Crypto

BNB and HYPE are among the biggest gainers, while ETFs tracking XRP and DOGE hit the US markets.

The European Union is looking to block Russian crypto transactions, marking the first time that sanctions have directly targeted cryptocurrency platforms. The European Union will include cryptocurrency platforms in its latest financial sanctions against Russia, marking the first time digital asset services have been directly targeted. The measures, part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, prohibit all cryptocurrency transactions for Russian residents and restrict dealings with foreign banks tied to Russia’s alternative payment systems, according to a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published Friday. The package also seeks to block transactions with entities operating in Russian special economic zones. Read more

Bitcoin’s price pumped on news that the US Federal Reserve would cut rates by one quarter of a point. Crypto markets are up after the US Federal Reserve cut rates. But in other parts of the world, the picture isn’t so rosy. Thai bank customers are experiencing massive bank lockouts, and France says it could block companies operating on crypto licenses obtained in other parts of the European Union. Meanwhile, in Australia, securities regulators have made things easier for stablecoin distributors by scrapping a license requirement. Read more

The EU’s landmark crypto law was meant to unify the market with a single license. Less than a year in, diverging national approaches are raising fears of regulatory arbitrage and uncertainty. As the European Union rolls out its landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, the law’s key promise of a unified market is already under pressure. In the latest episode of Byte-Sized Insight, Cointelegraph explored whether MiCA can live up to its promise.  The regulation was designed to simplify operations for crypto firms by introducing a single licensing system across all 27 member states. Once licensed in one country, companies would be able to “passport” their services across the bloc without navigating a patchwork of local rules. Read more

Stablecoins’ transparent blockchain nature could revolutionize financial crime detection, giving law enforcement unprecedented global transaction visibility. Opinion by: Debanjan Chatterjee, financial analyst The trajectory of the stablecoin industry is heavily influenced by warring factions on opposite sides debating possible criminal use. Stablecoin opposers point to transfers of illicit funds. Proponents argue that the transparent nature of blockchains can be used to detect such crimes.  There is a lack of awareness of how a deep integration of stablecoins in global finance can drive the use of blockchain’s properties of immutability and transparency to fight financial crimes, even in traditional finance. Read more

Ethereum forms a bullish pennant as whales accumulate and exchange supply drops. A $5K breakout could be next.

Sui (SUI) fell 5.6% and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) dropped 4.7%, leading the index lower from Thursday.

Analysts are warning of a potential investor “recalibration” for short-term market volatility, which has historically occurred after US interest rate cuts. The Royal Government of Bhutan transferred more than $100 million worth of Bitcoin this week, raising concerns about potential sell pressure in the market just as the US Federal Reserve delivered its first interest rate cut of 2025. The Bhutan government-labelled wallet moved 913 Bitcoin (BTC) worth about $107 million into two newly created cryptocurrency wallets on Thursday. The original wallet still holds 9,652 Bitcoin worth over $1.1 billion, according to blockchain data platform Lookonchain. Read more

MetaMask is just one of several major protocols set to launch tokens in the near future. Is Airdrop SZN finally here?

Pump.fun’s native token led losses in the crypto trenches, as meme coins including Dogecoin, PEPE and BONK lost ground.

The rollout continues Ethereum’s scaling drive, following March’s Dencun blobs debut and May’s Pectra upgrade.

While Kraken said that the partnership opens up stocks for 200 million users, others said that geographical restrictions exist. Crypto exchange Kraken, the main distribution partner for Backed’s tokenized equities product xStocks, has partnered with Trust Wallet, one of the world’s largest self-custody crypto wallets, to extend the reach of tokenized equities to users.  In a Friday announcement, Kraken said it is “bringing interoperable tokenized equities to over 200 million users across the world” by extending xStocks to Trust Wallet users, who will be able to trade tokenized equities by Backed, a provider of collateralized onchain assets.  The integration will allow Trust Wallet users to buy and hold 60 different xStocks using a variety of local fiat currencies. It would also enable deposits and withdrawals across multiple chains, including Solana, BNB Chain, Tron and Ethereum.  Read more

CO, US, 19th September 2025, Chainwire

Singapore, Asia, 19th September 2025

Multiple technical and onchain indicators suggested a potential Cardano price rally toward the $1.25 mark in the coming days. Key takeaways: ADA technical chart setups converge on a price target around $1.25. Cardano’s open interest has rallied to a record high of $1.95 billion, signaling high speculative interest.  Read more

To guard against a distant quantum risk, El Salvador moved 6,000 BTC into 14 wallets, a move hailed as prudent custody by some and theatrics by others. The government redistributed roughly 6,274 BTC (around $678 million at publication time) from one address into 14 fresh addresses, each capped at 500 BTC, as a precautionary security measure. Until late August 2025, El Salvador’s national Bitcoin reserve sat in a single address. That’s a straightforward setup but a risky one: If a vulnerability is ever discovered, the entire stash could be exposed. Read more

Over 72 percent of circulating BTC is now illiquid, suggesting reduced sell-side pressure and a continued downtrend of Bitcoin supply on cryptocurrency exchanges. Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s Illiquid supply now stands at 14.3 million BTC, a new record. Whales are absorbing nearly 300% of the yearly mined BTC supply. Read more

The Bank of Italy's vice director warned that multi-issuance stablecoins pose risks to EU financial stability and should be restricted to equivalent regulatory jurisdictions. A senior Bank of Italy official warned that stablecoins issued by multiple entities across different countries pose significant risks to the European Union’s financial system unless they are strictly limited to jurisdictions with equivalent regulatory standards. Speaking at the Economics of Payments Conference in Rome on Thursday, Chiara Scotti, vice director of the Bank of Italy, said multi-issuance stablecoins — digital tokens issued in several countries under a single brand — may increase liquidity but also bring “considerable legal, operational, liquidity and financial stability risks” if at least one issuer is outside the EU. “Although this architecture could enhance global liquidity and scalability, it poses significant legal, operational, liquidity and financial stability risks at EU level, particularly if at least one issuer is l...

Your day-ahead look for Sept. 19, 2025