Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s hawkish speech at the Jackson Hole event led to a Bitcoin [BTC] price drop to $77k. The Fed was not yet done fighting inflation, and this news raised the odds of a rate hike to 57%.

On Thursday, the 3rd of September, Bitcoin rallied 5% in a day following Fed Governor Christopher Waller’s comments. Speaking at a Reuters event, Waller indicated that he would be inclined to support keeping interest rates unchanged during the September meeting.

The same day also saw $730.8 million net flows into spot BTC ETFs, highlighting strong demand.

This Bitcoin price move led to an uptick across the crypto market. It also slashed the odds of a rate hike from 57% to closer to 50%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

Source: FedWatch Tool It is now a coin toss whether interest rates remain unchanged or face a hike. Any event from now to the announcement that gives some certainty to an outcome will be likely to move markets to a greater extent.

The impact of the Fed’s decision on crypto In 2026, the days around the FOMC rate decision have tended to be clear price pivot points. For example, the decisions in January, March, and June saw a bearish reaction from Bitcoin, with heightened liquidation numbers.

Even if the Fed’s September decision is to hold interest rates steady, it could have a bearish impact on crypto.

In 2022, to fight high inflation rates, the Fed raised interest rates from 0.25% to 4.50%. The swift tightening cycle sucked capital out of crypto and accelerated the BTC bear market.

A decision to increase interest rates would signal that the trend has changed. The cost of capital would be rising once again and could force Bitcoin to reprice accordingly.

On the other hand, dovish signals from the Fed would increase the chances of a bullish scenario for crypto. If spot ETF flows keep up the inflow streak, and BTC demand accelerates, it could bode well for a true bull market shift.

Final Summary Comments from Warsh and Waller have led to sizeable intraday Bitcoin price moves. The 2026 track record for decisions to hold interest rates has been bearish, with just one bullish BTC price reaction in April.

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.

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Trump says Iran conflict 'not a major issue for the US': Current situation is not a state of war.

US President Donald Trump said on local time September 4 that the more than six-month US-Iran conflict is "small potatoes" for the US, adding that it is more appropriate to define it as a "military conflict" rather than a war. Trump noted that the US is currently only conducting "intermittent strikes" with no sustained fighting between the two sides, and he expressed understanding for Vice President JD Vance’s earlier remark that "it should not be called a war". Trump also stated that the conflict has killed 18 US service members, but its scale is "not large" compared to conflicts like the Vietnam War that claimed tens of thousands of US troops, while emphasizing that "losing even one person is too many". Trump further claimed that the US has achieved "significant results" on the Iran issue, with its core goal being to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to reports, the conflict has driven up energy prices and brought domestic political pressure to the Trump administration. US public approval of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict is low, and the Republican Party faces pressure to retain its congressional majority in the November midterm elections.

9 minutes ago

Over the past 24 hours, the Ethereum network recorded a net inflow of $46.47 million, while Robinhood Chain saw a net outflow of $21.07 million.

According to Defillama data, on-chain funds over the past day have clearly concentrated on the Ethereum mainnet and a small number of legacy Layer 1s. Ethereum saw a net inflow of $46.47 million, roughly 4.5 times that of second-place Solana. On the flip side, Robinhood Chain, Arbitrum, Hyperliquid and other platforms combined for a net outflow of over $100 million, reflecting a rebalancing trend of "flowing back to Ethereum, exiting Layer 2s". Robinhood Chain, the day’s largest net outflow source, is a broker-led Layer 2 launched in July 2026 based on Arbitrum Orbit. In the past two months, it has ranked among the top in Meme and tokenized stock trading volume, with its on-chain fees once even surpassing those of Ethereum, Solana and Base; however, its daily bridged funds have turned net outflow. Arbitrum, Base and Polygon also saw net outflows, bringing the total net outflow of the four major Layer 2s (including Robinhood) to around $69.55 million. Perpetual contract public chain Hyperliquid recorded a net outflow of $18.34 million, nearly on par with Arbitrum. New stablecoin settlement chains are also experiencing capital outflows: Tether’s Plasma saw an outflow of $13.27 million, Stripe-incubated Tempo and Tether ecosystem’s Stable registered outflows of $3.45 million and $2.99 million respectively.

9 minutes ago

A mysterious crypto whale has bought another 343,000 HYPE tokens, bringing its total holdings to 3.24 million HYPE, all of which are staked.

According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, the mysterious whale address 0x6436 has purchased an additional 343,000 HYPE tokens, valued at approximately $29.09 million. As of now, the address has accumulated a total of around 3.24 million HYPE tokens, with a total value of roughly $252 million, and has staked all of its HYPE holdings.

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The "stock market version of Pokémon GO" meme coin GRASS briefly surged past $13.6 million in market capitalization this morning, hitting a new all-time high.

According to GMGN market data, the Robinhood ecosystem meme coin GRASS briefly surged past $13.6 million in market cap early this morning, hitting an all-time high, and has since pulled back to $8.3 million. It has recorded a 111% 24-hour price increase and a $8.7 million 24-hour trading volume. GRASS combines the internet meme "Touch Grass" with the gameplay of a stock-themed Pokémon GO. The project is officially positioned as a game, where tokenized fractional shares of real stocks (including AAPL, NVDA, TSLA, GME, etc., on Robinhood Chain) "spawn" at the physical locations of their respective companies—such as Apple Stores, GameStop outlets, Tesla showrooms, etc. Users can claim these tokenized stock fractions to their wallets by tapping on them when nearby. BlockBeats reminds users that most meme coins lack practical use cases and are highly volatile; please protect your assets and avoid FOMO.

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Bitcoin is once again exhibiting characteristics of an "amplified version of gold", though the four-year cycle theory warns that the market still faces downside risks ahead.

Bitcoin has recently re-emerged as a safe-haven asset, hitting a four-month high of $82,262 this week before pulling back to around $79,800. André Dragosch, head of European research at Bitwise, said that amid rising macroeconomic uncertainty and currency devaluation risks, investors are increasingly viewing Bitcoin less as a high-risk tech asset and more as a store of value. Dragosch noted that Bitcoin’s 90-day price correlation with gold is near its highest level in six years. He argued that as macro forces strengthen and currency devaluation risks rise, investors are blurring the lines between Bitcoin and gold, with the cryptocurrency recently acting as an “amplified version of gold”. However, the four-year cycle theory remains a headwind for Bitcoin’s outlook. The theory links Bitcoin’s bull-bear cycles to its halving events. Fidelity projects that if historical cycle patterns hold, Bitcoin’s next bear market bottom could land around November 2026. Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, previously estimated that the baseline scenario for this correction would bottom in the $40,000 to $46,000 range. Chris Kuiper, vice president of research at Fidelity Digital Assets, argued that the four-year cycle is not an exact timing rule, meaning it does not guarantee Bitcoin will decline later this year, and a long-term perspective and holding period have historically been more beneficial for investors.

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Circle Details cirBTC Reserve Mechanism, Emphasizing 1:1 BTC Backing, Segregated Custody and On-Chain Reserve Verification

Circle recently released details on the reserve mechanism for its wrapped Bitcoin product cirBTC, emphasizing that cirBTC is backed 1:1 by native BTC, with segregated asset custody and an on-chain verifiable reserve model. According to Circle, cirBTC is now live on Ethereum; it will offer native support after the Arc mainnet launches, and plans to gradually expand to more blockchains. Each cirBTC is 1:1 backed by one native BTC and can be redeemed for native BTC at a 1:1 ratio. For reserve management, the relevant BTC is held by a Circle affiliate and custodied by Circle National Trust, which is regulated by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Reserve assets are segregated from Circle’s corporate assets and used exclusively to protect cirBTC holders’ rights and interests. Furthermore, Circle enables on-chain reserve verification via public BTC reserve addresses and the Chainlink Proof of Reserve mechanism. Market participants can monitor the size of reserve BTC and compare it with cirBTC circulating supply on each supported chain to confirm that cirBTC circulation does not exceed the underlying BTC reserve. Circle noted that this model is designed to provide institutions with a more transparent wrapped BTC reserve standard, and to support BTC as collateral for on-chain smart contract use cases including lending, trading, and settlement.

9 minutes ago

Crypto analyst XRP Avenger, a prominent voice on social media, set a long-term price target of $254 for XRP, predicting substantial wealth creation for current holders as the token continues its recent rally. XRP, the digital asset developed by Ripple Labs for global payments, reached $1.45, up 9.45% in the past 24 hours.

The chart and price predictionXRP Avenger paired his projection with a multi-year XRP/USD chart, using technical analysis to support the anticipated surge. The chart, based on a 3-day Heikin Ashi setup provided by chartist Steph Is Crypto, showed XRP trading under $0.55 for most of 2024 before a significant breakout at the end of that year, gaining further momentum into 2025.

After this leap, the chart suggested a period of consolidation, followed by an even stronger move upward. The price axis of the chart extended through $120 and $200, with XRP Avenger’s $254 target positioned at the upper end of this speculative trajectory.

$XRP holders are about to create generational wealth with a price target of $254 per token, according to crypto analyst XRP Avenger.

XRP currently sits well below its previous all-time high, but renewed optimism has spread across parts of the XRP investor community after recent price gains.

Trump administration and crypto regulationXRP Avenger’s analysis referenced President Donald Trump’s administration as a potentially positive force for the cryptocurrency sector’s future. In August, Trump convened cryptocurrency and financial sector executives at the White House, discussing the industry’s regulatory path and calling upon Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, described as a key legislative effort to keep the United States competitive in digital assets.

Among those present were Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, along with the heads of Coinbase, Robinhood, and Kraken. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig also joined the policy discussion. Ripple additionally secured a position on the CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee, which advises on emerging fintech trends.

Within the same timeframe, US regulators took several actions: the SEC announced a $75 million annual exemption for digital asset fundraising, and the Treasury Department revealed a new framework for stablecoins.

Mini dictionary: CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) — The CFTC regulates derivatives markets in the United States, including futures and options contracts. Its Innovation Advisory Committee advises on policy for emerging technologies, including blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

XRP Avenger’s ambitious forecast sparked varied responses among community members. Some users questioned the credibility of extreme price predictions, with one critic highlighting the analyst’s history of making bold calls that were later reversed. Another user wondered about the rationale for posting such optimistic projections.

While some community members doubted the likelihood of $254, one acknowledged the potential for a new all-time high in $XRP, citing $5 or $10 as achievable within the year if current trends persist.

Other respondents expressed skepticism that XRP could ever reach the projected levels. Meanwhile, some long-term holders remained optimistic, noting that even a moderate increase from current prices would represent meaningful gains.

The math behind $254To meet XRP Avenger’s $254 target, the asset would need to rise 17,417% from its current $1.45 price. Such an advance would exceed any previous performance in the history of the token, which remains far below its 2018 peak. However, positive sentiment has grown after the recent rally, with other analysts suggesting that triple-digit prices are no longer out of reach for XRP if momentum holds.

MetricValueCurrent XRP price$1.45Avenger’s target price$254Percentage increase needed17,417%24-hour gain9.45%

XRP, the native token of the Ripple payment network, climbed 9% in the last 24 hours and is now trading at $1.44. The session opened at $1.3506, reached as high as $1.4779, and positioned XRP against a major resistance area being watched by market participants.

Key resistance and support levelsCrypto investor and data analyst CW, known for technical analysis in digital assets, shared a TradingView chart highlighting XRP’s approach to a notable “sell wall.” Order block (OB) indicators on the chart pinpoint three sell-side order blocks above the current price and two buy-side order blocks below. These order blocks signal regions of concentrated buying or selling interest, often marking important support or resistance zones for traders and investors.

The sell-side order block immediately above XRP’s current level sits around $1.47 to $1.55, with a volume of 107.69 million and a strength of 0.68x. This area represents the resistance now under pressure following XRP’s recent rally. Should XRP fail to clear this wall, it risks another move downward.

Order Block TypePrice RangeVolume (million)StrengthSell OB$1.47 – $1.55107.690.68xSell OB$2.20114.940.73xBuy OB$1.0041.540.26xBuy OB$0.5219.32–Buy OB$0.4350.71–Below the current price, the nearest buy-side order block is set around $1.00, supporting 41.54 million in trading volume and a strength reading of 0.26x. This level has demonstrated notable durability, holding steady for several months despite earlier predictions of a potential drop towards $0.65. Two more buy-side order blocks can be found at $0.52 and $0.43, but XRP has not revisited these since 2024.

Mini dictionary: Order block (OB) — A technical analysis concept identifying zones of previous strong buying or selling, often used by traders to spot probable support or resistance on candlestick charts.

XRP is moving into a densely traded resistance area, testing a sell wall that has previously halted upward momentum. A successful breakout could shift sentiment and signal the next stage of the rally. If a breakthrough occurs, there is no significant resistance until approximately $2.20.

Potential upside if resistance breaksCW noted that surpassing the present resistance zone could open the path for XRP to rally further, with minimal obstacles between $1.55 and $2.20. The next major sell-side order block sits at $2.20, carrying a volume of 114.94 million and a strength of 0.73x. Two subsequent sell OBs are positioned at $3.10 and $3.60, holding volumes of 74.19 million and 88.88 million. This gap highlights the significance of the current battle at resistance: a clean move above would provide XRP with ample room to rally before meeting the next major selling interest.

If XRP manages to move above the current resistance, technical indicators suggest a largely open road until the $2.20 level due to the absence of substantial order block resistance within that range.

Short-term market dynamicsXRP dropped below $1 during late July and early August, but staged a strong comeback starting mid-August, gaining around 50% in just 65 hours. The current move is backed by elevated trading volumes, with the largest single-day green volume bar of the year recorded as this uptrend began.

The asset now stands at a decisive junction. If bulls succeed in pushing beyond the sell-side order block at $1.47 to $1.55, the probability of testing higher targets rises significantly. In contrast, a rejection at this level could bring a retracement toward previously identified support.

Raghuram Rajan, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, will headline the opening of Ripple’s Swell 2026 conference next month, bringing a former central banker and prominent economist into a gathering increasingly focused on the convergence of traditional finance and blockchain technology.

Swell said Friday that its weeklong program will begin Oct. 27 with an Institutional Summit featuring Rajan. The event will run through Oct. 29 at The Shed in New York City.

Rajan is currently a finance professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a co-leader of the Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet Policy task force.

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Ripple's biggest conference yet Ripple is presenting as its biggest conference yet. The 2026 edition will combine Swell with XRPL Apex, Ripple’s developer-focused event, for the first time. The company expects more than 1,500 attendees, at least 75 speakers, and more than 50 sessions across three stages.

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The speaker roster stretches across banking, digital assets, payments, capital markets, academia and the XRP Ledger ecosystem. The most prominent names include Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, President Monica Long and CTO Emeritus David Schwartz. Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org, and Tom Farley, chairman and CEO of crypto exchange Bullish, are also listed as featured speakers.

The lineup also includes Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s senior vice president and general manager of crypto. Jenny Just, co-founder of PEAK6; Chase Lax, CEO of Susquehanna Crypto; Billy Hult, CEO of Tradeweb; Laide Majiyagbe, global head of markets at BNY; and Michael Blaugrund, vice president of strategic initiatives at Intercontinental Exchange.

Other featured participants include Gary White, CEO and co-founder of Water.org; Brett Mollin, executive director of the XRP Ledger Foundation; Thomas Chippas, CEO of Rothera; and David Bchiri, president of XRPL Commons.

The event will also draw academics from universities including Columbia, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, the University of Luxembourg, the University of San Francisco, the University of Trento, and the University of Birmingham.

Swell 2026 is scheduled for Oct. 27-29 at The Shed in Manhattan.

XRP has shown renewed momentum after breaking out of a prolonged downtrend, with strong network activity and increased institutional interest fueling optimism about its short-term prospects. Market participants are watching closely as the token attempts to advance toward the $2 resistance level.

Key market metrics and recent price movementsCurrently, XRP is priced at $1.42, representing a 1.72% gain in the past 24 hours. Its 24-hour trading volume stands at $6.74 billion, while the total market capitalization is $89.18 billion. XRP now represents 3.34% of the entire crypto market in terms of value.

The digital asset recently rebounded after falling sharply from its all-time high of $3.65 to a local low of around $0.99. Its recovery into the $1.45-$1.50 range has been cited as a key structural change, contributing to its return among the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Active network growth and institutional engagementXRP’s positive price action has coincided with notable activity on the XRP Ledger, Ripple’s decentralized blockchain. The number of active addresses on the network increased by 659% over three days, surpassing 300,000. This surge in engagement signals heightened user participation and interest from market participants.

Mini dictionary: XRP Ledger, an open-source decentralized blockchain developed by Ripple, supports fast and low-cost digital asset transfers and a variety of tokenized transactions.

Institutional involvement has grown as well, with Goldman Sachs disclosing an $86.5 million exposure to XRP through five spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the second quarter of 2023. This figure reflects a steady increase in institutional participation in XRP markets.

Technical outlook and market dynamicsFrom a technical perspective, resistance at the $1.65-$1.70 range remains a significant obstacle. Some analysts note that achieving a daily close above $1.70 could provide the momentum needed for XRP to test the psychological $2 mark.

Price LevelTypeSignificance$1.36-$1.40SupportKey zone for holding recovery$1.55Potential SupportCritical for confirming trend change$1.65-$1.70ResistanceMajor resistance to clear for upside$2.00TargetPsychological resistanceDespite these positive signals, XRP remains exposed to downside risks. If the token drops below the $1.36-$1.40 support range, it may see further declines toward $1.00. Price performance is also subject to broad market trends, ongoing selling pressure, and possible impacts from the CLARITY Act.

Market observers are monitoring whether XRP can transform the $1.55 level into firm support and subsequently break through the $1.65-$1.70 resistance. Breaking above these barriers could provide further upside momentum. Failure to sustain existing supports could indicate that the current rally requires additional confirmation before a trend reversal is established.

Recent network growth and institutional investment indicate renewed confidence in XRP, but breaking above $1.70 remains crucial for a move toward $2, while a drop below key support levels could trigger further downside.

BTC, ETH, and XRP prices are showing a fragile recovery after Thursday’s broad market rally lost momentum on Friday. 

Bitcoin price trades near $79,463, Ethereum changes hands around $2,451.72, while XRP holds at $1.40. 

The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stands near $2.77 trillion, down 1.11% daily. Traders now face two major catalysts involving monetary policy and cryptocurrency regulation before another directional move.

Bitcoin Price Holds $79k as BTC Recovery Requires Stronger Buying Momentum Bitcoin climbed above $82,000, reaching its highest intraday level since May. On September 3 ET, spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $731 million, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $454 million. Friday’s retreat below $80,000 shows sellers defending the $82,000 resistance zone. 

A sustained close above $82,000 could open a path toward $85,000 and strengthen the recovery. Another rejection could send BTC toward Friday’s $78,700 intraday low. Bitcoin holds a $1.59 trillion market value and roughly 57.6% cryptocurrency dominance. 

Bitcoin Spot ETFs Saw Total Net Inflows of $731 Million on September 3

On September 3 (ET), Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded total net inflows of $731 million, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $454 million. Ethereum spot ETFs saw total net inflows of $141 million, with BlackRock’s ETHA… pic.twitter.com/AZ9LGWSmqO

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 4, 2026

That dominance makes BTC crucial for determining whether ETH and XRP can preserve gains. Trading volume and daily closes should provide confirmation beyond intraday moves.

ETH and XRP Test Crucial Resistance Ethereum price trades around $2,451 after touching $2,542.40 earlier, showing that buyers failed to protect the session’s strongest gains. Ethereum funds added $141 million, while BlackRock’s ETHA secured $72.0685 million. 

ETH must reclaim $2,500 convincingly before traders can consider the recovery established. Holding above $2,436 would protect the immediate structure, while a breakdown could revive selling pressure. 

Ethereum’s market capitalization remains near $299 billion, supporting its position as the second-largest cryptocurrency.

XRP price has weakened sharply, falling toward $1.40 after reaching an intraday high near $1.48. The token needs to recover $1.45, then challenge $1.48, to restore short-term momentum. Support around $1.39 remains crucial because a break could expose lower levels and weaken the altcoin recovery.

CLARITY Act and FOMC Shape Next Move Washington could determine the next direction for BTC, ETH and XRP. The Senate has scheduled a September 15 cloture vote on the CLARITY Act, requiring 60 votes to advance debate. 

The legislation seeks clearer federal oversight of digital commodities and securities, making the outcome particularly important for XRP. A successful vote would not complete passage, but it could improve regulatory confidence across United States cryptocurrency markets.

The Federal Reserve meets September 15–16, creating another volatility trigger. August payrolls increased by 162,000, compared with approximately 55,000 expected, while unemployment held at 4.1%. That rate matched forecasts and equaled its lowest reading in 14 months. 

🇺🇸 FED RATE HIKE IS ALMOST CONFIRMED NOW.

Just now, the US unemployment data came in at 4.1% vs. 4.1% expected, equalling its lowest level in 14 months.

On top of that, the US economy added 162,000 jobs in August vs. 55,000 expected.

This means the job market is getting… https://t.co/QpDYQzIQfC pic.twitter.com/5igLmWVsDl

— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) September 4, 2026

Strong employment gives policymakers more room to raise rates if upcoming inflation data remains elevated. Higher rates could strengthen the dollar and restrict speculative demand, while a pause could support another cryptocurrency advance. 

Late August’s crypto market rebound has driven enterprises to increase their crypto asset allocations. As Bitcoin’s price rose, Bitcoin mining firms that had previously pivoted aggressively to AI businesses have reemerged as high-beta plays in BTC’s market, while corporate balance sheet strategies involving direct Bitcoin holdings have once again drawn market attention. Data shows Bitcoin climbed around 23% in late August, with some mining stocks surging 41% to 67%—outperforming multiple AI infrastructure companies. The market attributes the rally to three key factors: the U.S. Treasury expanding Treasury repurchase operations, the White House issuing positive signals on crypto regulation, and over $1.6 billion in short positions being liquidated. In terms of corporate buying activity, Strive purchased 1,800 BTC in the final week of August for roughly $143 million, lifting its total holdings to 23,156 BTC and making it the fifth-largest public company holder of Bitcoin. Strategy added 4,603 BTC over the same period, bringing its total holdings to more than 845,000 BTC. Separately, 21 major financial institutions including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup plan to set up a new entity and launch a U.S. dollar stablecoin in the first half of 2027, with plans to expand to other G7 currencies for cross-border payments and digital asset settlements. For Ethereum, Bitmine has been accumulating ETH for 65 consecutive weeks, with its latest position exceeding 5.9 million ETH—accounting for 4.9% of Ethereum’s roughly 120.7 million circulating supply, just short of its 5% holding target. Despite the ongoing accumulation, the company’s current ETH holdings still carry approximately $5.1 billion in unrealized losses.

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Trump says Iran conflict 'not a major issue for the US': Current situation is not a state of war.

US President Donald Trump said on local time September 4 that the more than six-month US-Iran conflict is "small potatoes" for the US, adding that it is more appropriate to define it as a "military conflict" rather than a war. Trump noted that the US is currently only conducting "intermittent strikes" with no sustained fighting between the two sides, and he expressed understanding for Vice President JD Vance’s earlier remark that "it should not be called a war". Trump also stated that the conflict has killed 18 US service members, but its scale is "not large" compared to conflicts like the Vietnam War that claimed tens of thousands of US troops, while emphasizing that "losing even one person is too many". Trump further claimed that the US has achieved "significant results" on the Iran issue, with its core goal being to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to reports, the conflict has driven up energy prices and brought domestic political pressure to the Trump administration. US public approval of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict is low, and the Republican Party faces pressure to retain its congressional majority in the November midterm elections.

8 minutes ago

A $70 million Bitcoin movie has entered post-production, with its plot suspected to portray Craig Wright as Satoshi Nakamoto.

The film *Bitcoin*, directed by Doug Liman and starring Gal Gadot, Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson, Isla Fisher, and others, has a budget of approximately $70 million and is currently in post-production. Reportedly centered on Bitcoin’s origins and the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the movie leans toward portraying Craig Wright—who claims to be Bitcoin’s inventor—as Satoshi Nakamoto, a premise that has sparked controversy in the crypto community. Content creator Terence Michael noted that the film may push the narrative that "Craig Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto" to mainstream audiences, further intensifying the debate over Satoshi Nakamoto’s true identity. Earlier, a UK court ruled that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, and the related controversy had cooled down for a time. The film is written by Nick Schenk, produced by Ryan Kavanaugh and Lawrence Grey, with Wright supporter Calvin Ayre also involved; no major US distributor has been confirmed for the project yet.

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Over the past 24 hours, the Ethereum network recorded a net inflow of $46.47 million, while Robinhood Chain saw a net outflow of $21.07 million.

According to Defillama data, on-chain funds over the past day have clearly concentrated on the Ethereum mainnet and a small number of legacy Layer 1s. Ethereum saw a net inflow of $46.47 million, roughly 4.5 times that of second-place Solana. On the flip side, Robinhood Chain, Arbitrum, Hyperliquid and other platforms combined for a net outflow of over $100 million, reflecting a rebalancing trend of "flowing back to Ethereum, exiting Layer 2s". Robinhood Chain, the day’s largest net outflow source, is a broker-led Layer 2 launched in July 2026 based on Arbitrum Orbit. In the past two months, it has ranked among the top in Meme and tokenized stock trading volume, with its on-chain fees once even surpassing those of Ethereum, Solana and Base; however, its daily bridged funds have turned net outflow. Arbitrum, Base and Polygon also saw net outflows, bringing the total net outflow of the four major Layer 2s (including Robinhood) to around $69.55 million. Perpetual contract public chain Hyperliquid recorded a net outflow of $18.34 million, nearly on par with Arbitrum. New stablecoin settlement chains are also experiencing capital outflows: Tether’s Plasma saw an outflow of $13.27 million, Stripe-incubated Tempo and Tether ecosystem’s Stable registered outflows of $3.45 million and $2.99 million respectively.

8 minutes ago

A mysterious crypto whale has bought another 343,000 HYPE tokens, bringing its total holdings to 3.24 million HYPE, all of which are staked.

According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, the mysterious whale address 0x6436 has purchased an additional 343,000 HYPE tokens, valued at approximately $29.09 million. As of now, the address has accumulated a total of around 3.24 million HYPE tokens, with a total value of roughly $252 million, and has staked all of its HYPE holdings.

8 minutes ago

The "stock market version of Pokémon GO" meme coin GRASS briefly surged past $13.6 million in market capitalization this morning, hitting a new all-time high.

According to GMGN market data, the Robinhood ecosystem meme coin GRASS briefly surged past $13.6 million in market cap early this morning, hitting an all-time high, and has since pulled back to $8.3 million. It has recorded a 111% 24-hour price increase and a $8.7 million 24-hour trading volume. GRASS combines the internet meme "Touch Grass" with the gameplay of a stock-themed Pokémon GO. The project is officially positioned as a game, where tokenized fractional shares of real stocks (including AAPL, NVDA, TSLA, GME, etc., on Robinhood Chain) "spawn" at the physical locations of their respective companies—such as Apple Stores, GameStop outlets, Tesla showrooms, etc. Users can claim these tokenized stock fractions to their wallets by tapping on them when nearby. BlockBeats reminds users that most meme coins lack practical use cases and are highly volatile; please protect your assets and avoid FOMO.

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Bitcoin is once again exhibiting characteristics of an "amplified version of gold", though the four-year cycle theory warns that the market still faces downside risks ahead.

Bitcoin has recently re-emerged as a safe-haven asset, hitting a four-month high of $82,262 this week before pulling back to around $79,800. André Dragosch, head of European research at Bitwise, said that amid rising macroeconomic uncertainty and currency devaluation risks, investors are increasingly viewing Bitcoin less as a high-risk tech asset and more as a store of value. Dragosch noted that Bitcoin’s 90-day price correlation with gold is near its highest level in six years. He argued that as macro forces strengthen and currency devaluation risks rise, investors are blurring the lines between Bitcoin and gold, with the cryptocurrency recently acting as an “amplified version of gold”. However, the four-year cycle theory remains a headwind for Bitcoin’s outlook. The theory links Bitcoin’s bull-bear cycles to its halving events. Fidelity projects that if historical cycle patterns hold, Bitcoin’s next bear market bottom could land around November 2026. Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, previously estimated that the baseline scenario for this correction would bottom in the $40,000 to $46,000 range. Chris Kuiper, vice president of research at Fidelity Digital Assets, argued that the four-year cycle is not an exact timing rule, meaning it does not guarantee Bitcoin will decline later this year, and a long-term perspective and holding period have historically been more beneficial for investors.

8 minutes ago

The price of Ethereum [ETH] was changing hands at $2,508.45 after a hike of 4.1% in the past 24 hours.

This was expected to steal the spotlight, as this largest altcoin has struggled a lot since February 2026 to reclaim above the resistance level at $2500. However, except for bearish pressure and consolidation phases, ETH didn’t see a major bullish push.

Usually in such scenarios, the RSI reaches the overbought territory. Though ETH did reach that zone, now it’s slowly coming down to the 60-70 RSI range, suggesting strong bullish momentum.

Source: Trading View Ethereum recovered from unrealized loss Adding more weight to the ongoing sentiment, Ethereum’s MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value), which shows whether Ethereum holders, on average, are sitting on an unrealized profit or loss, is also positive.

In fact, according to CryptoQuant’s data, Ethereum’s MVRV had remained below 1.00 for 200 consecutive days. However, the situation changed on the 21st of August, 2026, when Ethereum’s MVRV moved back above 1.00 for the first time in those 200 days.

Source: CryptoQuant This was when ETH had recovered above its reported realized price of around $2,300. However, crossing above MVRV 1.00 is not automatically a guarantee that ETH will continue rising. In fact, the realized-price area can initially create selling pressure.

Therefore, it’s important for ETH to maintain its price above the $2,300 realized-price level. This is because someone who bought ETH at $4,000 would still be underwater at $2,404, while someone who bought at $1,500 would be significantly profitable.

Bearish momentum has not vanished This comes as a huge Ethereum whale appears to have sold its entire 167,855 ETH position—worth roughly $408 million at the reported prices—over a period of about five days. According to Lookonchain data, the wallet first received the 167,855 ETH from multiple addresses and then began sending the coins to exchanges such as OKX, Binance, and Bybit.

Source: Arkham In the reported transactions, around 70,739 ETH worth approximately $174 million had already been deposited, while roughly 97,115 ETH worth about $237 million remained in the wallet at the time of reporting. Now this is expected to add some selling pressure on the ETH price action.

This further coincided with the Coldcard-linked hacker beginning to swap stolen Bitcoin for Ether through THORChain, moving about 10% of the stolen funds while 90% remains untouched.

Source: Alex Thorn/X However, with Spot Ethereum ETFs recording monthly inflows worth $365.17 million in July, $1.85 billion in August, and $104.26 million in September to date, hope remains.

Source: SoSo Value But with AMBCrypto recently reporting that ETH’s price stalled near $2,458, bulls have not yet established $2,500 as solid support.

Final Summary Ethereum’s MVRV breaks above 1.00 after 2002 days when the ETH price reached $2300. However, the whale movement has added selling pressure on the altcoin. 

Bitcoin continues to strengthen its upward trajectory, supported by surging institutional demand and renewed trading activity. Despite some signals of cooling momentum, the recent spike in Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows and recovering market sentiment are fueling optimism for a continuation of the current bull run.

Rally Targets Set Amid Institutional DemandAt the latest check, Bitcoin traded at $79,310.83, recording a 24-hour increase of 1.10%. The total trading volume reached $48.11 billion, while market capitalization stood at $1.59 trillion, reflecting Bitcoin’s status as the leading cryptocurrency by value.

Crypto analyst Wealthmanager observed that Bitcoin recently defended the $61,000 support twice, forming a robust base for further gains. Following this confirmation, Bitcoin moved above $80,000 and regained its place within a broad ascending channel. Should buyers decisively seize control between $80,000 and $81,000, analysts believe the price could approach the next major resistance near $97,000.

Clearing the $97,000 barrier with strong momentum may pave the way for an advance toward prior record levels near $125,000, according to Wealthmanager’s outlook.

Wealthmanager highlighted that “Bitcoin reclaimed its broader bullish structure after holding the $61,000 region, and a decisive move above resistance could open the route toward $125,000.”

The long-term chart continues to suggest accumulation, typically seen in periods preceding major uptrends in cryptocurrency markets.

Mini dictionary: Wealthmanager is a pseudonymous analyst who shares technical analysis and market outlooks on social media platforms, focusing primarily on cryptocurrency trends and price movements.

Indicators Show Short-Term Pause as Activity RisesTechnical analysis posted on TradingView showed that Bitcoin rallied sharply after hitting a July low around $58,000, then stabilized near $64,000 before pushing past $81,400 in recent trading. Currently, the price has slightly retreated as it hovers near key psychological levels, suggesting buyers are testing resistance zones.

Momentum indicators signal a possible pause. The relative strength index (RSI) declined from overbought territory at 74 to 67.61, and the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) histogram turned negative at -32.75. Such signals often hint at short-term consolidation despite a positive longer-term trend.

MACD lines indicate a potential bearish crossover, which could lead to a temporary retracement. Even so, the overall sentiment remains bullish, reflecting the broader market structure.

Recent data from Coinglass underscored rising market engagement, with Bitcoin’s trading volume surging 82.98% to $109.11 billion. The open interest also climbed 1.52% to $55.59 billion, highlighting increased trader participation.

MetricPreviousCurrentChangeBTC trading volume$59.63 billion$109.11 billion+82.98%Open interest$54.77 billion$55.59 billion+1.52%ETF Inflows Highlight Strong Institutional InterestPlatform Wu Blockchain reported that spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $731 million on September 3, attributing much of this demand to heightened interest among institutional investors. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the segment, drawing $454 million in net inflows, which reflected ongoing appetite for regulated Bitcoin products among large investors.

Ethereum spot ETFs also attracted new capital. The total net inflow to Ethereum-based funds reached $141 million within the period. BlackRock’s ETHA ETF contributed the largest share, totaling $72.07 million in net investments. These inflows suggest that institutional sentiment remains constructive for the two largest cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin’s direction going forward may depend on buyers’ ability to sustain momentum and break higher resistance levels. Persistent interest could trigger additional breakouts, while waning enthusiasm might delay the next leg upward or prompt short-term consolidation.

BlackRock’s IBIT set the pace in Bitcoin ETF inflows, confirming continued institutional preference for exposure to Bitcoin through traditional financial products.

@Dashpay's $DASH pushed to the top of the daily leaderboard on September 4, posting a gain of 18.9% to trade at $54.72, according to CoinMarketCap data. The move also extends a strong seven-day run, with $DASH up 45% over that period. Market capitalisation sits near $700 million, placing Dash at rank 71 among all cryptocurrencies.

Volume Tells the Bigger Story The price action is underscored by a sharp surge in trading activity. Daily volume rose 237% to $318 million, a figure that amounts to nearly half of the token's entire market cap. That kind of volume-to-market-cap ratio points to significant speculative interest and elevated liquidity.

Privacy Coin Peers Post Mixed Results While $DASH led the pack, the broader privacy coin segment showed a divergence. Zcash gained 30% over the same rolling week, keeping pace with the privacy coin rotation. Monero, by contrast, fell 13% over the same period, suggesting the buying has not been uniform across the sector.

The regulatory backdrop adds complexity: On the other side,

For now, $DASH's combination of price momentum, heavy volume, and a broadly supportive altcoin environment keeps it firmly in focus as September gets underway.

Sources:
Dash (DASH) Price and Market Data, CoinMarketCap
Dash Price Prediction and Regulatory Outlook, CoinMarketCap
What Is Dash and Why It Rallied, Phemex Academy

Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) is flashing bullish technical signals as rising derivatives activity and improving ETF flows add momentum to analysts’ calls for further upside.

Is DOGE Heading To $0.12?Dogecoin is attracting renewed trader attention after analysts highlighted bullish setups across multiple timeframes.

Javon Marks said, Friday, that DOGE has returned with "major strength," pointing to its macro structure and formation of higher lows.

He says the meme coin could be preparing for a major recovery and continuation move, with his longer-term setup targeting a more than 555% rally above the $0.60 area.

Trending

On the other hand, crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez sees a more immediate breakout opportunity.

He said that DOGE appears to have confirmed a breakout from a bullish flag on lower timeframes, with the pattern projecting a move toward $0.12.

The setup also aligns with several bullish signals developing on higher timeframes, Martinez added.

Onchain Data Flash Mixed SignalsDerivatives traders are increasing their exposure alongside the bullish technical setup.

CoinGlass data shows Dogecoin open interest climbed to $1.35 billion on Sept. 4, up from $1.26 billion a day earlier.

However, rising liquidations highlight continued volatility.

DOGE long liquidations increased to $3.44 million over the past 24 hours, compared with $1.53 million previously.

The combination of rising open interest and higher long liquidations suggests traders are adding leveraged positions even as price swings continue to punish bullish bets.

SoSoValue data shows spot Dogecoin ETFs recorded $318,240 in net inflows during the month, reversing $525,980 in net outflows in July.

Image: Shutterstock

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Blockchain organizations have promised transparency for years. The Cardano Foundation just put an auditor’s signature on-chain to prove it.

Grant Thornton Switzerland has attested the Cardano Foundation’s 2025 financial statements directly on the Cardano blockchain, making this the first time an independent auditor has placed a formal attestation on-chain for a major crypto organization. The audit opinion is dated March 25, 2026, and the accompanying Activity and Financial Insights Report was published publicly on April 2, 2026.

What actually happened here The mechanism behind this is a platform called Reeve, a financial data integrity system built to bridge conventional accounting workflows with public blockchain infrastructure. Reeve was first used by the Cardano Foundation for its 2024 report, but that version did not include a third-party auditor’s attestation. The 2025 cycle adds that layer: Grant Thornton’s sign-off now lives on Cardano’s ledger, meaning the connection between the audit opinion and the published financial data is verifiable without trusting any single party’s word for it.

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The Foundation’s CEO, Frederik Gregaard, described the initiative as a demonstration of “the highest standards of transparency,” combining statutory accounting requirements with on-chain verification.

As of December 31, 2025, the Foundation held total assets of CHF 287.5 million, or roughly $361 million. The allocation breaks down as 51.6% in ADA, 25.5% in Bitcoin, and 22.9% in cash equivalents and other financial assets. Total expenditures for the year came to CHF 23.6 million, spread across adoption programs, technology development, and governance work.

Why putting an audit on a blockchain is harder than it sounds Traditional audits produce a PDF and a letter. Those documents can be updated, taken down, or quietly replaced. On-chain attestation turns the audit record into something closer to a permanent entry in a public ledger: the cryptographic fingerprint of the financial data is recorded at a specific point in time, and any change to the underlying numbers would produce a different fingerprint, making tampering immediately detectable.

What this means for the broader landscape The Cardano Foundation is a non-profit steward of the Cardano ecosystem. Non-profit foundations are accountable to their communities rather than shareholders, and community members rarely have the tools to verify whether a foundation is managing resources responsibly. On-chain audit attestation gives them one.

Holding 51.6% of reserves in ADA and 25.5% in Bitcoin means the Foundation’s balance sheet is meaningfully exposed to crypto market volatility. CHF 287.5 million in total assets is a substantial treasury, and the decision to hold the majority in native crypto assets rather than retreating to cash reflects a deliberate strategic posture.

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

THAILAND

Thai businessmen sue Tether for freezing $42M Two Thai businessmen have sued stablecoin issuer Tether in a New York district court, claiming it illegally froze $42.4 million in Tether USDt (USDT) in October, as part of a broader case tied to a pig butchering scheme.

The plaintiffs claimed that Tether illegally froze the $42 million without a warrant in October 2025, following an informal request from US Homeland Security Investigations.

Authorities in the Eastern District of North Carolina only issued a seizure warrant for the funds later in February 2026. The warrant directed the burn and reissuance of the tokens to a government wallet. 

The plaintiffs vigorously deny any involvement in the investment scam, and their lawyer Mark Beckett said “this situation demonstrates that the government can seize stablecoins used in legitimate business transactions on the basis of inaccurate information.”

Thailand adopts crypto Travel Rule with self-custodial wallet checksThailand is tightening oversight of crypto transfers, including transactions involving self-custodial wallets, as it moves to align with global Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new Travel Rule regulations requiring digital asset operators to collect information about parties involved in crypto transfer.

The rules will take effect on Feb. 27, 2027.

Thailand SEC proposes retail access to regulated overseas crypto derivativesThailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed allowing intermediaries to facilitate retail access to certain digital asset derivatives traded overseas. 

Under the proposal, eligible products would need to resemble crypto derivatives traded in Thailand, including their underlying assets, maturity, leverage and settlement methods. 

The products must also trade on an exchange that uses a central counterparty for clearing and is overseen by a regulator belonging to specified international regulatory or exchange groups. 

The consultation remains open until Sept. 30.

ASIA

Pencil Finance completes $1M onchain lending cycle for 6.6K students in Southeast AsiaPencil Finance has completed a $1 million onchain student loan cycle, offering financing to 6,600 students in Southeast Asia who were underserved by traditional lenders.

Of the 6,600 students across 118 schools and universities in Southeast Asia, about 1,050 received direct funding. Pencil said the loans were designed for students underserved by traditional lenders, with 50% female borrowers and 93% stemming from lower-income households.

Pencil Finance claims this is the first-ever fully onchain lending cycle financing student loans transparently recorded on the blockchain network.

Asia crypto custody deals from Ripple and CoincheckRipple has partnered with digital asset infrastructure company SettleMint to offer financial institutions solutions for custody, issuance and management of tokenized assets across their full lifecycle.

Digital asset service provider Coincheck Group has also partnered with wallet infrastructure provider DFNS to build digital asset wallet technology and custody services in Japan.

SINGAPORE

Singapore weighs recognizing some foreign-issued stablecoinsThe Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is reconsidering its earlier restriction on stablecoins issued across multiple jurisdictions, proposing a route for some jointly issued tokens to qualify under its regulatory framework.

Under one proposal, stablecoins jointly issued by a Singapore issuer and a foreign issuer could be regulated under the framework and labeled “MAS-regulated stablecoins,” provided that the associated risks are sufficiently mitigated.

MAS is also considering recognizing a limited number of foreign-issued stablecoins regulated under comparable overseas frameworks, citing their potential use in cross-border wholesale transactions.

AUSTRALIA

Australia warns unlicensed crypto firms of fines up to 10% of annual turnoverAustralian crypto companies relying on temporary regulatory relief have until Sept. 30 to apply for a financial services license or risk penalties, including fines reaching 10% of their annual turnover. 

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said businesses requiring an Australian Financial Services license must apply for one or seek changes to an existing license before the deadline.

ASIC has recorded more than 45 digital asset-related license applications to date.

UAE

Standard Chartered launches spot Bitcoin and Ether trading in UAELondon-headquartered multinational bank Standard Chartered has launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for institutional clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The move makes Standard Chartered the first global bank to offer institutional digital asset trading in the region and the first Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) with a similar offering, the bank said.

JAPAN

Japan’s Remixpoint dumps altcoinsRemixpoint, one of Japan’s largest corporate Bitcoin holders, sold all its altcoins, leaving about 1,506 BTC ($115 million) as its only cryptocurrency holding as it concentrates its crypto strategy around Bitcoin.

Remixpoint sold its Ether, Solana, XRP and Dogecoin holdings for a combined 878.8 million yen ($5.5 million), generating a 117.8 million yen ($736,000) gain, according to a Wednesday company disclosure.

The company recorded gains on its ETH, SOL and XRP sales but sold its DOGE holdings at a 3.26 million yen ($20,000) loss.

Japanese regulator seeks stablecoin tax exemptionJapan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) submitted a request to exempt trust-type stablecoins from mandatory tax filings starting in fiscal year 2027.

Metaplanet moves 4,800 BTC worth $377M to CoinbaseThe Japanese Bitcoin treasury company has transferred 10,270 BTC to Coinbase Prime this week, triggering speculation about the company selling its holdings.

Japan’s FSA Warns Hong Kong-Based IZAKA-YA Over Unregistered ServicesJapan’s Financial Services Agency issued a formal warning to Hong Kong-based Izakaya Limited, alleging its cryptocurrency exchange services are unregistered.

SBI Holdings Takes 20% Stake in Indonesia’s Ajaib GroupJapan’s SBI Holdings will spend $270 million to acquire a 20% stake in Indonesian online brokerage Ajaib Group. The aim is to expand its crypto business across the region and to promote SBI’s yen stablecoin JPYSC.

HONG KONG

Hashkey joins DTCC working group as first Asian crypto service providerHashkey joined the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) Digital Assets Advisory Services Industry Working Group as its first Asian digital asset service provider. 

Hashkey joins over 100 other global financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange.

DTCC custodies $114 trillion in liquid assets, including stocks and exchange-traded funds. Its working group was formed to connect traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure. DTCC plans to launch access to tokenized securities in October.

Bitcoin Asia conference ‘subdued’The mood at Bitcoin Asia in Hong Kong was subdued according to the South China Morning Post.

Despite a pep talk by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao who declared Bitcoin “will for sure become more important than gold” the bear market hangover was all too evident.

“Psychologically, I think this has been one of the hardest bear markets we’ve had, because this time it wasn’t just the price of bitcoin that took a hit,” said Brandon Green, CEO of conference organiser BTC, during his opening address.

“This time, the Bitcoiners’ ego also took a hit.”

OSL Group Reports 65.8% Revenue SurgeHong Kong-based digital asset firm OSL Group reported a 65.8% revenue increase in its first-half financial results.

SFC warns Star Bridge Capital is unlicensedHong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has added Star Bridge Capital Group to its Alert List following forced liquidation anomalies and millions in trader losses.

KOREA

Mirae Asset lays out crypto, stablecoin, tokenization plans for Digital XSouth Korean financial group Mirae Asset plans to build a 150 trillion won ($109 billion) digital asset business around Digital X, the crypto exchange formerly known as Korbit, according to The Korea Times.

The report said Digital X will focus on crypto, stablecoins, real-world assets and security token offerings, with plans to tokenize physical assets including gold, silver and electricity.

The expansion plans follow Mirae Asset Consulting’s acquisition of a 97.15% stake in Korbit in July for a cumulative 141.4 billion won. The exchange was subsequently rebranded as Digital X, marking the first time an affiliate of a South Korean financial group acquired control of a domestic crypto exchange.

Cointelegraph publishes long-form journalism, analysis and narrative reporting produced by Cointelegraph’s in-house editorial team with subject-matter expertise. All articles are edited and reviewed by Cointelegraph editors in line with our editorial standards. Some articles contain affiliate links, from which Cointelegraph may earn a commission. These relationships do not influence which products we review or our editorial conclusions. Content published in here does not constitute financial, legal or investment advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals where appropriate. Cointelegraph maintains full editorial independence.

Kalshi, the CFTC-regulated prediction market turned crypto derivatives platform, added perpetual futures contracts for BNB on September 4, making the token tradeable as a regulated derivative product for eligible US investors. BNB was part of a broader batch that also included Cardano (ADA), Aave (AAVE), Worldcoin (WLD), and Venice Token (VVV).

The market apparently liked what it saw. BNB’s price jumped over 5% to roughly $723, while trading volume spiked 83% within 24 hours of the announcement.

What Kalshi is actually offering With this latest expansion, Kalshi now lists Bitcoin plus 17 altcoin perpetual futures contracts under its “American Perpetuals” product line. These are USD-margined contracts with no expiration date, meaning traders can hold positions indefinitely without worrying about rollover mechanics.

The leverage tiers vary by asset. BNB perpetuals come with up to approximately 4.5x leverage, while a smaller-cap token like VVV maxes out at 1.9x.

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The contracts carry CFTC approval, which puts them in a fundamentally different regulatory category than the perpetual futures most crypto traders are familiar with from offshore platforms like Binance or Bybit.

The road to regulated perps Kalshi’s crypto derivatives push didn’t start here. The platform launched Bitcoin perpetual futures back in June 2026, marking its first foray into crypto-native products beyond its original prediction market model.

Even before the perps rollout, Kalshi had been building crypto infrastructure. In December 2025, the platform integrated BNB Smart Chain support, enabling deposits and withdrawals in native BNB and stablecoins.

CEO Tarek Mansour has framed the expansion as a risk management play, emphasizing that regulated perpetuals give traders hedging tools that previously required going offshore or using less-regulated venues.

Why this matters for the US crypto market The competitive implications are worth watching. CME Group already offers Bitcoin and Ethereum futures, but those are traditional expiring contracts aimed primarily at institutional players. Kalshi’s non-expiring, lower-leverage model sits somewhere between CME’s institutional products and the leverage of offshore platforms.

The 4.5x maximum leverage on BNB is notably conservative compared to what offshore venues offer, where 50x or even 100x leverage on altcoins is common.

For BNB specifically, having a regulated US derivatives market adds a layer of institutional legitimacy that the token hasn’t always enjoyed, given its close association with Binance and the exchange’s well-documented regulatory battles.

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

@chainlink is set to take a prominent role at one of global banking's most established gatherings. Co-founder @SergeyNazarov will deliver a keynote address on building global digital asset markets at Sibos 2026, with Ryan Lovell, Chainlink's director of capital markets, also confirmed to speak at the event.

What Is Sibos and Why Does It Matter?

Chainlink's Role at the Conference Nazarov's keynote will focus on the infrastructure needed to build global digital asset markets, a topic that places $LINK and Chainlink's cross-chain technology squarely in front of the banking world's senior decision-makers. Separately, Ryan Lovell will take the stage to address whether AI can keep payment systems operating reliably under conditions of extreme stress, a question gaining urgency across the financial sector.

A keynote slot at Sibos carries real weight. The conference is where senior banking executives set direction on payments, settlement, and emerging technology. Chainlink securing two speaking appearances signals growing recognition of blockchain infrastructure at the institutional level, at a moment when the conversation around digital finance and AI is moving from pilot to production.

Sources:
Swift: Sibos 2026 Miami official event page
Sibos 2026 conference programme
Chainlink at Sibos: official page

San Francisco’s housing market is experiencing an unprecedented turnaround, rapidly transitioning from a period of urban decline to becoming the country’s most competitive real estate market.

AI-driven housing boom transforms marketThe spike in demand is attributed to soaring wealth generated by the artificial intelligence sector. Well-compensated employees at AI companies are reportedly driving offers for move-in-ready homes far above previous market norms, with all-cash bids of $25 million sometimes failing to secure a property.

Three years ago, San Francisco faced a significant exodus, losing over 60,000 residents between 2020 and 2022 as remote work gained traction during the pandemic. During this period, the median home sale price dropped to $1.28 million by January 2023, declining sharply from its peak of $1.68 million the previous spring.

Recently, that trend has reversed. According to data from Realtor.com and local brokers, the median price of a San Francisco home has surged 25% year over year, and certain sought-after properties have attracted up to 50 competing offers.

Multiple high-end buyers have placed cash offers as high as $25 million, only to lose out, highlighting the extraordinary competition created by an influx of AI wealth.

Paul Kitchen, a San Francisco real estate agent, commented on the surge in competition, noting the remarkable nature of recent bidding scenarios in the luxury segment.

AI sector wealth reshapes city dynamicsWhile San Francisco has previously benefited from technology booms, analysts note the current AI surge has distinct effects. Unlike earlier tech waves, the latest growth creates significant wealth concentrated among a relatively small group of employees and private investors, as many leading AI companies remain privately held. OpenAI, recognized for its pioneering work in generative AI, and Anthropic, another major innovator, have not yet launched public stock offerings.

Combined, OpenAI employees and investors could see $135 billion in post-tax equity if the company reaches its anticipated valuation following an initial public offering. Anthropic’s workforce could add an estimated $63 billion in new wealth. This combined potential represents nearly a third of the overall value of San Francisco’s existing housing stock.

Both OpenAI and Anthropic have expanded their physical presence, leasing approximately 1 million square feet each in San Francisco over the previous two years and encouraging a return to office-based work for their growing employee bases.

Mini dictionary: Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI research company, focuses on developing reliable and interpretable artificial intelligence, and is known for its work on large language models for enterprise clients.

Renters and average buyers face mounting challengesSurging housing prices are also affecting renters and households with average incomes. Young tech professionals are now reportedly paying $10,000 per month for luxury rentals, while hundreds of inquiries can pour in for new home listings within hours. The average rent in San Francisco has climbed by more than $1,000 over the past year to reach $4,600, overtaking New York as America’s most expensive rental market.

For households earning a typical salary, affordability has sharply declined. An analysis by Realtor.com and the National Association of Realtors in May 2026 found that only 2.1% of homes listed in March were accessible for families with an annual income of $75,000. This translates to just 2,475 affordable homes available citywide.

Contrasts with other tech hubs and city responseCities that previously experienced tech-driven growth have not shared in this latest upswing. For instance, Seattle, another leading US technology center, has seen home prices drop 3.6% to $809,479 in the wake of layoffs at companies like Amazon and Microsoft.

San Francisco, meanwhile, recorded a 6% annual increase in its July median sale price, reaching $1.6 million. Active listings dropped 18.4% over the same period, representing the sharpest inventory decline among major US cities.

CityMedian Sale Price (July)Price Change (Year-over-Year)Inventory ChangeSan Francisco$1.6 million+6%-18.4%Seattle$809,479-3.6%Not specifiedMigration trends have also shifted, with only 369 people moving from San Francisco to Seattle in the first quarter, compared to over 5,100 in 2021. Chen Zhao, head of Redfin economics research, stated that AI is fundamentally reorganizing the tech labor market, with San Francisco and Seattle illustrating different outcomes.

To address the increasing housing shortage, San Francisco officials have moved to expand the housing supply. In December 2025, the city enacted the Family Zoning Plan, designed to enable higher-density housing in more neighborhoods and support reforms converting vacant office space into residential units. At the end of 2025, office vacancy rates stood at 34.4%.

Whether these policy measures can keep pace with robust demand remains uncertain, as competition for homes continues to intensify in the city.

A planned dollar stablecoin backed by 21 global financial institutions will begin with regulatory resources, corporate relationships, and international payment connections. Four industry executives told crypto.news, however, that institutional backing will not guarantee adoption unless the token can match the liquidity, accessibility and portability already offered by USDT and USDC.

Summary

The 21-member consortium plans to launch its dollar stablecoin during the first half of 2027. Experts said established banking relationships could help the token gain early institutional distribution. Interoperability, wallet support, and reliable redemption will determine whether it circulates beyond member banks. The consortium must identify who carries legal responsibility for reserves, redemptions, and transaction failures. USDT and USDC could lose market share even as bank-issued tokens expand the overall stablecoin market. The consortium committed to forming a new stablecoin company during the second half of 2026, subject to closing conditions. Its members include Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UBS, and other financial institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The unnamed venture intends to launch a US dollar-denominated stablecoin during the first half of 2027. It may later introduce stablecoins tied to other G7 currencies, with a euro-denominated token listed as its first expansion priority.

The consortium has not disclosed the token’s name, supported blockchains, reserve custodian, governance model, or redemption process. Those details could determine whether the product becomes a widely used payment instrument or remains primarily a settlement token within the institutions’ existing networks.

21-bank stablecoin starts with a distribution advantage Utkarsh Ahuja, founder and managing partner at Moon Pursuit Capital, told crypto.news that the consortium starts with relationships that normally take new financial products years to develop.

The participating institutions already serve corporate treasury departments, process international payments, and operate compliance systems across several jurisdictions. According to Ahuja, those connections could make it easier to introduce the stablecoin into existing corporate workflows, particularly for cross-border settlement.

“The banks start with something that normally takes a financial product years to build: distribution into the companies that actually move very large amounts of money.”

Ahuja cautioned that established relationships do not provide the portability that USDT and USDC have built across exchanges, wallets, blockchains, and market makers. The consortium could bring corporate clients to the token, he said, but convincing those clients to use it outside the participating banks’ network will be more difficult.

Jerald David, CEO of Lynq Network, said the initiative has both offensive and defensive motives. It could open new blockchain payment revenue for the institutions while protecting payment activity and commercial balances from migrating to non-bank stablecoin issuers.

Stablecoin issuers can earn income from the assets held against circulating tokens, including short-term government debt. When deposits move from banks into stablecoins, part of the balance and its associated economics can move with them.

David said a shared token would allow the institutions to enter blockchain payments through a framework over which they retain greater control. However, he warned that scale alone would not make the proposed token more attractive than established alternatives.

USDT and USDC currently benefit from years of integration. A recent crypto.news analysis of stablecoin distribution placed the wider market at approximately $316 billion in mid-2026, with USDT accounting for about $187 billion and USDC representing roughly $75 billion.

Interoperability will decide whether the token circulates David described issuance as the easier part of the project. Businesses will also need reliable ways to move between the consortium’s stablecoin, existing stablecoins, tokenized deposits and conventional bank accounts.

“Interoperability will be more important than issuance,” David said.

“If capital can enter the token easily but cannot move out or across networks just as efficiently, the consortium risks creating another isolated pool of liquidity.”

Such interoperability would require dependable minting and redemption, custody arrangements, market makers, and settlement infrastructure connecting different forms of digital and conventional money. An institution receiving the new token must be able to redeem it for dollars or exchange it without facing long delays, high spreads, or limited trading depth.

Alvin Kan, chief operating officer of Bitget Wallet, told crypto.news that self-custodial wallets would examine the token’s entire user journey before supporting it. Relevant functions include holding, transferring, swapping, and spending the stablecoin.

Wallet providers would need audited smart contracts, transparent issuance and redemption processes, and consistent technical standards across every supported blockchain, according to Kan. They would also need to know whether tokens are issued natively on each network or transferred through bridges.

Kan said native mint-and-burn systems or coordinated cross-chain issuance would generally be preferable to wrapped assets because they could reduce bridge risks and prevent liquidity from being split among several representations of the same stablecoin.

Wallets could use intent-based routing and liquidity aggregation to shield users from some of that complexity. However, Kan said wallets cannot eliminate fragmentation without cooperation from issuers, banks, and liquidity providers.

“Ultimately, interoperability will matter more than how many bank tokens get issued. The winning infrastructure will make multiple tokens feel like one connected financial system.”

Gas abstraction could remove another obstacle. Users may be less willing to adopt a dollar stablecoin if they must first acquire a separate blockchain token to pay network fees whenever they transfer or spend it.

The same problem applies to identity verification. Kan said reusable credentials or privacy-preserving attestations could allow users to demonstrate that they have completed required checks without repeating the full process for every issuer. Different regulatory requirements would still apply across jurisdictions, meaning one universal identity credential is unlikely to resolve every compliance issue.

Bank backing does not guarantee stablecoin adoption Waseem Salim, CEO of Valdora, told crypto.news that an established issuer can provide initial trust, but utility determines whether people continue to hold and use a stablecoin.

Société Générale offers an example of the difference between institutional backing and circulation. Its digital asset subsidiary launched USD CoinVertible on Ethereum and Solana in 2025. Despite its connection to a major global bank, official SG-FORGE data showed approximately $12.55 million of the stablecoin in circulation as of Sept. 4.

“A strong name helps, but people won’t adopt a stablecoin just because there’s a bank behind it,” Salim said. “They need a reason to actually use and hold it.”

According to Salim, users will consider whether the token works with their existing wallets and preferred networks, whether sufficient liquidity is available, and how easily they can redeem it. They will also examine what they can do after acquiring it.

Possible advantages include cheaper cross-border settlement, direct integration with corporate bank accounts, and access to tokenized financial products. Those benefits would need to be substantial enough to compete with USDT and USDC integrations and the familiarity of conventional deposits.

Kan similarly described adoption as utility-driven. Institutional reputation could attract users who value regulated redemption and established banking relationships, but the token would need to work across payments, swaps, merchant transactions and local cash-out services.

The last step could prove decisive. A stablecoin may move between blockchains within seconds, but Kan said much of that advantage disappears if recipients face high costs when converting it into reais, rupees or pesos.

The World Bank’s latest remittance pricing data puts the average cost of sending money internationally at 6.36% of the transferred amount. Bank-backed stablecoins could compete in those corridors if they reduce the complete delivered cost, including foreign-exchange spreads, network fees, redemption charges and local payout expenses.

Domestic conditions will also affect adoption. Kan said stablecoins must offer more than fast local transfers in markets already served by systems such as India’s UPI, Brazil’s Pix and SEPA Instant in Europe. Their stronger use cases in those regions may involve international commerce, multi-currency access and digital-asset settlement.

Reserves, redemption and liability will test trust The consortium’s size creates another question: which entity will ultimately stand behind the token?

David said businesses should not have to determine which of the 21 participating institutions is responsible when a redemption fails. He called for one clearly identified legal issuer, segregated and independently verified reserves, and defined obligations for the issuer, participating institutions, and infrastructure providers.

“Shared distribution is an advantage. Shared liability is not,” David said.

The consortium has said it intends to comply with the US GENIUS Act and the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework where applicable. The GENIUS Act established requirements covering one-to-one reserves, disclosures, redemption, and permitted issuers, although US regulators were still completing implementation rules during 2026.

Kan said wallets would also require information about freezing powers, transfer restrictions, sanctions enforcement, and how compliance responsibilities are divided among the issuer, wallet, and fiat service providers. Such controls become more complex when tokens circulate across public blockchains and national borders.

Redemption risks could grow if the stablecoin becomes a gateway into tokenized investments. Salim warned that users must understand that yield does not appear merely because an asset is held onchain.

If returns come from business lending, government securities, or market strategies, platforms should identify the underlying source, asset manager, custodian, and counterparties. They should also explain how quickly the assets can be sold and what happens if a borrower defaults.

Salim said those arrangements differ from interest earned on a bank deposit because the legal relationship, custody model, liquidity, and protections may not be the same.

Platforms could also create a mismatch if users expect immediate stablecoin withdrawals while the underlying capital is invested in assets that trade during limited hours or take longer to sell. Salim said providers may need liquid reserves, staggered maturities, redemption windows, or withdrawal queues aligned with the underlying assets.

USDT and USDC may face competition as the market expands Ahuja expects a bank-issued dollar stablecoin to place more immediate pressure on USDC in institutional markets where Circle and major banks could compete for the same corporate balances.

If companies transfer balances into the new stablecoin, the reserves and income generated from those assets would move with them. However, Ahuja said USDT occupies a different position because much of its demand comes from markets where access to US banking services remains limited or inefficient.

The consortium’s Western banking relationships would not automatically replicate Tether’s reach in those regions. USDT is widely used on exchanges and in markets where people seek access to dollars outside conventional banking channels.

Competition may also enlarge the market rather than redistribute a fixed amount of stablecoin activity. Banks could bring corporate transactions onchain that currently do not use USDT, USDC, or any public blockchain.

Ahuja said Tether and Circle could therefore lose percentage share while their circulation and transaction volumes continue growing. He recommended examining the composition of stablecoin activity rather than relying solely on market-share figures.

The effects could extend beyond the issuers. A market containing bank stablecoins, tokenized deposits, USDT, USDC, and tokens tied to other currencies would increase demand for companies connecting those pools.

Ahuja identified liquidity providers, payment infrastructure, custody services, compliance tools, and blockchain networks as potential beneficiaries. Tokenized-asset platforms could also gain if regulated digital cash allows funds and securities to settle on the same infrastructure.

David said the consortium’s traction should ultimately be measured through active business users, recurring settlement, redemption performance during market stress, and acceptance outside the 21 participating institutions. Large transaction volumes alone could reflect a small group of members moving capital among themselves.

The consortium’s banking relationships could put its token in front of corporate users quickly. The four executives nevertheless agreed that liquidity, interoperability and external acceptance, not the number of institutions behind it, will determine whether the stablecoin becomes a genuine rival to USDT and USDC.

Zcash's native ZEC token jumped above $1,000 for the first time, excluding a highly volatile couple of days after getting listed on exchanges in late 2016, as inflows into Grayscale's recently launched exchange-traded fund ramped up and new computing power poured into the network.

ZEC traded as high as $1,023 on Friday, extending its monthly gains to around 94% and pushing its market cap toward $17 billion. The privacy-focused crypto was trading around $200 in March.

The rally follows Grayscale's Aug. 25 launch of the Zcash ETF, which trades on NYSE Arca under the ticker (ZCSH). The fund, which was converted from the company's Zcash Trust, is the first U.S. ETF to offer direct exposure to ZEC (ZEC).

ZCSH has recorded approximately $34.4 million in net inflows since its debut, according to Grayscale data. That figure is likely a bit lower than the true total, as it appears that data for Sept. 3 and 4 is incomplete. The fund's strongest day so far came on Sept. 2, when it attracted $12.6 million.

Grayscale ZCSH ETF net flows. Source: The Block/Grayscale Miners pile in The growing interest in Zcash has also spread to its mining network. Zcash's computing power, known as solrate, climbed from around 25 GSol/s in late August to briefly exceed 30 GSol/s, according to ZcashInfo.

But this additional competition has squeezed overall miner profitability.

A Bitmain Antminer Z15 Pro, the current top-of-the-line ZEC mining machine, currently generates an estimated $708 in gross revenue per MWh of electricity, according to an analysis from TheEnergyMag. The research claims that this is about 3% below the $727 per MWh generated on Aug. 24, when ZEC was trading under $900.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Privacy-focused crypto Zcash [$ZEC] temporarily broke above $1,000 as a fresh new demand pushed the coin into the market’s top-ten.

Trading volume increased heavily, but ZEC has fallen below four figures at the time of writing.

Zcash enters the top ten ZEC was trading at around $979, which was a 13.8% increase over 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data.

At $16.5bn, Zcash has shot up to the tenth position on the table of top crypto assets by market value but it could change as prices continue to shift.

Trading volume increased by 173% for a trading volume of $1.62 billion, meaning that much ZEC changed hands in the previous 24 hours.

Even with the gains ZEC has had recently, it has been recovering from being below $500 back in August, so there has been a continuous trend upward since then with prices going past $800 to reach $1,000 for the first time.

The broader crypto market has also recovered, providing a more favourable environment for ZEC, but the available data does mean there’s a single cause for its latest jump.

Can ZEC remain above $1,000? ZEC reached $1,027.80 before falling back to around $981, and the retreat suggests that some holders sold after the price crossed the closely watched $1,000 mark.

That does not remove the upward move it has recently seen, but means buyers are yet to make the move above the new milestone hold for longer.

Source: TradingView ZEC has also seen a quick rise in a short period, with daily momentum reading 78.33, indicating that there has been a lot of buying, and this could lead to wider price deviations as the early buyers cash in.

If it gets back above $1000 and the price trades again above $1028, we might still see strong demand. If the pullback continues, though, a point of interest for the first sign that buyers are willing to step in again would be somewhere around $900.

Final Summary ZEC briefly exceeded $1,000 as its market value reached $16.5 billion. Trading volume jumped 173%, but the price had returned to around $980.

Dash [DASH] climbed 17.5% on Coinbase as traders turned their attention to another crypto associated with private payments.

The rally took DASH to its highest price since May and followed hard on the heels of a powerful run by Zcash [ZEC] – perhaps showing the increased interest in privacy-focused assets that is spreading out through space.

DASH returns to its May highs DASH opened the day at $47.46, climbed as high as $56.85 and was near $55.76 when the chart was last looked at.

The jump followed a noticeable increase in trading activity. A rise in trading activity has been experienced; a measure of when money is moving in and out of the asset also experienced a similar increase supporting its move to the upside, suggesting the move supported its position.

The spike in price of DASH is now up about 85% from its mid-August level near $30, and the move follows the privacy-related crypto assets that have also gotten a fresh round of attention lately, with ZEC recently surpassing $1,000 and entering the top ten in market cap for the first time.

There has been no confirmed major project announcement, meaning the gain looks more like a market rotation than any individual reason.

Can buyers keep DASH above $55? The area between $55 and $57 may decide whether the rally continues or not, because DASH reached this region twice in May but was unable to remain there.

Source: TradingView Moving beyond $57 could place $60 within reach. But falling below it may make traders who bought at lower prices sell to secure their profits.

The chart also shows that DASH has seen a sharp rise. This does not mean it will see an immediate decline, but rapid gains like that often bring larger price swings as buyers and sellers compete around a previous high.

If the price begins to retreat, $48 is the first area where buyers may attempt to stop the decline, and a larger pullback could return DASH towards the $43–$44 region.

Final Summary DASH rose 17.5% to its highest level since May as buying activity increased. The token now faces resistance near $55–$57 after gaining roughly 85% since mid-August.

WISeKey joins as Hedera's fourth Strategic Partner@hedera's governing council has expanded its partner network, naming @WISeKey as its fourth Strategic Partner and @SpaceDevUy as its eighth Community Partner. Neither tier carries a seat on the council itself, but both signal the network's push into cybersecurity and clean-energy infrastructure.

The partnership also has a quantum-security angle.

SpaceDev brings carbon tokenization experience to the council The firm joins as Hedera's eighth Community Partner, bringing hands-on experience building on the network across multiple sectors, including energy, fintech and web3 infrastructure.

Sources:
WISeKey joins the Hedera Council Network of Strategic and Community Partners (Manila Times / GlobeNewswire)
SpaceDev: Blockchain for Energy case study (SpaceDev)
Advancing decarbonization with Blockchain for Energy (Hedera)

DefiLlama and Forgd have introduced an AAA-to-CCC rating system covering 128 of 149 listed tokens, with Uniswap currently holding the dashboard’s only AAA grade at a composite score of 60.80.

Summary

Universal Token Rating multiplies disclosure and performance scores instead of averaging them. Projects lose points for missing disclosures, weak liquidity arrangements and insider-friendly tokenomics. Submitted project information is checked against exchange, on-chain, and market-maker data. AAA signals strong current conditions but does not predict returns or eliminate investment risks. DefiLlama’s live Universal Token Rating dashboard places Uniswap first with disclosure and performance scores of 7.87 and 7.72, respectively. Meteora follows with an AA grade and a composite score of 58.48, while Curve DAO ranks third at 53.32.

Developed with token advisory platform Forgd, the system grades assets by combining what a project discloses with what trading data shows. Its disclosure assessment covers areas such as tokenomics, insider wallets and commercial arrangements, while the performance side examines liquidity, spreads, venue coverage and market-maker conduct.

DefiLlama Head of Research Ryan Celaj told crypto.news that both components are required because averaging them could allow strength in one area to conceal serious problems in another.

“We’re multiplying a project’s disclosure and performance scores deliberately, because they are both necessary conditions for credibility. And ‘necessary’ is the key word. It’s not that performance and disclosures both factor in. They’re required.”

Under the formula, a project with a disclosure score of 10 and a performance score of 2 receives a composite score of 20. Celaj said an average would give the same project a much less critical score despite its weak market performance.

DefiLlama token grades require strength on both axes The two scores range from zero to 10 and are multiplied to produce a result out of 100. AAA begins at 60, meaning a token cannot reach the top category if either component falls below six, even with a perfect score on the other axis.

AA starts at 40, with narrower bands separating A, BBB, BB, and B as weaknesses increase. Celaj said the thresholds make the highest grades difficult to obtain while creating distinctions among assets further down the table.

Although the letters resemble grades used in conventional finance, Celaj said they do not estimate default probabilities and should not be treated as equivalents to ratings issued by a traditional credit-rating agency. The format was selected because institutional traders already understand the AAA-to-CCC scale.

The approach also links stated policies to observable results. A project may publish detailed market-making terms or token-distribution plans, but the performance score tests whether liquidity, trading activity and wallet behavior match those claims.

Uniswap founder Hayden Adams drew attention to the results after UNI received the only AAA grade. Referring to the ranking in an Aug. 27 X post, Adams called it “the result of a neutral, unbiased ratings system” and referred to past criticism of Uniswap as “crypto Twitter psyops and fud.”

Market-maker conduct can lower a token’s grade Forgd founder and CEO Shane Molidor said private contracts do not prevent the platform from assessing whether a market-making arrangement has produced durable liquidity.

Forgd monitors more than 500 market-maker engagements through reports and application programming interface data, according to Molidor. Its system measures contributions to volume and depth, uptime, compliance with agreed targets, and each provider’s record across other mandates.

“We do not determine sustainability from the disclosed contract alone,” Molidor said. “Forgd already monitors market-maker performance through its platform, giving us access to market-maker reporting and API data for the over 500 engagements we track.”

According to the executive, Forgd compares first-party information with exchange and on-chain data, including spreads, two-sided depth, venue coverage, and organic trading activity. Analysts also examine how liquidity behaves during volatile periods, token unlocks, and the period after launch incentives end.

Such checks are designed to separate persistent liquidity from volume temporarily supported by token loans, options, or other incentives, Molidor said. A project does not have to publish every commercial term, but it must provide enough verifiable evidence for Forgd to understand the arrangement and the commitments being measured.

Acceptable evidence may include relevant contract provisions, amendments, token-loan terms, options, wallet identifiers, liquidity targets, uptime requirements, incentive structures, market-maker reports and API records. Forgd also offers its market-maker monitoring software free of charge, allowing a poorly rated project to submit more data for review.

Market quality has become an important issue as institutions increase their exposure to tokenized assets. On Aug. 27, Stellar’s RWA value was reported to have increased from about $785 million in January to more than $3 billion in July, yet slightly more than $2 million had entered Blend pools that accept RWAs. The figures showed a large difference between assets issued on-chain and the amount actively used in decentralized lending.

Project claims cannot directly determine the score Claiming a profile gives a token issuer an opportunity to submit evidence, but Molidor and Celaj said the process does not allow the issuer to assign or control its rating.

Missing information counts against the disclosure score. A project that supplies favorable details while withholding weak areas cannot obtain full disclosure credit, according to Molidor.

“The downside is that some ratings will appear artificially low until a project provides the necessary disclosures,” Molidor said. “But the upside is that for projects, there is no downside to being transparent, and no upside to selective disclosure.”

The performance score adds a separate check by using exchange records, on-chain events, and Forgd’s monitoring tools. Its inputs include depth, spreads, volume, exchange coverage, derivatives conditions, tokenomics, and adherence to market-making targets.

Exceptionally strong performance in one category is capped, Celaj said, preventing one metric from cancelling persistent weakness elsewhere. The methodology also excludes venues regarded as unreliable from relevant calculations.

Ratings update continuously rather than relying on a single audit. Material disclosures that remain outdated for more than 60 days receive a penalty, while verifiable events such as token unlocks and exchange listings enter the performance assessment automatically.

Even with those controls, both executives acknowledged limits. Molidor said the system cannot prove that an undisclosed commercial relationship does not exist. It can identify missing information, inconsistent claims, and activity that does not match a project’s account, but its grade cannot guarantee that every relationship has been found.

Celaj similarly said that no grading model can be considered impossible to manipulate. DefiLlama has made its methodology and category-level results available so users can trace grades and challenge disputed information, while the team plans to adjust the system if projects find ways to exploit it.

An AAA token grade does not predict returns Neither DefiLlama nor Forgd has gathered enough long-term evidence to claim that highly rated tokens suffer smaller drawdowns or fewer market failures.

Molidor said a high performance score necessarily corresponds with stronger measured depth, tighter spreads, and more extensive liquidity because the system uses those conditions as inputs. Price declines can still result from security breaches, governance failures, or market conditions that the rating does not assess.

“An AAA grade means that, at this point in time, a token demonstrates a strong combination of disclosure quality and observable market performance under the UTR methodology,” Molidor said.

“It does not mean the token is risk-free, that its price will appreciate, or that an institution can replace its own legal, technical and financial due diligence.”

A CCC grade identifies substantial problems in disclosure, performance, or both, according to Molidor. It does not establish that a project is fraudulent or certain to fail, but it points institutions toward areas requiring additional review.

Celaj described the rating as a screening and monitoring tool rather than an investment recommendation. In his view, the system creates a dataset that researchers can eventually use to test whether combining disclosures with market data produces a better predictive signal than assessing each category separately.

Institutional interest gives that test practical relevance, especially for tokens linked to real-world assets. On July 31, an article on Ondo Finance reported that tokenized securities exceeded $36 billion in 2026, including approximately $12.88 billion in tokenized U.S. Treasuries.

For American institutions, token grades may help organize preliminary market-structure reviews, but regulated tokenized products remain subject to separate custody, eligibility, and securities requirements. On Aug. 3, BlackRock launched two tokenized money-market products backed by cash, short-term U.S. Treasuries and Treasury-backed repurchase agreements, with transfers restricted to approved investors and compliant wallets.

UTR does not assess every risk attached to such assets. Celaj specifically said its methodology does not measure cybersecurity risk, which has caused some of crypto’s largest historical drawdowns.

After momentarily hitting the $725–$730 range, Binance Coin is currently trading around $713 in an effort to maintain one of its biggest upward trends in recent months. The structural shift that underlies the rally is just as significant as the event itself. BNB has clearly surpassed its major moving averages. 

The longer-term averages are still grouped around $623–$651, but the 20-day EMA has accelerated to about $668. Most notably, after falling below the 200-day EMA for several months, the price has now recovered it around $651. As a result, the current bullish structure's primary support range is now $650–$670.

BNB/USDT Chart by TradingView HOT Stories

Momentum is the problem right now. After a dramatic increase from roughly $605, BNB is now in overbought territory with an RSI of about 73. Buyers are facing significant opposition, as evidenced by the most recent rejection at $730. Therefore, a short-term correction or sideways consolidation would be typical instead of the breakout being immediately invalidated. $730 is the initial level that bulls must clear. 

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The path toward $750–$760, where BNB traded prior to its significant June correction, could be opened by a daily close above it. On the other hand, losing $690 would make a retracement toward the 20-day EMA at $668 more likely. But the overall technical structure is still bullish as long as BNB stays above the $650–$670 range.

Uniswap's TroubleAfter rising from about $3.20 in mid-August to about $6.25, Uniswap has entered a far more aggressive phase of its recovery. In less than three weeks, UNI has essentially doubled and surpassed all of the daily chart's major moving averages. Particularly significant was the breakout above the $4.00–$4.20 cluster. 

UNI/USDT Chart by TradingViewUNI then showed exceptionally strong buying pressure as it cleared $4.70, $5.20, and $5.80 with little consolidation. The other major averages are still between $3.91 and $4.12, but the 20-day EMA has already increased to roughly $4.70. The main short-term risk is also generated by that separation. 

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The daily RSI has reached about 80, and UNI is currently about 33% above its 20-day EMA. As a result, the market is significantly overbought, and the most recent candles between $6.25 and $6.50 show the first indications of hesitation. Price discovery would continue to move toward $6.80 and possibly $7.00 with a clear breakout above $6.50. 

Instead, a cooldown toward $5.80–$6.00 could result from failing to clear that area. The deeper support is located between $5.20 and $4.70. Although UNI is still technically bullish, there is a significantly higher short-term correction risk when following a vertical advance. 

Gram Misses the MemoDespite multiple attempts to create a bottom between $1.30 and $1.35, Gram is still stuck in a bearish market structure. GRAM is trading below all of the major moving averages visible on the daily chart at around $1.36, so buyers are unable to confirm a sustainable reversal. 

GRAM/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe closest technical barrier is the 20-day EMA at $1.39, which is closely followed by another moving average at $1.40. In late August, GRAM made a brief comeback toward $1.50, but sellers rejected the move and drove the asset back toward its known support level. The August recovery appears to have been more of a relief rally than a broader trend reversal, based on the inability to sustain that breakout. 

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Momentum remains in a neutral to bearish position. The daily RSI is at about 47, which gives buyers plenty of room to move in either direction but indicates that they are not strong enough to take the lead right now. Additionally, volume has significantly decreased in comparison to the explosive activity during GRAM's May rally. 

GRAM must first recover $1.40 and then break the $1.49–$1.50 resistance area in order to make a significant comeback. The 200-day EMA at $1.60 becomes the main technical target after that. On the downside, a further loss of $1.30 would reveal about $1.25 and possibly set new local lows. 

Chainlink's Short PauseAfter its explosive August breakout, Chainlink is continuing to maintain a much stronger technical structure. After rising from about $8.20 to over $12 in just two weeks, LINK is currently trading at about $11.58. LINK passed its major moving averages, including the 200-day EMA at $9.83, thanks to the rally. Instead of giving up the breakout right away, the price has since consolidated between roughly $11.00 and $12.00, which is positive after such a rapid expansion. 

GRAM/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe price is still comfortably above the rising 20-day EMA at roughly $10.69, while the daily RSI has dropped from overbought territory toward 63. This maintains the bullish structure while mitigating some of the overheating produced during the initial breakout. Right now, the primary resistance is between $12.00 and $12.20. 

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With upper wicks reaching as high as roughly $12.60, LINK has frequently struggled in this area. Therefore, the path toward $12.60 and $13.00 could be reopened by a confirmed close above $12.20. $11.00 is the significant downside level. A retest of the 20-day EMA around $10.70 would become more probable if it were lost. 

Below that, the stronger structural support zone around the reclaimed 200-day EMA is represented by $9.80–$10.00. The August breakout is still technically intact unless LINK drops back below that area.