Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin shrugs off Fed hike and failed Senate crypto bill
Bitcoin surged past $86,000 this week, defying textbook market reactions to a Federal Reserve rate hike and a stalled legislative push in the U.S. Senate. While traditional assets retreated following the central bank’s hawkish signal, digital currency prices stabilized and quickly decoupled from the broader market’s downward pressure.
LayerZero and Anchorage Digital Partner to Standardize Bank Stablecoins
Anchorage Digital has tapped LayerZero as its preferred interoperability layer for federally chartered stablecoin issuance, signaling a shift toward institutional-grade infrastructure. The move aims to satisfy strict regulatory and reserve requirements, positioning LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token standard as the primary bridge for bank-backed digital assets across global blockchain networks.
BlackRock Maintains Bullish Stance on U.S. Equities Amid AI Spending Surge
BlackRock has opted to keep U.S. equities at an overweight rating in its Q4 2026 outlook, betting that robust AI-driven earnings will continue to outweigh the cooling effects of rising capital costs. The firm warns that the massive scale of AI infrastructure deployment is now competing directly with sovereign borrowing for liquidity.
21Shares Expands European Crypto Access With Zcash and Ether.fi ETPs
European investors gained new avenues for digital asset exposure this week as 21Shares launched physically backed exchange-traded products for Zcash and ether.fi on Euronext Paris and Amsterdam. The rollout follows a broader institutional push to bring privacy-focused and restaking-linked tokens into traditional brokerage environments.
Canada’s Big Six Banks Launch Collaborative Tokenized Deposit Network
Canada's six largest lenders have joined forces to develop an interbank system for transferring tokenized Canadian-dollar deposits. By digitizing conventional account balances, the initiative aims to facilitate real-time payments and programmable financial transactions that operate independently of traditional settlement windows.
Pi Network Unblocks KYC and Wallet Access for 900,000 Users
Pi Network has cleared a major hurdle for its user base, lifting duplicate-account restrictions for 417,000 Pioneers while preparing a technical fix for 497,000 wallets trapped by insufficient gas fees. These adjustments aim to resolve persistent migration bottlenecks that have slowed the transition of PI balances to the Mainnet.
BitMEX Ends 11-Year Run as Exchange Operations Wind Down
BitMEX has officially shuttered its remaining spot and derivatives markets, marking the final stage of an 11-year operational history. As of 04:00 UTC on September 23, the platform has transitioned from a global trading venue to a restricted interface, as the company prepares to fully disconnect its exchange services.
NEAR Protocol Integrates Ondo Finance for Tokenized US Stock Access
NEAR has partnered with Ondo Finance to grant eligible users direct access to 20 tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs, including shares of Tesla, Nvidia, and Apple. By leveraging NEAR Intents, the integration allows users to exchange crypto assets like Bitcoin and USDC for these securities without traditional brokerage accounts.
BVNK Adds Stellar Network to Payment Platform, Boosting XLM
Stellar’s native token, XLM, climbed 2.7% to $0.2135 as payments infrastructure firm BVNK integrated the blockchain into its global network. The move grants businesses in over 130 markets access to Stellar’s low-cost settlement rails without requiring separate technical integrations or complex infrastructure overhauls.
Coinbase Expands Crypto Lending with Fixed-Rate cbBTC Loans
Coinbase has launched fixed-rate USDC loans backed by cbBTC, providing borrowers with predictable interest costs and set maturity dates. The service, integrated through the Morpho Midnight protocol on the Base network, arrives as the exchange’s existing variable-rate borrowing platform reports over $1.4 billion in outstanding loans.
Bitcoin Surges Past $86K as Institutional Inflows Confirm Trend
Bitcoin surged to $87,000 this week, fueled by a potent mix of falling Treasury yields, lower oil prices, and a massive short squeeze. While retail and institutional interest reclaimed momentum, analysts caution that the rally was already in motion before the latest wave of spot ETF demand provided structural confirmation.
ECB Proposes Overhaul of MiCA Stablecoin Reserve Requirements
The European System of Central Banks has urged regulators to abandon fixed bank-deposit quotas for stablecoin issuers, arguing that current mandates threaten financial stability. Instead, officials suggest shifting toward maturity-based liquidity requirements to ensure reserves remain accessible during periods of rapid token redemption.
Geo Debates launches with showdown over the CLARITY Act
Geo has unveiled a short-form video platform designed to transform polarized policy discussions into a permanent, searchable record of claims and evidence. The startup’s inaugural debate tackles the U.S. crypto industry’s most pressing divide: whether digital asset markets require the CLARITY Act to function or can rely on existing agency oversight.
Prometheum Outlines Legal Framework for Tokenized US Equities
Prometheum has unveiled a structural plan for international investors to hold and trade tokenized US stocks, utilizing the existing custody chain of the Depository Trust Company. By anchoring digital tokens to shares held at the DTC, the firm aims to provide legal protections mirroring those of conventional brokerage accounts.
Nephos and Brinc Partner to Streamline GCC Crypto Compliance
Venture accelerator Brinc has tapped Nephos Group to provide specialized accounting, compliance, and tokenization support to its portfolio of over 250 startups. The partnership aims to help Gulf-based Web3 and stablecoin firms navigate complex cross-border regulations and reserve reporting requirements from their earliest stages of development.
ECB Seeks to Close Stablecoin Yield Loopholes
The European System of Central Banks is pushing to expand the EU’s ban on stablecoin interest, aiming to capture lending, staking, and other indirect yield-generating arrangements. Regulators argue that current MiCA protections are insufficient, as platforms could structure secondary products to bypass rules intended to keep electronic money focused on payments.
Crypto Firms Retain Heavy AML Burdens After CLARITY Act Stalls
The Senate’s failure to advance the CLARITY Act leaves existing anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations firmly in place for U.S. crypto businesses. Despite hopes for regulatory clarity, the procedural defeat ensures that companies must continue adhering to strict Bank Secrecy Act requirements without any legislative relief.
Kalshi Seeks CFTC Approval for Event Contract Margin Trading
The event-contract platform Kalshi has petitioned the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to authorize a margin framework for specific binary contracts, a move designed to shift its product lineup toward professional traders while excluding retail accounts and volatile assets like sports-related outcomes.
SoFi Migrates $25 Billion Card Program to Blockchain Settlement
SoFi Technologies has integrated its proprietary SoFiUSD stablecoin into Mastercard’s global payment infrastructure, effectively shifting a $25 billion card program onto the blockchain. This move marks the first instance of a nationally chartered bank utilizing its own stablecoin for real-time settlement across the Mastercard network.
Binance Invests $100 Million in Circle to Solidify USDC Partnership
Binance has acquired a $100 million stake in Circle Internet Group, formalizing a five-year commercial pact to prioritize the promotion of the USDC stablecoin. This private placement, finalized on September 17, deepens the operational ties between the world’s largest crypto exchange and the stablecoin issuer.
Crypto Industry Dominates 2026 Election Spending with $206 Million
Cryptocurrency firms have funneled $206 million into the 2026 U.S. election cycle, dwarfing corporate political spending from the online betting and Big Tech sectors combined. The massive influx of capital, tracked by Public Citizen, confirms the industry's aggressive push to influence congressional races and shape future digital asset policy.
South Korea Sets November Target for Second-Stage Crypto Legislation
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission is pushing back against claims of legislative stagnation, confirming that the Digital Asset Framework Act will reach a National Assembly subcommittee this November. Regulators insist the government and lawmakers remain aligned on a roadmap that prioritizes stablecoin oversight and market issuance standards.
Privacy coin market surges as institutional demand climbs
The privacy-focused cryptocurrency sector has expanded nearly fivefold over the past year, reaching a valuation of approximately $30 billion. According to research from 21Shares, this growth is driven by rising institutional interest in confidential blockchain infrastructure and the increasing necessity of data protection in corporate financial operations.
Kazakhstan Crypto Trading Volume Hits $10 Billion Milestone
Kazakhstan’s regulated digital asset market surged to $10.58 billion in 2025, a dramatic climb from $320 million just two years prior. This growth, fueled by the expansion of licensed services through the Astana International Financial Centre, reflects the country's push to integrate blockchain technology into its broader financial infrastructure.
Dutch police arrest two in fake EURC stablecoin Rolex scam
Two men have been arrested in the Netherlands for allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated fraud scheme that exchanged worthless counterfeit cryptocurrency for high-end Rolex watches. By mimicking the EURC stablecoin, the suspects successfully deceived sellers on the Marktplaats platform, leaving victims with digital tokens that held no actual value.
Upbit flags Sophon amid exchange market adjustments
South Korean exchange Upbit has placed the Sophon token under a trading warning, citing concerns over disclosure practices and circulation transparency, while Binance simultaneously prepares to delist seven USDC spot trading pairs on September 25 due to sustained low liquidity and trading volume.
Whitehats move 52 BTC from Coldcard exploit to recovery trust
Whitehat operators have transferred 52.37 BTC linked to the July Coldcard wallet exploit into a dedicated recovery trust. The consolidation, recorded in block 967,948, aims to return stolen assets to verified owners through a formal claims process established under Wyoming law.
Hana Bank and Upbit Global Partner on Crypto Compliance Tech
Hana Bank has entered a strategic partnership with Upbit Global to build a robust infrastructure for the 'Travel Rule,' the regulatory standard governing the identification and verification of digital asset senders and recipients during cross-platform transfers.
Tim Draper Urges Tech Giants to Shift Reserves into Bitcoin
Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper has labeled it irresponsible for Apple and Meta to maintain massive cash reserves without any Bitcoin exposure. He argues that holding exclusively traditional assets leaves these technology giants vulnerable to systemic banking failures and the long-term impact of U.S. government deficit spending.
Absa Launches Institutional Crypto Custody Service in South Africa
Absa Corporate and Investment Banking has officially launched its digital asset custody service in South Africa, marking a major expansion for Ripple’s institutional technology on the continent nearly a year after the partnership was first announced.