World, the identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has launched its World ID suite for banks and financial institutions. It helps entities ensure AI-safe experiences amid rising bots, fraud, and deepfake risks.
World ID for Proof of Human in AI Era World has launched its first industry-specific World ID suite targeted at banks and financial institutions. Co-founder Alex Blania announced the launch at the Money20/20 conference. The World ID suite aims to protect against deepfakes, fraud, and malicious bots.
The suite bundles three tools backed by verifiable cryptographic Proofs such as Proof of Human, Proof of Presence, and Proof of Attributes. The initial design partners include Bain Capital, OpenExchange, Outtake, Pantera Capital, and VanEck Funds.
The World ID app is an identity wallet allowing users to store and present privacy-preserving cryptographic Proofs without revealing personal data. Banks and institutions can check if a client or partner is a real human without collecting documents or storing other personal details.
On the other hand, World ID for Zoom verifies that participants on video calls are real, unique humans rather than deepfakes. Participants complete a one-time World ID verification at an Orb and connect the World ID app to their Zoom account to get a Human Badge.
World ID for Agents through AgentKit lets a verified person delegate Proofs to an AI agent. It will enable the agent to cryptographically prove it is acting on behalf of a human when interacting with platforms or institutions.
The launch comes amid rising AI safety concerns. Deloitte projected that AI-enabled fraud losses in the United States alone could reach $40 billion by 2027, up from an estimated $12.3 billion in 2023. Sam Altman’s World also cited the 2024 Arup case in which an employee transferred $25.6 million after a video call meeting in which all other participants were deepfakes, highlighting the risks in finance.
WLD Token Rises Over 2% amid Derivatives Activity Worldcoin (WLD) price jumped more than 1% in the past 24 hours, currently trading at $0.49. The 24-hour low and high were $0.459 and $0.510, respectively. Furthermore, trading volume has increased slightly in the last 24 hours, signaling a recent rise in market activity.
CoinGlass data showed buying in the derivatives market in the last few hours. At the time of writing, the total WLD futures open interest jumped almost 1% in the past 24 hours. WLD futures open interest is rising across crypto exchanges, with an almost 2% jump on Binance and 5% on OKX and 3% on Hyperliquid.
Institutions looking to integrate decentralized identity and privacy solutions can explore the best zero knowledge proof projects driving modern cryptographic verification.
Shareholders in Meta, Tesla, Netflix, and SpaceX get quarterly results Tuesday and Wednesday, after the US market closes. Nasdaq values the first three at about $3.6 trillion combined.
Forecasts, not beats, have moved these stocks lately. In July, Netflix topped profit estimates by a cent, then fell about 9% after hours on a weaker outlook.
Meta plans $130 billion to $145 billion of equipment and data center spending in 2026, according to its results.
In the second quarter, $31.1 billion of spending left Meta just $784 million in free cash flow, the cash left after investment. Its shares fell over 7% after hours as profit also missed forecasts.
Meta also expects a roughly $10 billion legal charge this quarter. It stems from a settlement worth up to $18 billion over claims its apps harmed children.
SpaceX spent $18.4 billion in the second quarter, $15.8 billion of it on AI, and lost $541 million, its filing shows.
Still, Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen said the AI unit turned a $1.1 billion profit on an adjusted basis.
Much of that money flows to chipmaker Nvidia. SpaceX is now reportedly seeking $40 billion in debt to buy its chips.
Tesla already beat delivery forecasts, handing over 486,532 cars. However, in July it earned $0.33 per share against a $0.55 estimate as margins slipped.
What Would Prove the AI Spending Is Paying Off?For Meta, the test is whether its $130 billion to $145 billion spending range rises.
For SpaceX, it is progress toward a target Elon Musk set in August. ARR, or annual recurring revenue, measures a yearly sales pace.
“we are expecting to reach a $100 billion-plus ARR in December of this year,” Elon Musk stated.
For Tesla, it is whether margins recover. Analysts tracked by Nasdaq expect $0.21 per share, down from $0.37 a year ago.
Netflix’s test is different. It forecast $12.86 billion in revenue and about $3 billion in 2026 ad sales, its shareholder letter shows.
Last week, strong bank earnings failed to lift bank shares, a gap Jim Cramer flagged. This week, the AI spenders face the same test.
Ripple has expanded its institutional prime brokerage offering by enabling clients to trade real-world asset (RWA) perpetual swaps that track traditional financial instruments.
Announced on October 15, 2026, the initiative through Ripple Prime gives professional traders continuous access to more than one hundred reference markets spanning individual equities, equity indices, exchange-traded funds, metals, energy products, and foreign-exchange pairs.
Trading and settlement run without interruption, including weekends, removing the constraints of conventional exchange hours.The new swaps are executed with Ripple Prime serving as the principal counterparty.
Their pricing references perpetual futures contracts listed by Trade.xyz on Hyperliquid, a decentralized derivatives platform known for high performance.
This structure delivers exposure to movements in traditional assets without conferring ownership of the underlying securities or commodities and without requiring physical delivery.
Because the referenced contracts trade continuously and carry no fixed expiration, institutions can maintain or adjust positions as market conditions evolve outside standard trading windows.
Michael Higgins, international chief executive of Ripple Prime, described the product as the point where conventional markets intersect with digital infrastructure.
He noted that institutions seek exposure to equities, commodities, and currencies combined with the efficiency and continuous availability of blockchain-based systems.
Ripple Prime was designed to operate across both environments, drawing on experience in clearing, collateral management, and risk oversight that functions around the clock.
The RWA swaps, he added, allow clients to pursue more advanced strategies and respond actively to shifting global conditions.
Additional operational advantages include cross-margining of the new positions against other asset classes already supported on the platform. Eligible clients may also post Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin as collateral, subject to jurisdictional availability.
Together these features produce a single counterparty relationship, centralized risk oversight, and consolidated margin across an institution’s overall portfolio, reducing the need for separate collateral pools at multiple venues.
Market-making firm Virtu is among the early users.
Scotte Moegling, head of business development for digital assets at Virtu, observed that the firm is increasing activity across emerging liquidity pools and that Ripple Prime’s continuous cross-margining capability supports more efficient expansion as markets move toward nonstop access.
The launch coincides with rapid growth in trading activity for perpetual futures linked to real-world assets over the course of the year.
Ripple Prime presents the new service as part of its broader commitment to deliver high-demand products and venues inside a unified, capital-efficient prime-brokerage framework suited to digital markets.
The offering is currently provided under the firm’s Credit Intermediation Vehicle license in the British Virgin Islands, with plans to extend availability to additional regions in the near term.
By connecting institutional clients to continuous traditional-asset exposure through a familiar prime-brokerage relationship that references Hyperliquid-listed contracts, the development illustrates ongoing convergence between established finance and decentralized infrastructure.
Institutions gain the ability to manage risk and deploy capital across both traditional and digital environments without being limited by fixed trading schedules or fragmented margin arrangements.
Papertrade (PAPER) perpetual contract has been listed on Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 market for 11 hours, hitting a peak of $0.035 and currently trading at $0.025. Over this period, the contract’s trading volume surpassed $12.9 million, with open interest totaling $4.58 million. The contract has generated over $6,000 in fee revenue for Paragon, the deployer of HIP-3, representing more than 5% of Paragon’s total income. According to Paperdash data, PAPER’s current total supply is roughly 8.65 billion tokens, of which approximately 8.58 billion are staked. At the current price of ~$0.025, its fully diluted market cap stands at around $212 million. The token remains non-transferable; it can only be staked to earn protocol USDC yields, with a total of ~$54.02 million distributed to stakers so far. Papertrade is an on-chain synthetic perpetual contract trading platform built on HyperEVM, offering up to 1000x leverage. Its PAPER token is minted from users’ realized trading losses, with no pre-mining, team or venture capital allocations.
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Lending protocol Secured Finance announced it has completed its recovery and reopened on Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Filecoin. The project’s officials stated that no user funds were lost, assets have been replenished, and contracts, balances, positions, and order books have all been repaired and verified. The Secured Finance lending market was targeted in an attack on September 5, resulting in losses of approximately $104,000.
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Ledger's security statement is under scrutiny: Customer support claims it can detect additional hardware, conflicting with official documentation.
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Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
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CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
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Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss.
He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage.
Positions:
96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74
158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28
38,529 $SOXL
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has proposed a new framework that could allow U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges to opt for federal oversight. This proposed structure aims to create a new registration category known as the “crypto asset market,” which would fall under the CFTC’s jurisdiction. This framework is designed to cover exchanges offering leveraged, margined, or financed retail activity, incorporating requirements like market surveillance, anti-manipulation, customer protection, and proof-of-reserves controls. Basic spot exchanges may continue to operate primarily under state money-transmitter licenses, as the CFTC currently lacks the authority to enforce universal federal registration.
Key Takeaways
The CFTC’s proposal appears to indicate a move towards more structured federal oversight for certain crypto exchanges.
Market pricing suggests that the proposal could be supportive of a YES outcome for Bitcoin price increases in the short term.
The proposal is consistent with efforts to improve regulatory clarity and consumer protection in the cryptocurrency space.
What to Watch
Observers will be keen to see how major exchanges like Coinbase and Binance respond to the CFTC’s proposal. Any indication of support or resistance from key players could impact market sentiment. Additionally, the response from lawmakers and regulators, including any steps towards formal adoption or amendments to the proposal, will be critical in determining its future impact on the market. Markets will be monitoring these developments closely, as they could significantly influence Bitcoin’s price trajectory in the near term.
Altcoin market participation on Binance has dropped sharply since early October, fueling fresh doubts about the strength and duration of the recent rally. Analyst Darkfost reported on October 18 that only 51.6% of tracked Binance altcoins remained above their 200-day moving averages, compared to over 90% just weeks earlier.
Altcoin market retreats as breadth weakensThe 200-day moving average is widely used to evaluate long-term price trends, offering a broader view of market sentiment. When fewer altcoins trade above this threshold, it suggests that positive momentum is waning across the sector—even as some individual coins may still show resilience.
In late August, the altcoin market appeared to enter a brief recovery after a period of heavy losses. At that time, 81% of surveyed altcoins traded below their 200-day average. By September 19, about 70% had risen above this metric—a level not seen since October 2025. Market capitalization excluding Ethereum climbed past $800 billion as participation broadened, and by early October, more than 90% of altcoins had moved above the benchmark.
However, early warning signs emerged. Darkfost pointed to an uptick in exchange deposits, which often signals rising intent to sell. Weekly deposit transactions exceeded 22,700 on Binance and 8,300 on Coinbase during the rally’s peak. As of mid-October, only 51.6% of Binance altcoins traded above the 200-day average, with 48.4% below the line—compared to under 10% earlier in the month.
Darkfost noted the rapid shift: “The Altseason is cooling fast as altcoin breadth drops from over 90% to around 52%.” He added, “[Between] late August and early October, altcoins went through a brief altseason, which is now starting to fade.”
$134 billion leaves altcoins, market indices signal cautionDarkfost estimated over $814 billion flowed into the altcoin market during the preceding two-month rally. In the most recent 15-day period, he observed a $134 billion decrease, though he did not specify whether this amount represents pure capital outflows or a decline in overall market capitalization.
This distinction is important, as falling market value does not always reflect a matching withdrawal of funds. Market observers also referenced key indicators, such as the Altcoin Season Index published by CoinMarketCap, which at press time stood at 54—well below the 75-point threshold needed to confirm an “altcoin season.”
MetricEarly OctoberOctober 18Breadth above 200-day averageOver 90%51.6%Altcoin Season IndexNot stated54BTC dominanceNot stated60.1%Mini dictionary: Altcoin Season Index, a measure designed by CoinMarketCap and other analytics providers, tracks how widespread positive performance is among altcoins relative to Bitcoin. A reading above 75 is generally seen as confirmation that an “altcoin season” is underway.
Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market held steady at 60.1% as its price remained close to $81,500. An alternate index by BlockchainCenter also failed to reach levels signaling a confirmed altcoin season.
While current data do not mark a definitive end to the rally, they highlight diminished participation and greater uncertainty across the altcoin landscape. A rebound in breadth would require a significantly higher number of coins to climb back above their long-term price average.
Bitcoin has long carried a reputation for extreme price swings that set it apart from conventional investments. A recent analysis from Grayscale, however, places those movements in a more familiar context by measuring them against individual stocks in the S&P 500.
According to the firm’s research note published on October 14, 2026, Bitcoin’s realized volatility over the past year stood at 43 percent.
That figure sits below the asset’s 10-year average of 64 percent and well under the 81 percent level recorded five years earlier.
Realized volatility tracks actual historical price movements rather than market expectations of future moves.
The one-year reading now falls inside the distribution of volatility observed among S&P 500 constituents.
More specifically, Bitcoin’s recent volatility was lower than that of 19 percent of the companies in the index, meaning a meaningful share of large-cap equities experienced larger price fluctuations over the same period.
The decline is not limited to the most recent twelve months.
Over the past decade, Bitcoin’s price swings have narrowed considerably as the market has matured.
Grayscale attributes the change to several structural developments: deeper market liquidity, broader institutional participation, and the expansion of regulated access points, including the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products approved in the United States in 2024.
These factors have reduced the extremes that characterized the asset’s earlier years, when thin order books and limited institutional involvement amplified moves in both directions.
Even with the reduction, Bitcoin’s volatility remains higher than that of most individual S&P 500 stocks in the comparison sample.
The firm’s researchers note, however, that it no longer occupies a distinctly separate risk category.
The practical implication for portfolio construction is a shift in the central question investors face.
Rather than debating whether to hold an asset perceived as uniquely volatile, the focus moves to determining an appropriate position size that aligns with an investor’s overall risk tolerance and the way the holding interacts with the rest of a portfolio.
The same position-sizing and diversification tools already applied to high-volatility equities can be used for Bitcoin.
A single year of data does not fully capture Bitcoin’s behavior across complete market cycles, and realized volatility is inherently backward-looking. Still, the comparison supplies a concrete reference point against widely owned equities.
For investors who already allocate to volatile stocks—particularly growth-oriented names—the magnitude of Bitcoin’s recent price fluctuations may appear less exceptional than its long-standing reputation suggests.
The research emphasizes that any potential allocation still warrants the same disciplined evaluation of risk and opportunity applied to other holdings.
Grayscale’s analysis draws on data from Artemis as of October 14, 2026.
The findings align with broader observations that 2025 ranked among the least volatile years on record for the asset, according to separate research from K33. Together, the numbers illustrate how market infrastructure and participant mix have altered Bitcoin’s day-to-day behavior, even as larger drawdowns remain possible during periods of stress.
Bitcoin keeps knocking on the door at $87,000. The door keeps not opening.
After repeated rejections near that level, a key on-chain valuation gauge has slipped below its 30th percentile. Crypto analyst Darkfost reported on October 18, 2026 that Bitcoin’s cycle-adjusted MVRV percentile had fallen to 25.7%, a reading tied to what has historically been accumulation territory.
What the MVRV reading actually says For Bitcoin, MVRV compares market value, the current price applied to all coins, against realized value, which prices each coin at the moment it last moved on-chain. When the gap is wide, holders are sitting on fat paper gains. When it narrows, the market is closer to its collective cost basis.
Darkfost’s version adds a twist. Rather than relying on the raw MVRV ratio, the analysis uses a percentile adjusted for current market conditions across cycles, asking how today’s valuation ranks against Bitcoin’s own history.
At 25.7%, Bitcoin is back in a band it has occupied only about 25% of the time. Historically, that region has been associated with accumulation rather than euphoria.
There is a nuance worth noting. The current reading sits in accumulation territory, but it has not entered the extreme undervaluation band that has historically lined up with major market lows.
The $87,000 problem Bitcoin faced at least three price rejections near or above $87,000 between late September and early October 2026.
When Darkfost’s observation landed, Bitcoin’s spot price was sitting between $81,700 and $81,900. That marks a clear pullback from the $87,000 resistance level that buyers have repeatedly failed to clear.
The research describes the recent selling as appearing capitulation-style, and the analysis suggests it may set up a transitional accumulation phase.
Lookonchain, KuCoin, Odaily and Cointelegraph all picked up Darkfost’s findings on the same day.
Long-term holders and ETFs: the supply side The research indicates that long-term Bitcoin holders are currently distributing more coins than they are acquiring.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs have been one candidate to absorb that supply. Net inflows to those products were mildly positive in September 2026. Flows have since flattened or tipped into slight outflows in October.
Why cycle-adjusted metrics are getting attention Raw on-chain metrics have a known weakness. As Bitcoin matures and its market structure changes, thresholds that worked in earlier cycles can drift out of usefulness. A cycle-adjusted percentile tries to correct for that by ranking current conditions against a moving historical backdrop.
What this means for traders and investors The research frames a potential strategic entry as dependent on the market holding around the $81,700 range and showing signs of a bullish reversal.
Long-term holders are net distributing, and ETF demand has cooled from September’s modest gains. If outflows begin to outpace inflows in a meaningful way, the accumulation thesis loses one of its supporting legs.
The current reading has exited the extreme undervaluation band most closely tied to historical market lows, leaving room for the metric to fall further before conditions match past cycle floors.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Bitcoin may extend its rebound but is unlikely to break above US$100,000 before the end of the year, as rising interest rates and the Iran conflict continue to weigh on crypto assets, according to analysts.
The crypto asset class is likely to end the year higher than it is today, but below the peak reached last October, according to Alice Liu, head of research at crypto data platform CoinMarketCap.
“The worst of this year’s downturn is behind us, but the recovery will be uneven and led almost entirely by bitcoin,” Liu said, describing her outlook for crypto assets in the fourth quarter of this year as “cautiously positive”.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency token, has been mired in a prolonged slump this year. After hitting a historic high of US$126,000 last October, a market rout wiped a record US$19 billion off its value, and for months afterwards the coin largely traded below US$70,000 – just over half its peak price.
Bitcoin surged to near $82,100 on Sunday, coinciding with traders’ anticipation of geopolitical events in Russia, the United States and China. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly put forward a proposal to meet the U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit to find a way out of the conflict in Ukraine. The talks are expected to be held in November, but U.S. officials have yet to officially confirm their attendance.
Bitcoin Price Rebounds Toward $82,100 Bitcoin was up 0.98% to $82,099.25 on Sunday, October 18. The TradingView chart indicates a sudden rebound, seemingly in reaction to the BTC price’s earlier sell-off.
Bitcoin price chart today. Source: TradingView The price of BTC first rose above $81,800 and peaked close to $82,150. Sellers then lowered the price and the steep drop began towards $81,000. The pullback resumed in the second half of the session, dropping Bitcoin to a low of just under $80,800.
Buyers then took the initiative and turned the trend around. It appears that there is a trend of increasing from approximately $80,750 with a few straight green candles that are consecutively increasing. Bitcoin price recovered the $81,000 and $81,500 levels before breaking above $82,000.
BTC is racing toward its earlier highs with the latest candles as it heads toward $82,100. The $82,150 area remains a level to watch, while the $80,750 region marks the session’s visible low.
Putin Proposes Talks With Trump and Xi Jingping The trilateral meeting proposal that pushed Bitcoin upwards was brought up in Putin’s phone call to Trump on October 9, according to reports. The Chinese capital of Shenzhen is next month’s venue for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, and the Russian leader proposed holding the talks there as well.
The discussions would be about the end of the four-year war in Ukraine. However, the proposed framework would leave out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and concern Kyiv’s allies, in Washington and Europe.
It’s a step that would be important in diplomacy for resolving the conflict if the three leaders do not include Ukraine.
A senior U.S. official stated that Trump hasn’t formally accepted it. This is for talks with the Kremlin, which are ongoing but no final agreement and specific agenda have been agreed yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The October 9 meeting was also reportedly focused on U.S. demand for Russian diesel fuel. It also explored ways to assist in the sale of Russian fuel in international markets.
Ledger's security statement is under scrutiny: Customer support claims it can detect additional hardware, conflicting with official documentation.
Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès has published a post questioning Ledger Support’s earlier statements. Ledger’s customer service had previously claimed that its secure element can detect physical tampering, and that any additional hardware attempting to intercept signals would fail the authenticity check. Karpelès pointed out that Ledger’s own technical documentation states that if the original secure element remains intact, the authenticity check cannot detect unauthorized physical modifications such as spy implants, directly contradicting the customer service’s assertion. Mark Karpelès also noted that less than two months later, reports emerged showing over $90 million was stolen via signal interception by such “additional hardware”. Additionally, Ledger had already released photos of spy implants for multiple device models in an academic paper published in March 2026. Against the backdrop of known threats, does Ledger’s assurance to users that the authenticity check can detect such modifications constitute misleading advertising?
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Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
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CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
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Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss.
He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage.
Positions:
96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74
158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28
38,529 $SOXL
12 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M).
As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated.
It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
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The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
Several major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Solana, Near Protocol, and Hyperliquid, are encountering critical support levels amid heightened selling activity and fading momentum. Technical signals point to increased caution across the market, as investors closely monitor whether support zones will hold or further declines are on the horizon.
Near Protocol holds key support amid correctionNear Protocol (NEAR), a layer-1 blockchain platform supporting decentralized applications, has faced heavy selling pressure after failing to break through resistance between $5.80 and $6.00. The cryptocurrency is presently correcting toward the $4.65 to $4.70 support area, with the latest daily candle showing a high of $5.06 and a low of $4.74, underlining ongoing volatility.
NEAR’s technical outlook remains cautiously optimistic as long as buyers defend the $4.60 level. Losing this zone could trigger a slide toward $4.40, and potentially the stronger support band at $4.10 to $4.20. On the upside, a recovery above $5.00 may encourage bulls to target $5.40, followed by renewed attempts at $5.80 and $6.00.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for NEAR has retreated from overbought conditions and is approaching the neutral 50 level, implying diminishing bullish momentum. Meanwhile, trading volume has subsided compared with September’s surge. NEAR continues to trade above its medium- and long-term moving averages, helping to preserve its overarching bullish structure.
NEAR’s broader bullish trend remains intact so long as the $4.60 support area is not breached. Closing below this level could amplify downside risks, while a breakout above $5.40 would bolster bullish confidence for a fresh rally.
NEAR’s outlook now depends on whether buyers can successfully defend critical support and reclaim resistance levels.
Hyperliquid struggles after sharp pullbackHyperliquid (HYPE), a protocol focused on on-chain derivatives trading, is under sustained bearish pressure. After peaking near $98, HYPE has corrected to roughly $77.72. Sellers have dominated recent trading, driving a pronounced shift in short-term price action. Immediate support is seen at $76 to $77, where the moving average lines up with price levels.
A bounce from this area could spark a relief rally to $80 or $82. However, daily closes below $76 may accelerate losses toward $72, with $70 acting as a psychological barrier. On the upside, key resistance is situated between $80 and $82, strengthening at $84 to $86. A clear move above $86 would be needed to signal a positive trend reversal.
The daily RSI in HYPE has slipped below 50, nearing 40, reflecting escalating selling momentum. The token now trades beneath its short- and medium-term moving averages, deepening its cautionary outlook.
Mini dictionary: Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange protocol, enables perpetual futures and spot trading directly on-chain without intermediaries, aiming for high performance and deep liquidity.
Solana approaches crucial $100 markSolana (SOL), a blockchain known for its high throughput and low fees, is experiencing renewed selling after its failure to sustain prices above $120 earlier in October. SOL is now trading near $102.31, with the $100 support level under threat. Ongoing weakness has pulled Solana below several short-term moving averages, signaling that sellers have gained control of near-term momentum.
A break below $100 could expose SOL to deeper losses toward $97 and potentially to the $92–$95 range. For a bullish reversal, SOL would need to reclaim resistance between $105 and $107, with higher targets at $110 and $115 if fresh buying emerges.
The RSI has dropped below 50, approaching 40, indicating softening demand. Despite short-term weakness, SOL remains above its main long-term moving averages, suggesting that the larger recovery trend remains in place for now.
The immediate $100 support is critical for SOL. Failing to hold this level may increase the probability of an extended correction, while a successful defense could pave the way for a rebound toward $110.
Bitcoin tests $80,000 after rally fadesBitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency by market value, is showing weakening momentum after reaching $87,000, with the price now consolidating near $81,184. The previous rally, which started in August from around $63,000, attracted significant buying volume and sparked optimism among traders. However, sellers have returned, pushing BTC toward the key $80,000–$81,000 support area.
If Bitcoin closes below $80,000, the market could see a further decline toward $78,000, with stronger support at $76,000 to $77,000. Conversely, a recovery above the $82,500–$83,000 resistance band would be needed to improve the short-term outlook and target $85,000 and higher. BTC currently trades below its short-term moving average but retains a position above longer-term averages, affirming the broader positive structure.
The market’s next move remains contingent on the defense of immediate support, as buyers and sellers vie for control at these pivotal price levels.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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According to David Schwartz, the chief architect of the XRP Ledger and Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, most people who hold or follow XRP do not know what its underlying network was built to do.
Schwartz spoke at Nasdaq during the celebration of Evernorth’s public listing. He said the most common misunderstanding is about where the XRP Ledger sits among the major blockchains. In his view, it has more functionality than Bitcoin but less than Ethereum or Solana, and that middle position is deliberate.
The Misconception Schwartz Wants To CorrectSchwartz described the ledger as built for a narrow set of financial tasks rather than general-purpose computing. Those tasks include:
Tokenization of real-world assetsPayments and liquidityLendingStablecoinsHe said this focus makes the network strong for some use cases and a poor fit for others. It does not support every application a developer might write. Instead, the ledger comes with what he called curated financial primitives, designed to meet the standards financial institutions expect.
Three Reasons Institutions Pick The XRP LedgerAsked why a bank or financial firm should build on the network, Schwartz gave three reasons:
It is fast, cheap and reliable.It is decentralized, so no single party can turn the system against its users.It comes connected to ready-made financial tools.RLUSD And A Multi-Chain FutureSchwartz said XRP Ledger supporters should not expect a single-chain outcome. Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin runs on the XRP Ledger, but he said it also needs to be on other networks to reach more users and deeper liquidity.
He explained the goal in personal terms. People leave money idle in bank accounts, he said, because moving it somewhere it can earn a return takes effort. He wants the industry to reach a point where users think only about what their money is doing, not where it sits.
AI Agents Could Turn Blockchains Into Settlement LayersOn artificial intelligence, Schwartz said high-volume payments between AI agents may run on fast, low-cost payment channels, with final settlement on a blockchain. He expects some countries to become net buyers of AI services and others net sellers. Settling those imbalances, he said, will require a neutral settlement network. He did not say that network would be the XRP Ledger.
Ripple’s 2027 FocusLooking ahead to 2027, Schwartz pointed to Ripple’s acquisitions of GTreasury and Hidden Road. He said Ripple is combining them into one business. It plans to cross-sell products to clients who already move trillions of dollars through systems that do not touch crypto.
Schwartz said the Evernorth listing shows crypto connecting with traditional finance. It gives investors a way to hold XRP through retirement accounts and on corporate balance sheets.
Story Ends Here
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The XRP Ledger is preparing to activate the fixCleanup3_4_0 amendment, a package of upgrades affecting core functions such as Single Asset Vaults, the Lending Protocol, Automated Market Makers, the permissioned decentralized exchange, trust lines, NFTs, MPTs, Escrow, Sponsorship, transaction signing, and permission delegation. The activation window is set for the next four days, targeting October 23, 2026, at 9:34 AM UTC, based on data from XRPScan.
Amendment Process and New FeaturesFor any amendment to go live on the XRP Ledger, developers require more than 80% support consistently maintained for 14 days. The upcoming fixCleanup3_4_0 revision is expected to bring approximately 25 improvement points. Notably, the update includes exempting IOU issuers from enforcing their own global freeze on NFT offers in their native currency and allowing authorized trust lines to implicitly authorize pseudo-account counterparties.
These adjustments are designed to streamline operations and enhance the efficiency of the XRP Ledger, one of the world’s leading decentralized blockchain platforms for fast and cost-effective transactions.
Mini dictionary: Pseudo-accounts, in the context of XRP Ledger, refer to virtual accounts that allow for more granular control over multi-user access, permissions, and authorization, without being independent blockchain accounts. This enables more flexible transaction management and delegation options.
Recent Upgrades and Security InitiativesThe fixCleanup3_4_0 amendment continues a series of recent upgrades to the XRP Ledger. Earlier this year, Ripple, the San Francisco-based company behind the development and adoption of the XRP Ledger, established a dedicated AI-assisted red team. This team actively searches for vulnerabilities in the network to bolster security.
In March 2026, the 3.1.3 release became the first dedicated security update spearheaded by this effort, focusing exclusively on security hardening with no additional features. The fixCleanup3_2_0 revision followed in July, addressing further technical adjustments to the network.
Most recently, October 2026 saw the deployment of fixCleanup3_3_0, which delivered additional fixes centered on the Single Asset Vaults, Lending Protocol, Automated Market Makers, the permissioned DEX, Checks, and pseudo-accounts.
October remains an exceptionally eventful month for those involved in the XRP ecosystem. On October 3, the city of Seoul hosted XRP Seoul 2026, Asia’s largest XRP-focused event this year, drawing more than 5,000 participants.
The XRP Ledger team introduced permission delegation and Batch amendments on October 8 and 9, respectively. In the days following these launches, the Batch feature quickly gained adoption, rapidly accounting for over 15% of all mainnet transactions and ranking as the third most commonly used transaction type.
DateEvent/AmendmentImpactOct 3, 2026XRP Seoul 20265,000+ attendeesOct 8, 2026Permission Delegation LaunchEnhanced transaction permissionsOct 9, 2026Batch LaunchThird most-used transaction typeOct 23, 2026Expected fixCleanup3_4_0 Activation25 new improvementsFurther, the Swell event is scheduled from October 27 to 29 in New York, with participation from key sector figures such as Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, CME Group Chairman Terrence Duffy, Bullish CEO Tom Farley, Water.org co-founder Matt Damon, and executives from BNY, Coinbase, Robinhood, Barclays, State Street, and Jump.
OutlookExpectations are high for the fixCleanup3_4_0 deployment as the upgrade aims to resolve various technical issues and further strengthen the robustness of the XRP Ledger. The series of updates throughout October reflects increased momentum in the development and adoption of XRPL technology within the crypto space.
Batch accounted for over 15% of XRPL mainnet transactions after its launch, becoming the number 3 transaction type shortly thereafter.
Ripple has formed a partnership with Cross River Bank, signaling a new phase in integrating RLUSD, Ripple’s regulated stablecoin, into banking infrastructure. Cross River Bank stated that it will support RLUSD settlement on the XRP Ledger as part of its core banking operations, further advancing the asset’s adoption for cross-border transactions. This move strengthens the link between Ripple and broader payment platforms, fueling growing speculation about potential connections to Elon Musk’s X Money—a digital payments platform that leverages a sophisticated backend ecosystem.
X Money integration gains tractionCross River Bank is a U.S.-based financial institution recognized for its technology-driven approach and close associations with payment giants, including Stripe. Digital Asset Investor, a prominent XRP analyst, pointed out that Stripe underpins X Money’s backend, implying an indirect network between XRP and X Money via Cross River Bank’s new infrastructure.
This connection has heightened anticipation in the XRP community, with many suggesting that the latest announcement could pave the way for Ripple’s technology to power instant cross-border settlements for X Money users. The possibility of Ripple’s ecosystem being integrated into Elon Musk’s digital finance ambitions has been a recurring topic among industry analysts.
Institutional insiders claimed the Cross River Bank-Ripple partnership had been forecasted through earlier institutional disclosures, lending further credibility to expectations of broader institutional adoption.
Digital Asset Investor emphasized the significance of this integration, noting that such partnerships could drive mainstream acceptance for XRP’s technology in global payments.
Ripple’s collaboration with Cross River Bank, integrating RLUSD into its core platform, is seen by market watchers as a critical step toward linking XRP with major payment networks, potentially including X Money.
Mini dictionary: X Money is a digital payments solution associated with Elon Musk and aims to provide integrated, instant financial transfers across borders. Stripe, used as its backend, is a major American fintech company powering global payments infrastructure for millions of businesses.
Supply squeeze intensifiesWhile the potential X Money connection draws attention, Digital Asset Investor also highlighted XRP’s tightening supply. XRP’s total supply is capped at 100 billion tokens. Ongoing token burns from transaction fees constantly reduce this figure, while rising institutional activity removes significant amounts from trading platforms.
Analysts referenced recent activity in which institutional buyers executed single transactions as large as 1 billion XRP. In a recent 24-hour window, 1.6 billion XRP was withdrawn from exchanges for custody, representing more than 1% of the asset’s supply leaving the open market in a single day. At this pace, the entire circulating XRP supply could be exhausted from public exchanges in less than 100 days.
MetricValueTotal XRP supply100 billionRecent single transaction size1 billionXRP withdrawn in 24 hours1.6 billionCurrent XRP price$1.34Institutional accumulation and available floatDigital Asset Investor linked increased institutional involvement—from ETFs to new collateralization use cases—to mounting pressure on available XRP liquidity. Ripple itself retains a significant reserve, a portion of which is not intended for sale. Early-stage institutions and long-term holders have steadily accumulated tokens over more than a decade, further constraining available supply.
He estimated that between 30 and 40 billion XRP are realistically accessible for active trading, while the remainder is locked by Ripple or large institutional stakeholders.
Institutional perspective and price outlookRipple’s Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty described Evernorth’s recent regulatory approval as “a badge of validation” for institutional adoption of tokenized assets like XRP. Analyst Matt Hougan suggested that, over time, hundreds of trillions of dollars in global assets—including equities, bonds, and real estate—will be migrated onto blockchain networks.
Digital Asset Investor placed XRP among the top 25 digital assets likely to form critical market infrastructure, and described a $5 to $8 price target for XRP as “ridiculously achievable in weeks, months.”
Currently, XRP remains at $1.34, with community analysts closely tracking potential price developments as supply tightens and institutional adoption accelerates.
A crypto market analyst using the alias Steph Is Crypto has set an ambitious price target of $15 for XRP, despite the asset currently trading at $1.29. Steph published a detailed projection on social media, highlighting a sharp upward trajectory for XRP over the next one to two years. While his optimism has drawn attention within the community, most responses have expressed skepticism regarding the likelihood of such an increase.
Chart analysis and price projectionAccording to Steph Is Crypto’s weekly chart, XRP experienced a bottom near $0.41 in late 2024 before rallying rapidly into early 2025, when it surpassed $3. The projection then shows a period of consolidation between about $1 and $1.60 throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026.
Steph’s analysis features a parabolic curve, aligned with previous technical breakouts, supporting the case for an accelerated upswing. The curve suggests that after climbing past $3 and experiencing some pullback, XRP could begin a substantial move upward, ultimately achieving the $15 target by late 2027 or early 2028.
XRP will fly to $15.00 before you know it, according to Steph Is Crypto, who has laid out a scenario where the asset surges from its current price through a multi-year parabolic advance.
Community response and critical perspectivesSteph’s forecast quickly drew a strong response on social platforms, with many traders citing concerns over both the timing and the fundamentals required for such gains. Several investors dismissed the $15 projection, referring to XRP’s inability to break above $2 after long periods of sideways trading. One participant went so far as to label the target unrealistic, noting the prolonged stagnation despite market catalysts.
Skeptics also questioned the rationale behind the projection. Some asked whether the analysis adequately addressed XRP’s overall circulating supply, since a price of $15 would require a market capitalization far exceeding its historical highs. Concerns about the scale of capital inflows needed for this valuation were prominent among the critiques.
Despite the widespread doubt, a handful of community members suggested that XRP might see upward movement, though most stopped short of endorsing the specific $15 level. Others expressed contentment with smaller gains, with one commentator stating that $5 would be a satisfactory milestone.
Market context and technical trendsWhile XRP sits at $1.29, the proposed rally to $15 implies an increase of more than 11 times the current price. Steph Is Crypto’s technical outlook projects a long-term upward trajectory and points to recurring patterns in the asset’s price history as justification for the positive scenario.
In a fast-moving market where a single Federal Reserve decision or the sudden listing of a new altcoin can shift sentiment instantly, traders face constant pressure to stay ahead. Managing multiple platforms for charts, news, and portfolio tracking often leads to missed opportunities. Many investors are now consolidating their workflow with privacy-focused services like CryptoAppsy, which provides real-time charts, tailored price alerts, specialized coin news, and macroeconomic data in one location, even without requiring account registration.
Steph remains confident in his analysis and has not offered any hedging against the bold target. However, given prevailing sentiment, many observers remain cautious until market indicators suggest a significant breakout. Whether XRP achieves the forecasted growth will depend on developments across both technical patterns and macroeconomic conditions.
The path from $1.29 to $15 would require an extraordinary shift in both XRP’s adoption and investor sentiment, with most current community members unconvinced but still attentive to technical signals on higher timeframes.
On South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, trading volumes for some altcoins reached remarkable levels in the last 24 hours. In particular, XRP, The Sandbox (SAND), Quack AI (Q), ETHGas (GWEI), and Gitcoin (GTC) were among the cryptocurrencies most actively traded by South Korean investors.
When the trading volume data from the two exchanges are combined, XRP is seen to be in first place with a volume of approximately $64 million. XRP is followed by The Sandbox (SAND) with $58.7 million and Quack AI (Q) with $42.67 million.
Here are the most traded altcoins based on the combined 24-hour trading volumes from Upbit and Bithumb exchanges:
XRP – $63.96 million
The Sandbox (SAND) – $58.70 million
Quack AI (Q) – $42.67 million
ETHGas (GWEI) – $37.36 million
Gitcoin (GTC) – $37.24 million
Worldcoin (WLD) – $35.50 million
Puffer (PUFFER) – $26.98 million
Caldera (ERA) – $26.68 million
Ethereum (ETH) – $24.49 million
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) – $18.27 million
Impossible Cloud Network Token (ICNT) – $13.58 million
Nestree (EGG) – $11.84 million
Travala (AVA) – $11.33 million
TEMCO (TEMCO) – $11.01 million
Ondo (ONDO) – $10.40 million
*This is not investment advice.
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South Korea’s biggest crypto exchange just had a quieter week. Upbit reported weekly trading volume of 8.35 trillion won for the week ending October 18, 2026, a 15.5% decrease from the prior week.
That works out to approximately $6.28 billion.
The more interesting detail sits inside the total. XRP was the most traded asset on the platform during the week, finishing ahead of both Bitcoin and USDT.
Inside the numbers
In mid-October 2026, Upbit’s 24-hour trading volumes swung between $340 million and over $1.2 billion on active days.
The ranking of assets adds texture. XRP topped the volume table, with Bitcoin in second and the stablecoin USDT in third.
USDT’s presence in the top three is also worth a brief note. Stablecoins are tokens designed to track the US dollar, so heavy USDT trading can reflect traders moving between risk assets and something closer to cash.
A wider slowdown across Korean exchanges
Upbit was not alone in feeling the slowdown. Volume across major South Korean platforms fell by 19.56% in a preceding week, pointing to a broader pullback rather than a problem specific to one venue.
Measured against that figure, Upbit’s 15.5% decline looks somewhat milder.
Upbit has consistently held its position as the leading exchange in the country, regularly outpacing rivals such as Bithumb.
Upbit’s volumes have often reacted to swings in domestic stock markets, which suggests many Korean traders treat crypto and equities as neighboring options rather than separate worlds.
What this means for traders and the market
The most immediate implication is about liquidity. Lower volume generally means thinner order books, which can make prices more sensitive to large buy or sell orders.
XRP’s leadership is the other storyline to watch. Even as total activity fell, traders still concentrated a large share of their attention on a single asset, and that asset was not Bitcoin.
For the competitive landscape, rivals like Bithumb face the same headwinds. The broader 19.56% drop seen in a preceding week suggests the challenge across the sector is attracting volume at all, not just winning share from one another.
Looking ahead, the key signals will be whether weekly volume stabilizes near the 8.35 trillion won level or keeps sliding, and whether XRP keeps its spot at the top of the table.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
MONACO, Oct. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crypto news is turning toward AlphaPepe as Stage 21 moves closer to another sellout after the presale pushed beyond $3.06 million raised. The previous stage already sold out, and more than 12,600 holders are now onboard while $ALPE remains before its first public exchange chart.
The stage pressure is arriving alongside another major catalyst. AlphaPepe already has four CEX partnerships announced, with its fifth exchange reveal coming soon as online discussion continues to circle Binance. XRP, meanwhile, is trading near $1.30 while Ripple adds new institutional payment and wallet infrastructure, keeping aggressive long-term targets like $27 in the retail conversation.
AlphaPepe Stage 21 Moves Toward Another Sellout Stage 20 is already gone, and Stage 21 is now moving toward the same outcome. That gives AlphaPepe a visible scarcity story because buyers who wait through another completed stage lose access to the current presale entry. The current $ALPE price is $0.03368, while the listing price begins from $0.08.
For retail, the gap is easy to understand: AlphaPepe is still in its pre-listing phase, but each stage that disappears pushes the presale closer to public-market pricing. That makes the stage sellout more important than another routine milestone. The crowd is still forming while the cheaper presale window keeps moving forward.
$3.06M Raised Adds Weight Behind the Stage Momentum AlphaPepe has now raised more than $3.06 million and crossed 12,600 holders, with over 100 new holders reportedly joining each day. That demand gives the Stage 21 sellout story more substance because the presale is not moving forward without buyers behind it. The strongest retail takeaway is momentum before the chart.
AlphaPepe is adding capital and holders before open-market trading starts, rather than relying on an exchange rally to create its first wave of interest. There is also another scarcity layer inside AlphaLabs. Fewer than 40 Limited Bonus AlphaLabs mystery crates remain, giving buyers a final chance to unlock up to a 300% bonus while the current stage itself is tightening.
AlphaSwap Is Live Before the Presale Ends The stage momentum is backed by a product that is already accessible. AlphaSwap, AlphaPepe’s AI DEX, is live in Early Access, while Auto-Trade registration is also open before $ALPE lists. The ecosystem is being developed by an ex-Shibarium developer, giving AlphaPepe a stronger product story than presales selling only a future roadmap.
Buyers also receive ALPE immediately after purchase, removing the need to wait for a later claim window. The fifth CEX reveal adds another near-term event. Four exchange partnerships are already announced, while online communities continue debating whether Binance or another major exchange could be next. XRP Price Prediction Eyes $27 XRP is trading around $1.30 after pulling back from roughly $1.50 earlier this month, but Ripple’s institutional expansion has not slowed.
DriveWealth is integrating Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin for settlement and cross-border payments, with the service starting in Europe before expanding toward the U.S. Ripple has also partnered with Stripe-owned Privy to bring embedded XRP Ledger wallets directly into applications. That gives developers a simpler route to build payment products using XRP, RLUSD and other XRPL assets without forcing users through a separate wallet setup.
Those developments give the $27 target a stronger adoption narrative. A move from around $1.30 to $27 would require a massive new cycle, but broader institutional settlement, easier wallet access and another major altcoin expansion are the kind of catalysts retail bulls are watching. AlphaPepe sits much earlier in the timeline.
XRP already has a mature public market, while AlphaPepe is still moving through presale stages before its first exchange chart. AlphaPepe Turns Stage Scarcity Into the Immediate Catalyst The AlphaPepe story today is simple: Stage 20 is sold out, Stage 21 is tightening, and more than $3.06 million has already entered the presale.
That scarcity is happening while AlphaSwap is live, 12,600+ holders are already onboard and the fifth CEX reveal remains ahead. The current $0.03368 entry therefore sits inside a presale that is getting closer to its next stage transition and first public-market cycle. XRP traders are watching whether new institutional infrastructure can eventually help drive a run toward $27.
AlphaPepe buyers have a nearer event to watch: another presale stage is moving toward the finish line before exchange trading even begins. VISIT ALPHAPEPE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FAQs What is the XRP price prediction? XRP price prediction eyes $27 in an aggressive bull-cycle scenario built around wider institutional adoption, stronger token demand and another major altcoin expansion.
What is happening with AlphaPepe Stage 21?
Stage 20 has already sold out, and Stage 21 is now moving toward its own sellout as the presale continues beyond $3.06 million raised.
What is AlphaSwap?
AlphaSwap is AlphaPepe’s AI DEX, already live in Early Access. Auto-Trade registration is also open while $ALPE remains in presale.
Contact:
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A new set of bullish cryptocurrency price targets has captured attention in the digital asset community. Crypto analyst Modern Investor, a well-known figure among retail traders and content creators, has outlined significant upside projections for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano in an online video shared by John Squire, also recognized in the crypto sphere under the handle @TheCryptoSquire.
Modern Investor’s bold cycle targetsIn his latest commentary, Modern Investor stated that he expects Bitcoin to reach $295,000 within the ongoing bullish cycle. He also projected that Ethereum could rise to a range of $9,000 to $11,000, while XRP could hit $8.95. Cardano’s potential, according to his outlook, stands at $5 per token.
He framed these projections as consistent with the typical patterns of previous crypto market cycles, noting that although the gains are substantial, they remain within the realm of possibility based on past performance. Modern Investor’s perspective suggested that current conditions leave room for further significant growth across multiple leading assets.
The target of $8.95 for XRP indicates a nearly 590% increase from the current price of $1.30. In the same analysis, Modern Investor placed XRP alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, suggesting all three could benefit considerably in the next major market uptrend.
Modern Investor envisions Bitcoin reaching $295,000, Ethereum at $11,000, and XRP climbing to $8.95 in the current market cycle, seeing these levels as aligned with previous bull market patterns.
AssetCurrent PriceTarget PriceProjected IncreaseBitcoin$41,000$295,000~620%Ethereum$2,200$9,000 – $11,000~309% – 400%XRP$1.30$8.95~590%Cardano (ADA)$0.52$5~860%Modern Investor is a digital content creator and market commentator known for his cycle-based analyses and optimistic price forecasts. John Squire, who amplified the predictions on social media, is also recognized for sharing insights and news with the crypto community.
Mini dictionary: Modern Investor — An influential crypto market analyst on multiple digital platforms, known for extensive market cycle analysis and widely-followed forecasts.
XRP positioned for major cycle growthXRP’s long-term development has centered on increasing its adoption in cross-border payments and institutional finance. Modern Investor’s price target for XRP suggests confidence that ongoing efforts to build practical use cases could translate to major price appreciation if market conditions remain favorable.
Squire commented that after years of building, a price target of $8.95 for XRP “doesn’t sound like an impossible dream.” This view resonates with those in the XRP community who believe that the token’s strong fundamentals and expanding utility give it significant upside potential in the next cycle.
These ambitious forecasts sparked active discussion across multiple platforms. Some respondents felt that the projected prices were overly optimistic or out of step with current market realities. Criticism also touched on Bitcoin, with one commentator arguing that it lacked sufficient utility compared to XRP and other alternatives.
A portion of the community expressed skepticism or frustration, seeing such commentary as part of a larger trend of sensationalist predictions designed to drive engagement. One user dismissed the $9 price prediction for XRP as a “joke,” while another urged others to refrain from amplifying what they described as “dishonest” influencer narratives.
A prediction fueling market dialogueThe specificity of Modern Investor’s targets has prompted close scrutiny throughout the crypto community. Whether or not these levels are ultimately reached, his analysis has ensured that XRP, along with Bitcoin and Ethereum, remains a focal point in ongoing discussions surrounding the trajectory of the current market cycle.
CoinDesk has published a comparative chart highlighting the performance of major cryptocurrencies since their peaks in December 2017 and January 2018. According to the chart, Bitcoin is trading 314% above its previous all time high, while BNB leads the group with a gain of 2,818%. Ethereum has risen 66% over its earlier peak, and Dogecoin has gained 322%.
Lagging performance for XRP against peersUnlike these assets, XRP currently trades around $1.33, which remains 62.5% below its all time high from January 2018. This underperformance stands out in the context of other large-cap cryptocurrencies, all of which have exceeded their previous highs by substantial margins.
Commentators in the crypto community, including Digital Asset Investor (@digitalassetbuy), have drawn attention to the divergence. Many see XRP’s position as evidence of lagging returns. However, Digital Asset Investor takes a different view, arguing the circumstances behind the numbers set XRP apart from its competitors.
Legal headwinds and their impactDigital Asset Investor emphasized that the CoinDesk analysis does not reflect the unique challenges XRP has faced in recent years. He pointed out that XRP was the only token among those compared that dealt with five years of regulatory pressure and enforcement actions, most notably a prolonged lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
At one time, XRP surpassed Ethereum by market capitalization and was positioned to potentially challenge Bitcoin as the leading cryptocurrency. Digital Asset Investor suggested the legal challenges directed at Ripple and XRP were significant factors contributing to the asset’s prolonged period of underperformance relative to its peers.
He sees these challenges not as evidence of fundamental weakness but as important context behind the numbers. He maintains that regulatory uncertainty has suppressed XRP’s ability to follow the growth of other large cryptocurrencies.
“XRP was the only one out of all of that list that has been attacked in every way known to man, including a five-year SEC lawsuit,” Digital Asset Investor stated, adding that the prolonged legal battles weighed heavily on the asset’s market trajectory.
Mini dictionary: Ripple, a San Francisco–based fintech company, is the primary developer of XRP and its network; the SEC lawsuit alleged that sales of XRP constituted an unregistered securities offering, a case watched closely by the global crypto industry.
AssetCurrent vs Previous ATHBitcoin+314%BNB+2,818%Ethereum+66%Dogecoin+322%XRP-62.5%Renewed optimism after legal resolutionWith the SEC lawsuit concluded and a US court determining that XRP is not a security, Digital Asset Investor believes the most significant obstacles to XRP’s growth have been removed. He pointed out that regulatory clarity is returning, with the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) pushing for clearer rules in the US market.
Digital Asset Investor explained that these developments have led him to become “more bullish on XRP by a long shot than any of them,” referring to Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, and Dogecoin.
He maintains that, “All of the roadblocks are out of the way now,” and that the resolution of the legal battle has put XRP in a better position to regain lost ground.
Expectations for XRP’s future priceLooking ahead, Digital Asset Investor stated that he does not intend to sell his XRP position at a price of $5 to $10, indicating his belief that these levels would not reflect the full potential of a post-litigation XRP market. He interprets the underperformance shown by CoinDesk’s chart as a sign that XRP remains a compressed asset now ready to move, rather than a project in decline.
The Ethereum gas limit on Hoodi is scheduled to rise from 60 million to 200 million when Glamsterdam activates on October 26, the Foundation said.
The Ethereum Foundation has not set a mainnet activation date; Hoodi is the next scheduled public test network after Sepolia for Glamsterdam.
Glamsterdam adds enshrined proposer-builder separation, block-level access lists, and gas repricing that reflects execution costs and state growth.
A higher block gas limit creates room for more computation in each block, but it does not guarantee faster confirmations or higher transaction rates.
The Glamsterdam upgrade will raise the Ethereum gas limit on Hoodi to 200 million on October 26. The planned setting expands the computation each block can hold, giving developers another chance to examine Ethereum’s layer-one capacity. The Foundation has not set a mainnet launch date or activation schedule.
The increase could leave room for more transactions or complex contract calls, depending on demand and gas use. A larger gas target, however, does not translate directly into a fixed transactions-per-second figure. Client teams must assess execution behavior and node requirements under load before weighing results against a potential mainnet deployment plan.
Ethereum Gas Limit Moves to 200 Million on Hoodi Testnet
The Ethereum gas limit rise takes Hoodi from 60 million to 200 million, about 3.3x its former level. The Ethereum Foundation’s Hoodi announcement places that change at the same fork epoch as Glamsterdam. Sepolia activated the upgrade on October 6, and now the Hoodi testnet follows. Hoodi’s result will help developers evaluate client behavior under the revised rules.
Hoodi is the final testnet before mainnet.
With Glamsterdam going live soon, Ethereum will 3.3x its gas limit, from 60M to 200M.
From there, 300M feels like a realistic next step. https://t.co/rt9ebj6wkU
— Toni Wahrstätter ⟠ (@nero_eth) October 18, 2026
The Ethereum gas limit sets a ceiling on computation each block can contain. Every transaction uses gas based on the work it requires. A higher cap could leave room for more transactions or more complex contract activity when demand exists. It does not promise faster confirmations or a fixed transactions-per-second figure. Actual throughput also depends on block demand, transaction size, and how quickly nodes propagate and process blocks. The 200 million figure describes the Ethereum gas limit ceiling, not guaranteed network activity.
The higher Ethereum gas limit may add pressure to node hardware, storage, and bandwidth. The Glamsterdam upgrade includes changes intended to manage those demands. Block-level access lists record accounts and storage locations accessed during a block. That record could help clients read state and validate transactions in parallel.
Gas repricing will also adjust costs to better reflect execution and long-term state growth. Developers will watch whether these changes let nodes handle larger blocks reliably. Researcher Toni Wahrstätter has discussed 300 million gas as a possible longer-term target, not a confirmed Glamsterdam setting.
Glamsterdam Upgrade Pairs Capacity Gains with Node Testing
The Ethereum Foundation identifies enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists as core parts of the Glamsterdam upgrade. Under ePBS, the protocol separates the validator proposing a block from the builder assembling its execution payload. The change formalizes that handoff within Ethereum and gives validators more time to check execution data.
Access lists track which accounts and storage locations transactions touch across a block. This structure could let clients process state reads and validation work in parallel. That could support higher layer-one capacity while keeping validation practical. The Ethereum gas limit also aligns with Glamsterdam’s broader processing and validation changes.
The Hoodi testnet is the next scheduled public network after Sepolia for this fork. Wahrstätter has described it as the last testnet step before a possible mainnet launch. Client teams will review test results before establishing the next schedule. Node operators must also install compatible execution and consensus clients before Hoodi’s activation.
The Sepolia client guidance showed that some validator clients defaulted to a 60 million gas target after the fork. Those operators needed an explicit setting to propose blocks with 200 million gas. The Hoodi announcement also tells validators to check their gas-target settings.
Ethereum’s next planned fork after Glamsterdam is Hegotá, expected in 2027. Wahrstätter said developers were considering 23 proposals, including FOCIL and Frame Transactions, though the final package remained undecided.
Buterin has described Hegotá as a possible last fork using conventional cryptography. He pointed to future work on advanced cryptography, formal verification, consensus, and quantum resistance. PeerDAS has also been discussed as a way for nodes to verify data availability without downloading every block.
TLDR: Bitcoin must hold $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel, to target $84,000 and $86,500. A break below $81,000 would shift Bitcoin’s focus to $76,000 as the next downside level to watch. Ethereum must hold $2,350 on a daily close to target $2,700 and $3,000; a loss puts $2,000 in focus. XRP needs $1.25 to hold and a sustained close above $1.56 to open the path toward $2; $1 is the downside. Bitcoin rebound prospects depend on whether buyers defend key support levels, according to crypto analyst Ali Charts.
The analyst named $81,000 for Bitcoin, $2,350 for Ethereum, and $1.25 for XRP as the levels to watch. Each asset has reached a technical test on its daily chart.
Holding these zones could trigger recoveries across all three assets in the near term. A breakdown, however, would shift attention toward lower price targets instead.
Bitcoin Rebound Depends on $81,000 Support Ali Charts shared the outlook in a thread on X on October 18. For Bitcoin, the analyst pointed to $81,000 as the key level.
This price marks the lower boundary of its daily rising channel. The channel connects a series of higher lows and higher highs on the daily chart.
2/5 For Bitcoin, the level is $81,000, the lower boundary of its daily rising channel.
If buyers defend it, $BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000, then to its upper boundary at $86,500.
A break below $81,000 would shift my focus to $76,000. pic.twitter.com/Ev21vQ1GLz
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) October 18, 2026
If buyers defend that support, BTC could rebound toward the channel’s mid-range at $84,000. The $84,000 mark sits near the midpoint of the channel. From there, the next target sits at the upper boundary near $86,500.
However, a break below $81,000 would change the setup. In that case, the analyst would shift focus to $76,000 as the next level.
The $76,000 level would then become the main area for buyers. The Bitcoin rebound case therefore rests on this single channel boundary.
Ethereum Tests $2,350 Support Ethereum faces a similar test at $2,350. This level acts as the support line of a right-angled ascending broadening pattern. Such patterns form when price swings widen while support rises over time.
A bounce from this zone could lift ETH toward $2,700. A stronger move could extend the rally to $3,000. The $3,000 target would require sustained momentum after the first move. Both targets depend on buyers holding the pattern’s lower boundary.
On the other hand, a daily close below $2,350 would change the outlook. A close below that line would invalidate the support the pattern relies on. In that scenario, the analyst would watch $2,000 instead. Ethereum therefore needs to hold that line on a closing basis.
XRP Watches $1.25 Inverse Head-and-Shoulders For XRP, Ali Charts is watching $1.25. Holding this level could complete the right shoulder of a potential inverse head-and-shoulders pattern.
The pattern appears on the 3-day chart. This formation often signals a potential trend reversal when the price breaks above its neckline.
The rebound would still need confirmation, though. A sustained close above $1.56 could open the path toward $2. The $1.56 level acts as the resistance XRP must clear first. Such a move would confirm the setup on the higher timeframe.
Failure to hold $1.25 would change the picture. In that event, $1 becomes the downside level to watch. That level would mark a drop of roughly 20% from the $1.25 support. All three setups, including the Bitcoin rebound case, depend on support holding in the coming sessions.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined an experimental privacy framework for artificial intelligence agents that layers anonymous payments, network anonymization, and on-device prompt handling.
The approach, which he describes as a “paranoid mode” wrapper around his personal agent harness, aims to limit the exposure of user identities and sensitive details when agents interact with external language models.
The system is packaged as a daemon compatible with the OpenAI application programming interface. Inside it, three distinct protections operate together.
First, every conversation is assigned its own circuit on the Tor network.
Wrapped zkAPI + Tor + extra cover traffic + local LLM prompt rewriting in an open-AI compatible daemon, and made a "paranoid mode" wrapper for my agent harness (pi):
Each conversation gets assigned a separate Tor circuit, your requests are masked with random cover traffic, zkAPI… pic.twitter.com/2y236zA0cw
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 16, 2026
Requests are further obscured by the injection of random cover traffic, which is intended to make genuine queries harder to distinguish from background noise on the basis of timing or volume.
Second, payment for model usage is handled through zkAPI, a protocol developed with involvement from the Open Anonymity Project and the Ethereum Foundation.
zkAPI allows a user to maintain a private balance and prove, via zero-knowledge proofs, that sufficient funds exist for a request without linking that request back to a specific on-chain deposit or wallet identity.
Third, prompts are rewritten on the user’s own machine by a local language model before they leave the device.
Buterin has indicated he uses a Qwen 3.8 Flash Next model for this step, so that stylistic markers and potentially identifying wording can be altered prior to transmission.
The agent harness itself runs inside a bubblewrap sandbox, with additional experiments underway involving MicroVM isolation.
The entire environment is then wrapped with torsocks, forcing all outbound connections through Tor.
In a short demonstration, Buterin asked the agent to perform a simple research task—identifying vegan restaurants in Tallinn—and reported that the stack returned usable results.
He characterized the overall experience as increasingly practical, while noting that the added layers introduce noticeable latency, particularly when a new conversation begins and a fresh Tor circuit must be established.Buterin has also flagged remaining limitations.
He observes that Tor, while helpful against passive observers, is far from ideal for this use case.
Cover traffic offers only modest protection if an AI service provider colludes with a Tor entry (guard) node and actively manipulates timing patterns.
In such scenarios, he suggests that a purpose-built mix network, accepting higher bandwidth overhead and continuous cover traffic, would be more appropriate.
Separately, he notes that substantially lower gas costs for zkAPI deposits and withdrawals are expected to arrive on Ethereum mainnet in the near term, which could enlarge the anonymity set available to users.
The arrangement offers a concrete illustration of how AI-powered agents might access remote models while reducing the linkage between prompts, network metadata, and payment credentials.
It does not eliminate all possible leakage paths, nor does it claim to replace the need for stronger anonymity systems in the long run. The code for the daemon and related components has been made available for inspection, allowing others to examine, test, or adapt the design.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
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Ledger's security statement is under scrutiny: Customer support claims it can detect additional hardware, conflicting with official documentation.
Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès has published a post questioning Ledger Support’s earlier statements. Ledger’s customer service had previously claimed that its secure element can detect physical tampering, and that any additional hardware attempting to intercept signals would fail the authenticity check. Karpelès pointed out that Ledger’s own technical documentation states that if the original secure element remains intact, the authenticity check cannot detect unauthorized physical modifications such as spy implants, directly contradicting the customer service’s assertion. Mark Karpelès also noted that less than two months later, reports emerged showing over $90 million was stolen via signal interception by such “additional hardware”. Additionally, Ledger had already released photos of spy implants for multiple device models in an academic paper published in March 2026. Against the backdrop of known threats, does Ledger’s assurance to users that the authenticity check can detect such modifications constitute misleading advertising?
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CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
Binance founder CZ announced in a post that the Japanese edition of his autobiography *Freedom of Money* is released today, with more language editions set to roll out soon, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
11 minutes ago
Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss.
He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage.
Positions:
96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74
158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28
38,529 $SOXL
11 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M).
As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated.
It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
11 minutes ago
The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
11 minutes ago
ETH addresses that hoarded ETH in September are suspected of liquidating their positions, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), the address 0xF4B…496eb withdrew 1417.77 ETH from Binance between September 19 and 23, worth $3.78 million. Eight hours ago, it deposited all the ETH into a trading platform at a price of $2364.18; if sold, the asset would shrink by 11.38%, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson announced that he is working on a new programming language that he personally developed for the network.
Today’s announcement came after a community member asked what distinct advantages Cardano offers in terms of blockchain applications. Hoskinson stated that the language he developed aims to combine “intents,” defined as user intentions, with evidentiary data.
The statement also referenced Groth16 evidence. However, no details were shared regarding the language’s technical specifications, name, testing process, or release date.
Therefore, this development is not a new network feature that was rolled out on Cardano today, but rather a development project that its founder announced he was working on.
It’s noteworthy that Hoskinson also mentioned an ambitious idea for the privacy-focused Midnight earlier in the week. However, it has not been confirmed that the two statements relate to the same project.
Cardano already has development tools like Plutus and Aiken. How the new language will be integrated into this framework and what it will provide to existing applications will become clear with the release of the technical details.
*This is not investment advice.
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OX Security scanned 15,465 public MCP servers and found home machines exposed via ngrok, expired domains for sale, and zero marketplace vetting. The protocol's creator says the underlying vulnerability is intentional.
You might think your smart home setup is just a collection of lights and thermostats, but if you are experimenting with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), you are effectively running a small, potentially exposed server in your living room. OX Security’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ report, published this month via The Hacker News, scanned 15,465 publicly indexed MCP servers across five registries and found that about 0.45% are running on personal or home machines, often exposed via consumer tunneling services like ngrok. While that percentage seems small, it represents a wide-open door for anyone scanning the internet for vulnerable hardware.
The ‘By Design’ Vulnerability The core issue is not a simple bug; it is a fundamental architectural choice. Anthropic’s official MCP SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Java, and Rust utilize a transport method called STDIO. This method accepts a ‘command’ parameter and executes it verbatim without any sanitization. When researchers at OX Security highlighted that this creates a systemic command injection vulnerability, Anthropic confirmed the behavior is by design and declined to make protocol-level changes, pushing the entire burden of sanitization onto developers. Earlier this year, OX Security’s supply chain advisory estimated roughly 200,000 vulnerable MCP server instances globally, with over 7,000 publicly accessible and 150 million-plus SDK downloads.
Proven Exploitation Paths The risk is already manifesting in the wild. CVE-2025-6514, a critical remote code execution vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.6, affected the mcp-remote npm package — the OAuth proxy many MCP clients rely on to connect to remote servers. JFrog discovered the flaw in July 2025; it earned an EPSS score of 77%, meaning a 77% probability of exploitation within 30 days. CVE-2026-30624, a high-severity RCE in Agent Zero, allowed users to define MCP servers with arbitrary commands that executed without validation. These are proven paths for attackers to gain control over the machines running these agents, turning your home automation hub into a liability.
The AI Worm Connection This architecture creates the environment for the AI worm scenario Anthropic’s own Frontier Red Team warned about. Researchers demonstrated that small AI models can self-replicate across consumer IoT devices without needing root privileges — because the inference engines run in userspace, the AI can move from device to device without breaking through the operating system. Combine an unvetted, ‘by-design’ command injection flaw with a self-replicating agent, and you have a supply-chain mechanism that could turn your smart home into a node in a much larger, unwanted network.
What Home Users Should Know Not all MCP implementations carry the same risk. Google Home MCP, which launched in early access in September, uses SSE (Server-Sent Events) transport with OAuth — a significantly safer architecture than STDIO. It is also a premium, US-only service requiring a developer-oriented setup through Google Cloud Console. Home Assistant’s built-in MCP integration uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, another meaningful step up. Be cautious with community-made projects like ha-mcp, which can provide direct write access to your home configurations and automations.
The financial reality is this: enterprises are spending heavily to secure their AI deployments, but the home user navigating these risks alone is the norm, not the exception. If you are running an MCP server at home, treat it like any other exposed service. Assume it is being scanned. Assume the protocol will not protect you. Keep your exposure to the public internet as close to zero as possible. If you do not absolutely need it accessible from outside your home, turn off the tunnel. Your thermostat will thank you.
Ethoswarm Mila Cohen works for Forkast.
Minds can also work for you.
Minds are persistent AI beings with instincts, identity, and a job.
Awaken one on Ethoswarm.
Cysic halted its bridge after an attacker minted 10 million CYS tokens without backing on BNB Smart Chain.
Cysic blacklisted the wallet about 76 minutes later, restricting 2.8 million CYS, or 28% of the mint.
Initial on-chain reports link sales of 7.2 million CYS to 306.6 ETH worth roughly $727,000 on Ethereum.
The 10 million unauthorized tokens equaled 1% of total supply, while mainnet operations remained unaffected.
Cysic suspended its cross-chain bridge after an attacker created 10 million unauthorized CYS tokens on BNB Smart Chain and moved reported proceeds to Ethereum. The October 17 breach exposed faulty authentication of bridge messages authorizing token issuance.
The mint occurred at 12:31:38 UTC, according to its October 18 incident report. Investigators traced the breach to unauthorized access to a bridge database. The attacker then exploited a message-processing vulnerability to submit fraudulent mint instructions without a corresponding asset transfer.
On-chain activity cited in initial reporting linked the incident to sales of 7.2 million tokens and approximately 306.6 ETH received on Ethereum. Those proceeds were valued near $727,000, although the foundation has not verified the complete transaction trail or final losses.
How Hacker Minted 10M CYS Before Cysic Suspended Its Bridge
Cross-chain bridges use authenticated messages to recognize transfers between blockchains and release matching assets. In this case, fraudulent instructions caused the system to mint tokens that lacked a legitimate transfer backing them. The breach therefore centered on bridge message validation, rather than a breakdown in the underlying network’s consensus.
Cysic blacklisted the receiving address at 13:47:52 UTC, about 76 minutes after the mint. By that point, 2.8 million tokens remained in the blocked wallet. That was 28% of the issuance; the remaining 7.2 million, or 72%, had moved out. The project’s cross-chain bridge was suspended to prevent further unauthorized activity.
An external security firm is now examining bridge messages, permissions and asset records, while investigators trace affected addresses. The bridge remains closed without a reopening date, pending security review and validation.
Unauthorized 10M CYS Mint Equals 1% of Supply as Probe Continues
The scale of the issuance matters beyond the reported transfer proceeds. Project tokenomics document a total supply of 1 billion tokens, used for governance, computing services and network incentives. The 10 million unauthorized units equaled 1% of that stated supply, raising questions about unrecovered circulation.
However, the amount transferred to Ethereum should not be treated as the confirmed financial loss. Although initial tracking attributed 306.6 ETH to the attacker, the foundation has yet to establish how much was ultimately retained. Similarly, the 2.8 million restricted tokens are a verified containment measure, not evidence of recovery.
Mainnet consensus, block production and transaction execution continued normally, and existing assets in users’ wallets were unaffected. Users have also been warned against fake compensation links, recovery pitches and requests for private keys. A follow-up report is expected to address verified losses, fund tracing and remediation.
Viewpoint: Analyst sentiment indicates HYPE is the most bullish crypto asset currently.
CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju stated in a post that, based on analyst sentiment metrics, the most bullish crypto asset currently is Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. HYPE’s bullish deviation from analyst sentiment stands at around 2.3 standard deviations, ranking first among the listed mainstream assets. Its primary bullish driver is fee-driven buybacks boosting its price, with no dominant bearish consensus observed. Per analyst sentiment, the tokens next most bullish after HYPE are BNB, SOL, Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, Ethereum, and UNI in that order. For context, BNB’s bullish thesis centers on expansion in real-world payments and tokenized asset adoption; Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bearish factors respectively include inflation and correction signals, plus ETF outflows and inflows to trading platforms.
1 minutes ago
CZ: The Japanese edition of "Freedom of Money" is released today, with all proceeds to be donated.
Binance founder CZ announced in a post that the Japanese edition of his autobiography *Freedom of Money* is released today, with more language editions set to roll out soon, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.
1 minutes ago
Gambler 0x30af closes $110.85M $BTC long with $3.26M loss, pivots to leveraged $TSLA, $DRAM, $SOXL bets
Gambler 0x30af closed his long on 1,355.6 $BTC ($110.85M), taking a $3.26M loss. He then flipped to going long on $TSLA, $DRAM, and $SOXL with maximum leverage. Positions: 96,522 $TSLA ($34.65M) — Liq. price: $350.74 158,557 $DRAM ($7.59M) — Liq. price: $45.28 38,529 $SOXL
1 minutes ago
New Wallet Opens 25x Short on 13,826 $ETH ($33.5M), Partially Liquidated as Price Rebounds
Someone created a new wallet 10 hours ago and opened a 25x short on 13,826 $ETH($33.5M). As the price rebounded, the wallet was partially liquidated. It still holds a short on 8,849 $ETH ($21.4M), with a new liquidation price of $2,430.28.
1 minutes ago
The central parity rate of the renminbi against the US dollar rose by 12 basis points from the previous day to 6.7208.
According to Bitget market data, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar rose by 12 points from the previous day to 6.7208, hitting its highest level since February 2, 2023.
1 minutes ago
ETH addresses that hoarded ETH in September are suspected of liquidating their positions, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), the address 0xF4B…496eb withdrew 1417.77 ETH from Binance between September 19 and 23, worth $3.78 million. Eight hours ago, it deposited all the ETH into a trading platform at a price of $2364.18; if sold, the asset would shrink by 11.38%, with an estimated loss of $430,000.
Even a tiny rise in bank deposit rates could slow stablecoin growth significantly. According to a recent study by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), a one basis point increase in bank interest rates reduces the growth in market capitalization of stablecoins by about 3% over ten weeks.
Given that the overall growth is at approximately 15% annually, this decrease would reduce the amount of growth to be approximately 12% annually. USD Coin [USDC] shows greater sensitivity, with growth declining 4.8 percentage points, compared with USDT’s 1.9-point reduction.
Source: BIS This difference highlights USDC’s closer ties to U.S. users and institutions. Moreover, higher bank yields make deposits more attractive relative to stablecoins. Yet, the effect remains specific to stablecoins, as researchers found no significant link with other cryptocurrencies.
Therefore, increasing interest rates may slow down the growth of new stable coins but will not eliminate the current supply of stablecoins.
Visa expands USDC payment rails On the other hand, while bank rates challenge stablecoin demand, Visa’s stablecoin expansion highlights growing real-world payment utility.
For example, Visa Direct currently allows payment of wages or purchases made using USDC-funded cross-border payouts in more than 180 countries. Inyo Global is their first partner.
This feature may provide a method for obtaining additional demand for stablecoins beyond simply trading or using decentralized finance.
It should also allow businesses to draw upon available funds at any time, avoiding reliance on banking hours or correspondent networks.
Source: Businesswire At present, there are still over $300 billion in outstanding stablecoin capitalization. If Visa continues to expand its service to include more countries and/or additional banks, it appears possible that additional demand for stablecoins may develop.
However, if the rate of adoption is slower than expected, stablecoin holders who do not earn interest on their stablecoins may need to consider alternative forms of stablecoins. Some of these alternative forms of stablecoins are already paying interest on idle money.
USDC payment activity accelerates Visa’s dollar-based stablecoin settlement volume is already at an annualized run rate of $20 billion. That represents more than a 15-fold increase compared with last year.
That data suggests that stablecoins are shifting from purely speculative holdings to being used for actual payments.
Still, according to DeFiLlama data, USDC total circulating supply stands at $72.6 billion. That said, measuring how much USDC is involved in transactional activity is key to determining whether stablecoins are actually supporting commerce or simply accumulating wealth.
Source: DeFiLlama If the amount of USDC used in settlements grows faster than the circulating supply of USDC, it could begin to counteract some of the loss in demand due to increasing deposit rates at banks.
For this trend to continue, merchants and others will need to continue processing multiple transactions using prefunded USDC balances.
Final Summary Stablecoin growth faces pressure as rising bank deposit rates make traditional savings more attractive, slowing market capitalization expansion.
USD Coin [USDC] payment adoption could support stablecoin demand as Visa’s settlement volume exceeds a $20 billion annualized run rate.
The first round of BTT repurchased with decentralized service revenue has been completely burned, as BitTorrent leverages its reimagined architecture to pivot toward Web3 and AI infrastructure. SINGAPORE, Oct. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BitTorrent, a cornerstone of decentralized infrastructure in the TRON ecosystem, entered a new phase of growth driven by dual engines: the rollout of its long-term BTT buyback-and-burn strategy and a comprehensive brand upgrade.
Central to this strategic overhaul, the long-term BTT buyback-and-burn commitment has officially translated into tangible action. Following its announcement on July 6 and subsequent scheduled repurchases, BitTorrent transferred the first round of BTT—funded by 100% of decentralized service revenue—to a burn address on October 16, successfully completing its inaugural burn cycle.
Coming on the heels of the recurring buyback-and-burn mechanisms established for JST and SUN, this marks another major positive development for the TRON ecosystem in deepening its token deflationary model and value accrual. Concurrently, BitTorrent released a brand-new official whitepaper, marking a comprehensive brand upgrade.
Directly answering the demands of the Web3 and generative AI era, this upgrade establishes a powerful tripartite architecture. It brings together the BitTorrent Mainnet for peer-to-peer content distribution, BTTInferGrid as the decentralized compute layer, and BTTC for cross-chain interoperability, Layer 2 scaling, and on-chain settlement.
With the native BTT token serving as the unified economic engine across the entire network, BitTorrent is delivering an open, efficient, and durable infrastructure for the decentralized AI frontier. The rollout of these twin initiatives marks BTT's evolution from a standard utility and governance token into a revenue-backed deflationary asset, underscoring BitTorrent's steadfast commitment to long-term value creation.
Crucially, it launches the BitTorrent ecosystem into a self-reinforcing flywheel of sustainable growth, direct value accrual, and strategic expansion. Inaugural BTT Buyback & Burn Completed: 100% Decentralized Revenue Powers Deflationary Flywheel The rollout of this long-term buyback-and-burn program marks BitTorrent's most decisive step yet to refine its tokenomics and reinforce ecosystem value.
BitTorrent set this long-term roadmap in motion on July 6, introducing a sustainable, revenue-backed deflationary model. Under this framework, 100% of all decentralized business revenue is channeled directly into BTT buybacks and burns, executed systematically across each calendar quarter. Moving past short-term, marketing-driven buybacks financed by outside capital, this structure creates genuine value capture driven purely by real business performance.
In line with this schedule, BitTorrent completed its inaugural buyback using Q3 2026 revenue from its decentralized services. On October 16, a total of 21,621,611,570,729.6 repurchased BTT tokens, valued at approximately $7,600,907, were sent to the black-hole burn address. Trackable via transaction hash 4d9596617780e329bbd4e644ee0dffd780ec4cf3749f324d03eb98157eb04ae5, this irreversible on-chain burn permanently removes the tokens from circulation, providing the market with transparent and verifiable proof of deflation.
To guarantee end-to-end transparency and traceability, BitTorrent has set a rigorous benchmark for on-chain disclosure. Alongside the brand upgrade, a dedicated BTT buyback-and-burn dashboard is now live on its official website. Going forward, burn figures and corresponding on-chain records will be published on this page around the middle of the first month of every subsequent quarter, offering the market a transparent, predictable deflationary schedule.
Market reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Recent trading data shows strong upward momentum, with BTT posting an impressive gain of approximately 30.3% over the trailing three months as of October 15. This rally highlights investor confidence in BitTorrent's operational cash flow and long-term prospects, confirming that this revenue-driven deflationary model has sparked a powerful engine for BTT's value growth.
Fueling this long-term deflationary mechanism is BitTorrent's ambitious expansion into distributed networks, cross-chain interoperability, and AI compute. This widening business footprint creates a fully self-sustaining commercial loop. As utility expands, the buyback initiative ignites a powerful flywheel that bridges revenue generation, token deflation, value distribution, and network growth.
Stronger business operations and independent revenue streams provide an ever-growing financial base for BTT buybacks. In return, the rising intrinsic value of the token organically attracts more global nodes and developers, fueling the next massive leap in network adoption. BitTorrent Reborn: A New Blueprint for Web3 and AI Infrastructure BitTorrent is rewriting its DNA.
Driven by a new whitepaper and a massive tokenomics upgrade, the protocol has officially transcended its legacy boundaries. Now firmly anchored as the definitive infrastructure for Web3 and AI applications, this strategic evolution transforms BitTorrent's multi-tiered network into a powerhouse of deep, cross-layer synergy and structural vitality. The explosive rise of generative AI and Web3 has hit a structural wall: sluggish data delivery, fractured compute power, and punishing on-chain settlement fees.
BitTorrent confronts this bottleneck head-on. Under an evolved strategic narrative, the new whitepaper re-engineers BitTorrent's stack from the ground up, unifying its core capabilities into a cohesive infrastructure. It decisively positions BitTorrent as a comprehensive infrastructure ecosystem spanning content distribution, decentralized compute, and on-chain scaling and settlement, driven by a tripartite synergy uniting the BitTorrent Mainnet, the BTTInferGrid decentralized compute network, and the BTTC scaling network. Within this reimagined architecture, individual verticals no longer operate in silos; they function as interlocking gears.
BitTorrent Mainnet acts as the ecosystem's primary gateway and data distribution layer, driving peer-to-peer content delivery to connect global users, nodes, and bandwidth at scale. In tandem,** the newly integrated BTTInferGrid powers the decentralized compute layer**, matching distributed GPU capacity with active demand to deliver elastic, cost-efficient, and verifiable AI inference for developers and dApps.
Bridging these layers,** BTTC anchors Layer 2 scaling, cross-chain interoperability, and settlement** across networks like TRON, Ethereum, and BNB Chain. Leveraging EVM compatibility, low gas fees, and high-frequency throughput, it executes service settlements, node staking, reward distributions, and cross-chain payments.
Unifying the entire network, the native BTT token serves as the core economic engine, covering critical utilities across resource payments, gas fees, node incentives, staking, and governance. Uniting distributed content delivery, decentralized compute, on-chain execution, and tokenomics, the reborn BitTorrent stands as an open infrastructure network built for the Web3 and AI frontier.
The strategic integration of an AI compute tier decisively drives BitTorrent beyond data routing into high-value intelligent processing and full-stack solutions. Each product line operates as an independent service tier for users and developers while integrating via standardized interfaces and the BTT tokenomic engine.
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Crypto is bleeding into the weekend, and that is exactly when the “best to buy” question gets interesting. Bitcoin has slipped below $81,000, Ethereum is down about 2% on the day, and the whole board is red as of October 18, 2026 — yet three names still carry dated catalysts that outlive a down candle. The question is not whether the market bounces, but which asset has a reason to move that has not already been priced in.
Bitcoin and Solana hold the line, but the 10x math has closed
Bitcoin trades at $80,899, down 0.46% in 24 hours with a $1.63 trillion market cap and roughly 63% dominance, per CoinGecko on October 18. It has spent most of October defending the $80,000 zone rather than challenging highs, and the size is now the whole story: a 10x from here would value Bitcoin above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. That is arithmetic, not a forecast. Bitcoin is the value-preservation pick, not the upside pick, and a recent slide below $82,000 showed how macro-sensitive it still is.
Solana has the more interesting profile. At $101.37, down 1.6% on the day with a $59.8 billion market cap, it sits about 60% below its all-time high near $295 — and a 10x from here would still only take it to roughly the size of Ethereum today. The catalyst is the Alpenglow upgrade, which reworks how validators agree on blocks and targets finality of about 150 milliseconds, down from 12.8 seconds. It is live on testnet, but with no confirmed mainnet date, SOL is a leveraged bet on altcoin rotation rather than a dated catalyst.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam is the only hard-dated catalyst
Ethereum trades at $2,357, down 2.0% on the day with a $288 billion market cap, but the story is the schedule, not the candle. Glamsterdam — the biggest upgrade since the Merge — bundles enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), which pulls block building into the protocol and cuts reliance on MEV-Boost middleware, with Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928), which let clients process transactions in parallel. The Foundation says testing supports a gas-limit floor of 200 million after the fork, more than three times current capacity.
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27 and mainnet targeted for the fourth quarter. A hard-dated catalyst is what turns a coiling chart into a breakout, and it is why ETH is the lowest-risk way to play this rotation — a 2x from here is a $576 billion outcome, credible for a network that has been grinding through ETF outflows all month.
Zcash: the quantum bet that pulled back 6%
The wildcard is Zcash (ZEC), down 5.7% on the day to $1,064.85 with an $18.1 billion market cap. The pullback does not change the catalyst: Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments, moving the network toward signatures a future quantum computer could not forge. That puts ZEC in a small group of assets shipping a quantum-safety timeline rather than talking about one, and the market has been re-rating it accordingly through October — a retracement after a run is normal, not a signal the thesis broke.
The trade is not without risk. A quantum-resistant signature scheme is research-grade work, and the January date is a target, not a guarantee, as our breakdown of the plan makes clear. But the asymmetry is the point: at an $18 billion market cap, a 5x takes ZEC to roughly XRP’s size — credible if quantum-safety becomes a real institutional requirement — while the top of the table is locked into single-digit monthly moves by its own size.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best crypto to buy in October 2026?
It depends on the goal. Ethereum offers the most concrete dated catalyst (the Glamsterdam upgrade) at lower risk, Zcash carries a quantum-resistance timeline with more upside and more risk, and Bitcoin remains the value-preservation pick.
Why can’t Bitcoin deliver another 10x?
Market-cap arithmetic. A 10x from Bitcoin’s $1.63 trillion market cap would value it above $16 trillion — about six times the entire crypto market. Larger assets need far more capital to move the same percentage.
When does the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade launch?
The first public test went live on Sepolia on October 6, 2026, with a second on Hoodi tentatively set for October 27. Mainnet is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, with no exact date confirmed.
Is Zcash’s quantum-resistance real?
Zcash has set a January target for quantum-resistant payments. It is a research-grade upgrade and the date is a target, not a guarantee, but it is a concrete timeline rather than a talking point — which is why the market has been re-rating the token.
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Blockchain analyst specializing in the regulatory impact of government policies on the crypto industry. Known for his thorough research and clear, engaging writing, Emmanuel provides insightful analysis on the latest trends, market shifts, and emerging crypto innovations. His work aims to educate and inform both novice and experienced readers, offering expert perspectives on the fast-evolving world of digital assets. With a passion for staying ahead of the curve, Ogwu is a trusted voice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
Monero [XMR] stood out among the market’s few gainers, surging 10% over the previous 24 hours despite broader bearish pressure.
AMBCrypto’s Monero price prediction also pointed to bullish signals.
Trading Volume nearly doubled to $147 million, indicating increased market participation. Spot and Futures activity also climbed as traders returned to the privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, rising Open Interest and long-heavy positioning suggested growing appetite for leveraged exposure. The recovery had buyers behind it. Whether that demand could keep pace with leverage would help determine its staying power.
Source: Santiment Is Monero’s spot demand keeping pace? Both Spot and Futures markets recorded sharp increases in activity.
Monero’s Spot Volume jumped 171% to $13.13 million, while Futures Volume increased 70% to $200 million.
Spot activity grew faster in percentage terms, although reported Futures Volume remained considerably larger. That gave the recovery a stronger participation backdrop.
However, Trading Volume measured activity on both sides, rather than buying pressure alone.
Source: CoinGlass Could crowded longs threaten XMR’s recovery? According to AMBCrypto’s analysis of derivatives data, Monero’s Open Interest rose 11% to $261 million. The increase showed that the value of outstanding derivatives contracts expanded as XMR recovered.
Source: CoinGlass Meanwhile, the reported Long/Short positioning data put longs at approximately 63%, indicating a bullish skew within the tracked sample.
This positioning could accompany further gains if Spot demand remained strong and prices continued rising.
However, the same bullish crowd could become vulnerable if buying faded. Forced exits from leveraged longs could then intensify selling pressure.
Source: Coinalyze Can Monero’s price recovery reach $650? XMR’s rising Trading Volume and Open Interest showed renewed participation. Long-heavy positioning also suggested bullish expectations among tracked traders.
For the recovery to continue, buyers would need to sustain demand and defend the latest gains.
On the daily chart, Monero traded above its key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). It also continued respecting the $475–$500 demand zone. That area had produced several rebounds, giving traders an established support region to watch.
If bullish momentum continued, the $650 swing high could become the next upside target. Conversely, weaker Spot activity or unwinding longs could stall the recovery. The $475–$500 zone would then become a test of buyer commitment.
Source: TradingView Final Summary Monero gained 10% as Spot Volume, Futures Volume, and Open Interest increased. Sustained demand could support XMR’s move toward $650, while crowded longs could amplify a reversal.
Monero price prediction centers on $558 resistance after XMR traded near $555, with a daily close above the barrier putting $575 in view.
Spot volume rose 171% to $13.13 million, while futures volume advanced 70% to $200 million in the reported trading period.
Open interest climbed 11% to $261 million, and about 63% of traders in the tracked positioning sample held long exposure.
The $500 level and broader $475 to $500 demand zone remain support references, while $650 marks a more distant swing high.
Monero price prediction shifted into focus after XMR climbed 10% in October 18. The token traded near $555, placing $558 immediately ahead of buyers. That level matters because it acts as resistance before a move toward $575. Derivatives activity also accelerated. Open interest rose 11% to roughly $261 million, while spot and futures volumes increased.
Monero Price Prediction Weighs Spot Demand Against Futures
Spot volume rose 171% to $13.13 million, while futures volume advanced 70% to $200 million in the reported period. Spot trading grew faster by percentage, but futures activity remained far larger in dollar terms. That gap makes cash market participation especially relevant to the Monero price prediction. Rising futures turnover can accompany a strong advance without showing whether traders will hold their positions.
Source: Coinglass
Another volume measure nearly doubled to $147 million. These figures track different markets and methods, so they should not be added together. Higher volume means more XMR changed hands during the period. It does not, on its own, show sustained net buying or confirm a breakout.
Monero open interest provides a clearer view of positions left outstanding. Its 11% increase indicates that traders expanded derivatives exposure during the recovery. Open interest can rise when new long and short contracts enter the market. It cannot show that all new exposure favors higher prices. That makes the price reaction around $558 more useful than the headline figure alone.
Source: Coinlyze
Positioning data in the report placed long traders near 63% within the sample tracked by Coinalyze. The measure suggests a bullish tilt among those accounts, though it does not cover every Monero trader. For the Monero price prediction to strengthen, XMR would need to clear $558 and hold the move. A daily close above that level would bring the $575 area into view. Failure there could leave recent long positions exposed to a pullback.
Crowded XMR Longs Face the $558 Resistance and $500 Support Test
XMR price had already reclaimed $500 during its earlier advance, turning that mark into a nearby support reference. The XMR price analysis also identified a broader demand area between $475 and $500. Several rebounds had occurred around that range, while the daily chart showed XMR above key exponential moving averages. These are observed chart conditions, not guarantees that the range will hold again.
A retreat below $500 would put the wider demand zone under pressure. If buyers defend it, they may have another chance to challenge $558. The $650 swing high remains a more distant reference. For the Monero price prediction to reach that level, XMR must clear nearer barriers and sustain demand after the initial breakout.
Source: TradingView
The Monero price prediction also depends on how leverage responds to a reversal. When crowded longs close voluntarily or face liquidation, their exits can add selling into a falling market. The reported 63% long share cuts both ways. It reflects bullish positioning, but it also identifies a group sensitive to a failed rally.
THORChain’s protocol upgrade adds a separate development for Monero. Its published update discussed work toward Monero activation, including swap and node improvements. That work could eventually widen self-custodial trading routes. The update does not establish that native Monero swaps were fully available on the main network during this market snapshot.
According to onchain data, its number of XMR swaps rose 1.43% in August, compared with Monero’s 43% price gain that month. That measure covers one platform and an earlier period than the October trading figures.
Theta Network has partnered with telecom firm Weaver Labs, which will use Theta's decentralized GPU network as an AI compute resource for its Cell-Stack platform. THETA is down about 16% on the week.
Theta Network has announced a partnership with Weaver Labs, a blockchain-linked telecom company. Under the deal, Weaver will use Theta's decentralized GPU network as an AI compute resource for Cell-Stack, its connectivity platform. The native $THETA token is down nearly 17% over the past week.
What the partnership coversThe announcement was made on October 7. In its own words, Theta described Cell-Stack as
Weaver Labs is a telecom software company. Its website describes Cell-Stack as The platform has already been tested in a live venue setting.
Theta's side of the arrangement is its EdgeCloud offering. The deal is meant to let venues run AI workloads such as video and analytics using distributed GPUs, without the need for large new hardware deployments on site.
THETA price actionThe token has not reacted positively to the news. Other trackers show a smaller weekly decline, which reflects differences in timing and data sources. The same analysis noted that
That suggests the weekly decline is linked more to broader market conditions than to the partnership itself. Whether the deal translates into sustained demand for Theta's GPU network will depend on how many venues adopt the combined offering and how much compute they use.
Sources:
TradingView News: Theta Network Partners With Weaver LabsCoinGecko: Theta Network (THETA) price dataSoccerex: Transforming Stadium Connectivity with Cell-Stack
Uniswap [UNI] faces renewed selling risk as Binance inflows rise alongside its latest price rebound. At the beginning of 2021, UNI rose beyond $12 and then receded to nearly $3 by July 2022, while other inflow spikes were associated with subsequent fluctuations in the UNI price.
Moreover, the Z-Score rose above 40 by the end of 2025. Simply this indicates an extreme departure from historical average values for inflows as UNI continued to struggle.
Source: CryptoQuant Recently, this metric reached nearly 10 again as UNI rebounded towards $7 and raised new concerns regarding potential distribution. This is important since rising exchange deposits can lead to an increased supply of tokens that are available for immediate sale.
Therefore, increasing selling pressure could limit potential upside momentum. However, if the rate of deposits begins to decline, it implies that distributions are slowing and there is greater support for UNI’s price rebound.
UNI exchange outflows increase Although rising Binance inflows initially signaled distribution, Uniswap exchange netflows now suggest that selling pressure may be easing.
During the September 2020 inflow spike, Binance recorded net deposits exceeding 2.5 million UNI in a single day. Its reserves also climbed from 66 million to approximately 75 million UNI during this period.
Source: CryptoQuant However, since then, exchange flows have since reversed. For instance, Binance flows recorded net withdrawals of roughly 1.1 million UNI in one day, while reserves continued declining after October 10. As a result, the total reserves have now fallen to approximately 72.9 million UNI.
Meanwhile, UNI’s price has dropped below $7.30, trading near $7.25 as of writing time. Continued outflows could reduce the supply available for immediate selling, easing sell-side pressure.
Ultimately, sustained buying demand remains essential for this reduced liquidity to support a lasting price recovery.
Grayscale increases UNI exposure While Binance trends suggest decreasing selling pressure, Grayscale’s DeFi Fund presents an additional view as to how much institutions are exposed to DeFi.
Accordingly, as of the 16th of October, Uniswap was allocated to the fund in the largest amount at 38.15%. This represents a 4% increase compared to the fund’s 34% allocation in August.
Aave [AAVE] represented the second largest holding in the fund at 20.17%, followed by Ondo [ONDO] at 18.53% and then Ethena [ENA] at 15.90%.
Source: Grayscale Since UNI represents the majority of the fund, it will have greater impact on the fund’s overall performance.
The declining percentage allocations of AAVE and ONDO indicate a shift in their relative exposures. Despite that, it does not necessarily indicate evidence of new institutional investors entering into either asset.
Final Summary Uniswap [UNI] selling pressure may be easing, as Binance outflows reduce immediately available sell-side supply.
UNI’s recovery still needs sustained demand, since Grayscale’s large portfolio allocation does not confirm fresh institutional buying.
Filecoin [FIL] is down 8.95% in 24 hours, with a 27.3% plunge in daily trading volume and a 9.8% decline in Open Interest. Sometimes trading volume tends to fall during weekends.
The combination of a sizeable price and Open Interest decline showed pessimistic market expectations in the short term.
In other news, Filecoin’s Solstice upgrade (FIP118) is set to go live on the 19th of October. The upgrade will change how block rewards flow and direct a growing share to services that bring paying customers onto the network.
Solstice reduces the share that goes to consensus-only mining, and any unearned service share is burned.
Genesis vesting came to an end on the 15th of October. AMBCrypto reported that the termination will reduce the FIL emissions by 75%. Reduced supply is expected to increase scarcity and drive appreciation in the long term.
Filecoin price trends maintain bullish bias
Earlier this week, it was reported that rising whale demand could keep the bullish Filecoin momentum going. Bearish pressure on Bitcoin [BTC] spread across the crypto market, though there was still potential for recovery.
Source: FIL/USDT on TradingView
Since the local high of $1.276 made on the 11th of October, Filecoin prices have retreated by 17.18%. The price was still above the two key demand zones at $0.95 and $0.80.
The latter area was the one whose breach confirmed a bullish swing structure shift for FIL.
The technical indicators were fairly bullish but signaled a pullback in the short term. The RSI and the MACD were retreating toward neutral levels to show short-term bearishness, but the OBV was still in a firm uptrend that began in September.
Traders’ call to action – Round number support expected to hold
Source: FIL/USDT on TradingView
The swing structure on the 4-hour timeframe was bullish. A session close below $0.985 is needed to flip this in favor of the sellers. Even then, the daily swing structure would still be in favor of the bulls.
Given this context and Bitcoin’s resilience so far above the $80k level, it appeared likely that FIL would continue to defend the $1 psychological demand zone.
Final Summary
The Filecoin Solstice upgrade is a boost for services that bring paying customers to the network.
The short-term sentiment was bearish, but bulls have a good chance of keeping the uptrend going so long as the psychological $1 level is defended.
Solana‘s spot trading volume has shifted to a “heating” phase for the first time in approximately six months, just as SOL’s price is retreating. Recent market activity reveals increased volumes coinciding with a drop in SOL’s price, drawing renewed attention to key support levels.
Volume Change after Prolonged Cooling PeriodA daily bubble map tracking Solana spot volume now shows red bubbles, a significant departure from the consistent green readings recorded since December. The appearance of red bubbles indicates periods when trading volume exceeds the baseline for that day, with no explicit connection to price direction. Over the past six months, volume mostly cooled or remained neutral as SOL’s value gradually moved lower.
Between December and early June, SOL declined from about $150 to the low $80s, yet volume did not experience any pronounced spikes. The continuing downward drift, accompanied by subdued participation, reflected a market experiencing a slow but steady decline rather than sharp sell-offs.
At the June low near $62, the bubble map recorded neutral rather than heated conditions, signaling no climax in volume. As SOL recovered to nearly $120 in early October, bubble readings stayed neutral, providing little indication of aggressive buying or selling.
The color-coding system in this context marks green for cooling, neutral for baseline, and red for heating volume relative to historical daily averages.
Red Bubbles Signal Active Selling as Price DropsThe recent transition to red bubbles occurred while SOL slipped from about $112 to $103, signaling a period of heightened trading activity for the first time since the prolonged cooling phase. Analysts generally interpret increasing volume during a price decline as a signal of more active selling, compared to previous periods where lower volume corresponded with gentle price drifts.
This contrasts with earlier months when falling prices were accompanied by lackluster activity. Now, Solana’s spot volume has picked up momentum as the price continues to drop, hinting at a possible shift in market sentiment.
$100 Support Level Holds Key to Next TrendMarket analyst Iko | Web3 described the $100 mark as a critical threshold for Solana. In a social media post, the analyst noted SOL’s previous rally toward $120 and emphasized the importance of the $100 support zone. According to Iko, holding above $100 could present a new chance for buyers, while a breakdown below this level could shift momentum in favor of sellers.
Solana rallied toward $120, but now hovers close to $103. The area around $100 is vital; if that support holds, buyers may have another opportunity for recovery. A dip below $100 could strengthen the sellers’ position.
The updated bubble map offers a visual method to track market sentiment. Should the volume bubbles return to neutral or cooling as SOL holds near $100, it may signal waning selling pressure and point to a potential pullback. Continued heating and a decisive break beneath $100, however, would add confirmation to an extended downtrend.
The legend accompanying the chart distinguishes between cooling, neutral, heating, and an overheating state. The overheating marker is shown as not currently active on the chart, but entering this phase would indicate high stress in the market.
Until one of these scenarios unfolds, market participants are closely observing the $100 area for further direction in SOL’s price movement.
Mini dictionary: Bubble map — In cryptocurrency analysis, a bubble map is a visual tool that displays changes in trading volume or other metrics using colored ‘bubbles’ to indicate varying levels of market activity compared to historical averages. The color often reflects states such as cooling (lower volume), neutral (average volume), heating (above-average volume), or overheating (significant spikes).
Date rangeSOL price movementVolume state (bubble color)Dec – Early JunFell from $150 to low $80sGreen (cooling)June lowNear $62NeutralEarly OctRecovered to ~$120NeutralCurrentFrom $112 to $103Red (heating)
