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Ethereum price has recovered to around $2,493 after a sharp fall toward $2,400, but its daily Supertrend has turned bearish, and the 4-hour chart still shows negative money flow.

Summary

Ethereum price trades near $2,493 after recovering from its sharp decline toward $2,400. Daily Supertrend resistance stands at $2,764, above Ethereum’s current price. The 4-hour Bollinger midpoint at $2,569 marks the next recovery hurdle. U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $486.1 million in outflows across four trading sessions. Ethereum price struggles to recover $2,500 TradingView’s Binance ETH/USDT daily chart showed Ethereum at $2,492.98 on Oct. 9, up 0.73% for the session. The day’s price range extended from $2,471.05 to $2,520.54, leaving ETH below $2,500 despite an earlier move above that level.

The daily chart shows a sharp reversal from the trading range established near $2,650–$2,750 in late September and early October. Ethereum’s latest bounce has recovered only part of that decline, with the price still below the area where it traded before selling accelerated.

On the 4-hour TradingView chart, ETH stood at $2,493.31 after falling 0.53% during the displayed period. Its recovery from the recent low had stalled near $2,500, while the latest candles remained below the chart’s falling moving average.

Analyst Ella identified $2,500 as the first level buyers need to reclaim in an Oct. 9 post. She described Ethereum’s move from approximately $2,700 to a wick near $2,400 as a decline of close to 11%, with selling accelerating toward the end.

Ella said a recovery above $2,500 could ease some of the panic, while failure to regain that level would leave the bounce vulnerable. Her assessment places the immediate focus on whether Ethereum can hold above the round-number threshold after briefly trading through it.

Daily Supertrend turns bearish above ETH The daily TradingView chart displayed a red Supertrend reading at $2,764.28 following Ethereum’s latest sell-off. The indicator had previously tracked below the price during the advance from August into September.

Ethereum price daily chart — Oct. 9 | Source: TradingView Its shift above ETH places the daily trend signal on the bearish side. At approximately $2,493, Ethereum traded nearly 10% below the Supertrend level, leaving a substantial gap between the rebound and a potential reversal of that signal.

The earlier green Supertrend line ended around $2,477.52, close to the current price. Ethereum’s sharp downward wick passed below that area before the rebound, while the newly displayed red line established a higher resistance threshold.

TradingView’s daily Average Directional Index stood at 35.48. The reading remained above 25, a commonly used threshold for an established trend, although the line had declined from its September highs.

ADX measures trend strength rather than direction. In Ethereum’s current setup, the bearish direction comes from the Supertrend change and the price breakdown, while the falling ADX shows that measured trend strength has eased from earlier readings.

The daily chart also places the former $2,650–$2,750 trading range above the market. A recovery into that area would retrace more of the recent fall, but ETH would still need to clear the Supertrend resistance near $2,764 to reverse the indicator’s bearish setting.

The 4-hour chart puts $2,569 ahead of a stronger recovery Ethereum’s 4-hour Bollinger Bands showed a midpoint of $2,568.56, an upper band of $2,731.37 and a lower band of $2,405.75. ETH traded in the lower half of that range after bouncing from near the lower boundary.

Ethereum price 4-hour chart — Oct. 9 | Source: TradingView The midpoint stood roughly 3% above the displayed price. A move above $2,500 would therefore clear the nearest round-number hurdle while leaving the 20-period moving average around $2,569 as the next technical test.

The bands had widened during the sell-off, with the upper boundary rising and the lower boundary falling. On the chart, that expansion accompanied the break from Ethereum’s earlier consolidation around $2,700.

The 4-hour Chaikin Money Flow reading was negative at -0.10. The indicator’s position below zero points to selling pressure across its measurement period, even after Ethereum recovered from the low.

Together, the price below the Bollinger midpoint and negative CMF leave the short-term recovery without a clear bullish confirmation. A sustained move above $2,569 alongside CMF returning above zero would strengthen the recovery case on that timeframe.

On the downside, the lower Bollinger Band near $2,406 overlaps with the recent price trough around $2,400. A break below that zone would take Ethereum beneath both the latest low area and the displayed band boundary.

ETF withdrawals continue as liquidation clusters sit overhead Farside Investors recorded $201.9 million in U.S. spot Ethereum ETF outflows on Oct. 6 and another $160.9 million on Oct. 7. Combined withdrawals reached $362.8 million across those two sessions.

The same dataset showed $72.5 million in further outflows on Oct. 8. Including the $50.8 million withdrawn on Oct. 5, net redemptions totaled $486.1 million across four trading sessions, extending the funds’ outflow streak to eight sessions.

CoinGlass’s one-week Ethereum liquidation heatmap showed its brightest remaining overhead concentration around $2,635–$2,640. Additional bands appeared near $2,610 and across approximately $2,740–$2,760, above the current market price.

Ethereum liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Below ETH, the heatmap displayed smaller concentrations around $2,450–$2,460 and $2,400, with further bands near $2,380. Those levels sit beneath the rebound and around the area reached during the sharpest part of the decline.

A separate weekly assessment from the analyst publishing as Wealthmanager offered a longer-term bullish scenario. The analyst described an inverse head-and-shoulders setup, a reclaimed neckline and improving RSI, with a successful retest potentially opening a move toward $3,200–$4,000.

$ETH is showing signs of a major trend reversal.

The inverse head and shoulders structure is taking shape, with the neckline reclaimed and RSI showing strength.

A successful retest could open the way toward $3.2K–$4K.

The weekly structure is worth watching closely. pic.twitter.com/MpCeaS4PSf

— Wealthmanager (@Wealthmanager) October 9, 2026 That forecast remains conditional on the weekly retest holding. On the shorter TradingView timeframes, Ethereum still faces $2,500 and $2,569 before the former trading range and daily Supertrend resistance near $2,764.

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

Stablecoin supply across Ethereum, Arbitrum One and Base rose by a combined $403.1 million over the past week. Ethereum accounted for the largest piece, at approximately $243 million.

The data comes from DefiLlama and covers a week in October 2026. No headline event appears to have triggered the move.

Where the new dollars landed Ethereum’s stablecoin supply now sits at around $146.5 billion, according to DefiLlama figures. That makes the network the single largest home for dollar-pegged tokens tracked on-chain.

Ethereum holds about 47-48% of the total on-chain stablecoin supply across the major networks DefiLlama tracks.

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The more interesting percentages came from the Layer-2 networks. Arbitrum’s stablecoin supply rose 2.08% over seven days. Base posted a 0.86% increase over the same stretch.

For readers newer to the term, Layer-2 networks are separate chains built on top of Ethereum. They process transactions more cheaply and then settle back to the main network. Arbitrum One and Base are two of the most widely used.

The tokens doing the heavy lifting Two names dominate the supply on these chains: USDT, issued by Tether, and USDC, issued by Circle. Both are designed to hold a steady value of one US dollar.

USDT controls approximately 50% of Ethereum’s stablecoin supply on its own.

Stablecoins are the plumbing of on-chain finance. Traders park funds in them between positions. Lending protocols use them as the main asset borrowers want. Decentralized exchanges rely on them as the base currency for most trading pairs.

The bigger stablecoin picture Zoomed out, the total stablecoin market cap has held in a range between $300 billion and $306 billion. The weekly growth on Ethereum and its Layer-2s fits within that broader stable pattern rather than breaking from it.

What this means for traders and DeFi users Concentration risk is one thing to keep in mind. With USDT holding roughly half of Ethereum’s stablecoin supply, the network’s dollar liquidity leans heavily on one issuer. Anything that affects Tether’s operations would ripple through a large share of on-chain activity.

A single week of data is a snapshot, not a trend line. The overall stablecoin market cap staying in a tight range suggests the industry is consolidating rather than surging, and the absence of a specific news driver means this growth could just as easily slow down without warning.

The metrics to track from here are straightforward. Watch whether Ethereum’s share of on-chain stablecoin supply holds in the 47-48% range. Watch whether Arbitrum and Base keep growing faster than the main chain in percentage terms. And watch whether the total stablecoin market cap finally breaks out of its $300 billion to $306 billion range, in either direction.

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

Shares of satellite-based wireless company AST SpaceMobile (ASTS -10.48%) sank 14.6% on Friday as of 1:36 p.m.

AST fell along with other telecom stocks today, after Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +1.25%) announced after market close yesterday that it had agreed to purchase up to 14 megahertz in the 800 MHz band.

The move indicated SpaceX is very serious about establishing a comprehensive wireless mobile platform, not just a service for remote areas where terrestrial networks struggle to reach. Moreover, SpaceX may have hurt ASTS specifically by outbidding the company on this particular band of spectrum, which industry news outlets reported AST had been seeking.

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SpaceX out-muscles AST for low-band spectrum Yesterday, SpaceX announced it had reached an agreement to acquire up to 14 megahertz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band. According to SpaceX, the low-band spectrum "addresses one of the key remaining technical gaps that will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the U.S."

Obviously, adding a fourth major telecom competitor, and one as technically savvy as Elon Musk's SpaceX, could pose a serious challenge for the "big three" wireless telecom companies. All of their stocks are down today as well. That's also a problem for AST SpaceMobile, which has agreements with Verizon (VZ -8.75%) and AT&T (T -9.81%) to provide satellite capabilities to these companies' customers. Additionally, last week, all three major telecoms announced a joint venture aimed at eliminating dead zones and improving satellite connections where terrestrial networks don't reach.

AST does have access to a robust spectrum through its own holdings and its partnerships with AT&T and Verizon; however, industry reports also revealed that AST had coveted the spectrum that SpaceX just purchased, suggesting a better-funded competitor outbid AST and may have set back AST's internal business plan.

Image source: Getty Images.

An overblown buying opportunity or sign of danger? AST is already down 63% from its all-time highs set back as recently as May, as SpaceX's June IPO and these subsequent competitive concerns have decimated AST's stock.

There are still skeptics who doubt that SpaceX will be able to build a vertically integrated wireless service, as many obstacles remain beyond the mere purchase of spectrum. Still, investors should probably expect this "overhang" on sector valuations to remain for a while, as the threat, or at least the perception of a threat, likely isn't going away.

Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AST SpaceMobile. The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

@Cardano has officially crossed the 125 million cumulative transaction mark on its mainnet, with network data showing close to 1 million transactions registered within the current epoch alone. The milestone reflects a sustained uptick in on-chain activity that has been building across several months.

Momentum Building Across the Network The 125 million figure is the latest in a series of transaction records for the network. As recently as late September 2026, That trajectory has continued upward, supported by a broader surge in activity.

The activity is spread across multiple use cases. Network statistics confirm contributions from DEX liquidity pools, native asset transfers, and smart contract execution. while

What Drives Activity on Cardano's eUTXO Model Cardano's architecture sits at the centre of its usage patterns.

That architectural approach has drawn growing interest from developers. as part of its broader infrastructure, underscoring the scale of participation across the ecosystem.

The 125 million transaction milestone adds another data point to a network that has maintained uninterrupted operation since launch, with activity now clearly accelerating heading into the final quarter of 2026.

Sources:
The Crypto Basic: Cardano DEX Volume Jumps 112% as On-Chain Activity Grows
The Coin Republic: Cardano Foundation Marks 9 Years with 123 Million Transactions
CryptoNews: Cardano Transaction Activity Surges as Daily Transactions Hit 7-Day High

OKX has launched crypto-backed USDC loans in Europe, allowing customers to borrow up to 250,000 USDC, or 3.25 million USDC for VIP clients, without a fixed repayment term.

Summary

OKX says customers can borrow up to 80% of collateral value against more than 40 assets. The launch announcement lists variable hourly interest of 0.000229%, equivalent to about 2% annually. Borrowers can repay some or all of their debt whenever they choose, according to OKX. The service’s terms allow collateral liquidation and state that MiCA client asset protections do not apply. OKX said in its Oct. 9 announcement that European customers could access Flexible Loans through its app or website, using crypto already held on the platform as security for USDC borrowing.

With Bitcoin, Ether and Solana among the accepted assets, the company said each loan would be backed by collateral worth more than the amount borrowed. Its announced borrowing ceiling is 80% of the pledged assets’ value, alongside separate limits for regular customers and VIP clients.

OKX loans charge hourly interest without a fixed term Under the launch terms, OKX allows borrowers to choose when to repay rather than committing to a set maturity date. Customers can make partial repayments or settle the full balance, the exchange said.

At the time of the announcement, OKX listed USDC interest at 0.000229% per hour, describing that as about 2% a year. The company said borrowers could check the live rate before accepting a loan and continue monitoring it in the app while the debt remained outstanding.

For updated borrowing costs, the exchange directed customers to its rate page, rather than presenting the launch rate as a fixed charge for the life of a loan.

Explaining the product’s intended use, Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe, said long-term holders sometimes wanted access to cash while retaining their crypto.

“A lot of people in Europe hold crypto for the long term and don’t want to have to sell it to free up cash temporarily,” Ghoos said.

He described the repayment model as: “Borrow USDC when you need it, pay for the hours you use it, and repay when you’re done.”

For the borrowed funds, OKX listed trading, participation in X Drop Club, and use through Earn among the available options. Customers could also withdraw their USDC for everyday needs, according to the announcement.

Collateral remains locked and can be liquidated In its European loan service terms, updated Sep. 30, OKX identifies OKX Europe Limited as the operator and limits the service to European Economic Area residents.

The agreement says loan requests are matched with assets supplied by lenders on the platform, with approved proceeds transferred to the borrower’s OKX funding account. According to the terms, pledged collateral is frozen, preventing borrowers from trading or transferring it while it secures the debt.

For repayment, the agreement says accrued interest is paid before principal when a customer makes a partial payment. OKX also states that full repayment of principal and interest releases the corresponding collateral within one day, while partial repayment does not release it.

When a position reaches the applicable liquidation threshold, the terms authorize OKX to sell collateral to repay the debt. The agreement warns that rapid price changes or technical delays can leave customers without advance notification before automatic liquidation.

On regulation, OKX’s terms explicitly state that the loan service falls outside MiCA’s scope and that the framework’s client asset safeguarding protections do not apply to assets connected with it.

USDC trading and payments already feature in OKX products As crypto.news previously reported, Circle and OKX expanded USDC trading access on Sep. 2 across spot, margin and futures markets for eligible customers.

According to that report, the companies also introduced a USDC Margin Growth Program offering qualifying users a monthly 100 USDC reward funded by Circle. Eligibility required opting in, maintaining at least 20,000 USDC for 17 consecutive days, and exceeding 1,000 USDC in qualifying single-side trading volume.

The September report also described OKX’s July introduction of a one-way USDT-to-USDC conversion route for eligible customers across 30 EU and EEA countries. Under its European setup, the exchange restricted USDT trading while supporting USDC and Paxos-issued USDG.

In a separate Oct. 6 launch, OKX introduced OKX Money, an app supporting funding from more than 50 currencies and balances in USDG, USDC and USDT, according to the company.

OKX said that rollout covered selected markets in Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, with local funding and card availability depending on country. The company described virtual and physical cards, transfers and rewards as features of the app.

For its European platform, Ghoos placed borrowing alongside payments and investing, describing OKX Card and Pay as tools “To pay, or get paid.” His launch comments also listed trading products covering crypto, traditional assets and commodities among the platform’s wealth services.

U.S. borrowers have separate crypto-backed loan options For American holders, earlier Coinbase products provide a separate example of borrowing USDC against crypto. An Oct. 7 report on Ledger’s Bitcoin-backed borrowing through Morpho described Coinbase’s earlier borrowing rollout to most U.S. states, excluding New York at launch.

According to the report, Coinbase converts pledged Bitcoin into cbBTC and sends the token to a Morpho smart contract on Base. Coinbase describes cbBTC as backed one-for-one by Bitcoin held in its custody.

Morpho separately announced on Sep. 22 that Coinbase had added fixed-rate loans through Morpho Midnight, allowing customers to agree on an interest rate and repayment date when borrowing USDC against Bitcoin. Morpho said Coinbase’s existing variable-rate service had more than $1.4 billion in active loans backed by approximately $3 billion in collateral.

For Ledger’s own Oct. 7 product, the wallet maker said eligible customers could pledge cbBTC or wBTC to borrow USDC or USDT, with access depending on country. Ledger said Morpho supplied the lending infrastructure, while Yield.xyz handled the borrowing process and position monitoring inside Ledger Wallet.

Zcash price has started recovering from its recent selloff, with easing selling pressure on shorter timeframes raising the possibility of a move back toward $1,300.

Summary

Zcash price recovered above $1,200 after recent losses, with easing selling pressure raising the possibility of a move toward $1,300. Developers are targeting January for quantum resistant payment support, while institutional interest in ZEC continues through ETF developments. ZEC remains above its 50 day EMA near $1,185, although the 20 day EMA at $1,337 continues to act as resistance. The 4 hour MACD remains negative, but its contracting histogram and a CMF recovery to negative 0.03 suggest that selling pressure is easing. A sustained move above $1,250 could bring $1,300 into focus, while a break below $1,185 risks another decline toward $1,100. ZEC was trading near $1,213 on October 9, up approximately 2.2% on the daily session, after recovering from an intraday low of $1,183.24. The token had fallen toward $1,100 during the previous session, following several days of losses that erased part of its September rally.

The privacy-focused cryptocurrency remained more than 25% below its late September peak near $1,670. However, buyers returned after the latest decline, lifting ZEC above $1,200 as traders assessed upcoming network developments and institutional interest in the asset.

The recovery coincided with an improvement in short-term momentum indicators. Selling pressure has eased considerably since the latest downturn, although ZEC has yet to recover several important resistance levels.

Zcash developers target quantum-resistant payments in January One development attracting attention to Zcash is a proposal to introduce quantum-resistant signature support for transparent transactions.

According to developers working on Zakura, a software implementation used to validate Zcash transactions, plan to introduce post-quantum signature instructions in January.

The proposed changes would allow the network to verify hash-based signatures designed to withstand attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers. January remains a development target, with no confirmed network activation date.

Initial protections would focus on transparent transactions, which account for a substantial portion of ZEC holdings.

Around 11.96 million of the approximately 16.98 million ZEC issued were held in transparent addresses as of October 8, representing roughly 70% of the supply.

Shielded transactions, which conceal information about senders, recipients and transferred amounts, would require separate protections because they use different cryptographic mechanisms.

The development followed warnings from Ethereum researcher Justin Drake about potential risks to existing cryptocurrency cryptography from future advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Zakura developers have separately introduced an experimental private lookup feature that allows wallets to check balances without revealing which addresses belong to the same user. The feature is available through the Vizor wallet’s private queries setting.

Zcash’s next major network upgrade, NU7, remains another event on the project’s development calendar. The proposed schedule includes an October 20 activation decision and a November 5 mainnet target, subject to confirmation.

Institutional interest provides another potential catalyst Institutional investment developments have provided another source of attention for ZEC despite the recent correction.

Winklevoss Asset Services filed an S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on October 6 for a proposed spot Zcash exchange-traded fund.

The filing included a nonbinding indication of interest from Winklevoss Capital to purchase up to $100 million worth of shares.

A spot ETF could provide investors with exposure to ZEC through a regulated investment product without requiring them to hold the cryptocurrency directly. However, the proposed fund remains subject to regulatory review, and the indication of interest does not represent a completed investment.

Existing Zcash investment products in Europe have already provided another route for institutional and professional investors seeking exposure to the cryptocurrency.

The latest filing comes as Zcash continues to attract interest in privacy-focused blockchain transactions and technologies designed to protect sensitive financial information.

Nevertheless, neither the proposed ETF nor the network upgrades establishes that institutional buying caused the October 9 price recovery. The immediate improvement in ZEC’s trading indicators provides a clearer basis for assessing whether the rebound can continue.

Grayscale’s existing Zcash investment product provides more context for institutional demand. As crypto.news previously reported, the asset manager converted its Zcash Trust into a US-listed spot ETF on August 25, with approximately $304 million in assets under management at launch.

However, institutional flows have not remained consistently positive. The fund recorded $93.56 million in net outflows during the week ended October 2, including withdrawals of $30.25 million on September 30 and $26.93 million on October 2.

On the development side, Zcash’s NU7 upgrade entered testnet on October 4. The proposed changes would reduce target block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and introduce a mechanism that allocates part of transaction fees toward future block rewards.

Developers are expected to review the testnet results on October 20 before deciding whether to proceed with the proposed November 5 mainnet activation.

ZEC price analysis ZEC’s daily price structure remains bullish over the longer term, but the latest correction has pushed the cryptocurrency below its shortest major moving average.

The token was trading near $1,213 after recovering from an October 8 selloff that briefly took prices toward $1,100. The decline followed a rally that carried ZEC above $1,600 in late September.

On the daily timeframe, ZEC has fallen below its 20-day exponential moving average at $1,337.05. However, it remains above the 50-day EMA at $1,184.74, the 100-day EMA at $963.72 and the 200-day EMA at $740.22.

ZEC/USDT 1-day price chart. Source: crypto.news The moving averages remain arranged in bullish order, with the 20-day EMA above the 50-day, followed by the 100-day and 200-day averages. The recent decline has therefore weakened short-term price performance without reversing the longer-term moving average structure.

ZEC’s immediate support sits near the 50-day EMA at $1,185, where the latest daily candle has recovered after briefly trading below that level.

If buyers defend this area, the price could move toward $1,250 before attempting to reclaim $1,300. A sustained recovery above $1,300 would bring the 20-day EMA near $1,337 into focus, followed by the $1,400 resistance region.

However, a daily close below $1,185 would weaken the recovery attempt and expose the recent low near $1,100. Further losses could take ZEC toward the psychological $1,000 level, followed by its 100-day EMA near $964.

The daily Aroon indicator provides a separate reading of recent trend activity. Aroon Up stands at 92.86%, while Aroon Down is at 7.14%, indicating that the most recent 14-session high is considerably more recent than the corresponding low.

The high Aroon Up reading indicates that the preceding bullish trend still has influence within the indicator’s lookback period. However, ZEC’s position below its 20-day EMA means the reading has not yet translated into a recovery of the latest price losses.

On the 4-hour timeframe, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator remains negative, although its latest readings suggest that selling momentum is easing.

ZEC/USDT 4-hour price chart. Source: crypto.news The MACD line stands at -36.27, below the signal line at -33.19, while the histogram reads -3.08.

Both lines remain below zero, confirming that bearish momentum continues to dominate the shorter timeframe. However, the histogram has begun contracting after a period of larger negative readings, while the MACD line has started turning upward.

A bullish crossover between the MACD and signal lines would provide stronger evidence that the rebound is gaining momentum. If accompanied by a move above the recent 4-hour high near $1,240, ZEC could attempt to recover $1,250 and subsequently $1,300.

The Chaikin Money Flow indicator has recovered to -0.03 on the 4-hour chart after falling toward -0.20 during the latest selloff.

The recovery toward the zero line indicates that selling pressure has moderated considerably. However, the indicator remains slightly negative, meaning buying pressure has not yet become dominant over the measured period.

A sustained move above zero would strengthen the case for a recovery toward $1,300, particularly if the MACD completes a bullish crossover and ZEC maintains support above $1,185.

Conversely, another decline in CMF alongside a widening negative MACD histogram would suggest renewed selling pressure. Under that scenario, a break below $1,185 could lead to another move toward $1,100, with the 100-day EMA near $964 remaining the next major moving average support if $1,000 fails.

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

Aave’s active loans rose 8.1% to $12.6 billion. V4 deposits nearly doubled in September. Crypto payments and tokenized equities are driving expansion. Protocol revenue remains 66.6% below last year. Aave is attempting to build new sources of borrowing demand through cryptocurrency-backed payments, tokenized equities and institutional credit, even as its established lending business remains substantially smaller than a year ago.

The decentralized lending protocol recorded its third consecutive month of growth in September, with total value locked (TVL) averaging $31.4 billion and outstanding loans reaching $12.6 billion, according to Token Terminal’s September 2026 report, shared in X.

Yet the recovery remains uneven. Deposits increased 13.9% from August, while active loans grew 8.1%, leaving both measures more than 55% below their September 2025 levels.

At the same time, Aave V4 is expanding into markets that connect blockchain lending with consumer spending and traditional financial assets.

The strategy could broaden Aave’s borrower base beyond cryptocurrency traders, but its success will depend on whether those integrations generate sustained credit demand and interest income.

Aave’s Recovery Reveals a More Concentrated Lending Market Aave maintained its position as the largest onchain lending protocol in September, accounting for 47% of outstanding loans across projects tracked by Token Terminal. Its $12.6 billion loan book was more than twice the size of its nearest competitor, although its market share remained 17.4 percentage points below the previous year’s level.

The protocol’s average total value locked (TVL) reached $31.4 billion, increasing 13.9% from August and marking a third consecutive monthly gain. The recovery followed a prolonged contraction that reduced TVL from nearly $70 billion in September 2025 to approximately $23 billion in June 2026.

ave’s TVL increased for a third consecutive month in September, but remained 55.2% below its year-earlier level. Source: Token Terminal. The latest increase brings deposits back above $30 billion for the first time since April. Nevertheless, the protocol has recovered only part of the capital lost during the first half of the year, leaving its lending markets substantially smaller than in 2025.

Ethereum continued to anchor Aave’s liquidity, accounting for 83.1% of September TVL, equivalent to approximately $26.1 billion. Its dominance has persisted despite the protocol’s expansion across other networks, including Base, Arbitrum and OP Mainnet.

Ethereum remains the backbone of Aave’s liquidity despite the growing presence of newer networks such as Base, Arbitrum and OP Mainnet. The concentration is also evident in borrowing activity. Wrapped Ether (WETH) represented 39.8% of outstanding loans, followed by Tether (USDT) at 22.8% and USD Coin (USDC) at 22.6%.

While newer blockchain deployments are creating additional opportunities for specialized lending, Aave’s overall performance remains heavily influenced by activity on Ethereum.

A separate view from DefiLlama illustrates the recovery at a daily frequency. Its data shows a sharp TVL decline in late April and early May, followed by stabilization during June and July. A more pronounced rebound began in August and continued into September.

Aave’s TVL has recovered significantly since its April low, approaching $18 billion in October. The daily fee series offers an additional perspective. Although TVL has improved since the summer, fees have not shown a similarly pronounced recovery, indicating that the return of liquidity has yet to produce a comparable increase in fee-generating activity.

DefiLlama reports lower absolute TVL figures than Token Terminal, so the two datasets should not be treated as directly interchangeable. Both, however, illustrate the same broad trajectory: a steep contraction followed by a partial recovery.

That distinction sets up Aave’s next challenge. The protocol is rebuilding its liquidity base, but stronger borrowing demand will be needed to translate that capital into sustained lending revenue, particularly as Aave V4 expands into consumer payments and tokenized financial assets.

Consumer Credit Becomes a Growth Engine for Aave V4 The strongest expansion occurred in Aave V4, the protocol’s newer lending architecture.

Average deposits reached $1 billion in September, increasing 92% from August, while outstanding loans rose 84.4% to $301.2 million.

By month-end, deposits had climbed to a record $1.3 billion and active loans reached $402.7 million.

Much of the expansion came from Ether.fi Cash, a payment card that allows users to borrow stablecoins against cryptocurrency holdings rather than selling their assets to fund purchases.

Its Borrow Mode operates through a dedicated Aave V4 instance on OP Mainnet.

For customers, the arrangement provides spending liquidity while retaining exposure to eligible collateral. For Aave, each qualifying borrowing transaction creates activity within its lending infrastructure.

The Ether.fi Cash instance averaged $279.1 million in deposits during September, nearly tripling in its first full month.

Its influence extended to user activity.

Monthly active addresses across Aave increased 58% to 143,400, the highest level since February. OP Mainnet accounted for 43.7% of that activity, largely because of transactions associated with Ether.fi Cash.

The integration demonstrates how lending protocols can reach customers through financial applications without requiring them to interact directly with decentralized finance interfaces.

However, the reported user metric counts active blockchain addresses rather than verified individuals. Automated activity and multiple addresses controlled by the same user can affect the total.

The longer-term opportunity lies in converting payment activity into recurring borrowing balances, rather than relying exclusively on trading-related leverage.

Aave V4’s hub-and-spoke architecture supports this approach by connecting shared liquidity pools to specialized borrowing markets with separate risk parameters.

That structure allows partners to develop dedicated lending products while drawing on Aave’s broader liquidity infrastructure.

Tokenized Equities Bring Traditional Assets Into Lending Aave’s expansion is not limited to consumer payments.

On September 25, Coinbase Tokenized Stocks became available through an Aave V4 Equities Hub on Base, allowing eligible users outside the United States to borrow USDC against seven tokenized equities.

The supported assets include tokenized representations of Apple, Nvidia and Tesla shares.

This introduces a securities-backed lending model into Aave’s onchain infrastructure.

Instead of selling eligible equity exposure to obtain liquidity, a borrower can use tokenized holdings as collateral for a stablecoin loan.

The integration potentially opens a new source of demand from investors whose portfolios extend beyond cryptocurrencies.

However, tokenized equities introduce operational risks that differ from those associated with continuously traded digital assets.

Traditional stock exchanges have defined trading hours, while cryptocurrency lending systems operate around the clock. Differences in market liquidity, pricing availability and redemption arrangements can complicate collateral valuation during periods of volatility.

Aave’s ability to manage those risks will be important as the Equities Hub begins its first full month of operation in October.

September also brought a V4 deployment on Arc, Circle’s blockchain built around USDC.

Launched on September 16, the Arc market averaged $91.1 million in deposits during its first two weeks.

Together, the Base and Arc deployments broaden V4’s reach into stablecoin infrastructure and tokenized financial assets.

Institutional Lending Moves Beyond Onchain Custody Aave is pursuing a separate opportunity in institutional credit through its Horizon market and a proposed custody-based lending model.

Horizon, which supports borrowing against tokenized real-world assets, averaged $396 million in deposits during September, an increase of 6.5% from August.

Outstanding loans grew faster, rising 17.2% to $135 million.

On an annual basis, Horizon’s deposits increased 216.9%, while borrowing expanded 384.7%, making it one of Aave’s faster-growing specialized markets.

The figures suggest increasing demand for stablecoin borrowing against tokenized collateral, although Horizon remains small relative to Aave’s established markets.

Aave Labs has also proposed Custodied Collateral Lending, which would allow institutions to borrow stablecoins against assets held with a regulated custodian such as Anchorage.

The proposal addresses a constraint that can prevent traditional financial institutions from participating in decentralized lending.

Institutional investors may be subject to custody requirements that restrict transferring securities or other assets into onchain smart contracts.

Allowing eligible collateral to remain with a regulated custodian could make blockchain-based borrowing accessible without requiring institutions to abandon their existing custody arrangements.

However, the model would depend on reliable collateral verification, enforceable legal claims and procedures for managing defaults.

The proposal remained under governance discussion in early October and has not yet become an operating lending market.

Aave Labs has also outlined plans for a dedicated V4 real-world asset hub on Avalanche.

The Revenue Test: Can New Markets Restore Lending Income? Aave’s expansion comes against a difficult financial comparison.

The protocol generated $36.5 million in fees during September, up 7.5% from August but down 65.7% year over year.

Aave’s fee generation has remained below its late-2025 levels, despite a modest recovery in recent months. Interest paid by borrowers accounted for $36.1 million, or 99% of total fees.

The Aave DAO retained $5.2 million in revenue, an increase of 4.4% from August but a 66.6% decline from September 2025.

The distinction matters because total fees are not equivalent to protocol earnings.

Borrowers pay interest to access liquidity, most of which goes to depositors. The DAO retains a portion as revenue.

As a result, additional deposits can increase the capital available for lending without producing proportional revenue growth.

Aave’s newer integrations could improve that relationship if they attract borrowers who maintain outstanding loans and consistently pay interest.

For now, V3 remains the dominant contributor to lending activity, with approximately $12.3 billion in average active loans during September.

V4’s $301.2 million average loan book is growing rapidly but remains a relatively small portion of the total.

The protocol’s treasury averaged $161 million, increasing 22.6% from August. Because the treasury includes AAVE holdings, its reported dollar value is also sensitive to changes in the governance token’s market price.

Meanwhile, AAVE’s market capitalization averaged $2.2 billion, rising 32.6% month over month while remaining 53.7% below its year-earlier level.

GHO Growth Adds Another Dimension Aave’s native stablecoin, GHO, continued expanding despite the weaker annual lending figures.

Its average market capitalization reached $679.1 million in September, increasing 2.6% from August and 127.4% year over year.

The increase marked a fifteenth consecutive month of growth.

Aave’s savings product, sGHO, also benefited from an increase in the Aave Savings Rate from 4.25% to 4.50% annual percentage rate in August.

The rate remained unchanged following the October 2 update.

GHO’s expansion strengthens Aave’s stablecoin ecosystem and creates another connection between lending markets, liquidity provision and savings products.

However, growth in circulating stablecoin supply should not be confused with an equivalent increase in protocol revenue.

The economic contribution depends on how GHO is issued, used and integrated across Aave’s markets.

What Matters After September? Aave’s next stage of development will depend on three areas:

Consumer borrowing: Whether Ether.fi Cash produces sustained loan balances beyond its initial expansion. Tokenized collateral: How much borrowing demand emerges from the new Equities Hub on Base. Institutional credit: Whether the proposed custody-based model progresses through governance and attracts participants. The September report shows improving lending activity alongside the emergence of new products that could broaden Aave’s customer base.

Yet the financial figures also establish a clear limitation: the protocol’s recent growth has not restored the borrowing volumes or revenue recorded a year earlier.

Aave V4 provides a route into consumer payments and traditional financial assets, but those markets still need to demonstrate their economic contribution.

For investors and protocol participants, the more important indicators will be sustained growth in outstanding loans, capital utilization and interest-derived revenue rather than deposits or address activity alone.

Alex is a financial markets journalist and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, and he's spent close to ten years trying to answer one stubborn question: what's really driving this? It started in 2016, when Bitcoin refused to make sense to him - and rather than shrug, he stayed with it until it did. That patience became his method. He's less interested in what an asset is doing today than in the plumbing behind it: how liquidity flows, where risk hides, what a chart is quietly telling you that the headline isn't. That lens eventually stretched well past crypto into traditional markets, because the same forces - fear, leverage, incentives, timing - show up everywhere once you know how to look. Most coverage, in his view, insults the reader by stopping at the surface. Price up, price down, moving on. He'd rather leave someone genuinely understanding a move than merely informed that it happened. His path into markets ran through a Tourism degree at New Bulgarian University - proof, maybe, that curiosity beats credentials. With more than 200 deep analyses and over 10,000 articles behind him, he still walks away from most trading days having learned something he didn't know that morning.

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Hunterbrook Capital has taken a short position in Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), betting that early excitement over the company’s Muse AI agent is running ahead of the usage data.

Hunterbrook disclosed the position Friday with a Hunterbrook Media report based on alternative data from TickerTrends. The numbers point to a cooling launch.

Benzinga reached out to Meta Platforms for comment and did not receive an immediate reply.

META stock is moving. See the chart and price action here. Downloads SlipHunterbrook highlighted data showing Muse downloads averaged about 165,000 a day in the latest seven-day stretch, down 8.1% from roughly 180,000 the week before.

Daily downloads came in around 170,000 on Oct. 6, 21.1% below the Sept. 24 peak of about 215,000.

Reviews fell too. TickerTrends counted 4,716 Android and iOS reviews in the seven days through Oct. 7, down 11.6% from the prior week. iOS reviews dropped 22.5%.

TickerTrends drew attention this week after its $50.44 billion estimate of OpenAI‘s annualized revenue landed much closer to newly reported figures than the $70 billion number investors had been passing around.

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Usage Climbs, SlowlyDaily active users are still rising. TickerTrends put worldwide Muse DAUs at 2,730,919 on Oct. 6, the highest reading in its data.

Hunterbrook pointed to the slow pace as a problem and calculated an average net gain of about 198,000 users a day from Sept. 15 to Sept. 22. Growth slowed to about 87,000 a day the next week, then to about 74,000 a day in the seven days through Oct. 6. That makes the latest pace 62.4% slower than the first surge.

Muse also has fewer users than Threads did at the same point in its launch. Threads launched globally, though, and lost users much faster after its debut.

From Investigation to ShortHunterbrook first went after Muse last month over privacy concerns. The report alleged the agent could be prompted to compile lists of Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to vulnerable groups, including undocumented immigrants, transgender public school teachers and women who said they had ordered abortion pills in states with bans.

Hunterbrook Capital said it was not short Meta when that report ran. It is now, after the download and usage data turned.

Zuckerberg’s Big BetMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Muse “the centerpiece of our vision for what we’re building” at the company’s event last month. The agent can send email, book travel and shop using its own computer and browser in the cloud.

Meta added about $200 billion in market value as Muse rose to the top of the U.S. App Store and Google Play free-app charts, according to Hunterbrook.

Blocked Sites, Privacy RisksHunterbrook also pointed to websites limiting what Muse can do. TickerTrends tracks user reports of sites that have restricted the agent, including Amazon.com, Costco Wholesale and Netflix. In September, Amazon said it blocked Muse from shopping for customers.

META Stock Price Activity: Meta stock was down 0.41% at $717.95 at the time of publication Friday, according to Benzinga Pro market data. Meta shares slipped below $718 shortly after Hunterbrook published its report around 1:30 p.m. ET.

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Image: Shutterstock

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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The state of California is accusing Amazon of a price-fixing scheme that pushes wholesale vendors to raise prices at competing stores like Target, Walmart, Chewy, and Best Buy. And the state says, after the discovery process, it now has receipts to prove it. The case centers on several email exchanges between Amazon vendor managers and brands like Levi's, GlobalOne, Hanes, and Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Business Insider obtained the full case file and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents and over a dozen email exchanges to investigate if Amazon uses its influence as the largest e-commerce company in the United States to compel vendors to raise prices at competing retailers. We also spoke with several third-party sellers, like the inventors of the Bed Scrunchie, who say they, too, are pressured by Amazon to raise prices at other retailers.

So, has Amazon become too big and powerful? And is it possible the company is using its power to drive up prices everywhere?

The state of California is accusing Amazon of a price-fixing scheme that pushes wholesale vendors to raise prices at competing stores like Target, Walmart, Chewy, and Best Buy. And the state says, after the discovery process, it now has receipts to prove it. The case centers on several email exchanges between Amazon vendor managers and brands like Levi's, GlobalOne, Hanes, and Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Business Insider obtained the full case file and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents and over a dozen email exchanges to investigate if Amazon uses its influence as the largest e-commerce company in the United States to compel vendors to raise prices at competing retailers. We also spoke with several third-party sellers, like the inventors of the Bed Scrunchie, who say they, too, are pressured by Amazon to raise prices at other retailers.

So, has Amazon become too big and powerful? And is it possible the company is using its power to drive up prices everywhere?

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Jim Cramer built his reputation chasing momentum, so when AI stocks cratered and he credited a stock he openly hates for saving his portfolio, it raised a question worth sitting with: what exactly do you owe the boring names you…

Jim Cramer is best known for trading momentum, so the stock he picked to protect his portfolio on Thursday stood out. As artificial intelligence stocks fell after a Financial Times report on OpenAI’s revenue, the Mad Money host pointed to a dividend payer he openly dislikes having.

“Do you know how much I’ve hated owning Home Depot? The answer is about as much as I loved it today. Because it’s keeping me in the game on days like this one,” Jim Cramer said on Mad Money on October 8, 2026. He added that diversification keeps you in the game.

AI Selloff Sent Money Toward Forgotten Names Oracle (NYSE:ORCL | ORCL Price Prediction) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) led the decline. Beaten-down stocks outside the AI trade rallied as Treasury yields eased. Home Depot (NYSE:HD) was among them. CNBC reveals that Cramer’s Charitable Trust having shares of Broadcom and Home Depot.

A boring dividend stock does its job by holding up when a crowded trade unwinds, so an investor concentrated in AI does not get shaken out entirely.

Why Home Depot Has Been So Hard to Own Cramer’s frustration is supported by the chart. Shares traded at $291.90 midday Friday, down 13.31% year to date and 21.77% over the past year. Over five years, the stock is down 0.87%.

Housing is the anchor. On the August earnings call, CFO Richard McPhail said housing turnover “has never been lower as a percentage of the housing stock” and there is “just no sign of an inflection point at this moment.” The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 5.28% on October 7, keeping mortgage rates high. The company announced interim management plans on August 12 while its CEO takes temporary medical leave.

What You Get for Putting Up With Boring The business keeps growing anyway. Second-quarter revenue reached $47.86 billion, up 5.71% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $4.92 beat the $4.73 consensus, according to the company’s results filed with the SEC. Comparable sales rose 1.7%, online comps grew 11%, and management confirmed full-year guidance. McPhail said “we’re confident we’re taking share.”

The company paid about $2.3 billion in dividends during the quarter, supported by $12.65 billion of free cash flow in fiscal 2025. The quarterly dividend is $2.33 per share, or $9.32 annualized, for a yield near 3.10%. Home Depot called the February declaration its 156th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

The quarterly payout sat at $0.225 in both 2008 and 2009, frozen during the last housing collapse but never cut. It has since rose to $2.33. Over ten years, the stock is up 192.84% before dividends.

Where the Boring Thesis Gets Tested A 10-year Treasury at 5.28% pays more than Home Depot’s dividend, so the stock must earn its place through payout growth and resilience. This year’s raise was only 1.3%, and management guides fiscal 2026 diluted EPS to flat to +4.0%. Leverage runs high, with debt-to-equity near 5.10 and net debt to EBITDA around 2.65.

The valuation trades at about 21 times trailing earnings and 20 times forward estimates. Wall Street is split, with 4 Strong Buy, 17 Buy and 15 Hold ratings. The average price target is $378.34.

What to Watch Before the Next Dividend Decision Cramer’s point is about portfolio construction. A stock that lags during an AI rally can keep a portfolio standing when that rally breaks. For Home Depot, track comparable sales in the third-quarter report, any change in housing turnover as yields move, updates on the CEO’s leave, and the size of the next dividend raise. If the payout keeps growing through “frozen housing conditions,” the boring case gets stronger.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

As the race for faster, more efficient chips accelerates, should you prioritize the machinery that builds them or the processors that power them? Choosing between ASML Holding N.V. (ASML +0.60%) and Qualcomm (QCOM -0.29%) is a key decision for investors.

ASML provides the critical lithography equipment necessary for manufacturing advanced chips, while Qualcomm designs the wireless and AI-driven processors used in smartphones and data centers. These two industry titans offer different ways to benefit from the ongoing global demand for high-performance computing.

The case for ASML Holding N.V.ASML operates as the sole provider of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which are required to print the tiny circuits found in the most powerful AI chips available from semiconductor companies today. The enterprise sells these massive, multi-million-dollar systems to the world's leading chip manufacturers. Because it is the only company capable of producing this specific technology, ASML occupies a vital and virtually untouchable position in the global electronics supply chain.

Financial performance remains robust as chipmakers upgrade their facilities for the next generation of artificial intelligence hardware. In its 2025 fiscal year (FY), revenue reached $36.6 billion, representing a 15.6% increase over the $31.6 billion reported in the previous year. This growth helped the company generate $10.8 billion in net income, up from $8.5 billion in FY 2024, demonstrating its ability to expand profits alongside sales.

As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the company maintains a conservative capital structure with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.1x. This ratio, which measures total debt against shareholder equity, suggests the company is not overly reliant on borrowed money. The current ratio, a measure of the ability to pay short-term debts with current assets, sits at 1.3x, while free cash flow reached $12.4 billion. Free cash flow represents cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures.

The case for QUALCOMMQualcomm is the world leader in mobile system-on-a-chip designs and wireless connectivity, but it is rapidly expanding into new high-growth markets. While it counts Apple (AAPL -1.11%) and Xiaomi (XIACF +11.16%) among its major handset customers, it recently moved into the data center space. In September of 2026, the company entered a multi-year partnership with Amazon (AMZN +3.29%) to provide custom artificial intelligence chips and optical networking solutions for cloud infrastructure.

Revenue growth remains steady even as the company navigates a shift in its product mix. In FY 2025, revenue reached $44.3 billion, a 13.7% increase compared to the $39.0 billion earned in the prior year. However, net income fell to $5.5 billion from $10.1 billion in FY 2024, resulting in a net margin of 12.5%. This decrease in net margin, which is the percentage of revenue kept as profit, was influenced by higher research spending and shifting product costs.

As of its September 2025 balance sheet, Qualcomm shows strong liquidity with a current ratio of 2.8x. Its debt-to-equity ratio is 0.8x, indicating a higher level of leverage than its peer but still within a manageable range for its industry. The company generated $12.8 billion in free cash flow during FY 2025, providing ample capital for dividends and reinvestment into its business, which includes automotive and Internet of Things segments.

Risk profile comparisonASML faces significant risks regarding geopolitical tensions and international trade restrictions. Because its lithography machines are considered a matter of national security, the company is subject to export controls that limit its ability to sell to certain regions. Furthermore, its business is highly concentrated among a few massive customers, meaning any delays in their factory expansions could lead to significant order cancellations for ASML equipment.

Qualcomm is vulnerable to customer concentration, particularly in the premium smartphone market where it relies heavily on Apple. This makes it susceptible to shifts in device market share or the potential for customers to design their own internal chips. Additionally, Qualcomm faces intense competition from Broadcom (AVGO +0.39%) and Nvidia (NVDA -0.52%) in the AI and connectivity markets, alongside ongoing legal challenges regarding its patent licensing models.

Valuation comparisonQualcomm appears to be the more affordable option based on both earnings and sales multiples, while ASML commands a significant premium for its specialized market position.

MetricASML Holding N.V.QUALCOMMForward P/E41.6x17.5xP/S ratio17.6x4.2xValuation metrics include sourcing from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.

Which stock would I buy in 2026?When it comes to investing in the artificial intelligence sector, ASML is a sure bet because of its legal monopoly on advanced lithography machines, which competitors have struggled to keep pace with, and management's excellent oversight of the company's finances.

That said, at this time, I would invest in Qualcomm. Its far lower share price valuation offers the potential for greater upside. The company's stock is down because its core handset business operates in a mature market.

Moreover, the cost of components, particularly computer memory, has soared over the past year due to demand from the AI sector, resulting in rising prices that reduced consumer demand for smartphones. This contributed to the company experiencing a 4% year-over-year decline in sales to $9.9 billion in its fiscal third quarter ended June 28.

However, Qualcomm is pivoting to servicing the AI data center market in a bid to expand its business. The company's recent deal with AI titan Amazon suggests it's gaining traction here. This new line of business provides the potential for Qualcomm to return to revenue growth.

The settlement carries up to $35 million, but New York collects only if Mashinsky misses the forfeiture or prison terms set in his federal criminal case, the attorney general’s office said.

Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky is permanently barred from the crypto and securities industries in New York.

Posted October 9, 2026 at 12:15 pm ET.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday a settlement with Alex Mashinsky, a co-founder and former CEO of crypto lender Celsius Network, that permanently bars him from the securities, commodities and cryptocurrency industries. Her office said the deal secures up to $35 million.

The money is conditional. Mashinsky owes New York $25 million if he fails to forfeit $10 million in gains to the federal government, on top of assets he has already forfeited. He owes another $10 million if he does not serve his full prison sentence.

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The Federal Case and Bankruptcy Mashinsky is serving a 12-year sentence in a parallel federal criminal case. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said he pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2024, to a commodities fraud charge and a securities fraud charge. He was sentenced on May 8, 2025, and ordered to forfeit $48,393,446. The CFTC also announced on June 18 that a consent order resolved its own case against him, with a permanent injunction and permanent trading and registration bans.

The attorney general’s office said more than $3.4 billion had been distributed to creditors in the Celsius bankruptcy as of August 2026.

What New York Alleged James sued Mashinsky in January 2023, alleging he misled hundreds of thousands of people about Celsius’ safety, more than 26,000 of them in New York. The attorney general’s office said its investigation found he repeatedly described the platform as safer than a bank, even though Celsius did not face bank-level federal or state requirements. It also said investor assets went into high-risk strategies, many of which produced losses he concealed, and that he failed to register as a salesperson and as a dealer under New York law.

“Alex Mashinsky promised New Yorkers that his company was a secure place to invest their hard-earned savings, only to leave them penniless when his risky investments collapsed,” James said in the release. “I will not allow scammers to use cryptocurrencies to prey on unsuspecting New Yorkers.”

The office also encouraged crypto industry workers who have seen misconduct to file whistleblower complaints, which can be made anonymously.

Related Listen: DEX in the City: Why the Supreme Court’s FTC Ruling Could Rewire Crypto Regulation

AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.

Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Leary Ventures and widely recognized for his role on Shark Tank, publicly voiced his support for Avalanche at the Avalanche Summit NY 2026. In a recorded segment shared by the official @Avax account, O’Leary stated his belief in AVAX, highlighting a growing trend of major US corporations recognizing the platform’s advantages.

Institutional Attention on AvalancheThis endorsement from an influential investor marked a significant moment for Avalanche, pushing its reputation as an enterprise-focused blockchain to new heights. O’Leary, who has been active in the crypto market since 2021 and has invested in infrastructure and custody firms, drew attention to shifting institutional interests.

Amplified through Avalanche’s official social channels, O’Leary’s remarks linked AVAX directly to the theme of increasing corporate adoption. Key figures shaping this evolution include Ava Labs, the lead development organization behind Avalanche, and the Avalanche Foundation, which steers ecosystem growth. There is also a rising interest among enterprise clients exploring Avalanche’s customizable Layer-1 solutions, previously referred to as subnets.

Avalanche’s ecosystem now encompasses a range of stakeholders, including AVAX investors, C-Chain developers, institutional desks evaluating Layer-1 networks, exchanges like Coinbase and Binance facilitating price discovery, and custodians such as Coinbase Prime and Anchorage Digital. O’Leary offered a broader view of current industry trends:

I’m back buying crypto, but I was wrong to think Ethereum would dominate. I see more fragmentation until the wind turns and a major stock exchange selects a blockchain for its core infrastructure.

O’Leary’s comments placed Avalanche at the center of the enterprise blockchain conversation as financial institutions reconsider their technological strategies.

Enterprise Use Cases and Metrics ShiftAvalanche’s positioning now reflects a transition from retail-led narratives toward institutional adoption, where enterprise functionalities and corporate integration are key priorities. The platform enables businesses to create permissioned blockchains, utilize interoperable connections to C-Chain, customize gas tokens, and define validator permissions.

The merits of Avalanche are well understood among technologists at S&P 500 companies who recognize the importance of building scalable infrastructure.

The Avalanche Summit 2026 spotlighted tokenization as a transformative sector, with Ava Labs President John Wu revealing that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had spent over a year testing Avalanche’s technology for its tokenization initiatives. This reflects ongoing due diligence by major institutions considering blockchain solutions.

For investors and industry analysts, key metrics are changing. While Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have broadened access to digital assets, institutional-grade tokenized assets do not yet share the same infrastructure. Avalanche has carried out pilot projects with companies such as JPMorgan Onyx, Citi, Intain, and Deloitte, signaling continued enterprise experimentation.

Performance evaluations now include USDT and USDC supplies on Avalanche’s C-Chain, active Layer-1 deployments, and developer activity, as tracked by organizations like DefiLlama, Token Terminal, and Messari.

O’Leary further set a $1 million Bitcoin price milestone as a target related to quantum computing risks (or “Q-Day”), highlighting the increasing importance of security for Layer-1 chains such as Avalanche, Ethereum, and Solana.

Mini dictionary: Quantum risk (Q-Day), in the context of cryptocurrency, refers to the potential threat posed by advances in quantum computing to blockchain security. Quantum computers could, in theory, break current cryptographic systems, prompting the industry to prepare post-quantum security measures.

Outlook for AVAX PriceFor those tracking AVAX price, the key focus areas now include enterprise adoption rates, stablecoin liquidity on the Avalanche platform, production use cases for institutional Layer-1s, and the platform’s ability to sustain or increase total value locked in DeFi.

The transformation from initial pilot deployments to large-scale, live blockchain integration—especially by institutions like the NYSE or Nasdaq—would represent a major milestone and could shift leadership among competing Layer-1 networks. Yet, sectoral leadership remains distributed: Ethereum continues as the dominant DeFi platform, Solana maintains retail volumes, while modular networks keep competing for corporate interest.

NetworkDeFi DominanceRetail VolumesEnterprise InterestEthereumHighMediumGrowingSolanaMediumHighEmergingAvalancheMediumMediumRisingAny progress regarding regulatory clarity from the US Securities and Exchange Commission on tokenized securities and future market structure laws will influence the pace at which enterprise adoption grows. While O’Leary’s endorsement does not alter Avalanche’s fundamentals instantly, it emphasizes institutional validation as a new driver for AVAX price perceptions.

Moving forward, the sustainability of AVAX price appreciation may depend less on viral moments and more on whether enterprise adoption translates into sustained on-chain activity, higher transaction fees, and strategic institutional allocations.

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) ETFs pulled in $8.17 million Thursday, the only one of four major spot crypto ETF categories to post net inflows that session.

How XRP Broke From the PackSoSoValue data showed Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) funds collectively lost $319.99 million Thursday, while XRP funds added money:

The divergence held through the whole week, with XRP ETFs adding $11.31 million over the first four trading days while the other three categories combined shed $1.21 billion.

Ethereum logged its eighth straight session of outflows, and Solana extended its own losing streak to four sessions.

Franklin’s XRPZ (NYSE:XRPZ) accounted for the entire $8.17 million gain Thursday, while the other four XRP funds posted zero net flows, pointing to demand concentrated in one issuer rather than spread across the category.

Bitcoin’s selloff centered on Fidelity’s FBTC (NYSE:FBTC), which lost $197.09 million, roughly 81% of the category’s total outflow. 

BlackRock’s ETHA (NASDAQ:ETHA) led Ethereum withdrawals at $71.12 million, while Bitwise’s BSOL (NYSE:BSOL) lost $5.26 million in Solana, outweighing inflows into two competing funds.

XRP ETFs are now on track for a 13th straight week of net inflows, having added $11.31 million through Thursday. 

Friday’s numbers remain pending, and outflows would need to match that full amount to erase the week’s gain.

What the Charts Say About a BounceTrader Cryptoinsightuk said Thursday, as Benzinga reported, that XRP’s aggregated open interest fell 4.6% in token terms and 8.6% in dollar terms, a sharper drop than the price move itself suggests, pointing to leveraged positions getting closed out. 

Rising spot trading volume hints buyers may be stepping in despite the broader selloff, even as funding rates turned negative, showing more traders positioned for further downside.

Cryptoinsightuk flagged a bullish RSI divergence on the four-hour chart, where XRP prints a lower low while RSI forms a higher low, a signal that selling pressure may be fading. 

The trader expects a potential entry near the lower end of XRP’s range, though a brief liquidity sweep below support remains possible.

Where XRP Stands TechnicallyXRP trades flat at $1.38, after breaking below its rising trendline from August’s $1 low. 

That trendline now caps price as resistance, with XRP stuck below its 20-day EMA at $1.4555 and hovering right at its 200-day EMA near $1.3788.

Key levels for XRP: $1.40 to $1.46: resistance zone, 50-day and 20-day EMAs $1.34: 100-day EMA, deeper support Photo via Shutterstock

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Earnings season is well and truly here, and with it come myriad opportunities for investors to adapt and reflect. Next week’s earnings calendar has some major highlights, but it may be Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) that has the biggest implications. Where other firms may offer broad economic indicators, in financials, for example, TSM’s report will inform markets about broader tech trends related to chips, making it one to watch.

Key Takeaways: TSM reports earnings Thursday, October 15th. The firm’s semiconductor business and earnings may reveal broader trends for AI and tech. For the stock itself, however, several ETFs offer different overall types of exposure to the firm. Using the ETF Database Stock Exposure tool, investors can search for ETFs ranked by exposure to particular stocks. Looking at the top ETFs by weight for TSM, for example, offers different approaches to holding the stock. 

Filtering out ETFs under $300 million in AUM or so, for example, one can find the active Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF (CGNG) among the top holders of TSM. CGNG charges a 64 basis point (bps) fee to actively invest in emerging markets, including some frontier markets. 

The ETF assesses factors like per capita GDP, regulatory barriers, and capital as a GDP percentage in scrutinizing investments. CGNG uses a team manager approach, splitting segments of the work across its seasoned team. That has seen the ETF, which weights TSM as its largest stock at 11.5%, return 13.3% YTD. 

The State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF (GMF) provides an indexed approach, focusing on Asia Pacific emerging markets, specifically. GMR charges a 49 bps fee, holding not only one but two stock varieties from TSM. Together, that puts the fund’s weight to TSM at about 18.3%, combined, with the fund returning 11.9% YTD. GMF holds just over $400 million in AUM compared to CGNG’s $3.2 billion.

For those who want the most hyper concentrated exposure to TSM for a tactical move, however, leveraged ETFs can help. The Direxion Daily TSM Bull 2X ETF (TSMX) takes the cake as the leveraged ETF with the largest exposure to the stock. Charging 99 bps and meant to act as a daily, tactically-adjusted fund, TSMX has returned 85.3% YTD per ETF Database data.

See more: Combined Assets in SPY, SPYM Cross $1 Trillion for the First Time

TSM reports on Thursday, October 15th. Its data will have implications not only for its shareholders or its related ETFs, but for tech overall. For those wanting to get exposure to the stock as it prepares for that moment, the above ETFs could be worth watching.

For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Equity ETF Content Hub.

In 2016, the Singapore-based chipmaker Avago acquired the U.S. chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO +0.39%) for $37 billion, inheriting its brand. Over the following decade, it relocated its headquarters to the U.S., expanded its infrastructure software business with several major acquisitions, and launched more custom AI chips for hyperscalers.

From fiscal 2016 to fiscal 2025 (which ended last November), Broadcom's revenue grew at a 19% CAGR. Over the past ten years, its stock delivered a total return of 2,580% with reinvested dividends, outperforming the S&P 500's (^GSPC +0.59%) total return of 327%. Let's see what a $5,000 investment in Broadcom might be worth by 2032.

Image source: Getty Images.

What are Broadcom's biggest catalysts? In fiscal 2025, Broadcom generated 58% of its revenue from its semiconductor solutions segment and the remaining 42% from its infrastructure software segment. Here's how those two businesses fared over the past two and a half years.

Growth (YOY)

FY 2024

FY 2025

Q1 2026

Q2 2026

Semiconductor Solutions Revenue

7%

22%

52%

79%

Infrastructure Software Revenue

181%

26%

1%

9%

Total Revenue

44%

24%

29%

48%

Data source: Broadcom. YOY = Year-over-year.

Broadcom's semiconductor business sells a wide range of chips for the mobile device, data center, networking, wireless, storage, and industrial chip markets. But over the past two years, it ramped up its production of custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for processing AI tasks. When deployed at scale, these custom AI accelerators (XPUs) can process AI inference tasks more cost-efficiently than stand-alone GPUs.

As the AI market expanded, Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI software giants bought more of Broadcom's custom ASICs to curb their dependence on Nvidia's (NVDA -0.52%) GPUs.

That's why its AI chip sales soared 65% to $20 billion, or 31% of its top line, in fiscal 2025. It expects that figure to surge to $115 billion by fiscal 2027. That would represent two-thirds of its projected revenue and easily offset its slower sales of non-AI chips and infrastructure software.

Broadcom also sells high-speed Ethernet switch ASICs and optical interconnect components, which are essential for supporting AI clusters at data centers. Therefore, its soaring sales of custom AI chips will boost its sales of other AI infrastructure products.

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However, Broadcom's infrastructure software business -- which includes CA's enterprise software, VMware's cloud platform, and Symantec's former enterprise security division -- gives it even more ways to lock in its semiconductor customers with bundled services. Its stable growth should also insulate it from a cyclical slowdown in semiconductor sales.

Where will Broadcom's stock be in 2032? Broadcom's business could transform as sales of its custom AI chips soar. From fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028, analysts expect its revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to grow at CAGRs of 62% and 63%, respectively. Those are stellar growth rates for a stock that trades at 14 times next year's adjusted EBITDA.

According to Market Research Future, the global AI market could expand at a 38.5% CAGR from 2026 to 2035, while the global AI chip market could grow at a 33.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2035. If Broadcom keeps up with those secular trends, its stock could soar even higher.

If Broadcom matches Wall Street's expectations through fiscal 2028, grows its adjusted EBITDA at a 30% CAGR through fiscal 2033, and trades at a more generous 25 times its forward adjusted EBITDA, its stock could rise nearly tenfold by 2032 and turn a $5,000 investment into over $50,000.

That rally would propel Broadcom's market cap to over $17 trillion. By comparison, Nvidia -- the world's most valuable company -- is currently worth $5.6 trillion. That would certainly be a best-case scenario for Broadcom, but its stock could still easily double or triple in value even if its growth cools off over the next six years.

Early Flex migrations reportedly expand recurring revenue, testing whether bundled cybersecurity can widen customer spending. Summary

Flex can accelerate platform consolidation if larger contracts preserve CrowdStrike’s profitability.

CrowdStrike CRWD, the cloud-native cybersecurity provider, received a Needham price-target increase to $310 from $250 as its Flex subscription model drew fresh attention. Shares rose approximately 2.6% to $269.82 around 12:02 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 9. That leaves roughly 15% upside to the new target. The bullish case hinges on getting customers to buy more security products through a single spending commitment.

According to Stocktwits' reporting, Needham estimates that initial Flex migrations lift annual recurring revenue by an average of about 40%. That is an analyst estimate, rather than a company-disclosed cohort figure. CrowdStrike's second-quarter results provide firmer evidence of growth: annual recurring revenue climbed 25% to $5.84 billion, while subscription revenue increased 27% to $1.40 billion. Flex could help customers expand across the platform without negotiating every module separately.

The valuation picture raises the bar: shares sit 95.3% above the displayed GF Value estimate of $138.16. That premium signals substantial growth expectations, rather than proving the stock must fall. Bigger contracts are a promising start. The harder test is turning those commitments into lasting usage and renewals while protecting margins. Investors need to watch whether Flex delivers that growth without leaning too heavily on discounts.

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

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Dog-themed cryptocurrency Shiba Inu recorded an unusual lull in its signature token-burning activity. Over the past 24 hours, no SHIB tokens were removed from circulation, causing the burn rate to drop by 100%, according to data from the Shibburn platform.

Sudden halt in SHIB burningShibburn, a tracking tool for Shiba Inu’s deflationary mechanics, reported that no SHIB tokens were sent to burn addresses during the latest measured period. In comparison, the previous day saw 91,120,170 SHIB burned, when the burn rate spiked dramatically by 182,140%.

The absence of burns for the day does not point to a technical issue within the Shiba Inu ecosystem. Instead, it reflects the fluctuating nature of burn activity, which depends heavily on the level of community engagement and token transaction volumes.

In the last 24 hours, the Shiba Inu burn rate plunged to zero, marking a 100% decrease and a sharp contrast with the surge to 182,140% a day earlier.

In the previous week, the project’s community burned a total of 401.3 million SHIB, while 707.51 million tokens have been removed in the past 30 days. Overall, the market has seen 410,844,855,570,460 SHIB tokens burned since inception, amounting to a reduction of 41.08% from the token’s initial one quadrillion supply.

Market performance and price pressureFollowing the dramatic shift in burn activity, SHIB’s price also came under pressure. Over the past 24 hours, Shiba Inu fell 0.89% to $0.00000536. The downturn in SHIB’s value coincided with a broader market slide, which occurred after the US Federal Reserve’s minutes showed that most officials anticipated another rate hike by year-end.

Liquidations across the crypto market totaled $969 million within the same time frame, according to analytics firm CoinGlass.

PeriodSHIB BurnedLast 24 hours0 SHIBPrevious day91,120,170 SHIBLast 7 days401.3 million SHIBLast 30 days707.51 million SHIBTotal since launch410.84 trillion SHIBRecent price movementShiba Inu faced a second consecutive day of sharp losses on Thursday, hitting a low of $0.000005099. The meme coin’s price has declined for four days since reaching a recent peak of $0.000006 on October 5. During the drop, SHIB traded below both its 50-day and, briefly, its 200-day moving averages, though it later recovered above the longer-term average.

The market sell-off has affected many alternative cryptocurrencies, which had seen strong performances heading into late September.

Leverage and market risksGlassnode, a blockchain analytics company, reported that leverage in large-cap altcoins remains elevated. A growing number of major tokens now have open interest that is relatively high compared to their market capitalizations by historical standards.

According to Glassnode, this situation, where prices fall as positions remain open, could create conditions for a forced unwinding of leverage if market volatility worsens.

Mini dictionary: Glassnode is an on-chain data and analytics platform that provides insights on blockchain activity, investor behavior, and market trends in the cryptocurrency sector. It tracks key metrics such as open interest, trading volumes, and token flows for major digital assets.

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired The Chemours Company (“Chemours” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CC) common stock between February 20, 2026 and August 4, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”). Chemours investors have until December 7, 2026 to file a lead plaintiff motion.

Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Encourages The Chemours Company (CC) Shareholders To Inquire About Securities Fraud Class Action

ShareIF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOU’RE THE CHEMOURS COMPANY (CC) INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A CLAIM TO POTENTIALLY RECOVER YOUR LOSSES IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

You can also contact the Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz to discuss your legal rights by email at [email protected], by telephone at (310) 914-5007, or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com.

What Happened?

On August 4, 2026, Chemours announced second quarter 2026 financial results. Among other things, the Company reduced its adjusted EBITDA full-year guidance to $775 million to $825 million (from $800 million to $900 million previously). Further, in the accompanying earnings call, management admitted that “[a]s a result of the initial channel fill, aftermarket customers built additional inventory, creating an oversupplied channel heading into 2026.” Management further disclosed “from the Q2 and Q3 perspective, there's probably about $65 million of aftermarket sales that realistically, you think about like-for-like probably should have been allocated to more of this year.”

On this news, Chemours shares fell $3.34, or 18.63%, to close at $14.59 per share on August 5, 2026, thereby injuring investors.

What Is The Lawsuit About?

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) Defendants had materially overstated aftermarket demand for their Opteon products; (ii) demand for such products was decreasing as a result of Defendants' overselling Opteon products in the preceding fiscal year; (iii) as a result of these undisclosed issues, Defendants' financial guidance for the 2026 fiscal year was unreliable; and (iv) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:

If you purchased Chemours common stock, wish to learn more about this action, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please click HERE or contact us at:

Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz
2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 800
Century City, CA 90067
Telephone: 310-914-5007
Email: [email protected]
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com

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

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JOBY short

Sell Joby Aviation (JOBY). The stock is still trending down (lower highs/lows), below all moving averages, and a death-cross is nearing—momentum favors more downside. Fundamental pressure is real: dilution risk (shares up to ~986M) and a $116.9M Aerosonic verdict that can force cash outflows even if appealed. Even “near commercialization” doesn’t matter if investors fear capital needs before profits show up.

Key Risk: A clear, credible path to commercialization funding without dilution (e.g., large non-dilutive financing or strong contract wins that remove the capital-raise fear).

eVTOL basket short

Short the eVTOL peer group via ETFs/ETNs that track the theme (e.g., short an eVTOL-focused basket or use inverse exposure where available). The article shows the sell-off is industry-wide (Ehang, Archer, Vertical, Eve, BETA all collapsing). That means JOBY-specific positives won’t stop the sector de-rating; the market is repricing the whole timeline and cash-burn risk.

Key Risk: A sector-wide catalyst that flips sentiment fast—major certification/commercial revenue milestones across multiple companies that proves the business model now.

Joby Aviation JOBY stock has continued its steep slide, erasing most of the gains it made between 2023 and August 2025, when it surged from $3.10 to $21. The shares have now dropped to a low of $5.27, and the company’s market capitalization has fallen from $15.7 billion to $5.24 billion. With Joby nearing its commercialization phase, the question is whether this sell-off will continue.

The ongoing Joby Aviation’s sell-off has coincided with that of other companies in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry. Ehang, the Chinese eVTOL giant, dropped to $4.20, its lowest level since November 2022 and 85% below its highest point last year. 

Archer Aviation, its top competitor in the US, dropped to $4.86 from a high of $14.6 last year. Vertical Aerospace, Eve Holding, and BETA Technologies have all continued their freefall. 

The ongoing crash is happening even as Joby nears the commercialization phase of its business, which is expected to happen later this year or early in 2027. Investors are now starting to focus on whether its revenue and profits will surge after it enters the commercialization phase.

Most importantly, there are concerns about the company’s dilution. Its outstanding shares have soared to 986.52 million, up sharply from 604 million in 2022. While it ended the quarter with over $2 billion, there is a risk that it will need to raise additional capital because its profitability will take time. 

The company has also suffered a big setback after a jury in Tampa awarded Aerosonic nearly $116.9 million. According to Reuters, the jury determined that Joby owes $68 million for breaching a non-disclosure agreement and $48 million for misappropriating trade secrets regarding air data probes. Joby has disagreed with the verdict and is hoping to appeal. 

On the positive side for Joby, analysts expect that its revenue growth has more room to accelerate. The average estimate among analysts is that its annual revenue for this year is $119.5 million, up by 123% from a year earlier. It will then make $219 million next year, driven by its commercialization efforts and its Blade segment. 

Another potential catalyst for Joby is that it is seeking to become a big player in the defense industry through its acquisition of Resonant Sciences.

Joby Aviation stock chart | Source: TradingView

The weekly chart shows that the Joby Aviation stock has been in a strong sell-off in the past few months. It has moved from a record high of $20.9 last year to the current $5.25. 

The stock has continued to have a series of lower lows and lower highs. At the same time, it has slumped below all moving averages. Worse, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has continued falling and is nearing the oversold level of 32. It is also nearing the death cross pattern.

This means that it is still not in the oversold level, suggesting that it has more downside to go. If this happens, the stock may continue falling, with the next target to watch being at $3.21, its lowest level in December 2022. 

Shares of Kentucky Derby parent company Churchill Downs Inc (NASDAQ:CHDN) have fallen to lows last seen in October 2020. The company could have a hero coming to the rescue with entrepreneur and horse owner Mike Repole ready to make moves.

Mike Repole Takes Stake in Churchill DownsRepole may be best known in the beverage world as the co-founder of Vitaminwater parent Glaceau and BodyArmor, companies that were sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion and $5.6 billion respectively. Repole is also a horse owner with the Repole Stable a regular fixture at each year’s Kentucky Derby.

While Repole has gone 0-12 at the prestigious annual horse race, including several horses scratched, he’s hoping to win big with shares of the company that owns the race and legendary racetrack.

"Over the past four days, I’ve purchased 1 million shares and close to a 1.5% stake in @ChurchillDowns, and I may acquire more. I’m extremely excited about the possibilities. Churchill has tremendous assets, led by what I believe is the global crown jewel of horse racing, the @KentuckyDerby," Repole tweeted.

Repole said horse racing needs more education, marketing, innovation and evolution. He also highlighted the need for "stronger leadership and greater accountability," citing the "Old Guard" that has held growth of the sport back.

"Nobody loves building epic businesses and brands in a disruptive way more than I do. I believe a meaningful ownership stake in Churchill gives me the greatest opportunity to help create value for Churchill shareholders AND make a positive financial impact across all of racing."

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The Churchill Downs OpportunityRepole said he looks forward to working together with Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen and the company’s board of directors.

"I see firsthand the potential of what I believe is one of the most undervalued sports nationally and globally," Repole tweeted.

The entrepreneur highlighted strong viewership of the Kentucky Derby, which had 24.4 million viewers last year.

"That’s a major proof point of how BIG this sport can become."

Repole’s success in the beverage space at selling to bigger companies could be viewed as a positive. Another positive for the sports world is Repole’s past history working both with Kobe Bryant on BodyArmor and with Tom Brady on NoBull. Repole is also an investor in the United Football League.

Churchill Down reported records for revenue and adjusted EBITDA in this year’s second quarter along with record wagering for the Kentucky Derby week.

The company is set to report third-quarter financial results on Oct. 28, which could allow analysts to ask management if they have spoken to Repole or plan to engage in conversation.

While the stock price has struggled, the company has been beating analyst estimates. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in seven of the last 10 quarters and beat revenue estimates in nine of the last 10 quarters.

Churchill Downs Stock Price ActionChurchill Downs stock is up 5.4% to $80.28 on Friday, likely a reaction to Repole’s tweet. Shares have traded between $73.08 and $118.35 over the last 52 weeks, hitting the yearly lows earlier this month, levels last seen in October 2020. Overall, Churchill Down stock is down 28.3% year-to-date in 2026.

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Photo: Shutterstock

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could help accelerate the shift toward OLED laptop screens as demand for premium AI-powered PCs grows, according to a Friday report from Counterpoint Research.

Analysts expect OLED notebook display shipments to surge 50% in 2026 and another 24% in 2027, driven by Apple’s anticipated adoption of OLED technology in its next-generation MacBook Pro models.

The growth comes despite weakness in the broader notebook display market, where shipments are expected to decline 3% in 2026 due to rising memory costs and higher manufacturing expenses.

OLED Gains Ground As MiniLED Demand WeakensCounterpoint Research forecasts an 11% increase in advanced notebook display shipments in 2026, reflecting growing demand for premium screen technologies.

OLED is expected to account for 75% of advanced notebook display shipments in 2026, up from 56% in 2025.

Meanwhile, MiniLED notebook display shipments are projected to fall 38% in 2026 and another 60% in 2027.

Analysts attribute the shift to OLED’s thinner design, better image quality and improving cost competitiveness.

Analysts See Strong Growth Through 2030Counterpoint Research projects OLED notebook panel shipments will grow at a compound annual rate of 26% between 2024 and 2030. Revenue is expected to grow even faster, at 35% annually.

The stronger revenue outlook suggests rising average panel values alongside higher shipment volumes.

Counterpoint Research Associate Director David Naranjo expects Apple’s anticipated adoption of OLED displays and growing demand for premium AI PCs to accelerate the transition.

However, Naranjo said sustained growth will depend on manufacturers delivering better display performance at competitive prices.

Advances in tandem OLED technology, which improves brightness, power efficiency and panel lifespan, could strengthen adoption.

Meanwhile, improvements in manufacturing processes and production scale are expected to reduce costs and support broader OLED adoption through 2030.

The outlook suggests premium displays could remain a key growth opportunity for manufacturers even as the broader notebook market faces demand pressures.

Price ActionAAPL Stock Price Activity: Apple shares are trading lower by 1.76% at $334.43 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo via Shutterstock

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

If you had invested $10,000 in Alphabet (GOOG +0.92%) (GOOGL +0.83%) shortly after its IPO in 2004, your initial investment would be worth over $1 million today. Few corporations are capable of delivering such returns over just 22 years. That naturally leads to the following question: Can Alphabet pull it off again?

After all, when it first went public, the tech giant was worth a mere fraction of its current $4.2 trillion market cap, so it’s hard to see the company post similar returns from here on out. But there are also good arguments in favor of Alphabet once again crushing the market over the next two decades.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

A vote of confidence from the Oracle of OmahaIn the third quarter of 2025, Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +0.93%) (BRKB +0.89%) initiated a position in Alphabet. It has since expanded its stake by purchasing additional shares in the tech leader. Why is this relevant to our analysis of the company? As it turns out, Warren Buffett himself was behind the original decision to buy Alphabet's shares.

Buffett is known for his long-term investing philosophy. He has famously said that his favorite holding period is "forever." Berkshire Hathaway buying Alphabet's shares under Buffett's orders -- and buying even more afterward, to the point where the tech giant is now among Berkshire's five largest holdings -- tells us what one of the most successful investors on planet earth thinks about Alphabet's long-term prospects.

Multiple growth driversOf course, Buffett can be wrong. Anyone can be. Investors need to do their own due diligence and examine Alphabet's business. Once we do that, it becomes even clearer that Alphabet boasts wonderful prospects, at least in my view. First, consider the company's core advertising segment.

This is a mature business that no longer generates the kinds of top-line growth it once did, but Alphabet remains one of the largest companies in digital advertising and boasts a wide moat from multiple sources, including network effects and switching costs. Further, artificial intelligence (AI) has arguably strengthened Alphabet's advertising business, despite some people thinking that its search engine, Google, could be displaced by AI chatbots.

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Nothing of the sort happened. Alphabet introduced AI overviews and AI mode and was able to keep its search empire intact. The digital ads industry is projected to continue growing at a good clip, and Alphabet could capitalize on this. Then there is Alphabet's cloud computing business.

Although it doesn't have the largest market share in cloud computing, Alphabet's Google Cloud is particularly strong in the AI niche, which has helped the company perform extremely well, with cloud sales accelerating significantly in recent quarters. Here, too, there is a growing opportunity that Alphabet could tap into over the long run. The company has other attractive growth avenues, too.

It is one of the leaders in streaming, for instance, an industry that should also make significant progress over the next couple of decades, as viewers continue cutting the cord. Elsewhere, Alphabet continues to ramp up its self-driving vehicle business, Waymo. According to some reports, it has reached $350 million in annual recurring revenue.

That's a minuscule portion of Alphabet's total revenue, but if self-driving cars continue to gain traction, we could see Waymo contributing meaningfully to Alphabet's financial results within the next couple of decades. It might not get there, but Alphabet generates significant earnings and cash flow and can pounce on other lucrative growth opportunities.

Adjust your expectationsThere are risks to consider before investing in Alphabet, including legal and regulatory ones. The company has been the subject of antitrust litigation, for instance. Beyond that, Alphabet is spending heavily on its AI build-out, and if AI monetization falls short of expectations, it could see slower revenue growth and tighter profit margins. That said, even with these caveats, I expect Alphabet to generate above-average returns over the long run. But could it turn $10,000 into more than $1 million over the next 22 years? Probably not.

That would give the company a market value of roughly $420 trillion, significantly more than the U.S. GDP. Investors shouldn't expect returns of this magnitude, but the stock is still worth holding for the long term.

Pendle Finance has a new fixed-yield market, and the collateral is not another wrapped staking token. It is Brazilian credit card debt.

The product, called Senior nOPAL (srnOPAL), shows an annual percentage yield of 11.59% on Pendle. That figure comes from short-term receivables tied to card payments in Brazil.

What srnOPAL actually is srnOPAL is the senior tranche of nOPAL, a tokenized vault. Senior holders eat first. Junior holders get whatever is left, but they are paid more for standing at the back.

In this setup, junior capital provides first-loss coverage. If some receivables go bad, the junior layer absorbs those losses before senior holders feel anything. The minimum coverage is set at approximately 15% of the total investment.

The market went live on September 15, 2026, and matures on January 7, 2027. Pendle’s model lets users lock in a rate until that maturity date, which is why the yield is described as fixed rather than floating.

The base yield on the underlying asset is projected to land between 11% and 12%. The nOPAL token itself targets roughly 11.5%, denominated in US dollars and hedged against foreign exchange swings. That hedge matters, since the receivables originate in Brazil.

The new market also comes with various partner rewards layered on top. Those incentives are part of the pitch, though the 11.59% figure is the headline number on the Pendle app.

Where the yield comes from nOPAL is issued by BlackOpal Finance and runs through the Plume Network. The underlying assets are Brazilian credit card receivables settled via Visa and Mastercard.

When a Brazilian merchant makes a card sale, it may wait for settlement. BlackOpal buys those receivables at a discount, giving the merchant cash immediately. The gap between the discounted purchase price and the eventual settlement is the yield.

BlackOpal says it has recorded zero defaults over more than 25 years and maintained a 0% default rate since inception. The firm also has over $200 million in institutional backing behind it.

A sequel, not a debut srnOPAL extends an earlier nOPAL market on Pendle, which matured in mid-September 2026. The new version rolls things forward with the January 2027 maturity date.

The launch also fits a wider pattern. Platforms including Exponent and Strata Markets have seen activity around similar products, all built on the same idea: slice risk into layers so investors can pick their seat.

Pendle has leaned hard into real-world asset (RWA) markets. Its RWA offerings have collectively crossed $1 billion in total value locked (TVL), meaning more than $1 billion in user funds sits in these tokenized products.

What this means for investors and DeFi The obvious draw is a double-digit fixed rate that does not depend on crypto prices. The senior-junior split lets conservative capital sit behind a loss buffer, while risk-tolerant capital chases higher returns in the junior slot.

The risks are not crypto risks. They are credit risks, emerging-market risks and counterparty risks. If Brazilian consumers or merchants run into trouble, the approximately 15% junior cushion is what stands between losses and senior holders.

There is also the question of how much investors can actually verify. On-chain tokens are transparent. The Brazilian receivables underneath them live off-chain, which means trust in BlackOpal’s underwriting and reporting carries real weight.

The FX hedge reduces one variable but does not remove all of them. Hedges cost money and depend on counterparties, so the USD-denominated yield rests on that arrangement holding up.

For traders, the January 7, 2027 maturity creates a defined window. Short-dated fixed-rate products like this open room for strategies built around locking a rate and holding to term, rather than speculating on price.

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

Key Takeaways GE shares fell 14.9% in three months, but strong engine demand and growth prospects favor the stock.Commercial Engines & Services revenues jumped 27% in Q2 2026, fueled by robust engine deliveries and orders.GE raised its 2026 free cash flow outlook to $8.9-$9.2 billion, but high debt, costs and valuation pose risks. GE Aerospace’s (GE - Free Report) shares have declined 15% in the past three months against the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 3.2% and the industry’s 14.9% decline. Other industry players, like RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX - Free Report) , have declined 6% and 18.6%, respectively, over the said time frame.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Closing at $305.62 yesterday, the stock is trading below its 52-week high of $388.84 but higher than its 52-week low of $268.91. The stock is currently trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Some investors might see this dip as an opportunity to buy GE, considering the vast long-term potential of the aerospace and defense market and the company’s robust project pipeline. However, it would be prudent to assert if it is the right time to invest in the stock. Let’s delve deeper.

Factors Favoring the CompanyThe strongest driver of GE Aerospace at the moment is the persistent strength in its Commercial Engines & Services segment. Solid demand for GE’s LEAP, GEnx & GE9X engines and services, supported by growth in air traffic, fleet renewal and expansion activities, is driving the segment’s performance.
In the second quarter of 2026, GE Aerospace’s engine deliveries within this segment increased 26% year over year, indicating better throughput as it works through customer demand. The Commercial Engines & Services segment’s revenues and orders jumped 27% and 18%, respectively, on a year-over-year basis in the quarter.

In the first nine months of 2026, the company secured several major engine orders and service agreements. Among major awards, GE secured GEnx engine orders from United Airlines and Delta Air Lines for their Boeing 787 Dreamliners. It secured LEAP engine orders from American Airlines and Copa Airlines for their narrowbody fleet. GE and Safran’s 50/50 joint venture, CFM International, also clinched an order from BOC Aviation for delivering up to 200 LEAP-1A and 100 LEAP-1B engines.

Solid demand for the company’s propulsion & additive technologies, critical aircraft systems and aftermarket services in the defense sector is driving the Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment’s results. In the second quarter, revenues and orders from the segment were up 16% and 12%, respectively. Revenues from Defense & Systems business increased 12%, with strength in both services and equipment, including unit deliveries rising 7%. Propulsion & Additive Technologies business’ revenues grew 23%, led by Avio Aero.

GE remains committed to rewarding its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. In the first six months of 2026, GE paid dividends of $873 million and repurchased shares worth $4.2 billion. Also, the company raised its dividend by 30.6% to 36 cents per share in February 2026.
The company now forecasts free cash flow of $8.9-$9.2 billion for 2026, above its earlier projection of $8.0-$8.4 billion. GE Aerospace had also previously outlined plans to raise total shareholder returns by 20% to roughly $24 billion over the 2024-2026 period through a combination of dividend payments and share repurchases.

Despite the positives, rising debt levels remain a concern. Exiting second-quarter 2026, GE’s total borrowings were $19.2 billion. The figure comprised $2 billion of short-term borrowings and $17.2 billion of long-term borrowings. Also, it has been grappling with high costs and operating expenses. In the second quarter, its cost of sales (comprising costs of equipment and services sold) surged 26.7% year over year to $8.7 billion.

GE’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

GE Aerospace is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 34.79X, higher than the industry average of 27.16X. This elevated valuation could make the stock vulnerable to further pullbacks if market sentiment sours.

In comparison with GE’s valuation, its peers, RTX Corp. and L3Harris Technologies, are trading cheaper. Notably, RTX and L3Harris Technologies are currently trading at 24.13X and 18.03X, respectively.

Earnings Estimate Revision
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE’s 2026 earnings has increased 0.6% to $7.91 per share over the past 60 days, indicating year-over-year growth of 24.2%. The consensus mark for 2027 earnings also increased 0.6% to $9.04 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 14.3%.

Should You Invest in GE Stock Now?GE Aerospace’s solid foothold and persistent strength in the commercial and defense aerospace markets, driven by solid build rates, strong engine demand and a robust defense budget, bode well for growth. Given the strength in most of its served markets, GE has built a sound liquidity position that supports its shareholder-friendly policies.

Despite its expensive valuation, given the positive analyst sentiment and its growth prospects, the time appears right for potential investors to bet on this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.