Crypto News Daily

Gemini 4 Is Here, and Google’s Flagship Tops All Other AI Models on Cybersecurity

Gemini 4 Argon tops 12 of 18 benchmarks in Google's own table, writes a million tokens per reply and resists hijacking best. Cyber defenders get it first, with the guardrails off.

Kalshi in advanced talks to raise new funding at $40B valuation: Reuters

The prediction market was valued at $22 billion in a $1 billion funding round just four months ago, after doubling its valuation from December.

Coinbase just completed its US derivatives stack but its biggest bet still sits outside it

Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, has secured Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approval for its own derivatives clearinghouse, completing a vertically integrated US trading stack. On Sept. 28, the CFTC registered Coinbase Clearing LLC as a derivatives clearing organization, ...

SEC changes token buyback guidance as spending hits $638M

The US Securities and Exchange Commission tightened its guidance for crypto token buybacks just three days after publishing it. On Sept. 25, SEC staff said a token issuer could announce a buyback without that announcement being treated as a promise to manage the token's value, as long as the crypto ...

Bitget Hacker Turns to Zcash Privacy Pool After Near Rejects $50M in Swaps

The attacker behind the $387.5 million Bitget heist has started hiding about $3.8 million in ZEC inside Zcash's Ironwood pool, after Near Intents turned their swaps away.

Bitget’s hackers turn to Zcash after $50 million laundering route gets blocked

Hackers behind Bitget’s $387.5 million breach are turning to Zcash's privacy features to hide the stolen funds as crypto firms increasingly block other escape routes. About 2,746 ZEC worth roughly $3.9 million was transferred Wednesday into Zcash’s Ironwood shielded pool through three transactions, ...

SlowMist traces Bitget hack activity to Aug. 31 zero-day exploit

SlowMist identified malicious activity weeks before the Bitget theft, involving a zero-day vulnerability, two security products and a custom withdrawal tool.

Anthropic tokenized pre-IPO volume hits $643M, but liquidity test looms

Anthropic’s planned IPO could force a fast-growing crypto derivatives market to reconcile its synthetic valuation with Wall Street’s actual price. Pre-IPO perpetual contracts linked to the artificial-intelligence company generated $643 million in trading across 12 crypto venues through Sept. 21, alr...

Illinois draft crypto tax rules detail DeFi, stablecoin treatment

Illinois’ draft rules spell out how its 0.2% digital asset transaction tax would apply to stablecoins, DeFi platforms, crypto bridges and self-custody transfers.

XRP Ledger starts carrying fund records from Brazil operator overseeing $4 trillion

The regulated operator is mirroring ownership of selected investment funds on XRPL while keeping its existing database as the official record.

US Senator Blumenthal Calls Tether's USDT a 'Superhighway' for Iranian Sanctions Evasion

The Connecticut Senator's subcommittee released its report on Monday and referred the findings to Treasury and the Justice Department.

FCA starts accepting crypto authorization applications ahead of 2027 regime

FCA opens crypto authorization window, setting a Feb. 28, 2027 deadline as UK firms face fresh vetting under new regime.

UK’s 2027 crypto rules let firms remove trust protection from Bitcoin lent for yield

UK crypto firms can now apply for authorization as of Sept. 30, bringing Bitcoin holders closer to a rulebook that will treat coins pledged as qualifying borrowing collateral differently from coins transferred into lending for yield. The distinction could matter when a platform fails: safeguarded as...

CFTC Sends White House New Rules to Cement Its Grip on Prediction Markets

The two proposals would define event contracts as "swaps" while excluding "casino-style gambling products"—a bid to cement the agency's exclusive jurisdiction as states sue prediction-market operators over gambling claims.

CFTC secures over $30 million judgment against defendants in Fundsz fraud case

The CFTC secured a win in court after the agency said two defendants participated in a crypto scheme that they then tried to walk back.

Binance Pay lets visitors spend USDT at PayPay merchants in Japan

Binance Pay will let overseas users spend USDT at most PayPay-supported merchants in Japan through HIVEX, while stores receive yen.

Robinhood announces AI agent for customers that trades around the clock, plus 10x crypto perps

Robinhood users could soon access an AI agent that trades on behalf of them even at 2 am. Plus, they will get to trade crypto perpetuals.

Kalshi to end liquidity incentive program amid wash trading allegations

Its monthly volume reached $52.98 billion in September as of Sept. 29, marking an all-time high, even as September data remains incomplete.

Bitcoin’s $87,000 rally just flipped from short squeeze to long risk

Bitcoin’s newly confirmed bull market is already showing signs that the rally powering it may be losing momentum. Last week, the top digital asset climbed to an eight-month high near $87,400 after reclaiming a long-term technical threshold that CryptoQuant says marked the start of a fresh bullish ph...

Bitget hackers move $4 million into Zcash’s private pool, making funds harder to trace

Three transfers pushed about 15% of the stolen ZEC into Ironwood, where payments hide their senders, recipients and amounts.

FCA opens crypto authorization window ahead of 2027 UK regime

Crypto businesses should apply by Feb. 28, 2027, while existing money laundering registrations will not convert into FCA authorization.

Binance ends Funding Account crypto deposits as Pay and Convert move to Spot

From Sept. 29, Binance says Funding Accounts no longer accept direct on-chain crypto deposits. Users depositing crypto must use Spot instead. Binance Pay receipts and Convert order settlement also move to Spot, although existing Funding balances are being migrated on a separate timetable. The change...

Clock's ticking: UK's crypto regulatory application window opens with February deadline

The five-month application window precedes the new regulatory framework’s planned introduction in October 2027, after years of legislative development.

Bitcoin Jumps on Cool PCE Inflation Data as Bond Yields Hit 20-Year Highs

The Fed's favorite inflation gauge came in cooler than expected, rate-hike odds fell and Bitcoin traders took the hint.

Bitcoin steadies as soft PCE cools October Fed rate hike bets

Core PCE rose just 0.2% in August, easing pressure for an October Fed hike. Bitcoin trades near $83,700 as rising Treasury yields cap gains.

Bitcoin fails to sustain $85,000 breakout, and bond yield spikes are blamed

Bitcoin erased a brief rally above $85,000 on Sept. 30, slipping back below $84,000 after fresh US inflation data as government bond yields rebounded and stocks recovered. The move followed the release of August personal consumption expenditures inflation at 12:30 p.m. UTC. At 3:28 p.m. UTC, Bitcoin...

Kalshi’s $40 billion growth story hits tough questions about its trading volume

Kalshi is ending a trader-volume incentive program nearly a year early as scrutiny of activity in its crypto markets intensifies. The prediction-market operator told the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that its Volume Incentive Program will terminate no earlier than Oct. 13, according to...

FBI Tells Its Employees to Assume Hackers Have Their Personal Data

An internal memo warned FBI staff that ShinyHunters, the group claiming it hacked the bureau's jobs site, may hold their private details.

Stablecoin cards enter ‘hyper growth’ mode as monthly spending hits record $1.17 billion

Stablecoin card spending is accelerating to record levels, but the payment rail remains a fraction of the traditional card market. Paymentscan tracked about $1.17 billion in spending through Sept. 30, already above August’s completed total and the highest monthly figure in its displayed series. Cuy ...

Brazil’s largest energy giant tests Cardano to fix carbon double-counting

Petrobras, Brazil's state-controlled energy company, is testing Cardano to track sustainable aviation fuel benefits and prevent double-counting. The Cardano Foundation said on Sept. 30 that an ongoing research and development collaboration had delivered applications for sustainable aviation fuel (SA...

Sentora split 50% Aave revenue, but suppliers absorb all losses

Aave DAO would own the contracts for a proposed Ethereum lending market, but Sentora would make the day-to-day decisions that shape its credit risk. In a governance proposal posted Sept. 28, the DeFi risk manager asks to operate an isolated Aave V4 Hub and its lending Spokes through revocable roles....

How European investors can now buy bitcoin without taking on U.S. dollar risk

Asset management platform HANetf has listed ETCs in London, Frankfurt and Paris providing pound sterling and euro-hedged exposure to bitcoin.

A single market worth protecting: Getting the MiCA review right

As the European Commission’s MiCA review consultation closes, Europe must decide whether its crypto rulebook is protecting the market without making it too costly to build in.

Cardano tapped by Brazil’s state oil giant to track cleaner jet fuel and diesel

Petrobras is testing the blockchain in two research projects aimed at preventing emissions benefits from being counted twice and tracing fuel data across production and use.

White House weighs new CFTC event contract rules in growing prediction market power struggle

The White House is weighing two proposed rules from the CFTC tied to prediction markets as the agency seeks to assert its jurisdiction.

Bloomberg brings onchain stablecoin data to its Terminal

Bloomberg’s Allium-powered dashboard gives Terminal users hourly data on stablecoin supply, issuance, transfers and activity across blockchain networks.

Robinhood to launch perps, weekend stock trading for US users

The trading platform also introduced Robinhood Agents, which allows users to build their own AI agents within the app.

Bitcoin rally shows signs of cooling even as a 'bull score' gauge nears its perfect score

A trend guage tracked on onchain analysis firm CryptoQuant is near its ceiling. The buyers who drove BTC to an eight-month high are already pulling back.

Bitcoin could put the average ETF buyer back in losses this week

Bitcoin registered an intraday low of $82,775.94 on Sept. 29 before rebounding above $83,000, close to a price that could change the estimated profitability of the average Bitcoin ETF holder when Wednesday’s US inflation data arrive. A decline of about 2.2% from mid-$83,000 would reach $81,722, a ta...

Bitcoin ETFs stretch $3.1B inflow streak as Ether funds turn red

Ether ETFs shed $3 million Tuesday after seven days of inflows, following an $8 million outflow from Zcash funds at the start of the week.

The SEC Is finally modernizing transfer-agent rules. Wall Street must not repeat the ‘paperwork crisis’

If ownership data is split across a token wrapper, a special-purpose vehicle (SPV), a broker’s internal ledger and a transfer agent's off-chain database, we are setting the stage for a Paperwork Crisis for the blockchain age, argues Fairmint’s Joris Delanoue.

Could THORChain face prosecution over stolen Bitget funds?

THORChain will not — or can not — block addresses linked to the $387.5 million Bitget hack. Can the devs be prosecuted for money laundering? It’s complicated, says crypto lawyer Yuriy Brisov.

U.S. CFTC seeks event contract definitions that may defy states' gambling claims

As it battles with states over prediction markets, the CFTC sent two related rules on swaps definitions for White House review.

Bitget ‘gradually back to usual’ as protection fund reaches $309M

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said that a protection fund created by the company in 2022 “absorbed the financial impact of the incident“ that resulted in $388 million in user losses.

Brazil’s Petrobras uses Cardano to track sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel

Petrobras developed two Cardano-based applications to track sustainability claims tied to aviation fuel and renewable diesel as part of an ongoing research collaboration.

Aave’s $50 million lending plan could lose money without a single default

Aave’s proposed institutional lending business would put crypto collateral on both sides of the financing chain. Institutions would pledge Bitcoin or Ether for dollar loans, while the organization governing the Aave lending protocol would initially borrow those dollars against a separate pool of its...

Base completes Cobalt upgrade, adds new tools for tokenized assets

Base’s Cobalt lets traders set transaction conditions while giving issuers tools for compliance checks, stock splits and forced token transfers.

Coinbase-Backed Crypto Group Reveals Midterm Endorsements After Clarity Act Collapse

The Coinbase-backed group's first Senate endorsements—Republicans Jon Husted and Ashley Hinson and Democrat Chris Pappas—come two weeks after the Clarity Act's collapse, as the industry's fight shifts to the campaign trail.

Clarity Act’s failure gave crypto ‘faster’ regulatory wins, Bitwise CIO says

Bitwise’s Matt Hougan says Clarity’s defeat left crypto with fewer restrictions and faster SEC action.

Bitcoin stalls near $83,000 while lighter drops 17% on Robinhood perps plan

Bitcoin held near $83,000 as the 30-year Treasury yield topped 5.6%, while DeFi tokens reversed and lighter fell after Robinhood unveiled U.S. perps.

Open USD takes on Tether, Circle with a different stablecoin model that's 'building money'

The “overwhelming majority” of Open Standard’s equity will be distributed over time to partners based on how much they help grow the stablecoin, CEO Zach Abrams said.

Bitcoin ETFs Extend Win Streak to 9 Days, Matching August Rally

Bitcoin ETFs added $66 million Tuesday, matching August's nine-day run and topping it in dollars. How long will the streak stay alive?

DogeOS launches testnet to bring EVM smart contracts to Dogecoin

DogeOS launched a public testnet for its zero-knowledge rollup bringing EVM smart contracts to Dogecoin, with DOGE used for gas fees.

Bitcoin bulls have one price level to defend

Here's the level analysts are watching and what a break below it could mean for the bulls.

Winklevoss-owned Gemini switches Zcash software ahead of faster 25-second blocks

The new Zakura nodes caught up with the network in just over six hours in Gemini’s deployments. The crypto exchange’s previous software took close to a day.

Live updates: Bitcoin below $84,000 ahead of PCE inflation data, Micron earnings

Traders are waiting on the Fed's favored inflation gauge after a month of oil-driven rate-hike bets that sent 30-year Treasury yields to their highest since 2002.

Morning Minute: Robinhood Adds Perps, Weekend Stocks, and AI Traders

Robinhood is leaning deeper into crypto as they look to unlock their “everything app” vision.

Singapore crypto activity grows 55% as broader region contracts

Singapore’s crypto economy grew 55.4% to $284 billion as institutional-platform activity surged 94%, while the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam stood out for small-value P2P transfers.

Ex-NCA Officer Must Repay $2.4M for Bitcoin He Stole When It Was Worth $77K

Paul Chowles took 50 BTC from a Silk Road 2.0 seizure in 2017. Prosecutors have now valued the theft at more than 30 times that.

Introducing The Information Exchange on Solana, Powered by Decrypt and MYR

Decrypt is the destination, Myriad is the infrastructure and MYR is the token for a connected media ecosystem.

Crypto industry gave $8 million to Clarity Act lobbyists who didn't close the deal

In the first half of this year, the sector poured millions into lobbying, with most of it tied to pushing the U.S. market structure bill to a goal it never reached.

Base launches Cobalt upgrade with conditional transactions and new B20 asset functions

Base has launched Cobalt, adding conditional transactions and new functions for assets issued under its B20 standard.

Dogecoin Is Getting Apps as DogeOS Opens Its Public Testnet

The team behind the MyDoge wallet opened a public test of DogeOS, a layer that lets developers build lending platforms and games on top of the meme coin network.

OpenAI, Google and Meta pledge outside AI audits under voluntary White House deal

Six companies signed a safety pact covering hacking and biological threats, with no penalties or deadline for putting the checks in place.

Trump accord calls for tech firms to ‘self police’ their own frontier AI

The voluntary accord puts much of the responsibility for managing frontier AI risks on developers.

European stablecoin issuer AllUnity launches USD stablecoin USDAU

AllUnity is launching USDAU, its fourth fiat-backed stablecoin, expanding a MiCA-regulated lineup that already covers the euro, Swiss franc and Swedish krona.

OpenAI seeks $30 in funding at whopping $1.4 trillion valuation after delaying IPO

The ChatGPT maker is pursuing fresh funding after delaying its public listing, while expanding its AI tools despite mounting safety concerns.

Metaplanet directors push back against shareholder fury over a controversial executive payout plan

Independent directors cite management’s financial risk and restructuring role, but leave questions about Gerovich’s exercised shares and MMXX Ventures unanswered.

Altcoin exchange deposit count jumps 160% in 2 weeks

CryptoQuant flagged potential selling pressure as deposit transactions and depositing addresses hit their highest counts since October 2025.

Robinhood Chain kept producing blocks through a roughly 40-minute app disruption

Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum layer-2 network, kept producing blocks throughout its Sept. 4 disruption. A new full-day measurement corrects CryptoSlate's earlier report that block production stopped for at least 14 minutes. Separate public-data analysis found that successful transactions through busy...

Trump Unveils 'Morally Binding' AI Accord Signed by OpenAI, Google and Nvidia

The one-page pact, which Trump called "morally binding," asks companies to adopt internal controls, independent audits and board oversight—but carries no penalties and drew criticism for its thin detail.

Crypto advocacy group announces picks for US Congress as midterms loom

The organization’s endorsements in the House and Senate came as many polls showed Democrats favored to regain control of both chambers in 2027.

Standard Chartered says Ethena’s ENA could crush Bitcoin and Ethereum returns by 2028

Standard Chartered expects Ethena’s ENA token to rise about sevenfold by 2028, provided the protocol can rebuild its shrinking synthetic-dollar business. The bank initiated coverage of ENA with a $2 year-end 2028 target, up from about $0.28 currently. It forecasts the token reaching $0.42 at the end...

Standard Chartered sees Ethena’s USDe reaching $40B, ENA hitting $2

The bank also expects Ethena’s ENA token to rise roughly sevenfold to $2 by the end of 2028 as USDe scales and token buybacks increase.

Crypto.com AI agent still in ‘stealth mode’ nearly 8 months after Super Bowl debut

In February, ai.com drew enough traffic to crash its website after a $15 million Super Bowl ad, but months later, users are still wondering what’s happened to their promised AI agent.

Crypto hardware wallets compared for 2026

From touchscreen and QR-code devices to NFC cards and Bitcoin-only models, this guide compares hardware wallets by security, connectivity, usability and recovery options to help users choose the right fit.

Crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto rolls out its first round of Senate endorsements after failed Clarity vote

Weeks after the Clarity Act stalled in the Senate, crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto rolled out its first round of Senate endorsements.

Bitcoin could react to new 40M barrel US oil sale before a single barrel is delivered

The US Department of Energy has opened an exchange for up to 40 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Its September 29 solicitation adds a possible source of oil later this year, but no barrels have been awarded under this offer. Proposals are due October 6 at 11 a.m. Centra...

Hyperliquid Co-founder Jeff Yan says 24-hour clock is not onchain finance’s true differentiator

Hyperliquid (HYPE) Co-founder Jeff Yan said at Korea Blockchain Week that around-the-clock trading is not what sets onchain venues apart from traditional exchanges. Speaking in a fireside chat at Korea Blockchain Week 2026, Yan pointed out that crypto never needed conventional market hours because t...

Crypto Long & Short: What will the AI agents run on?

Standard Chartered sees over 600% upside for ENA, expects USDe to hit $40 billion by 2028

Standard Chartered forecasts ENA will reach $2 by the end of 2028 as USDe scales eightfold and buybacks reshape the token's value.

CFTC Investigating Adam Kinzinger Over Kalshi Bets on His Own Pardon: Report

The former congressman says he made $823 on the trades, had no inside information, and had checked the platform's rules first.

A stronger dollar is a weaker threat to bitcoin than traders think

Your day-ahead look for Sept. 30, 2026

McDonald's AI ‘Pricing Engine’ Gauges What Customers Will Pay for a Big Mac: Report

Machine-learning models set an 'optimal price' per item per restaurant, and have widened the gap between branches two miles apart.

US Government's New AI Chatbot Has a Weird Minecraft Secret

Ask the U.S. government's new AI chatbot about Minecraft and it produces a roughly 1,800-word bureaucratic remix of the game's ending poem. It's an easter egg, not a hallucination.