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According to PANews, payment infrastructure company Modern Treasury, valued at $2.1 billion, has acquired stablecoin startup Beam. Sources indicate that the acquisition is an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $40 million. As part of the deal, Beam's founders will join Modern Treasury to assist in expanding the company's operations into the stablecoin payment sector.Beam, established in 2022, provides software for banks and other enterprises to send and receive stablecoins. Modern Treasury, which joined the Y Combinator incubator in the summer of 2018, positions itself as a one-stop service provider for businesses managing cash flows.

According to Cointelegraph, Aave's decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) has put forward a proposal to establish a long-term buyback program funded by the protocol. This initiative aims to utilize up to $50 million in annual revenue to repurchase Aave tokens, marking a significant shift in the platform's tokenomics. The proposal, introduced by the Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) on Wednesday, suggests making buybacks a permanent feature. The Aave Finance Committee (AFC) and TokenLogic are set to oversee the execution, with plans to repurchase between $250,000 and $1.75 million in Aave (AAVE) tokens weekly, contingent on market conditions, liquidity, and volatility.The proposal, if approved, will advance through the Aave Request for Comment (ARFC) stage to gather community feedback, followed by a Snapshot vote and final on-chain governance confirmation. Unlike short-term market interventions, this proposal seeks to institutionalize buybacks as a recurring mechanism, effectively positioning the DAO as an active capital allocator. The ACI highlighted that the program builds on the success of previous buyback initiatives, noting that in April, Aave's value surged by 13% following the community's approval of a $4 million token buyback.This $50 million buyback proposal follows an earlier initiative from October 17, which called for an immediate $20 million buyback to leverage the perceived undervaluation of the Aave token. The earlier plan argued that Aave's treasury had sufficient surplus cash to execute the buyback without affecting its operational expenses or reserves. While the $20 million plan was a short-term measure, the latest proposal aims to make buybacks perpetual, integrating them directly into the DAO's governance and treasury management. This move would transition Aave from opportunistic market reactions to a systematic, rule-based capital strategy, akin to corporate financial management.The proposed buyback framework is set against the backdrop of the upcoming Aave v4 upgrade, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025. This milestone is anticipated to redefine the protocol's economic and technical architecture, introducing a modular "hub and spoke" design. This design will enable customizable lending markets while pooling liquidity through "hubs," enhancing efficiency and scalability. Additionally, it will incorporate dynamic risk configurations to mitigate liquidation risks across multi-asset portfolios.

According to PANews, an on-chain analyst identified as @ai_9684xtpa has reported that a mysterious whale with a 100% success rate has increased their Bitcoin short position to 299.69 BTC, equivalent to $32.48 million, with an opening price of $108,200.The analyst also noted that the whale recently withdrew a previous order, which provides insight into their price expectations. Initially, the whale planned to close a position of 134.55 BTC if Bitcoin's price dropped to $107,600, suggesting an anticipated further decline of $600.

According to BlockBeats, FalconX, a cryptocurrency trading firm, is set to acquire ETF management company 21Shares. Executives from both companies revealed that the merged entity will focus on developing crypto funds centered around derivatives and structured products. The transaction will be financed through a mix of cash and equity, though specific terms have not been disclosed.FalconX was co-founded by Raghu Yarlagadda in 2018 and has facilitated over $2 trillion in cryptocurrency transactions for more than 2,000 institutional clients. Yarlagadda noted that the private company raised $150 million in venture funding in 2022, reaching a valuation of $8 billion, and is currently considering an initial public offering (IPO).Founded in 2018, 21Shares manages 55 listed exchange-traded products with assets exceeding $11 billion as of September. The company is renowned for launching one of the first U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in collaboration with Cathie Wood's ARK Investment Management in 2024.

According to PANews, Siemens, a leading industrial company, and digital asset market maker B2C2 have begun utilizing JPMorgan's blockchain-based foreign exchange payment platform. This service facilitates 24/7 cross-border forex transactions in U.S. dollars, British pounds, and euros, enabling nearly instantaneous settlement. Compared to traditional forex transfers, which are limited to weekdays and can take several days to complete, this platform significantly enhances transaction efficiency.

According to PANews, a recent survey conducted by Standard Chartered Hong Kong under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's 'Digital Hong Kong Dollar+' project reveals that 75% of high-end clients are interested in digital assets. Furthermore, nearly 80% of respondents expressed a desire to engage in digital asset investment activities within the next 12 months. Ho Man-chun, Head of Wealth Solutions at Standard Chartered Hong Kong, announced that the bank plans to introduce a virtual asset ETF trading service in November. This service will be available through Standard Chartered's platform, offering clients more diverse options for asset allocation and financial management.

Key TakeawaysAAVE surged over 10% from Friday lows to briefly top $230, leading weekend DeFi gains.Grove plans to supply USDC and Ripple USD (RLUSD) liquidity to Aave’s institutional Horizon market for real-world asset (RWA) lending.Resistance remains firm near $231, with AAVE consolidating above $225 amid short-term profit-taking.AAVE Leads Weekend DeFi RallyDecentralized lending protocol Aave (AAVE $227.33) emerged as one of the weekend’s strongest performers as the crypto market recovered from Friday’s sharp sell-off.The AAVE token climbed more than 10% through Monday morning to briefly reclaim the $230 level, trailing only Chainlink (LINK $18.83) among top-performing DeFi assets.Despite modest profit-taking later in the session, AAVE maintained its uptrend above $225, supported by a rebound in DeFi sector sentiment and renewed onchain activity.Institutional Horizon Market Gains MomentumBeyond price action, Aave’s institutional lending platform Horizon is drawing attention as the protocol deepens its footprint in tokenized real-world asset (RWA) markets.Grove, an onchain capital allocator associated with Sky (SKY), announced plans to deploy Ripple USD (RLUSD $1.0001) and Circle’s USDC ($0.9999) stablecoin liquidity into Horizon.The proposal, pending Aave governance approval, aims to strengthen borrowing capacity for qualified institutional clients posting tokenized U.S. Treasuries and other RWAs as collateral.Horizon already integrates collateral issuers such as Superstate and Centrifuge, with Chainlink (LINK $18.89) providing asset valuation data and Llama Risk and Chaos Labs offering independent risk reviews.If approved, Grove’s liquidity injection could transform tokenized assets into functional working capital—further bridging the gap between DeFi and traditional finance.Bulls Eye Break Above $231AAVE’s short-term technical setup remains constructive despite resistance near $231, a level that has capped multiple breakout attempts.The token’s ability to hold above $225 keeps the broader uptrend intact, with a decisive close above $231 likely to open the path toward $245–$250.Failure to sustain momentum could trigger a retest of $210 support, though overall bullish structure remains intact on higher time frames.

According to ChainCatcher, 21Shares has filed an application to launch a new Injective (INJ) ETF, as disclosed on Injective’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.The move highlights growing institutional interest in DeFi-focused blockchain assets, following a wave of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF approvals across major markets.If approved, the INJ ETF could provide traditional investors with regulated exposure to one of the fastest-growing Layer-1 DeFi ecosystems in the crypto market. 

According to Foresight News, data analysis platform IntoTheBlock has released a chart indicating that Plasma Network has climbed to the second position in Aave's supply, accounting for approximately 8.5%. The supply on Plasma Network is predominantly composed of stablecoins, with USDT0 making up 54.8% and sUSDE comprising 19.5%.

According to BlockBeats, the on-chain liquidity distribution protocol Turtle has announced the completion of a new funding round, raising $5.5 million. This brings the total funding to $11.7 million. The latest round saw participation from investors including Bitscale VC, Theia, Trident Digital, SNZ HOLDING, GSR, FalconX, Anchorage VC, Fasanara Capital, NRD, Tower 18 Capital, Varys Capital, Relayer, Coinix, Flowdesk, Wise3, JPEG, Reflexive, Amber, Gami Capital, and Wise3 Ventures.

According to Foresight News, Jesse Pollak, the creator and protocol lead of Base, expressed his excitement about the increasing number of Chinese developers, creators, and traders joining the Base platform. Pollak acknowledged that while the chain initially originated in the West, the goal is to build it for everyone. He noted the vibrant energy from the Chinese community, emphasizing the collaborative spirit from day one.

According to Foresight News, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, known as Toly, addressed rumors about independently developing a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) on the Solana blockchain. He clarified that he is merely experimenting with using Claude to generate Pinocchio and testing it with surfpool.Yakovenko explained that his goal is to explore the possibility of replicating the same prop-amm competition, but specifically targeting perpetual contracts. He envisions a perp DEX program that utilizes a section of memory within accounts for all operations, equipped with its own liquidity provision, risk, and matching engine. Additionally, he aims to design a router capable of rebalancing across multiple positions.He also remarked, "I accidentally made a code repository public, and the whole world went crazy."

According to Foresight News, the Solana-based re-staking protocol Fragmetric has announced the commencement of voting on the FIP-1 proposal. If approved, the proposal will allocate 4% of total earnings for the repurchase of FRAG tokens. Based on current metrics, the annual revenue is approximately $6.3 million, meaning the 4% allocation would amount to around $252,000. This would facilitate the buyback of approximately 9.71 million FRAG tokens in the first year, representing about 5% of the circulating supply.Should the proposal pass, the buyback is set to begin two weeks later, with weekly executions on the open market through TWAP orders. The entire process will be fully transparent, monitored via a dedicated Dune dashboard. Initially, the repurchased tokens will be stored in the foundation's treasury, with future considerations for a burn proposal based on market conditions. The voting period is scheduled to conclude in three days.

According to Foresight News, ETF issuer VanEck has officially submitted an application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a Lido Staked Ethereum ETF (S-1).

According to BlockBeats, data from Coinglass indicates that after today's market rebound, funding rates for major centralized and decentralized exchanges have returned to neutral for several asset trading pairs. However, the overall market sentiment remains bearish.Funding rates are fees set by cryptocurrency trading platforms to maintain a balance between contract prices and the prices of underlying assets, typically applied to perpetual contracts. This mechanism facilitates the exchange of funds between long and short traders, without the platform charging this fee. It adjusts the cost or profit of holding contracts to keep contract prices aligned with underlying asset prices.A funding rate of 0.01% represents the benchmark rate. When the funding rate exceeds 0.01%, it indicates a generally bullish market sentiment. Conversely, a funding rate below 0.005% suggests a bearish market outlook.

Key TakeawaysBITFARMS led gains, rising 11.6% in pre-market trading.Riot Blockchain and Mara Holdings climbed 3.7% and 4.9%, respectively.Strategy (MSTR) added 3.3%, tracking Bitcoin’s rebound above $111,000.According to Jinshi Data, cryptocurrency-related stocks in the U.S. pre-market rose sharply on Monday, following Bitcoin’s latest rally.BITFARMS (BITF): +11.6%Riot Blockchain (RIOT): +3.7%Mara Holdings (MARA): +4.9%Strategy (MSTR): +3.3%The gains come as digital asset sentiment improves and investors position ahead of potential U.S. regulatory clarity and ETF-related inflows. 

Key TakeawaysThe UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has approved 21Shares, Bitwise, and WisdomTree to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs to retail investors.The move comes 12 days after the FCA lifted its ban on crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs).21Shares and WisdomTree have already listed their products on the London Stock Exchange, while Bitwise will follow on Tuesday.The approval aligns the UK market with other major jurisdictions, including the US, EU, Hong Kong, and Canada.FCA Opens Crypto ETP Market to UK Retail InvestorsThe UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has approved 21Shares, Bitwise, and WisdomTree to open Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded products (ETPs) for retail investors, marking a major shift in the country’s crypto investment landscape.The decision comes just 12 days after the FCA lifted its long-standing ban on crypto ETNs, allowing broader retail participation in regulated digital asset investment products.21Shares and WisdomTree Lead London Listings21Shares has listed two physically backed Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) — its first offerings accessible to UK retail investors.The Ethereum ETP includes a staking yield feature and carries a management fee of 0.1%. Meanwhile, WisdomTree has also launched Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs, charging 0.15% and 0.35%, respectively.Bitwise will launch its Core Bitcoin ETP on Tuesday, offering a promotional 0.05% fee for the first six months, before reverting to its standard rate.BlackRock Joins with iShares Bitcoin ETPIn addition to these issuers, BlackRock recently launched its iShares Bitcoin ETP on the London Stock Exchange, further signaling growing institutional momentum for crypto investment products in the UK.The FCA’s latest approval aligns the UK with global financial centers such as the US, Canada, Hong Kong, and the European Union, where crypto ETPs are already accessible to retail traders.Regulatory OutlookThe FCA said it expects to finalize a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework by 2026, which will cover ETPs, custody rules, and investor protection standards.Analysts see the move as a turning point for the UK, bringing it closer to becoming a competitive crypto-financial hub.

According to BlockBeats, Ethereum core developer and Geth client developer Péter Szilágyi has publicly disclosed a letter he sent to the Ethereum Foundation leadership a year and a half ago. In the letter, Szilágyi expressed his disappointment with the foundation, highlighting issues such as significant pay disparities, conflicts of interest, and centralized power within the organization.Szilágyi stated that working at the Ethereum Foundation has been a poor financial decision since joining. He revealed that his total compensation over six years was only $625,000 before taxes and without incentives, during which Ethereum's total market value rose from zero to $450 billion. He argued that this low pay structure forces those who genuinely care about the protocol to seek compensation elsewhere, creating a risk of the protocol being captured by interest groups.He also criticized the foundation for undervaluing employee contributions while overly relying on those who stay for idealistic reasons. He claimed that salary information is deliberately hidden internally, making opacity the norm. Szilágyi believes this structural imbalance is a key reason for Ethereum's gradual deviation from its original goals.Discussing the ecosystem's power structure, Szilágyi noted that Ethereum has formed a "small circle" around Vitalik Buterin, with a few opinion leaders and venture capital firms controlling the most influential projects and decision-making directions. He stated that while Ethereum appears decentralized, Buterin and his core circle have almost absolute indirect control over the ecosystem.Szilágyi concluded that Ethereum has shifted from idealism to realism, with the foundation's governance and compensation mechanisms making the protocol susceptible to capture. He expressed difficulty in seeing a bright future for Ethereum.

According to PANews, Sharwa.Finance has reported an attack on its platform, leading to a temporary suspension of operations. Despite this, several suspicious transactions occurred hours later, suggesting attackers exploited the same underlying vulnerability through slightly different methods.The attackers initially created a margin account and used the provided collateral to borrow more assets through leveraged lending. They then executed a 'sandwich attack' on the exchange operations involving the borrowed assets. The root cause appears to be the absence of a bankruptcy check in the swap() function of the MarginTrading contract. This function is responsible for exchanging borrowed assets from one token, such as WBTC, to another, like USDC. It only verifies solvency based on the account status at the start of the exchange, leaving room for manipulation during the process.Attacker 1, identified by the address starting with 0xd356, conducted multiple attacks, profiting approximately $61,000. Attacker 2, with an address starting with 0xaa24, executed a single attack, gaining around $85,000.

According to Foresight News, data from Nansen reveals that the Algorand Foundation has reached its highest level of contract deployments in six months. The foundation recorded over 40,000 deployments in a single day, marking a significant increase in activity.