Sharon Harris

Bitcoin and Ethereum remained resilient after the expected U.S. rate hike, despite substantial ETF outflows. Bitcoin Core 32.0 will improve fee estimates and security. Ethereum faces competing wallet standards between its main network and Layer-2 developers. Zcash surged to a record above $1,350. Deutsche Bank plans institutional crypto custody for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins.

Bitcoin climbed above $85,000 after Strategy purchased 950 BTC, bringing its holdings to approximately 846,000 coins. Ethereum also gained as Bitmine Immersion expanded its reserves to nearly six million ETH. Crypto sentiment strengthened, with PEPE and Dogecoin posting strong gains, while regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. and Europe continues shaping the industry.

XRP remains volatile amid institutional ETF inflows, regulatory uncertainty and security concerns. Its price fluctuated between $1.47 and $1.57, while spot ETFs recorded $9.56 million in net inflows for a tenth consecutive week. Ripple's integration with ACI Worldwide boosted optimism, but the Bitget hack, involving $157 million in XRP, increased security concerns.

Bitcoin recovered above US$83,000 on September 29 as lower oil prices helped improve sentiment in cryptocurrency markets. Ethereum and several major altcoins also gained. Investors continued watching Bitcoin ETF flows, elevated U.S. Treasury yields, energy prices and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, while upcoming U.S. inflation and employment data could influence monetary-policy expectations.Bitcoin recovered above US$83,000 on September 29 as lower oil prices helped improve sentiment in cryptocurrency markets. Ethereum and several major altcoins also gained. Investors continued watching Bitcoin ETF flows, elevated U.S. Treasury yields, energy prices and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, while upcoming U.S. inflation and employment data could influence monetary-policy expectations.

BaFin rejected futurum bank's MiCAR license, forcing Bitcoin.de to reconsider its operating model. Bitcoin Group plans to use regulated German partners for trading and custody while seeking to restart its redesigned platform within weeks. The prolonged suspension has already reduced revenue significantly, highlighting how European crypto regulation can directly affect business operations, investment and profitability.

Diario El Salvador reported on 9 October 2026 that regulator SSF approved Salvadoran fintech Monetae's acquisition of e-money provider Transferencias de El Salvador, formerly part of the AirPak group. Monetae says it now holds digital asset, Bitcoin and e-money licences and plans to offer payments, transfers and e-money products. No purchase price was publicly disclosed.

Argentina's securities regulator has clarified rules for cryptocurrency platforms, requiring advance customer notification before closures and introducing monthly reporting from November 2026. Providers must disclose customer numbers, transaction volumes, leading virtual assets and custodial balances. The update strengthens oversight while preserving existing capital, cybersecurity and customer-asset segregation requirements for registered cryptocurrency businesses.

Bitcoin and Ethereum rose around 1%, though their ETFs showed contrasting flows. JPMorgan forecasts Bitcoin's annual return at 10%, exceeding gold's 5.5%, despite high volatility. Ethereum Layer 2 project Sophon is shutting down amid widespread crypto protocol closures. Pyth gained 12%, while Morpho fell 7%. Major companies also blocked tokenized stock listings on OKXICE.

Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin, has led a pre-seed funding round in Peso, a Bolivian fintech startup developing digital payment, savings and investment services for Latin American users.

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has suffered a massive cyberattack, with approximately $6.3 billion in Bitcoin , Ethereum, stablecoins and other digital assets reportedly affected.