Crypto and market news, checked against sources and prices

BlackRock Sees Stablecoins Powering AI Agent Payments

BlackRock points to tiny, round-the-clock stablecoin payments for data and computing power, while traditional checkout systems retain a role.

SEC sues Cryptoaiml and TSAI over alleged $15 million AI trading scams

The Defiant reports that the SEC filed two New York lawsuits against Cryptoaiml and TSAI over alleged $15 million AI trading scams. The suits allege investors were shown fictitious profits and pressed for more money when they tried to withdraw.

SEC and CFTC to have seven empty commissioner seats after Friday

Cointelegraph reports that seven commissioner seats at the SEC and CFTC will be empty after Friday, leaving few leaders to oversee aspects of the $3 trillion crypto industry.

Report: OpenAI valuation could reach $1.4T in new funding round

Cointelegraph reports that OpenAI is seeking another $30 billion from investors and that its valuation could hit $1.4 trillion in a new funding round, with its public market debut pushed to 2027.

Kakaopay Securities partners with Dinari and Ondo to explore tokenized Korean stocks

Kakaopay Securities is working with Dinari and Ondo Finance to explore tokenizing Korean-listed equities and expanding their availability to investors in international markets.

PS5 jailbreak released as Sony argues players don't own digital games

Decrypt reports that Linear Fox founder Nathan Fargo released a public PS5 jailbreak called Relapse, while Sony argues in court that players don't own their digital games.

CryptoQuant says bitcoin correction could be near as trader profit hits 21-month high

CryptoQuant says bitcoin could face a near-term correction because short-term traders' onchain unrealized profit margin has reached its highest level in 21 months.

• BTC measuring…

Balancer Holders Approve Wind-Down, Reject Official Fork

Balancer holders approved a wind-down and rejected an official fork, according to The Defiant. The reports state pausable pools move to withdrawals-only on Oct. 30, treasury redemptions begin in May 2027, and about $52.4 million remains in V2 and V3 pools.

Cboe and S&P Dow Jones extend licensing deal, opening door to tokenized options

CoinDesk and Decrypt report that Cboe and S&P Dow Jones may explore tokenized options contracts under an extended licensing deal. Decrypt adds the renewed agreement preserves Cboe's exclusive rights to S&P 500 index options through 2051.

BBC Director-General Calls AI-Generated Doctor Who Episode 'Pretty Good'

Matt Brittin, who joined the BBC from Google, deemed an AI-generated Doctor Who episode 'pretty good' and argued that 'not all creativity is bad,' while noting the technology won't replace humans.

Uphold survey: 75% of US banks have blockchain finance programmes

Uphold released research stating that 75% of American banks have blockchain finance programmes underway, with 22% live or scaling and 53% piloting or assessing use cases.

Bitcoin Up 7.33% in September, on Track for Best September on Record

Decrypt reports that Bitcoin is up 7.33% in September, edging past 2024 as the best September on record, with one day left before the monthly candle closes.

• BTC measuring…

Bitcoin fails to reach $85,000 as long-term holder supply and bond yields weigh

Cointelegraph reports that Bitcoin failed to make another run at $85,000 as sellers held above current levels, with surging US bond yields weighing on stocks and precious metals.

• BTC measuring…

Aztec relaunches zk.money privacy wallet on its Ethereum Layer 2

Aztec Labs has relaunched the zk.money self-custodial privacy wallet on Aztec Network after discontinuing the original product in 2023, according to The Block. CoinDesk reports the relaunched wallet hides payments made on the Aztec Network while Ethereum deposits remain visible.

• ETH measuring…

House Oversight expands prediction-market probe to Hyperliquid, Crypto.com, PredictIt

House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer expanded a probe into prediction markets, seeking identity-verification and suspicious-trading records from Hyperliquid Labs, Crypto.com and PredictIt owner Aristotle Exchange. The probe also seeks records on government insiders, employee trades and suspicious activity referrals.

Coinbase Adds HYPE and ZEC as Collateral for Loans of Up to $100,000

The Defiant reports that Coinbase has added HYPE and ZEC as collateral for loans of up to $100,000, using a Morpho-powered borrowing product on Base available to eligible US users outside New York.

Bitcoin trades near $84,000, testing long-term holder cost-basis cluster

The Block reports that Bitcoin traded near $84,000 on Tuesday, near Glassnode's largest long-term holder cost-basis cluster price range, as leverage clears according to analysts.

• BTC −0.77%1h 2.1σ

Sentora Seeks Aave V4 Markets With 50% Revenue Share for DAO

Sentora is seeking Aave V4 markets with a 50% revenue share for the DAO, according to The Defiant. The Ethereum instance would lend RLUSD, PYUSD and OUSD, with Sentora controlling risk outside the mandate of Aave's risk service providers.

• ETH −0.62%1h 1.3σ

Sen. Tim Scott says Democrats killed the Clarity Act

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) says Democrats killed the Clarity Act and argues they should act in the interest of the people they represent rather than political calculations, consultants and special interests.

Bitcoin Hovers at $84K as Treasury Yields Hold Near Multi-Year Highs

Decrypt reports Bitcoin hovering at $84K while Treasury yields hold near multi-year highs, with analysts pointing to crude prices capping non-yielding assets and spot ETFs taking in money for eight straight sessions.

• BTC −0.56%1h 1.5σ

Modveon Unveils El Salvador's Sivar App for Dollar Transfers on Base

The Defiant reports that Modveon unveiled El Salvador's government-backed Sivar app for dollar transfers on Base, using self-custodial wallets. The report states a $2 cross-border processing fee separate from funding and cash-withdrawal charges.

Peter Brandt predicts Bitcoin may reach $600K by 2029, calls XRP a 'fool coin'

Peter Brandt expects Bitcoin's next cycle peak between $300,000 and $600,000, with an October pullback possibly offering a buying opportunity, and he is not sold on XRP, which he calls a 'fool coin'.

• BTC −0.13%1h 0.3σ
• XRP +0.11%1h 0.2σ
• moved before the news

CoinShares: Bitcoin ETF inflows leave institutional demand unclear

CoinShares says IBIT offers clues to institutional buying, but basis trades mean inflows are not necessarily bets on rising Bitcoin prices.

• BTC −0.03%1h 0.1σ

Citi and Coinbase made stablecoins invisible, Decrypt reports

Decrypt's Morning Minute reports that Citi and Coinbase just made stablecoins invisible, and notes crypto majors rebounding as oil and yields fall while Saylor's Strategy returns to buying Bitcoin.

• BTC −0.03%1h 0.1σ

ECB seeks firms to explore AI agent payments for digital euro

The ECB is seeking firms to explore AI agents and machine-to-machine interactions, according to Cointelegraph. The ECB is preparing a separate digital euro pilot for 2027.

CoinDesk previews Bitcoin beating gold, $100,000 in play

CoinDesk published a day-ahead market look for Sept. 29, 2026, headlined that Bitcoin beats gold with a surge to $100,000 in play.

• BTC +0.39%1h 1.1σ

Zcash developers begin folding Tachyon code into Zakura Common

CoinDesk reports that Zcash developers are starting to fold Project Tachyon into Zakura Common, working toward a long-term target of more than 50,000 private payments a second.

• ZEC +2.1%1h 1.6σ

Ondo Perps CEO sees 'huge opportunity' for perps in US market

The CEO of Ondo Perps said there is a 'huge opportunity' for perpetual futures in the US market under a different model. The comment comes as US regulators and several firms test how perpetual futures could enter domestic markets.

Aave rises 11% on token burn speculation as DeFi gains

CoinDesk reports that Aave jumped 11% amid speculation over a token burn, with 72 of 100 CoinDesk 100 constituents higher even as the 10-year Treasury yield sat at 5.234%.

US spot crypto ETF inflows fall about 80% from Friday to $64.8M Monday

Cointelegraph reports that US spot crypto ETF inflows fell about 80% from Friday, with Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP funds attracting $64.8 million combined on Monday.