Crypto

Bitcoin tops $126,000 as Strategy’s BTC hoard swells; ICE backs Polymarket; Rezolve AI buys Smartpay; Plume gains SEC transfer-agent status. Big Tech companies that once dismissed Bitcoin (BTC) as a balance sheet asset are now watching Strategy, led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, amass a digital asset treasury approaching the size of their own cash piles. The surge comes as Bitcoin hit a new all-time high above $126,000 this week, driven by investor demand for hard assets seen as hedges against US dollar debasement — a narrative increasingly likened to gold. However, Bitcoin isn’t the only corner of crypto attracting major institutional money. The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has invested $2 billion in Polymarket, a decentralized prediction platform, valuing the firm at roughly $9 billion. The move signals growing convergence between traditional finance and decentralized blockchain infrastructure, as institutions explore tokenized markets and real-world event forecasting. Meanwhile, Tether is back i...

The cryptocurrency with the second-largest market cap was on its way to meeting requirements under Texas' crypto reserve law until a price drop on Friday. This year, Texas’ legislature passed a law to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the state, opening the door for other cryptocurrencies in the future. According to the original sponsor of the bill, Ether could be the next reserve asset. Speaking to Cointelegraph on Thursday, Texas state Senator Charles Schwertner discussed the implementation of the Bitcoin (BTC) reserve bill signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June. Though the text of the bill allows Texas to hold other cryptocurrencies in a “special fund outside the state treasury,” Bitcoin was the only one to meet the requirements at the time of passage. “I’m really interested to see the speed at which they establish the reserve and how it acts from a returns standpoint,” said Schwertner. ”If Ethereum maintains its market cap over 24 months, I think it’s reasonable and prudent to give directi...

The Blockchain Association has criticized Senate Democrats’ DeFi market structure proposal, saying it has effectively banned key applications, imposed KYC rules on frontends, removed developer protections, and pushed responsible development overseas as Congress has faced wider budget disputes. The post Senate Dems’ Crypto Proposal Would Drive Crypto Development Overseas, Blockchain Association CEO Says appeared first on Cryptonews.

So much for "Uptober." Bitcoin plunged Friday while Ethereum and Solana fell to October lows after President Trump's latest tariffs salvo.

Bitcoin has fallen below $116,000, but select analysts remain unfazed as they anticipate solid buying to emerge at lower levels. Key points: Bitcoin has pulled below $116,000, but select analysts expect buyers to step in at lower levels and arrest the decline. Select altcoins have reached critical support levels where the buyers are expected to mount a strong defense. Read more

Investigators in Norway have reviewed whether confidential details have circulated before the Nobel Peace Prize reveal, after trading on Polymarket has priced in María Corina Machado hours early; the platform has also disclosed major funding and a planned U.S. return. The post Norway Probes Potential Insider Trading Scandal Sparked by Suspicious Polymarket Bets: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

The reported potential merger could make Securitize one of the first major tokenization companies to go public, signaling rising Wall Street demand for onchain finance. Securitize, the tokenization platform behind several major blockchain-based investment products, including BlackRock’s tokenized US Treasury fund, is reportedly in talks with Cantor Fitzgerald to go public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). Bloomberg reported Friday, citing anonymous sources, that Securitize is in discussions to merge with Cantor Equity Partners II Inc., a blank-check firm backed by Cantor Fitzgerald. The deal could value Securitize at more than $1 billion, the report said. Securitize did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment. Read more

Crypto regulation has taken center stage in the U.S.: the SEC has prepared an innovation exemption to keep builders onshore, North Dakota has unveiled plans for a state-backed stablecoin, and Senator Lummis has pursued a de minimis Bitcoin tax change as crypto has emerged as a voter issue ahead of 2026. The post Weekly Crypto Regs Roundup: SEC Mulls Innovation Exemption, Lummis Backs Bitcoin Tax Break appeared first on Cryptonews.

Some analysts view the current correction as an opportunity.

Morgan Stanley has widened access to crypto for all wealth clients, adding advisor oversight and a 4% guidance cap, as it has prepared E-Trade support for Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana and Bitcoin has reached new highs. The post Morgan Stanley Unleashes Crypto Funds for All Wealth Clients – Is a Market Surge Imminent? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Morgan Stanley's wealth management division will initially cap crypto allocations and begin with Bitcoin funds from BlackRock and Fidelity, potentially adding choices later. Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest wealth managers, has reportedly informed its financial advisers that all clients will be able to invest in cryptocurrency funds starting Oct. 15, CNBC reported. Advisers will be able to offer crypto funds to clients with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s, a significant shift from the previous policy that restricted access to high-net-worth investors with over $1.5 million in assets and an aggressive risk profile. The move could unlock millions of dollars currently tied up in other assets, paving the way for a portion of that capital to flow into cryptocurrencies. As of June 30, US retirement assets totaled about $45.8 trillion, with IRAs holding about $18 trillion and 401(k) plans about $9.3 trillion, according to the Investment Company Institute’s latest quarterly update.  Read m...

Polymarket is focused on re-entering the U.S. market before the prediction market attempts to launch a token.

ETH declined the most among the CoinDesk 20 Index, falling twice as far as bitcoin.

Altcoins could rally as Bitcoin consolidates, but overleveraging may trigger cascading liquidations.

Chainalysis has found that crypto assets associated with criminals and their networks have totaled about $75B, with darknet markets leading, routes to exchanges persisting, and behavior differing across BTC, ETH, and stablecoins. The post Criminals and Their Networks Hold $75B in Crypto Assets, Says Chainalysis appeared first on Cryptonews.

After having their private key leaked, a Hyperliquid user lost $21 million—a painful reminder of the importance of personal security.

Strategy’s market net asset value (mNAV) compared to Bitcoin (BTC) its holdings dropped to 1.174 on Oct. 10, the lowest level in almost two years. The company’s shares fell 3% to $307.95 amid broader weakness in the crypto market, translating to a market cap of $88.4 billion. Strategy is the 121st-largest US public company, holding […] The post Strategy’s Bitcoin mNAV collapses to 1.174, lowest since February 2024 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

An $11 billion Bitcoin whale returned to crypto markets this week, likely seeking trading opportunities tied to October’s historic crypto rallies and uncertainty in the US. Cryptocurrency markets showed signs of consolidation in the second week of October, even as investors continued to bet on another “Uptober” rally to new highs. Also in the news this week was the $11 billion Bitcoin (BTC) whale who returned after a two-month hiatus to transfer another $360 million in BTC, signaling a potential rotation into the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, with an additional $5 billion left in their wallet. In another potential Uptober catalyst, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) received 31 crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, with 21 of them filed during the first eight days of October. Read more

The Venezuelan opposition leader has championed Bitcoin as a lifeline for individuals trying to protect their wealth or attempting to flee the country. María Corina Machado, a human rights activist and political opposition leader in Venezuela who has called Bitcoin a “lifeline” for Venezuelans, received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democracy in the South American country. Machado praised Bitcoin (BTC) as a pro-freedom technology in a 2024 interview with Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation. She said: The only way to help Venezuela’s poorest is by ensuring property rights, low inflation, equal access to opportunity, and government,” she said.  Read more

British investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown has warned users to stay away from Bitcoin, saying crypto has "no intrinsic value."