash and future returns belongs to each shareholder after dilution and corporate costs?
Key Takeaways Evernorth completed its transaction with about 473 million XRP. XRPN gives investors a corporate claim on XRP, not direct token ownership. Cash, debt, dilution and warrants can alter each share’s exposure. Its strategy must increase value per share to justify active deployment. The treasury is only the opening position In its October 9 completion announcement, Evernorth said it held approximately 473 million XRP and had raised roughly $300 million in gross cash proceeds. The company describes itself as the largest publicly traded pure-play XRP treasury company and plans to use its capital across the XRP ecosystem.
Before the deal closed, our report on Evernorth’s shareholder vote and planned Nasdaq debut outlined how in-kind XRP contributions and new financing would build that balance sheet. With the transaction complete, the focus moves from how the reserve was assembled to what the company can produce from it.
That shift matters because a public-company share carries more than token-price exposure. It gives investors a claim on a treasury run by management, with cash reserves, operating expenses, future financing decisions and strategies that can either add to, or reduce, the value supporting each share.
Holding XRP directly
The position mainly follows XRP’s market price, alongside the investor’s own custody and trading decisions.
Holding XRPN shares
The position also depends on Evernorth’s cash, liabilities, share count, costs and capital deployment.
Investors need to calculate the claim behind each share A useful framework is net asset value per diluted share. It separates the value of Evernorth’s assets from the price the stock market is willing to pay for the company managing them.
Illustrative XRP NAV per share
(XRP holdings × XRP price + cash and other assets – debt and liabilities) ÷ fully diluted economic shares
This is an investor framework, not a NAV figure Evernorth has reported. It shows why the XRP balance alone cannot value XRPN. The numerator changes with XRP’s price and the company’s balance sheet, while the denominator changes when new shares, warrants or convertible securities become part of the economic claim.
Evernorth’s closing Form 8-K lists 22.27 million Class A shares and 32.21 million Class C shares outstanding. It also lists 11.74 million warrants, each exercisable for one Class A share at $11.50. Those securities do not automatically translate into an immediate dilution figure, but they show why the public trading float cannot be treated as the whole ownership base.
A treasury can grow while the shareholder claim weakens if the company issues equity faster than it adds net value. The reverse can also happen if Evernorth raises capital or deploys assets in a way that increases the value supporting every diluted share. That is the practical test behind management’s pledge to grow XRP per share.
Gross cash is not the same as deployable capital The $300 million announced at closing gives Evernorth additional flexibility beyond its XRP reserve, but the company described it as gross proceeds before transaction expenses. Investors will need the first financial reports to see how much cash remains after closing costs, what portion is reserved for running a public company and how much can be committed to XRP-related activity.
Those details will shape the company’s ability to pursue its strategy without relying on more share issuance. They will also help investors judge whether Evernorth is accumulating assets in a way that strengthens the balance sheet or simply adds more moving parts around the token reserve.
Putting XRP to work could create returns, and new risks Evernorth plans to pursue institutional and DeFi yield strategies, ecosystem participation and capital-markets activity. That approach could create income that a passive treasury would not earn, particularly if the company can lend, provide liquidity or finance activity in the XRP ecosystem on terms that compensate for the risk.
It also introduces risks a holder of spot XRP does not automatically take. A lending or liquidity position depends on counterparties, collateral rules and the ability to exit when market conditions change. Returns should therefore be judged after costs, losses and liquidity constraints, not by an advertised yield alone.
The broader XRP ecosystem is also still developing the infrastructure that could support some of these activities. The XRP Ledger’s work on native lending shows where new sources of on-chain credit may emerge, but a protocol proposal does not establish Evernorth’s future returns or remove the risks of deploying corporate capital.
The first reports must show what shareholders own Evernorth has supplied the opening numbers. Its quarterly disclosures should give investors the information needed to follow the strategy beyond the headline XRP reserve.
What investors should watch after XRPN begins trading
Changes in XRP holdings and custody arrangements. Cash remaining after expenses, plus debt and other obligations. Basic shares, warrants and the fully diluted ownership base. XRP kept in reserve versus XRP deployed into strategies. Counterparties, collateral and liquidity terms behind those deployments. XRPN’s market price relative to the company’s reported net assets. The 473 million XRP reserve gives Evernorth a substantial opening balance sheet. Its accounting will show whether the treasury grows faster than its costs and diluted share base, which is the measure that will determine what long-term XRPN investors actually own.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Digital-asset treasury companies can trade at substantial premiums or discounts to their underlying holdings, while their assets, liabilities and share counts may change.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
Starknet spent years as one of Ethereum’s best-known scaling networks. Now it is openly considering leaving the nest.
On October 8, 2026, the project said it is weighing a transition from an Ethereum layer 2 into an independent layer 1 blockchain. The market did not wait for the details. STRK, Starknet’s native token, rallied to a nine-month high and outpaced both Bitcoin and ether.
The pitch centers on quantum computing. Starknet wants full quantum resistance by 2027 and argues that running its own chain is the fastest way to get there.
The rally, by the numbers Estimates of STRK’s move vary by source and time window, with reported gains ranging from 19% to 40% across October 8-9. The token climbed to roughly $0.07 to $0.073, its highest level in about nine months.
The activity went well beyond spot buying. Futures open interest on STRK rose by more than 50%, which points to traders piling into leveraged positions on the news.
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On-chain usage also picked up. Daily trading on Starknet’s decentralized exchanges rose to about $33.7 million, while network fees reached approximately $13,685 on October 8, a seven-day high.
Why Starknet wants its own chain StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson made the case at the Token2049 conference. He pointed to quantum computing and AI as emerging threats that blockchains need to prepare for, and soon.
A layer 2 like Starknet processes transactions on its own and then settles them back on Ethereum. That arrangement brings Ethereum’s security, but it also ties the chain to Ethereum’s schedule. Ethereum’s projected timeline for quantum resistance is 2029. Starknet wants to be there by 2027.
Becoming a layer 1 would give Starknet direct control over its consensus, its security model and the pace of its cryptographic upgrades.
Starknet’s cryptography leans on hash functions, which are considered essential building blocks for quantum-resistant systems. The project wants to push forward with hash-based defenses without waiting for Ethereum to move first.
Considering is not the same as doing The transition is not confirmed. Any move to a layer 1 would require governance approval. It would also demand serious technical design work and an entirely separate validator setup to secure the new chain.
Today, Starknet effectively borrows security from Ethereum. As a standalone chain, it would need to build and maintain its own consensus mechanism and recruit validators to run it.
What this means for STRK holders and the layer 2 landscape For traders, the near-term story is volatility. A more than 50% jump in futures open interest means a lot of leveraged positioning now rides on a proposal that has no approved timeline.
If Starknet does go independent and hits the 2027 quantum resistance target, it could position itself as an early mover on quantum security ahead of Ethereum’s 2029 timeline.
For the broader Ethereum ecosystem, the proposal raises a pointed question. Layer 2 networks have largely been framed as extensions of Ethereum. A prominent one openly weighing an exit, citing Ethereum’s slower upgrade schedule, is a notable signal about how some teams view the tradeoffs of staying tethered.
What to watch next: whether a formal governance proposal surfaces, what the validator design looks like, and how Starknet plans to handle security during any transition period. Watch whether the DEX volume and fee activity hold up once the initial excitement fades.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
An Ethereum address holding 12,746 ETH has moved for the first time in roughly 10.2 years, according to blockchain tracker Whale Alert.
What happened on-chain Whale Alert flagged the activation of the address, which held 12,746 ETH before stirring. The wallet had sat untouched for about 10.2 years.
Where those coins went, or what the owner intends, has not been publicly reported. The address has activated, and that is the confirmed part of the story.
Analytics firms watching these wallets have described a familiar routine. Long-dormant holders often start with a small test transfer, then follow up with larger movements once they confirm everything works.
A pattern of early wallets returning This address is not the first ancient Ethereum wallet to resurface. Over 2025 and 2026, several others have reappeared, with notable examples moving 10,000 ETH, 2,000 ETH and 40,000 ETH.
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Many of these wallets are linked to early Ethereum holders, particularly participants in the project’s initial coin offering, or ICO. An ICO is a token sale where a project raises money by selling its coins directly to the public before or around launch.
The economics of those early purchases are striking. Original acquisition costs for some of these wallets ran as low as $3,100 for significant ETH holdings, which translates into enormous returns against current valuations.
Several firms track this activity closely. Whale Alert, Lookonchain, Arkham Intelligence and the block explorer Etherscan have all surfaced on-chain movements from these older wallets.
Selling, staking or just checking in When dormant wallets come back, outcomes have varied. Some holders have sent coins to exchanges, which usually signals a possible sale.
Others have directed their ETH toward staking instead. Staking means locking up ETH to help secure the Ethereum network, earning rewards in return.
The research shows some activations have leaned toward staking rather than selling. That points to at least some early holders choosing yield over cashing out.
What this means for the market The immediate market impact of these reactivations has been limited. Individual activations have typically been absorbed without major price swings in ETH.
For traders, the practical takeaway is to watch what happens after the first transfer. Given the documented habit of small test transactions preceding larger ones, the follow-up moves from this address will reveal far more than the initial wake-up.
Destination is the tell. Coins heading to exchange deposit addresses suggest selling pressure, while coins moving into staking contracts suggest a holder settling in for the long haul.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
25 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
25 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
25 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
25 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
25 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
25 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
25 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
25 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
25 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
25 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
25 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
25 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
25 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
25 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
25 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, Bitcoin lost its early-October gains as U.S. exchange-traded funds recorded heavy withdrawals, while the Treasury abandoned two proposed crypto reporting rules. OKX added institutional investors at a $25 billion valuation, and Ethereum developers advanced the network’s next upgrade.
Summary
Bitcoin recovered above $82,000 after falling toward $80,300, but remained lower over seven days. FinCEN withdrew proposed reporting rules covering self-custody wallets and foreign cryptocurrency mixing. OKX added Circle, Ripple, QRT and SC Ventures at a $25 billion pre-money valuation. Bitmine bought 15,112 ETH, raising its Ethereum treasury to more than 6 million tokens. IRS guidance preserved qualifying crypto trusts’ tax classification when staking assets under specified conditions. Bitcoin slides as ETF withdrawals accelerate Bitcoin recovered above $82,000 on Oct. 9 after briefly approaching $80,300. CoinGecko placed BTC near $82,365 during the report’s price check, still roughly 5% lower over seven days. The rebound followed President Donald Trump’s statement ruling out attacks on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, although he said the U.S. blockade would remain. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $484.9 million on Oct. 7, their largest daily withdrawal since June, followed by approximately $244 million on Oct. 8. BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for $207.7 million of the earlier withdrawal, according to Farside Investors. Treasury abandons wallet and mixer proposals FinCEN withdrew two proposed rules through notices filed on Oct. 5. The 2020 wallet proposal would have required financial institutions to keep records for covered transfers above $3,000 and report transactions exceeding $10,000, including qualifying transfers involving self-custody wallets. The bureau also withdrew its 2023 foreign-mixing proposal and the related money laundering finding. FinCEN acknowledged concerns that its definition could discourage lawful activity and create substantial compliance costs. The agency said it would continue monitoring illicit finance, while Coin Center welcomed the withdrawals as a financial-privacy victory. OKX adds investors at $25 billion valuation OKX expanded its strategic investment round with Circle, Qube Research & Technologies, Ripple and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures. Its Oct. 6 announcement valued the exchange at $25 billion before the new investment, extending the round started by Intercontinental Exchange in March. The four investors already work with OKX across stablecoins, liquidity and custody. CEO Star Xu said the capital would support growth and real-world asset tokenization. Earlier arrangements with ICE included plans for regulated U.S. futures infrastructure and tokenized NYSE equities, subject to regulatory approval. Bitmine’s Ethereum treasury reaches 6.02 million ETH Bitmine added another 15,112 ETH, taking its holdings to 6,016,414 tokens in its Oct. 5 update. The company valued the position at approximately $16.4 billion and said it represented 4.9% of Ethereum’s supply. Its staked balance stood at 5,067,309 ETH, worth roughly $13.8 billion. Bitmine projected $363 million in annual staking revenue using its reported seven-day annualized yield of 2.63%. IRS updates staking rules for qualifying trusts The IRS updated its staking framework on Oct. 6 through Revenue Procedure 2026-20. Eligible investment and grantor trusts can stake proof-of-stake assets while preserving their federal tax classification. Conditions cover exchange listings, custody, independent staking providers, and liquidity management. Rewards must generally reach holders within 60 days after the relevant quarter ends. The guidance addresses trust classification rather than granting a general tax exemption for staking income. Ethereum tests Glamsterdam on Sepolia Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade activated on the Sepolia testnet on Oct. 6, according to community contributor Pooja Ranjan. Testing included a 200 million gas limit, compared with roughly 60 million previously. The upgrade changes block production, execution, and gas accounting. Developers will use the results before setting the next testnet activation, while a final mainnet date remains unconfirmed. Coinbase prepares U.S. access to Deribit options Coinbase announced its Deribit integration on Oct. 7 following an Oct. 1 account migration. Eligible U.S. institutions will access options through Coinbase Prime and its CFTC-regulated futures intermediary. Coinbase expected institutional options trading to become available in the coming weeks. Its retail rollout would begin with eligible customers outside the United States, followed by American retail access later in 2026. Sui’s Hashi secures $500 million in commitments Sui Foundation announced Hashi’s launch coalition on Oct. 8, with more than $500 million in capital commitments and over 20 partners. A phased mainnet rollout was planned for later October. Anchorage Digital joined to provide institutional access through Atlas and Porto. Hashi will support Bitcoin-backed financial products on Sui; the committed capital represents planned backing rather than funds already deposited into live contracts. Ripple Prime expands its Brevan Howard agreement Ripple expanded its brokerage agreement with Brevan Howard, which oversees approximately $35 billion. The Oct. 6 announcement covered multi-asset prime brokerage, clearing and financing across traditional and digital markets. Brevan Howard’s operations chief Alan McGroarty said the platform was expected to improve operational ease and capital efficiency. Funds managed by its affiliates had previously participated in Ripple’s 2025 strategic investment. CFTC seeks input on federal crypto trading frameworks The CFTC opened a public consultation on Regulation CTX and Regulation CAM on Oct. 5. Written comments are due within 60 days of Federal Register publication. Chair Michael Selig described a potential federal registration route for exchanges offering leveraged, margined or financed retail crypto transactions. He said compulsory registration would require congressional action, distinguishing the consultation from an adopted market-wide framework. Winklevoss proposes a spot Zcash ETF Winklevoss Asset Services filed a Zcash application with the SEC on Oct. 6, proposing a Nasdaq-listed spot ETF under WINK. Gemini Trust Company would custody its ZEC. The filing specifies cash-based share creations and redemptions, with the fund holding Zcash directly. Trading remains subject to regulatory clearance, and the application does not establish a launch date. Mashinsky accepts lifetime industry ban Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky agreed to lifetime restrictions under a New York settlement announced Oct. 9. The agreement bars him from the cryptocurrency, securities and commodities industries. Attorney General Letitia James said conditional payments could total $35 million, depending on additional federal forfeiture and whether he serves his full prison sentence. The settlement resolves the state’s 2023 civil lawsuit over Celsius’s promotion. ESMA sets stablecoin remediation deadline ESMA set a January deadline for clearing remaining exposure to non-MiCA-compliant stablecoins at authorized EU crypto firms. Its Oct. 8 opinion gives national regulators until Jan. 8, 2027 at the latest. Regulators may permit temporary liquidation, conversion, withdrawal and safekeeping services for existing customers. ESMA said firms should stop services that allow clients to acquire or increase exposure to affected tokens. XRP Ledger activates bundled transactions XRP Ledger activated its Batch feature on mainnet with support from 30 of 35 validators, according to XRPScan amendment data. Users can combine two to eight transactions in one operation. Official documentation specifies four execution modes, including an all-or-nothing option for linked transfers. Other modes allow one successful action, processing until failure, or independent attempts at each included transaction.
Kripto para piyasasında hareketlilik devam ederken Starknet’in yerel tokeni STRK, son 24 saatte yüzde 18,1 değer kazanarak 0,06 dolar seviyesini aştı. Altcoin fiyatındaki sert yükseliş, StarkWare CEO’su Eli Ben-Sasson’un Ethereum ağından bağımsız bir blockchain oluşturma ihtimaline ilişkin açıklamalarının ardından geldi. Starknet’in Layer-2 yapısından Layer-1 ağına geçebileceği yönündeki değerlendirmeler, yatırımcıların dikkatini STRK tokenine çevirdi.
Starknet (STRK) Neden Yükseliyor? Starknet’in yerel kripto para birimi STRK, son 24 saat içerisinde yüzde 18,1 yükselerek altcoin piyasasında dikkat çeken performanslardan birini sergiledi. Fiyatın 0,06 dolar seviyesini aşmasında, Starknet’in gelecekteki teknolojik altyapısına ilişkin açıklamaların etkili olduğu değerlendiriliyor. StarkWare CEO’su Eli Ben-Sasson’un Ethereum’dan bağımsız bir blockchain ağı oluşturulabileceğine yönelik değerlendirmeleri, projeye yönelik ilgiyi artırdı. Ancak yükselişin kalıcı olup olmayacağı, önümüzdeki dönemde açıklanabilecek teknik gelişmelere ve piyasa koşullarına bağlı olacak.
Starknet’in mevcut Layer-2 yapısından ayrılarak bağımsız bir Layer-1 blockchain ağına dönüşmesi, değerlendirilen teknik seçenekler arasında bulunuyor. Bu ihtimalin gündeme gelmesinde kuantum bilgisayarların ve yapay zekâ teknolojilerinin blockchain güvenliği üzerinde oluşturabileceği riskler önemli rol oynuyor.
Eli Ben-Sasson, Starknet’in gelecekte güvenlik güncellemelerini daha bağımsız ve hızlı şekilde uygulayabilmesi için farklı altyapı modellerinin değerlendirildiğini belirtti.
Ancak Ethereum’dan ayrılma konusunda henüz kesinleşmiş bir karar bulunmuyor. Olası geçişin ne zaman gerçekleşebileceği ve STRK tokeninin yeni ağdaki rolü de belirsizliğini koruyor.
Starknet’in Yeni Güncellemesi Dikkat Çekiyor Starknet ekibi, kısa süre önce v0.14.4 güncellemesini ana ağa taşıyarak blockchain altyapısında önemli bir teknik iyileştirmeye imza attı. Güncellemeyle birlikte tek bir kanıt içerisinde işlenebilecek kapasite yaklaşık 1,1 milyar Layer-2 gas seviyesine yükseltildi. Bu yenilik, ağın daha yüksek işlem yüklerini karşılayabilmesi ve ölçeklenebilirlik performansının geliştirilmesi açısından önemli bir adım olarak değerlendiriliyor.
Söz konusu gelişme, Starknet’in işlem kapasitesini artırmaya, ağ verimliliğini güçlendirmeye ve kullanıcı deneyimini iyileştirmeye yönelik çalışmalarını sürdürdüğünü gösteriyor. Özellikle blockchain ağlarında hız, güvenlik ve düşük işlem maliyetlerinin giderek daha fazla önem kazanması, bu tür teknik güncellemeleri ön plana çıkarıyor. Projenin altyapısındaki iyileştirmeler uzun vadeli büyüme hedeflerini desteklerken, Ethereum’dan bağımsız bir Layer-1 ağına geçiş ihtimali de STRK yatırımcılarının yakından takip ettiği gelişmeler arasında bulunuyor.
STRK Fiyatında Yükseliş Devam Edecek mi? STRK tokeninde yaşanan yüzde 18,1’lik yükseliş, yatırımcıların Starknet’in geleceğine yönelik beklentilerinin güçlendiğine işaret ediyor. Ancak fiyat hareketinin sürdürülebilirliği açısından bağımsız Layer-1 planının somut bir teknik teklife dönüşmesi kritik önem taşıyor. Genel değerlendirmede Starknet’in Ethereum’dan ayrılma ihtimali, projenin geleceği açısından önemli bir gelişme olarak öne çıkıyor. Bununla birlikte henüz resmi bir geçiş kararı alınmamış olması, STRK fiyatındaki yükselişin beklentilere dayalı olabileceğini gösteriyor. Önümüzdeki süreçte StarkWare tarafından yapılacak açıklamalar ve teknik güncellemeler, altcoinin fiyat hareketleri üzerinde belirleyici olabilir.
Son Dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
A Year of Shrinking VolumeDogecoin's trading activity has lost considerable ground over the past 12 months. According to data tracked by Artemis Analytics, $DOGE was regularly posting daily exchange volumes of between $1 billion and $2 billion in November 2025. Fast-forward to October 2026, and that figure has roughly halved, with typical daily volumes now running between $500 million and $1 billion.
The trend has been consistent and hard to dismiss. before partially recovering to the current range.
There was one notable outlier.
What Is Driving the Slide?The volume drop is not happening in isolation. Fewer active users on-chain naturally translates into softer exchange turnover.
That shift in sentiment has weighed on $DOGE alongside the raw volume numbers.
Despite the decline, Dogecoin has not been written off entirely. Whether this current lull follows the same pattern remains to be seen.
Data: Artemis Analytics
Sources:
Artemis Analytics | Crypto Adventure: Dogecoin Trading Volume Falls 64% As 2026 Liquidity Fades | Bitunix: Is Dogecoin Dead? DOGE Price and 2026 Outlook
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
5 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
5 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
5 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
5 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
5 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
ASML to Uniformly Hike Prices of Lithography Machine Components for Samsung and SK Hynix by 10%, As AI Production Expansion Boom Drives Up Equipment Costs.
According to South Korean media reports, ASML has notified Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that it will implement a uniform 10% price increase on EUV and DUV lithography machine components for the South Korean market. The adjustment covers regularly replaced consumable parts and core components required for fault repairs, including optical systems, light sources, and precision drive units. After consultations between the procurement departments of both sides, the two memory chip giants have accepted the price hike plan, with the adjustment set to take effect in January next year. This uniform across-the-board price increase is relatively rare; ASML previously typically adjusted prices only individually for components facing rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. Meanwhile, the company is in negotiations with key clients over price hikes for new equipment. According to earlier reports, equipment manufacturers including Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have also raised product prices, and the price hike trend in the semiconductor equipment sector is spreading. AI data center investment is driving memory chip and foundry players to expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated surge in demand for equipment and components. With suppliers taking time to ramp up production, coupled with inflation and raw material cost pressures, bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is shifting toward suppliers. The report noted that TSMC had previously opposed ASML’s equipment price hikes, indicating that different clients still have varying levels of acceptance of rising costs.
5 minutes ago
Apple places a 30% additional order for iPhone Duo, while the total volume of the iPhone 18 Pro series remains unchanged.
According to sources from Apple's supply chain, the tech giant is making structural adjustments to its 2026 fall new iPhone orders: it has placed an additional 30% order for the iPhone Duo, though the total volume still remains below 10 million units; it has cut orders for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10% to 15%, while increasing orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max by 10% to 15%, leaving the total order volume for the entire iPhone 18 Pro series unchanged. An Apple supply chain source said, "This means sales are shifting toward higher-value products, which is overall positive for the performance of Apple's supply chain companies."
5 minutes ago
A crypto whale adds to HYPE buy orders, with planned buy-the-dip positions totaling $10.8 million.
According to TradingBeats monitoring, a crypto whale has added 7 new limit buy orders for HYPE at prices ranging from $64.099 to $77.93, totaling roughly $2.52 million. Combined with orders placed on October 8 that are still active, the account holds a total of 30 buy orders spanning $61.26 to $81.94, with a combined value of approximately $10.828 million. The account currently has no open positions. HYPE is trading at around $84.22 at press time, and its highest buy order price of $81.94 is roughly 2.7% lower than the current spot price; order amounts are distributed across the entire price range.
5 minutes ago
Claude Code Projects has fully lifted its waitlist, enabling Pro and Max users who were on the waitlist to now use the service.
Beating AI Express (Insight) – Anthropic announced that all waitlisted Pro and Max tier users who applied for Claude Code Projects have now been granted testing access. The feature launched in September, initially available only to a small subset of users. While its scope has expanded, it remains in Beta testing and is not yet fully open to all paid subscribers. Claude Code Projects functions as a project management agent: users only need to submit requests, and it automatically splits tasks and assigns them to multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions. Each session independently writes code, runs tests, submits pull requests (PRs), and reports back to the manager, eliminating the need for users to assign tasks or track progress manually. These sessions share project data and memory, run on the cloud by default, and can continue operating even when the user’s computer is powered off. For tasks requiring local files or software, users can also designate execution on their own device.
5 minutes ago
2 New Wallets Withdraw 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) From Exchanges in 3 Days
2 newly created wallets (0x4d28 and 0x5a42) withdrew 280.75M $龙虾 ($12.21M) from exchanges over the past 3 days, 28.08% of the total supply.
5 minutes ago
Supermicro contractor pleads guilty; $2.5 billion server order tied to smuggling case.
Beating AI Express News: Ting-Wei Sun, a former contractor of Supermicro, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court in the U.S. He was involved in illegally diverting servers equipped with NVIDIA high-end AI chips to China, admitting to four charges: conspiracy to violate export controls, conspiracy to smuggle, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and obstruction of justice. Previously, U.S. prosecutors indicted three people total. Besides Sun, the defendants include Supermicro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and Ruei-Tsang Chang, general manager of the company’s Taiwan office. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed earlier that between 2024 and 2025, a Southeast Asian middleman purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of equipment from the involved U.S. server manufacturer. Prosecutors allege that at least $510 million worth of these servers were illegally diverted to China in just a few weeks in 2025. The involved servers were typically first shipped via Taiwan to Southeast Asia, then repackaged and sent to China. To evade inspections, the suspects placed thousands of non-functional dummy servers in warehouses and used hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers. Prosecutors said Sun participated in arranging the dummy servers and made false statements during inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Supermicro was not named as a defendant in the case and has cut ties with the three involved individuals. An independent investigation released by the company in August found no evidence that current executives were aware of the smuggling scheme.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Grayscale's Zcash ETF Bleeds Over $124M in Two WeeksDemand for @Grayscale's spot @Zcash ETF (NYSE: ZCSH) has deteriorated sharply. The fund has now recorded seven consecutive days of net outflows, with total redemptions exceeding $124M over the past two weeks, raising fresh questions about the staying power of the $ZEC rally that drew investors in earlier this year.
The slide follows a brief but striking surge in institutional appetite. ZCSH launched on NYSE Arca on August 25, 2026, converted from the existing Grayscale Zcash Trust, becoming the first listed spot ETF in the United States to offer direct exposure to ZEC tokens. By mid-September, cumulative net inflows had reached $271M, with the busiest week ending September 18 drawing in $98.2M alone.
The reversal has been swift. On September 30, the fund recorded a single-day redemption of $30.25M, followed by another $26.93M leaving on October 2. Assets under management, which peaked at roughly $915M to $979M in September, had fallen to around $751M by early October.
Supply Stake Intact, but Selling Pressure BuildsDespite the outflows, @Grayscale's fund still holds 3.27% of $ZEC's total circulating supply, meaning its redemption activity carries real market weight. As a spot ETF, ZCSH holds actual ZEC coins behind its shares. When selling outpaces buying, the fund must redeem shares, prompting Grayscale to sell some of its ZEC to pay investors cashing out. This selling pressure can affect ZEC's price because each coin the fund sells increases the supply available on exchanges.
The persistent redemptions followed the fund's 3-for-1 stock split, which coincided with a fresh wave of institutional selling pressure. $ZEC has slipped more than 22% from last month's high of $1,689. For ETF holders, there are plausible reasons to sell: after reaching around $1,698 in late September, investors who bought in during the uptrend may simply be choosing to lock in gains.
For Grayscale, the picture is mixed rather than dire. The fund still holds around $751M in assets and remains net positive at $212.56M in cumulative inflows since launch. Whether demand stabilises or continues to erode will likely depend on broader sentiment toward privacy-focused assets and whether $ZEC can reclaim lost ground.
Sources:
Crypto Briefing: Grayscale's Zcash ETF sheds $93.56 million in a single week
Invezz: Zcash gets a new ETF filing as Grayscale bleeds $105M
24/7 Wall St: Zcash ETFs Have Lost $59 Million in October
10 October 2026 | 09:06 Zcash developers are targeting January for tools that could protect transparent ZEC payments against future key-recovery attacks without making wallet activity easier to trace today.
Key Takeaways Zcash developers are targeting January for post-quantum signature tools. The work focuses on transparent addresses and public payments. Fresh addresses can reduce repeated public-key exposure. Private wallet lookups aim to prevent address linking. January’s target focuses on transparent ZEC Zakura, the team developing Zcash infrastructure, says it plans for post-quantum signature opcodes to land in January. The proposal centres on transparent payments, where addresses, amounts and transaction history remain visible on the blockchain and where most circulating ZEC is currently held.
A new engineering post describes a wallet design that combines those signatures with rotating transparent addresses and private information retrieval, known as PIR. The components tackle a future cryptographic risk while addressing a privacy weakness that would otherwise appear when wallets begin using many fresh addresses.
Transparent Zcash addresses initially contain a hash of a public key. The public key itself becomes visible when the address spends, allowing the network to verify the payment signature. If future technology made it possible to recover a private key from that public key, any funds left at the same address, or sent there later, could face greater exposure.
Fresh addresses keep later funds behind a new key Address rotation gives a wallet a way to reduce that repeated exposure. After an address spends, the wallet can move its remaining balance to a newly derived address. That new address is tied to a different public key, whose hash remains visible while the key itself remains undisclosed.
The approach does not require someone to open a new wallet or record another recovery phrase after every payment. A standard wallet seed can derive a sequence of separate addresses and key pairs, allowing the software to create new receiving and change addresses from one existing backup.
That separation also depends on protecting the wallet’s extended public-key and viewing information. Those records can reveal more about a wallet’s address structure than an ordinary transaction, weakening the benefit of keeping each public key separate.
Wallet lookups can reveal the links that the blockchain does not Generating new addresses creates a practical problem: the wallet still needs to find incoming payments, track funds it has spent and rebuild history after a recovery. A normal light wallet may ask a server for activity associated with address A, then B, then C.
Those addresses can appear unrelated on the blockchain, but the server sees the requests arriving from the same wallet. It can therefore connect the addresses even when the public ledger alone does not provide that link.
Zakura proposes PIR to avoid that leak. The wallet retrieves the record it needs from a server without revealing which record it selected. It can also download compact public activity filters, check them locally for possible matches, and make a private request only when a block range may contain relevant history.
Fresh addresses
Keep later funds behind public keys that have not yet been revealed by an earlier spend.
Hash-based signatures
Create the proposed post-quantum path for authorizing transparent payments.
Private information retrieval
Lets the wallet search for its history without identifying its addresses to the server.
Transparent payment data would remain public on the Zcash blockchain. PIR narrows the extra information exposed when a wallet asks a service to monitor several addresses, preserving the purpose of rotating them in the first place.
The proposal addresses a long-term risk, not a current emergency The design speaks to the same concern raised in Europol’s warning about exposed wallet keys. A sufficiently capable future attacker could target a public key that has appeared on-chain, making older address-reuse habits less safe than they are today.
Neither Europol nor Zakura says that a practical quantum attack is currently available. The challenge is preparing wallet software, infrastructure providers and users before a cryptographic migration becomes urgent.
What remains visible and unchanged
Transparent transaction details remain public on-chain. Privacy still depends on wallet behaviour and the services a user connects to. The announcement introduces no ZEC swap, wallet migration or new recovery phrase. Private queries arrive before the signature goal Zakura says the PIR component is reaching its Vizor wallet first. Users can test the experimental feature by enabling “Private queries” in the wallet settings, giving the team a way to evaluate how private history retrieval works before the wider signature changes arrive.
The January milestone concerns the post-quantum signature opcodes for transparent pools. Wallets and services will still need to support the updated payment flow, so the date is a development target rather than a guarantee that every transparent Zcash wallet will receive the protection at once.
Zcash is preparing the wallet layer early The usefulness of the plan lies in pairing stronger payment authorization with the wallet infrastructure needed to use it privately. Fresh addresses can reduce future public-key exposure, while PIR can keep the resulting address set from becoming a readable map of one user’s funds.
That is the practical goal behind Zcash’s January work: prepare transparent wallets for a future cryptographic threat without creating a new privacy problem in the process.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, security or technical advice. The January timing is a development target and may change as the work progresses.
Author
Alexander Zdravkov is a market analyst and crypto journalist with interests in economics, broader financial markets and digital assets. His journey into crypto began more than four years ago, driven by a fascination with the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He began analyzing market cycles and identifying emerging trends before they reach the mainstream. He holds a degree in International Relations - a background that helped shape his broader perspective on global economics, geopolitics, and the interconnected nature of modern financial markets. Whether covering the latest developments in the crypto sector or exploring broader macroeconomic themes, Alexander focuses on giving readers context rather than simply repeating headlines. During his career, he has authored more than 5,000 articles covering cryptocurrencies, traditional finance, and global market developments. His work spans everything from Bitcoin and altcoins to macroeconomic trends influencing risk assets worldwide.
THORSday Community Podcast #241 ft. CBarraford, KentonC137 & patriotsounds | October 8, 2026 | Watch the full episode on YouTube
By Raynalytics
TL;DRChad Barraford used the show to respond to the recent Unchained interview, arguing that discussions of THORChain governance need to distinguish between a minority that can halt activity and the supermajority required to authorize it.Rev-Share is now live with SwapKit. The first credited $25,000 $USDC-to-$BTC trade arrived during the show, beginning a trial intended to win incremental routing without subsidising existing flow.v3.21 has been cut and is in stagenet testing. Monero-related churn edge cases could mean some $XMR work moves to v3.21.1, rather than delaying every other part of the release.Chad described a narrowly scoped AI workflow for tests and performance work. Two draft pull requests tested the THORNode code at roughly 3x faster, while replaying real blocks to check that state does not change.The active set reached 111 nodes during the episode. The team also highlighted RAVN native $BTC delivery, and continued protocol-owned liquidity accumulation.The episode was a dense status check, but its through-line was the difference between what THORChain is testing, what is live, and what still needs proof. Chad opened with a debrief of the Unchained interview, then the conversation turned to a live Rev-Share pilot, the remaining work before $XMR can join the protocol, and a more experimental use of AI in development.
That distinction matters. A new incentive programme is not yet evidence that it will create durable volume. A stagenet release is not a mainnet launch. And AI-assisted code work is not autonomous protocol control. The hosts were clear about those boundaries even as they made the case for moving faster.
1. Chad's Unchained Debrief Focused on Consensus ThresholdsChad used the opening of the episode to respond to questions raised in the recent Unchained interview about THORChain's governance, censorship resistance, and the security implications of its node set. His central argument was that the discussion needs to separate two different thresholds: a minority of 1/3 + 1 can stop activity, while a 2/3 + 1 supermajority is required to authorize protocol action.
That distinction is not a claim that a halt is painless. The hosts described it as a protective power that can freeze the system when something is wrong, not a tool for redirecting funds. Chad argued that an operator acting against its bond providers would face economic consequences, because providers can unbond and move to another operator. Kenton added that many operators manage bonds for multiple providers, rather than controlling all bonded $RUNE themselves.
"Every blockchain in the world can change anything they want with consensus." (Chad)The group compared this tradeoff with proof-of-work and proof-of-stake systems more broadly. Their point was not that every chain has the same implementation, but that no consensus system removes the need to consider who can halt, who can coordinate, and what economic incentives restrain them.
The conversation also returned to the question of selective censorship. Chad argued that freezing a pool based on a percentage of suspicious volume creates no clear rule for when to reopen it, while the hosts said cross-chain infrastructure needs limited safety controls for events such as external-chain failures. These are the team's positions, not settled answers to every governance question, but they explain the reasoning they took into the interview.
https://raynalytics.net/dashboards/rev-share2. Rev-Share Is Live, With New Flow as the TestThe concrete product update was Rev-Share. During the show, the hosts said the first eligible $25,000 $USDC-to-$BTC trade had arrived through SwapKit, after the programme was enabled on both sides. The purpose is not simply to rebate an existing integrator. It is to use a share of fees to improve selected quotes and make THORChain more likely to win routing it would otherwise miss.
Chad pointed listeners to Raynalytics's SwapKit Revenue Share dashboard, where the credit ledger, routed volume, wallet mix, and liquidity fees can be monitored as the pilot develops. The episode's framing was deliberately empirical: give the data time, then decide whether the arrangement is creating profitable incremental volume.
"If it doesn't work for both of us, we ain't doing it at all." (Chad)The hosts also discussed Rev-Share as a possible business-development tool for future wallet and interface integrations. Rather than paying a flat Treasury grant before a partner sends volume, a limited fee share could reward a wallet only as it brings traffic. Kenton used large-wallet integration incentives as an example, while stressing that any allocation remains subject to node governance.
The economics are simple in principle but unproven in practice: a programme can share a large portion of fees from a new route and still improve protocol income if the alternative was no routed volume at all. What matters now is whether the pilot produces that new flow, not whether the mechanism sounds attractive on paper.
3. v3.21 Is Testing, While $XMR Churn Work ContinuesChad said v3.21 has been cut and is being tested on stagenet. The release includes work to re-enable memoless transactions with a dynamic registration cost: as a coin's available memo space fills, registering another entry becomes progressively more expensive. The intent is to make spam costly without relying on a fixed price that can become ineffective.
The main uncertainty is $XMR. The team has encountered churn edge cases in its Monero integration, and Chad said some patches may need to move to v3.21.1 if they cannot be reviewed, merged, and tested in time for v3.21. That is a release-management decision, not an abandonment of the integration. The discussion repeatedly kept $XMR in a pre-mainnet, work-in-progress state.
"We might not be able to get all the Monero patches in for v3.21." (Chad)This follows the liquidity-first approach outlined in the previous podcast recap. A technical release alone would not make a useful $XMR market. Chad said CakeWallet is expected to support THORChain at launch, based on an earlier team conversation, while other wallet support remains an active integration question.
For a transparent release view, the hosts highlighted devops.thorchain.org, which tracks work items and release activity. It is the better source for status than treating a podcast target as a fixed delivery date.
4. AI Is Being Scoped to Tests and Verified Performance WorkChad's most forward-looking update was not an AI agent writing new protocol features unchecked. He described a narrower effort to use AI for two areas where output can be measured: expanding test coverage and finding performance improvements that preserve existing behaviour.
The testing side would add unit, integration, regression, and fuzz tests. The performance side asks an AI system to make a function run faster without changing what the protocol does. Chad said two draft pull requests, produced over a few days, had tested THORNode at roughly 3x faster when combined.
"We can verify its correctness." (Chad)The verification method is the important constraint. The process replays thousands of real mainnet blocks locally and compares each resulting app hash, effectively checking that the protocol state is identical even if execution is faster. Chad said the pull requests still require human approval. He also noted that faster execution does not automatically change the roughly six-second block interval, though it could reduce resource requirements and make erratic block times less likely.
He referred to the broader idea as recursive improvement, not literal recursive self-improvement. Whether this work eventually lives inside Huginn or a separate tool is still undecided. For now, the proposal is an assistive development loop with deterministic checks, not a transfer of governance or deployment authority to an AI system.
5. The Network Added Nodes, Routing and Protocol-Owned LiquidityThe show also captured several live ecosystem updates. After a churn, the active set had grown to 111 nodes. The hosts said it was at least close to the largest active set they had seen, and noted that some operators had waited in standby through months when the protocol could not churn normally.
On routing, RAVN had gone live with native $BTC delivery from Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, and Avalanche through THORChain. The point is not wrapped Bitcoin exposure. The announced route delivers native $BTC at the destination, extending the set of interfaces that can access THORChain liquidity.
The group also discussed protocol-owned liquidity. They said a deposit of roughly 1 million $RUNE was imminent, which would put protocol-owned liquidity at about 1% per pool. According to the speakers, those positions had already earned about $100,000 in fees. The next question is how the system behaves as new pools, including a future $XMR pool, gain depth and volume.
"We still only need 5% of the market." (Kenton)Those updates do not erase the open questions from earlier in the episode. Rev-Share still needs volume data. $XMR still needs completed churn work and liquidity. But the snapshot was of a protocol adding capacity and connections while it tests the economic and technical assumptions behind them.
What to WatchWhether the SwapKit Rev-Share dashboard shows sustained incremental routed volume, fee generation, and new-wallet activity after the pilot's initial trades.Whether the remaining Monero churn edge cases can be resolved in v3.21, or move cleanly into v3.21.1 without changing the integration's careful launch posture.Whether the new memoless pricing model deters registration spam without creating material friction for ordinary users.Whether AI-assisted testing and performance work continues to pass app-hash replay checks before human review and merge.Whether the active-set growth, RAVN routing, and protocol-owned liquidity provide the deeper distribution and market capacity the team expects.More THORChain data, check out raynalytics.net
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Chainlink has unveiled its CCIP Vault Adapters, an infrastructure update allowing decentralized finance (DeFi) vault providers to accept deposits from more than 80 blockchain networks while operating their investment strategies and accounting on a single network. Leading DeFi platforms Aave, Lombard, and Maple have already integrated the new solution, Chainlink reported.
Streamlining Cross-Chain Deposits in DeFiThe CCIP Vault Adapters are designed to resolve longstanding obstacles in cross-chain DeFi by letting users deposit assets from varied blockchains into vaults that manage their strategies on just one chain. This helps users who store assets across multiple networks participate in single-chain vault strategies without the need to migrate funds manually.
Chainlink is a blockchain oracle network focused on providing real-world data to smart contracts and enabling interoperability across networks. CCIP, or Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, is its mechanism for securely moving value and instructions between blockchain environments.
Chainlink stated that Aave, Lombard, and Maple’s adoption of the adapters demonstrates immediate industry interest, potentially enhancing access and efficiency for existing DeFi participants.
The launch aims to unlock greater participation in DeFi vaults by addressing a critical technical challenge—enabling seamless deposits from different networks without duplicating strategy and accounting functions across each one.
Mini dictionary: CCIP (Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol) is a technical framework developed by Chainlink to enable secure and programmable transfer of data, tokens, and instructions across multiple blockchain networks. It is designed to link both public and private blockchains without relying on third-party bridges.
Industry Adoption and Future ImpactVault providers such as Aave, Lombard, and Maple have already integrated the new infrastructure. Their early participation could accelerate adoption among a broad section of DeFi users. However, the long-term impact of the adapters will depend on real-world integration and ongoing cross-chain usage.
Chainlink’s ability to reinforce its interoperability position depends on how actively CCIP Vault Adapters are used. While integration represents progress, widespread adoption and transaction volumes will determine their influence on the DeFi landscape.
An important aspect to watch is whether increased CCIP usage translates into higher value or demand for the LINK token, which will vary according to the protocol’s implementation model and pricing mechanisms.
LINK Price: Resistance and Analyst PerspectiveMarket analyst MstrTranquility identified $14.50 to $15 as a crucial resistance range for LINK’s price. After a bullish shift known as a Change of Character (CHoCH), momentum could drive LINK toward $16.50 if it breaks above this resistance. Failing to surpass the zone may lead to continued sideways movement or a further sell-off.
Resistance ZonePotential Breakout Target$14.50–$15$16.50If a breakout is sustained above $15, analysts believe there could be additional upside. However, the $16.50 level is seen as a near-term target for traders rather than a definitive goal for LINK’s next move.
Price sits at the $14.5–$15 resistance, and a clear breakout through this area could open the door to $16.5, though another rejection at resistance remains possible.
The upcoming price direction for LINK will largely depend on how it reacts to this resistance and whether Chainlink’s fundamental developments, such as the CCIP Vault Adapters, can support renewed buyer activity.
Ultimately, Chainlink’s infrastructure update extends its role in cross-chain DeFi, but the market will be watching whether increased utility can drive LINK’s price decisively above established resistance levels.
