Get real-time cryptocurrency news, blockchain updates, market analysis, and expert insights. Explore the latest trends in Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, and Web3.
Telegram Gifts From A Few Dollars To A Real Digital Market
Telegram Gifts started as a simple way to send someone a virtual present. But at some point, things changed. People began buying them not just to give away, but to keep, collect, and eventually sell. A real secondary market appeared, and some gifts started reaching prices that would have seemed unbelievable just a few months earlier. I first became interested when I noticed gifts selling for $10–20, even though they originally cost only a few dollars. It was obvious that people were interested, and where there is demand, there will always be supply. I remembered this basic economic principle from my university days, when I studied economics. So I started buying gifts myself. At first, it was just an interesting market to watch. But prices kept going up, and some gifts eventually reached values of tens of thousands of dollars. It became clear that this was turning into something much bigger than a feature inside a messaging app. Summer 2025 Was Something Else The summer of 2025 was probably the most exciting period for Telegram Gifts. Prices on many collections were rising by hundreds of percent, sometimes in a single day. The market was growing incredibly fast, and everyone wanted to get involved. I started taking profits gradually. I sold some of my gifts close to the peak in July and most of the rest in August. Of course, there were plenty of people telling me I was making a mistake and that prices would go even higher. But I have always followed one simple rule: don’t get greedy. Making a profit is good, but actually taking it is even better. My collection included Telegram gifts and collectible stickers, some worth more than $1,000 each. On August 15, 2025, I bought a 2018 BMW for $20,000. And yes, the money came from selling digital gifts and stickers that had once cost just a few dollars. This is my personal story, not a promise that everyone can make the same money. Some people made hundreds of thousands of dollars during that period. The market was moving fast, and those who got in early and made the right decisions had a chance to earn serious money. Why Did The Market Slow Down After such a crazy rise, a correction was only a matter of time. But I think Telegram itself also played a role. New gifts were appearing one after another. There were more and more collections, and the feeling that a particular gift was something rare and special started to disappear. When everything becomes rare, nothing really feels rare anymore. Early buyers began taking profits. Some people left the market, prices stopped rising, and the excitement gradually faded. But the market did not disappear. It simply went through a correction. And that is a normal part of any market. The Market Is Still Alive Today, interest in Telegram Gifts is still there. Yandex Wordstat shows 14,660 searches for “Telegram gifts” and another 3,131 for “gifts in Telegram”. People continue looking for information about buying, selling, and collecting them. The secondary market is also active. Just look at REDO. At its peak, the collection was trading at around 920 GRAM, with a supply of approximately 20,000 items. Today, the price is around 450–500 GRAM, but hundreds of sales are still taking place every day. REDO is an interesting example because it is not just another gift. It has its own history, recognizable design, and a community around it. What we are seeing now is a change of ownership. Some people are taking profits, while others are buying and building their collections. There is nothing unusual about that. This is how markets work. Crafting Brings Something New Another interesting part of the ecosystem is crafting. Users can combine gifts to create upgraded versions, while the original items are burned in the process. This reduces the number of original gifts in circulation and adds another reason for people to interact with their collections. Of course, burning items does not automatically mean that prices will go up. Demand still matters. I also like what designers have been doing recently. The latest upgrades to Heart Lockets, REDO, and Masks look really good. The visual side of Telegram Gifts is becoming increasingly important, and some of the new designs are genuinely impressive. So, What Happens Next I don’t think the story of Telegram Gifts is over. The market has already experienced rapid growth, a correction, and a new wave of interest. Now much will depend on Telegram itself, how many new gifts it releases, what marketplaces do, and what new features appear. One thing is worth remembering: these are risky digital assets. Prices can rise quickly, but they can also fall just as fast. Some people collect gifts because they like them, while others are only interested in making money. These are two very different approaches. For me, the most interesting thing is that a completely new market has appeared inside Telegram. What started as virtual presents has turned into a real digital economy, with collectors, traders, marketplaces, and its own rules. And I think we are still watching this market develop. This article was originally published as Telegram Gifts From A Few Dollars To A Real Digital Market on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
North Korea Denies $6.3B Binance Hack Role, Blames U.S.
North Korea has rejected U.S. accusations linking the country to the $6.3 billion Binance hack, with Kim Yo Jong—sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—saying the FBI’s claims are politically motivated. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), she dismissed the U.S. narrative that a North Korea-backed hacking group was involved and suggested, without providing evidence, that the United States could instead have had a role. The denial comes after U.S. authorities attributed the attack to a DPRK-linked group, and after similar allegations surfaced regarding another major incident: the FBI also blamed North Korea for the $1.5 billion Bybit hack in February 2025, a charge Kim said Tuesday was likewise part of an attempt to smear Pyongyang. Key takeaways Kim Yo Jong denied North Korea’s involvement in the $6.3 billion Binance hack and criticized the FBI’s attribution as “absurd rhetoric.” She did not present evidence for U.S. involvement, instead urging scrutiny of who benefits from recovered funds. Blockchain investigators cited multiple intelligence signals linking the theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor group, including methods seen in prior DPRK-linked attacks. While U.S. officials point to a North Korea-backed actor, investigators also highlight operational details that appear consistent with earlier incidents. Kim Yo Jong rejects FBI attribution According to a statement reported via KCNA, Kim Yo Jong responded directly to the FBI’s claims that the agency had information indicating that a hacking organization “supported” by the DPRK participated in the Binance incident. Kim said the U.S. portrayal of North Korea as a “cyber criminal state” is an attempt to frame the DPRK in a way that damages its standing. She characterized the allegations as a familiar pattern—one that surfaces internationally when major cybercrimes occur—arguing the U.S. repeatedly “blindly link[s]” North Korea to large-scale cyber incidents. She also asserted that North Korea opposes malicious activity in cyberspace and accused Washington of politicizing cybersecurity to interfere in other countries’ affairs. The statement did not provide additional substantiating material or alternative technical findings to support her counter-claims. Suspicion shifts to the U.S.—without evidence Beyond rejection, Kim Yo Jong pointed suspicion at the United States for the hack, again without offering proof. Her argument focused on incentives: she suggested that if the U.S. were to examine who would receive a large portion of the “stolen cryptocurrency” after it is retrieved, it could identify the party behind the operation. That line of reasoning is notably different from the method commonly used by investigators in these cases—namely, tracing on-chain activity and correlating operational behavior with earlier known campaigns. Kim’s statement, as reported, did not outline specific indicators—such as wallet clusters, laundering routes, or communications artifacts—that would connect the theft to any particular U.S. actor. Cointelegraph reported reaching out to the FBI for comment, but the statement itself offered no direct response to the evidentiary basis cited in the U.S. attribution. Investors and investigators cite links to earlier DPRK activity While North Korea denied involvement, multiple blockchain intelligence researchers have previously tied the Binance hack to North Korea-linked activity. Last week, TRM Labs attributed the attack to North Korea’s TraderTraitor group with high confidence, citing both on-chain and off-chain intelligence. TRM Labs said similarities with earlier DPRK-linked incidents were a key part of its assessment. Those similarities included advance preparation, the use of Tornado Cash to help fund attacker wallets, and coordinated execution of transaction signatures obtained beforehand. At the same time, TRM Labs noted that laundering behavior in this case did not fully match the specific pattern that followed the Bybit hack—an observation that suggests the actor may adapt methods across different operations rather than repeating a single fixed blueprint. Other investigators have also pointed to North Korean involvement. Chainalysis and ZachXBT, for example, linked the theft to North Korean hackers. ZachXBT additionally reported a connection between the Binance and Bitget hacks, stating that stolen funds from both incidents were commingled at the same address after passing through THORChain. Investigative timelines also show how the narrative around these attacks can develop quickly. In early coverage of the Bitget hack, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said preliminary findings pointed to IP addresses connected to VPN services used “by a certain DPRK group.” While VPN usage alone is not definitive, it can fit into a broader pattern of operational behavior that researchers use alongside other evidence. The contrast between the U.S. attribution and Kim’s rejection highlights a recurring tension in high-profile crypto incidents: government statements may rely on classified or intelligence sources, while outside researchers often emphasize transparency through blockchain analytics and publicly observable behaviors. In this case, the public debate centers on whether the evidence supporting attribution will be compelling enough to outweigh political rebuttals. What to watch as the dispute continues As investigators continue to analyze the Binance hack and as any recovered funds move, the most important developments to monitor are whether authorities and analysts publish additional technical detail that strengthens attribution—or whether new evidence emerges that challenges the current links to TraderTraitor and other DPRK-associated tactics. This article was originally published as North Korea Denies $6.3B Binance Hack Role, Blames U.S. on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
New Jersey Withdraws Coinbase Staking Order Before Election Review
New Jersey has reversed a long-running enforcement action targeting Coinbase’s staking service, rescinding a 2023 cease-and-desist order and the associated $5 million penalty. The move ends a ban that had prevented residents from staking new funds on the exchange for more than three years, though it does not include a merits-based ruling. In an Oct. 30 notice signed by Acting Bureau Chief Keith A. Alt, the state withdrew the prior order “without prejudice,” leaving open the possibility that New Jersey’s Bureau of Securities could pursue fresh enforcement in the future. Coinbase later disclosed the reversal in its third-quarter filing, saying it received notice on Oct. 29 and that New Jersey customers would regain staking access “very soon.” Key takeaways New Jersey rescinded its 2023 cease-and-desist order against Coinbase’s staking service, lifting the state’s ban on new customer staking. The withdrawal was issued “without prejudice” and without a ruling on the underlying issues, meaning another enforcement action remains possible. Coinbase said the reversal will restore staking access for New Jersey users shortly, after an over-three-year restriction. Several other states—including California, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington—are still pursuing enforcement tied to Coinbase’s staking offering. Coinbase estimates users in California and New Jersey missed large amounts of staking rewards during the enforcement period. New Jersey walks back its staking crackdown The New Jersey Bureau of Securities’ Oct. 30 decision rescinds the 2023 cease-and-desist order that had barred Coinbase from accepting new staking deposits from residents. According to Coinbase’s disclosure in its third-quarter filing (available via the SEC’s EDGAR system), the regulator informed the company on Oct. 29 that it planned to rescind the earlier action. While the ban is lifted, the details matter for anyone monitoring regulatory risk. The notice withdrew the order and the $5 million penalty without prejudice and without an adjudication on the merits. That framing suggests the regulator did not concede that the previous claims were unfounded; instead, it preserved the ability to refile or pursue another case under similar or updated theories. For Coinbase customers, the practical outcome is clear: the state restriction that prevented staking new funds on the platform is no longer in effect. Coinbase says New Jersey staking access returns soon Coinbase told investors that, following the regulator’s communication on Oct. 29, New Jersey users would “very soon” regain staking functionality. The company’s disclosure was included in its third-quarter filing submitted to the SEC. Coinbase’s internal framing also underlines the operational cost of stalled enforcement outcomes. When a regulator prohibits new staking while a case runs, customers can typically do what they already had in place at the time of the restriction, but they cannot increase exposure or start staking additional assets through the exchange. To quantify that impact, Coinbase estimates that California users missed out on staking rewards totaling more than $89 million since 2023, and it similarly cites more than $15 million in missed rewards in New Jersey. The company’s estimates were referenced in its public policy materials related to the staking enforcement actions. Other states keep their cases active New Jersey’s reversal does not signal an end to state-level staking enforcement. The article of record notes that California, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington remain engaged in enforcement actions involving Coinbase’s staking services. California’s regulator-driven approach has been among the most consequential. The state was a key part of a ten-state task force behind the 2023 actions, covering more than 600,000 accounts held by Californians, according to coverage associated with the original enforcement effort. Like New Jersey, California, Wisconsin, and Maryland banned Coinbase from new staking while their cases were pending. Washington’s posture has differed: its regulator does not bar staking outright, but the ongoing case seeks to impose a $4 million fine on Coinbase. For market participants, this patchwork is important. Even with New Jersey restoring access, Coinbase’s staking product may continue to be subject to restrictions elsewhere, shaping customer flows, revenue exposure, and compliance costs across jurisdictions. Regulatory change lands amid an election cycle The timing of New Jersey’s reversal falls shortly before the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections. In the run-up to the vote, prediction markets reflected expectations about the Senate outcome, with a Democratic majority positioning key crypto policy leadership changes. The article also connects the broader political climate to ongoing industry efforts to influence outcomes. It notes that crypto industry groups have supported candidates across party lines and points to increased congressional engagement tied to advocacy ratings cited by Reuters and other reporting. Within New Jersey’s own political context, the source points to the state’s Democratic leadership—alongside New Jersey’s history with blockchain policy legislation—as part of the background for how the state’s stance evolved. It also notes that New Jersey’s senator, Cory Booker, helped negotiate market structure legislation but did not back advancing CLARITY in September, reflecting the tension that still exists within parts of the political class on how crypto should be regulated. While elections do not determine enforcement outcomes directly, they often reshape the incentives regulators face—particularly when enforcement actions affect consumer access and remain politically salient. For now, the biggest unknown is whether New Jersey will take a different approach if enforcement returns, given that the rescission was made without prejudice and without resolving the merits. Investors and users should watch for any new filing from the Bureau of Securities and for developments in the still-active state cases, since those jurisdictions will likely continue to drive the practical availability of Coinbase’s staking service for U.S. customers. This article was originally published as New Jersey Withdraws Coinbase Staking Order Before Election Review on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
European authorities and exchange users are watching closely after blockchain investigator ZachXBT alleged that an unidentified entity in the European Union suffered losses exceeding $106 million in a multi-exchange cryptocurrency theft on Sunday. In a Monday post, ZachXBT described a chain of swaps, cross-chain moves, and rapid conversions designed to obscure the stolen funds. The same period also brought fresh concerns for Solana traders: Onchain Lens said a wallet linked to “King,” an automated arbitrage bot on Solana, may have lost roughly $786,000. While neither case has resulted in publicly confirmed attribution to a specific actor, both reports highlight how quickly attackers are moving funds across ecosystems. Key takeaways ZachXBT alleges more than $106 million was withdrawn and routed through multiple exchanges, with stolen value cycled through USDC/USDT, Ether, and then Monero. The suspect activity reportedly used instant exchange services including WellWallet and Kyrrex, and later converted funds to Monero via Wagyu. ZachXBT said the observed movement did not appear to align cleanly with a link to Lazarus Group, though the attacker remains unidentified. Onchain Lens reported that a King arbitrage-bot wallet may have lost about $786,000, citing rapid Solana wallet transfers followed by a bridge to Ethereum. The bot operator has not confirmed whether any compromise occurred, underscoring the uncertainty around attribution in these incidents. $106M alleged theft: stablecoins to ETH, then to Monero According to ZachXBT, the alleged theft involved funds withdrawn in USDC and USDT, which were then moved through several cryptocurrencies and blockchains. The investigator described a progression aimed at both liquidity and obfuscation: first, the funds were swapped into Ether (ETH); then they were routed via instant exchange services such as WellWallet and Kyrrex. In the later stages of the flow, ZachXBT said the attacker converted funds into Monero (XMR) using the swap service Wagyu. Monero is commonly associated with enhanced privacy relative to many major assets, and its use often signals an attempt to reduce traceability once value reaches certain stages of a laundering pipeline. ZachXBT also identified 11 wallet addresses connected to the movement of funds. Still, the affected entity and the specific exchanges involved were not publicly named in the report, limiting what outside observers can immediately verify and what affected customers can do in the short term. What ZachXBT says points away from Lazarus While large-scale crypto thefts are frequently compared to prior high-profile campaigns, ZachXBT said the pattern of fund movement “pointed away” from a direct link to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. The investigator did not provide additional technical details in the excerpt beyond the flow described—swaps, instant exchanges, and a final conversion to Monero. This matters because Lazarus-linked operations have become a baseline risk reference for industry participants, especially after recent record thefts. However, in fast-moving incidents like these, similarities in tooling can be misleading: attackers may reuse infrastructure across different campaigns, or the publicly observable flow may be shaped as much by routing choices as by the attacker’s identity. Context: after Binance’s record hack, investigators see more cross-chain speed ZachXBT’s allegations arrive after the widely reported $6.3 billion Binance hack on Oct. 29. Cointelegraph previously reported that the FBI attributed that breach to North Korean hackers associated with a group reportedly linked to Lazarus, dubbed “TraderTraitor,” describing it as the largest cryptocurrency theft on record. That backdrop helps explain why market watchers are emphasizing speed and cross-chain complexity. Both the reported $106 million incident and the separate Solana bot-linked loss described below reflect a broader theme: attackers aim to move funds quickly enough to reduce the chance of real-time blocking, while also shifting through assets and networks to complicate tracing and enforcement. King arbitrage bot wallet: possible $786K loss on Solana Separately, Onchain Lens said a wallet associated with “King,” an automated arbitrage bot operating on Solana, may have lost around $786,000 on Monday. The monitoring account described a multi-step movement: funds allegedly moved through several Solana wallets before being transferred to Ethereum using Mayan, a service for moving assets between blockchains. Onchain Lens characterized the rapid transfers as a sign of attempted concealment of the funds’ origin. In its communication to Cointelegraph, the firm pointed to “unusual fund movements,” short time windows between transfers, and then cross-chain movement—elements it said “strongly suggests a potential wallet compromise.” At the time of the report, King’s operator had not confirmed that a compromise occurred. That distinction is important for readers: arbitrage systems can involve frequent fund movement by design, and without operator verification, observers must rely on behavioral patterns rather than definitive evidence. Why these reports matter for users and investors Taken together, the two incidents underscore how today’s most damaging crypto attacks often blend ordinary finance mechanics—swapping, routing, bridging—with operational tactics that make attribution harder. For exchange users, the $106 million allegation highlights the importance of withdrawal monitoring, post-incident tracing, and customer protections—especially when attackers can exit quickly through stablecoin liquidity and instant exchange interfaces. For builders and traders relying on automated strategies, Onchain Lens’ report raises a parallel question: if a bot-controlled wallet can be compromised or misused, the cost can be both immediate and hard to recover, particularly once funds are bridged to other networks. Even in cases where operators deny or have not confirmed a breach, the observable on-chain behavior can still be relevant for risk assessment and security response. What readers should watch next is whether affected parties name the specific exchanges, whether analysts publish additional address-level tracing beyond the wallet lists already referenced, and whether the King operator—or any security researchers—confirms whether a compromise occurred and what protections were bypassed. This article was originally published as Investigators Probe Suspected $106M Crypto Theft and $786K Solana Bot Drain on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Coinbase Price Target Cut by 50% After Post-Earnings Selloff
Morgan Stanley has turned more cautious on Coinbase, cutting its stock price target by more than half and warning that the cryptocurrency exchange’s profit recovery could take longer than investors may be pricing in. In a research note dated Monday, analyst Michael Cyprys reduced the Coinbase target from $258 to $120—about a 53% cut—pointing to recent trading conditions, a softer revenue outlook, and growing uncertainty in the wider crypto market after Binance was hit by a reported $6.3 billion hack. Earlier coverage on Cointelegraph tied the incident to an FBI attribution of responsibility to North Korea. Key takeaways Morgan Stanley slashed its Coinbase price target from $258 to $120, citing slower-than-expected profit recovery risk. Analyst Michael Cyprys pointed to weaker trading trends and a less optimistic revenue outlook. The downgrade follows heightened market uncertainty after Binance’s reported $6.3 billion hack. Coinbase’s latest earnings showed declining net revenue year over year, while net income was boosted by crypto investment gains. Why Morgan Stanley is more bearish The bank’s stance centers on timing and durability—specifically how quickly Coinbase can rebound from the current environment. Cyprys highlighted that the firm is seeing conditions that could slow profit recovery compared with what it previously expected. For public market investors, that matters because exchanges like Coinbase often have results closely linked to market activity, user engagement, and trading volumes. Morgan Stanley also tied part of the caution to broader market uncertainty following the Binance hack referenced in its analysis. A failure or disruption on a major venue can ripple through sentiment across the industry, affecting everything from retail trading behavior to institutional risk appetite—especially in periods where volumes may already be sensitive. Coinbase’s earnings set the stage The downgrade arrives shortly after Coinbase reported third-quarter 2026 results. According to Coinbase’s earnings release on Oct. 29, the company recorded roughly a 34% year-over-year decline in third-quarter net revenue to $1.16 billion. On the bottom line, Coinbase posted $719 million in net income, with the report attributing the result largely to gains on cryptocurrency investments. However, adjusted net income was $78 million—suggesting that while accounting net income looked stronger, underlying profitability may be more modest once investment-related effects are stripped out. That earnings mix appears to have influenced market pricing quickly. Cointelegraph reported that the results triggered a selloff in crypto-linked equities on Friday, when Coinbase shares fell more than 13% during midday trading amid the fallout that included the Binance hack narrative. Circle shares were reported down more than 9%, while Strategy shares declined about 8%. Shares respond as the market digests earnings and headlines On Monday, Coinbase’s stock extended its decline. Yahoo Finance data cited in the original report showed the shares down more than 3.3% at around $138 at the time of writing. The sequence—earnings followed by a broader risk-off reaction in crypto equities—suggests investors are wrestling with two separate questions: how to interpret Coinbase’s profitability in the quarter (including the role of investment gains) and how quickly trading activity might normalize across the industry. For traders and long-term holders, the Morgan Stanley cut reinforces an important point: even after a quarter that produced strong headline net income, analysts may still be skeptical about whether sustainable operating earnings will recover at the pace needed to justify higher equity valuations. What to watch next for Coinbase and crypto exchanges With Morgan Stanley now framing profit recovery as potentially slower, market participants will likely focus on signs of trading stabilization, any further developments tied to the Binance hack, and subsequent earnings guidance from Coinbase on revenue resilience and the durability of profitability. The near-term question is whether volatility and activity in major trading venues return quickly—or whether the industry’s uncertainty continues to weigh on exchange economics. This article was originally published as Coinbase Price Target Cut by 50% After Post-Earnings Selloff on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Dogecoin Tests $0.075 Support as Buyers Seek a Rebound Toward $0.085
Dogecoin is facing another test near $0.075 as traders assess recent losses against a possible reversal pattern on its daily chart. The cryptocurrency remains under pressure, with buyers needing to reclaim nearby resistance levels before a sustained recovery can develop. The Bullish Formation Is Composed of Three Falling Waves Tardigrade Trader presented a daily chart of Dogecoin on October 29 showing three falling waves in the cryptocurrency. This formation could be the Three Drives Pattern that usually occurs at the end of a downtrend; however, this pattern alone is not enough to indicate that a bottom was made. The first falling wave took place on October 17, when DOGE fell toward $0.076. Afterwards, bulls pushed the price up to approximately $0.085, dividing the first falling wave from the second one. The second falling wave emerged on October 25, falling to $0.0735. The price rose to approximately $0.082 but could not continue higher because sellers took control. The third falling wave started to form on October 31. The lowest point of the falling wave is marked by the chart at approximately $0.0715. A green projection indicates the possibility of rising to $0.085, although buyers would have to overcome several levels of resistance to do so. Exchange Activity Is Not Homogeneous Across Platforms The provided 24-hour exchange graph reflects diversity in activity across trading platforms. On the left graph, OKX stands out with the largest volume of $42.10 million, with Binance close behind at $27.89 million and Gate at $23.78 million. The activity of Bitget stands at $9.70 million, followed by Coinbase at $7.91 million and Upbit at $7.06 million. Next Test for Dogecoin Hinges on Key Price Levels Current market data reveals that the price of Dogecoin stands at $0.07484, reflecting a drop of 0.56% in 24 hours and 3.51% over seven days. The daily volume currently amounts to $507.64 million, with DOGE below the $0.075 key level. An earlier report showed a recovery to $0.07585 from the low of $0.07231 on October 29, reflecting a rise of 4.90%. The current price has since declined below $0.075. If a breakout above $0.075 happens, the next resistance level will be at $0.07682. Above that is the seven-day high at $0.08147. A breakout and subsequent rise may reinforce the bullish setup and make the $0.085 target more attainable. The cryptocurrency liquidations over 24 hours, as revealed in an October 31 market update, amounted to $1.68 billion. Out of that amount, $1.43 billion came from long positions. Leverage traders were forced to close positions amid the overall market decline. On the lower side, $0.07231 is the first support level to watch, followed by $0.0695. A fall below the October 29 low would weaken the three-swing bullish setup. The question now is whether buyers will defend $0.075. This article was originally published as Dogecoin Tests $0.075 Support as Buyers Seek a Rebound Toward $0.085 on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
SUI price tests the $0.89 moving average level as traders analyze liquidation events, falling volumes, and a possible move towards $1.00. Key Insights: SUI has moved back to its 200-day moving average at $0.89 after surpassing the level in September. The liquidation events seen in September and October are a sign of volatility in the leveraged trading market. Maintaining above $0.89 could help SUI recover to $1.00, whereas a failure below could reveal the $0.80 level. Falling trading volumes create doubts about the current recovery move. Approaching An Important Technical Level For SUI The current technical pullback in SUI is placing it at an important technical level, with the 200-day moving average becoming significant following the recent rise above it. The token has risen to test the $0.89 range as it makes a comeback following its September move. This price move has made the question of support at the moving average critical. CryptoBullet Draws Comparison Between Present Retest And Rejection In May CryptoBullet has pointed out the contrast between the present moving average test of SUI and its prior attempt from May. Back then, SUI came close to its 200-day moving average before being rejected. The May advance took the coin close to $1.40, though sellers ultimately managed to take control. By the time June rolled around, the coin had lost most of the gains it made previously. Trade activity was low all summer long, with several failed attempts at higher prices. The situation changed for the better in September as buyers began to dominate again. SUI advanced beyond its downtrend line of the 200-day moving average and kept advancing until October, when it touched $1.30. Now, CryptoBullet is treating the retreat to $0.89 as a support test. Liquidation Data Reveals New Action From Leveraged Traders The liquidation chart is a further point to consider in the volatility seen recently in SUI. This liquidation chart monitors the liquidation of leveraged long and short trades, where long liquidations are denoted by green bars and short liquidations by red bars. Source: Coinglass In early May, the biggest noticeable liquidation was experienced, marked by a red bar close to $19.76 million on about May 10. Several green bars close to $9.88 million were experienced from late May to June. There was not much going on in terms of liquidations from mid-June up until August, as the price of SUI was oscillating between $0.70 and $0.80. In September, there were a number of liquidation spikes occurring between September 18 and October 8. SUI Price Depends On $0.89 On the intraday chart, the price of SUI is at $0.8951, which is 1.15% higher for today. The intraday low was made at $0.876, followed by a recovery to nearly $0.912. Source: CoinMarketCap But there has been a new drop after sellers entered again around the level of $0.910 to $0.912. Support levels between $0.880 and $0.882 have to be considered. Volume is one more problem. The reported 24-hour trading volume dropped by 52.78% against the provided market data, which means that the price recovery was not supported by volume. If the price is higher than $0.900, the recovery becomes more likely, and in that case, the target level is $1.00. Of course, October's high is between $1.25 and $1.30. A daily close below the 200-day moving average will be bearish and will open the area around $0.80 for the price. At least for the moment, it is needed to see if buyers can defend $0.89 and hold this recovery. This article was originally published as Sui Tests $0.89 As Traders Track Recovery on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Bitcoin Falls Below $76K as 7% Oil Drop Fails to Lift BTC
Bitcoin slipped back under the $77,000 level early in the Wall Street session, retreating as markets swung away from expectations of a US-Iran de-escalation. The move unfolded alongside sharp weakness in crude oil and a bounce in gold, highlighting how quickly macro sentiment is filtering into crypto price action. WTI crude was reported down more than 7% on the day, trading around the mid-$95 area after touching $95.15—its lowest level since Oct. 15—while Brent fell roughly 9% to about $103.30. Against that backdrop, BTC/USD failed to reclaim the $78,500 area after posting a local high near $78,750 over the weekend. Key takeaways BTC extended daily losses and slipped below $77,000 as crude oil weakness intensified after comments from US officials. Markets steadied in equities for part of the session, but gains looked fragile ahead of major earnings, including Apple and Palantir. Gold continued to add to daily gains (about 2%), rebounding from 13-month lows as oil prices eased. Analyst Rekt Capital said BTC may revisit support around $76,000 if the market can’t overcome resistance near $78,500. QCP Capital pointed to a defined support band between $76,000 and $76,600, framed by broader resistance from $79,500 to $80,500. From geopolitics to commodities: why BTC softened The immediate catalyst was a shift in market pricing tied to US-Iran headlines. Comments attributed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that Washington would prefer diplomatic resolution, while still emphasizing the ability to act militarily if needed. CNBC reported Rubio as saying President Trump “would like to end the conflict ‘diplomatically,’” and that the administration would rather proceed peacefully. That framing coincided with a fast downdraft in oil prices. As WTI fell and moved to the lowest levels seen since mid-October, traders appeared to dial back the probability of a near-term military escalation—an assumption that often suppresses the risk premium embedded in crude markets. For Bitcoin traders, the takeaway is less about the storyline itself and more about how the macro complex is moving: when oil volatility drops and gold strengthens, crypto often faces pressure if the net effect is a reduction in “risk-off” demand for alternative hedges. Earnings risk and cautious equities keep pressure on crypto Equities initially opened higher as traders reacted to the prospect of reduced geopolitical stress. However, upside momentum was soon constrained by the market’s focus on third-quarter earnings and related guidance. According to the report, attention centered on upcoming releases including Apple and Palantir, with concerns resurfacing that technology spending—particularly around AI—could influence earnings expectations. Earlier in the week, earnings-related developments had contributed to downside volatility spilling across risk assets and precious metals, as fears over AI expenditure returned. At the time of writing, the Nasdaq Composite Index was reported around 0.2% higher on the day, suggesting that the market’s risk appetite was present but not fully convincing. For BTC, that type of environment frequently translates into choppy trading: crypto can respond to macro headlines, but sustained directional moves typically require either clearer liquidity conditions or a decisive break in technical levels. Gold’s resilience contrasts with BTC weakness While oil weakened, gold held on to its gains, extending the day’s rise to around 2%. The metal also rebounded above $3,950 per ounce after printing 13-month lows around $3,891 on Friday. Economist Robin Brooks attributed part of gold’s earlier dip below $4,000 to the surge in oil prices following the attack on a Saudi East-West pipeline on Sep. 10. He wrote that the gold move was “entirely about the spike in oil prices” tied to strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure. This cross-asset picture matters because it shows a consistent macro read-through: as oil stress recedes, gold can still outperform if investors continue to rebalance toward hedges. Bitcoin, however, doesn’t always track gold—especially when the broader market is preparing for earnings volatility and traders rotate risk exposure tactically. Technical outlook: $78,500 resistance and $76,000 support in focus On the charts, BTC’s inability to break higher remained a key theme. Data cited from TradingView showed BTC/USD extending daily losses after a local high near $78,750 following Sunday’s weekly close, but failing to push through the $78,500 area. Rekt Capital argued that the pair could still test lower levels. In an update shared with followers on Monday, the analyst said a “3-Day bearish retest was successful” and that price could move below approximately $76,000. QCP Capital’s separate market read framed the situation as a tug-of-war between defined support and overhead resistance. In its latest analysis, the firm described BTC as trading between a support band of $76,000 to $76,600 and resistance stretching from $79,500 to $80,500. QCP also suggested that a daily close back above $79,500 would “recover the band lost on Thursday.” QCP further highlighted what comes next if support fails: it noted that a break could bring the 50-week average near $75,700 into view, with the 200-day level around $73,100 below that. The practical implication for traders is straightforward—if BTC cannot reclaim the mid-to-upper portion of the range, the market may accelerate toward widely watched longer-term trend markers. Going into the next session, investors will likely watch whether BTC can hold the $76,000–$76,600 zone or whether it slides toward lower trend measures highlighted by QCP. With earnings and broader risk sentiment still in play, the direction may hinge as much on market positioning after macro headlines as it does on Bitcoin’s next technical break. This article was originally published as Bitcoin Falls Below $76K as 7% Oil Drop Fails to Lift BTC on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
MultiBank Group names Mohammed Al Hakim vice chairman and MB.io chief, citing US$32 billion valua...
MultiBank Group has appointed Emirati Mohammed Al Hakim as Vice Chairman of MultiBank Group and CEO of MB.io, according to a company announcement dated 2 November 2026. The firm said Al Hakim will work directly with Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, to strengthen the Group’s global presence and to lead MB.io into new international markets. MultiBank Group also stated that Al Hakim will oversee the expansion of MultiBank Exchange, which the company described as an interbank trading matching engine. The appointment, the announcement added, supports MultiBank Group’s ambitions across financial markets, digital assets and financial technology. The company said Al Hakim’s responsibilities include advancing capabilities in “real-world asset tokenisation,” institutional trading and cross-border settlement solutions through MB.io, its cryptocurrency and digital asset trading platform, and through MultiBank Exchange. Valuation and trading volumes cited by the company In the disclosure included with the announcement, MultiBank Group said it has a reported valuation of US$32 billion (AED 117 billion). It also stated that it recorded trading volumes of US$450 billion (AED 1.65 trillion), with peak daily volumes reaching US$55 billion (AED 202 billion). The release said the appointment coincides with the launch of MultiBank Exchange and forms part of a strategy to connect traditional financial markets with the digital economy via an integrated financial ecosystem. Background in UAE government and Crypto.com partnerships According to the announcement, Al Hakim previously served as President and General Manager of Crypto.com after a senior leadership role within the UAE federal government. The company said he is a graduate of the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Program. MultiBank Group said that while at Crypto.com, Al Hakim led strategic partnerships with Emirates and Dubai Duty Free. The company stated that these partnerships contributed to the launch of “Crypto.com Pay” with Emirates in July 2026, enabling eligible customers in the UAE to pay for flights through the airline’s website and app. It also said Dubai Duty Free launched “Crypto.com Pay” in August 2026 and described it as the first airport retailer in the Middle East to introduce the regulated payment solution across its airport stores and online platform. The announcement further stated that Al Hakim helped secure a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates for Crypto.com, which MultiBank Group said was the first cryptocurrency company to obtain the licence. It also claimed that, under his leadership, Crypto.com’s monthly transaction volumes in the UAE increased 49-fold between January and December 2025 without a dedicated marketing budget. In addition, the release said Al Hakim worked on a government digital payments initiative with the Department of Finance in Dubai, including the launch of its pilot phase, and expanded relationships with regulators, banks, financial institutions and international companies. Leadership comments In the announcement, Naser Taher said Al Hakim’s appointment is “an important step” in MultiBank Group’s strategy to build a globally integrated financial ecosystem. Taher added that Al Hakim’s understanding of regulatory environments, institutional markets and digital assets, along with his ability to establish partnerships, would be instrumental in advancing MultiBank Group’s international ambitions. Al Hakim said he is joining the group “at a pivotal stage,” describing an overlap between traditional finance and digital assets as creating opportunities for institutions and investors. He said his priority will be translating the group’s international ambitions into commercial results, bringing MB.io to new markets, and building MultiBank Exchange’s institutional reach, including through tokenisation, digital asset trading and financial infrastructure. This article was originally published as MultiBank Group names Mohammed Al Hakim vice chairman and MB.io chief, citing US$32 billion valuation on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Animoca Brands Completes Final Step for Abu Dhabi Fund Management
Animoca Brands has received regulatory authorization in Abu Dhabi that broadens how it can manage investment capital for institutions. The company said on Monday that its subsidiary, Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited, has been approved by Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to oversee non-retail investment funds. The move marks another step in Animoca’s multi-jurisdiction push to formalize its crypto- and gaming-linked operations into regulated financial services, after earlier approvals and licensing progress in the region. For investors and partners, the practical difference is that the authorization allows the firm to pool professional investors’ money under FSRA oversight, rather than serving retail investors. Key takeaways Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited received FSRA approval in Abu Dhabi to manage non-retail investment funds. The authorization was completed after an in-principle approval first announced in November 2025, with the final approval taking effect on Oct. 13. Animoca has also expanded regional regulatory coverage, including a Dubai license announced in February for virtual asset brokerage and investment management. The company’s broader strategy, as previously outlined in an investor update, centers on building regulated financial services capabilities while allocating more focus to institutional digital-asset use cases. FSRA approval completes Animoca’s Abu Dhabi fund-management process According to Animoca Brands, the authorization was granted to its Abu Dhabi-based asset management subsidiary, Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited. The FSRA authorization covers the management of funds that pool capital from professional investors—an important distinction from retail-oriented products because it generally implies a more stringent compliance and suitability framework. Animoca said the approval became effective on Oct. 13. The timeline is notable because the process didn’t begin with the final authorization; the firm previously received in-principle approval in November 2025. The completion announced Monday effectively closes that loop, moving from regulatory permission in principle to an operational authorization status. The Abu Dhabi step comes as more crypto-native firms in the Middle East seek regulated pathways for asset management and institutional financial services. In this environment, the ability to structure and manage funds under local oversight can influence how effectively companies attract professional capital and comply with regional reporting expectations. From mobile games to regulated finance Animoca Brands traces its roots to mobile gaming. The company was originally spun off from Animoca in 2014, building and publishing games based on licensed brands while also producing original titles. The shift to blockchain matters because it set up the firm’s later pivot into venture investing and token-adjacent activity. In 2018, Animoca said it shifted its focus toward blockchain and then developed an investment portfolio that included OpenSea, Dapper Labs, and the developer of Axie Infinity, Sky Mavis. While those investments are not the same as running regulated financial products, they helped create the expertise and networks that increasingly support institutional-facing services. In a September investor update, Animoca described a broader transition from being primarily a digital asset and Web3 operator into a regulated financial services institution working across multiple jurisdictions. It framed this as part of a wider industry trend in which crypto-native companies attempt to bring more formal financial services structures into their business models. How the Dubai license complements the Abu Dhabi authorization Animoca’s Abu Dhabi announcement follows related regulatory progress in Dubai. Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that the company secured a Dubai license in February to provide virtual asset brokerage and investment management services for institutional and qualified investors. That licensing choice aligns closely with what investors often ask for in practice: not just exposure to digital assets, but regulated wrappers for advisory, brokerage, and portfolio-related services. Taken together, the Abu Dhabi FSRA authorization and the Dubai license point to a strategy of building regulatory redundancy and geographic reach. For institutional clients, that can translate into a clearer compliance narrative and more options for cross-border relationships within the region. Still, readers should note that these approvals are not identical in scope. The FSRA authorization specifically relates to managing non-retail investment funds, while the Dubai license referenced by Cointelegraph centers on virtual asset brokerage and investment management services for institutional and qualified investors. The difference matters when evaluating what kinds of products a firm can offer and how those offerings might be structured. Institutional focus: stablecoins, tokenization, and treasury management Animoca’s regulatory expansion appears tied to its stated business direction. In its September investor update, the company outlined a move toward embedding digital asset activities into a more institutional framework. The company said its focus includes stablecoins, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and treasury management. While the Abu Dhabi approval itself concerns fund management rather than any single token category, it fits the broader theme: using regulated financial services capabilities to handle institutional-scale digital asset strategies. This approach is also relevant to market structure. Stablecoins and RWA tokenization, for example, typically require careful attention to custody, governance, and risk controls—areas where regulated fund management oversight can be a key element. What remains less clear from the announcement is how quickly and in what exact product formats Animoca Asset Management (AD) Limited will deploy the authorization. The company did emphasize that the approval process has now taken effect, but it did not specify immediate fund launches or investment mandates in the text provided. For investors and partners, the next signals to watch are whether Animoca communicates specific fund strategies in Abu Dhabi, how it positions the funds relative to its earlier institutional services in Dubai, and what compliance and reporting disclosures accompany the new authorization. As the regulatory groundwork is completed in Abu Dhabi and reinforced through Dubai licensing, the key question becomes execution: whether Animoca can translate approvals into clear, institution-ready offerings—particularly around stablecoins, tokenized assets, and treasury-focused strategies—while navigating the evolving expectations for regulated digital asset firms. This article was originally published as Animoca Brands Completes Final Step for Abu Dhabi Fund Management on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
FATF Review Flags Money Laundering Controls at Crypto Hubs
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) says it will conduct a targeted review of countries with significant crypto activity, aiming to pinpoint where anti-money laundering (AML) rules are not being applied effectively to virtual assets. In an announcement made Friday, the FATF—an intergovernmental body responsible for setting global AML standards—said the review will concentrate on jurisdictions with “materially important” virtual asset service provider (VASP) activity. It will also take into account the jurisdictions’ existing assessment status, rather than starting from scratch for every country. Key takeaways The FATF is launching a targeted AML compliance review focused on jurisdictions with the highest virtual asset service provider activity. The review will leverage the FATF’s existing assessment and follow-up processes as the primary evaluation mechanism. Initial results are scheduled for June 2027, with further findings due in October 2027. The plan includes additional monitoring and faster reporting to track progress against identified deficiencies. The FATF did not publicly specify which jurisdictions will be reviewed or how many will be included. Targeting where oversight gaps are most likely The FATF’s new approach reflects a shift toward concentrating regulatory scrutiny where crypto-related activity and VASP presence are most substantial. By prioritizing jurisdictions with “materially important” VASP activity, the watchdog is effectively narrowing its lens to places where enforcement failures could have outsized cross-border impact. According to the FATF’s announcement, the review will consider the authorities’ current assessment status. That means countries already flagged as high risk—or those already making progress through prior engagement—may be treated differently from jurisdictions at earlier stages of compliance. The FATF also indicated that its “regular assessments and follow-up procedures” will remain the core tools for evaluating whether jurisdictions meet global expectations. The targeted review, therefore, is not replacing the existing FATF framework; it is adding an extra layer of focus and urgency. Timeline and what “faster reporting” implies FATF said it expects to publish initial findings in June 2027, followed by additional results in October 2027. Beyond those report drops, the FATF plans monitoring and faster reporting intended to track whether governments are closing the gaps identified in their crypto AML regimes. This matters for industry participants because FATF processes typically influence national regulators’ priorities. When the FATF highlights deficiencies, jurisdictions often face pressure to adopt or tighten supervision, enforcement, and reporting mechanisms for crypto compliance. Just as importantly, the FATF’s emphasis on faster reporting suggests it wants to reduce the lag between diagnosis and corrective action—something that can be critical for compliance programs that depend on regulatory clarity and supervisory consistency. Why the review comes after new FATF findings on Travel Rule adoption The targeted review follows a July FATF report that examined how widely the Travel Rule—rules requiring information-sharing about crypto transfers—has been implemented and enforced. FATF said the report found that 83% of surveyed jurisdictions had adopted crypto Travel Rule legislation, indicating that lawmakers have moved toward formal requirements. However, the same FATF report pointed to a persistent enforcement gap. It found that 55 of the 91 jurisdictions with Travel Rule laws had not yet taken supervisory or enforcement actions to test or compel compliance. In other words, legal adoption was not translating cleanly into oversight on the ground. The report also described operational challenges for authorities: identifying unlicensed crypto businesses and supervising providers that serve local customers from overseas. These are precisely the types of practical frictions that can undermine AML standards even when the legal framework is present. What readers should watch next The FATF has not named which jurisdictions it will review or how many will be included. As a result, the near-term focus for market participants and compliance teams will be on whether regulators expand enforcement capacity, improve supervisory targeting, and close loopholes related to identifying unlicensed actors and cross-border service arrangements. With initial findings slated for June 2027, the key question is whether this targeted process will accelerate the transition from Travel Rule legislation to real supervisory and enforcement outcomes in the highest-activity jurisdictions. FATF announcement: Launch of targeted review This article was originally published as FATF Review Flags Money Laundering Controls at Crypto Hubs on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Strategy Buys $65.5 Million In Bitcoin As Michael Saylor Predicts Return To Six Figures
Strategy has returned to Bitcoin accumulation, purchasing 811 BTC for $65.5 million despite continued market weakness. Bitcoin traded near $77,765.90 on November 2, while Michael Saylor maintained expectations of a recovery above $100,000. The latest acquisition increased the company’s holdings to 849,327 BTC, reinforcing its position as a major corporate Bitcoin holder. Strategy purchased 811 Bitcoin between October 26 and November 1, according to its latest regulatory disclosure. The company paid an average of $80,846 per coin, bringing the transaction’s total value to approximately $65.5 million. Consequently, its Bitcoin treasury increased to 849,327 BTC, valued at approximately $65.9 billion using the company’s reported valuation. The latest acquisition followed a one-week pause in Bitcoin purchases, during which Strategy focused on repurchasing preferred shares. However, the company maintained its accumulation strategy and resumed buying before the November 2 announcement. Earlier in October, Strategy acquired another 267 BTC for approximately $22.1 million, demonstrating continued demand for additional Bitcoin holdings. Strategy has spent approximately $64.08 billion accumulating its Bitcoin reserves, with an average purchase price of $75,451. Meanwhile, the latest purchase came through proceeds from its at-the-market common stock offering program. The company sold 1,178,552 MSTR shares, generating approximately $164 million, with $65.5 million funding Bitcoin purchases. Strategy Repurchases 811 BTC After One-Week Buying Pause Strategy purchased 811 BTC for $65.5 million after pausing acquisitions for one week. The latest purchase increased Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings to 849,327 BTC, worth $65.9 billion. Strategy repurchased $208.2 million in STRC preferred shares during the same period. The company reported $19.53 billion in Q3 net income, supported by Bitcoin gains. Michael Saylor expects Bitcoin to recover above $100,000 despite recent market weakness. Strategy Repurchases $208.2 Million In STRC Preferred Shares Alongside its Bitcoin acquisition, Strategy repurchased 2,092,035 STRC preferred shares for approximately $208.2 million. The company funded the transaction using its available USD Cash balance, according to its latest regulatory disclosure. Additionally, Strategy allocated $98.5 million from its common stock offering proceeds to its dollar reserves. The company also reported paying $43.4 million in preferred stock dividends during the same reporting period. Following these transactions, its USD Reserve balance stood at approximately $4.79 billion on November 1. Strategy said its combined dollar assets could cover preferred dividends and interest payments for approximately 3.3 years. The latest financial update follows Strategy’s third-quarter earnings announcement on October 29, which reported $19.53 billion in net income. Digital asset gains contributed significantly, with the company recording a $20.91 billion increase in digital asset revenue. However, its software revenue declined 3% to $125.4 million, while its Bitcoin yield remained negative at 3.7% year-to-date. Michael Saylor Maintains Bitcoin’s $100,000 Price Outlook Michael Saylor continues to expect Bitcoin to recover above $100,000 despite its recent decline. His outlook follows several months of market weakness and reduced valuations across major cryptocurrency-related stocks. However, Saylor has described current market conditions as the beginning of another bullish phase. His latest position builds on earlier predictions that connected Bitcoin’s long-term growth with institutional demand and wider banking adoption. Furthermore, Strategy’s earnings announcement provided another opportunity for Saylor to reinforce his positive market outlook. Nevertheless, he has not committed to Bitcoin reaching six figures before the end of 2026. Meanwhile, Strategy’s stock performance has reflected pressure across the cryptocurrency market during recent trading sessions. MSTR shares closed Friday at $130.51 after losing 9.6% throughout the week, while Bitcoin declined 3.6%. However, MSTR recovered to approximately $133 during Monday’s premarket session, gaining 1.91% against Friday’s closing price. Additional background: Strategy’s latest transaction highlights its continued reliance on capital markets to finance Bitcoin accumulation. Its stock offering program provides another funding channel alongside its existing dollar reserves. However, the approach also links its purchasing capacity to demand for its publicly traded shares. The latest figures also show a difference between Strategy’s accounting performance and its Bitcoin market exposure. Although the company recorded substantial quarterly net income, its year-to-date Bitcoin yield remained negative. Meanwhile, its growing reserves and preferred-share transactions demonstrate how Strategy continues managing its cryptocurrency treasury and financing obligations. This article was originally published as Strategy Buys $65.5 Million In Bitcoin As Michael Saylor Predicts Return To Six Figures on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Strategy Treble’s Weekly Bitcoin Budget to Fund STRC Buybacks
Michael J. Saylor’s Strategy (Strategy) allocated far more capital to buying back its STRC preferred shares than it spent on expanding its Bitcoin position last week, according to an SEC filing. The latest figures underscore how Strategy is balancing treasury management and its funding structure at a time when its STRC trades close to—but slightly below—its stated $100 target. In a Monday 8-K, Strategy reported repurchasing $208.2 million of STRC preferred stock and using about $65.5 million to acquire 811 Bitcoin (BTC). The Bitcoin purchases were executed at an average price of $80,846 per coin, with a portion of the proceeds from share sales later allocated to cash reserves. Key takeaways Strategy repurchased $208.2 million in STRC preferred shares, more than three times the $65.5 million spent on Bitcoin acquisitions. The company bought 811 BTC at an average price of $80,846, as reported in a Monday SEC 8-K. Strategy sold about 1.18 million MSTR shares for net proceeds of $164 million, with $65.5 million earmarked for Bitcoin and $98.5 million added to USD Cash. Strategy’s STRC preferred stock traded below its $100 target price, which may affect the efficiency of funding via new STRC issuance. Japan’s Metaplanet also reported common-share buybacks, spending about 25.27 billion yen for a large tranche of its outstanding shares. How Strategy funded its latest Bitcoin buys The SEC filing details both sides of Strategy’s last-week capital deployment: buybacks of its STRC preferred shares and a smaller set of Bitcoin purchases. According to the 8-K, the company acquired 811 BTC for approximately $65.5 million, using an average purchase price of $80,846 per coin. Strategy simultaneously reduced its share count by selling about 1.18 million MSTR shares for net proceeds of $164 million. The filing breaks down the use of that net funding: roughly $65.5 million supported the Bitcoin acquisition, while the remainder—$98.5 million—was allocated to the company’s USD Cash balance. Strategy also provided cash reserve figures. It reported holding $132.7 million in USD Cash and $4.79 billion in its separate US dollar reserve as of Sunday, according to the filing. For investors, the significance is less about a single buy and more about the pattern. When STRC repurchases consume a larger share of weekly capital, it can indicate that Strategy is actively managing near-term balance sheet optics and funding pathways while continuing to build its Bitcoin holdings at a steady pace. STRC buybacks dominate as the stock sits near its target Strategy’s STRC preferred stock buybacks appear to have been the larger priority in the reported period. In pre-market trading on Monday, STRC rose 0.1% to $99.22, which is about 0.8% below its $100 target price, based on data shown by Yahoo Finance. Strategy’s policy, as described in the context of STRC performance, is not to issue new STRC shares below $100. That condition matters because it constrains one potential funding channel: if the stock trades below its target, Strategy may be less able to raise new capital through STRC issuance at prices that would violate its stated policy. In that environment, repurchasing STRC can still function as a capital allocation tool even if new issuance is limited. The latest weekly numbers—$208.2 million in STRC buybacks versus $65.5 million in Bitcoin acquisitions—suggest the company is relying more heavily on repurchase activity rather than assuming immediate funding efficiency through STRC issuance. Strategy’s recent activity follows earlier reported buybacks. Earlier coverage by Cointelegraph noted that Strategy conducted approximately $664 million in STRC repurchases between Oct. 1 and Oct. 25, while acquiring about $72 million worth of Bitcoin in the same window. The latest 8-K figures maintain the same broad imbalance—more STRC buybacks than BTC buys—though both activities continue. Bitcoin treasury companies: Metaplanet also reports buybacks Strategy isn’t the only Bitcoin treasury-adjacent company signaling an active repurchase posture. Japan’s Metaplanet reported common-share buybacks on Monday, according to a corporate filing published through TDnet. Metaplanet said it spent about 25.27 billion yen (about $160 million) to repurchase 96.45 million shares between Oct. 14 and Saturday. That represented roughly 7.1% of its issued shares, as described in the report. While Metaplanet’s buybacks involve common stock rather than a Bitcoin-linked preferred structure, the parallel is notable: treasury-focused companies are using share repurchases as a recurring lever. For market watchers, this reinforces the idea that the “BTC treasury” thesis is not just about accumulating Bitcoin—it also includes active management of equity capital, share supply, and cash deployment. What remains uncertain is how these repurchases interact over time with Bitcoin acquisition pace. The Strategy filing provides a snapshot for a specific week, but readers should watch whether the BTC buy cadence accelerates when STRC is closer to its target price or whether share buybacks continue to dominate weekly allocations. What traders and long-term holders should monitor next With Strategy continuing both STRC repurchases and Bitcoin acquisitions, the next datapoints to watch are the direction of STRC relative to its $100 target and the proportional split between equity buybacks and BTC purchases in subsequent filings. If STRC remains below its target, Strategy may continue facing constraints on issuing new STRC shares, potentially shifting the balance further toward repurchases and internal cash management. For Bitcoin-focused investors, the steady presence of BTC acquisitions in the filing matters—but so does the funding mix. Monitoring the relationship between repurchase activity, cash balances, and BTC purchase volumes should clarify whether Strategy’s approach is designed for short-term capital efficiency, longer-term treasury strategy, or both. This article was originally published as Strategy Treble’s Weekly Bitcoin Budget to Fund STRC Buybacks on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Binance-Linked Hackers Swap Stolen Solana for Bitcoin, Chainalysis Says
Hackers responsible for Binance’s estimated $6.3 billion theft have started shifting parts of the stolen cryptocurrency into new routes for laundering, according to blockchain investigators tracking on-chain movements. As freezes disrupt activity across multiple networks, investigators say the group has begun converting large quantities of stolen Solana (SOL) into Bitcoin (BTC). Lookonchain reported Sunday that the attackers moved 486,970 SOL—valued at roughly $46.4 million at the time of reporting—by swapping through Relay. The shift follows an earlier pattern in which investigators said the laundering wallets used on Tron were largely emptied after assets were targeted with exchange and issuer freezes. Key takeaways Lookonchain said hackers moved 486,970 SOL (about $46.4 million) and swapped it for BTC via Relay. Blockchain data cited in the reports suggests most Tron temporary holding wallets were largely drained, with laundering expanding to Solana. Chainalysis previously described laundering patterns that may involve automation, repeated wallet transfers, and transactions cycling back through addresses. The FBI attributed the theft to North Korea-linked TraderTraitor hackers and urged crypto services—including DeFi—to block transactions tied to listed wallet addresses. Gate said it froze two linked accounts tied to the stolen funds but did not disclose the amount frozen. Solana-to-Bitcoin swaps emerge as freezes bite The latest movement centers on a portion of stolen funds that appears to have escaped some of the restrictions imposed after the Thursday hack. Earlier, investigators and industry participants said roughly $3 billion in stolen assets were frozen, including action by issuers and partners such as Tether and Circle. Lookonchain’s Sunday update claims that the hackers are now converting SOL into BTC through Relay. The use of an intermediary swapping service suggests the attackers are not merely moving assets between wallets, but actively seeking conversion paths that can help preserve liquidity once certain tokens are frozen. While the swap indicates a tactical shift, other investigators estimate the group still holds substantial value. SomaXBT, for instance, estimated that the attackers retained about $3.5 billion after the freezes, underscoring that the laundering effort was not fully contained by countermeasures. Tron wallets largely emptied; laundering patterns expand Chainalysis said Sunday that the hackers’ temporary holding wallets on Tron had largely been emptied as laundering activity moved onto Solana. In its accounting, Chainalysis put the value of the Tron transfers connected to the laundering process at roughly $500 million. However, SomaXBT later clarified that the $500 million figure included repeated movements and internal transfers between wallets. In that view, only about $242 million actually left the Tron holding wallets, meaning investigators’ totals may reflect both outbound value and the “churn” used to obscure trails. Chainalysis also reported earlier on Friday that hackers may have used automation: it observed thousands of transactions occurring quickly and funds moving repeatedly between wallets. The firm noted that some transfers appeared to return to addresses used earlier in the laundering sequence—an indicator of highly structured activity rather than a simple, linear withdrawal. Centralized exchange alerts: Gate freezes linked accounts The laundering network also intersected with centralized exchanges. Lookonchain reported Monday that hackers deposited about $250,000 to Gate over the prior 12 hours. Gate subsequently said it froze two linked accounts and would cooperate with law enforcement, though it did not specify how much was frozen. For affected users, exchange-linked freezes can be a double-edged development. On one hand, freezing linked accounts can interrupt the attackers’ ability to cash out. On the other, it can take time to reconcile which withdrawals are legitimate and which funds remain blocked—especially when attackers have already moved assets through multiple hops. Binance, for its part, said its hot wallets were compromised, with early findings pointing to a hacked employee laptop before investigators identified additional breach points. The exchange began restoring withdrawals Sunday, pledged to cover losses, and said it was working with US authorities to trace and recover stolen assets. FBI directive targets specific wallet activity across crypto services Beyond on-chain tracking by firms, the US government moved to disrupt laundering through direct guidance to the industry. The FBI attributed Thursday’s theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor hackers and published wallet addresses it linked to the stolen funds. In an advisory issued on Saturday, the FBI—along with the US Secret Service and IRS Criminal Investigation—urged THORChain node operators, exchanges, and decentralized finance services to block transactions involving those addresses or funds traced back to them. The FBI said investigators observed the hackers converting stolen assets primarily into Ether (ETH) and expected further laundering through DeFi and instant swap services. This kind of directive matters because laundering at scale often depends on liquidity across multiple venues—bridges, swaps, and DeFi pools—where blocking even a small set of addresses can reduce the attackers’ ability to consolidate value quickly. It also raises practical questions for service operators: how they screen incoming transactions, how quickly filters update, and how to avoid collateral restrictions on unrelated users. As Binance restores withdrawals and more custodians implement account freezes, the next critical development is whether the attackers’ conversions and swap activity can be slowed across Solana-to-Bitcoin routes and other liquidity rails flagged by investigators. Readers should watch for additional on-chain reporting of how much value remains unfrozen, and whether subsequent government or exchange advisories expand the list of blocked addresses in response to the hackers’ shifting tactics. This article was originally published as Binance-Linked Hackers Swap Stolen Solana for Bitcoin, Chainalysis Says on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Binance Moves 50% of SAFU Bitcoin, Publishes Reserve Proof
Binance’s emergency Bitcoin wallet showed a sharp drop over the weekend as the exchange used part of its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) to help cover losses tied to Thursday’s massive hack. On Monday, the wallet held about 7,500 BTC—down from roughly 15,000 BTC prior to the transfer—after Binance confirmed it had moved 7,499 BTC on Saturday. The attack led Binance to suspend withdrawals while it worked to replace stolen assets. The FBI later attributed the hack to North Korea, naming the alleged attackers as “TraderTraitor.” Binance says withdrawals have since reopened in stages and that it has replenished the affected assets in near-total measure. Key takeaways Binance confirmed a Saturday transfer of 7,499 BTC to a wallet that now holds roughly 7,500 BTC, indicating SAFU deployments after the hack. After the Thursday incident, Binance suspended withdrawals and then restarted them in phases starting Sunday, reporting about 95% replenishment by Monday. Binance’s SAFU policy describes rebalancing triggers (including a $800 million threshold for BTC price moves) but does not set a specific deadline to replace funds after security events. Binance says customers can verify balances against its Saturday proof-of-reserves snapshot, and it plans an expanded snapshot later. SAFU deployed after Binance-linked wallet transfer Binance publicly connected the Saturday move to its SAFU coverage. According to Binance’s confirmation, the exchange transferred 7,499 BTC as part of the partial deployment of the user-protection fund. Blockchain explorer data linked to the wallet indicates that by Monday it contained approximately 7,500 BTC, valued at around $583 million—about half the balance reported before the transfer. In practical terms, the shift illustrates how Binance is funding replenishment in real time rather than waiting for a single one-off replacement. For traders and users, that matters because it provides an on-chain window into the exchange’s immediate liquidity response following the theft. Replenishment progress and the reopening of withdrawals The hack was reported as the largest in cryptocurrency history, and it immediately disrupted customer access by forcing Binance to suspend withdrawals. Following the incident, Binance began reopening withdrawals in phases on Sunday. Binance stated that it had replenished approximately 95% of the affected assets by Monday—up from about 90% a day earlier. The exchange also said it continued acquiring remaining, less-liquid tokens using a mix of market purchases and over-the-counter transactions. Binance’s coverage plan includes the exchange’s corporate treasury, SAFU, and part of its futures insurance fund. That multi-fund approach is significant because it spreads the replacement burden across different reserve pools rather than concentrating all replenishment in a single source. SAFU policy: rebalancing triggers, but no replacement deadline Binance’s SAFU documentation lays out how the fund is meant to be monitored and rebalanced. The policy states that if the market value of SAFU falls below $800 million due to Bitcoin price fluctuations, Binance will rebalance the fund to restore it to $1 billion. Notably, the policy does not spell out a timeline for replenishing SAFU after assets are withdrawn because of a security incident. That gap can be consequential for stakeholders trying to assess how quickly funds used in emergency coverage will be fully restored. Binance did not immediately provide additional details when asked about remaining SAFU reserves, further deployments, and replenishment plans—leaving parts of the timetable unclear beyond the operational milestones the exchange has already communicated through replenishment percentages and withdrawal resumption. Proof-of-reserves update and expanded snapshots As part of its post-hack verification effort, Binance said Monday that users could now verify their balances against the proof-of-reserves snapshot the exchange provided on Saturday, after it completed the accompanying cryptographic proof. Binance said the snapshot indicates that customer holdings in 10 cryptocurrencies—including Bitcoin, Ether, and USDT—are backed at least 1:1. That claim is central to the verification process because it aims to demonstrate that the exchange’s assets cover customer liabilities across the listed tokens. The exchange also plans a follow-up snapshot covering more tokens on Wednesday. Binance said the cryptographic proof for the expanded snapshot is expected to take an additional 40 to 50 hours to generate. For customers, this staged approach means verification should continue to get more comprehensive rather than ending with a single limited snapshot. For investors, it also provides a framework to monitor how well Binance’s reserves align with customer holdings as the token set expands. Looking ahead, readers should watch whether Binance’s next snapshot confirms consistent 1:1 backing across the expanded set of assets, and how quickly—or slowly—fully replenishing SAFU and related coverage pools progresses after this emergency deployment. The absence of an explicit SAFU replacement deadline makes the follow-up replenishment updates and reserve proofs especially important in the weeks to come. This article was originally published as Binance Moves 50% of SAFU Bitcoin, Publishes Reserve Proof on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
AI Agent Challenges Case in ‘Internet Court’ Before Jury of Bots
AI agents are edging closer to everyday economic activity—placing orders, negotiating terms, and settling disputes—yet the industry still lacks a practical, low-cost way to handle misunderstandings when instructions go wrong. A recent concept from the Internet Court ecosystem aims to fill that gap by combining escrowed contracting with AI-assisted adjudication powered by GenLayer, an open proof-of-stake network connected to multiple AI models. Operating in beta for about a year, Internet Court reportedly processes around 12,000 decisions per day. The system verifies certain user inputs (including photos used in specific workflows) and resolves disputes on argue.fun. Mainnet is expected to launch next month, with GenLayer acting as the dispute resolution backbone. Key takeaways Internet Court uses escrowed funds and AI juries to resolve contractual disputes when agent instructions are ambiguous or misapplied. Disputes begin with a small jury (five validators) using majority voting, and can escalate through larger juries for finality. GenLayer ties into multiple AI model families, aiming to reduce single-model bias by using diverse “jurors.” The protocol has been in beta for roughly a year, reportedly handling about 12,000 decisions daily. Near-term applications include faster adjudication for prediction market disputes, though outcomes may still be appealable to humans. From misinterpretation to escrowed adjudication The prompt for Internet Court is straightforward: if AI agents can transact on your behalf, they will sometimes misinterpret instructions. The resulting disputes—especially those involving subjective interpretation, context, or multimedia evidence—don’t map neatly onto traditional legal processes, which are often slow and expensive relative to the size and frequency of automated transactions. Internet Court’s approach is built around a modern arbitration workflow. Parties enter into a contract and funds are held in escrow until the terms are judged to have been met. Instead of relying on courts for every disagreement, the protocol routes disputes into an adjudication mechanism that can be executed quickly and at lower cost. The adjudicator uses GenLayer, described as an open delegated proof-of-stake network of validators connected to AI models. In the beta period, the system reportedly supports practical endpoints such as Collective Memory photo validation and dispute resolution on argue.fun. The team also frames Internet Court as a technical cousin to the jury theorem popularized by philosopher Nicolas de Condorcet: the likelihood of arriving at a correct outcome can increase as independent evaluators multiply. How Internet Court’s “jury” decides disputes Mechanically, Internet Court disputes are sent to a randomly selected jury of five GenLayer validators, each running a different AI model. An initial decision is reached within minutes using a simple majority vote. If a party appeals, the process expands to a wider set of jurors—scaling from 11 to 23 and beyond—until it reaches the system’s limit. The co-founder and CEO of GenLayer, Albert Castellana, says finality typically occurs within about 30 minutes. He also distinguishes between waiting for maximum resolution rounds versus accepting earlier outcomes: the appeal process escalates in stages, potentially reaching much larger jury sizes and taking longer if parties keep contesting the result. GenLayer’s open consortium has reportedly grown to 35 members. The consortium includes crypto industry participants such as ZKsync, NEAR, Consensys, and UMA, which has been involved in resolving disputes for Polymarket. While consortium participation does not guarantee a specific outcome, it signals that the project is aligning with established actors in verification and adjudication-oriented crypto workflows. Intelligent contracts: judging the “subjective” Beyond dispute resolution, GenLayer is positioned as enabling a new kind of “intelligent contract,” distinct from standard smart contracts that execute only objective code paths. The premise is that the contract can incorporate judgment over natural language or images and then release payment based on that assessment. Castellana describes examples where such contracts evaluate work quality—for instance, paying a freelance writer and using the system to assess whether the content meets an expected standard. He also points to workflows where AI judgments are already sufficiently actionable for automated payments. Collective Memory is cited as one current use case: GenLayer reportedly assesses user-uploaded photos for quality and accuracy, then determines payment. Another major user is argue.fun, where users can bet on the resolution of arguments settled by debates between agents. According to the article, top users in that setup have earned more than $2 million each, and many disputes to date relate to policy questions spanning GenLayer governance, DAOs, and AI safety. That said, the project acknowledges limitations. The technology is described as not yet robust enough for certain tasks—such as determining whether an image is a deepfake or resolving neighbor boundary disputes purely from photos. The implication for investors and builders is practical: intelligent contracts are most credible where the required “judgment” is within the current reliability envelope, and less so for high-stakes edge cases. Why this matters for prediction markets A more immediate target use case for Internet Court is prediction markets, where resolution timelines can become contentious when terms are ambiguous. The article highlights a mid-2025 example involving Polymarket and a large market tied to whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would wear a suit before a deadline. Initial resolution reportedly went “Yes” when Zelensky wore an outfit that was described as vaguely suit-like, but after nine days of appeals and a vote-driven process involving UMA token holders, the outcome flipped to “No.” Castellana argues that GenLayer’s jury mechanism could shorten these resolution windows dramatically. In his view, a neutral adjudication layer could produce decisions within minutes by using hundreds or thousands of AI agents to vote quickly. The practical promise is speed and accessibility—features that matter when prediction markets depend on timely, predictable settlements. However, the article also flags a key tension: human acceptance of AI-derived rulings. Internet Court and GenLayer are not framed as final in all cases. Decisions can reportedly be appealed further to humans, or to other dispute-resolution frameworks such as Kleros or UMA, depending on the context. The risk debate: bias, groupthink, and reliability Entrusting dispute resolution to AI jurors introduces concerns that extend beyond speed. The first is simple maturity: AI models may not yet deliver consistently reliable judgments in every scenario. Second, AI systems can reflect biases in training data, and attempts to mitigate those biases can sometimes swap one skew for another. There is also a more conceptual worry raised via an MIT paper on “Representational Convergence,” which suggests that over time, different AI systems could converge on similar internal representations. If that happens, diverse jurors might start making correlated errors—turning “more jurors” into a form of groupthink rather than independent evaluation. Castellana disputes the likelihood of that scenario, arguing that the ecosystem is likely to keep expanding rather than collapsing into a single shared model behavior. He points to continual model creation across countries, companies, and teams, implying that juror diversity will remain meaningful. With Internet Court expected to move toward mainnet next month, the most important question for users and market operators will be how quickly and consistently AI-jury outcomes hold up under real dispute conditions—and how effectively appeals to humans or other mechanisms manage cases where the AI layer is uncertain. This article was originally published as AI Agent Challenges Case in ‘Internet Court’ Before Jury of Bots on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Hong Kong Activates 24/7 Tokenized Deposit Settlement
Hong Kong has expanded its blockchain-based financial infrastructure by enabling 24/7 settlement for tokenized deposits through Project Ensemble. Bitcoin traded at approximately $77,852 on November 2, according to Binance, as the city advanced its digital finance initiatives. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) now supports round-the-clock interbank settlement using tokenized central bank money. Hong Kong Expands 24/7 Tokenized Deposit Settlement The HKMA announced the latest upgrade on November 2, expanding the capabilities of its EnsembleTX pilot. The system allows participating banks to settle tokenized deposit transactions beyond conventional banking hours. Consequently, financial institutions can process eligible transactions throughout the day and night. The pilot currently includes 12 banks and 20 industry participants exploring blockchain-based financial applications. Participating institutions can use the upgraded infrastructure for corporate treasury operations and transactions involving tokenized investment products. Moreover, the system supports real-value settlements between banks through tokenized central bank money. EnsembleTX began its pilot phase in November 2025, following earlier experimentation under Project Ensemble. Initially, participating banks relied on Hong Kong’s existing Real Time Gross Settlement system for interbank transactions. However, the latest upgrade extends settlement capabilities beyond the operating hours of traditional banking infrastructure. HKMA Prepares Regulated Stablecoin Settlement Trials The HKMA has also outlined plans to expand testing beyond tokenized deposits and existing settlement arrangements. During Hong Kong FinTech Week, the authority discussed progress involving tokenized Exchange Fund Bills. Recognized dealers have completed secondary-market transactions involving these tokenized financial instruments. The next testing stage will examine how regulated stablecoins can support settlement after trades involving tokenized Exchange Fund Bills. This approach could connect blockchain-based financial assets with regulated digital payment instruments. However, the HKMA has not announced a specific launch date for these settlement trials. Meanwhile, HSBC introduced its RedCoin stablecoin through PayMe on October 23, targeting Hong Kong’s retail payments market. The phased rollout aims to reach more than 3.3 million users through the payment platform. Separately, Solana partnered with Anchorpoint to bring HKDAP, a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, onto its blockchain. Banks and Regulators Support Hong Kong’s Tokenization Strategy Major financial institutions participating in Project Ensemble include HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China Hong Kong. Their participation reflects growing efforts to connect established banking services with blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The initiative also provides a framework for testing practical applications involving tokenized money and financial assets. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) supports the development of infrastructure for tokenized financial products. Its chief executive, Julia Leung, highlighted potential applications involving corporate treasury management and secondary trading of tokenized funds. Furthermore, the SFC will continue working with the HKMA and financial institutions to develop additional use cases. The HKMA has also introduced the tConnect Launchpad with Cyberport to support further tokenization experiments. The platform brings technology companies and financial institutions together to test applications for digital financial services. Together, these initiatives strengthen Hong Kong’s efforts to develop regulated blockchain infrastructure for banking and capital markets. Project Ensemble’s expansion marks a practical step toward extending financial settlement beyond traditional banking schedules. Its 24/7 capability could improve transaction flexibility for institutions managing tokenized deposits and investment products. Meanwhile, upcoming stablecoin trials will test how regulated digital currencies can support settlement across Hong Kong’s developing tokenized financial ecosystem. This article was originally published as Hong Kong Activates 24/7 Tokenized Deposit Settlement on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Bitcoin Prepares for US Midterms: Key BTC Developments This Week
Bitcoin stayed above its 100-day moving average on Monday as investors looked ahead to a heavy U.S. macro calendar and a fresh round of big-company earnings. The timing matters: the market is coming off Bitcoin’s weakest October in more than a decade, and traders are also weighing how the outcome of Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections could shape risk sentiment. At the same time, prediction markets are pricing in a strong chance of Democrats taking control of the U.S. House. That backdrop is intersecting with expectations for Federal Reserve policy at the December FOMC meeting—an alignment that has historically influenced crypto via liquidity and interest-rate expectations. Key takeaways Kalshi’s market pricing put Democrats’ odds of winning control of the U.S. House at 93.6% as of Monday. Markets expect the Fed to raise rates by 0.25 percentage points at the December meeting, according to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool. Bitcoin was holding above its 100-day moving average after a late-October selloff that marked its weakest month since 2014. Upcoming U.S. jobs data and major tech earnings—particularly Apple and Palantir—are poised to test market expectations in the near term. Midterms, policy expectations, and a historically weak month Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections will determine control of Congress. Kalshi’s betting market for House control placed Democrats at a 93.6% probability of winning as of Monday. The political risk premium is not only about election results, but also about what follows legislatively. President Donald Trump said he would use his veto power if Democrats gained control of Congress, according to coverage from the New York Post. Historically, Bitcoin has struggled around midterm cycles. The article notes that Bitcoin finished the fourth quarter lower in each of the past three midterm election years—falling 17.3% in 2014, 43.5% in 2018, and 14.8% in 2022. All three periods occurred during Bitcoin bear markets, which helps explain why traders tend to treat midterms as a catalyst for volatility rather than a reliable directional signal. Benjamin Cowen, founder and CEO of crypto analytics platform IntoTheCryptoverse, argued that midterm-driven weakness can sometimes create buying opportunities for longer-term holders. In a post on X dated Friday, Cowen said that the “Q4 dump of midterm years” often provides opportunities for those who sold earlier to re-enter. He previously referenced bear-market bottoms aligning with the second half of midterm years. Reflecting that pressure, BTC/USD was down 6.4% for the quarter as of Monday, after October closed as Bitcoin’s weakest month since 2014, according to CoinGlass. Jobs data and the Fed: why traders are watching the calendar Tuesday’s jobs-related backdrop begins with September job openings data, followed by Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report for October. The payrolls number is expected to rise by 65,000, based on the forecast cited in the article. Markets are also factoring in that September added 29,000 jobs, a result below the earlier 84,000 consensus forecast mentioned in the report. In practical terms for crypto, weaker labor-market signals can shift expectations toward a more dovish Federal Reserve stance. The article links that dynamic to a potential boost for crypto and other risk assets by improving liquidity expectations. Beyond the core data releases, multiple Fed officials are scheduled to speak this week, including Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack and Fed Governor Michelle Bowman. Policy expectations are currently anchored by CME Group’s FedWatch Tool. The article says that the tool shows markets expecting a 0.25 percentage-point rate increase at the December FOMC meeting, with those odds ranging between 67% and 75% over the past month. On Friday, the University of Michigan will also publish a preliminary November consumer sentiment survey, including consumers’ inflation expectations—another input that can move rate expectations quickly. Earnings-week risk: tech sell-off echoes into crypto trading Alongside macro data, markets are digesting a corporate earnings wave. The article notes that 20% of S&P 500 companies are due to report over the coming days, with Apple and Palantir highlighted as major tech names scheduled to report after the market close on Monday. This matters because the market’s interpretation of earnings and forward guidance has become especially sensitive after last week’s tech sell-off. The report points to concerns around AI spending and profitability, which were reignited when companies delivered disappointing guidance, and it cites economist Mohamed El-Erian’s view that markets are now “acutely sensitive” to tech-sector headlines. El-Erian’s commentary, published on Substack and referenced in the article, argued that investors are focused on whether heavy capital expenditures across the sector can translate into measurable return on investment and sustained revenue growth. That focus can spill over into broader risk appetite—affecting crypto indirectly through liquidity conditions and cross-asset correlation. Bitcoin technicals: support held near the 100-day average While macro and earnings headlines set the tone, Bitcoin’s chart remains tied to key moving averages. After closing October down 7.3%, BTC/USD held above a moving average that has provided support since mid-August. TradingView data cited in the article showed BTC/USD staying above last week’s low near $76,300 without revisiting it around the monthly close. That low was close to the 100-day simple moving average (SMA) for BTC/USD. Since then, the 100-day SMA reportedly rose to $76,548. The report also says Bitcoin reclaimed its 100-week exponential moving average (EMA) ahead of the monthly close, which the article places at $77,759. Together, those levels suggest that despite October’s weakness, technical support has not been decisively broken. Trader and analyst Rekt Capital compared Bitcoin’s weekly structure to the rebound that followed its 2022 bear-market low. During the earlier recovery, BTC/USD formed an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, retested support at the right shoulder, briefly dipped below it, and then rallied. According to the article, last week’s move back down to $76,300 returned price to what Rekt Capital identified as the right-shoulder support on the current chart. Rekt Capital said he is watching whether Bitcoin will show a “downside deviation” below that level over the next few weeks, using the comparison as a framework for what comes next. For traders and investors, the immediate implication is straightforward: if Bitcoin holds the 100-day moving average area and avoids deeper breakdowns, it supports the idea of stabilization after a historically weak month. If it slips below those technical guardrails while macro expectations harden, the midterm-and-Fed setup could intensify selling pressure rather than easing it. Over the next few sessions, attention will likely center on how the U.S. labor reports and December rate expectations evolve alongside Apple and Palantir’s earnings—while technical watchers assess whether Bitcoin can maintain support near the 100-day average or whether the coming weeks bring the downside “deviation” Rekt Capital is flagging. This article was originally published as Bitcoin Prepares for US Midterms: Key BTC Developments This Week on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
“Uptober to Hacktober”: Is Bitcoin’s seasonal cycle losing edge?
Bitcoin’s long-running “Uptober” reputation is facing a stress test after a second straight month of losses in October. Instead of the traditional seasonal lift, analysts are now weighing whether recent institutional flows and macro conditions are overwhelming the calendar, or whether the drawdown is simply a temporary interruption. According to CoinGlass data, Bitcoin fell 7.3% in October 2026, following a roughly 4% decline in the same month a year earlier. The underwhelming performance has also fueled darker “October” labels in crypto circles, amid a broader backdrop of security incidents, including Binance’s reported $6.3 billion hack. Key takeaways Bitcoin’s October performance in 2026 broke with the market’s “Uptober” narrative, extending a pattern of weak monthlies. Seasonality signals such as “best median returns in October” are being reconsidered as monthly volatility has fallen in recent years. Analysts argue that ETF-related liquidity and macro variables may be driving short-term price action more than historical calendar effects. Some researchers caution against declaring “Uptober” dead, noting that October outcomes vary across broader market cycles. Seasonality under strain as October turns red Historically, October has been one of Bitcoin’s stronger months. Andrew Yang, a researcher at Kaiko, points to data showing October has delivered the highest median return among calendar months, with a 15.4% median gain—and gains in 10 of 13 years through 2025. Yet this year’s results have challenged the reputation that helped popularize the term “Uptober.” Even the broader pattern surrounding September has looked less reliable. Yang said Bitcoin has recorded gains every September since 2023, a shift he attributes to traders potentially buying ahead of a recurring October rally. But if expectations are being priced in earlier, the month itself may offer less upside. Yang also highlighted another structural change: Bitcoin’s typical monthly movement has narrowed. He said the asset’s monthly move declined from roughly 14% during 2013–2016 to about 9.6% since 2024, which could reduce the room for outsized seasonal spikes. Institutions and macro factors increasingly compete with the calendar Beyond seasonality, multiple analysts emphasized that Bitcoin’s trading behavior may be changing as institutional participation deepens. Justin d’Anethan, head of research at Arctic Digital, argued that ETF flows and corporate Bitcoin buyers are more sensitive to liquidity, interest rates, and investment mandates than to calendar narratives. That framing aligns with recent ETF-related flow data highlighted in the coverage: US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $515 million in net outflows in October 2026. By comparison, spot Ether ETFs saw record monthly withdrawals of $1.61 billion. The contrast matters because ETF flows can reflect broad investor risk appetite and positioning—factors that may not move in tandem with seasonal expectations. Yang cautioned that spot Bitcoin ETFs, approved in January 2024, are still too new to fully judge their longer-term influence over seasonality. Still, he suggested that Bitcoin is “increasingly” behaving like a macro asset—more responsive to economic data and institutional flow dynamics than to historical month-by-month patterns. For traders and investors, the practical implication is straightforward: if liquidity conditions and macro inputs dominate, seasonal studies may remain useful as a backdrop but become less reliable as a timing tool. Why two weak Octobers don’t settle the debate Even with back-to-back October declines, analysts warned against treating “Uptober” as permanently broken. Julio Moreno, head of research at CryptoQuant, noted that October tends to perform better during bull markets and worse during bear markets. In other words, the calendar signal can be conditional on the broader regime—so comparing October across different cycles can produce misleading conclusions. Moreno said performance depends more on spot demand dynamics than on cyclical patterns, arguing that demand “doesn’t care about the calendar.” That point goes directly to a core tension in market seasonality: if seasonal narratives attract buyers early, the payoff may shift forward, leaving the late-month outcome less impressive. Markus Levin, co-founder of XYO, offered a related mechanism. He suggested that traders may be anticipating October gains earlier. When enough participants expect a rally in a given month, the rally can become priced in before the month arrives—transforming a historically “good” month into a less profitable window than it once was. d’Anethan echoed the uncertainty. While “Uptober” has historical validity, he said seasonality metrics can fail at times—especially when market structure changes or when macro and liquidity conditions diverge from past patterns. What to watch next Readers should watch whether November stabilizes after October’s weakness and, more importantly, whether spot Bitcoin ETF flows and broader liquidity conditions continue to outweigh seasonal signals. The key question for the next few months is whether the market is temporarily misfiring—or whether Bitcoin’s seasonal behavior is genuinely weakening as institutional demand and macro variables take greater control. This article was originally published as “Uptober to Hacktober”: Is Bitcoin’s seasonal cycle losing edge? on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Hong Kong Moves Tokenized Settlement to 24/7 and Plans Stablecoin Trials
Hong Kong’s push to modernize the way banks settle tokenized transactions moved into a more operational phase this week, with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) expanding its Project Ensemble work to support round-the-clock real-value settlement. At the same time, HSBC said its Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, RedCoin, has reached 50,000 users roughly 10 days after launch—an important milestone for stablecoins aimed at retail payments. In separate remarks at Hong Kong FinTech Week on Monday, HKMA officials described how the next stage of EnsembleTX is intended to reduce reliance on traditional settlement windows, while HSBC executives focused on consumer adoption of a regulated stablecoin. Together, the updates highlight a dual-track approach in Hong Kong: upgrading settlement infrastructure for tokenized assets and increasing access to tokenized money for everyday use. Key takeaways The HKMA advanced Project EnsembleTX to enable 24/7 real-value settlement, designed to help banks and customers move funds and manage tokenized investments outside conventional hours. Ensemble began as a central bank digital money-based settlement concept and now moves toward use cases that include tokenized government debt. HKMA said recognized dealers completed secondary-market trial trades in tokenized Exchange Fund Bills, with plans to broaden trials to regulated stablecoins. HSBC reported that its Hong Kong dollar stablecoin RedCoin reached 50,000 users about 10 days after debut. HKMA expands EnsembleTX toward 24/7 settlement The HKMA said it has taken Project EnsembleTX to a new stage that supports “24/7 real-value transactions.” According to the regulator’s announcement on Monday, the upgrade is meant to allow banks and their clients to conduct cross-border fund movement, manage tokenized investment products, and run treasury operations without being constrained by settlement cut-off times typical of legacy systems. The operational need behind this move is straightforward: when settlement happens only during defined windows, tokenized workflows can stall even if asset issuance, token distribution, or application-layer transfers are already technically available. By enabling real-value settlement beyond those hours, HKMA’s pilot aims to make tokenized finance less dependent on traditional bank settlement schedules. From pilot constraints to tokenized central bank money The HKMA said that when the pilot originally supported real-value trials, participating banks settled payments via Hong Kong’s existing Hong Kong-dollar settlement system—an approach that limited settlement hours. The regulator indicated that, as the trials progressed, it planned to introduce tokenized central bank money to enable around-the-clock settlement. Project Ensemble itself was launched in March 2024 to explore how banks could settle tokenized transactions using wholesale central bank digital money. A sandbox opened that August, allowing banks to connect tokenized deposit platforms and test transactions under controlled conditions. Speaking at Hong Kong FinTech Week, HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue described the regulator’s direction as introducing tokenized central bank money as a “foundation layer” for 24/7 settlement. He also said tokenized bonds, money market funds, and bank deposits are already being used within the broader initiative, reinforcing that the work is not limited to a single asset type. Tokenized government debt trials broaden—and stablecoins are next Beyond 24/7 settlement capability, the HKMA’s update ties EnsembleTX’s evolution to the next category of tokenized assets it wants participants to handle. The regulator said it is preparing trials involving regulated stablecoins alongside work that already includes tokenized short-term government debt instruments. In particular, the HKMA reported that recognized dealers completed secondary-market trial trades in tokenized Exchange Fund Bills—short-term debt issued under the Exchange Fund framework. The regulator said it plans to expand those trials to include regulated stablecoins. The direction matters because it suggests the sandbox is moving from isolated or single-use transaction testing toward a more complete market cycle: issuance and transfer are one thing, but secondary trading adds liquidity and operational complexity. HKMA’s communications also place the settlement layer at the center of future product integration. By stating that stablecoins will be incorporated into the trials, the regulator is effectively signaling that tokenized “money” products are intended to interoperate with the same settlement foundation being tested for tokenized investment instruments. HSBC’s RedCoin adds retail users as licensing matures While HKMA focused on bank-grade settlement and tokenized debt infrastructure, HSBC brought attention back to consumer-facing stablecoin adoption. Georges Elhedery, Group CEO of HSBC, said at Hong Kong FinTech Week that RedCoin had reached 50,000 users about 10 days after its debut. Elhedery also indicated HSBC’s goal is broader scale, targeting “multi-million users” as access expands. For readers, the key implication is not just adoption volume, but distribution readiness: the bank is moving from a limited launch toward wider availability of stablecoin wallets and payment flows. HSBC launched RedCoin on Oct. 23, according to Cointelegraph’s earlier coverage. The bank said RedCoin supports transfers and merchant payments through its PayMe application, and more than 3.3 million PayMe customers could activate stablecoin wallets to use the token. HSBC also said it intends to bring RedCoin into its mobile banking app and allow subscriptions to tokenized investment products, including a Hong Kong dollar money market fund share class. HSBC’s stablecoin push comes after Hong Kong introduced a licensing regime in August 2025 for issuers. Cointelegraph reported that HSBC was among the first licensed stablecoin issuers in April, alongside Anchorpoint Financial, backed by Animoca Brands and Standard Chartered. The regime, as described in earlier coverage, requires issuers to meet standards around reserves, redemption, and risk management—conditions designed to address core concerns for consumer stablecoin usage. Why the two tracks matter together Project Ensemble and RedCoin are aimed at different layers—one at settlement infrastructure for banks and tokenized securities, the other at tokenized money for retail payments—but they respond to the same bottleneck: moving value instantly and reliably across systems that were built for traditional schedules. HKMA’s work targets the plumbing that determines when “real value” can settle, while HSBC’s stablecoin rollout shows how a regulated token can be packaged into everyday payment experiences. The HKMA said settlement in its pilot initially relied on the conventional dollar settlement system, which limited hours; that constraint is now being addressed through tokenized central bank money. Meanwhile, HSBC is building usage pathways so stablecoins do not remain confined to wholesale pilots. Looking ahead, the next signals to watch are whether HKMA’s expanded EnsembleTX trials with regulated stablecoins progress smoothly—particularly as dealers move into more market-like activity—and whether RedCoin’s user growth accelerates beyond the early 50,000 figure once HSBC expands access across apps and payment contexts. This article was originally published as Hong Kong Moves Tokenized Settlement to 24/7 and Plans Stablecoin Trials on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
HSBCUS+0.57%
Log in to explore more content
Join global crypto users on Binance Square
⚡️ Get latest and useful information about crypto.