The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced that it has classified USDC, issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, as an Important Electronic Money Token (EMT) under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. To date, 45 EMTs in the EU have completed notification under MiCA, with USDC being the first to be designated as an Important EMT. Starting November 12, 2026, USDC will be subject to dual supervision for Important EMTs under MiCA: direct regulatory responsibilities for own funds, asset reserves, liquidity requirements, and recovery and redemption plans will be transferred from the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) to the EBA; ACPR will retain oversight of governance, qualifying holdings, suitability assessments, outsourcing, and conflicts of interest. USDC is issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS in the EU and Circle Internet Financial, LLC in the U.S. The EBA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New York State Department of Financial Services to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on cross-border stablecoin activities.
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Beating AI Express News: xAI has launched its speech-to-speech model Grok Voice 3.0, claiming it ranks first on the Speech-to-Speech Index in an independent test by Artificial Analysis, scoring 86.9 points—higher than Grok Voice 2.0 (81.3), GPT-Live-1 (83.2), and Gemini 3.8 Live (82.6). The model also features end-to-end latency of under 1 second. It is now available via the Voice Agent API, priced at $0.08 per minute, matching the previous generation; agents using the "grok-voice-latest" tag will automatically switch to the new model. According to xAI, Grok Voice handles millions of daily conversations for Tesla and SpaceX: Starlink’s customer service center receives around 20,000 calls daily, with roughly 70% resolved without human intervention, and about a quarter of sales calls resulting in a purchase before the call ends. On benchmarks, Grok Voice scores 74% accuracy on ServiceNow EVA-Bench and 71.6% on τ-Voice, which the company says is comparable to GPT-Live-1 but with roughly 40% lower latency.
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Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Witt, a U.S. Department of Defense employee temporarily seconded to the White House Crypto Council, has reached or is nearing the end of his secondment, with his reappointment status unclear. Earlier this year, he delayed his service in the Georgia National Guard, and is expected to resume his military service soon.
Terrett added that Harry Jung, deputy director of the White House Crypto Council, left his post at the end of July, and after David Sacks’ tenure as Crypto and AI “tsar” concluded, Witt is now the only remaining staff member of the council.
The crypto policy community is now debating: after the CLARITY Act (officially the Crypto Market Structure Act) failed to advance in the Senate, whether the White House still prioritizes the crypto industry.
The relevant personnel changes have not yet been officially confirmed by the White House.
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Standard Chartered has pushed back its $2 trillion stablecoin market forecast to 2030 from 2028, citing stalled supply growth even as actual usage keeps climbing.
Standard Chartered Global Head of Digital Assets Research Geoffrey Kendrick wrote in a Wednesday report cited by The Block that stablecoin supply has held steady between $300 billion and $320 billion over the past 12 months, currently sitting near $309 billion.
Kendrick called the slowdown cyclical rather than structural, since it coincided with weak broader crypto market activity rather than any fundamental breakdown in demand.
Why Stablecoin Usage Still Looks Strong Despite the PauseTransaction activity tells a different story than supply. Kendrick said raw on-chain transfer value hit a monthly record of $19 trillion in May, with monthly volume averaging just under $10 trillion so far this year, up from $4 trillion in 2025.
Stablecoin velocity, which measures how many times each dollar changes hands, has also doubled:
Overall velocity: roughly 30 times this year, up from 15 times in 2025
USDT (CRYPTO: USDT) velocity: stayed flat near 7 times
USDC (CRYPTO: USDC) velocity: jumped from 45 times to around 80 times
Kendrick traced that gap to different use cases. USDT mainly serves as a dollar-savings tool in emerging markets, while USDC sees heavier use in payments and early transactions between AI agents.
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Kendrick expects the sharpest competition to emerge in developed-market payments and transactions. He flagged three potential challengers worth watching:
Open USD (OUSD), similar to Global Dollar Network’s USDG, aimed at trading venues
M^0, a stablecoin infrastructure provider built for longer-run growth
A+, a planned network letting banks issue a shared stablecoin while keeping the income from reserves
Kendrick told The Block this segment is “the most contested going forward,” with yield-sharing terms ultimately deciding the winners.
Kendrick named regulation as the primary threat to his $2 trillion forecast.
The outcome hinges on whether other countries follow the U.S. GENIUS Act’s lead, set to take effect in January 2027.
How This Ties to Kendrick’s Broader Tokenization ThesisAs Benzinga reported earlier this month, Kendrick told the Milk Road podcast that stablecoins proving blockchain can replace real-world financial infrastructure convinced him to build cash flow models for tokenization-linked altcoins instead of XRP (CRYPTO: XRP):
Uniswap (CRYPTO: UNI)
Aave (CRYPTO: AAVE)
Arbitrum (CRYPTO: ARB)
Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK)
His $2 trillion stablecoin forecast, paired with a matching $2 trillion target for tokenized assets, anchors that entire thesis.
Standard Chartered’s revised timeline still sits well below some rival estimates.
Meanwhile, as Benzinga reported earlier, Bernstein projected stablecoins could reach $4 trillion by 2035, while Citi’s base case points to $1.9 trillion by 2030, with a bullish scenario reaching $4 trillion over the same stretch.
Circle has a new customer segment in mind, and it does not have a pulse.
In an October 12, 2026 appearance on the NYSE/ICE House Podcast, Circle Chief Commercial Officer Kash Razzaghi described AI agents as a fresh category of buyer. He also argued that these agents gravitate toward USDC for a handful of practical reasons.
What Razzaghi laid out Razzaghi framed USDC’s appeal around three priorities that matter to machines more than to people: programmability, low transaction costs, and availability at any hour.
Circle’s own figures suggest the pitch is landing. As of mid-October 2026, the company reported 165 million transactions involving approximately 80,000 agents.
Circle also reported that USDC accounted for 99-99.8% of transaction value on the x402 protocol, a payments standard used for these agent-driven transactions.
Cost is a big part of the story. Circle says USDC enables near-zero-cost settlement, with transactions as small as $0.000001.
AI agents are becoming new customers that prefer USDC based on three key priorities.
That framing, shared alongside the interview, captures how Circle wants the market to see this shift. Agents are not just tools that move money on someone’s behalf. In Circle’s telling, they are customers in their own right.
The Agent Stack behind the numbers The figures Razzaghi cited trace back to a product launch earlier in the year. On May 11, 2026, Circle rolled out its Agent Stack, a suite of tools built specifically for autonomous AI agents.
The stack has four main pieces: Agent Wallets, an Agent Marketplace, the Circle CLI, and nanopayments.
The wallets give agents somewhere to hold funds, while the marketplace gives them somewhere to spend them. The CLI lets developers work with Circle’s tools directly from code rather than through a dashboard. Nanopayments handle the ultra-small transactions that make machine-to-machine commerce viable.
Together, the tools are meant to let agents transact programmatically across different chains and protocols. Traditional payment methods typically carry higher costs and onboarding hurdles, which Circle argues makes them a nonstarter for high-frequency machine-to-machine transactions.
What this means for Circle and the agentic economy Circle is trying to make USDC the default settlement asset for what it calls the agentic economy, and the early data gives it a credible claim to that position.
That said, the numbers deserve some context. Roughly 165 million transactions sounds enormous, but when individual payments can be as small as $0.000001, transaction count and economic value are very different measurements.
There is also the question of concentration. A market where one stablecoin captures 99-99.8% of transaction value on a key protocol means the agent economy’s payment layer leans heavily on a single issuer.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Kaye Quema. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has classified Circle’s USDC stablecoin as a significant e-money token under the region’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework.
In a Wednesday notice, the banking regulator said the e-money token classification, granted to only 45 other projects, effectively means the USDC stablecoin will be jointly overseen by the EBA and France’s supervisory authority, the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution. The stablecoin is the second largest by market capitalization, at $73 billion compared to Tether USDt’s $184 billion.
The “significant“ classification came as many EU-based token issuers pushed for regulated US dollar-pegged stablecoins in the region. Stable Mint CEO James Bennett told Cointelegraph that while Europe couldn’t “wish away“ dollar stablecoins, regulators could control safeguards and rules for issuers.
“For European corporates to make cross-border payments globally, offering only a euro stablecoin isn’t enough,” AllUnity CEO Alexander Höptner told Cointelegraph.
As authorities and issuers move closer to embracing dollar stablecoins, policymakers at the European Central Bank continue to explore the potential introduction of a digital euro. The EU authority first proposed the central bank digital currency in 2020, with the potential to issue the coin in 2029 after the conclusion of legislation and a pilot program.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
KuCoin has historically served as a popular derivatives exchange for retail traders seeking altcoin perpetual contracts and high leverage. However, active traders have increasingly sought alternatives following heightened regulatory actions in the United States, enforcement of mandatory identity verification tiers, and periodic engine latency during major market liquidation cascades.
Summary
BloFin, Bybit, OKX, Binance, Bitget, MEXC and Kraken Pro are among the seven KuCoin alternatives compared for futures trading in 2026.
BloFin offers up to 150x leverage on Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetuals, while MEXC advertises up to 500x leverage on eligible contracts with position size restrictions.
Binance stands out for derivatives liquidity, while OKX offers portfolio margin and automated trading tools for traders managing multiple positions.
Trading fees, VIP eligibility, custody arrangements and regional restrictions differ across platforms, making them important considerations when choosing an alternative to KuCoin.
Traders looking for KuCoin alternatives prioritize matching engine reliability during volatile market spikes, higher leverage ceilings on major pairs, more accessible VIP fee structures, and transparent third-party asset custody. KuCoin serves as the reference benchmark in this guide and is excluded from the ranking table.
KuCoin alternatives compared
RankPlatformBest ForMax Leverage (BTC/ETH)First Fee CutStandard Maker / TakerPerpetual Markets1BloFin150x leverage, stop automation, and 50k VIP150x50,000 USDT equity0.0200% / 0.0600%5082BybitHigh-speed matching engine and bracket orders100x100,000 USDT assets or 10M USDT volume0.0200% / 0.0550%~8603OKXPortfolio margin and algorithmic trading bots100x100,000 USDT assets or 5M USD volume0.0200% / 0.0500%4824BinanceDeepest order book liquidity in crypto125x5M USD volume plus 5 BNB0.0200% / 0.0500%~8005Bitget125x leverage with transparent reserves125x30,000 USDT assets0.0200% / 0.0600%700+6MEXC500x opening leverage and 1000+ pairs500xVolume based0.0000% / 0.0200% (web)1000+7Kraken ProSpotless security record and regulated access100xVolume based0.0200% / 0.0500%300+
1. BloFin: higher leverage and native stop automation with institutional custody
BloFin is the leading alternative for traders moving away from KuCoin who seek higher leverage combined with institutional asset protection. While KuCoin caps major futures at 100x and has faced heightened regulatory headwinds, BloFin supports up to 150x leverage on BTCUSDT and ETHUSDT, alongside 125x on SOLUSDT and BTCUSDC across 508 perpetual markets under isolated and cross-margin modes. Client assets are safeguarded by Fireblocks MPC custody, ISO 27001 certification, and verifiable 1:1 proof of reserves.
For active execution, BloFin provides native risk automation directly on the order ticket. Auto Breakeven recalculates your stop to cover opening fees, closing fees, and accumulated funding once an activation price triggers, preventing winning positions from closing at a loss. Multi-Position allows separate entries on the same contract with independent leverage and stops. VIP 1 arrives at an accessible 50,000 USDT equity tier with 0.0060% maker fees, supported by a 5,000 USDT live demo account.
Key strengths: 150x leverage on BTC and ETH, accessible VIP 1 at 50,000 USDT equity with 0.0060% maker fees, Auto Breakeven stop protection, and Fireblocks MPC custody.
Limitations: Secondary altcoin depth is lighter than Binance, making it optimal for retail and mid-size active traders rather than massive institutional block orders.
2. Bybit: Reliable 100,000 TPS matching engine and integrated bracket orders
Bybit serves as a reliable infrastructure alternative for traders frustrated by order lag during market volatility on KuCoin. Its matching engine is built to process 100,000 transactions per second per contract, keeping order placement, bracket executions, and stop triggers responsive during severe liquidation spikes. The exchange lists roughly 860 perpetual contracts with deep liquidity across USDT and USDC settlement options.
The terminal features native TradingView charting and integrated bracket orders that attach take-profit and stop-loss instructions directly upon entry. BTC and ETH leverage reaches 100x, with select assets supporting higher multipliers through Smart Leverage. Reaching VIP 1 cuts taker fees to 0.0400% at 100,000 USDT in assets or 10 million USDT in volume. Detailed risk parameters are hosted on Bybit Learn. Access excludes the US and Canada.
Key strengths: 100,000 TPS matching engine per contract, roughly 860 perpetual markets, integrated bracket orders, and competitive VIP fee cuts.
Limitations: Maximum leverage on BTC and ETH caps at 100x, base taker fee is higher than Binance at 0.0550%, and access is prohibited in the US and Canada.
3. OKX: Cross-product portfolio margin and advanced algorithmic bots
OKX is the alternative for traders who require institutional portfolio margin rather than simple isolated futures accounts. The platform allows spot holdings, perpetual swaps, and options to share a single collateral pool across 482 perpetual markets. Dynamic portfolio margin offsets calculate risk based on aggregate portfolio exposure, drastically reducing ongoing capital requirements on hedged books.
International accounts benefit from low-latency WebSocket API feeds, flexible sub-accounts, and pre-built quantitative algorithmic trading bots. Leverage reaches 100x on major pairs, with VIP 1 rates (0.0160% maker and 0.0450% taker) unlocked through either 100,000 USDT in assets or 5 million USD in 30-day derivatives volume. Risk frameworks and contract parameters are detailed on OKX Learn. Derivatives services remain strictly prohibited in the United States.
Key strengths: Advanced unified portfolio margin, multi-currency collateral offsetting, automated trading bots, and institutional API infrastructure.
Limitations: Complex margin screens create a steep learning curve for newer retail traders, and access is prohibited in the United States.
4. Binance: Unmatched liquidity depth for high-volume order execution
Binance is the liquidity alternative for traders seeking the thickest order books in crypto derivatives. For accounts executing substantial market orders, Binance maintains deep order books within 1% of mid-price across roughly 800 perpetual markets, ensuring that large taker orders fill near expected index prices without the slippage typical of mid-tier venues.
The platform provides up to 125x leverage on Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts across USD-M and Coin-M settlement modes. However, VIP 1 requires 5 million USD in monthly volume plus 5 BNB held, and new accounts face a 20x cap for their first 30 days. Contract mechanics are published on Binance Academy. Binance completed an official exit from the EU on 1 July 2026, and US residents trade via Binance.US.
Key strengths: Deepest order book liquidity in crypto derivatives, 125x leverage on BTC and ETH, multi-asset margin support, and roughly 800 perpetuals.
Limitations: First fee tier requires 5 million USD volume plus 5 BNB, new accounts face a 20x limit for 30 days, and services are restricted in Canada and the US.
5. Bitget: Broad derivatives board paired with social trading Leadership
Bitget offers an accessible alternative featuring more than 700 active perpetual markets across major contracts across USDT-M and Coin-M settlement options, supporting up to 125x leverage on major pairs. The platform has achieved widespread retail adoption through its flagship One-Click Copy Trade system, allowing users to replicate verified master traders with transparent drawdown disclosure and real-time portfolio visibility.
To ensure execution solvency during market liquidations, Bitget maintains an exchange user protection fund that averaged about 382 million dollars in August 2026, well above its committed 300 million dollar floor. The venue also publishes verifiable monthly Merkle tree proof of reserves. VIP 1 arrives at 30,000 USDT in assets, though taker fees stay near 0.0600%. Contract parameters and fee schedules sit on Bitget Academy.
Key strengths: Over 700 perpetual markets, largest social trading network, 125x leverage on major pairs, and a protection fund exceeding its 300 million dollar floor.
Limitations: VIP 1 does not significantly reduce the 0.0600% taker rate, and secondary altcoin liquidity can thin out during volatility spikes.
6. MEXC: Massive altcoin variety and zero maker web rates
MEXC is the alternative for traders seeking newly listed altcoins and extreme leverage multipliers. The platform advertises up to 500x leverage on BTC and ETH on opening position brackets, alongside promotional commodity contracts reaching 1000x across an extensive board of more than 1,000 perpetual pairs under USDT-M and Coin-M settlement on initial tiers.
Manual web execution features 0.0000% maker and 0.0200% taker fees on eligible contracts. However, automated API execution carries an elevated schedule of 0.0600% maker and 0.0800% taker. Position brackets taper rapidly as size expands. Order books on secondary altcoins can thin rapidly, and the platform operates under an unlicensed entity alert from Hong Kong regulators. Contract specifications are hosted on MEXC Learn. Access excludes the US, UK, and Canada.
Key strengths: Zero maker fees on manual web execution, extensive catalog of over 1,000 perpetual contracts, and up to 500x leverage on BTC/ETH.
Limitations: API trading carries elevated fees (0.0600% / 0.0800%), position brackets taper rapidly, and the entity carries an SFC warning.
7. Kraken Pro: Regulated custody with spotless security history
Kraken Pro caters to traders who want complete regulatory transparency and custodial integrity after leaving offshore exchanges. Operating under regulatory oversight in the US, UK, and European Union, Kraken maintains an unblemished security record dating back to 2011, having pioneered cryptographic proof of reserves in 2014 across more than 300 perpetual markets under isolated and cross margin.
In May 2026, Kraken increased maximum perpetual leverage on BTC and ETH to 100x, matching major global competitors. Base pricing starts at 0.0200% maker and 0.0500% taker, with discounts scaling progressively with monthly volume. Eligible US traders access regulated CME-cleared micro contracts via Kraken Derivatives US with clean domestic clearing. Rules are documented on Kraken Learn. Altcoin leverage remains at 20x to 50x.
Key strengths: Regulated access across the US, UK, and EU, spotless security track record since 2011, CME micro contracts, and 100x leverage on BTC/ETH.
Limitations: Smaller perpetual selection than offshore platforms (300+ pairs), altcoin leverage capped at 20x to 50x, and jurisdictional variations in product access.
What to consider when migrating from KuCoin
When transitioning derivatives balances to a new platform, traders should evaluate three key operational factors:
Matching engine capacity: Ensure the alternative exchange operates high-throughput matching clusters (like Bybit’s 100k TPS engine) to avoid the execution freezes during high-volatility breakouts.
Third-party custodial audits: Look for institutional custody setups like BloFin’s Fireblocks MPC infrastructure and regular proof-of-reserves reporting to verify that client collateral is not commingled.
Fee structure and VIP thresholds: If your trading volume is under 10 million USD monthly, choose platforms like BloFin (50,000 USDT equity VIP 1) or Bitget (30,000 USDT balance) to unlock discounted maker rates without massive turnover requirements.
FAQ
Why are traders seeking KuCoin alternatives?
Traders look for KuCoin alternatives due to past US regulatory actions, strict identity verification requirements, occasional engine latency during volatility spikes, and higher taker fees on early volume tiers.
Which KuCoin alternative offers the highest leverage?
BloFin offers the highest credible leverage among mainstream alternatives, providing up to 150x on BTC and ETH perpetuals alongside 125x on SOLUSDT. MEXC advertises up to 500x on micro-position brackets with an SFC warning attached.
How does BloFin ensure platform uptime during high volatility?
BloFin utilizes modular matching engine architecture and institutional-grade cloud infrastructure, maintaining real-time order routing, stop execution, and sub-account access during violent market swings.
Can US traders access KuCoin alternatives?
Offshore exchanges (including BloFin, Bybit, and OKX) enforce geoblocking on US IP addresses. Binance operates in the US via Binance.US without futures trading. US traders seeking legal leveraged trading use platforms like Kraken Derivatives US for CME-cleared micro contracts.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
KuCoin's KCUSD offers up to 4% base APR and 6% promotional yield on stablecoin deposits.Users earn daily compounded rewards without fixed lockups, while eligible VIP traders can use KCUSD as collateral.- KCUSD offers passive income potential but carries exchange custody, redemption, and variable APR risks.KuCoin has launched KCUSD, a new yield-bearing USD asset that puts stablecoins to work. Users earn a standard APR of up to 4%, with a promotional APR of up to 6% available to eligible participants, while retaining access to their funds.
There is no fixed lockup period. Users can subscribe with USDT, USDC, or USDG and receive KCUSD at a 1:1 ratio. The balance then earns daily returns, with rewards automatically compounded.
So what exactly is KCUSD, and how good is it as a potential passive income asset?
Note: KuCoin is offering promotional rates of up to 6% for eligible campaigns. That figure includes the base yield rather than adding another 6% on top.
KCUSD Is Simpler Than Its Name Suggests The first thing to understand is that KCUSD is an earn product.
Users deposit supported stablecoins and receive KCUSD as a certificate representing that position. KCUSD can be used within the KuCoin ecosystem.
The standard yield is currently up to 6% APR with promotional rates. There is no fixed term, and users can request redemption back into the stablecoin they originally deposited.
For someone already keeping USDT or USDC on KuCoin, the pitch is straightforward: instead of leaving that balance idle, KCUSD gives it a chance to generate passive income.
At a 6% rate, $10,000 would generate roughly $600 over a year before considering compounding.
Meet KCUSD: The Money Partner that Earns for you.
KCUSD is also now live in Unified Trading Account (UTA), compounding capital inside.
→ Subscribe 1:1 with USDT, USDC, or USDG (0 fee)
→ Accrue daily compounding yield starting T+1
→ Maintain liquid margin in UTA
Subscribe to… pic.twitter.com/juylLAC6zE
— KuCoin (@kucoincom) October 14, 2026 The More Interesting Feature is the Unified Trading Account A 4% return by itself is competitive.
The more interesting part is KuCoin’s integration of KCUSD with its Unified Trading Account.
Eligible VIP users can use KCUSD as trading collateral while the balance continues earning its base yield. That means the same capital can potentially perform two jobs at once.
This matters most for active traders. Someone who normally keeps a large stablecoin balance available as margin faces a trade-off. Moving that money into an Earn product generates yield, but it can make the capital less useful for trading.
KCUSD attempts to remove some of that friction. On top of that, its roughly 4% base rate places it toward the stronger end of flexible exchange-based yield products today.
KCUSD Review: Good for Passive Income? The biggest strength is simplicity.
There is no fixed lockup. The base return is relatively attractive. Rewards compound automatically. Users can enter through several major stablecoins and redeem back into the same asset.
For people who already keep money on KuCoin, that removes several extra steps.
The product becomes more compelling once yield and trading collateral work together. Large traders, market makers, and other users who maintain significant account balances could earn on capital that would otherwise sit unused.
There are, however, practical limits to consider.
KCUSD is designed for use within KuCoin at this moment, consistent with some other exchange-based yield products.
Users who want to move their capital to a personal wallet, another exchange, or a DeFi application must first redeem their KCUSD into supported stablecoins, subject to the applicable redemption and withdrawal rules.
This makes it better suited to funds users intend to keep on KuCoin than to capital they regularly move between platforms.
Access to its trading functionality also depends on account eligibility. KCUSD margin support in UTA is currently available to eligible users at VIP1 and above.
KuCoin describes a phased rollout to eligible users; readers should assess the functionality available to their account today.
Who Actually Benefits Most? The obvious user is someone who already plans to keep stablecoins on KuCoin.
For that person, earning around 6% instead of leaving the balance untouched is relatively easy to understand.
The bigger opportunity could be for active traders once collateral support becomes more widely available. If capital can remain available for trading while continuing to generate yield, even a modest annual return becomes meaningful on large balances.
KCUSD is less compelling for people who prefer self-custody, frequently move money between platforms, or want access to onchain yield opportunities.
The Risks Users Should Understand This review is not financial advice. KCUSD is a custodial exchange product, and its risks are different from simply holding stablecoins in your own wallet.
The APR can change. Redemption may be delayed or restricted under certain conditions. KuCoin’s terms also disclose risks linked to third-party asset managers and say extreme circumstances could result in partial or total loss of subscribed assets. KCUSD also carries exchange counterparty risk because the product exists inside KuCoin. Users do not directly control the assets or investments generating the return.
For users comfortable with those trade-offs, KCUSD offers a competitive way to make idle stablecoins more productive. The 4% yield is attractive.
Its longer-term test will be whether KuCoin can make that yield useful across trading without adding complexity or obscuring the risks behind it.
Disclaimer
BeInCrypto independently reports and controls this Feature. Quoted views belong to their speakers. This content is general and non-personalized; it does not consider your circumstances and is not investment research, financial, investment, legal or tax advice, or an offer, endorsement or recommendation to transact in any crypto-asset, product or service. Verify material information before acting. Crypto-assets are volatile and may result in total loss. BeInCrypto gives no warranty as to completeness, accuracy or timeliness, except where required by law.
Zcash (ZEC) gained 2% on Wednesday, extending the previous day’s 4% rally and recovering much of Monday’s losses. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency traded near $1,264 as buyers attempted to surpass nearby resistance levels, yet persistent outflows from Grayscale’s ZCSH fund continued to create uncertainty for demand.
Ongoing withdrawals from Grayscale’s ZCSH fundGrayscale, a major digital asset management company known for its crypto investment products, recorded $5.19 million in net outflows from its ZCSH fund on Tuesday. The fund, which offers institutional exposure to Zcash, also saw $1.66 million withdrawn on Monday and a total of $30.72 million in redemptions over the previous week. This brings net withdrawals for the opening two days of the week to $6.85 million.
The selling pressure has persisted since late September, following Grayscale’s three-for-one share split in the ZCSH fund on September 30. While the timing of the split coincides with increased redemptions, there is no direct evidence linking the two events.
These figures indicate that, despite the recent rebound in ZEC’s spot price, institutional investors have not increased their exposure through the fund. Redemptions remain a challenge as traders monitor whether the latest advance in price can evolve into a longer-term recovery.
For a turnaround in institutional demand, a reduction in fund outflows or a return to net positive inflows would offer clearer confirmation of renewed interest alongside rising price momentum.
Persistent redemptions from Grayscale’s ZCSH fund highlight ongoing caution among institutional investors, which continues to affect the market’s demand outlook for Zcash.
Mini dictionary: Grayscale is a leading digital asset management company that offers investment products allowing institutional and accredited investors exposure to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Zcash without direct ownership.
DateZCSH Fund Net OutflowsMonday$1.66 millionTuesday$5.19 millionPrevious week$30.72 millionTechnical outlook for Zcash: Key resistance at $1,320ZEC has rebounded from Tuesday’s low near $1,123 and is now testing its 50-period and 200-period exponential moving averages on the four-hour chart. These averages are positioned at approximately $1,261 and $1,269, respectively. With ZEC trading at $1,264, the token sits above the shorter-term average but remains just below the longer-term threshold.
A confirmed break above this moving-average band could bolster the bullish recovery in the near term. Conversely, failure to hold this zone leaves ZEC vulnerable to renewed selling pressure. Stronger validation of the recovery would require ZEC to surpass and establish support above $1,320, which marks Monday’s local high.
If ZEC manages to clear $1,320, analysts identify $1,422—September 18’s low—as the next major resistance. However, if momentum fades, support may be found at Thursday’s low near $1,115, with additional support at $1,050 (the September 4 high) and the psychological $1,000 mark.
Momentum indicators present a mixed picture: the Relative Strength Index stands at 48, slightly below its neutral midpoint, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence metric is marginally bullish.
The technical structure for Zcash remains uncertain, with immediate outlooks tied closely to whether buyers can sustain momentum above the moving-average zone and break through $1,320 resistance.
Mini dictionary: The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a technical indicator measuring the speed and change of price movements to assess whether a cryptocurrency is overbought or oversold. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is another technical tool used to identify trend direction and potential momentum shifts by comparing two moving averages of a security’s price.
Key LevelPrice ($)Significance50-period EMA1,261Short-term resistance/support200-period EMA1,269Long-term resistance/supportMonday local high1,320Breakout targetNext upside target1,422Major resistanceImmediate support1,115Recent lowNext support1,050September 4 highPsychological support1,000Round number thresholdZcash’s near-term direction depends on buyers’ ability to sustain momentum and overcome resistance. A breakout above $1,320 would reinforce the recovery, while failure could expose support zones below.
14 October 2026 | 18:47 Zcash fell 4.45% on its October 14 daily candle, approaching $1,140 support after slipping below its 50-day moving average.
ZEC tests $1,140 after a 31% decline from its peak ZEC traded near $1,163 on October 14 at 15:22 UTC, according to the ZEC/USD daily chart on TradingView. Its intraday low near $1,145 brought it close to the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement at $1,140.
Zcash tests support below 50-day SMA. The Fibonacci levels track the advance from $250 to $1,690. ZEC is now approximately 31% below that peak, following a rally that saw Zcash overtake Hyperliquid.
The $1,140 area has already been tested several times in recent days. Some candles briefly dipped below it before recovering, leaving lower wicks around the same price band. Those reactions show that buyers have repeatedly stepped in near support, although the rebounds have yet to reverse the decline.
This makes the current move another test of an existing floor. A brief dip beneath $1,140 would follow the pattern of recent sessions. A daily close below it followed by a failed recovery would be a clearer sign that the support is weakening.
The area also overlaps with September trading, when ZEC moved through this band before accelerating higher. It now combines a Fibonacci retracement with both earlier consolidation and several recent price reactions.
ZEC recovered modestly from its latest intraday low, but the daily candle was still open. The recent candles show a narrowing gap between support near $1,140 and the rising 50-day SMA above it: buyers have defended the lower area, while recovery attempts have struggled around the average.
The 50-day SMA stands in the way of a rebound The 50-day simple moving average near $1,230 is the first potential hurdle for a rebound. Holding $1,140 would help contain the decline, but recovering the average would strengthen the case for a recovery.
Above it, the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement near $1,350 is the next upside level to watch. A recovery through that area would bring the earlier peak near $1,690 back into consideration.
Daily relative strength index, or RSI, was near 42.6, below the neutral 50 level and consistent with weaker momentum. It remained above the usual oversold threshold of 30.
Losing $1,140 would bring $970 into focus A daily close below $1,140 followed by a failed recovery would bring the 50% Fibonacci retracement near $970 into focus. That level sits just below the round $1,000 mark.
Further down, the rising 100-day SMA is near $882. The 61.8% Fibonacci retracement lies lower, near $800, providing a separate reference if the correction extends.
The $800 area also overlaps with ZEC’s early September consolidation, when price traded around $800 before the rally accelerated. A return there would erase a larger portion of the advance and test whether that earlier trading area can provide support.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Technical levels and indicators are interpretive tools, not guarantees of future price movement.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
After being convicted in 2023, losing his appeal to a Second Circuit court in 2026 and awaiting a decision on a presidential pardon that may never come, former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried is hoping to take his criminal case to the US Supreme Court.
Jeffrey Fisher, counsel at the law firm Hecker Fink LLP and representing Bankman-Fried in his Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) appeal, spoke to Cointelegraph about the potential timeline surrounding the former FTX executive’s case and what onlookers could expect to see should the justices choose to accept his petition for a writ of certiorari, possibly resulting in a new trial.
Bankman-Fried is pursuing the high court’s review while also seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump. According to Fisher, SCOTUS rules require SBF to file a petition for a writ of certiorari within 90 days of a decision from an appellate court, requesting that the justices consider the case.
The Supreme Court initially gave the US government until Oct. 15 to respond to SBF’s petition, but it already granted an extension to Nov. 16, which could allow the justices to decide whether to hear the case in late 2026 or early 2027. If the court grants review of his client’s case, it could issue a decision in the current term, which ends in June 2027, or during its next term, which begins a year from now.
Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven felony fraud counts related to the misuse of customer funds by FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded and led, and which filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture.
‘Assets are fine’: Why FTX’s losses and recoveries were irrelevant at trialBankman-Fried’s petition to the Supreme Court presents two main arguments for justices, should they consider the case, based on lower courts weighing “evidence indicating victims lost money” and that the $11 billion forfeiture order following his conviction violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “excessive fines.”
“The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the years for prosecutorial overreach in criminal fraud prosecutions,” Fisher told Cointelegraph. “This kind of evidence introduced in this prosecution raises a real question about prejudice to the defendant.”
The argument presented by prosecutors at SBF’s criminal trial and reiterated by the Second Circuit ruling found it was “immaterial as a matter of law” whether the former CEO had the funds and planned to repay FTX’s victims for their losses at the crypto exchange.
“As the district court made clear, FTX customers were defrauded as soon as Bankman-Fried transferred their money to Alameda regardless of how strongly he believed he might later return the money,” the Second Circuit said in its June 2026 decision.
According to Fisher, this theory differs from many fraud cases in which a defendant “swindled people out of money and enriched himself at their expense.”
“Our whole point is the theory the government chose makes it irrelevant whether any customers lost money or, if so, how much,” the lawyer said.
The Supreme Court petition noted that the highest court had ruled in Kousisis v. United States in 2025 that prosecutors could “seek decades-long prison sentences anytime people are induced by misrepresentations to part with their money — even if they suffer no pecuniary harm.”
SBF’s lawyers instead argued the 2007 ruling by the First Circuit in United States v. Carpenter, in which a defendant “intended all along to ensure his customers suffered no financial losses,” was more applicable to the FTX case. The appellate court initially ruled in that case that a jury’s decision may have been based on “moral disapproval“ rather than evidence related to fraud.
Mark Bini, a former federal and state prosecutor and currently a partner at Reed Smith, told Cointelegraph he believed that the chance that the court would accept SBF’s arguments and grant a new trial “seems low,“ but the conditions around forfeiture were “really interesting“ based on the size: $11 billion. He called reliance on United States v. Carpenter instead of Kousisis v. United States an “uphill battle“ for Bankman-Fried, legally.
While many FTX users were eventually paid out for their losses at the exchange beginning in 2025, the token values were based on the price at the time of the 2022 collapse, meaning many could have missed gains in the three years between bankruptcy and repayments.
How forfeiture could affect SBF’s ‘future livelihood’Bankman-Fried’s forfeiture order could follow him long after his release from prison, potentially allowing the government to make claims on his future earnings. The former FTX CEO is expected to remain in prison until 2043.
“He has no money to pay it,” said Fisher. “Under the terms of the penalty, it is an $11 billion debt for the rest of his life, to the government. Any dime he would ever make upon release would have to be turned over to the government [...] There’s rules, maybe he gets to keep a dime.”
If the court accepts the forfeiture argument but rejects the claim that SBF had a right to present evidence related to repaying users, Bini said it’s more likely to reduce the forfeiture amount than to warrant a new trial.
“It’s a huge forfeiture amount and there is this tension because the case law is such that the government is entitled to seek both forfeiture and restitution,” said the Reed Smith lawyer, adding: “It’s a very unusual case where the defense is arguing that ‘gosh, everyone is being made whole’ [...] yet you have this tremendous forfeiture.”
Cointelegraph reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the case but did not receive a response.
Caroline Ellison now employed at a charitable organizationFormer Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, one of the central figures tied to the downfall of FTX, has been working at Manifund, a charitable fundraising organization connected to the effective altruism movement, after serving time in prison as part of a plea agreement with US authorities.
According to Manifund co-founder and CEO Austin Chen, Ellison began on a work trial at the company on July 13, about six months after she was released from federal custody. She accepted a full-time role on Aug. 10.
“I believe in redemption,” said Chen. “Caroline has admitted her faults, worked to make creditors whole, and served her time in prison. I’d like to give her the opportunity to contribute back to the world; I hope that the world will concur.”
In a rare public statement, Ellison said that she was “grateful to Austin for giving me a second chance, and judging me on my current work performance rather than my past.”
Many of the comments on Chen’s Substack post were extremely negative, ranging from calling Ellison’s hiring an “extremely rogue move” to an action showing “truly terrible judgment.”
“[Ellison is] a cynical opportunist who stole billions, and got a sweetheart deal because prosecutors were willing to give everything up to get Sam,” said Coin Metrics co-founder Nic Carter. “She was extremely lucky that she got such a light sentence. The utmost shame on you for attempting to rehabilitate her.”
Magazine: Could THORChain face prosecution over stolen Bitget funds? Legal opinion
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U.S.-listed fintech firm Perpetuals com (ticker: PDC) has filed a notice to operate a tokenized securities trading venue under the U.S. SEC’s five-year "Innovation Exemption" framework, with operations to be run by its Delaware subsidiary Kephas Corporation. Trading will take place via permissioned Automated Market Maker (AMM) liquidity pools, initially deployed on the company’s Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 chain Kronos X Public, where tokenized U.S. equities will pair with stablecoin USDC. Per the SEC’s 30-day post-notice rule, trading could launch as early as mid-November, pending completion of compliance, market data, and smart contract security preparations. The "Innovation Exemption" allows certain venues to trade U.S. stocks on public blockchains without registering as a traditional securities trading platform, requiring tokens to carry the same shareholder rights as regular stocks—including dividends and voting rights—with relevant listed companies allowed to raise objections within 30 days. Perpetuals com is thus the second firm to launch a tokenized U.S. equities market under this framework, following OKXICE. Its CEO Patrick Gruhn co-founded Swiss tokenization firm Digital Assets AG, which assisted trading platforms in launching stock-linked tokens for names like Tesla and Coinbase before being acquired by FTX; Gruhn previously led FTX Europe.
Relevant content
Ledger: German retail and distribution inventory devices show no signs of tampering, and no financial loss reports have been received across Europe.
Hardware wallet provider Ledger’s security team Donjon has updated on a German-related report, stating that after receiving a report from a German user, it inspected inventory devices at retail outlets and distributors in the country, including products at the named stores, and found no signs of tampering. Ledger also noted that there have been no reports of financial losses linked to hardware implants across Europe. Separately, regarding the suspected abnormal devices circulating online, the security team has not obtained physical units for testing. It has now invited holders of such devices to send them to Ledger’s security team for further analysis, with investigation results to be made public.
3 hours ago
Hyperliquid HIP-3 Cumulative Revenue Reaches $75 Million
Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 has generated a total of $75 million in cumulative revenue, with $37.5 million going to deployers and the remaining $37.5 million allocated for repurchasing and burning Hyperliquid’s native token. HIP-3, the Builder-deployed perpetual contract mechanism, allows eligible deployers to launch their own perpetual markets on Hyperliquid: they can define oracles, contract specifications, and manage operations, while leveraging the protocol’s core infrastructure such as order books and liquidation systems. Fees from these markets are typically split 50/50 between deployers and the protocol, with the protocol’s revenue share used for token repurchases and burns.
Beating AI Express News: xAI has launched its speech-to-speech model Grok Voice 3.0, claiming it ranks first on the Speech-to-Speech Index in an independent test by Artificial Analysis, scoring 86.9 points—higher than Grok Voice 2.0 (81.3), GPT-Live-1 (83.2), and Gemini 3.8 Live (82.6). The model also features end-to-end latency of under 1 second. It is now available via the Voice Agent API, priced at $0.08 per minute, matching the previous generation; agents using the "grok-voice-latest" tag will automatically switch to the new model. According to xAI, Grok Voice handles millions of daily conversations for Tesla and SpaceX: Starlink’s customer service center receives around 20,000 calls daily, with roughly 70% resolved without human intervention, and about a quarter of sales calls resulting in a purchase before the call ends. On benchmarks, Grok Voice scores 74% accuracy on ServiceNow EVA-Bench and 71.6% on τ-Voice, which the company says is comparable to GPT-Live-1 but with roughly 40% lower latency.
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White House Crypto Committee 'effectively defunct' as Executive Director Patrick Witt’s secondment is set to expire.
Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett said she emailed the White House three times over the past week to inquire whether Patrick Witt still serves as executive director of the White House Crypto Council, and received no reply. Witt himself declined to comment. Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Witt, a U.S. Department of Defense employee temporarily seconded to the White House Crypto Council, has reached or is nearing the end of his secondment, with his reappointment status unclear. Earlier this year, he delayed his service in the Georgia National Guard, and is expected to resume his military service soon. Terrett added that Harry Jung, deputy director of the White House Crypto Council, left his post at the end of July, and after David Sacks’ tenure as Crypto and AI “tsar” concluded, Witt is now the only remaining staff member of the council. The crypto policy community is now debating: after the CLARITY Act (officially the Crypto Market Structure Act) failed to advance in the Senate, whether the White House still prioritizes the crypto industry. The relevant personnel changes have not yet been officially confirmed by the White House.
3 hours ago
US stocks slump, with the optical communication sector leading the decline; semiconductor, storage, and crypto-related stocks all fall across the board, and Strategy drops 5.8%.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), during U.S. stock trading hours, the S&P 500 index’s decline widened to 1.1%, the Nasdaq fell 1.64%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3%. Semiconductor, storage, optical communication, and crypto-related stocks all fell across the board, with the optical communication sector leading losses, as most major individual stocks in the sector declined by over 7%. In the semiconductor and storage sectors: Seagate Technology (STX) fell 2.8%; Western Digital (WDC) dropped 3.2%; SanDisk (SNDK) declined 4.7%; Micron Technology (MU) fell 3.3%; NVIDIA (NVDA) dropped 2.9%; Intel (INTC) fell 4.2%; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) declined 5.3%. Among crypto-related stocks: Strategy (MSTR) fell 5.8%; Coinbase (COIN) dropped 4.6%; Circle (CRCL) declined 6.4%; BitMine Immersion (BMNR) fell 5.3%; SharpLink Gaming (SBET) dropped 7.4%. In the optical communication sector: Pure Photonics ETF (FOTO) fell 6.2%; Marvell Technology (MRVL) dropped 5.8%; AAOI (Applied Optoelectronics) declined 9.8%; LITE (Lumentum Holdings) fell 7.2%; COHR (Coherent Corp.) dropped 7.8%; CIEN (Ciena Corporation) declined 7.8%.
3 hours ago
USDC designated as EU's first 'systemically important e-money token'
The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced that it has classified USDC, issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, as an Important Electronic Money Token (EMT) under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. To date, 45 EMTs in the EU have completed notification under MiCA, with USDC being the first to be designated as an Important EMT. Starting November 12, 2026, USDC will be subject to dual supervision for Important EMTs under MiCA: direct regulatory responsibilities for own funds, asset reserves, liquidity requirements, and recovery and redemption plans will be transferred from the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) to the EBA; ACPR will retain oversight of governance, qualifying holdings, suitability assessments, outsourcing, and conflicts of interest. USDC is issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS in the EU and Circle Internet Financial, LLC in the U.S. The EBA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New York State Department of Financial Services to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on cross-border stablecoin activities.
The proposal would keep collateral on Bitcoin but use WBTC to settle permissionless liquidations. Risk settings and further governance votes are still pending.
The proposal would keep collateral on Bitcoin but use WBTC to settle permissionless liquidations. Risk settings and further governance votes are still pending.
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Babylon Labs is pushing forward a plan to let people borrow on Aave V4 using Bitcoin that never leaves the Bitcoin network.
The pitch is simple. Your BTC stays put, you borrow against it, and nobody has to hold your coins for you.
The catch, as with most things in DeFi governance, is that the paperwork isn’t finished. Risk parameters still need to be set, and more Aave DAO votes are required before anything goes live on mainnet.
How the setup actually works
The proposal is built on Babylon’s Trustless Bitcoin Vaults protocol, or TBV. Instead of wrapping BTC into a token on another chain, TBV locks the coins in self-custodial Taproot UTXOs on Bitcoin itself.
Think of it as a safe deposit box with programmable rules. The box sits on Bitcoin, and the rules decide when the contents can move.
Those rules are enforced through Taproot scripts and zero-knowledge proofs. Put plainly, cryptography plays the role a custodian normally would, and no third party ever holds the keys.
On the Aave side, deposits show up through an internal accounting unit called vaultBTC. It acts as a verifiable record of the BTC sitting in vaults, which Aave can then treat as collateral.
The integration leans on Aave V4’s modular design, which organizes markets into components called spokes. Babylon’s plan adds two of them.
The first is the Babylon Core Lending Spoke. This is where borrowers would post vault-backed BTC and take out assets such as USDC, USDT and WBTC.
The second is the BTC Vault Swap Spoke. Its job is to handle the messy part of lending: liquidations.
The WBTC twist in liquidations
Every lending market lives or dies by its liquidations. When a loan’s collateral falls below a safe threshold, outside parties called liquidators step in, repay the debt and collect the collateral at a discount.
That works smoothly when the collateral is a token sitting on the same chain. It gets awkward when the collateral is locked BTC on an entirely different network.
Babylon’s answer is to keep the collateral on Bitcoin while settling liquidations in WBTC. Through the BTC Vault Swap Spoke, liquidators would receive WBTC immediately rather than waiting on native BTC to move.
So liquidators get a familiar asset they can use right away on Ethereum. Borrowers, meanwhile, never had to wrap anything going in.
The design keeps liquidations permissionless, meaning anyone can act as a liquidator. Babylon has published documentation on the liquidation model in its developer docs.
Importantly, control over risk settings stays with the Aave DAO. Babylon builds the plumbing, but tokenholders decide how much can be borrowed and when positions get closed out.
A timeline measured in governance phases
Babylon and Aave first announced their partnership on December 3, 2025. The idea moved into Aave’s formal process with a DAO temperature check that began on May 25, 2026.
A temperature check is Aave’s version of a show of hands. It gauges interest before a proposal moves into the heavier ARFC and AIP stages, which are the detailed request-for-comment and final on-chain vote phases.
Public testnet deployment for native BTC-backed borrowing was active by October 2026. Around the same time, HashKey Cloud’s integration of TBV for institutional clients was confirmed on October 7, 2026.
That institutional piece matters. Custody-wary funds have often been the loudest critics of wrapped Bitcoin, so a trust-minimized route may appeal to exactly that crowd.
Still, testnet is testnet. Real money hasn’t touched this design yet, and the remaining ARFC and AIP phases are where proposals tend to get picked apart line by line.
Why this matters for Bitcoin in DeFi
Bitcoin has always had an awkward relationship with DeFi. It’s the largest crypto asset, yet using it in lending markets has usually meant wrapping it and trusting someone to hold the real coins.
That tradeoff has kept plenty of long-term holders on the sidelines. For a group whose motto is roughly “not your keys, not your coins,” handing BTC to a custodian is a tough sell.
Babylon’s model tries to remove that objection entirely. If it works as described, holders could tap lending markets without ever giving up custody.
There’s also an interesting second-order effect on Aave itself. The protocol holds one of its largest token supplies in WBTC, but borrow demand for that WBTC has historically lagged.
In other words, a lot of WBTC sits in Aave’s pools doing very little. Since liquidators in Babylon’s design get paid in WBTC and borrowers can take out WBTC, the integration could potentially put more of that idle supply to work.
What to watch
The first thing to track is the risk parameters. Loan-to-value ratios, liquidation thresholds and supply caps will determine whether this is a niche experiment or a serious Bitcoin borrowing venue.
Conservative settings would limit early risk but also limit appeal. Aggressive ones would attract borrowers while putting more weight on the untested liquidation path.
The second is how the WBTC settlement holds up under stress. A design that pays liquidators instantly needs enough liquidity behind it during a sharp BTC drawdown, which is precisely when everyone wants out at once.
The third is competition. Wrapped Bitcoin products have long dominated BTC collateral in DeFi, and a credible native alternative on the largest lending protocol would put pressure on custodial models to justify their trust assumptions.
For BTC holders, the appeal is clear: borrowing power without surrendering custody. For Aave, it’s a shot at drawing in a huge pool of capital that has mostly stayed on the sidelines. Whether both sides get what they want now depends on a few more rounds of DAO voting.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
DeFi lending protocol Spark has disclosed that its net protocol returns exceeded $4 million in the third quarter of 2026. In the first half of the year, DeFi lending spreads narrowed significantly, with lending capital profitability turning negative in the second quarter. After driving growth for Spark Savings USDT in Q3, related returns rebounded above capital costs. During the same period, Spark partnered with Uniswap and Sky to launch a stablecoin swap layer, which went live with $150 million in USDS liquidity, offering stablecoin swap services to banks, fintech firms and payment companies, and recorded over $14 billion in trading volume in its first month.
Only 50 million tokens exist, and a scheduled 50% burn will reduce the supply to 25 million, making #SECT one of the lowest-supply tokens on the market. The token still trades on Uniswap close to its initial price of $0.10, with its liquidity locked through Team Finance. Four Sectora products have finished interfaces and are in final testing. Holders can earn 14.9% APY through a staking contract whose code is verified on Etherscan. CHICAGO, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sectora Foundation today announced that four of its products have completed interface development and entered final testing on testnet ahead of launch. The company’s #SECT token, which serves as the token of its cybersecurity network for crypto infrastructure and tokenized assets, is available on Uniswap (SECT/USDT pair on Ethereum).
The token has a total supply of 50 million and a market capitalization of approximately $5 million. Liquidity is locked through Team Finance, the token is listed on CoinGecko, and its launch was previously announced on AP News and Benzinga.
Product Development Status
Four Sectora products have finished interfaces and are in final testing on testnet: the Sectora L3 network with its SectoraScan explorer, the Sectora DEX, the hash market, and Sectora Shield.
The team is conducting 15 tests of the network and its validators; the fourth test has been completed successfully. The SectoraScan explorer is available to the public at sectoraorg.com/sectorascan.
Security Infrastructure
Sectora develops security solutions for crypto networks and tokenized assets. Its Sectora Shield is a post-quantum security engine built on the NIST FIPS 203, 204, and 205 standards.
Additional solutions include smart contract audits, custody controls, continuous on-chain monitoring, and an asset tokenization platform.
Token Supply and Contract Details
#SECT has a total supply of 50 million tokens. A one-time burn of 50% of the supply is scheduled for March 15, 2027, which will reduce the supply to 25 million tokens. After the burn, the supply cannot increase. The smart contract is renounced, contains no mint function, charges 0% transaction fees, and has been audited by Cyberscope. In addition, 80% of every hash power purchase on the upcoming hash market will be used to buy back and burn #SECT tokens on the open market. Holder Rewards Program
Holder rewards are the first Sectora product running on Ethereum mainnet. Holders can deposit #SECT at sectoraorg.com/staking and earn 14.9% APY.
Rewards accrue every second, with no lock-up period and no withdrawal penalty. Rewards are paid from a pool of 1,490,000 #SECT that the foundation funded prior to the first deposit. The staking contract code is verified on Etherscan.
Market context
At about $5 million, #SECT’s market capitalization is a small fraction of those of established networks such as XRP (over $85 billion) and Solana (over $62 billion). Sectora’s whitepaper illustrates that if #SECT reached 1% of those valuations, its price would be $17.14 and $12.53, respectively.
This is an illustrative scenario, not a price forecast or financial advice.
The founders stated that #SECT is not a pump-and-dump token, but one designed for long-term holding. “Sectora is a long-term project, with a fixed supply, a renounced contract, locked liquidity and a public audit,” they said. “We want our community to grow alongside the project, steadily and progressively.”
Official Links
Website: https://sectoraorg.com Whitepaper: https://sectoraorg.com/docs Company registration (Illinois, file no. 18523639): https://sectoraorg.com/docs#s02 Uniswap: https://app.uniswap.org/swap?inputCurrency=0xdAC17F958D2ee523a2206206994597C13D831ec7&outputCurrency=0x8C9984B06281f1CA9416e493c2E602AaB08513db&chain=ethereum CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/sectora Audit: https://www.cyberscope.io/audits/sect Holder rewards (staking): https://sectoraorg.com/staking About Sectora Foundation
Sectora Foundation is a company registered in Illinois, United States, that develops security infrastructure for crypto networks and tokenized real-world assets, including smart contract audits, institutional custody controls, continuous on-chain monitoring, and post-quantum cryptography. #SECT is the token of its network.
Media contact: Sectora Foundation Team [email protected]
Sectora Foundation Announces Final Testing of Four Products and $SECT Token Availability on Uniswap
Sectora Foundation Announces Final Testing of Four Products and $SECT Token Availability on Uniswap Source: Sectora Foundation
Uniswap has decided that buying and selling ETH should not always cost the same. On October 14, 2026, the exchange switched on its VolatilePair Hook on Ethereum mainnet, starting with an ETH/USDC pool.
The pitch is simple. Instead of one flat fee for everyone, the pool charges two separate fees, one for buys and one for sells, and adjusts both based on where the price has been heading.
How the VolatilePair Hook works
The VolatilePair Hook replaces a single fee with two dynamic fees. Both are recalculated on every swap, using recent price movements as the input.
The second piece is a temporary surcharge. It applies to trades that correct price deviations after large market shifts.
Those correcting trades are typically where liquidity providers get hurt. When the broader market moves and a pool’s price lags behind, arbitrageurs step in to close the gap, and with a static fee, they capture that spread at the expense of the people who deposited funds.
The surcharge is designed to claw some of that value back. Uniswap frames it as protection for liquidity providers against losses from static-fee arbitrage.
The numbers behind the bet
Uniswap is not launching this into a quiet corner of its business. Trading on volatile pairs has topped $500 billion on the exchange so far in 2026.
The VolatilePair Hook also has a sibling with a track record. In September 2026, Uniswap introduced the StablePair Hook, aimed at stablecoin pairs such as USDC/USDT.
That product reached $3.1 billion in trading volume across stablecoin pools within its first four weeks.
Governance keeps the dials adjustable
One notable design choice is that the hook’s parameters and fee logic can be recalibrated through Uniswap governance.
Uniswap says the setup supports future enhancements without requiring complex migrations. Liquidity providers can move their positions into the new pool, and later upgrades are meant to happen around them rather than forcing another move.
What this means for liquidity providers and traders
For traders, the change introduces a new variable. The cost of a swap may now depend on which direction they are trading and what the market has just done, so the quoted fee is no longer a fixed constant to tune out.
The metrics to watch are how much liquidity migrates into the new pool, how its volume compares with the StablePair Hook’s $3.1 billion debut month, and whether governance ends up tweaking the surcharge once real trading data comes in.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Uniswap [UNI] showed signs of a potential reversal after buyers defended the $6.80 daily demand zone.
The rebound produced a bullish shift on the hourly chart, following the setup outlined in AMBCrypto’s earlier analysis.
Meanwhile, Uniswap reported that v4, its fourth-generation decentralized exchange protocol, processed over $44 billion in 30-day Trading Volume.
With buyers regaining ground and protocol activity growing, UNI’s recovery had support from two fronts. Whether that translates into sustained gains would depend on demand for the altcoin itself.
Source: TradingView
Can UNI buyers build on THIS?
On the hourly chart, UNI’s positive reaction at $6.80 strengthened the recovery setup. Buyers defended the daily demand zone before breaking the recent bearish pattern, suggesting short-term momentum was turning bullish.
For holders, this offered an encouraging change after the altcoin’s recent weakness. However, an hourly reversal still needs follow-through before supporting a broader recovery.
On the daily chart, UNI traded above its 20-day, 30-day, and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). That positioning supported the bullish outlook. Buyers would need to sustain the rebound, as renewed selling could undermine their recently regained control.
Source: TradingView
Could crowded UNI longs threaten the recovery?
The Long/Short Ratio data showed longs accounting for roughly 63% of the tracked positioning, indicating a clear bullish preference. That bias could accompany further gains if Spot demand strengthens. However, leveraged longs can also become vulnerable when buying pressure fades.
If UNI reverses, forced closures could amplify selling and put the recovery under pressure. The next test is whether buyers continue supporting the price after the initial bounce.
Long positioning alone would give bulls limited protection against another rejection.
Source: Coinalyze
Can Uniswap v4 activity help UNI reach $11?
Uniswap v4’s $44 billion in 30-day Trading Volume represented approximately 49.9% of volume across Uniswap versions. That showed substantial usage of the latest iteration.
However, protocol Trading Volume measures swaps across supported tokens, rather than buying demand for UNI alone.
For now, defending $6.80 and reclaiming the hourly trend favored buyers. Sustained demand could help the altcoin advance toward overhead liquidity.
The Liquidation Heatmap showed a cluster worth approximately $535.10 million around $11, making that area a potential upside objective.
Source: CoinGlass
Still, the cluster does not guarantee a move to $11. Renewed weakness or a sharp unwinding of longs could interrupt the recovery before UNI reaches that level.
Final Summary
UNI’s defense of $6.80 supported a recovery, while crowded longs could amplify losses if demand weakens.
Uniswap v4’s growing usage strengthened the adoption case; $11 remained a conditional liquidity target for UNI.
PancakeSwap has proposed raising the LP share of v3 and Infinity swap fees to 88% and cutting daily $CAKE emissions by about 69% to 7,000. CZ has backed the plan.
PancakeSwap has proposed a bigger cut of swap fees for liquidity providers (LPs) and a sharp reduction in new $CAKE issuance. @cz_binance has backed the plan on X, writing: "More liquidity rewards. Less emission."
@PancakeSwap's core team, known as the Kitchen, calls the plan "The Flip." According to the proposal on PancakeSwap's forum, LPs on v3 and Infinity would keep 88% of swap fees across all 11 supported chains, up from around two-thirds on most pools today. The remaining 12% would go to the Treasury, and v2 would stay unchanged.
What changes for LPs and $CAKEOn emissions, the proposal would cut effective $CAKE issuance by about 69%, from 22,500 to 7,000 tokens per day. The forum post says those 7,000 tokens would go to the Pantry, a new ecosystem growth fund. The Kitchen argues that with LPs keeping more fees, emissions are no longer needed at today's level.
The fee increase would differ by pool. Reporting by The Defiant notes that PancakeSwap's fee documentation lists LP shares of 66% to 68% on EVM v3 pools and 84% on Solana v3 pools. The same report says existing Infinity pools work differently: their LP fees are fixed at creation, so lowering the protocol charge would reduce the total swap fee rather than raise the LP share.
The Kitchen estimates v3 and Infinity LPs would have earned about $62 million more if the new split had applied to 2025 trading volume, according to DeFi Prime. That figure is a historical simulation, not a forecast of future revenue.
v2 burn stays, vote still aheadThe v2 fee structure, which includes a mechanism that buys back and burns $CAKE, would remain intact, Crypto Briefing reports. The same report cites a net $CAKE supply reduction of roughly 15% to 16% as of October 2026, with supply falling from about 392 million tokens in September 2023 to around 330 million. The forum post says $CAKE stays on track for a 20% supply reduction by 2030 under the proposal.
The plan is still at the discussion stage. The Kitchen intends to review forum feedback before publishing a final proposal for a Snapshot vote, and no changes have passed yet, DeFi Prime reports. TechFlow reports that, if approved, the adjustments are scheduled to begin in November 2026 and be fully deployed by the end of January 2027.
Sources:
PancakeSwap Forum: The Flip proposal discussion
DeFi Prime: PancakeSwap proposes 88% LP fee share and lower $CAKE emissions
The Defiant (via Cryptonews): PancakeSwap Proposes 88% LP Fee Share and 69% CAKE Emissions Cut
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts is using Avalanche to make documents verifiable anywhere in the world, as the network also moves into the UAE’s national digital identity infrastructure.
A court order is only useful if the institution receiving it can trust that it is real. That gets more complicated when the court is in Dubai, the recipient is a bank or company thousands of miles away, and the two have no existing relationship.
The question matters most for a court whose documents are meant to travel. Any two parties, anywhere in the world, can choose the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts as the forum for their commercial disputes by including a single clause in their contract, with no UAE connection required. When a DIFC Courts document is used in another jurisdiction, the recipient may need to establish both its legal status and its authenticity.
That problem is particularly relevant for the DIFC Courts. The independent, English-language common law jurisdiction has been open to businesses worldwide since 2011, and any two parties can choose it as the forum for a commercial dispute regardless of whether either has a connection to the UAE. Its documents, in other words, are designed to travel.
The systemThe DIFC Courts are an independent, English-language common law jurisdiction in Dubai. Established in 2004, they have been open to businesses worldwide since 2011, and they operate at 99 percent digital.
Court orders and hearing records issued by the DIFC Courts carry a unique, non-transferable digital authenticity credential. A recipient anywhere in the world can use it to confirm, within seconds, that the DIFC Courts issued the document and that the file is identical to the version recorded at issuance.
Documents covered: court orders and hearing records
Time to verify: seconds, from anywhere in the world
Network: Avalanche C-Chain, Avalanche's public blockchain
Recorded onchain: a cryptographic hash of the document and the credential, and nothing else
Credential: non-transferable, representing no ownership, monetary value or transferable right
What Avalanche makes possibleVerification from anywhereWhen the DIFC Courts issue a court order or hearing record through their existing digital document infrastructure, a cryptographic hash of the file is linked to a unique NFT-based credential recorded on Avalanche. This creates a timestamped record tying the credential to the document as issued. A recipient checks the file against the credential, a match confirms that the DIFC Courts issued the document and that it has not changed. If anything in the file has been altered, the check fails.
Because the record sits on Avalanche's public blockchain, verification does not depend on access to the Courts' internal systems. The record also settles quickly. For parties who choose the DIFC Courts, the credential resolves the authenticity step of using a court document abroad.
Verification without disclosureBecause Avalanche is a public network, the system is designed to make authenticity verifiable without making the underlying document public. Only a cryptographic fingerprint of the document and its authenticity credential are recorded onchain while the document itself, its contents, and any confidential case information remain private. The credential exists solely to verify that the document is the version issued by the DIFC Courts. It carries no ownership, monetary value or transferable right in the underlying judicial document.
A model for other institutionsHis Excellency Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of DIFC Courts, summarized the principle behind the system: "Confidence in the authenticity of a court document should not depend on geography." As one of the institutional pillars of Dubai's economic growth strategy, the DIFC Courts frame the initiative as support for the objectives of the Dubai Digital Strategy and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
For any business weighing blockchain, the features that matter here are practical ones. The system runs behind the Courts' existing document infrastructure, so the people who use it do not have to change how they work. Confidential data never goes onchain. Verification does not depend on access to the issuer's systems. Records on Avalanche also settle in under a second, with no way to roll them back.
"The strongest blockchain applications are often the ones people barely notice," said Ava Labs Chief Business Officer John Nahas. "DIFC Courts is using Avalanche to make critical documents verifiable across borders in seconds while keeping confidential information offchain. It is a powerful example of trusted institutions adopting purpose-built infrastructure without asking people to change how they interact with them."
The same direction in UAE digital governmentThe DIFC Courts are not alone among UAE public bodies in turning to Avalanche for verified documents. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is working with Deca4 and Ava Labs to bring Avalanche technology into the blockchain layer behind the Digital Vault in UAE PASS, the national digital identity platform. The Digital Vault lets users store, request and share verified government documents, and UAE PASS serves more than 12.5 million people across more than 15,000 services.
The two systems serve different audiences. A national identity platform mostly serves people inside the UAE. A court whose jurisdiction any two parties can choose issues documents that travel to recipients who may have no connection to the UAE at all. That is why a public chain fits the court's case. What the two systems share is the requirement. A document issued by a public authority should be checkable by whoever receives it.
ConclusionGo back to the bank from the start of this piece. When a court order from the DIFC Courts arrives, the bank no longer has to contact the Courts to find out whether it is real. It checks the file against the credential on Avalanche's public blockchain. If the file matches, the DIFC Courts issued it and no one has changed it since. If anything has been altered, the check fails. Whether the order applies in the bank's country is still a legal question, but whether the document is genuine can now be answered across borders.
Dubai’s DIFC Courts have started using the Avalanche blockchain to let anyone, anywhere, confirm that a court document is genuine. The check takes seconds.
The system launched officially on October 14, 2026. It attaches non-transferable digital credentials to court orders and hearing records. A cryptographic fingerprint of each document lives on the Avalanche C-Chain, while the sensitive material itself stays offchain.
How the verification actually works
When the court issues a document, it generates a cryptographic fingerprint: a unique code derived from the document’s exact contents. That fingerprint is what gets recorded on Avalanche. The actual court order, the parties’ names and the case details do not go onchain.
When a recipient wants to confirm a document is real, they compare it against the onchain record. If anything in the document has been changed after issuance, even slightly, the verification fails.
The credentials are also non-transferable. They are tied to the specific court orders and hearing records they were issued for, rather than functioning as tokens that can be traded or moved around.
Not the court’s first blockchain rodeo
DIFC Courts have been moving away from paper for a while. In 2021, the court introduced the Ethaq electronic seal as part of its paperless push.
The court has also used distributed ledger technology before. Its Notary Service previously recorded transaction logs on the Hedera network.
Ava Labs Chief Business Officer John Nahas framed the deployment as an example of what he called “purpose-built infrastructure” that trusted institutions can adopt without disrupting how people use their services. In his view, the best blockchain applications are often the ones users never consciously notice.
Part of a bigger UAE footprint
The DIFC Courts deployment fits into a wider effort to bring Avalanche into official document verification across the UAE. Avalanche also powers the UAE PASS Digital Vault, which served over 12 million users as of September 2026.
What this means
For the legal world, the most interesting part is the design choice to keep confidential data offchain. Recording only a fingerprint sidesteps that tension. The court gets a tamper-evident, globally checkable record without exposing a single sensitive detail to the public ledger.
The research behind this launch suggests the system may set standards for future collaborations between blockchain technology and traditional judicial systems.
There are open questions. Verification only works if recipients actually use it, which means lawyers, banks and foreign courts need to trust and adopt the checking process. The system also depends on the court issuing documents correctly in the first place. A blockchain can prove a document has not been altered since issuance, but it cannot prove the original was right.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Dubai International Financial Centre Courts (DIFC Courts) has implemented a new blockchain-based system that allows for the verification of the authenticity of court decisions and hearing records within seconds. The new system operates on Avalanche’s C-Chain network and aims to enhance document security by keeping sensitive information off-chain.
Court Documents Can Be Verified in Seconds! According to official statements from Avalanche and DIFC Courts, court rulings and hearing records are linked to unique and non-transferable digital identification information.
The system, which utilizes NFT technology, allows for verification of whether documents were genuinely prepared by the court and whether they have been subsequently altered.
While the system stores sensitive document text and party information off-chain, it only records each document’s unique cryptographic fingerprint or hash and non-transferable digital identifiers on-chain.
The cryptographic fingerprint generated from the document’s digital file is linked to the digital identity information recorded on Avalanche’s public blockchain network, C-Chain. Any subsequent changes to the document will cause the verification process to fail.
Avalanche-Based System Will Protect Privacy! One of the system’s key features is that the content of court documents and confidential case information are not stored on the blockchain. This prevents sensitive data from being shared on the public network during the verification process. DIFC Courts Director Omar Al Mheiri stated that this application extends the reliability of court documents beyond geographical boundaries.
It was also stated that the new system is expected to speed up document verification processes, especially for individuals and businesses that present court decisions to banks, public institutions, and other courts in different countries.
Ava Labs Chief Operating Officer John Nahas said, “The most powerful blockchain applications are often those that people barely notice. DIFC Courts are using Avalanche to ensure critical documents can be verified across borders in seconds while keeping confidential information off-chain. This is a powerful example of trusted institutions adopting purpose-built infrastructure without asking people to change how they interact with it.”
*This is not investment advice.
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Most tokenized stock trading on BNB Chain ($BNB) and Solana ($SOL) now occurs outside US market hours, as total tokenized stock value rises 15% to nearly $3.3 billion.
Tokenized stocks are drawing most of their trading activity outside regular US market hours, an early sign that round-the-clock access may be one of the main draws of putting equities onchain. BNB Chain (@BNBCHAIN) $BNB and Solana (@solana) $SOL lead the trend.
The value of tokenized stocks has risen 15% over the past 30 days to nearly $3.3 billion, Cointelegraph reported, citing RWA.xyz data.
BNB Chain leads on after-hours volumeAccording to Blockworks data cited by The Kobeissi Letter, more than 70% of tokenized stock trading volume on BNB Chain takes place outside the traditional 9:30 am to 4 pm Eastern session. The figure is 63% on Solana and nearly 60% on Base, Cointelegraph reported.
The pattern suggests investors are using tokenized stocks to trade when traditional US exchanges are closed, rather than simply mirroring activity during regular hours. Traditional brokerages restrict access to exchange hours, while blockchain-based platforms do not, which may help explain the skew toward off-hours activity among users in other time zones.
Jupiter (@JupiterExchange), a major Solana-based trading platform, also reported a 50% month-over-month increase in tokenized asset trading volume. Jupiter's figure covers tokenized assets broadly rather than stocks alone, so it is a general signal of rising onchain demand rather than a stock-specific measure.
Issuers and regulatory backdropA significant share of tokenized stock value is concentrated among a small number of issuers, including Ondo Global Markets, xStocks and bStocks. Their tokens are issued and traded across different blockchains, according to Cointelegraph. That cross-chain availability means off-hours volume can appear on several networks at once.
The growth also comes as US regulators open the door to tokenized equities. Cointelegraph reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) introduced an "innovation exemption" last month. Odaily Planet Daily, via KuCoin News, reported that the exemption allows eligible trading venues to trade tokenized US stocks on public blockchains, with disclosure requirements on prices, trade sizes and liquidity pool balances.
Whether regulatory clarity deepens demand further remains to be seen. For now, the data points to a market where timing, not just access, is shaping how investors use tokenized equities.
Sources:
Cointelegraph: Tokenized Stocks Hit $3.3B as After-Hours Trading GrowsKuCoin News: Tokenized stocks reach $3.3 billion in value
MAJURO, Marshall Islands, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Remittix has invited 1,000 RTX holders to test PayFi, placing its flagship crypto-to-bank payment platform in the hands of real users ahead of the scheduled November 24, 2026 token launch.
Invited participants can test EUR and USD routes while Remittix prepares more currencies, assets and networks. The rollout gives holders direct experience with the technology behind its push into the trillion-dollar global remittance market.
The update arrives as an ambitious Bitcoin price prediction points toward $200,000 and Solana prepares to activate Alpenglow on October 21. With institutional Bitcoin demand growing and Solana targeting near-instant finality, crypto news is again focusing on platforms capable of turning blockchain technology into everyday financial activity.
Remittix PayFi Moves Into Real-User Testing
Remittix PayFi is designed to let supported cryptocurrency fund a transfer that delivers fiat through a compatible bank account. This removes the need for recipients to handle tokens, use an exchange or navigate a separate off-ramp.
The testing environment supports crypto-to-fiat and fiat-to-crypto activity using EUR and USD. USDT and USDC are available across Ethereum, Celo, Base and Polygon, with further assets and payment routes planned as the platform approaches wider release.
This structure targets international remittances, contractor payments, overseas suppliers and crypto holders seeking a simpler route into traditional banking.
A Connected Ecosystem Expands the RTX Opportunity
PayFi remains the primary Remittix proposition, but the wider ecosystem creates more ways to retain users. The iOS wallet has passed 10,000 downloads, while the Android edition awaits approval. A planned rebuild will unite PayFi, trading and earning features.
Remittix Markets offers hundreds of perpetual pairs, serves thousands of traders and has processed more than $50 million in volume. Remittix Earn is also approaching release with advertised yields of up to 22% APY on eligible crypto and stablecoin holdings.
Together, these products can move users between payments, trading and earning opportunities inside one RTX-centered economy.
Bitcoin Price Prediction Eyes $200,000 as Solana Targets $500
The $200,000 Bitcoin price prediction gained fresh momentum after Strive disclosed a 3,311 BTC purchase worth approximately $280 million. The acquisition reinforces the institutional scarcity argument behind bullish Bitcoin forecasts.
Solana has scheduled its Alpenglow mainnet activation for October 21. The new consensus system targets finality of roughly 150 milliseconds, down from approximately 12.8 seconds. A bullish Solana price prediction of $500 would value that speed improvement as a major advantage for trading, payments and consumer applications.
The RTX Pre-Launch Window Continues to Narrow
Remittix has raised more than $32 million from over 40,000 participants toward its $36 million hard cap. RTX is currently available at $0.28, while $0.46 is the announced final presale price and planned minimum exchange launch price.
With PayFi being tested, Markets already live and November 24 fixed for the RTX launch, Remittix enters its final presale stretch with working products behind its PayFi narrative. For buyers comparing the best crypto presale opportunities before public trading, the combination of payments utility and a connected ecosystem gives RTX several potential demand channels from day one.
About Remittix
Remittix is developing a connected PayFi ecosystem for crypto-to-bank and bank-to-crypto transactions. Its products include international payment settlement, a mobile wallet, Remittix Markets and the forthcoming Remittix Earn service.
Website: https://remittix.io
X: https://x.com/remittix
Media Contact
Company: Remittix
Email: [email protected]
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Nasdaq-listed company SkyAI, with core holdings centered on Solana digital assets, previously held over 2 million SOL. Since October, the firm has transferred roughly 1.57 million SOL, valued at approximately $175 million. SkyAI recently disclosed selling 1 million SOL for about $107 million, and noted it may continue selling. On-chain data shows its average purchase price is around $194, translating to an unrealized loss of over $160 million based on current prices. A Form 8-K filed on October 13 revealed SkyAI’s SOL holdings have dropped to roughly 600,000 tokens, a nearly 70% decrease from the "over 2 million" figure cited in mid-September. The sales timing, average transaction price and approval process were not fully disclosed to shareholders beforehand. Bastion Trading, a major shareholder holding approximately 9.99% of outstanding common shares, issued a statement today expressing serious concern over SkyAI’s cash tender offer announced on October 11. Bastion said it will not participate in the offer until its concerns are properly addressed, and demanded immediate full disclosure of SOL disposal details, an independent review, a board restructure, and an increase in the tender offer price from $3.00 per share to at least $3.50. Bastion also noted that at the 2026 annual general meeting, all five incumbent directors received far more abstentions than votes in favor—some with a nearly 3-to-1 ratio—questioning the current board, which has lost shareholder trust, for still leading the sale of core reserves and advancing the tender offer.
Nasdaq-listed company SkyAI, which centers its digital asset reserves on Solana, previously held over 2 million SOL tokens. Since October, the firm has transferred around 1.57 million SOL, valued at roughly $175 million; SkyAI disclosed it recently sold 1 million SOL for approximately $107 million, and noted it may continue selling. On-chain data shows its average purchase price was around $194, with an unrealized loss of over $160 million based on recent prices. A Form 8-K filed on October 13 revealed the company’s SOL holdings had dropped to roughly 600,000 tokens, a nearly 70% reduction from the "over 2 million" figure cited in mid-September. The timing of the sales, average transaction price, and approval process were not fully disclosed to shareholders previously. Major shareholder Bastion Trading, which holds approximately 9.99% of outstanding common shares, issued a statement today expressing serious concerns over SkyAI’s cash tender offer announced on October 11, stating it will not participate until its concerns are adequately addressed. The firm demanded immediate full disclosure of SOL disposal details, an independent review, a board restructuring, and an increase of the tender offer price from $3.00 per share to at least $3.50 per share, among other requests. Bastion Trading also noted that at the 2026 annual general meeting, all five incumbent directors received far more abstentions than votes in favor, with some ratios approaching 3-to-1, questioning whether the current board, having lost shareholder confidence, still leads the sale of core reserves and the tender offer.
Internet Computer (ICP) averaged about 1,816 transactions per second over the past week, narrowing the gap with Solana (SOL), which still leads at 1,896 tx/s, per Chainspect data.
Internet Computer is closing in on Solana in real-world throughput. Over the past week, @dfinity's network averaged about 1,816 transactions per second (tx/s), according to @chainspect_app data.
@Solana still leads the metric at 1,896 tx/s. However, $SOL's figure has fallen by nearly 1% over the period, while the throughput of $ICP, the native token of Internet Computer, has climbed by 6.33%. On those numbers, the gap between the two networks is now around 80 tx/s.
How the gap has narrowedThe latest reading is a notable shift from recent snapshots. In mid-September, Chainspect's weekly ranking put Solana at 1,710 tx/s and Internet Computer at 1,502 tx/s, a difference of 208 tx/s, Hokanews reported. In that ranking, BNB Chain was third at 213.7 tx/s, well behind both networks.
Rankings between the two chains have also swung with the measurement window. Chainspect figures cited by The Crypto Times showed Solana ahead on a one-hour basis in August, at 1,635 tx/s versus 1,309 tx/s for Internet Computer. By contrast, a May report from Bankless Times said Internet Computer averaged 2,554 tx/s over a week, against 1,153 tx/s for Solana. Short-term load can move these figures considerably.
Why the numbers differThe two networks are built differently. Internet Computer splits its workload across more than 49 independent subnets, each running its own consensus, which lets the chain scale horizontally rather than through a single execution layer, Bitget News reported citing Chainspect. Solana relies on a single high-speed chain.
Chainspect's cumulative data also shows Internet Computer ahead on lifetime transactions. As of 11 August, it recorded a total of more than 298 billion for Internet Computer, compared with 121 billion for Solana, according to The Crypto Times.
Throughput is only one measure of network health. Usage and token valuation have not moved in step: Startup Fortune noted that ICP traded near $2.11 even as Internet Computer's cumulative count passed 300 billion transactions. Whether Internet Computer can overtake Solana on weekly real TPS will depend on whether the recent trend holds.
SourcesChainspect: Solana vs ICP comparison
The Crypto Times: Internet Computer (ICP) tops blockchain transactions chart
Hokanews: Solana, Internet Computer lead crypto networks in real TPS
Crypto has a short attention span. Grayscale’s head of research thinks that could cost investors.
Zach Pandl cautioned that market participants may be overlooking Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain. Meanwhile, newer narratives around assets like Zcash and Hyperliquid are soaking up the spotlight. His argument: the established smart contract platforms are positioned to anchor a coming tokenization wave. That wave could involve trillions in on-chain assets.
What Pandl actually said
Pandl made the remarks in an interview at the TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore. The comments were published on October 13, 2026.
His core point was about distraction. Privacy features and perpetual futures platforms are captivating a lot of investors right now. Pandl doesn’t dispute the excitement. He just thinks it risks pulling focus from the infrastructure Wall Street will need.
Pandl tied this to an expected tokenization boom. Tokenization means representing real-world financial assets as tokens on a blockchain. He pointed to three categories in particular:
Stablecoins, the dollar-pegged tokens already used widely across crypto
Tokenized deposits, which put bank deposits on-chain
Tokenized securities, such as stocks or bonds issued in blockchain form
Pandl also flagged something about crypto culture itself. Many enthusiasts, he noted, seem to prioritize projects that generate high revenue. That creates an environment where steady long-term bets on established platforms can slip through the cracks.
He was candid that Grayscale’s view isn’t universally shared. The firm believes smart contract platforms are essential to a robust crypto portfolio. Pandl acknowledged that this position is not a consensus among crypto natives.
The scoreboard problem
Zcash posted a +389% increase over the past year. Hyperliquid rose +100% over the same stretch. Both outpaced ETH and SOL.
Zcash is a privacy-focused coin. Hyperliquid is a platform built around perpetual futures, a type of derivative contract with no expiry date that lets traders bet on price moves with leverage.
Background: why Grayscale cares about the base layer
Grayscale has long positioned itself as a bridge between crypto and traditional finance. From that vantage point, Pandl’s comments are consistent. When Wall Street adopts blockchain technology, it will want platforms with deep developer ecosystems, established track records and the ability to handle assets like stablecoins and tokenized securities at scale.
Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain fit that description in Grayscale’s view. They are among the most widely used smart contract networks. Stablecoins and tokenized assets are expected to improve transaction efficiency and cut costs. Any platform hosting a large share of that activity could become a central piece of a diversified crypto portfolio, according to the research findings accompanying Pandl’s remarks.
What this means for investors
Pandl’s argument is essentially a reminder about time horizons. Short-term returns have favored the newer narratives. His thesis is about where value may accrue if tokenization scales the way proponents expect.
There’s also the competitive question. Pandl grouped Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain together, but they compete with each other for the same institutional activity. A tokenization boom wouldn’t necessarily lift all three equally.
What to watch: whether stablecoin and tokenized securities activity actually grows on these networks, and whether institutions start announcing products built on them. Until then, Pandl is making a contrarian call in a market that currently prefers the sizzle to the steak.
Pandl himself admits plenty of crypto natives would bet against him.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Ondo Finance has announced that the total value locked (TVL) of its tokenized products stands at $4 billion, with tokenized stocks and ETFs exceeding $1.3 billion. The firm noted it holds the leading position in the tokenized U.S. Treasuries segment, with cumulative holders of all its products surpassing 1 million. Ondo Finance’s tokenized products can be permissionlessly transferred across networks including Solana, Ethereum, and BNB Chain, while Ondo Stocks accesses traditional financial liquidity via a request-for-quote (RFQ) mechanism.
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Ledger: German retail and distribution inventory devices show no signs of tampering, and no financial loss reports have been received across Europe.
Hardware wallet provider Ledger’s security team Donjon has updated on a German-related report, stating that after receiving a report from a German user, it inspected inventory devices at retail outlets and distributors in the country, including products at the named stores, and found no signs of tampering. Ledger also noted that there have been no reports of financial losses linked to hardware implants across Europe. Separately, regarding the suspected abnormal devices circulating online, the security team has not obtained physical units for testing. It has now invited holders of such devices to send them to Ledger’s security team for further analysis, with investigation results to be made public.
3 hours ago
Hyperliquid HIP-3 Cumulative Revenue Reaches $75 Million
Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 has generated a total of $75 million in cumulative revenue, with $37.5 million going to deployers and the remaining $37.5 million allocated for repurchasing and burning Hyperliquid’s native token. HIP-3, the Builder-deployed perpetual contract mechanism, allows eligible deployers to launch their own perpetual markets on Hyperliquid: they can define oracles, contract specifications, and manage operations, while leveraging the protocol’s core infrastructure such as order books and liquidation systems. Fees from these markets are typically split 50/50 between deployers and the protocol, with the protocol’s revenue share used for token repurchases and burns.
Beating AI Express News: xAI has launched its speech-to-speech model Grok Voice 3.0, claiming it ranks first on the Speech-to-Speech Index in an independent test by Artificial Analysis, scoring 86.9 points—higher than Grok Voice 2.0 (81.3), GPT-Live-1 (83.2), and Gemini 3.8 Live (82.6). The model also features end-to-end latency of under 1 second. It is now available via the Voice Agent API, priced at $0.08 per minute, matching the previous generation; agents using the "grok-voice-latest" tag will automatically switch to the new model. According to xAI, Grok Voice handles millions of daily conversations for Tesla and SpaceX: Starlink’s customer service center receives around 20,000 calls daily, with roughly 70% resolved without human intervention, and about a quarter of sales calls resulting in a purchase before the call ends. On benchmarks, Grok Voice scores 74% accuracy on ServiceNow EVA-Bench and 71.6% on τ-Voice, which the company says is comparable to GPT-Live-1 but with roughly 40% lower latency.
3 hours ago
White House Crypto Committee 'effectively defunct' as Executive Director Patrick Witt’s secondment is set to expire.
Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett said she emailed the White House three times over the past week to inquire whether Patrick Witt still serves as executive director of the White House Crypto Council, and received no reply. Witt himself declined to comment.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Witt, a U.S. Department of Defense employee temporarily seconded to the White House Crypto Council, has reached or is nearing the end of his secondment, with his reappointment status unclear. Earlier this year, he delayed his service in the Georgia National Guard, and is expected to resume his military service soon.
Terrett added that Harry Jung, deputy director of the White House Crypto Council, left his post at the end of July, and after David Sacks’ tenure as Crypto and AI “tsar” concluded, Witt is now the only remaining staff member of the council.
The crypto policy community is now debating: after the CLARITY Act (officially the Crypto Market Structure Act) failed to advance in the Senate, whether the White House still prioritizes the crypto industry.
The relevant personnel changes have not yet been officially confirmed by the White House.
3 hours ago
US stocks slump, with the optical communication sector leading the decline; semiconductor, storage, and crypto-related stocks all fall across the board, and Strategy drops 5.8%.
According to market data from BIT (bit.com), during U.S. stock trading hours, the S&P 500 index’s decline widened to 1.1%, the Nasdaq fell 1.64%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3%. Semiconductor, storage, optical communication, and crypto-related stocks all fell across the board, with the optical communication sector leading losses, as most major individual stocks in the sector declined by over 7%. In the semiconductor and storage sectors: Seagate Technology (STX) fell 2.8%; Western Digital (WDC) dropped 3.2%; SanDisk (SNDK) declined 4.7%; Micron Technology (MU) fell 3.3%; NVIDIA (NVDA) dropped 2.9%; Intel (INTC) fell 4.2%; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) declined 5.3%. Among crypto-related stocks: Strategy (MSTR) fell 5.8%; Coinbase (COIN) dropped 4.6%; Circle (CRCL) declined 6.4%; BitMine Immersion (BMNR) fell 5.3%; SharpLink Gaming (SBET) dropped 7.4%. In the optical communication sector: Pure Photonics ETF (FOTO) fell 6.2%; Marvell Technology (MRVL) dropped 5.8%; AAOI (Applied Optoelectronics) declined 9.8%; LITE (Lumentum Holdings) fell 7.2%; COHR (Coherent Corp.) dropped 7.8%; CIEN (Ciena Corporation) declined 7.8%.
3 hours ago
USDC designated as EU's first 'systemically important e-money token'
The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced that it has classified USDC, issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, as an Important Electronic Money Token (EMT) under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. To date, 45 EMTs in the EU have completed notification under MiCA, with USDC being the first to be designated as an Important EMT. Starting November 12, 2026, USDC will be subject to dual supervision for Important EMTs under MiCA: direct regulatory responsibilities for own funds, asset reserves, liquidity requirements, and recovery and redemption plans will be transferred from the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) to the EBA; ACPR will retain oversight of governance, qualifying holdings, suitability assessments, outsourcing, and conflicts of interest. USDC is issued by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS in the EU and Circle Internet Financial, LLC in the U.S. The EBA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New York State Department of Financial Services to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on cross-border stablecoin activities.
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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Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade goes live October 21st, targeting ~150ms finality.
Solana’s most ambitious consensus overhaul, Alpenglow, will activate at epoch 1064 on Oct. 21st, around 15:00 UTC, per the Solana Foundation. It swaps out TowerBFT, the voting system Solana has run since genesis, and targets roughly 150 millisecond finality, down from about 12.8 seconds today.
What’s the Scoop? Votor first, Rotor later: Next week’s switch ships only Votor, Alpenglow’s new voting engine. Under Votor, validators trade signed votes directly and roll them into compact certificates. Rotor, the block-propagation half of the design, needs its own governance proposal and doesn’t have a date yet.
Finality simplified: Solana’s “confirmed” and “finalized” states effectively merge, so bridges and exchanges no longer have to pick between speed and certainty. In return, Alpenglow drops the classic 1/3rd fault-tolerance bar for a “20+20” model: the network stays safe with up to 20% of stake acting maliciously and keeps running with another 20% offline.
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Client shakeup: Neither Firedancer client will support the migration window itself, so those operators must temporarily run Agave. The hybrid Frankendancer client is also being retired for good. Firedancer-family clients have secured roughly 14% to 26% of staked SOL this year, depending on the tally.
Vote fees out, burn in: Per-vote fees of about 1 SOL per epoch give way to a flat 0.8 SOL admission ticket, and the ticket is burned in full. Because votes leave blocks, Solana’s raw TPS will plunge on day one. Non-vote TPS is the number to watch for apples-to-apples comparisons.
The big picture: Alpenglow was first unveiled at Solana Accelerate in May 2025 and was once expected as early as Q1 2026. That slow rollout is the right call for swapping consensus on a live network. The bigger shift is philosophical: Proof of History, Solana’s calling card at launch, stops keeping time for consensus next week.
William M. Peaster 1070 posts
William M. Peaster, Senior Writer, has been with Bankless since January 2021. Immersed in Ethereum since 2017, he covers the onchain frontier with a particular interest in art, games, and other culture apps. He has a background in creative writing and writes fiction in his free time.
Bastion Trading, a 9.99% shareholder of Solana treasury company SkyAI (Nasdaq: SKYA), is challenging the company’s $3.00-per-share tender offer and demanding disclosure of the roughly 70% of its Solana (SOL) holdings sold in under a month. In an October 14 letter, the activist investor asked SkyAI to raise the offer to at least $3.50 per share or eligible warrant, add independent directors to a special committee, and explain when, at what prices, and how the SOL sales were approved.
The letter lands three days after SkyAI announced the tender on October 11, a move that had already rejected a takeover bid from Forward Industries. Bastion argues the terms are unfair and that a board which lost stockholder support should not run the transaction.
Why Bastion Says the $3.00 Offer Is Too Low
Bastion pegs SkyAI’s net asset value at roughly $3.30 per share and wants the tender price lifted to at least $3.50. The estimate assumes SOL at $110 and counts SOL holdings plus cash, minus liabilities, divided by the fully diluted share count, according to the letter.
The investor also wants two conditions removed: a $100 SOL price condition that lets the company abandon the tender on short-term price moves, and a 50% minimum participation threshold for each security class. It separately objects to strategic advisor warrants held by Sol Markets, an entity controlled by James Zhang, the brother of SkyAI director and chief investment officer Alice Zhang, arguing those warrants should not be cashed out on the same footing as shares held by outside investors.
The 70% SOL Sell-Off at the Center of the Dispute
The sharper claim concerns disclosure. SkyAI’s tender announcement revealed it had sold about one million SOL, roughly half its treasury, but a Form 8-K filed October 13 showed only about 600,000 SOL remained. That implies roughly 70% of the treasury was sold in under a month, Bastion said, weeks after SkyAI reaffirmed its Solana digital asset treasury strategy on September 14 with more than two million SOL on hand.
Bastion contends stockholders were never told the dates of the sales, the realized prices, or how the disposals were approved, and that the sequence raises questions under securities laws and Nasdaq disclosure rules. SkyAI has not yet publicly answered the letter.
What the Numbers Leave Open
The fight is not one-sided. Bastion’s $3.30 NAV depends on a $110 SOL assumption; with SOL trading near $104.79 on October 14, the implied value would come in lower, though a precise recalculation needs SkyAI’s full balance sheet. The definitive tender offer documents had not been filed when the letter was issued, so the final price, funding, and conditions remain unpublished.
Bastion also leans on the annual-meeting vote it cites: all five incumbent directors received more withhold than for votes, in some cases nearly three to one. Whether that converts into a revised offer or a reconstituted board is now the open question.
What Happens Next
Bastion says it will not tender under the current terms and is “prepared to pursue all available legal remedies.” The next signals are SkyAI’s formal response, whether an independent special committee is formed, and the tender offer filing that will lock in the final terms. The dispute over SkyAI’s SOL treasury echoes a broader push by public companies to hold crypto on their balance sheets, including Forward Industries’ own $25 million Solana treasury build-up.
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Jide Idowu is a skilled freelance writer with expertise in blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and digital finance. Known for his ability to break down complex topics into clear, engaging content, Jide crafts articles, blog posts, and analyses that resonate with both beginners and seasoned professionals. His work spans a wide range of subjects, from emerging crypto trends to in-depth explorations of blockchain innovations. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for educating readers, Jide is a reliable voice in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.
Bastion Trading, which holds nearly 10% of Solana treasury company SkyAI, is demanding an explanation for a major drop in its SOL holdings ahead of a proposed $3-per-share buyback.
In a Wednesday release, the investment firm said that it would not participate in the tender offer until its concerns were addressed. It also reiterated calls for a complete overhaul of SkyAI's board.
SkyAI said on Sept. 14 that it held more than 2 million SOL worth roughly $207 million at the time, and was still committed to its Solana treasury strategy.
Then, in an Oct. 11 buyback announcement, SkyAI disclosed it sold around 1 million SOL and still held roughly 1 million. But an 8-K filed Tuesday put the remaining balance at approximately 600,000 SOL, totaling a 70% reduction of its treasury in less than a month.
The filing did not explain the 400,000 SOL discrepancy from its previously announced sale. Bastion wants SkyAI to disclose dates, quantities, prices, and proceeds of all recent sales, as well as how the transactions were approved.
Bastion called the sale a "fundamental departure" from SkyAI's treasury strategy.
According to the filings, SkyAI said it plans to use proceeds from the SOL sales to buy up to 95% of its outstanding shares and warrants for around $200 million. Bastion is pushing for the per-share buyback raised from $3 to $3.50. It also wants strategic advisor warrants to be excluded on the basis that they were granted to a company controlled by the brother of SkyAI's CIO.
This all follows a September shareholder protest that saw all five SkyAI directors receive more withhold votes than support, but were able to keep their seats because there was no option to vote to remove them.
Solana options traders had a busy week. Implied volatility on SOL contracts with 2 days left to expiry climbed by 18.3 points over the span of a single week.
What the options market is pricing Implied volatility, or IV, is the market’s guess at how wildly an asset will swing, backed out from what people are willing to pay for options.
Data from options analytics provider Derivasys shows how jumpy that pricing has been. On October 9, 2026, SOL’s one-week at-the-money IV dropped 8.58 points to 49.63%. A later October snapshot showed the same one-week measure rising 7.16 points to 54.04%.
Zooming out a bit, the 30-day at-the-money IV sat around 54.9% as of mid-October 2026. The front expiry, meanwhile, was pricing in IV near 66.6%.
When near-dated options cost more than longer-dated ones, the volatility curve is said to be inverted, which is options-speak for “the worry is immediate.”
Realized volatility is running hot too SOL’s realized volatility over the previous 30 days came in at 64.3% as of October 2026. Here, the actual swings over the past month have outpaced the 54.9% that 30-day options are implying. Only the front expiry, at roughly 66.6%, is pricing turbulence at or above what SOL has actually delivered.
A thinner market than Bitcoin or Ethereum SOL options open interest stood at approximately $117 million as of mid-October 2026. The research describes SOL’s open interest as relatively thin compared to larger players like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The put/call ratio sits around 0.80. Max pain, the strike price at which the largest number of options would expire worthless, was hovering at $110.
The premium over Bitcoin Spreads between SOL and BTC one-week at-the-money IV have been observed in the range of 18 to 24 points. The Derivasys data also highlights that SOL’s short-dated IV is more reactive than both BTC and ETH.
Why a 2-day tenor matters A jump of 18.3 points at that tenor suggests demand for very short-term exposure picked up meaningfully. The research points to robust hedging demand alongside the potential for speculative activity as market sentiment shifts.
Short-dated options also feed back into spot markets. Dealers who sell those contracts often hedge by trading the underlying asset, which can amplify moves in either direction when expiry approaches.
What this means for traders With 30-day realized volatility at 64.3% and 30-day IV at 54.9%, traders selling longer-dated options are effectively betting SOL calms down.
Max pain at $110 gives expiry watchers a reference point showing where option sellers would collectively prefer SOL to settle when contracts roll off.
The put/call ratio near 0.80 shows calls still lead, yet the put side carries enough weight to signal that plenty of participants want a safety net in place.
The 18 to 24 point spread over Bitcoin is a measure of how much extra turbulence SOL carries compared to the market leader. According to the research, any significant price move could trigger amplified reactions in SOL’s options market, with knock-on effects for positioning across the broader crypto landscape.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
In brief Alpenglow activates on Solana mainnet in epoch 1064, which starts on Wednesday, October 21, at approximately 15:00 UTC, according to the Solana Foundation. The upgrade replaces TowerBFT and targets transaction finality of roughly 150 milliseconds, down from about 12.8 seconds today. Vote transactions will leave blocks, so Solana's headline transaction counts and TPS figures will drop sharply without any drop in real activity. Solana has locked in October 21 for Alpenglow, a full replacement of the system its validators use to reach consensus. The switch is tied to epoch 1064, which the Solana Foundation expects to begin around 15:00 UTC that Wednesday.
Alpenglow retires TowerBFT, the current system the network uses, and aims to make transactions final in roughly 150 milliseconds. Finality is the moment a transaction becomes irreversible, and under TowerBFT that currently takes about 12.8 seconds.
Myriad: Where does Solana go next? Click to make your prediction.On Solana today, a payment is confirmed pretty quickly, but that’s not a guarantee. Until TowerBFT runs out its 13 second clock, the block could in theory still be dropped.
That small doubt is why anyone handling real money tends to wait out the full window. With finality at around 150ms, the irreversible answer arrives almost as fast as the optimistic one, which is what a checkout counter taking SOL or a DeFI application, or a trading desk settling a position actually needs.
TowerBFT works by having validators post their votes as on-chain transactions, and a block only counts as final once 32 slots’ worth of those votes pile up. Votor, the voting protocol shipping with Alpenglow, takes votes off the chain, so validators message each other directly, package the votes into certificates, and can lock in a block after a single round of voting, or two at most.
When 80% or more of stake backs a block in the first round, it finalizes on the spot. If support lands between 60% and 80%, a second round with 60% thresholds decides whether the block is finalized or skipped, and the Foundation says the design tolerates 20% malicious stake plus another 20% offline.
It’s time.
Alpenglow goes live on mainnet-beta Wednesday, October 21, ~14:50 UTC.
18 months of work for a migration that happens in one slot. Finality drops from seconds to ~150ms.
Make sure to follow us @anza_xyz as we countdown to go-live.
Details: https://t.co/MEf26uzCMW
— Anza (@anza_xyz) October 13, 2026
Ordinary users don’t need to do anything, and wallets and apps should behave as they do now. The Solana Virtual Machine, transaction formats, programs, and fees are left alone, while for developers the “confirmed” and “finalized” commitment levels become one and the same.
Each vote account also needs 0.8 SOL on top of its rent-exempt balance to pay the new Validator Admission Ticket, a per-epoch fee of the same size that gets burned. It replaces the roughly 1 SOL per epoch validators spent on vote transaction fees under TowerBFT, and a validator that can’t cover it sits out voting and block production for the following epoch.
The feature gate turns on as epoch 1064 begins, yet TowerBFT stays in charge for another 5,000 slots, roughly 18 minutes, before Alpenglow takes control at slot 459,653,000. This assures stability and prevents any issues during transition.
Validators approved Alpenglow in September 2025, when the SIMD-0326 proposal passed with 98.27% of votes cast in favor. In May, Anza Lead Economist Max Resnick told Decrypt the team was looking at a late Q3 or early Q4 mainnet activation, so everything is going according to schedule.
October 21 delivers only Votor, the first half of Alpenglow. Rotor, a replacement for Turbine, the system Solana uses to broadcast block data between validators, comes later and still has no date.
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In brief
Alpenglow activates on Solana mainnet in epoch 1064, which starts on Wednesday, October 21, at approximately 15:00 UTC, according to the Solana Foundation.
The upgrade replaces TowerBFT and targets transaction finality of roughly 150 milliseconds, down from about 12.8 seconds today.
Vote transactions will leave blocks, so Solana's headline transaction counts and TPS figures will drop sharply without any drop in real activity.
Solana has locked in October 21 for Alpenglow, a full replacement of the system its validators use to reach consensus. The switch is tied to epoch 1064, which the Solana Foundation expects to begin around 15:00 UTC that Wednesday.
Alpenglow retires TowerBFT, the current system the network uses, and aims to make transactions final in roughly 150 milliseconds. Finality is the moment a transaction becomes irreversible, and under TowerBFT that currently takes about 12.8 seconds.
Myriad: Where does Solana go next? Click to make your prediction.On Solana today, a payment is confirmed pretty quickly, but that’s not a guarantee. Until TowerBFT runs out its 13 second clock, the block could in theory still be dropped.
That small doubt is why anyone handling real money tends to wait out the full window. With finality at around 150ms, the irreversible answer arrives almost as fast as the optimistic one, which is what a checkout counter taking SOL or a DeFI application, or a trading desk settling a position actually needs.
TowerBFT works by having validators post their votes as on-chain transactions, and a block only counts as final once 32 slots’ worth of those votes pile up. Votor, the voting protocol shipping with Alpenglow, takes votes off the chain, so validators message each other directly, package the votes into certificates, and can lock in a block after a single round of voting, or two at most.
When 80% or more of stake backs a block in the first round, it finalizes on the spot. If support lands between 60% and 80%, a second round with 60% thresholds decides whether the block is finalized or skipped, and the Foundation says the design tolerates 20% malicious stake plus another 20% offline.
It’s time.
Alpenglow goes live on mainnet-beta Wednesday, October 21, ~14:50 UTC.
18 months of work for a migration that happens in one slot. Finality drops from seconds to ~150ms.
Make sure to follow us @anza_xyz as we countdown to go-live.
Details: https://t.co/MEf26uzCMW
— Anza (@anza_xyz) October 13, 2026
Ordinary users don’t need to do anything, and wallets and apps should behave as they do now. The Solana Virtual Machine, transaction formats, programs, and fees are left alone, while for developers the “confirmed” and “finalized” commitment levels become one and the same.
Each vote account also needs 0.8 SOL on top of its rent-exempt balance to pay the new Validator Admission Ticket, a per-epoch fee of the same size that gets burned. It replaces the roughly 1 SOL per epoch validators spent on vote transaction fees under TowerBFT, and a validator that can’t cover it sits out voting and block production for the following epoch.
The feature gate turns on as epoch 1064 begins, yet TowerBFT stays in charge for another 5,000 slots, roughly 18 minutes, before Alpenglow takes control at slot 459,653,000. This assures stability and prevents any issues during transition.
Validators approved Alpenglow in September 2025, when the SIMD-0326 proposal passed with 98.27% of votes cast in favor. In May, Anza Lead Economist Max Resnick told Decrypt the team was looking at a late Q3 or early Q4 mainnet activation, so everything is going according to schedule.
October 21 delivers only Votor, the first half of Alpenglow. Rotor, a replacement for Turbine, the system Solana uses to broadcast block data between validators, comes later and still has no date.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Join 72,000+ readers
Create an account to save your articles.
Add on Google
Add Decrypt as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
With over four years of experience in covering and tracking the financial markets, Sneha Agrawal is a dedicated Crypto Journalist and Editor with passion for researching and writing the crypto pieces. She is currently leading the Block of Fame, here at CoinGape. She likes to keep track of political, legal and financial happenings all around the world - without which she deems her day incomplete. Apart from her Journalistic endeavours, she is a solo traveler, museum goer, and a keen reader of books.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Shiba Inu is trading near $0.00000517, and the chart indicates a market that has gone quiet. Trading volume in recent sessions is tiny compared with the spikes seen in late July, August and September. When volume fades like this, price moves lose strength, and neither buyers nor sellers show real control.
Shiba Inu finally stabilizesSHIB peaked near $0.00000627 in late September, but it could not hold above the long black moving average near $0.00000563. Since then, it has slipped below the blue and orange averages, which sit near $0.00000541 and $0.00000529. Both now act as resistance. The daily RSI is around 40, which indicates weak momentum but not an oversold market, so a bounce is not guaranteed.
SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingViewPrice dipped to approximately $0.00000502 in recent days and buyers stepped in, so the $0.00000500 area is the line to hold. A break below it could open the way toward the September low near $0.00000475. A recovery above $0.00000530 would be the first sign that sellers are tiring.
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On-chain picture isn't clear eitherOn-chain data presents mixed signals. Exchange reserves are approximately 87.1 trillion SHIB, down 0.11% on the day, and netflow is negative at approximately 98.9 billion SHIB. That means more coins left exchanges than came in, which is usually a sign that holders are not rushing to sell. But the picture is not entirely positive. The seven-day average of coins leaving exchanges fell 42%, while the average inflow fell 14%. Fewer coins are moving in either direction, which fits the low volume on the chart.
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Network activity is flat too. Transactions sit near 4,800 and transfers near 3,700, both up less than 1% on the day. The value of coins held on exchanges is approximately $447.7 million, down 0.69%. The burned supply metric shows no data, so burns provide no clear support for the price right now.
For now, SHIB is stuck below resistance with thin trading and no push from either side. A move on rising volume is needed to end the uncertainty. Until that appears, the price direction remains unclear, and a retest of $0.00000500 is possible.
Shiba Inu is currently priced around $0.00000517, with market activity turning notably quiet. Recent trading volumes are much lower than the surges observed in late July, August, and September, signaling a lack of clear direction between buyers and sellers.
Key resistance and support levelsAfter peaking close to $0.00000627 in late September, SHIB failed to sustain gains above its long-term moving average, which sits near $0.00000563. It has since slipped beneath the blue and orange moving averages at approximately $0.00000541 and $0.00000529, respectively. Both now serve as resistance levels, limiting the potential for an immediate rebound.
The daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) is hovering around 40. This reading points to weak market momentum, although it does not suggest the token is currently oversold. As a result, a sharp bounce cannot be counted on at this stage.
The price recently dipped to roughly $0.00000502, prompting some buying activity. The $0.00000500 area stands out as key support. Should SHIB fall below this threshold, there is risk of a decline toward September’s low of around $0.00000475. Conversely, a recovery above $0.00000530 may indicate that sellers are beginning to lose their grip.
On-chain indicators mixedOn-chain data for Shiba Inu shows a mixed picture. Exchange reserves are estimated at 87.1 trillion SHIB, which marks a daily decrease of 0.11%. Netflow is negative at roughly 98.9 billion SHIB, meaning more tokens have left exchanges than entered. This dynamic typically suggests that holders are not in a hurry to offload their coins.
However, the details are not entirely favorable. Over the past seven days, the average amount of SHIB leaving exchanges has fallen by 42%, while the average inflow declined 14%. The reduced movement of coins in both directions aligns with the subdued trading volume visible on the charts.
Network activity has also shown limited change. The number of daily transactions remains close to 4,800 and transfers are near 3,700, with neither metric moving more than 1% for the day. The combined value of SHIB held on exchanges stands at approximately $447.7 million, down 0.69%. Meanwhile, the burned supply metric currently displays no available data, offering no clear indication of token burns providing support for price action.
Mini dictionary: Netflow refers to the difference between cryptocurrency tokens sent to and withdrawn from exchanges. A negative netflow indicates that more tokens are being withdrawn than deposited, which is often interpreted as investors moving assets to private wallets instead of preparing to sell on open markets.
Outlook remains uncertainAt present, SHIB continues to trade below resistance, with minimal trading activity hinting at indecision among participants. A decisive move, ideally accompanied by an increase in volume, will be necessary to clarify the token’s next direction.
For now, SHIB remains capped below resistance with low trading volumes and no momentum from either buyers or sellers. The possibility of a fresh retest of $0.00000500 cannot be ruled out until the market sees a strong shift in participation.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Shiba Inu has completed a death cross signal on its 4-hour chart, the first occurrence of such a signal on this timeframe in October. The MA 50 has fallen below the MA 200 on the 4-hour chart, a death cross.
This comes against the backdrop of a tough run for SHIB, whose price fell for a third day in a row to trade below $0.000005. Similar bearish crossovers have appeared on other short-term timeframes since October's start, including the hourly, 2-hour, and 3-hour charts, as SHIB struggled to maintain its upward momentum.
SHIB/USD 4-Hour Chart, Courtesy: TradingViewAt the time of writing, SHIB was significantly down on a 24-hour basis as the markets reacted sharply to hotter-than-expected CPI data.
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Consumer prices increased again, keeping the inflation rate well above the Federal Reserve's goal. The consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6% for the month, putting the 12-month rate at 3.7%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.
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Fed officials responded in September by approving their first interest rate hike in more than three years, a quarter-percentage-point move that took the benchmark funds rate to a target range of 3.75%–4%. Markets expect the Fed to skip an October increase but to hike again in December.
Potential scenariosAt the time of writing, SHIB was down 3.88% in the last 24 hours to $0.000005015 amid a weeklong selloff and is down 6.66% over the past seven days.
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The recent selloff has brought SHIB beneath its moving averages, supporting the bearish short-term setup. If SHIB continues to trade below important support levels, sellers could continue to have the upper hand, potentially exposing it to lower levels; in this case, the $0.000004 level.
However, the crossover alone would not confirm a deeper correction. Traders would also need to watch for price action, trading volume, and whether buyers defend nearby support, which could see SHIB back above $0.000005 and then $0.000006.
Alternatively, SHIB could continue to range trade as the short-term bearish signals enter a tug of war with the earlier bullish daily-chart crossover.
Shiba Inu posted its first death cross signal of October on the 4-hour chart, after the 50-period moving average dropped below the 200-period moving average. This technical indicator is often interpreted by traders as a potential sign of continued weakness in the market.
SHIB price action and inflation impactThe latest bearish crossover coincides with a challenging period for Shiba Inu. The token recorded three consecutive days of declines, slipping below the $0.000005 mark. Similar death cross signals have materialized on shorter timeframes such as the hourly, 2-hour, and 3-hour charts since the start of October, highlighting persistent downward pressure.
Shiba Inu’s recent losses followed a broader risk-off move in crypto after consumer price index data came in higher than expected. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 0.6% for the month on a seasonally adjusted basis, raising the 12-month inflation rate to 3.7%. This number remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Reacting to inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve implemented its first interest rate hike in more than three years last September, raising the benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%. Market participants anticipate that the Fed may pause rate increases in October but expect an additional hike in December as policymakers attempt to curb persistent inflation.
Bearish outlook and support levelsAt the time of writing, Shiba Inu traded at $0.000005015, down 3.88% over the previous 24 hours and 6.66% over the last week. Consecutive price declines have pushed SHIB below its major moving averages, reinforcing a bearish technical structure in the short term.
Some traders see continued vulnerability if SHIB remains beneath key support areas, with the possibility of sellers driving the price further towards the $0.000004 region. However, analysts caution that technical signals such as a death cross should be weighed alongside other indicators. Factors such as trading volume, overall market sentiment, and buyers’ ability to defend support zones could all impact the token’s near-term direction.
A sustained rebound above $0.000005 and a push toward $0.000006 could reestablish positive momentum, depending on how buyers respond at current levels. Alternatively, the price may consolidate as recent bearish signals interact with earlier bullish momentum observed on the higher timeframe daily chart.
Consumer prices rose 0.6% for the month, with the 12-month inflation rate reaching 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This ongoing inflationary trend has placed additional pressure on risk assets such as $SHIB.
Market monitoring and toolsGiven the heightened volatility and impact of macroeconomic decisions or sudden altcoin listings, effective real-time tracking becomes crucial. In fast-moving environments where a single Fed announcement or exchange listing can quickly alter market dynamics, traders increasingly turn to consolidated, privacy-first tools like CryptoAppsy. These platforms allow investors to view real-time charts, set smart price alerts, access coin-specific news, and monitor key macro data, all without account signups and across a single unified dashboard.
With a Saturn Cloud Stack, every new customer's inference service is a single deployment, running in an isolated tenant cluster on the operator's own GPUs.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Saturn Cloud, the AI token factory platform, and vCluster Labs, the platform operators use to build and run their own AI cloud like a hyperscaler, today announced a partnership to help AI clouds sell managed, per-token inference on their own GPUs.
As a first step, Saturn Cloud is coming to vCluster Stack, a single, reusable, pre-validated deployment template that installs the Saturn Cloud platform inside an isolated tenant cluster. The partnership gives AI cloud providers a repeatable way to launch a managed inference service, where each customer gets their own isolated environment and per-token endpoints on the operator's GPUs. This follows Saturn Cloud's integrations with NVIDIA DSX OS and NVIDIA Run:ai, which give operators on NVIDIA infrastructure the same managed platform without building it themselves.
"The neoclouds we talk to want to sell inference without reinventing how they isolate each customer," said Sebastian Metti, founder and CEO of Saturn Cloud. "With Saturn Cloud as a vCluster Stack, our token factory, fine-tuning, and per-token billing deploy straight into a tenant the operator already trusts. One deployment instead of a custom integration for every customer."
Saturn Cloud Sells the Tokens, vCluster Isolates Each Customer, Stacks Repeats at Scale
Saturn Cloud turns GPUs into per-token inference customers can call. Operators get per-token endpoints, fine-tuning, and usage billing in a self-service portal under their own brand. Inference is the first Stack, and the same platform also runs dedicated GPU capacity, managed fine-tuning, and distributed training on the same fleet.
vCluster gives every customer an isolated cluster of its own. Each customer gets its own tenant cluster with a virtualized control plane. With Private Nodes, each tenant also runs on dedicated nodes, with network, storage, and compute isolated per tenant.
Stacks packages the whole environment so it deploys the same way every time. The Saturn Cloud Stack describes what to install, in what order, and what must be healthy before the next step. Each deployment becomes its own managed environment, with its own health status, logs, and clean removal.
One Deployment for Launching Managed Inference
Consider an AI cloud that wants to offer enterprise customers private inference. With vCluster and Saturn Cloud, the workflow is straightforward. The operator creates the customer's tenant cluster on Private Nodes, running on GPU servers they already own. They deploy the Saturn Cloud stack into it, and the customer can start calling per-token endpoints. Onboarding the next customer follows the same automated process, consistent every time.
A Faster Route to Revenue on GPUs AI Clouds Already Own
AI cloud providers can now define the environment once, then deploy per customer so inference sells alongside GPU capacity and Kubernetes, Slurm, and Ray clusters on the same fleet. Customers get a private inference service with endpoints ready to call.
"AI clouds are moving from renting GPUs to selling services, because the margins are in the services, not the servers," said Lukas Gentele, co-founder and CEO of vCluster Labs. "The providers that win will launch a new service for every customer without a new build. vCluster Stacks and Saturn Cloud make per-token inference one of those services: packaged once and sold to every customer, each in an isolated tenant cluster of its own."
The First Saturn Cloud Stack Is Available Now
The first version of the Saturn Cloud Stack, built by vCluster engineers from Saturn Cloud's Kubernetes installation, is available today. Operators can adapt it to their own environments.
Learn more about Stacks in vCluster Platform 4.12, or contact Saturn Cloud or vCluster Labs to plan a managed inference offering.
About Saturn Cloud
Saturn Cloud is the AI token factory platform for neoclouds, AI Factory operators, and enterprises. It turns GPU infrastructure into managed services for fine-tuning, model serving, and per-token billing, with standard inference endpoints, distributed training, and managed environments. Enterprise security and governance are built in, across public, private, and on-premises environments. Learn more at saturncloud.io.
About vCluster Labs
vCluster Labs is the platform operators use to build and run their own AI cloud, like a hyperscaler. vCluster turns raw GPUs into cluster products they can sell, from bare metal provisioning through managed Kubernetes, Slurm, and inference clusters, with tenant isolation at the infrastructure layer. The result is more margin per GPU, less dependence on a few big customers, and new managed services live in days instead of months. Trusted by fast-growing AI cloud providers including Nebius, Groq, Firmus, and Corvex, and by enterprises including Adobe, Samsung, and Deloitte, across 100K+ GPUs. Learn more at vcluster.com.
Red Robin's lineup includes a new limited-time burger, returning fan-favorite burgers to value menu, bottomless refresher beverages and more starting Oct. 19
KEY POINTS:
Starting Oct. 19, Red Robin's new Prime Rib Stack Burger will be available for a limited time at participating locations nationwide. The Red Robin Prime Rib Stack Burger features a juicy beef burger patty, sliced prime rib, Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onions and garlic aioli on a black-and-white sesame seed brioche bun, served with a bottomless side.
Red Robin is bringing back two fan-favorite burgers, the Bleu Ribbon Burger and Burnin' Love® Burger, that will both be available on the Big YUMMM Deals menu on Oct. 19. Starting at $9.99*, guests can enjoy an entrée, bottomless side and beverage, offering even more delicious options at a great value.
Red Robin launches new line of bottomless Refreshers with five different options. Guests can energize any Refresher flavor with Red Bull®.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) is introducing the new, limited-time Prime Rib Stack Burger, a meat-on-meat masterpiece for guests looking for a premium burger experience. That's not all, Red Robin is bringing back two fan-favorite burgers to the Big YUMMM Deals menu, delivering even more YUMMM and value. The new menu and returning items will be available at participating Red Robin locations nationwide starting Oct. 19.
Starting Oct. 19, Red Robin’s new Prime Rib Stack Burger will be available for a limited time at participating locations nationwide. The Red Robin Prime Rib Stack Burger features a juicy beef burger patty, sliced prime rib, Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onions and garlic aioli on a black-and-white sesame seed brioche bun, served with a bottomless side.
Red Robin’s lineup includes a new limited-time burger, returning fan-favorite burgers to value menu, bottomless refresher beverages and more starting Oct. 19. For more information on the new menu offerings or to find a location, visit RedRobin.com/new-menu-items.
The Red Robin Prime Rib Stack Burger delivers an over-the-top burger experience made for the meat lovers seeking bold, indulgent flavors. The limited-time burger features a hand-pressed beef patty, tender sliced prime rib, Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onion and garlic aioli on a black-and-white sesame seed brioche bun, served with a bottomless side.
The burger goodness doesn't stop there. Red Robin is also bringing back two fan-favorite burgers, the Bleu Ribbon Burger and Burnin' Love Burger®, to its Big YUMMM Deals menu, giving burger lovers even more craveable choices at a great value. The Bleu Ribbon Burger features HEINZ 57® Sauce, bleu cheese crumbles, crispy onion straws, lettuce, tomato and green chili aioli on a brioche bun, while the Burnin' Love Burger returns with fried jalapeño coins, salsa, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and green chili aioli on a brioche bun, both served with a bottomless side and bottomless beverage.
"Burgers are in our DNA, and we wanted to create a burger that brings a little extra indulgence to the table. The Prime Rib Stack Burger is piled high with all the good stuff – a juicy beef patty, tender sliced prime rib, melty cheese and plenty of flavor in every bite," said Brian Sullivan, executive chef and vice president of Culinary & Beverage Innovation at Red Robin. "We're carrying that same spirit into our beverages, with our new bottomless Refreshers, which tap into some of the most fun and current beverage trends our guests crave. From an over-the-top burger to bold, playful drinks, we can't wait for guests to dig in and try all the delicious new items coming to Red Robin."
Red Robin isn't done rolling out new flavors just yet! From appetizers to desserts, even more satisfying menu items are joining the lineup, including:
Spinach Artichoke Dip: Cheesy spinach artichoke dip topped with grated Parmesan and served with warm tortilla chips.
New Chicken Wing Flavors: Available in Lemon Pepper, which combines classic lemon pepper seasoning with a savory citrusy punch, and Lemon Pepper Buzz, which adds a spark with Red Robin's signature Buffalo-style sauce for a tangy, spicy finish.
Signature Grilled Chicken & Broccoli: Tender grilled chicken breast finished your way with a choice of ancho marinade, Whiskey River® BBQ sauce, teriyaki or blackened.
Cookie Dough Milkshake: Vanilla soft serve blended with cookie dough, topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and cookie dough. Also available in chocolate soft serve.
Salted Caramel Brownie Milkshake: Vanilla soft serve blended with chocolate chip brownies, salted caramel and chocolate, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
To wash down all those mouthwatering flavors, Red Robin is launching a new line of Bottomless Refreshers. Guests can energize any Refresher flavor with Red Bull®, giving them a colorful, refreshing option to sip alongside their favorite meal. The new beverage will be available in a variety of flavors including Tropical Dragon Fruit, Mango Passion Lemonade, Sunset Lemonade, Poppin' Purple Lemonade and Raspberry Limeade.
For more information on the new menu offerings or to find a location, visit RedRobin.com/new-menu-items.
*Not valid with other offers or rewards. The Big YUMMM Deals meal options are available for dine-in at participating locations for a limited time. Offer valid for to-go and delivery orders placed at RedRobin.com or on the Red Robin app at participating locations for a limited time. Offer not valid for third-party delivery orders. Availability, pricing and menu items may vary by location. Bottomless sides and beverages are not available for to-go or delivery orders. Hot tea or coffee beverage choices are not available for to-go or delivery orders. No substitutions permitted. Additional fees apply to upgrades and add-ons. Offer subject to change without notice. Full terms & conditions at RedRobin.com/the-big-yummm.
About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), is a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., and under the trade name, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews. We believe nothing brings people together like burgers and fun around our table, and no one makes moments of connection over craveable food more memorable than Red Robin. We serve a variety of burgers and mainstream favorites to Guests of all ages in a casual, playful atmosphere. In addition to our many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide array of salads, appetizers, entrees, desserts, signature beverages and Donatos® Pizza at select locations. It's easy to enjoy Red Robin anywhere with online ordering available for to-go, delivery and catering. Sign up for the royal treatment by joining Red Robin Royalty® today and enjoy Bottomless perks and delicious rewards across nearly 500 Red Robin locations in the United States and Canada, including those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin… YUMMM®!
