Cardano is advancing towards a pivotal phase in its roadmap, with the Dijkstra era bringing new features and capabilities to the blockchain in the coming years. This upcoming era marks a significant development cycle for Cardano, a leading proof-of-stake blockchain platform developed by Input Output Global and governed by the community-led organization Intersect.
Key milestones and phased rolloutThe Dijkstra rollout follows a two-phase implementation plan. Phase 1 introduces Linear Leios with Nested Transactions, aiming for deployment on the Cardano mainnet by the end of 2026. Phase 2 will introduce Peras, scheduled to activate in a separate intra-era hard fork in the second quarter of 2027.
Intersect, which oversees much of Cardano’s research, development, and governance, stated in a recent update that preparations for the Dijkstra era hard fork are progressing steadily. This work includes efforts in node development, ecosystem readiness, and enhancements to downstream tools.
A series of four major Haskell node releases are set to drive incremental adoption of Dijkstra features. Each release will offer various functionalities, moving Cardano closer to a full-scale era upgrade.
Intersect noted that upcoming node releases will allow the community to test Dijkstra capabilities, with key milestones carefully mapped out in the months ahead.
Upcoming node releases and featuresCardano-node-11.1.1 is scheduled for release by September 7, targeting deployment on the mainnet. This version removes the legacy tracing system and addresses known Genesis issues, aiming to improve performance and stability.
Following shortly after, Cardano-node-11.2 will deliver the core feature set for Dijkstra, enabling broad testing but omitting Leios elements. Leios will remain mainly related to consensus mechanics and block production, meaning node 11.2 will facilitate testing of other Dijkstra components without impacting full consensus operations.
The release candidate for the Dijkstra hard fork, Cardano-node-11.3, is targeted for launch within one to two months. This version will support crossing the hard fork and integrate all core Dijkstra functionalities, including the Leios upgrade.
Cardano-node-12.0 will be the definitive hard fork release. Although its final launch date is yet to be determined, it will mark the full production transition for the Dijkstra era.
Mini dictionary: Intersect is a decentralized membership-based organization that governs Cardano’s development and steers ecosystem strategy. It involves developers, stakeholders, and community members.
Testnet access and governance activityDevelopers and community members will have early access to new Dijkstra features on a dedicated public testnet, “DijkstraNet,” following the release of node 11.2. DijkstraNet will run parallel to MusashiNet, a test environment that will continue to support Leios development while DijkstraNet focuses on the broader feature set.
Intersect will also hold two node diversity workshops—one in Singapore during TOKEN2049 on October 6 and another in London on November 13 and 14—to enhance infrastructure readiness and stakeholder engagement.
Governance participants are encouraged to track upcoming Dijkstra-related constitutional amendments, which Intersect will propose publicly.
Dijkstra hard fork timeline and confidence windowsFollowing a recalibration of the technical delivery timeline, key dates have been provided for the anticipated Dijkstra hard fork. A moderate confidence window estimates mainnet execution between December 5, 2026 and January 4, 2027, while a high confidence window has been set between February 24, 2027 and March 26, 2027.
The Dijkstra era aims to deliver significant new capabilities to Cardano, with the phased rollout offering extensive testing, governance input, and technical preparation before the upgrade goes live.
Node ReleaseKey FeaturesPlanned Timeline11.1.1Removes legacy tracing, fixes Genesis issuesBy September 7, 202611.2Dijkstra features for testing (excludes Leios)Within one month after 11.1.111.3Hard fork release candidate, includes Leios1–2 months after 11.212.0Definitive hard fork releaseTo be determined
TLDR Liquid reported that attackers removed about 4,000 Bitcoin, worth roughly $320 million, from its federation wallet. The funds moved through SideSwap’s Peg-out Authorization Key service, although Liquid and SideSwap said the PAK itself was not compromised. SideSwap linked the affected L-BTC to a reported vulnerability in Elements, the Bitcoin-based software behind Liquid. Liquid disabled bridge nodes and paused network activity while federation members investigated the incident. Charles Hoskinson used the breach to warn that AI could make software vulnerabilities easier to discover and exploit. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has responded to reports that attackers removed about 4,000 Bitcoin from the Liquid Network federation wallet. The reported loss totaled roughly $320 million and prompted Liquid to pause network activity while federation members reviewed the incident.
Charles Hoskinson linked the breach to wider concerns about artificial intelligence and software security. His response focused on whether traditional testing can keep pace as AI tools become better at finding code weaknesses and automating attacks.
Charles Hoskinson Raises AI Security Concerns Liquid said the attackers moved the funds through SideSwap’s Peg-out Authorization Key service. SideSwap and Liquid both said attackers did not compromise the PAK itself. SideSwap instead pointed to a vulnerability in Elements, the Bitcoin-based software that Liquid uses.
We are aware of a security incident on @Liquid_BTC. Purported white-hat hackers have withdrawn ~4,000 BTC (~$320 million) from the Liquid Federation wallet. The @Blockstream team is working on contacting them on-chain with a signed message.
What we know so far is that the funds…
— Liquid Network 🌊 (@Liquid_BTC) September 6, 2026
After the transaction, Liquid disabled bridge nodes and paused network operations. Exchanges also received alerts and began suspending, or preparing to suspend, L-BTC deposits and withdrawals while the investigation continued.
The transaction also carried an OP_RETURN message from the attackers, who described themselves as white hats and asked for contact through the blockchain. Liquid has not said that claim changes its investigation. The network continues to treat the transfer as an unauthorized movement of federation-held Bitcoin, still under review.
Formal Methods Enter the Security Debate Charles Hoskinson said formal methods could offer stronger protection as AI-driven security risks increase. Formal methods use mathematical specifications and proofs to check whether software follows its intended design before developers release it.
AI systems can now review source code, search for weaknesses, and automate parts of phishing and social-engineering attacks. The reported Coldcard theft of about $130 million in Bitcoin has also added attention to the role advanced tools may play in future crypto attacks.
Cardano’s Focus on Formal Verification Cardano has used academic research, peer review, and formal verification as part of its development process. Its Ouroboros consensus protocol came from formal research, while Cardano developers have used mathematical methods to test important protocol properties.
The network also uses Haskell and Plutus, which rely on strong type systems and functional programming. These tools can help developers find some software errors earlier. Charles Hoskinson has long presented this model as a way to reduce weaknesses before code reaches production safely.
Hardware wallet maker Trezor has confirmed that a data incident at its fulfillment partner ShipMonk reached far more people than first announced. In a September 4, 2026 update to its official notice, the company said ShipMonk contacted it on September 2 with word that stolen files also contained order records from an earlier working relationship that ran from November 2019 through August 2021.
Those older files affect about 67,000 additional customers in the United States.
Added to the roughly 13,689 people named in the mid-August disclosure, the identified total now approaches 80,700.
Trezor said every newly identified buyer has been emailed from its security address.
Anyone who did not receive that message is not part of the expanded group.
The extra records include full name, email address, telephone number, shipping address, and order number.
Trezor repeated that its own infrastructure was not entered, and that devices, private keys, recovery phrases, and wallet backups were never part of the stolen set.
What leaked is the information a warehouse needs to print a label and hand a box to a courier. That combination still matters.
It marks a person as a confirmed owner of a hardware wallet and ties that person to a street address, which can make phishing emails, fake support calls, and mailed scams more convincing.
Trezor also flagged a possible increase in physical security risk and urged customers to treat unexpected contact that cites an old order as hostile until proven otherwise.
When the company first published the story on August 13, it described a narrower event.
ShipMonk had reported unauthorized access on August 10. Trezor then listed 11,742 customers with full exposure of name, email, phone, and shipping address, plus 1,947 with partial exposure limited to name, city, and email.
Those recent shipments went out between May 10 and August 8, 2026, to addresses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, and Portugal.
At that time Trezor credited a strict 90-day data-retention rule that it said it had written into contracts with fulfillment partners.
Older files, the company believed, had already been deleted or anonymized.
The September update shows that belief was wrong for the 2019–2021 US cohort.
Trezor stated that throughout the relationship it had asked for deletion and had received written confirmation that the data was gone, in line with the contract, its own data policy, and earlier messages.
It said it was disappointed that those confirmations did not match what remained on ShipMonk’s systems.
The mismatch matters because hardware-wallet buyers are a high-value target.
Attackers who know that a specific household purchased a Trezor years ago can craft messages that look like official support, a customs notice, or a warranty follow-up.
Trezor told customers never to type a recovery phrase into a website, never to read it over the phone, and never to assume that a caller who already knows an old order number is legitimate.
Official communication, the company said, comes from known addresses and does not demand seed words.
Parcel contents themselves were not in the leaked files.
The episode is a reminder that even firms built around offline key storage still depend on third parties that keep names and doorstep details.
Trezor called the incident the first since its 2013 founding in which customer phone numbers and shipping addresses were exposed.
In response it has pointed to anonymous-delivery options rolling out in the European Union and planned for the United States later in the year, so that future shipments need not carry a home address in the same way.
Those measures do not erase the older records that should have been purged.
Customers who received a notice should stay alert for weeks or months, not days.
Scam campaigns often lag a public disclosure.
Checking that a Trezor device still boots and that firmware is current is useful hygiene, but it does not address the leaked mailing data.
Changing email passwords, enabling strong authentication on accounts tied to that address, and being cautious about unexpected packages or visitors are practical steps.
People who never got an email from Trezor’s security team can treat themselves as outside the newly disclosed US group, though the original August cohort remains separately notified.
Third-party risk of this kind is difficult to eliminate.
Written deletion clauses and audit letters only work if the partner actually removes the files.
Trezor’s update makes that gap public and asks affected buyers to assume that names, phones, and addresses from 2019–2021 may now circulate among criminals. The wallets themselves, the company insists, were not compromised. The personal data that was supposed to vanish years ago was.
XRP still has two major price waves to complete before the altcoin bear market ends, according to crypto market analyst RWA_Investor.
In a recent post on X, the analyst shared an Elliott Wave chart showing XRP rising again before facing another major correction and entering a larger bullish phase.
In other words, the analyst expects more volatility before XRP’s next major uptrend.
XRP Set to Push Toward $2.64–$3.09 The analysis sees XRP’s recent price movement as part of a larger correction in a W-X-Y pattern. From its current level, XRP will first rise toward $1.87–$2.11 before moving even higher.
The main upside target is between $2.64 and $3.09, suggesting that XRP is on track for a potential 2x price run. However, the chart shows that this will not mark the end of the correction. Another major drop will follow before the larger bullish move begins.
XRP chart: Source X One of the most notable aspects of the setup is the projected decline after the rally. Following the move toward the $2.64–$3.09 zone, the chart shows XRP falling back toward approximately $1.42 before beginning another major leg lower.
The analyst’s projection ultimately places Wave (Z) around $0.7451, representing a substantial downside move of approximately 46% from current levels.
Under this structure, XRP will experience a strong rally followed by another major sell-off before the overall corrective pattern is complete. From then on, the market enters a full-fledged bullish phase, according to the analyst.
XRP Remains Up 35% Monthly Despite the bearish long-term scenario outlined in the chart, XRP recent performance remains relatively strong. XRP is trading around $1.39, down 1.38% over the past 24 hours. However, the token remains up approximately 35% over the past month.
The current price also remains well above the chart’s earlier $1.0357 Fibonacci support area, which marks an important level in the analyst’s structure. For now, XRP needs to hold above the $1.40 area and build enough momentum to challenge the $1.87 and $2.11 resistance zones.
Other Analysts’ View on XRP Price Analyst XForceGlobal XRP recently said he expects XRP to first reach $2 and potentially climb to $3–$4 if its bullish trend continues.
For context, XRP recently dropped more than 22% from $1.70 but has recovered from $1.31 to around $1.40. XForceGlobal believes the current decline may be a final correction before another rally.
Meanwhile, XRP’s falling reserves on Binance could also support the bullish outlook. Specifically, Binance’s XRP reserves have fallen by about 500 million XRP, from 3.1 billion in November 2025 to 2.6 billion currently. This suggests investors may be moving coins into private wallets for long-term holding.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Well-known trader Killa: Altcoins may have already bottomed out ahead of schedule, making now a good time to accumulate positions.
Renowned crypto trader Killa said in a recent post that while he dislikes the vast majority of altcoins and even believes 99.9% of projects will eventually go to zero, selective participation is worth it as long as there are profit opportunities in the market. He noted that historically, one of the favorable periods to allocate to altcoins is when Bitcoin starts forming a bottom and begins a gradual rally. Killa pointed out that during the last cycle, when Bitcoin rallied from $16,000 to $74,000, many altcoins saw gains of 300% to 500%. However, after Bitcoin began significantly outperforming the market and its market dominance rose further, many altcoins started to plunge sharply. He believes that if his assessment is correct and Bitcoin has now formed a cyclical bottom, many altcoins may have also completed bottoming at low levels, meaning there is significant upside potential for selectively allocating to quality assets ahead of the actual bull market expansion phase. Killa revealed that he previously bought SOL at $76, and the position is now up roughly 50% from entry. His previously disclosed entry price for HYPE spot and long positions was $51.55, with subsequent gains of around 70%. He also recently shared a swing long position in ASTER, and expects this position to deliver upside of at least 50% to 100%. “Altcoins may have already bottomed out in advance, while the real rally has not yet started. Now is the time for selective allocation,” he said. He added that different altcoins will likely rally in rotation going forward, and he will continue holding his previously disclosed positions in SOL, ASTER, and HYPE, while looking for more worthy assets to allocate to.
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Bitcoin drops back below $80,000; this week's inflation data may be key to determining its next market direction.
Bitcoin fell in low-liquidity conditions on Monday, dropping nearly 2% intraday, falling back below the $80,000 threshold again and erasing almost all of its gains from the weekend when it first broke above that level. This comes after Bitcoin notched its first weekly close above $80,000 since May. Due to the U.S. Labor Day holiday, U.S. stock markets were closed, reducing market liquidity and leading to thinner order books, amplifying the risk of short-term price swings. Data from CoinGlass shows that long and short liquidations in the crypto market over the past 24 hours were relatively balanced, with total liquidations amounting to around $178 million. Currently, near-term market liquidity is concentrated at two key levels: $80,500 and $78,800. QCP Capital noted that market volatility has continued to contract recently, with traders waiting for new external catalysts. U.S. inflation data set to be released this Thursday and Friday could be a key factor influencing the market’s direction and further shaping expectations for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike path. Despite Bitcoin’s recent sideways consolidation, analysts are still highlighting its resilience. Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget, stated that Bitcoin’s ability to hold its high range—even amid stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data, which typically boosts U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar and pressures risk assets—shows the market is not viewing potential Fed rate hikes as the sole determinant of current price action. Additionally, inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs remain a key market focus, with net inflows hitting around $730 million in a single day earlier, marking the highest daily inflow since January this year.
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OpenAI’s Chief Scientist warns that AI is advancing too rapidly, saying “extreme caution” is needed now.
Insight: Beating AI News Flash — OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki warned that artificial intelligence is advancing too rapidly, growing increasingly difficult for humans to understand and control, stating that "extreme caution is needed now." He noted that AI models can already operate computers, collaborate with humans and other AIs, and conduct research, and that in the near future, they may achieve "recursive self-improvement" without human intervention. Pachocki expressed concern that no one is prepared for the consequences of the continuous rapid advancement of machine intelligence. Developers can align AI more closely with human interests, or slow down future research and development (R&D) if necessary. He anticipates and hopes that "voluntary slowdowns" in R&D by AI labs will become the norm before the industry establishes common safety standards. OpenAI has currently adopted a limited rollout approach for GPT-6 Astra due to its advanced cybersecurity capabilities.
Hunter Biden’s upcoming Meme coin project, set to launch on September 9, has released detailed tokenomics for its LAPTOP token on its official website. The LAPTOP token has a total supply of 1 billion units, with 35% (350 million tokens) unlocked at the Token Generation Event (TGE), and full unlocking will take 36 months. The token allocations are as follows: 30% to founders, 30% to prediction markets, 10% to initial airdrops, 10% to future airdrops, 10% to liquidity, 5% to the foundation treasury, and 5% to charity. Notably, the handling of the 30% total allocation will be determined by the settlement results of 30 Polymarket prediction markets covering political, crypto, and cultural categories. If a market settles to YES, the corresponding tokens will be burned directly; if settled to NO, they will be donated to charity.
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The Hunter Biden-linked meme coin LAPTOP warns the community to beware of counterfeit tokens and malicious links.
Hunter Biden, son of former US President Joe Biden, is set to launch a meme coin called LAPTOP. The project team has issued a reminder to the community to beware of counterfeit tokens and malicious links, stating that the LAPTOP project will never proactively contact users, nor will it ever request private keys, mnemonic phrases, or personal information, urging users to only trust communications from official channels. As BlockBeats previously reported, after Hunter Biden officially announced the coin launch, numerous LAPTOP-named tokens emerged on various popular meme coin blockchains, with most of them following a trend of surging first and then plummeting to near-zero value.
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Markets currently view the probability of the Republican Party securing a landslide victory in the midterm elections as low as just 11%.
According to data from Predict.fun, in its prediction market for the 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections, the current probability of a "Democratic landslide" is as high as 51%, the probability of Republicans winning the Senate and Democrats holding the House is currently reported at 35%, while the probability of a "Republican landslide" is only 11%.
Stellar Hits Weekly Transaction Peak on a Sunday@StellarOrg processed over 11.6 million transactions in a single day, marking the network's highest daily activity level of the current week. According to data from Chainspect, the surge occurred on a Sunday, a day typically associated with reduced liquidity and lighter volumes across traditional financial markets.
The timing is notable. Weekend lulls are a well-established feature of legacy finance, where settlement systems and institutional desks operate on compressed schedules. That Stellar's busiest day of the week fell on a Sunday points to a different kind of demand: one driven by cross-border payment flows and automated settlement cycles that do not observe a Monday-to-Friday calendar.
Broader Momentum Behind the Numbers Stellar averaged approximately 4.9 million daily transactions in Q2 2026, with a range spanning from 2.6 million to 7.1 million, consistent with its positioning as a high-volume, low-cost payments rail. The 11.6 million figure therefore represents a significant spike above that quarterly baseline.
The variance in daily transaction counts likely reflects periodic batch processing by institutional users, stablecoin settlement cycles, and the natural rhythm of cross-border payment flows across different time zones.
Stellar's average fees remain a fraction of a cent, and settlement times stay near instant even as volume rises. That combination is rare in blockchain networks, where higher usage often means higher costs or slower confirmations.
The transaction spike also sits against a backdrop of broader network growth. In Q2 2026, Stellar's network doubled its tokenized real-world assets to $3.05 billion, growing four times faster than the market average. Stablecoin transfers reached a record $11.4 billion, highlighting strong institutional adoption.
Taken together, the data suggests Stellar's payment rails are seeing real, recurring demand rather than speculative noise. For a network built around cross-border settlement, a record transaction day on the quietest day of the traditional financial week is a meaningful signal.
Sources:
Nansen: Stellar Q2 2026 Report
Chainspect: Stellar Network Data
Messari: State of Stellar Q1 2026
Stellar (XLM) is trading at $0.1922, up 4.4% over 24 hours, as the network holds its lead in tokenized non-US sovereign debt, a position it has maintained since February. According to data from RWA.xyz as of August 20, Stellar holds roughly $490 million in tokenized sovereign debt issued outside the US, more than any other blockchain.
Ethereum still leads in tokenized US Treasuries and in total real-world asset value across the market, which continues growing on every major chain. Stellar’s lead is confined to sovereign debt issued outside the US and denominated in currencies other than the dollar, a smaller category today but one tied to a much larger share of the world’s governments and businesses that don’t operate primarily in dollars.
Rapid Growth Over 18 Months
Real-world assets on Stellar, excluding stablecoins, have grown from roughly $500 million in early 2025 to $854.6 million by the end of last year, crossing $1 billion in January 2026, reaching $1.52 billion by the end of Q1 (a 91% quarterly jump), passing $2 billion in April, and topping $3 billion in June.
That’s roughly a threefold increase over the past year. Stellar now accounts for about 9% of all distributed RWA value across blockchains, placing it among the top four networks alongside Ethereum, BNB Chain and Solana, and the only one among them outside the Ethereum Virtual Machine ecosystem.
What’s Actually on the Network
The sovereign debt total is built from a range of live products. Etherfuse’s Stablebonds bring Mexican CETES and Brazilian Tesouro bonds onto Stellar. Spiko’s euro-denominated T-bill fund grew from roughly $520 million to $970 million over the past year, with most of that growth occurring on Stellar specifically. South Korean Treasury Bonds and a digital sovereign bond from the Marshall Islands round out a list of issuers spanning five continents.
Beyond sovereign debt, Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund, the first US-registered mutual fund to use a public blockchain as its official system of record, also runs on Stellar. Ondo’s USDY and WisdomTree’s WTGXX are live on the network as well. USDC’s market cap on Stellar grew about 15% quarter-over-quarter to more than $256 million in Q1 2026, and euro-denominated stablecoins have expanded.
Transaction activity backs up the balance sheet numbers. Stablecoin payment volume on Stellar reached $5.5 billion in Q1 2026, up 72% year-over-year, with transaction velocity up 75% over the same period. Institutional participation has broadened alongside the technical case, with U.S. Bank, Amundi, Société Générale, AllUnity, Malaysia’s Kenanga, and Singapore’s Marketnode, backed by SGX and Temasek, all engaging with the network.
Story Ends Here
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Chainlink‘s LINK token advanced over 10% within the last 24 hours, driven by a sharp move in both price and trading activity, as market sentiment strengthened around the asset’s immediate technical outlook.
LINK price jumps, trading and derivatives surgeLINK climbed to $13.31 after recording a 7.06% rally within a 30-minute period. The token had earlier touched a 24-hour low of $12.11 before rebounding. This volatility increased the focus on LINK’s market performance as traders measured the risk and opportunity in short-term moves.
Daily trading volume in LINK spiked by 25%, reaching $503.9 million. Derivatives market activity also saw a significant uptick, with open interest on LINK futures contracts growing by 8.26% to $696.89 million. These developments pointed to elevated participation from market traders seeking to take advantage of the recent momentum.
The token broke above a prolonged consolidation range between $7.20 and $8.50 during this upward move. LINK is currently trading above its 20-day moving average of $11.39, and the expansion in Bollinger Bands suggests an increase in market volatility.
MetricCurrent ValueChangeLINK price$13.31+10.83% (24h)Trading volume$503.9 million+25% (24h)Futures open interest$696.89 million+8.26% (24h)Technical momentum remained predominantly positive. The MACD histogram registered a mildly negative value at -0.01822, pointing to a brief slowdown; however, both MACD indicator lines stayed above the zero mark, signaling continued bullish sentiment around LINK.
Analyst targets and key price levelsCrypto market analysts have taken note of the ongoing rally. Michaël van de Poppe, a well-known trader, expressed optimism about further gains, identifying the $14.50 to $15 zone as the likely short-term target for LINK. He also described $11 and $10 as potential “bid zones” in the event of a pullback.
Analyst Michaël van de Poppe indicated a strong continuation toward the $14.50–$15 region is likely for LINK, and emphasized looking for new bidding opportunities if the price dips to the $11 or $10 ranges.
Investor Jordan identified $12 as a major support level for LINK. Should current momentum persist, he noted $15 as the next upside target, with $20 considered a possible longer-term objective if bullish trends continue.
From a technical perspective, the chart highlights resistance clustered near $12.59. A confirmed breakout above this level, accompanied by sustained volume, could accelerate LINK’s trajectory toward the $15 mark, according to multiple analysts.
FRNT stablecoin adopts Chainlink technologyIn a related ecosystem update, Wyoming’s FRNT stablecoin completed the integration of Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve technology. This incorporation allows for real-time, on-chain verification of the reserves backing the stablecoin, raising transparency standards in stablecoin issuance.
FRNT stands out as the first stablecoin issued by a U.S. public entity to make reserve attestation data available on the blockchain. The platform’s compliance reportedly surpasses requirements established by the GENIUS Act, fostering increased confidence among users and regulators.
Mini dictionary: Chainlink Proof of Reserve, a verification protocol designed to monitor and publicly confirm an asset’s collateral status on the blockchain, enabling transparent and automatic audits for tokenized and stablecoin projects.
LINK continues to hold support at the $12 mark. Market participants are watching whether the token can maintain gains above this level as the price approaches zones of notable resistance near $13.30 and beyond.
LINK has cleared its extended trading range and now trades above key technical averages, with trading volume and derivatives participation signaling renewed bullish conviction among market participants.
Chainlink‘s LINK token rallied more than 8% in the past 24 hours to reach $13.26, building on a week-long surge that has seen its price climb approximately 18%. The latest advance came as LINK broke decisively above the $12 resistance, a range that has capped price action throughout recent sessions.
Key partnerships and institutional adoptionThis momentum follows Chainlink’s new partnership with Bottomline, a payments technology firm that works with over 600 banks and processes upwards of $16 trillion in payments annually. Through this collaboration, Chainlink plans to connect its infrastructure, including the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), to established banking payment systems. The goal is to enhance both cross-border and cross-chain transactions across the sector.
The announcement spurred LINK to break above the $12 threshold. After buyers pushed the price further, LINK surpassed $13 for the first time in several weeks on September 7. This breakout from the $12–$12.20 region, which had repeatedly limited gains, marked a significant shift in market sentiment.
Additional institutional engagement came as Circle recently launched cirBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin product. According to Circle, cirBTC employs Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve mechanism to provide onchain verification of the Bitcoin reserves backing the token.
In the US, the Wyoming Stable Token Commission selected Chainlink Proof of Reserve as its near real-time verification tool for the state’s Frontier Stable Token. Previously, Wyoming had chosen Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol as the exclusive cross-chain infrastructure for this stablecoin project.
Mini dictionary: Bottomline is a US-based payments technology provider serving financial institutions worldwide. Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is a standard for enabling secure data and token transfers across different blockchains.
Chainlink has also collaborated with the US Department of Commerce to bring official economic data onchain. This integration with the Bureau of Economic Analysis allows key indicators, such as real GDP and the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, to be accessible across supported blockchain platforms.
LINK price analysis: Technical breakout and momentumOn the technical side, LINK climbed above the $12–$12.20 resistance zone after spending much of August below this range. The token touched an intraday high near $13.66, and the latest daily candle suggests that a continued move towards $14 is likely if LINK holds above its breakout level.
IndicatorValueCurrent Price$13.26Resistance Broken$12–$12.2030-Day Gain62%20-day EMA$11.4650-day EMA$10.28100-day EMA$9.62200-day EMA$9.92All four exponential moving averages currently sit below LINK’s market price. The 20-day EMA has separated sharply from the 50-day EMA, highlighting the acceleration seen since last month. LINK also moved above the 200-day EMA after spending several months trading below this key indicator.
Clearing the $12 to $12.20 zone marked a crucial breakout for LINK, with buyers maintaining momentum as price surged past $13. Consistent accumulation and increased trading volumes provide additional confirmation that this move is backed by sustained demand in the market.
On the downside, a failure to maintain current levels could bring the $12–$12.20 area back into focus. Should this support collapse, the 20-day EMA around $11.46 would be the next target for buyers to defend. Parabolic SAR readings on the daily chart remain below the current price, supporting continuation of the prevailing uptrend, while a reversal would suggest waning momentum.
Shorter-term indicators also reflect growing momentum. The TRIX oscillator climbed to 23.31 after rebounding from negative territory. Accumulation/Distribution reached about 138.1 million, up from 125 million since July. This fresh jump was matched by a notable increase in trading volume after LINK crossed $13, indicating strong buying interest rather than fading accumulation.
If LINK achieves a sustained break above $13.68, the next probable resistance stands at $14. A move beyond that level could open the path toward the $15–$15.50 range, which previously acted as a trading zone in late 2025. However, dropping below $12 would threaten the current bullish structure, placing additional focus on lower moving averages for potential support.
An unidentified whale has deposited another 620,420 Chainlink ($LINK) tokens, worth about $7.6 million, into Coinbase, according to on-chain monitoring data published on September 7. The transaction was flagged by Onchain Lens, with the funds traced to wallet address 0xF5B007a6341AcC8CfEC581d8A1c5560bC19d9650.
A Pattern of Large TransfersOver the past three weeks, the same whale has transferred approximately 2.41 million $LINK to Coinbase, with cumulative deposits worth about $26.04 million at current valuations. The wallet previously accumulated the deposited $LINK from Binance before routing tokens toward Coinbase. That accumulation phase saw the holder build a position at an average price of around $8.40 per token.
Selling Pressure or Repositioning?Exchange deposits can precede sales, but blockchain records cannot confirm whether transferred tokens were sold. Large exchange transfers can still affect trader expectations before any tokens are sold. Market participants may reduce exposure when they interpret a deposit as potential supply, and that reaction can create volatility even when the wallet's actual purpose remains unknown.
The address has not been identified as belonging to Chainlink Labs, the Chainlink Foundation, or a known project treasury.
The move comes as $LINK has been trading at elevated levels relative to earlier in the year. $LINK traded near $13.07 on Sept. 7, up approximately 7.1% during the session. That rally follows a broader recovery, with the token climbing from about $8.30 to nearly $12.50 in late August before buyers began taking profits.
For broader context, Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol processed $4.9 billion in volume during the second quarter, up 353% from the same period a year earlier, according to figures cited by Standard Chartered. The bank also estimated that Chainlink secured more than $110 billion in value across oracle feeds and cross-chain services.
For now, market watchers will monitor whether the deposited tokens leave Coinbase through subsequent transactions, which would provide a clearer indication of the whale's intentions.
Sources:
Chainlink whale sends $7.6m in LINK to Coinbase — Crypto.news
Chainlink LINK Price Prediction for September 2026 — Bitcoin Ethereum News
TLDR A wallet sent 620,420 LINK (about $7.6 million) to Coinbase on September 7, part of $26 million moved over three weeks. LINK traded near $13.07, up roughly 7.1% in the latest session, after recovering from summer lows near $7-$8. Analyst Investor Jordan says a break above $12 could push LINK toward $15, with $20 as a further target. Trading volume rose 25% to $503.9 million and open interest climbed 8.26% to $696.89 million. Wyoming’s FRNT stablecoin adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve, becoming the first US public stablecoin to report reserves on-chain. A large Chainlink holder sent another batch of tokens to Coinbase this week. The wallet transferred 620,420 LINK, worth close to $7.6 million, on September 7.
Blockchain analytics account Onchain Lens tracked the move. The same address has now sent 2.41 million LINK, valued near $26.04 million, to Coinbase over three weeks.
The wallet built its position through earlier Binance withdrawals. It then began routing tokens to Coinbase instead of holding them.
Exchange deposits often come before sales, but that isn’t confirmed here. Blockchain records show the transfer, not what the owner plans to do with it.
LINK traded at $13.07 on September 7, up about 7.1% for the session. Its price ranged between $12.12 and $13.32 during the day.
Chainlink Price on CoinGecko Price and Technical Signals The token’s MACD line sat at 0.7841, above its signal line near 0.7069. That points to continued upward momentum on the daily chart.
The relative strength index read 72.47, above the 70 mark often used to flag overbought conditions. LINK also traded above its 20-day moving average of $11.39, according to TradingView data.
Bollinger Bands widened as price broke out of a $7.20 to $8.50 consolidation range. Resistance now sits near $12.59.
Analyst Outlook and Network Adoption Crypto analyst Investor Jordan posted on X that LINK is approaching a resistance zone near $12. He said a confirmed break above that level could send the price toward $15, with $20 as a further target if buying pressure holds through the fourth quarter.
Trading volume climbed 25.02% to $503.90 million in 24 hours. Open interest rose 8.26% to $696.89 million, showing more derivatives traders taking positions.
Wyoming’s FRNT stablecoin adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve this week. It becomes the first stablecoin from a US public entity to publish reserve data on-chain through Chainlink.
Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol processed $4.9 billion in volume during the second quarter. That figure rose 353% from a year earlier, per Standard Chartered.
Aave adopted CCIP as its default cross-chain infrastructure this year. BitGo also chose CCIP as the exclusive cross-chain provider for Wrapped Bitcoin, moving a $7.3 billion ecosystem.
More than 50 banks joined a Chainlink-linked stablecoin settlement test using Swift and ISO 20022 messaging. Bottomline Technologies separately partnered with Chainlink to link payment tools across 600 banks.
LINK’s rally from June and July lows near $7-$8 remains intact as of September 7. The $12 to $13 zone stands as the level traders are watching next.
Well-known trader Killa: Altcoins may have already bottomed out ahead of schedule, making now a good time to accumulate positions.
Renowned crypto trader Killa said in a recent post that while he dislikes the vast majority of altcoins and even believes 99.9% of projects will eventually go to zero, selective participation is worth it as long as there are profit opportunities in the market. He noted that historically, one of the favorable periods to allocate to altcoins is when Bitcoin starts forming a bottom and begins a gradual rally. Killa pointed out that during the last cycle, when Bitcoin rallied from $16,000 to $74,000, many altcoins saw gains of 300% to 500%. However, after Bitcoin began significantly outperforming the market and its market dominance rose further, many altcoins started to plunge sharply. He believes that if his assessment is correct and Bitcoin has now formed a cyclical bottom, many altcoins may have also completed bottoming at low levels, meaning there is significant upside potential for selectively allocating to quality assets ahead of the actual bull market expansion phase. Killa revealed that he previously bought SOL at $76, and the position is now up roughly 50% from entry. His previously disclosed entry price for HYPE spot and long positions was $51.55, with subsequent gains of around 70%. He also recently shared a swing long position in ASTER, and expects this position to deliver upside of at least 50% to 100%. “Altcoins may have already bottomed out in advance, while the real rally has not yet started. Now is the time for selective allocation,” he said. He added that different altcoins will likely rally in rotation going forward, and he will continue holding his previously disclosed positions in SOL, ASTER, and HYPE, while looking for more worthy assets to allocate to.
30 minutes ago
Bitcoin drops back below $80,000; this week's inflation data may be key to determining its next market direction.
Bitcoin fell in low-liquidity conditions on Monday, dropping nearly 2% intraday, falling back below the $80,000 threshold again and erasing almost all of its gains from the weekend when it first broke above that level. This comes after Bitcoin notched its first weekly close above $80,000 since May. Due to the U.S. Labor Day holiday, U.S. stock markets were closed, reducing market liquidity and leading to thinner order books, amplifying the risk of short-term price swings. Data from CoinGlass shows that long and short liquidations in the crypto market over the past 24 hours were relatively balanced, with total liquidations amounting to around $178 million. Currently, near-term market liquidity is concentrated at two key levels: $80,500 and $78,800. QCP Capital noted that market volatility has continued to contract recently, with traders waiting for new external catalysts. U.S. inflation data set to be released this Thursday and Friday could be a key factor influencing the market’s direction and further shaping expectations for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike path. Despite Bitcoin’s recent sideways consolidation, analysts are still highlighting its resilience. Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget, stated that Bitcoin’s ability to hold its high range—even amid stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data, which typically boosts U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar and pressures risk assets—shows the market is not viewing potential Fed rate hikes as the sole determinant of current price action. Additionally, inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs remain a key market focus, with net inflows hitting around $730 million in a single day earlier, marking the highest daily inflow since January this year.
30 minutes ago
OpenAI’s Chief Scientist warns that AI is advancing too rapidly, saying “extreme caution” is needed now.
Insight: Beating AI News Flash — OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki warned that artificial intelligence is advancing too rapidly, growing increasingly difficult for humans to understand and control, stating that "extreme caution is needed now." He noted that AI models can already operate computers, collaborate with humans and other AIs, and conduct research, and that in the near future, they may achieve "recursive self-improvement" without human intervention. Pachocki expressed concern that no one is prepared for the consequences of the continuous rapid advancement of machine intelligence. Developers can align AI more closely with human interests, or slow down future research and development (R&D) if necessary. He anticipates and hopes that "voluntary slowdowns" in R&D by AI labs will become the norm before the industry establishes common safety standards. OpenAI has currently adopted a limited rollout approach for GPT-6 Astra due to its advanced cybersecurity capabilities.
Hunter Biden’s upcoming Meme coin project, set to launch on September 9, has released detailed tokenomics for its LAPTOP token on its official website. The LAPTOP token has a total supply of 1 billion units, with 35% (350 million tokens) unlocked at the Token Generation Event (TGE), and full unlocking will take 36 months. The token allocations are as follows: 30% to founders, 30% to prediction markets, 10% to initial airdrops, 10% to future airdrops, 10% to liquidity, 5% to the foundation treasury, and 5% to charity. Notably, the handling of the 30% total allocation will be determined by the settlement results of 30 Polymarket prediction markets covering political, crypto, and cultural categories. If a market settles to YES, the corresponding tokens will be burned directly; if settled to NO, they will be donated to charity.
30 minutes ago
The Hunter Biden-linked meme coin LAPTOP warns the community to beware of counterfeit tokens and malicious links.
Hunter Biden, son of former US President Joe Biden, is set to launch a meme coin called LAPTOP. The project team has issued a reminder to the community to beware of counterfeit tokens and malicious links, stating that the LAPTOP project will never proactively contact users, nor will it ever request private keys, mnemonic phrases, or personal information, urging users to only trust communications from official channels. As BlockBeats previously reported, after Hunter Biden officially announced the coin launch, numerous LAPTOP-named tokens emerged on various popular meme coin blockchains, with most of them following a trend of surging first and then plummeting to near-zero value.
30 minutes ago
Markets currently view the probability of the Republican Party securing a landslide victory in the midterm elections as low as just 11%.
According to data from Predict.fun, in its prediction market for the 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections, the current probability of a "Democratic landslide" is as high as 51%, the probability of Republicans winning the Senate and Democrats holding the House is currently reported at 35%, while the probability of a "Republican landslide" is only 11%.
@ArcadiaFi has officially deployed its automated liquidity management layer on @RobinhoodCrypto Chain, bringing professional-grade concentrated liquidity tools to one of the most closely watched Layer 2 networks in DeFi.
What Arcadia Brings to Robinhood Chain The platform gives users access to concentrated liquidity vaults with institutional-level execution, designed to lower the technical barrier for managing on-chain positions. Key features include a "zap-in" entry mechanism for single-click liquidity deployment, auto-rebalancing triggers that adjust positions as market conditions shift, and leveraged yield streaming across major decentralized exchanges on the network.
The integration leans on @Chainlink price feeds to secure the valuation of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and cross-chain collateral. This is a notable fit for Robinhood Chain, which Robinhood describes as permissionless, AI-native, and purpose-built for real-world assets. Chainlink is among the chain's core infrastructure partners, alongside Alchemy and BitGo.
Why Chainlink Oracles Matter for RWA Platforms Securing accurate, tamper-resistant price data is a foundational requirement for any protocol handling tokenized assets. Chainlink supplies oracle infrastructure across three products on Robinhood Chain: CCIP for cross-chain messaging, Data Streams for low-latency market data, and Data Feeds for standard price oracles. For a liquidity layer like Arcadia's, which deals with cross-chain collateral and leveraged positions, that infrastructure carries real weight.
Chainlink's Data Feeds are live on Robinhood's EVM, with price data being used in trading, lending, liquidations, and tokenized securities. Reliable price information is particularly important for on-chain derivatives and tokenized assets that rely on settlement of underlying instruments.
The broader context matters here too. Robinhood described the chain as permissionless, AI-native, and purpose-built for real-world assets. Stock Tokens are available through the Robinhood Wallet in more than 120 countries, with more than 200 US stocks and ETFs offered as tokens. These tokens give economic exposure to the underlying shares, including dividend support, and can be traded around the clock. Arcadia's liquidity layer slots directly into this environment, offering a more sophisticated toolset for users who want active yield on their on-chain holdings.
For $LINK, the Arcadia deployment adds another live production use case to a growing list. RWA tokenization turns traditional assets into blockchain-based instruments, and Chainlink supplies the data, reserve checks, and messaging layer they need.
Sources:
Robinhood: Robinhood Chain Mainnet Launch Announcement
Chainlink: Live RWA Prices and Tokenized Asset Infrastructure
The Block: Robinhood Chain Goes Live on Mainnet
Chainlink (LINK) rose $13.64 on September 7, marking the first time that it has reached this price since January 18, 2026. The gains came amid an increase in open interest to $784 per CoinGlass data.
LINK Price Soars Amid Rising Adoption The value of Chainlink is now up by 94% between June 22 and September 7. The gain comes amid the increased use of Chainlink, with analyst Chris Barret noting that the network has now facilitated $34 trillion in transactions.
Data from DeFiLlama also shows that the gains in price coincide with a surge in Chainlink’s DeFi TVS from $33.98 billion on August 7 to $40.02 billion at the time of writing. This TVL has increased by $6.04 billion in one month.
Chainlink TVS (Source: DeFiLlama) An earlier report by CoinGape also revealed that Chainlink partnered with the US Commerce Department to bring inflation, GDP, and sales data to the blockchain.
Despite these gains, Chainlink price is still trading 74% below its all-time high of $52.88 that was attained in May 2021.
LINK’s Open Interest Soars to 11-Month High Despite Profit Taking Data from CoinGlass shows Chainlink’s open interest has risen to $784 million. This is the highest OI reading for Chainlink since October 2025.
Chainlink Open Interest (Source: CoinGlass) The rise in OI also coincides with a 08% increase in LINK’s derivative volumes to $1.04 billion at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the long/short reading of 1.67 and 1.36 on Binance and OKX, respectively, suggests that there are more short accounts than long accounts on the two exchanges.
The increased demand for LINK by futures traders also contrasts with whale activity because data from On-Chain Lens shows that one large address has sent 2.41 million LINK to Coinbase within three weeks. The coins are worth $26.04 million at the current price of Chainlink.
Analyst Forecasts Chainlink Price Rally to $22 Despite Weak ETF Inflows Analyst Axel on X forecasts that Chainlink could reach $22. But he says this rise will only occur if LINK can close above the resistance at $13.50 on the weekly chart.
This long-term Chainlink price forecast by the analyst comes on the back of weakening demand for LINK ETFs.
Data from SoSoValue shows LINK ETFs posted zero inflows in the week between August 31 and September 4. During the same week, BTC and ETH ETFs posted $986 million and $218 million in inflows, respectively.
LINK ETF Flows (Source: SoSoValue) However, in August 2026, LINK ETFs posted their best monthly inflow since December 2025 of $18.27 million.
Chainlink Price Creates Double Bottom Pattern as Bulls Test 200-week EMA The price of Chainlink has created a double bottom pattern on the one-week chart. This pattern suggests that the trend is about to change from a bearish one to a bullish one.
Chainlink has also closed above the resistance of this pattern at $10.72, suggesting that a 47% surge that is equal to the height of the double bottom pattern might be underway, and Chainlink price could reach $15.83.
Chainlink has also moved above the resistance at the 200-week EMA of $12.85, suggesting that the long-term outlook is also bullish.
The RSI reading of 65 also suggests that the momentum is favoring bulls, and Chainlink could move to $15.83, as the double bottom suggests.
LINK/USDT 1W Chart (Source: TradingView) However, if this bullish thesis fails and LINK drops below the 200-week EMA, the price could drop to the psychological support at $10.
Bittensor TAO price rose 8.33% to $264.83 on Monday, ranking among the cryptocurrency market’s leading performers.
Among other top-performing coins today are Chainlink price and ICP. The gain contrasted with unchanged market conditions. It also extended TAO’s advance across five sessions to nearly 25%. TAO price touched $277 during the rally, marking its strongest price in three months.
Some of the major drivers include access to Raydium, trading in Butsender, network upgrades, and the increasing derivatives activity.
Bittensor Price Surges as Raydium and Buttensor Boost TAO Demand Raydium recently introduced TAO trading, connecting the artificial intelligence token with Solana’s large decentralized finance community. A parody coin called Buttensor launched on the exchange shortly afterward.
Its design converts transaction fees into automatic TAO purchases. The acquired assets are later shared with participating BUTT holders. That mechanism turns meme coin activity into buying pressure for Bittensor’s token.
However, the model relies heavily on continued speculation. Reduced trading or fading retail attention could quickly weaken its contribution. The launches have also raised Bittensor’s visibility across social platforms. Santiment reported that TAO’s social dominance increased from 0.05% to 0.12%.
$TAO IS TURNING OPEN AI INTO SOMETHING DEVELOPERS CAN ACTUALLY USE.
This week on Bittensor:
→ Gittensor’s RTX 5090 optimized Qwen3.8-27B passed 500K+ Hugging Face downloads
→ Good Morning brought GPT-6 Astra to Bittensor with verifiable access
→ OpenRoboto launched… https://t.co/jzCTEABaw0
— Dami-Defi (@DamiDefi) September 7, 2026
Interest initially strengthened following ChatGPT-6 Astra’s release. The Buttensor launch then gave cryptocurrency traders another reason to discuss AI-related assets.
Protocol Upgrades and Cross-Chain Expansion Strengthen TAO’s Outlook Bittensor has implemented upgrades that reshape subnet rewards, ownership, and staking.
V440 introduced an Emission Gate that applies a market-determined threshold to subnet distributions. Subnets exceeding that level maintain emissions linked to price.
Weaker subnets gradually lose allocations under the model. This approach discourages passive value retention among services attracting limited demand.
Subsequent versions such as V441, V446, V447, and V448 enhanced root staking and alpha accounting. They also discussed the conviction of ownership and safety of operations.
V450 is headed towards validator-curated root baskets where the concentration cap is one-sixteenth. Such a limitation can be used to facilitate wider exposure to qualifying subnets.
Another growth channel is the cross-chain access. The interoperability infrastructure provided by Chainlink has helped TAO go onto Robinhood Chain, potentially enhancing reach and liquidity.
Attention could also build before the Bittensor Exploit Summit on September 28 and 29.
Rising Open Interest and Technical Breakout Fuel TAO’s Rally TAO derivatives markets show increased risk-taking during the price advance. CoinGlass data placed futures open interest at $415 million.
That reading represents a three-month high and suggests traders opened additional leveraged positions. Rising leverage can amplify both gains and sudden reversals.
Technically, TAO moved above a descending trendline that previously restricted recovery attempts. The breakout followed several weeks of steady accumulation.
Coinglass data Resistance now sits between $277 and $280. A decisive close above that region could strengthen the case for an advance toward $300, per the future TAO outlook.
The $260 to $265 area has become the nearest support after the breakout. Defending it would keep the positive structure intact.
Source: TradingView Momentum could be maintained by continued volume, AI-token interest, and continued activity. Heightened involvement in new chains would be additional support.
Loss of control of the breakout area might be inviting profit-taking. In that case, TAO can move back to 240, then make another recovery.
In brief Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that processes more than $16 trillion in payments annually, announced a deal with Chainlink to connect its 600-plus bank customers to blockchain settlement. LINK touched $13.64 on September 7, its highest price since January 18, and outpaced every other top-10 cryptocurrency by market cap over the past 24 hours while Bitcoin stayed capped below $80,000. Chainlink's CCIP will move tokenized value across blockchains and its CRE will orchestrate the payment workflow, letting banks keep sending standard messages instead of building new infrastructure. Bitcoin is back under $80,000 today, down about 1%, after a stellar August rally brought investors gains of over 20% in the last 30 days.
But as trading action on the crypto majors cools, there’s at least one altcoin climbing up the charts: the native token of the decentralized oracle network Chainlink, up a whopping 6.8% in the last 24 hours. Can it keep crypto’s hot summer going a little longer?
Myriad: Bitcoin next price move? Click to make your prediction.Bitcoin got rejected from $82,000 twice over the past two weeks and opened this one pinned below $80,000, still under the 50-week moving average near $81,000 it lost back in May.
The coin is also in a compression zone after a major spike in late August. Analysts are debating between the possibility of a trend reversal that would keep pushing prices up, and a so-called Bart Simpson pattern that would tank prices back down close to $65,000 in a few days.
Bitcoin price data. Image: TradingviewIn terms of fundamentals, traders are watching two catalysts this month: fresh inflation data and the Federal Reserve's September 16 rate decision, after Friday's stronger-than-expected August jobs report raised the odds of a hike.
Chainlink, meanwhile, had a different week entirely.
Chainlink, which trades as LINK, climbed to $13.64 Monday, its highest level since January 18. That's a roughly 6.8% gain in 24 hours, the best showing among the 10 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap—while most of the group traded flat to lower. In the derivatives market, open interest on LINK contracts also hit an 11-month high of $784 million.
Chainlink price data. Image: TradingviewThe rally may trace back to a deal Chainlink announced last week with Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that handles payments automation and treasury management for more than 600 banks.
Per Chainlink's announcement, Bottomline will connect its existing systems to public and private blockchains through Chainlink's infrastructure. Bottomline also serves roughly 1,200 financial institutions and 10,000 businesses worldwide.
Two existing Chainlink products do the work. Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, or CCIP, has been live since July 2023 and now spans more than 60 blockchains, handling the movement of tokenized value between them. Chainlink Runtime Environment, or CRE, coordinates what the company calls "payment workflows end-to-end," handling routing and confirmations along the way.
Banks keep sending the same ISO 20022 messages they already use, the global standard for cross-border payment instructions that reached 97% adoption since a November 2025 switchover. Chainlink sits underneath as the connector rather than a replacement. Neither company has disclosed a go-live date or named a pilot bank.
Not Chainlink's first brush with SWIFTSWIFT itself has tested Chainlink before. In 2023, SWIFT ran interoperability experiments with Chainlink and more than 10 institutions, including Citi and BNY Mellon, moving tokenized assets onto Ethereum's Sepolia testnet.
Standard Chartered listed SWIFT among the institutions already using Chainlink services last month when the bank set a $200 price target for LINK by 2030, citing Chainlink's $110 billion in secured value.
What’s more, in late August, the financial services giant Charles Schwab announced plans to expand its retail crypto trading offering beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. The brokerage only chose three more assets to list on its trading platform: Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink.
The combination of bullish news may be a big part of the reason why Chainlink is currently outperforming just about every other coin in the top 20 by market cap, other than Zcash: LINK is currently up 57% in the last 30 days.
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In brief Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that processes more than $16 trillion in payments annually, announced a deal with Chainlink to connect its 600-plus bank customers to blockchain settlement. LINK touched $13.64 on September 7, its highest price since January 18, and outpaced every other top-10 cryptocurrency by market cap over the past 24 hours while Bitcoin stayed capped below $80,000. Chainlink's CCIP will move tokenized value across blockchains and its CRE will orchestrate the payment workflow, letting banks keep sending standard messages instead of building new infrastructure. Bitcoin is back under $80,000 today, down about 1%, after a stellar August rally brought investors gains of over 20% in the last 30 days.
But as trading action on the crypto majors cools, there’s at least one altcoin climbing up the charts: the native token of the decentralized oracle network Chainlink, up a whopping 6.8% in the last 24 hours. Can it keep crypto’s hot summer going a little longer?
Myriad: Bitcoin next price move? Click to make your prediction.Bitcoin got rejected from $82,000 twice over the past two weeks and opened this one pinned below $80,000, still under the 50-week moving average near $81,000 it lost back in May.
The coin is also in a compression zone after a major spike in late August. Analysts are debating between the possibility of a trend reversal that would keep pushing prices up, and a so-called Bart Simpson pattern that would tank prices back down close to $65,000 in a few days.
Bitcoin price data. Image: TradingviewIn terms of fundamentals, traders are watching two catalysts this month: fresh inflation data and the Federal Reserve's September 16 rate decision, after Friday's stronger-than-expected August jobs report raised the odds of a hike.
Chainlink, meanwhile, had a different week entirely.
Chainlink, which trades as LINK, climbed to $13.64 Monday, its highest level since January 18. That's a roughly 6.8% gain in 24 hours, the best showing among the 10 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap—while most of the group traded flat to lower. In the derivatives market, open interest on LINK contracts also hit an 11-month high of $784 million.
Chainlink price data. Image: TradingviewThe rally may trace back to a deal Chainlink announced last week with Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that handles payments automation and treasury management for more than 600 banks.
Per Chainlink's announcement, Bottomline will connect its existing systems to public and private blockchains through Chainlink's infrastructure. Bottomline also serves roughly 1,200 financial institutions and 10,000 businesses worldwide.
Two existing Chainlink products do the work. Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, or CCIP, has been live since July 2023 and now spans more than 60 blockchains, handling the movement of tokenized value between them. Chainlink Runtime Environment, or CRE, coordinates what the company calls "payment workflows end-to-end," handling routing and confirmations along the way.
Banks keep sending the same ISO 20022 messages they already use, the global standard for cross-border payment instructions that reached 97% adoption since a November 2025 switchover. Chainlink sits underneath as the connector rather than a replacement. Neither company has disclosed a go-live date or named a pilot bank.
Not Chainlink's first brush with SWIFTSWIFT itself has tested Chainlink before. In 2023, SWIFT ran interoperability experiments with Chainlink and more than 10 institutions, including Citi and BNY Mellon, moving tokenized assets onto Ethereum's Sepolia testnet.
Standard Chartered listed SWIFT among the institutions already using Chainlink services last month when the bank set a $200 price target for LINK by 2030, citing Chainlink's $110 billion in secured value.
What’s more, in late August, the financial services giant Charles Schwab announced plans to expand its retail crypto trading offering beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. The brokerage only chose three more assets to list on its trading platform: Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink.
The combination of bullish news may be a big part of the reason why Chainlink is currently outperforming just about every other coin in the top 20 by market cap, other than Zcash: LINK is currently up 57% in the last 30 days.
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7 September 2026 | 20:02 Chainlink price has stalled below $13.70 after a sharp recovery from its June low. The rally remains intact, but $12.25 now separates a normal pause from a broader cooldown.
Key Takeaways $13.70 stopped the latest advance. Ali Charts cited weaker participation signals. CryptoQuant shows recent net exchange inflows. $12.25 is the level to defend. Chainlink’s rally has stalled near its recent high. LINK climbed from a June low near $6.95 to almost $13.70 before retreating toward $12.8. The rejection coincided with signals flagged by Ali Charts: a weekly exhaustion reading, higher exchange balances and less large-holder activity.
Chainlink (LINK/USD) daily price chart. LINK had already regained momentum in mid-August, when it reclaimed its major moving averages and put $10 back in view. Its advance also coincided with a wider recovery across large-cap crypto, so no single Chainlink development or on-chain signal can explain the full move.
LINK has reached the high of its current move The $13.70 area is the high of LINK’s advance from the June low near $6.95. Buyers need to reclaim and hold above it to show that the latest rejection was temporary rather than the start of a larger pullback.
LINK still trades above its 50-, 100- and 200-day moving averages, clustered between roughly $8.85 and $9.78. That leaves the broader recovery intact. The immediate question is whether buyers can defend the first support created by the breakout.
LINK levels that now matter
Price level Why it matters $13.7 Recent rally high. A sustained break above it would extend the recovery. $12.2 78.6% Fibonacci level and the first support below the current range. $11.1 61.8% retracement and the next major support if $12.25 fails. $10.3 50% retracement and a deeper pullback level within the wider recovery. Three signals point to a less convincing rally Ali Charts highlighted a weekly TD Sequential nine after LINK’s roughly 97% rise from the June low. The indicator is used to identify a trend that may be becoming exhausted. It does not predict the size of a correction, or guarantee that one will follow, but the reading carries more weight after such a sharp advance.
Ali also cited Santiment data showing exchange balances rising by about 1.75 million LINK, from roughly 269.25 million to 271 million tokens. At prices near $12.88, that represents close to $23 million in LINK. The figure measures the stock of tokens held on exchanges, not whether those tokens have been sold.
Large transactions worth more than $1 million reportedly fell from around 59 two weeks ago to about 10. That points to less activity from major holders as LINK approaches resistance. It is not enough to call the move distribution, since a lower transaction count can also mean large holders are waiting for a clearer direction.
Netflows show LINK moving onto exchanges Exchange balances show how much LINK is already held on trading venues. CryptoQuant’s daily netflow data show whether those balances are still growing through recent transfers.
LINK recorded a positive netflow of roughly 780,000 tokens on September 1, followed by smaller positive readings through September 6. That is consistent with more LINK reaching exchanges while price was testing the high. It still does not establish that those tokens were sold: transfers can also reflect market-making, collateral movements or custody arrangements.
CryptoQuant’s exchange reserve measured in dollars rose to roughly $1.6 billion from around $1 billion in early August. That should not be counted as separate evidence of token inflows. LINK’s own price rose sharply over the same period, so the dollar value of reserves can increase even when the number of tokens on exchanges does not.
Network adoption has continued during the rally The exchange data describe short-term supply. Circle’s addition of Chainlink Proof of Reserve to cirBTC is a separate part of the picture, giving users a way to monitor the token’s disclosed Bitcoin reserves onchain. It supports Chainlink’s infrastructure case, but it does not show whether spot demand will defend $12.25.
LINK’s setup is also not isolated from the rest of the market. The token rose during a broader rebound in major cryptocurrencies. A fresh Bitcoin-led sell-off could therefore test LINK’s support even if Chainlink’s adoption outlook remains unchanged.
$12.25 decides whether this is a pause or a cooldown The warning case rests on a weekly TD Sequential nine, a higher LINK balance on exchanges and several days of positive exchange netflows. The reported drop in transactions above $1 million also suggests that the rally is attracting less activity from major holders near resistance.
Holding above $12.25 would leave LINK in position to retest $13.70. A sustained move through the recent high would show that the rejection was only a pause in the recovery.
The bearish case becomes stronger if LINK loses $12.25 while exchange netflows remain positive. That combination would show a failed support level alongside a larger supply of tokens reaching exchanges, putting $11.1 and then $10.3 in focus.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Circle just printed $3 billion worth of USDC on the Solana blockchain in a single 24-hour window.
The mint is one of the largest single-day USDC issuances on Solana to date, but it’s far from an isolated event. It fits neatly into a pattern that’s been building throughout 2026, one that tells a clear story about where institutional capital wants to park its stablecoin liquidity.
Solana’s stablecoin surge by the numbers This $3 billion mint didn’t materialize out of thin air. Circle has been systematically ramping up USDC issuance on Solana all year, often in $250 million tranches that on-chain tracking services like Whale Alert and Lookonchain have documented in real time.
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In August 2026 alone, approximately $11 billion in gross USDC mints occurred on Solana. By late August, the total USDC circulating supply on Solana crossed the $8 billion mark, representing more than 10% of the global USDC supply for the first time.
Circle minted $500 million on June 8 across two $250 million tranches. Mid-June saw a $1 billion single-day mint. On June 29, a $910 million issuance on Solana was paired with a $250 million burn on Ethereum. By mid-July, gross issuance on Solana had reached somewhere between $64 billion and $68 billion. Early September brought another $1.25 billion minted over just three days.
The institutional pipeline BNY Mellon expanded its collaboration with Circle in June 2026 to facilitate institutional minting and custody of USDC directly on Solana. The partnership lowers friction for large institutions that want exposure to Solana’s DeFi ecosystem without navigating the technical complexity of bridging from Ethereum.
It’s worth noting that gross issuance figures don’t equal net supply growth. Redemptions and burns happen constantly, which is why the circulating supply on Solana sits at $8 billion-plus rather than the tens of billions suggested by cumulative mint totals.
What the Ethereum-to-Solana shift means The June 29 event, where Circle minted $910 million on Solana while simultaneously burning $250 million on Ethereum, is perhaps the most telling data point of the year. Ethereum still holds the lion’s share of USDC supply, but Solana is gaining ground. Solana offers lower transaction fees and faster finality, which matters enormously when you’re settling hundreds of millions of dollars in stablecoin transactions daily.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
DBS, a leading financial services group based in Singapore, and US financial giant Citi completed their first weekend tokenized cross-border payment between Singapore and the United States. The transaction, executed on a Saturday, bypassed traditional banking hour restrictions and was finalized within minutes, according to an announcement from DBS released on Monday.
Tokenized deposits accelerate settlementBoth DBS and Citi utilized tokenized deposits through the Swift Digital Ledger. This approach allowed them to avoid the constraints of standard banking hours and drastically reduce the settlement time, which typically takes up to two business days when using conventional cross-border transfer methods.
DBS described this rapid settlement as a significant advancement in the banking sector, affirming that tokenized deposits have the potential to fundamentally enhance efficiency for institutional payments.
The settlement was completed within minutes, a significant improvement over the industry norm of up to two business days for cross-border payments.
Banks adopt blockchain rails for efficiencyThe transaction marks a continued trend of major banks using blockchain-based solutions to streamline cross-border settlements while retaining customer deposits inside established banking networks. Standard Chartered and HSBC completed a similar tokenized cross-border transaction using Swift’s blockchain ledger in August, making them early adopters of this technology.
In July, Swift, recognized as the world’s largest financial messaging network, confirmed its blockchain-based ledger’s readiness for real-world application. The company is preparing to pilot tokenized cross-border payments with 17 major international banks. Besides Citi and DBS, participating banks include HSBC, BNP Paribas, UBS, ANZ, and Standard Chartered.
Mini dictionary: Swift Digital Ledger, a blockchain-based system developed by Swift to provide secure and instant cross-border payment settlement between banks, leveraging tokenized assets.
BankNetwork UsedPilot or LiveDBS, CitiSwift Digital LedgerLive (transaction completed)Standard Chartered, HSBCSwift Digital LedgerPilot (transaction in August)BNP Paribas, UBS, ANZSwift Digital LedgerPilot (planned)Wider adoption and industry initiativesCiti, recognized as one of the largest US financial institutions, is also part of a consortium of US banks planning to launch a separate tokenized deposit network in the first half of 2027. This upcoming network will be operated by The Clearing House, a bank-owned payments operator, as reported by CEO David Watson in June.
In November 2025, DBS and JPMorgan announced a joint effort to build a blockchain-based tokenization framework, aiming to enable onchain transfers between their deposit token ecosystems. Their initiative is intended to help set an industry standard for secure and efficient cross-bank payments using blockchain technologies.
These developments reflect the growing interest among major financial institutions in integrating blockchain rails to advance global payments infrastructure.
@Ethereum core developers have taken a significant step toward removing one of the most persistent friction points in crypto: the requirement to hold $ETH just to move assets on-chain.
The Problem EIP-8141 Solves EIP-8141 targets that problem directly.
Where $RLUSD Fits In The update opens the door to regulated stablecoins, including Ripple's $RLUSD, being used for gas settlement alongside $USDC and $USDT.
EIP-8141 would bring this capability natively into the base protocol, making stablecoin gas payments a standard feature rather than an opt-in workaround.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Ethereum Commits to Letting Users Pay Gas Fees Without Holding Ether
Crypto.news: Ethereum EIP-8141 Could Remove Need for Users to Hold ETH for Gas
Ripple: Ripple USD (RLUSD) Stablecoin
The Bank of Korea has raised concerns over the potential impact of US dollar-backed stablecoins on domestic monetary sovereignty, according to a new research report. The central bank’s findings suggest that increased reliance on stablecoins such as USDT and USDC could put pressure on local currencies, especially if major global crypto exchanges expand direct fiat pair offerings.
Monetary sovereignty at riskStablecoins are digital assets designed to maintain a fixed value by pegging them to traditional currencies—primarily the US dollar. Popular examples include Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC). The Bank of Korea, which serves as South Korea’s central bank and monetary policy authority, found that when exchanges like Coinbase and Binance offer direct trading pairs between the US dollar, stablecoins, and local currencies, it becomes easier for investors to switch funds from local bank deposits to stablecoins.
The research notes that this trend can restrict the availability of US dollars within domestic banking systems. The outflow of funds from bank deposits to stablecoins may drive a shift in capital from local markets to global digital asset ecosystems, leading to reduced effectiveness of national monetary policy tools.
Increased usage of stablecoins for cross-border transactions can undermine a country’s ability to manage its own currency and financial stability, especially as global platforms expand their fiat paired offerings.
A notable scenario highlighted by the Bank of Korea involves a potential cutting of interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Should the US central bank lower policy rates, a weaker dollar might prompt local investors to move more cash into stablecoins. This development could further catalyze investment into digital assets and blockchain projects, adding to the pressure on conventional financial institutions.
Ripple effects for local banks and regulatorsThe Bank of Korea pointed out that growing stablecoin adoption is not only a concern for digital asset traders. Local banks could experience deposit outflows as customers move funds toward stablecoins, raising risks of liquidity shortages. Simultaneously, an influx of capital into blockchain platforms can increase regulatory confusion over how to monitor and manage cross-border digital asset flows.
Blockchain platforms and issuers of stablecoins, such as those behind Tether and Circle, are closely tracking these shifts. These entities play a pivotal role in shaping the liquidity landscape, as they facilitate the movement of funds between crypto assets and fiat currencies.
The stablecoin ecosystem also supports activity beyond simple trading. Developers, custodians, and platform operators are using stablecoins for decentralized finance applications, non-fungible token (NFT) creation, and cross-chain transfers. All of these activities amplify the influence of stablecoins on traditional financial operations.
Mini dictionary: The Bank of Korea, the central bank of South Korea, is responsible for the country’s monetary policy, currency issuance, and fostering financial system stability.
Market outlook and policy responseRecent market trends are also influenced by macroeconomic conditions. According to CME FedWatch data, the probability of a US Federal Reserve interest rate reduction in September has increased. Analysts at the Bank of Korea believe that such a policy move could make stablecoins even more attractive for institutional investors, particularly those involved with Bitcoin and Ethereum spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
These developments have contributed to notable growth in stablecoin circulation across the global crypto market. However, the Bank of Korea does not currently plan significant new policy responses such as imposing reserve requirements or special limits on stablecoin use.
Major shifts in stablecoin usage can impact both traditional banking liquidity and the broader adoption of digital assets by institutional investors, including those with exposure to major cryptocurrencies through ETFs.
AspectTraditional BankingStablecoin EcosystemLiquidity SourceBank deposits (often in local currency)Digital tokens pegged to USDEffect of US rate cutsPotential capital outflowsGreater appeal, increased adoptionMonitoring authorityCentral banks, local regulatorsGlobal stablecoin issuers, exchangesAs digital assets continue to evolve, the Bank of Korea emphasized the importance of closely watching how stablecoin adoption intersects with both domestic and global financial trends.
KuCoin has introduced KCUSD, a yield-bearing product that will allow eligible users to earn daily returns on stablecoin balances while the exchange works toward expanding the asset’s use within its trading ecosystem.
At launch, users will be able to subscribe using USDT, USDC or USDG, with a minimum subscription of 1 unit of the respective stablecoin. KCUSD will carry a dynamic base APR of up to 4%, while qualifying new funds may be eligible for a promotional rate of up to 6% during the initial launch period.
Unlike products that require users to periodically claim or reinvest their returns, KCUSD credits earnings directly to users’ balances each day. Those returns are then included in the balance used for subsequent yield calculations, providing automatic daily compounding. KuCoin will not charge a subscription fee, and users will have same-asset redemption options.
The product is being made available to eligible retail customers as well as high-net-worth and institutional users.
KCUSD is KuCoin’s attempt to address a broader issue around how stablecoin liquidity is used on crypto trading platforms. Market participants frequently keep stablecoins readily available to cover margin requirements or deploy capital when trading opportunities emerge. Doing so provides liquidity but leaves those balances without a yield. Moving the funds elsewhere to earn returns, meanwhile, can reduce their immediate availability for trading.
KuCoin is initially addressing one side of that trade-off by offering yield simply for holding KCUSD. The company plans to add margin functionality at a later stage, potentially expanding the asset’s role from an Earn product to capital that can also be used within trading activities.
“Digital asset markets are entering a new phase in which infrastructure will be measured not only by the access and liquidity it provides, but by how efficiently capital can be deployed across an always-on financial system,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin. “Our long-term view is that yield, liquidity and risk utility should not remain in separate silos. KCUSD begins by helping users put idle balances to work and is designed to evolve toward broader trading utility. This reflects our vision for a more efficient market architecture that gives institutions and individual users greater flexibility in how they participate in global digital markets.”
The planned margin integration is part of KuCoin’s longer-term strategy for KCUSD. Rather than limiting the product to yield generation, the exchange expects it to eventually connect several functions across its platform, including liquidity, collateral, trading and risk management.
That approach reflects a shift in how stablecoins can be used within digital asset markets. While they have traditionally served primarily as settlement assets, trading liquidity and reserves, products such as KCUSD are being designed to make those balances productive while preserving the possibility of broader financial utility.
For KuCoin, the launch starts with daily yield, with additional trading and collateral functionality planned as the product develops.
AUTHOR
A freelance writer with a passion for crypto, delivering insightful and accurate content on blockchain and fintech. With a knack for translating complex concepts into accessible content, Eric produces well-researched articles, blog posts, and thought leadership pieces that cover the latest trends and developments in the digital finance space. His writing is aimed at educating and engaging both newcomers and industry experts, offering fresh insights into the world of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance (DeFi), and blockchain innovations. Eric’s dedication to quality and accuracy makes him a trusted voice in the fintech and crypto communities
TLDR ZEC climbed above $1,200, leaving a tracked Hyperliquid short position with $25.7 million in unrealized losses. The wallet opened a 32,760 ZEC short at an average entry price near $444 back in July 2026. Analyst Ember links the address to Garrett Jin, though this attribution is not independently confirmed. The same wallet holds a $107 million Bitcoin long showing $4.42 million in unrealized profit. Funding fees of roughly $2.05 million have cut into the Bitcoin position’s effective return. A large trader on Hyperliquid is sitting on an estimated $25.7 million paper loss after Zcash’s price pushed past $1,200. The figure comes from a Sept. 7 assessment by on-chain analyst Ember.
The wallet in question shorted 32,760 ZEC. It entered the position in early July 2026 at an average price near $444.
Since then, ZEC has risen from around $400 to over $1,200. That move represents an increase of roughly 170% over about two months.
At $1,200, the gap between entry price and market price would produce a loss near $24.8 million before fees. Ember’s $25.7 million figure suggests ZEC was trading closer to $1,228 when the snapshot was taken.
Zcash Price on CoinGecko The Bitcoin position tells a different story The same address also holds a Bitcoin long worth about $107 million. That trade shows an unrealized gain of $4.42 million.
The wallet has paid around $2.05 million in funding fees on the Bitcoin trade. That cost reduces the position’s effective profit once accounted for.
Even combined, the Bitcoin gain does not offset the ZEC short’s loss. The two positions together remain deeply negative at the reported snapshot.
This does not reflect the wallet’s full trading history. Other closed trades, deposits or withdrawals are not included in the calculation.
Ember attributes the wallet to a “Garrett Jin whale entity.” No signed message, filing or public statement from Jin confirms this connection, so it remains the analyst’s assessment rather than a verified fact.
What has driven the ZEC rally Zcash’s advance followed rising institutional interest in the asset. Grayscale converted its Zcash Trust into the ZCSH exchange-traded fund, which began trading on NYSE Arca on Aug. 25.
Grayscale charges the fund a 2.5% annual sponsor fee. ZEC traded near $855 shortly after the launch, with exchange volume topping $1.2 billion in one 24-hour period.
The price later pushed through $1,000, adding pressure on remaining short positions. Zcash has since moved into the ranks of the market’s largest assets by capitalization.
Spot buying, derivatives positioning and short covering may all have played a role in the rally. No single factor has been confirmed as the sole cause.
The wallet’s short position remains open. Its exact liquidation price was not available from Ember’s post, and no liquidation had occurred at the time of publication.
If ZEC keeps rising, the loss and required margin could grow further. A price pullback would reduce the paper loss and could return part of the position to profit.
Traders are watching the wallet’s collateral levels, ZCSH fund flows and ZEC derivatives open interest for signs of what happens next.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
A major account on Hyperliquid has recorded an estimated $25.7 million in unrealized losses after Zcash (ZEC) surged above $1,200. On-chain analyst Ember assessed the position on September 7, following significant price action in ZEC.
Whale short faces huge loss as ZEC ralliesThe wallet opened a short position of 32,760 ZEC in early July 2026 at an average entry price near $444. Since then, Zcash has rallied from roughly $400 to over $1,200, marking an increase of about 170% within two months.
At the $1,200 level, the difference between the entry price and the current market price puts the unrealized shortfall at approximately $24.8 million. Ember’s snapshot suggests ZEC was trading closer to $1,228 when the $25.7 million loss was recorded, reflecting further pain for the open position.
ZEC has climbed above $1,200, causing the largest open short on Hyperliquid to post an unrealized loss exceeding $25 million. The position, opened at $444, has been squeezed over several months as ZEC more than tripled in price.
Ember, whose on-chain research tracks large traders and whale entities, linked the wallet to Garrett Jin. However, this attribution has not been independently confirmed. No signed message or public statement from Jin is available, and the information currently relies solely on Ember’s assessment.
Contrasting outcomes in Bitcoin longWhile the ZEC short position remains deep in the red, the same wallet also holds a long position in Bitcoin with a notional value around $107 million. This Bitcoin trade posted an unrealized gain of $4.42 million at the time of assessment.
The account has paid about $2.05 million in funding fees on the Bitcoin long, reducing the effective profit from the position. Combining both positions, the ZEC losses far outweigh the Bitcoin gains, and the net result at the snapshot remains negative.
These numbers do not reflect the account’s overall trading history, as the calculation excludes previous trades, deposits, or withdrawals that have been closed or moved elsewhere.
Although the Bitcoin long offsets some losses, the ZEC short has driven the wallet’s overall balance significantly into negative territory for this period.
ETF conversion and institutional demand drive ZEC priceMarket observers attribute Zcash’s breakout to increased institutional interest. Grayscale recently converted its Zcash Trust into an exchange-traded fund (ETF) under the ticker ZCSH, which began trading on NYSE Arca on August 25.
Grayscale’s new ETF charges a 2.5% annual sponsor fee. Following the ETF launch, ZEC hovered around $855 before climbing above $1,000, with reported exchange volumes exceeding $1.2 billion in a single day.
This surge in demand, driven by spot buying, derivatives trading, and short covering, has propelled ZEC into the top market cap ranks. However, no one factor has been confirmed as the sole reason for the rally.
The whale’s ZEC short is still open, with no liquidation price available from Ember’s data. As long as ZEC maintains or increases its value, the notional loss and required collateral for the position will grow. A reversal in the ZEC price would reduce these losses and could push part of the position back towards profitability.
Given the impact of rapid price changes and major news such as ETF launches, traders are paying close attention to collateral levels, ZCSH ETF flows, and open interest in ZEC derivatives. In a market where a single Fed decision or an unexpected altcoin listing can transform conditions within seconds, switching between multiple applications for charting, news, and portfolio data often costs investors money. Smart traders increasingly use privacy-first solutions like CryptoAppsy to streamline everything in one interface, offering real-time charts, smart alerts, coin-specific news, and macro insights without requiring any registration.
As ZEC’s trajectory draws market-wide attention, analysts continue monitoring the whale’s positions and related market signals for the next potential move.
Kripto para piyasasında Bitcoin istihdam verilerinin ardından baskı altında kalırken, PONS fiyatındaki sert yükseliş dikkat çekti. Son 24 saatte yaklaşık yüzde 30 değer kazanan PONS, gün içinde 0,97 dolar seviyesine kadar yükselerek yeni bir zirveye ulaştı. Yazı sırasında 0,77 dolar civarında işlem gören PONS, zirveden gelen geri çekilmeye rağmen piyasanın en güçlü performans gösteren altcoinlerinden biri olmayı sürdürüyor. Güçlü işlem hacmi ve artan yatırımcı ilgisi, PONS fiyatının önümüzdeki günlerde yeniden yükseliş denemesi yapabileceğine yönelik beklentileri artırıyor.
PONS Fiyatı 0,97 Doları Gördü PONS, son dönemde gösterdiği güçlü performansla altcoin piyasasının öne çıkan varlıklarından biri haline geldi. Son 24 saatte yaklaşık yüzde 30 yükselen token, gün içerisinde 0,97 dolar seviyesine kadar çıkarak dikkat çekici bir fiyat hareketi gerçekleştirdi. Bu yükseliş, PONS’un kısa sürede yatırımcıların radarına girmesini sağlarken işlem hacmindeki hareketlilik de yükseliş momentumunu destekledi. Ancak 0,97 dolar seviyesinin ardından gelen satışlarla PONS fiyatı yazı sırasında 0,77 dolar seviyesine geriledi. Buna rağmen fiyatın kısa süre içerisinde ulaştığı zirve, alıcıların piyasadaki gücünü gösteren önemli bir gelişme olarak değerlendiriliyor. PONS’un yeniden yükselişe geçmesi halinde 0,90 ve 0,97 dolar bölgeleri yatırımcıların takip edeceği önemli seviyeler olabilir.
İlginizi Çekebilir: Zcash Neden Yükseliyor? Arkasındaki Detaylar!
PONS fiyatındaki sert yükselişin arkasında artan alım ilgisi ve altcoin piyasasındaki hareketlilik bulunuyor. Bitcoin’in 82.000 dolar seviyesinden geri çekildiği ve büyük hacimli altcoinlerin önemli bölümünün değer kaybettiği bir ortamda PONS’un pozitif ayrışması dikkat çekiyor. PONS’un kısa sürede güçlü bir yükseliş gerçekleştirmesi, yatırımcıların yüksek momentum gösteren altcoinlere yöneldiğini ortaya koyuyor. Özellikle yeni zirvelerin görülmesi, piyasada FOMO etkisinin oluşmasına neden olabilir. Bununla birlikte hızlı yükselen varlıklarda kâr satışlarının da sert gerçekleşebileceği unutulmamalı.
PONS Fiyatı Yükselmeye Devam Edebilir mi? PONS’un 0,97 dolar seviyesine kadar yükselmesi, tokenın mevcut yükseliş trendinde önemli bir momentum yakaladığını gösteriyor. Yazı sırasında 0,77 dolar civarında işlem gören PONS’un öncelikle kaybettiği seviyeleri geri kazanması önem taşıyor. Fiyatın yeniden 0,90 dolar üzerine çıkması halinde 0,97 dolar zirvesinin yeniden test edilmesi gündeme gelebilir. Alım hacminin güçlü kalması ve genel altcoin piyasasında risk iştahının artması durumunda PONS için yeni tüm zamanların en yüksek seviyeleri de gündeme gelebilir. Ancak 0,77 dolar çevresindeki hareketin zayıflaması, kısa vadede daha derin bir düzeltme yaşanması riskini artırabilir.
Bitcoin, güçlü ABD istihdam verilerinin ardından 82.000 dolar seviyesinden geri çekilerek 79.000 doların altını test etti. Piyasanın en büyük altcoinlerinde de satış baskısı görülürken ETH 2.500 dolar seviyesini kaybetti, XRP 1,40 dolara geriledi ve XMR yüzde 5’in üzerinde değer kaybetti. Bu tablo içerisinde PONS’un yaklaşık yüzde 30 yükselerek 0,97 dolara kadar çıkması, tokenın piyasanın geri kalanından güçlü şekilde ayrıştığını gösterdi. DASH de yaklaşık yüzde 25 yükselirken BNB, NEAR, DOT, TAO ve LTC gibi bazı altcoinler pozitif bölgede kaldı.
Değerlendirme PONS fiyatı, kısa sürede gerçekleştirdiği güçlü yükselişle altcoin piyasasının en dikkat çeken varlıklarından biri haline geldi. Gün içerisinde 0,97 dolar seviyesine kadar çıkan PONS’un yazı sırasında 0,77 dolar civarında işlem görmesi, zirve sonrası kâr satışlarının yaşandığını gösteriyor. Fiyatın yeniden 0,90 dolar ve ardından 0,97 dolar seviyelerini aşması halinde yükselişin yeni zirvelere taşınma ihtimali güçlenebilir. Buna karşılık mevcut seviyelerin korunamaması durumunda daha sert bir düzeltme görülebilir. Bu nedenle PONS yatırımcıları, özellikle işlem hacmini ve 0,77 dolar çevresindeki fiyat hareketini yakından takip etmeli.
Son Dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.
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ZEC gained 45% over the past week, extending its rally since Grayscale converted its Zcash Trust into an ETF that began trading Aug. 25.
Zcash (ZEC) climbed to its highest price since 2016, extending a rally that has pushed the privacy-focused cryptocurrency’s market capitalization above $20 billion.
ZEC reached $1,249.28 before retreating to about $1,195 on Monday, according to CoinGecko data. The token gained about 45% over the past week and 138% over 30 days.
The rally leaves Zcash below its launch-era record. CoinGecko lists an all-time high of $3,191.93 on Oct. 28, 2016, when only a small supply of tokens was available.
Zcash allows users to choose between public and “shielded” transactions. The latter uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify payments without revealing the sender, recipient or transaction amount.
“For users that prioritize privacy, this could become a ‘must have’ feature,” Grayscale’s head of research, Zach Pandl, said in an Aug. 31 analysis.
Pandl said that AI could increase demand for financial privacy by making it easier to link public blockchain transactions to users’ identities.
Zcash has been on a tear since Grayscale converted its existing Zcash Trust into an exchange-traded fund. The product, trading under the ticker ZCSH, began trading on NYSE ARCA on Aug. 25, giving investors exposure to ZEC through brokerage accounts.
The ETF closed Friday at $83.77 a share, with $463.2 million in assets under management, according to the fund’s website. US markets are closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday.
This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph's Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research.
While the broader cryptocurrency market has shown signs of recovery this month, privacy-focused coins have staged a distinct rally, setting themselves apart from Bitcoin and most major tokens. Bitcoin remains approximately 36% below its October high, failing to reclaim previous peak levels seen by much of the market last year.
Zcash sees robust inflows and institutional interestA significant share of the latest surge in privacy coins is attributed to Zcash, a cryptocurrency that emphasizes user privacy and zero-knowledge cryptography. New institutional products have amplified the move: Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, which began trading on August 25, brought net inflows of $34.4 million by September 4, during which time the ZEC token rose above $1,000.
Zcash’s network computing power, also referred to as its hash rate, increased from about 25 GigaSolutions per second in late August to over 30 GigaSolutions per second, signaling greater mining activity and network security.
Coinpaper, a crypto industry research outlet, highlighted that futures open interest for Zcash has climbed to about $2.3 billion, increasing the token’s exposure to leveraged trading and potentially contributing to price volatility.
Despite Zcash’s outperformance, removing it from recent calculations does not invalidate Glassnode’s overarching market analysis. The consultancy attributes the current market pattern to a wider trend across the privacy coin sector.
Recent institutional demand fueled net inflows of $34.4 million into the Zcash ETF, as ZEC climbed above $1,000 and hash rate expanded beyond 30 GSol/s.
Mini dictionary: Grayscale, a leading digital asset investment company, offers cryptocurrency investment trusts and exchange-traded products. Its Zcash ETF allows institutional investors to gain exposure to ZEC without directly holding the coin.
Other privacy coins post strong gainsThe recent upswing is not confined to Zcash. Monero, another privacy-focused cryptocurrency known by its ticker XMR, doubled in value over the course of the year. DASH and ZEN, both emphasizing private transactions, have also outperformed Bitcoin over the past 90 days. Earlier in 2026, Dash recorded a 71% gain, a move accompanied by notable advances in DCR and ZEN. Monero further broke out of a multi-year trading range, with XMR surpassing the $600 mark.
CoinKey Event or Price90-Day Performance vs. BTCZcash (ZEC)ZEC > $1,000, ETF inflowOutperformedMonero (XMR)XMR > $600, doubled in a yearOutperformedDash (DASH)Rose 71% in 2026OutperformedHorizen (ZEN)Beaten BTC in 90 daysOutperformedAnalysis from Glassnode, an on-chain data and analytics provider, estimates that the total market value in the sector now stands at $33.6 billion, an increase of $26.5 billion. Notably, nearly half of this growth occurred in just the last 30 days, signaling sharply rising interest and capital inflows into privacy coins.
In the most recent broad crypto rally, privacy coins led gains, with a sharp expansion in their market capitalization and outperformance versus Bitcoin.
Broader market context and long-term perspectiveDespite the buzz around privacy coins, the overall crypto market remains mixed. Over the past month, 91.5% of the top 200 digital assets posted gains, reflecting a widespread short-term recovery.
However, positive momentum does not extend over longer timeframes. Only 25 of the top 200 assets currently show gains over the past year, underscoring the generally narrow breadth of the market when viewed beyond short-term rallies.
Among the 25 largest digital assets, just four—ZEC, HYPE, XMR and WBT—are priced above their October 6 levels.
Zcash price traded near $1,197 on Sept. 7 after gaining roughly 43% over the week, as its breakout above $1,000, ETF demand, and short liquidations fueled the rally.
Summary
Zcash price gained about 43% from its Sept. 1 opening price of $829.69. The daily Supertrend remains bullish, with its trailing support near $934. 4-hour Bollinger Bands place immediate resistance around $1,273 and support near $1,098. Liquidation clusters near $1,240 and $1,260 could shape ZEC’s next move. Zcash price holds above $1,190 after 43% rally According to data from crypto.news, Zcash (ZEC) price traded near $1,197 on Sept. 7 after one of its strongest weekly advances in recent history. The privacy coin rose by about 43% from its Sept. 1 opening price of $829.69, outperforming several major crypto assets during the period.
The rally accelerated after buyers cleared resistance near $888 and pushed ZEC through the psychological $1,000 level on Sept. 4. Price later reached an intraday high of approximately $1,230 before easing as traders took profits.
The daily chart shows ZEC opening Sept. 7 at $1,227.59 before retreating by about 2.5% to $1,197.14. Despite the pullback, the token remains well above its recent breakout zone and the daily Supertrend level at $934.49.
Zcash price daily chart — Sep. 7 | Source: crypto.news Chaikin Money Flow stands at 0.31 on the daily chart. A positive reading indicates that buying pressure continues to outweigh selling pressure, although the vertical nature of the advance raises the risk of wider price swings.
US-listed ETF and short squeeze support ZEC The rally followed Grayscale’s conversion of its Zcash Trust into the ZCSH exchange-traded fund. The product began trading on NYSE Arca on Aug. 25 and became the first US-listed exchange-traded product dedicated to ZEC, according to Grayscale.
ZCSH opened a regulated brokerage route for US investors seeking exposure to Zcash without holding the token directly. Grayscale reported more than $400 million in fund assets after the launch, although part of the increase reflected ZEC’s rising market value rather than new capital alone.
Derivatives positioning amplified the spot-led move. ZEC’s break above $1,000 reportedly liquidated approximately $34.5 million in short positions within 24 hours, forcing bearish traders to repurchase contracts as prices climbed. Open interest also rose from around $1.6 billion to more than $2.4 billion during the broader advance.
Higher open interest shows that traders are adding leveraged exposure, but it does not identify whether those positions are bullish or bearish. The combination of rising leverage and thinner order books can intensify moves in either direction.
Demand for Zcash’s privacy features has provided another part of the market narrative. Earlier crypto.news reporting showed that roughly 30% of the circulating supply had moved into shielded pools by May, while shielded transactions accounted for 59.3% of activity.
ZEC faces resistance between $1,240 and $1,273 The 4-hour chart shows ZEC consolidating after its near-vertical advance. Price remains above the Bollinger Band midpoint at $1,097.81, while the upper band stands at $1,272.67.
Zcash price 4-hour chart — Sep. 7 | Source: crypto.news A 4-hour close above $1,273 would indicate that buyers have absorbed the latest profit-taking. Such a move could clear the path toward $1,300 before traders test the larger $1,500 target.
The Average Directional Index is at 52.94 on the 4-hour timeframe. Readings above 25 generally indicate a strong trend, meaning the existing bullish move retains momentum. ADX measures trend strength rather than direction, however, and does not rule out a sharp correction.
The 24-hour liquidation heatmap places the nearest large overhead liquidity concentrations around $1,235–$1,245 and $1,258–$1,265. A break into those areas could force remaining short positions to close, adding market buy orders.
Zcash liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Downside liquidity has accumulated around $1,160–$1,168, followed by clusters near $1,148–$1,153 and $1,134–$1,140. Losing $1,160 could therefore produce a quicker drop as leveraged long positions come under pressure.
The 4-hour Bollinger midpoint near $1,098 is the next broader support. A sustained move below that level would weaken the immediate trend and expose the former $1,000 breakout area. Daily Supertrend support near $934 remains the main bullish invalidation level.
Analyst sees $1,500 after pennant breakout Team LAMBO Charts described ZEC’s move as a breakout from a large bullish pennant that had contained price for several months. The analyst said the original $1,000 objective had already been exceeded and identified $1,500 as the next major target.
The projection represents an advance of about 25% from the current price. Reaching it would require ZEC to break the $1,240–$1,273 resistance region and establish support above the recent high.
The bullish structure would remain intact while ZEC holds above its breakout levels, according to the analyst. Failure to defend $1,098 would instead suggest that momentum is cooling and raise the risk of a retest of $1,000 or $934.
US investors also face risks beyond the chart. Zcash remains more volatile than larger cryptocurrencies, and the rapid expansion in derivatives exposure may leave the market vulnerable to liquidation-driven reversals. ZCSH is also not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, according to crypto.news, giving it a different investor-protection framework from a conventional registered fund.
ZEC therefore retains a bullish technical structure, but its next direction may depend on whether buyers can turn the $1,240–$1,273 area into support before leveraged positioning becomes overcrowded.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
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According to onchain data, the largest tracked on-chain ZEC short has added to his position despite increasing losses.
Garrett Jin, identified by on-chain data as the trader behind the position, has added another 7,000 ZEC worth about $8.4 million to his short, according to Lookonchain. The move comes after the position accumulated more than $24 million in unrealized losses as the ZEC price surged. This brings Jin's total short exposure to 39,760 ZEC, with a nominal value of over $47 million. The reported liquidation price stands at $2,292.
Jin's ZEC short has become one of the most closely watched positions after Zcash staged a strong rally.
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At the time of writing, Zcash was up 1.2% in the last 24 hours to $1,176 and up 44.1% weekly after clearing $1,000 on Friday for the first time since 2016, with its recent rise forcing a significant number of short traders out of leveraged positions. The privacy token has gained 137% in the last 30 days and is up 2,389% on a 1-year basis.
Zcash bears trappedZEC reached a high of $1,254 on Sunday in a four-day climb, marking a major continuation of a rally that has taken the cryptocurrency beyond the $576 price, which marked the entry point for Jin's ZEC short position with 3x leverage.
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Jin's decision to put his liquidation price at $2,292 may not be a mistake, as he is an informed trader himself. He also opened a Bitcoin long position at $77,089, suggesting that his bets are not only restricted to Zcash.
Zcash reaching $2,292 from its current price would mark a 95% increase, with this level now crucial in this particular short trade.
If the ZEC price remains below $2,292, Jin's short bet stays unliquidated, although the position is already facing substantial losses. If Zcash hits $2,292 while his position remains open, it could face forced liquidation.
Jin is not the only ZEC bear who seems trapped by Zcash's latest price increase. According to Lookonchain, a trader, '0x362a,' shorted 15,785 ZEC worth $18.95 million 3 days ago and is now sitting on a $5.27 million loss. This trader had an excellent track record before, with 26 wins in a row.
From Bitcoin Long to Zcash ShortHigh-volume trader Garrett Jin (@GarrettBullish) has closed out a $105.4 million long position in $BTC and redirected significant capital into a leveraged short on Zcash ($ZEC). According to trade data, Jin liquidated 1,332 $BTC and secured a net profit of $2.7 million before rotating into the privacy-coin sector with an aggressive bearish stance.
The move is part of a broader pattern for Jin, who has repeatedly traded $ZEC from both sides this year. In May, he placed limit orders to short more than $36 million of ZEC, then closed that position on June 7 for a profit of roughly $11.24 million. He flipped short again in early July at $444, and ZEC drifted sideways near $400 for much of the summer.
A Sizable Bet Against a Surging Asset Jin has since increased his Zcash short position on Hyperliquid to 39,760 $ZEC, worth approximately $47.22 million. The original copy puts the market valuation at $46.65 million with a liquidation price of $2,540.28, reflecting a deeply bearish outlook on the token's near-term price action.
The timing of the position carries considerable risk. ZEC went vertical in late August after Grayscale converted its Zcash Trust into ZCSH, the first U.S. spot exchange-traded fund holding the token, which began trading on NYSE Arca on August 25 and reached $414.7 million in assets by September 3. That catalyst sent $ZEC sharply higher, putting pressure on existing short sellers.
On-chain analyst Ember described the address behind the trade as part of a "Garrett Jin whale entity," though this attribution is treated as Ember's assessment rather than an independently established fact. Jin has not publicly confirmed ownership of the wallet.
Whether the trader's bearish conviction ultimately pays off will depend on whether $ZEC sustains its momentum or reverts. For now, the position stands as one of the largest short bets on Zcash on any decentralized venue.
Sources:
Bitcoin.com News: Zcash's $1,200 Push Sustains, Sending Garrett Jin's Short $25.7M Underwater
CoinPedia: Zcash Price, Garrett Jin Adds to $47M Losing Short Position
ZCAT pumped 35.4% in 24 hours, as this crypto is attracting attention due to its promise of paying Zcash reward on ZCAT.
About 2,320 ZECs worth $2.8 million have been given out. But the catch is people need to trade and transfer ZCAT for those payments to be sent still.
How ZCAT’s Zcash rewards work ZCAT charges a 3% fee whenever the token changes hands, and most of the money collected is used to buy ZEC, which is then shared among eligible ZCAT holders.
Wallets are said to need to hold at least $20 worth of ZCAT to receive the rewards.
The project figures show more than 470,000 payments have been made. But these numbers refer to individual payouts, not the number of people holding the token [the same wallet may have received several payments].
The arrangement gives people reasons to hold ZCAT, and it also connects the memecoin to Zcash, whose price recently went above $1,200.
The rewards are, however, funded by ZCAT activity, NOT by profit made from business, nor from any separate source of revenue. The value available for future awards could be diminished by lesser user activity.
A further consideration is the 3% charge. Every ZCAT transaction goes toward rewards, meaning holders finance the system in which they are rewarded.
ZCAT price records sharp swings At the time of writing, ZCAT was trading for about $0.1515, equating to a market cap of around $150 million.
The tokens were in high demand; it recorded a trade of approximately $40.9 million US dollars in 24 hours. The price has also been fluctuating between $0.09037 and $0.1755 during the span of 24 hours.
Source: Coingecko That range illustrates how quickly conditions change. ZCAT rose from its daily low; however, buyers who bought near $0.1755 saw a double-digit decline shortly after, and before the price was able to recover again.
ZCAT has only existed for a few days, so it does not have a trading history long enough to judge long-term demand. Interest may be drawn by it sending out ZEC, especially since Zcash is doing so well, but to keep payments going, it needs ZCAT to keep trading too.
Final Summary ZCAT reportedly distributed 2,320 ZEC through a reward system funded by its 3% transaction fee. It gained 35.4%, although the wide daily range showed a high risk of extreme reversals.
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In terms of market capitalization, Monero has surpassed Chainlink, which pushed XMR into the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies as the two assets move in radically different ways. Based on the market data provided, Monero is estimated to be worth $10.07 billion, just above Chainlink's $9.96 billion capitalization.
Link doesn't fall behindChainlink has done well on its own. LINK has increased by nearly 18% in the last seven days and by about 8.7% in the last twenty-four hours. After a swift recovery from the $8–$9 range in August, its daily chart displays a breakout above $13. Monero's journey has been distinct.
XMR/USDT Chart by TradingViewAlthough XMR has dropped by about 1.4% over the last week, it was able to maintain enough market capitalization to surpass LINK due to its much greater rally over the previous month. XMR increased from about $350 in early August to about $570 recently. Despite the most recent consolidation, Monero is still in a strong uptrend technically. XMR is trading well above its 20-day moving average, which is close to $470, and its longer averages, which are between $381 and $414, at roughly $536.
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Both assets stay overboughtAlthough the reading suggests a higher risk of a short-term correction, an RSI around 70 also demonstrates that momentum is still high. In the short term, Chainlink is even more strained.
LINK's 20-day moving average is still around $11.15, but its most recent breakout moved it toward $13.50. Since the RSI has risen above 75, the asset is clearly in overbought territory. The next obvious resistance area is now the $13.50–$14 range.
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Monero is therefore far from guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Currently, the difference between XMR and LINK is only about $110 million, or slightly more than 1% of their respective valuations. Given that LINK has significantly outperformed XMR over the last week, even a slight continuation of the current divergence could cause their positions to change.
However, Monero is currently in the lead. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency has returned to the market's highest-capitalization group thanks to its 2025 rally, but LINK is close enough to make the ranking a contest rather than a clear takeover.
Monero has edged past Chainlink in market capitalization, securing a position among the ten largest cryptocurrencies. Latest figures show Monero’s market cap at $10.07 billion, just ahead of Chainlink’s $9.96 billion, as both assets have charted divergent paths in recent weeks.
Price movements and breakout levelsChainlink has seen notable gains. LINK climbed nearly 18% over the last week and posted an 8.7% increase in the last 24 hours. The token, widely used for decentralized oracle networks, rebounded sharply from the $8–$9 band in August and recently broke above $13 on the daily chart.
Monero’s price action has been markedly different. Although XMR dropped 1.4% in the last week, its capitalization leapt last month after a steep rally. XMR rose from approximately $350 in early August to a recent peak near $570. This surge allowed Monero to surpass Chainlink in overall valuation despite its recent minor losses.
On a technical level, XMR remains in a strong uptrend. The coin trades well above its 20-day moving average, currently close to $470, while its longer-term averages range between $381 and $414. At present, XMR holds near $536, indicating persistent technical momentum.
AssetLatest Price1 Week ChangeMarket Cap20-day MAMonero (XMR)$536-1.4%$10.07 billion$470Chainlink (LINK)$13.50+18%$9.96 billion$11.15Technical momentum and risk indicatorsA relative strength index (RSI) near 70 for XMR signals continued momentum but also suggests a higher risk of a near-term pullback. For Chainlink, the short-term picture is even more stretched, as LINK’s RSI climbed above 75, placing it in technically “overbought” territory. The 20-day moving average for LINK remains about $11.15, but its latest rally carried it up to the $13.50 mark and toward upcoming resistance in the $13.50–$14 zone.
Despite these differences, Monero’s position in the top 10 is anything but certain. The gap between XMR and LINK’s capitalizations sits at just over $110 million, approximately 1% of their respective values. With LINK’s stronger performance over the past week, even a small extension of current trends could see the two switch places again.
Despite a recent dip, Monero’s rally over the past month elevated its market cap above Chainlink, but the narrow spread means their rankings could quickly reverse if Chainlink continues to outperform in the days ahead.
Both of these cryptocurrencies have attracted close analyst attention for their distinct market roles. Monero is known for providing privacy-focused transactions, while Chainlink operates as a decentralized oracle network connecting smart contracts with external data.
Mini dictionary: Decentralized oracle network – A system that allows blockchain-based smart contracts to securely interact with external real-world data sources, APIs, and payment systems, ensuring trustless connectivity and automation in decentralized applications.
Investors and traders continue to watch the shifting market dynamics closely as both Monero and Chainlink contend for a place among the most valuable cryptocurrencies.
Privacy coins are up 213% since Bitcoin (BTC) peaked last October. Every other crypto sector is down, according to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode.
The median coin in the top 200 is 58% cheaper than it was that day. Bitcoin itself still trades 36% below its own record.
Privacy Coins Are the Only Sector Above the HighGlassnode tracks 10 sectors, scoring each against its price on October 6, 2025, the day Bitcoin topped out at $126,199 on Binance.
Privacy is the only green bar on the chart. DeFi is the best of the losers, down 27%. Gaming is the worst, down 74%.
Privacy Coins Leave the Rest of Crypto Behind in 2026. Source: GlassnodeLast month was kind to almost everything, with all 10 sectors rising.
Still, privacy coins led that leg too with a 90% gain. Therefore, the ranking did not change, with only 9% of the top 200 sitting above their October price, even after that broad bounce.
So the altcoin season never arrived in the shape holders wanted. Money picked one theme and stayed there.
Zcash Is Doing Almost All the WorkPrivacy coins were worth $7.1 billion a year ago. Glassnode now values the group at $33.6 billion, just above Tron (TRX), the eighth-largest crypto. Zcash (ZEC) supplies most of that. It trades near $1,180 and ranks ninth by market value at $19.9 billion.
Zcash (ZEC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCryptoNotably, while the ZEC price is up 687% since Bitcoin’s high, the privacy sector is up 213%.
Only four of the 25 largest coins beat their October price. Two are privacy names, ZEC and Monero (XMR), which has roughly doubled.
That notwithstanding, the run was not smooth, with Zcash having to patch a critical bug in its shielded pool in June. It then sealed that pool with the Ironwood network upgrade in July.
In August, BeInCrypto asked whether ZEC could reach $1,000 this cycle, when it was trading near $675. It cleared that level days later, and Grayscale’s Zcash ETF assets have reached $463 million.
The Bottom of the Sector Is ThinGlassnode says all eight privacy coins with a year of history have gained. Three of them barely have. Decred (DCR) showed a 2% gain on that reading. Two others managed 3% and 6%.
Privacy Coins Performance. Source: GlassnodeCoinGecko now puts Decred down 2.9% over 12 months. The claim’s weakest leg has already flipped. Zcash and Monero together hold about 90% of the sector’s value.
A stall in Zcash price action would wipe out the one green bar on Glassnode’s chart.
Network Hits Monthly Peak on a Weekend@AlgoFoundation recorded its highest daily transaction volume of the month on Sunday, with the network processing over 876,000 transactions in a single day. The figure marks a new milestone for the period and is notable given that weekend sessions typically bring reduced activity across digital asset markets.
According to verified data from Chainspect, Algorand maintained a consistent throughput of more than 10 transactions per second (TPS) throughout the day. Holding that rate over a full weekend session runs counter to the liquidity contractions that tend to suppress on-chain activity across the broader market during those periods.
Context: A Network Built for High ThroughputThe result fits a broader pattern of growing network utilisation.
On the infrastructure side, the network has also been expanding its validator base.
Sunday's reading of 10-plus TPS reflects real demand rather than benchmark conditions, making it a more meaningful signal of network health.
Sources:
Chainspect: Algorand TPS and Network Stats
Algorand Foundation: June 2026 Algo Insights Report
TLDR Harmony proposed shutting down its layer-1 blockchain and migrating its native ONE token to Ethereum. The move comes weeks after an exploit led to a rollback that discarded over 109,000 transactions. Validators can stop their nodes starting Sept. 10, with a $1.372 million pool set aside for those who transition smoothly. Harmony plans to pivot into an AI video “remix economy” business using the migrated token. Users must exit all smart contracts before Sept. 10, since multisig safes and liquidity pools cannot be migrated. Harmony has proposed sunsetting its layer-1 blockchain and moving its native ONE token to Ethereum. The announcement came seven years after the network’s mainnet first launched.
The proposal was shared on X on Sunday. Harmony said it would take a final network snapshot, issue ERC-20 ONE tokens on Ethereum, and migrate exchange listings.
Harmony described the plan as non-binding. It did not say when the final block would be produced or whether the shutdown would go through the network’s validator-led governance process.
Under Harmony’s existing governance rules, elected validators can create proposals. Unelected validators can vote, with voting power based on total stake. Passing a proposal requires 51% of total stake weight to participate and 66.7% support after a voting period.
Harmony said security threats played a role in the decision. “The threats posed by state actors and AI agents are too great,” the team wrote in its announcement.
“Since our mainnet launch in 2019, our community has been resilient through attacks and changes, but it is time to fully sunset the Harmony network,” Harmony added.
The team said validators would be offered new roles in a proposed AI video initiative. This new venture would center on a small group of AI video creators who publish open prompts and assets.
Fans could then fork, or “remix,” those originals. AI agents would turn each fork into more video clips. Harmony said the plan could generate advertising revenue from a large user base.
How the ONE Token Migration Would Work Under the plan, all ONE balances would be recorded at the network’s final block. New ERC-20 tokens would then be airdropped to the same wallet addresses on Ethereum.
The snapshot would cover wallets, staking delegations, validator rewards, smart contracts, and centralized exchanges. Harmony said no action or claim would be required from holders.
Multisig safes, liquidity pools, and onchain applications cannot be migrated, though. Harmony urged users to exit all smart contracts before Sept. 10.
Validators can begin shutting down their nodes on Sept. 10. Harmony set aside $1.372 million to compensate validators who stop on time, keep their stakes, and agree to serve as governors in the new initiative.
The token’s total supply and emission rate will stay the same. Newly issued tokens will go toward funding the AI video initiative, Harmony said. ONE was trading near $0.00073 as of Sunday.
This proposal follows a security incident that took place less than four weeks earlier. On Aug. 12, Harmony said it was looking into a rollback after reports that an attacker minted nearly 4 billion unauthorized ONE tokens.
A later review by Harmony found the attacker had actually minted more than 3 trillion ONE tokens across six transactions. An outside account estimated that about 2.8 billion tokens had reached exchanges.
The exploit stemmed from a flaw in Harmony’s cross-shard receipt verification system. This flaw let valid receipts get processed multiple times, letting the attacker mint new tokens without a matching debit elsewhere.
On Aug. 17, Harmony said it would revert the blockchain to an Aug. 11 checkpoint. That rollback discarded 109,126 regular transactions and 315 staking transactions.
This was not Harmony’s first major security incident. In June 2022, its Horizon cross-chain bridge was exploited, with attackers stealing crypto assets worth close to $100 million.
The FBI later attributed that 2022 bridge attack to North Korean state-backed hacking groups Lazarus Group and APT 38.
Harmony has proposed shutting down its network and moving its ONE token to Ethereum as the project responds to growing threats from state actors and AI agents, according to a statement issued on Sept. 6.
“The threats posed by state actors and AI agents are too great,” Harmony stated. Since our mainnet launch in 2019, our community has been resilient through attacks and changes—but it is time to fully sunset the Harmony network.”
Launched through a Binance Launchpad IEO in 2019, Harmony is a sharded layer 1 blockchain that combines Ethereum compatibility with an architecture designed for high throughput and low transaction costs. The project attracted funding from a group of crypto investors, including Binance Labs, now YZi Labs, HashKey Capital, and Animoca Brands.
The proposed transition would allow validators to cease operating beginning Sept. 10. Harmony plans to compensate validators for the difference in emission rewards between their final block and the network’s final block, with approximately $1.4 million set aside for the validator compensation program.
Validators can also continue as governors or participate in Harmony’s planned AI video economy, the team added. GPU operators could receive first-year subsidies and support aimed at generating up to $1 million in combined revenue, while affiliates would initially receive a 30% recurring commission on referred $10 monthly subscriptions.
Harmony would snapshot ONE holdings at the network’s final block and airdrop equivalent new ONE tokens to the same wallet addresses on Ethereum. Delegated stakes and unclaimed rewards would instead go to individual governor vaults, while centralized exchange listings would be migrated.
The project said ONE’s total supply and emission rate would not change. The team plans to publish the Ethereum token contract, governor vault contract, snapshot calculations and airdrop scripts for public audit.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
In brief Harmony says threats from AI agents and state actors have become too great to keep its blockchain running. The team proposes moving ONE to Ethereum and redirecting token emissions toward AI video. The plan is non-binding, with users urged to exit smart contracts before September 10. Harmony, once a prominent competitor to Ethereum, has proposed shutting down its blockchain on Sunday, saying threats from AI agents and state actors had become too great.
The announcement comes as the cryptocurrency industry attempts to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks enabled by frontier AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra.
Myriad: Ethereum's next price move? Click to make your prediction.“The threats posed by state actors and AI agents are too great,” the Harmony Team wrote on X. “Since our mainnet launch in 2019, our community has been resilient through attacks and changes—but it is time to fully sunset the Harmony network.”
To mitigate the threat, Harmony is proposing to move Harmony’s ONE token to Ethereum and use newly issued tokens to fund the ecosystem's new “The Remix Economy for AI Video” initiative. Validators, who verify network transactions, could take governance roles or join the AI-video business.
Launched in 2019, Harmony is a layer-1 blockchain that uses proof-of-stake, where validators commit tokens to help secure the network, and sharding, which divides transactions into smaller groups that work in parallel. The design aims to address the “blockchain trilemma” by increasing capacity without compromising security or concentrating control.
Moving ONE to Ethereum
According to Harmony, the migration would record ONE balances at the network’s final block—a process called a snapshot—to determine each holder’s allocation of replacement tokens on Ethereum. It would cover wallets, staked tokens, validator rewards, smart contracts, and centralized exchanges.
Replacement tokens would be airdropped to the same wallet addresses on Ethereum, with delegated stakes and unclaimed rewards going to individual governor vaults. Exchange listings would also move to the new token.
Although the proposal says holders would not need to submit a claim, users with assets in smart contracts face a separate deadline.
“Multisig safes, liquidity pools, and onchain apps cannot be migrated; users are urged to exit all smart contracts before September 10, 2026,” the Harmony Team wrote.
Harmony also proposes paying eligible validators and their delegators from a $1.372 million pool in four quarterly installments, provided validators retain their stakes, sign an agreement, and serve as governors.
“The ONE token’s total supply and emission rate will remain unchanged. Tokens issued through emissions will now be allocated to our new mission, “The Remix Economy for AI Video”, subject to governor feedback,” the team wrote.
AI and Crypto Attacks
The migration proposal is the latest in examples of attacks leading to increased scrutiny of blockchain networks.
In August, Harmony confirmed an exploit after an attacker created roughly 4 billion unauthorized ONE tokens. The team released a patch and said it was considering a rollback, which would reverse transactions by restoring an earlier version of the blockchain.
The X post on Sunday underscores how AI is playing a larger role in crypto security, with companies reporting suspected AI-assisted attacks and developers using the technology to find and fix vulnerabilities.
In July, Coldcard maker Coinkite said it suspected an attacker used AI to find a flaw that made wallet keys easier to guess—a vulnerability its own AI review missed. The company overhauled its security in August after thefts exceeded $100 million.
Following the Coldcard attack, developers formed the Bitcoin Red Team to find vulnerabilities before attackers could exploit them. The group combines AI models, including Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3, with human review to examine wallets, payment applications, and other Bitcoin software, then privately alerts developers to flaws.
The team grew to about 20 to 25 volunteers, according to pseudonymous member and developer Calle. He said it had found no issues in Bitcoin’s underlying protocol.
“The reason why the Bitcoin Red Team exists right now is because we need to get ahead of the attackers as fast as possible,” Calle told Decrypt.
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