Crypto Breaking

Bitcoin (BTC) slipped below $79,000 early on Tuesday after the odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike rose to around 60% following Friday’s jobs data. Some analysts believe the flagship cryptocurrency will remain under $82,000 until the Fed decides on interest rates.
BTC fell 1.55% on Monday and closed at $79,091. It slipped further during the ongoing session and is down nearly 1% at $78,364.
Bitcoin (BTC) Decline Continues
BTC’s latest rally took the price past $82,000 on Friday, reaching an intraday high of $82,282 before losing momentum thanks to substantial selling pressure above $82,000. However, price action wavered following Friday’s jobs report. The report revealed the US added 162,000 jobs in August against the expected 55,000, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%. CME’s FedWatch tool increased the likelihood of a 25 bps interest rate hike to 60% following the report.
The US Dollar and Treasury yields also rose following the report, pressuring BTC and other rate-sensitive assets. LMAX Group Market Strategist Joel Kruger believes BTC and the broader cryptocurrency market were displaying considerable resistance, stating in comments to The Block,
“The crypto market continues to display exceptional resilience despite having been presented with plenty of reasons to correct. Bitcoin is holding near $80,000 following an aggressive August rally that pushed momentum into overbought territory.”
Kruger also highlighted that crypto had faced substantial headwinds, including US-Iran tensions, rising oil prices, and higher Treasury yields.
“What stands out is that crypto has absorbed these headwinds without suffering meaningful technical damage.”
Bitcoin (BTC) Could Remain Muted Until Fed Decision
Bitfinex analysts believe BTC is consolidating with an upside bias, not a confirmed breakout. For the moment, sustained ETF demand is absorbing the pressure from the Treasury yield increase and possible interest rate hike. BTC’s latest decline comes after another attempt to reclaim $80,000, as selling pressure pushed the price lower following Friday’s move to $82,282.
Meanwhile, analysts at CoinEx believe BTC will remain pinned under $82,000 until the Federal Reserve decides on interest rates. Jeff Ko, the chief analyst at CoinEx, stated,
“I expect compression into a tight range, capped around $82,000 with support at $78,000–$79,000.”
Ko added that if BTC loses the lower end of its support range, it could slip towards $77,000, a level also flagged by Bitfinex analysts. BTC must decisively clear $80,000 before it can retest the $82,000 resistance. However, this could be difficult. The recent August rally took BTC past $79,000. Technical indicators such as the daily Relative Strength Index (RSI) have reached overbought territory, while waning momentum and upper-level resistance increase the likelihood of a pullback.
Upcoming CPI And PPI Decisions Could Dictate Bitcoin Price Action
The biggest test for Bitcoin ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is the interest rate decision. The odds of a 25 basis point hike have increased following Friday’s employment figures, which strengthened the argument for tighter policy. Manufacturing also expanded, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index reaching 54.6. However, elevated input costs suggest inflationary risk remains elevated. The Producer Price Index (PPI) is expected on September 10, followed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on September 11. The Federal Reserve will announce its decision on interest rates on September 16. Ko stated,
“A hot print that pushes yields and the dollar sharply higher would be the cleanest test of Bitcoin’s resilience.”
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Help BTC Remain Near $80,000
Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs extended the weekly inflow streak, recording $986.9 million in net inflows for the week ending September 4. The latest figures have taken the three-week inflows to $3.8 billion. Sustained ETF inflows have helped the flagship cryptocurrency remain near $80,000 despite rising Treasury yields, a stronger dollar, and expectations of an interest rate hike.
However, Ko cautioned that the inflows do not confirm an accumulation phase.
“The $986.9 million of inflows brought the three-week total to roughly $3.8 billion, which is clearly constructive. But I would still like to see another few weeks of sustained net inflows, particularly if Bitcoin turns boring and trades sideways, before calling this a genuine accumulation phase.”
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
This article was originally published as Bitcoin (BTC) Slumps Below $79,000 Amid Renewed Rate Hike Concerns on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

“White-hat” actors have returned 3,400 Bitcoin—worth roughly $270 million—to the Liquid Federation wallet after an earlier attack that pulled funds from the Bitcoin side of Liquid’s reserves. The repayment followed a claim from bridge operator Blockstream that the impacted federation bridge nodes had been patched.
According to JAN3 CEO and former Blockstream executive Samson Mow, about 598 BTC remains outstanding. He added that Blockstream is still engaging with the actors while Liquid prepares to resume operations.
Key takeaways
3,400 BTC has been transferred back on-chain to the Liquid Federation wallet address, restoring much of the backing after the earlier withdrawal.
Blockstream says updated software was deployed and federation members are preparing a coordinated restart after patching affected bridge nodes.
On-chain transfers confirm the return amount, while 598 BTC remains unaccounted for.
Liquid was paused after the incident, and users were advised not to send Bitcoin to Liquid peg-in addresses until restart confirmation.
The incident appears tied to a bug in Elements, though SideSwap and Liquid say the specific authorization key was not compromised.
Return of most withdrawn Bitcoin after Liquid patching
The sequence began with a Sunday security incident in which hackers withdrew about 4,000 BTC from the Liquid Federation wallet’s Bitcoin-side reserves. The wallet reportedly held around 4,200 BTC before the withdrawal, leaving the system with a reduced buffer for issuing or supporting Liquid’s pegged asset, L-BTC.
On Monday, Mow reported that the return of 3,400 BTC came after Blockstream confirmed bridge nodes had been patched. He also said Liquid remained paused during additional fixes and security improvements, including work to resolve a chain split and prepare for a safe restart.
Blockchain explorer records cited in the article show that the federation wallet received exactly 3,400 BTC back via a transfer to the federation’s wallet address. With the return of roughly 85% of the withdrawn amount, the incident’s immediate impact on the system’s backing was largely reduced, at least temporarily, as the network prepares to restart.
Why users were told to wait on peg-ins
Liquid operates by issuing L-BTC against Bitcoin held by the federation. When the federation’s reserves on the Bitcoin side are disrupted, the corresponding backing for issued L-BTC can be impaired—one reason the network was paused and why the community received operational instructions.
Mow said users should avoid sending Bitcoin to Liquid peg-in addresses until a restart is confirmed. He emphasized that no user action was otherwise required, framing the pause as a protective step while the federation coordinates the patched state of the network.
For market participants and users who rely on Liquid for faster settlement or routing, this kind of instruction matters operationally: sending BTC to a paused peg-in path can create delays or confusion if balances are not processed until the network is fully back online.
SideSwap, Elements, and the authorization key that was not “compromised”
Details around how the incident was carried out point to the mechanics of Liquid’s peg-out process. The withdrawal was processed through SideSwap’s Peg-out Authorization Key, though Liquid and SideSwap stated that the key itself was not compromised.
Instead, SideSwap attributed the L-BTC involved to a bug in Elements, the open-source software underlying Liquid. That distinction—between a compromised key versus a flaw in the software logic that enabled the malicious outcome—has implications for remediation.
If the authorization infrastructure remained intact but a bug allowed the system to produce unintended results, then the focus for recovery becomes twofold: deploying patched software across all relevant nodes and ensuring any chain state issues are corrected through a coordinated restart.
On-chain negotiations—and lingering questions over the “white-hat” label
Blockstream said it contacted the actors using signed messages embedded in Bitcoin transactions. The actors described themselves as white hats and said they would return most funds once the vulnerability was fixed and every node installed the patch.
However, the partial nature of the return has also raised skepticism from industry observers. Ledger chief technology officer Charles Guillemet questioned the “white-hat” characterization after the transfer of 3,400 BTC. He argued that if the remaining roughly 600 BTC represented a negotiated reward communicated via encrypted on-chain communications, the arrangement could resemble extortion rather than benign security research.
Neither Blockstream nor Liquid publicly described the outstanding Bitcoin as a bounty, nor did they disclose any repayment terms. The article also notes that Cointelegraph sought comment from both organizations but did not receive a response before publication.
This uncertainty is likely to remain a key point for readers watching the situation. Even if a vulnerability was identified and patched, the open question is what—if anything—motivated the withheld balance and whether the return was strictly conditional on remediation or involved separate demands. Without official terms, participants must rely on what is visible on-chain and what the organizations involved choose to clarify later.
What to monitor as Liquid prepares its restart
With Liquid paused, the most immediate thing to watch is whether Blockstream and federation members execute a coordinated restart cleanly after patching and resolving the chain split referenced by Mow. Just as importantly, attention should stay on whether the remaining ~598 BTC is returned and what—if any—additional guidance is issued to users regarding peg-in and peg-out operations.
This article was originally published as Liquid “white hats” return $270M in BTC as network readies restart on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Blockstream-backed Liquid has moved closer to resuming normal operations after a partial repayment tied to a Sunday security incident involving the network’s Bitcoin reserves. According to on-chain activity and statements from industry figures, purported “white-hat” actors returned 3,400 BTC—worth about $270 million—to the Liquid Federation wallet after withdrawing roughly $320 million from the Bitcoin sidechain’s reserve.
The return follows Monday comments from JAN3 CEO and former Blockstream executive Samson Mow, who said Blockstream confirmed that the affected bridge nodes had been patched. Mow added that approximately 598 BTC remains outstanding, while Blockstream continues direct engagement with the parties involved.
Key takeaways
On-chain records indicate exactly 3,400 BTC was transferred back to the Liquid Federation wallet address after a prior withdrawal of about 4,000 BTC.
Liquid remains paused as bridge-node fixes roll out, with federation members preparing for a coordinated restart.
Blockstream says updated software has been deployed and that further issues—such as a chain split—must be fully resolved before resuming.
Liquid’s backing depends on L-BTC issued against Bitcoin held by the federation; returning ~85% of withdrawn BTC restores much of the removed collateral.
Mow advised users not to send Bitcoin to Liquid peg-in addresses until the restart is confirmed; there is no indication that user actions are otherwise required beyond that guidance.
3,400 BTC returned after bridge-node patch confirmation
In the hours after Sunday’s incident, the immediate focus turned to whether the withdrawn Bitcoin would be recovered. On-chain data shared via transaction records shows 3,400 BTC moved back to the federation’s wallet address, aligning with the portion of funds referenced by Mow and others. The earlier withdrawal had reduced the roughly 4,200 BTC reserve before the network was paused.
Mow said the return came after Blockstream provided confirmation that patch work on the affected bridge nodes was complete. He also stated that about 598 BTC is still not in the federation’s control. Meanwhile, he indicated Blockstream is continuing to work with the actors behind the initial withdrawal.
Liquid’s operational pause matters for more than just technical housekeeping. Liquid issues L-BTC against Bitcoin held by its federation; when reserves are reduced, the system’s ability to maintain full backing for issued tokens becomes strained. Restoring 3,400 BTC—about 85% of what was withdrawn—therefore meaningfully improves the collateral picture as the network prepares to restart.
Withdrawal originated from a SideSwap peg-out process linked to Elements
While the Sunday withdrawal proceeded through SideSwap’s Peg-out Authorization Key mechanism, both Liquid and SideSwap reportedly said the peg-out key itself was not compromised. Instead, SideSwap attributed the L-BTC involved in the incident to a bug in Elements, the open-source software that underpins Liquid.
Blockstream said it communicated with the actors using signed messages embedded in Bitcoin transactions. The actors claimed to be acting as “white hats” and indicated they would return most of the funds once vulnerabilities were fixed and all nodes installed the patch.
The recovery sequence also highlights how Liquid bridges operational decisions to Bitcoin-side verification. Even when a breach is connected to the Elements codebase, the real-time governance of funds still runs through federation wallet movements and chain-level confirmation—meaning the system’s restart readiness depends on both software deployment and the integrity of bridge operations across federation members.
Liquid remains paused; users told to avoid peg-ins
Liquid has not yet returned to full service. Mow stated that the network stayed paused while additional fixes and security improvements were completed. He also referenced resolution of a chain split and preparations for a “safe restart” coordinated across federation participants.
Crucially for day-to-day users, Mow advised against sending Bitcoin to Liquid peg-in addresses until Blockstream confirms the restart. He framed this as the primary action users should take—or rather, avoid—during the pause, adding that no other user step was otherwise required.
This kind of instruction is significant because peg-in workflows depend on the bridge operating correctly and on the federation continuing to manage the custody and issuance relationship between Bitcoin reserves and L-BTC. Until a confirmed restart, directing funds to peg-in addresses carries the risk of stuck or delayed handling, even if no further compromise occurs.
Dispute over “white-hat” framing after partial return
The partial repayment has not fully ended debate about intent and legitimacy. Ledger chief technology officer Charles Guillemet questioned the “white-hat” label, arguing that if the remaining ~600 BTC represented a reward negotiated via encrypted on-chain communications, the arrangement could resemble extortion rather than conventional vulnerability disclosure.
At the same time, neither Blockstream nor Liquid publicly characterized the outstanding Bitcoin as a bounty, nor were any repayment terms disclosed. Cointelegraph reported outreach to both companies for comments but said it did not receive a response before publication.
That lack of transparency creates uncertainty for observers trying to interpret the actors’ motivations. Even when funds are returned, the unresolved portion can shape how the industry weighs the incident—whether it is treated as an expedited remediation coordinated through responsible disclosure norms, or as leverage applied through disruption.
Readers will likely look for confirmation from Blockstream on the remaining issues holding Liquid in a paused state—especially after software deployment and the claimed resolution of a chain split. The next checkpoints are straightforward: a confirmed restart, continued monitoring of federation reserve movements, and clarity on whether the outstanding ~598 BTC is fully recovered.
This article was originally published as White-hat wallets return $270M in Bitcoin as network readies restart on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

French corporate Bitcoin treasury firm Capital B has added 376 BTC to its balance sheet after completing a new round of fundraising. The company says it purchased the tokens for €25.3 million (about $29.5 million), bringing its total holdings to 3,521 BTC.
According to a Capital B announcement released Monday, the purchase was financed following capital raises totaling roughly €30.1 million (about $35 million), including a private placement backed by investors Adam Back and TOBAM. Swissquote Bank Europe executed the trade, with Taurus providing custody.
Key takeaways
Capital B bought 376 BTC for €25.3 million, lifting its corporate treasury to 3,521 BTC.
The acquisition was funded by about €30.1 million in capital raises, including a private placement supported by Adam Back and TOBAM.
The company paid an average of €67,182 per BTC on this purchase; custody was handled by Taurus.
Capital B’s latest buy is its largest since September 2025, when it acquired 551 BTC.
While some corporate holders have reduced positions, other treasury firms—including Metaplanet and H100 Group—continue to add BTC.
Capital B’s latest treasury purchase
Capital B’s newly acquired 376 BTC represents a fresh expansion of its Bitcoin treasury, funded through the company’s recent funding activity. In its Monday filing and accompanying announcement, the company stated that the purchase price averaged €67,182 per BTC.
The execution and custody details add operational clarity for investors tracking corporate Bitcoin strategies. Swissquote Bank Europe carried out the acquisition, while Taurus is listed as the custody provider for the company’s Bitcoin holdings.
Where the company stands among corporate Bitcoin holders
Capital B also provided context on how the new purchase fits into its broader acquisition history. The company said it has spent a total of €309.4 million acquiring its Bitcoin portfolio, at an average cost of €87,878 per BTC.
Using rankings compiled by BitcoinTreasuries.net, the latest buying activity moved Capital B to 25th among publicly traded companies by Bitcoin holdings. The new total of 3,521 BTC places Capital B slightly ahead of Sweden-based H100 Group, which held 3,506 BTC after its earlier increase, though both remain behind Germany’s Bitcoin Group SE, which is reported to have 3,605 BTC.
Big buy since September 2025, but operational BTC is separated
The 376 BTC addition is Capital B’s largest purchase since September 2025, when the firm acquired 551 BTC for €54.7 million. That comparison matters for readers because it indicates a return to scale after a longer period without an equally large ticket size.
Capital B also distinguishes between treasury assets and operational holdings. The company says it holds an additional 61 BTC for operational purposes, which it keeps separate from its treasury reserve and excludes from its Bitcoin performance-related metrics. This separation is important when assessing reported results, since it clarifies that the treasury figures used for performance monitoring are not simply a blanket count of all BTC held.
Corporate accumulation continues even as some firms unwind
The Capital B purchase lands amid a mixed corporate landscape for Bitcoin treasuries. The article notes that some companies have moved to unwind Bitcoin holdings, including references to filings from firms such as K Wave Media and Sequans Communications. Against that backdrop, several other corporate players continue to accumulate.
Japan-based Metaplanet, for example, acquired 2,823 BTC during the second quarter for approximately $222 million, according to Cointelegraph reporting. Metaplanet’s holdings were stated at 43,000 BTC after that purchase, and BitcoinTreasuries.net rankings place the firm as the third-largest publicly traded corporate holder behind Strategy and Twenty One Capital.
Earlier activity also underscores the regional competition for BTC. In August, Sweden-based H100 Group more than tripled its Bitcoin exposure after an all-share deal involving Norwegian companies that held 2,455 BTC. That transaction increased H100’s treasury to 3,506 BTC, making it Europe’s second-largest publicly traded corporate holder at the time—until Capital B’s latest buy slightly closed the gap.
Meanwhile, Strategy—widely regarded as the largest corporate Bitcoin holder—resumed purchasing in August following a two-month pause. Cointelegraph previously reported that Strategy acquired 4,603 BTC for $370 million, lifting holdings to 845,050 BTC, acquired for a combined $63.3 billion. Together, these examples illustrate that corporate demand remains active even when individual companies choose to reduce exposure.
What to watch next
With Capital B scaling its treasury again after its September 2025 high, investors should watch whether the company sustains this pace of acquisitions and how it continues to structure funding rounds—particularly given the role of private placements and named backers in financing purchases. The next signal will likely come from whether Capital B schedules additional large buys or maintains a steadier, smaller accumulation strategy.
This article was originally published as Capital B Buys 376 BTC for $29M, Lifts Holdings to 3,521 BTC on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Polish prosecutors investigating the troubled crypto exchange Zondacrypto have filed formal criminal charges against an individual identified as Romana Ż., accusing him of involvement in an organized criminal group and of misappropriating approximately 7.8 million zlotys (about $2.1 million) in user funds. Prosecutors also requested that the Katowice-Wschód District Court order pretrial detention, arguing that the suspect could flee or attempt to disrupt the investigation, according to an official statement from Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the filing, Romana Ż. was detained on Sept. 5 and later questioned by prosecutors. The suspect denied the accusations and submitted a statement, the announcement said. Prosecutors’ motion for detention will be considered by the court.
Key takeaways
Prosecutors accuse Romana Ż. of participating in an organized criminal group and misappropriating about 7.8 million zlotys from exchange user funds.
The case focuses on alleged unauthorized computer-record changes and interference with how Zondacrypto processed and transmitted exchange data.
Prosecutors seek pretrial detention, citing risks of flight and evidence or investigation interference.
The new charges build on earlier arrests in the Zondacrypto probe, where multiple suspects were also ordered held in custody.
Broader investigations tied to the exchange have expanded over time, including a probe connected to Sylwester Suszek and BitBay’s later transition to Zondacrypto.
What prosecutors say Romana Ż. did
In their official announcement, prosecutors alleged that Romana Ż. worked with others to misappropriate funds entrusted to Zondacrypto. The accusation centers on alleged manipulation of computer records without authorization and interference with the processing and transmission of exchange data.
The prosecution’s request for pretrial detention reflects practical concerns beyond the underlying allegations. Prosecutors argued that keeping the suspect free could increase the risk he would not appear for proceedings, or could otherwise interfere with the investigation, according to the Monday announcement. The court’s decision will be relevant to how quickly the case proceeds and whether investigators can broaden or refine their evidence package.
Earlier arrests and custody requests in the same investigation
These charges follow the prosecution’s earlier action in the broader Zondacrypto investigation. On Sept. 2, three other individuals were detained and subsequently charged with allegations that included money laundering, misappropriation of company assets, and participation in an organized criminal group.
Polish authorities said a court ordered all three to be held in pretrial detention for up to three months. Together with the Romana Ż. filing, this suggests prosecutors are pursuing the case as a coordinated matter rather than treating it as a set of isolated incidents.
For market participants, such steps typically matter because they can signal to investors that the case is moving from preliminary inquiries into a more evidence-driven phase. They can also affect how quickly affected parties seek restitution, particularly when user funds are involved and the exchange’s operational structure has already collapsed.
How the Zondacrypto probe widened over time
Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that prosecutors estimated total losses connected to Zondacrypto at no less than 350 million zlotys. The current charges against Romana Ż. do not change that larger figure in the provided material, but they add detail on a specific alleged component of the overall misconduct: manipulation of exchange-related records and disruption of data handling.
Cointelegraph also previously reported that the investigation was merged in July with a separate probe involving the 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, the founder of BitBay, which was later renamed Zondacrypto. While the newly detailed allegations relate to unauthorized changes to computer records and interference with exchange data processing, the procedural merger indicates investigators have been looking across multiple threads connected to the same corporate and operational history.
This is one of the reasons the case is being watched closely: when investigations are consolidated, it can reduce the chance that key evidence or patterns remain fragmented across separate legal tracks.
Bankruptcy proceedings continue in parallel
Outside the criminal investigation, Zondacrypto’s corporate operator has also been drawn into a formal insolvency process. The exchange’s Estonian operator, BB Trade Estonia, was declared bankrupt in August, with the first creditors’ meeting scheduled for Sept. 17, according to the information provided.
While the criminal case and insolvency proceedings are distinct, they can interact in important ways. Criminal proceedings may affect how evidence is characterized and what claims can be pursued by creditors and affected users, while insolvency proceedings are typically where restitution and asset recovery efforts move forward—often on a separate timeline.
For users trying to understand recovery prospects, the practical takeaway is that the bankruptcy process is already underway, and criminal charges can shape the long-term narrative of alleged conduct—without necessarily determining the pace or outcome of creditor negotiations in the near term.
What happens next
Readers should watch for the Katowice-Wschód District Court’s decision on prosecutors’ request for pretrial detention, as well as any subsequent charges as the case develops. With bankruptcy proceedings scheduled to move into the next phase and the investigation spanning multiple alleged misconduct theories, the coming weeks are likely to determine both how fast the criminal matter progresses and how creditors interpret the scale of alleged losses.
This article was originally published as Polish Prosecutors Seek Pretrial Detention in Zondacrypto Probe on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The Ethereum Foundation has narrowed the focus for the upcoming Hegotá upgrade by publishing a unified ranking of candidate Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), effectively naming two proposals as the “must ship” core. The decision is aimed at locking in the upgrade’s direction around censorship resistance and more flexible account authentication, while trimming what could otherwise become a sprawling change set.
In a post released on September 7, 2026, the Foundation said it evaluated 62 proposed EIPs using input from roughly 60 researchers and engineers within its Protocol cluster. The update also marks a shift in how the Foundation presents priorities: rather than reflecting separate views from individual teams, it presents a single consolidated assessment for Hegotá’s package of proposed changes.
Key takeaways
The Foundation’s Hegotá “must ship” proposals are EIP-7805 (FOCIL) and EIP-8141 (Frame Transactions), positioned as the upgrade’s consensus and execution-layer headliners.
FOCIL is intended to reduce dependence on centralized block builders by giving users a way to have eligible transactions included, strengthening Ethereum’s censorship resistance.
Frame Transactions aims to introduce native account abstraction and lay groundwork for post-quantum authentication.
While the Foundation published a priority ranking, the final upgrade scope is still under negotiation for the proposals outside the top tier.
Two proposals remain unranked pending mainnet data from Glamsterdam, which the Foundation says could enable client teams to start Hegotá implementation in late 2026.
Two proposals become Hegotá’s defining components
The Foundation’s ranking designates EIP-7805, “FOCIL,” and EIP-8141, “Frame Transactions,” as the proposals that effectively define Hegotá. The “must ship” label comes with a practical implication: if either proposal faces risk, the Foundation says the Hegotá schedule should be adjusted before the proposal is dropped, reflecting how central these changes are to the upgrade’s goals.
FOCIL (EIP-7805) focuses on how transactions can be included without relying on centralized block builders. The Foundation’s framing centers on censorship resistance—specifically, giving users a path to ensure eligible transactions are included even when intermediaries attempt to filter or exclude them.
Frame Transactions (EIP-8141) targets a different layer of the stack. The proposal is described as introducing native account abstraction and creating a path toward post-quantum authentication. The Foundation also suggests that, together with two companion proposals, the changes could provide protocol-level building blocks that may support privacy-oriented applications.
How the rest of the EIPs were categorized
Beyond the two headliners, the Foundation distributed the remaining proposals into a structured pipeline of likelihood and readiness. It placed 15 proposals into an “A-tier,” describing them as expected to ship unless development or testing constraints force cuts.
Another eight proposals remain candidates for inclusion, while seven were placed below the line but not entirely dismissed. The rest—28 proposals—were declined. The Foundation’s ranking approach gives teams a clearer sense of what’s likely to make it into the upgrade versus what may be deferred or removed.
Still, the Foundation’s process makes clear that Hegotá is not yet a finished shopping list. For readers and builders, this means the upgrade timeline and exact scope should be treated as conditional on engineering realities: testing results, implementation feasibility, and the outcome of earlier upgrade experiments.
Glamsterdam results expected to influence what gets finalized
Two proposals were left unranked because they depend on mainnet data from Glamsterdam, the Ethereum upgrade that precedes Hegotá. Glamsterdam’s focus is on improving scalability and strengthening Ethereum’s base layer, according to earlier reporting from Cointelegraph, and the Foundation indicates that the results from that deployment will inform how Hegotá candidates should be assessed.
The Foundation also said client teams could begin implementing Hegotá in late 2026 following Glamsterdam. That timing matters because it links today’s EIP prioritization to the practical feedback loop of mainnet experimentation: if Glamsterdam provides useful performance and reliability signals, teams can more confidently proceed with implementation work for Hegotá.
Where Ethereum’s recent upgrade history sets expectations
The Foundation’s Hegotá planning arrives after Ethereum’s prior major upgrade, Fusaka, which went live on Dec. 3, 2025. Fusaka delivered a set of scaling and usability improvements, and its headline feature, PeerDAS, changed how nodes handle rollup data. According to earlier coverage, the change reduced the amount nodes must download and upload while increasing data capacity for Ethereum layer-2 networks.
That background underscores why Hegotá’s scoped approach is receiving attention. After a large-scale change like PeerDAS altered base-layer data handling, investors and developers tend to watch closely how subsequent upgrades balance infrastructure improvements with user-facing or ecosystem-level goals—such as the proposed enhancements to transaction inclusion and account capabilities.
In that context, FOCIL and Frame Transactions represent a noticeable emphasis shift: rather than only focusing on throughput and node efficiency, the two “must ship” proposals are oriented toward transaction inclusion mechanics and account authentication. If the Foundation’s ranking holds, Hegotá’s most visible effects could be felt in how transactions propagate and how account logic can be structured—especially as Ethereum continues to evolve toward broader programmability of accounts and stronger cryptographic assumptions.
Readers should watch the next round of testing outputs from Glamsterdam and the follow-on implementation decisions that the Foundation says could begin in late 2026. The key uncertainty remains which of the A-tier and candidate proposals ultimately survive constraints as teams translate the ranked EIPs into code, alongside the central question of whether FOCIL and Frame Transactions remain fully on track for Hegotá’s final scope.
This article was originally published as Ethereum Foundation Flags 2 “Must-Ship” EIPs for the Hegotá Upgrade on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is reportedly in discussions about whether to ease its long-standing ban on prediction market platforms for retail investors, according to a report from The Times.
The FCA imposed the restriction in April 2019, arguing that many prediction markets resemble binary options—products it had prohibited from being sold to retail consumers. Now, if the FCA were to move away from that position, platforms that have been operating primarily outside the UK could see their compliance models and market access in the country change significantly.
Key takeaways
The FCA’s retail ban on prediction market-style binary options dates back to April 2019.
According to The Times, the FCA has contacted prediction market companies to discuss potentially lifting the restriction for UK-based retail investors.
UK retail users have reportedly used VPNs to access platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, both operating in the US.
Any UK regulatory shift could expose platforms to a similar regulatory patchwork risk that exists in the US.
Why the FCA’s 2019 ban matters
The original FCA prohibition was tied to how prediction markets can be structured—often as event-based contracts that pay out based on whether a specific outcome occurs. In its April 2019 action, the FCA said companies were “prohibited from selling, marketing or distributing binary options to retail consumers,” a category that includes binary options offered to individuals outside a more restricted framework.
At the time, the FCA’s executive director of strategy and competition, Christopher Woolard, described binary options as “gambling products dressed up as financial instruments.” That framing helped justify a permanent retail ban rather than a limited restriction or additional disclosure requirements.
Contact signals potential regulatory shift
In Friday’s Times report, the FCA is said to be weighing lifting the ban for UK retail investors and has reached out to prediction market companies as part of those discussions.
While the details of the proposal are not specified in the report, the fact that the regulator is engaging directly suggests the FCA may be re-evaluating whether prediction markets should remain grouped with binary options as retail products. For investors and traders, the practical implication would be the possibility of regulated or at least more clearly permitted access pathways in the UK, rather than relying on offshore services.
For platforms, regulatory engagement can be a turning point: it signals that market access could become less dependent on workarounds and more dependent on compliance with UK rules—if the FCA decides the product structure can be reconciled with its retail-protection framework.
UK users reportedly bypass restrictions
The Times report also highlights how some UK retail participants may have already been finding ways around the FCA’s limitations. It says many have used virtual private networks (VPNs) to access prediction market trading—executing trades on Kalshi and Polymarket, both of which operate in the United States.
That matters because a ban that prompts consistent circumvention can become harder for regulators to enforce in the real world. It can also create a compliance mismatch: retail users may be actively participating in markets that the UK regulator views as unsuitable, even if those users are technically accessing platforms from outside the UK’s jurisdictional boundaries.
The report notes that market analysts have projected strong growth for the broader prediction market industry. Bernstein Research, as reported by CNBC, previously speculated that total prediction market trading volume could reach around $240 billion in 2026 and about $1 trillion by 2030.
If the FCA were to loosen the UK retail prohibition, the UK could become part of that growth story—though whether it does so through outright permission or a more restrictive licensing model would likely determine how quickly retail participation expands.
US legal pressure could foreshadow the next regulatory test
Any UK relaxation would not necessarily eliminate legal uncertainty for prediction market operators. The main reason is that the industry’s structure—event contracts that resemble wagers—has triggered a regulatory and legal debate in the US between state-level gaming authorities and federal oversight.
The article notes that US challenges are already unfolding through lawsuits. Last week, New Jersey officials petitioned the Supreme Court to hear their case against Kalshi, potentially leading to clarification over how state and federal authority apply to prediction markets.
That dynamic illustrates what could happen if the FCA revises its approach: even if the UK decides to allow retail participation, the global industry still has to contend with unresolved questions about classification—whether these contracts are best treated as financial instruments, regulated derivatives, or gambling products.
As a result, UK policy changes may shift where the compliance burden falls, but not necessarily remove it. Operators could still need to design products and distribution methods that satisfy multiple regulators across jurisdictions.
What to watch next
UK readers should watch for any formal FCA consultation, guidance, or policy statements that specify what changes—if any—would be required for platforms to offer prediction market products to retail investors. Until then, the key open question remains whether the FCA will distinguish prediction markets from binary options in practice, or keep the same underlying treatment while adjusting enforcement or access channels.
This article was originally published as UK Regulator Considers Easing Prediction Markets Ban, Report Says on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The Ethereum Foundation has published a unified ranking of Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) intended for the Hegotá upgrade, narrowing the fork’s practical scope and effectively steering which proposals must be delivered. In total, the Foundation reviewed 62 candidate EIPs, informed by input from roughly 60 researchers and engineers across its Protocol cluster.
The most consequential result: Ethereum’s protocol team designated two proposals as “must ship,” framing them as the upgrade’s core pillars. According to the Foundation’s published overview, if either proposal faces significant risk, the Hegotá schedule should be adjusted before any proposal is dropped.
Key takeaways
The Hegotá proposal review evaluated 62 EIPs, synthesizing input from about 60 engineers and researchers in the Ethereum Foundation’s Protocol cluster.
Two “must ship” proposals—EIP-7805 (FOCIL) and EIP-8141 (Frame Transactions)—are positioned as the upgrade’s consensus and execution-layer headliners.
FOCIL targets a more censorship-resistant path by reducing reliance on centralized block builders for eligible transactions.
Frame Transactions introduces native account abstraction and a route toward post-quantum authentication, with potential protocol building blocks for privacy applications.
After Hegotá’s preceding upgrade testing cycle, the Foundation expects client teams could begin implementing Hegotá in late 2026 following Glamsterdam mainnet data.
Why FOCIL and Frame Transactions are treated as non-negotiable
In the Foundation’s ranking, EIP-7805—FOCIL—wins top placement on the consensus-layer side. The proposal’s purpose is to give users a mechanism for having eligible transactions included without depending on centralized block builders, which are a known potential chokepoint for transaction censorship resistance.
EIP-8141, dubbed Frame Transactions, is named the execution-layer headliner. The Foundation describes it as delivering native account abstraction while also creating a pathway toward post-quantum authentication. It also suggests that, alongside two companion proposals, the changes could serve as protocol-level building blocks for privacy-focused applications.
The “must ship” designation matters because it turns what could have been a broad menu of upgrade options into an explicit definition of Hegotá’s functional center of gravity. The Foundation states that if either core proposal is at risk, Hegotá’s timetable should adjust prior to dropping the compromised item.
Hegotá’s remaining proposal pipeline: A-tier, candidates, and declines
The Foundation’s unified view doesn’t stop at the top two. Beyond the headliners, it placed 15 proposals into an “A-tier” category, signaling expectations that they should ship unless constrained by development or testing realities.
Another eight proposals are kept as candidates for inclusion, while seven were placed below the line but not ruled out. The remaining 28 proposals were declined.
For builders and researchers, this kind of tiering is more than housekeeping. It helps clarify which EIPs are most likely to reach implementation and audit cycles, and therefore which ideas will meaningfully shape the upgrade rather than remain theoretical or postponed.
What “late 2026” depends on: Glamsterdam mainnet data
The Foundation also highlighted that two proposals remain unranked pending mainnet data from Glamsterdam, the Ethereum upgrade that precedes Hegotá. Glamsterdam is focused on scalability improvements and strengthening Ethereum’s base layer, and the Foundation indicates that mainnet evidence from that phase will inform how the remaining items should be treated.
According to the Foundation, client teams could begin implementing Hegotá in late 2026 following Glamsterdam’s mainnet data. That sequencing underscores a practical engineering approach: rather than committing fully to everything at once, the protocol team is using the preceding upgrade’s results to reduce uncertainty for later design decisions.
Context: Hegotá follows Fusaka’s live rollout
Hegotá is not arriving in a vacuum. Ethereum’s last major upgrade, Fusaka, went live on Dec. 3, 2025, and introduced a set of scaling and usability changes. The Foundation’s earlier coverage of Fusaka emphasized PeerDAS as the headline feature, describing how it altered node behavior for rollup data—reducing the amount nodes must download and upload while expanding data capacity for layer-2 networks.
That matters for Hegotá because the upgrade pipeline is effectively building momentum: each step is designed to make future changes easier to implement and more likely to work at scale. With Hegotá, the protocol emphasis appears to shift toward both transaction inclusion integrity (via FOCIL) and deeper execution-layer flexibility (via Frame Transactions).
As the Ethereum Foundation continues to finalize the fork’s scope, the main thing readers should watch is how Glamsterdam’s mainnet results affect the two unranked proposals, and whether the “must ship” headliners—FOCIL (EIP-7805) and Frame Transactions (EIP-8141)—stay on track through client implementation and testing.
This article was originally published as Ethereum Foundation Sets Two ‘Must-Ship’ EIPs for Hegotà Upgrade on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin remains near $79,033 as its latest pullback keeps traders focused on critical price levels. The cryptocurrency slipped from $80,530 after reaching a recent local high near $82,262. However, analyst Michael van de Poppe expects Bitcoin to avoid a deep correction despite the recent weakness.
Bitcoin Price Holds Above Key Support
Bitcoin traded around $79,033 at press time, extending a consolidation phase around the $80,000 area. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency has struggled to regain the momentum that pushed it toward $82,262 last week. However, the latest decline has not yet changed the broader technical structure identified by van de Poppe.
The recent move followed stronger-than-expected US employment data, which pressured market sentiment across risk assets. Consequently, Bitcoin retreated from its recent high as traders reassessed expectations for US monetary policy. Still, strong spot Bitcoin ETF inflows have provided additional support for the market.
Van de Poppe has maintained a positive longer-term outlook despite Bitcoin’s short-term price weakness. He considers the current consolidation a normal phase that could precede another upward move. Furthermore, he has identified levels below $74,000 as potential areas where buying activity could increase.
$82,850 Resistance Could Set Bitcoin’s Next Direction
The $82,850 level now represents an important resistance area for Bitcoin’s immediate price structure. A sustained move above that level could strengthen bullish momentum and open the path toward higher prices. Therefore, traders may use the resistance zone as an important reference during the next market move.
Bitcoin also faces several support levels that could determine the depth of any further decline. The key levels include $75,545 and $73,674, which could provide short-term support during renewed selling pressure. If Bitcoin loses those areas, the price could move toward $71,000 or potentially approach $70,000.
However, a decline below $74,000 could also create a potential buying opportunity, according to van de Poppe’s market assessment. That view suggests the analyst considers moderate weakness part of the broader Bitcoin market cycle. At the same time, Bitcoin must recover key resistance levels before confirming another strong upward move.
US Inflation Data Could Influence BTC’s Next Move
Macroeconomic conditions could play a major role in Bitcoin’s direction as markets prepare for fresh US inflation figures. The upcoming Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports could provide new signals about inflationary pressure. Consequently, the data could affect expectations surrounding the Federal Reserve’s future interest-rate decisions.
Higher-than-expected inflation could strengthen expectations for tighter monetary policy and increase pressure on risk-sensitive assets. Bitcoin often responds to shifts in liquidity conditions, interest-rate expectations, and broader market sentiment. Therefore, stronger inflation figures could limit Bitcoin’s ability to reclaim its recent highs.
Meanwhile, September rate-hike expectations have increased, with prediction markets placing the probability near 50%. This shift reflects uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s policy path following recent economic data. As a result, Bitcoin could remain range-bound until traders receive clearer signals from inflation and monetary policy.
Bitcoin’s current structure therefore centers on the $82,850 resistance and the $75,545 to $73,674 support zone. A breakout above resistance could revive bullish momentum, while a breakdown below support could expose lower targets. For now, BTC remains near $79,033 as technical levels and US economic data shape its next major move.
This article was originally published as Bitcoin Holds Near $79K as Analyst Flags Key Levels for Next Move on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is reportedly in discussions with prediction market operators about whether it could ease a long-standing restriction on offering retail access in the country. The move, if it happens, would mark a notable shift from the regulator’s position since 2019—when it placed a permanent ban on selling, marketing, or distributing certain “binary options” to retail customers.
According to a Friday report by The Times, the FCA has been weighing lifting the prohibition for UK-based retail investors. The decision would specifically affect platforms that run event-driven markets—including contracts tied to sports, politics, and weather—where payouts are binary in nature.
Key takeaways
The FCA’s 2019 rules effectively barred prediction market platforms from marketing binary options to retail consumers in the UK.
The Times reports the FCA is now considering loosening that retail ban.
UK retail traders reportedly have used VPNs to access US-based platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket despite UK restrictions.
If the FCA reverses course, UK operators could face regulatory questions similar to ongoing disputes in the United States.
Why the FCA’s 2019 ban mattered
The FCA’s restriction dates to April 2019. In a statement at the time, the regulator said firms were “prohibited from selling, marketing or distributing binary options to retail consumers.” The FCA framed binary options as high-risk products that should not be offered to the mass retail public in their existing form.
As noted in the original FCA reasoning from the ban, “Binary options are gambling products dressed up as financial instruments,” according to comments attributed to the regulator at the time, including statements made by the FCA’s executive director of strategy and competition, Christopher Woolard.
Prediction market platforms—particularly those built around event contracts that resolve in yes/no outcomes—often rely on that “binary” structure, even when offered as a market rather than a traditional sportsbook. That similarity is what brought them under the FCA’s broader binary options prohibition.
Reported UK retail access pressure and the VPN workaround
The backdrop to any potential change appears to be persistent retail demand and workarounds. The Times report says many UK-based users have continued trading on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket by using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions.
This matters for regulators because it signals that outright prohibition has not eliminated participation. Instead, it has pushed activity into a less transparent channel, with users potentially exposed to the risks and consumer protections—or lack thereof—of jurisdictions outside the UK.
Industry expectations for growth have also helped keep the spotlight on prediction markets. In April, Bernstein Research speculated, as reported by CNBC, that the overall prediction market sector could climb to around $240 billion in trading volume in 2026 and about $1 trillion by 2030. While such forecasts are not regulatory decisions, they shape how seriously both markets and policymakers view the category’s trajectory.
CNBC relayed Bernstein’s projections in April, giving a sense of scale that can influence how regulators evaluate whether a ban is proportionate to real-world usage.
What would change if the ban is lifted?
If the FCA moves to lift the retail ban, the most immediate implication would be legal clarity for platforms that currently operate under constraints for UK retail participants. However, it would not automatically resolve the underlying classification debate around whether event contracts should be treated as “binary options” under UK rules—or whether a more tailored regulatory framework could distinguish prediction markets from conventional binary betting.
Even with a UK relaxation, platforms would likely need to demonstrate how their products function, how they handle consumer protections, and how they address the core concerns the FCA cited in 2019.
Importantly, any UK decision would also be watched in light of disputes in the United States. In the US, state regulators and courts have been grappling with where prediction markets fit within existing gambling and securities frameworks.
US legal battles could shape expectations in the UK
Should the FCA loosen restrictions, UK platforms could face pressure to align with— or at least anticipate— the outcomes of ongoing US enforcement. The source material points to a parallel problem: in multiple US states, gaming authorities have challenged prediction market platforms over sports event contracts.
Earlier coverage highlighted that New Jersey officials petitioned the Supreme Court last week to hear its case against Kalshi, potentially leading to clearer boundaries between state and federal authority over prediction markets. That development, reported by Cointelegraph, underscores how unresolved jurisdictional questions can drive uncertainty for platforms—even when they are operating commercially.
While the UK and US legal environments are not the same, regulatory bodies typically consider international enforcement trends when reassessing product classification and risk. For retail users, any UK shift could also reduce the incentive to use VPNs, if lawful access becomes possible under an FCA-approved structure.
For now, readers should watch for whether the FCA’s reported discussions lead to formal rule changes or guidance—and, just as importantly, whether the regulator’s approach focuses on redefining prediction markets, imposing new consumer safeguards, or simply carving out an exception for retail access. The practical impact will depend on how the FCA draws the line between event-driven prediction and what it considers retail “binary options.”
This article was originally published as UK Regulator Considers Easing Ban on Prediction Markets: Report on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated events on the UAE calendar, bringing together motorsport, luxury, business and entertainment at Yas Marina Circuit.
For the 2026 season finale, Crypto Breaking News and Web3 Digital can now provide access to an exclusive Sunday hospitality experience at the W Garage Terrace at W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, designed for executives, investors, entrepreneurs, corporate guests and VIP clients looking to experience Formula 1 from a premium setting.
Located directly alongside the circuit, the W Garage Terrace offers an exceptional race-day environment combining close-up Formula 1 action with premium hospitality, networking and the distinctive atmosphere of Yas Marina.
Experience the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the W Garage Terrace
The W Garage Terrace offers an open-air vantage point overlooking Turns 12 and 13, placing guests close to the action while providing views across Yas Marina and its iconic superyachts.
The experience has been designed to combine the excitement of the Formula 1 season finale with a more intimate and sophisticated hospitality environment, making it particularly suitable for corporate entertainment, client engagement and private networking.
What the Experience Includes
Exclusive Sunday access to the W Garage Terrace at W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
Premium views of the Formula 1 action around Turns 12 and 13
Dedicated terrace and lounge seating
Premium international dining throughout the experience
Champagne service and premium beverages
Curated social and networking areas
Live entertainment and DJ sets
Access to the unique W Abu Dhabi atmosphere during race weekend
Post-race concert access, depending on the applicable ticket category
A Premium Setting for Business and Networking
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has become much more than a motorsport event. Every year, it attracts international entrepreneurs, investors, executives, celebrities and decision-makers to Abu Dhabi for one of the region’s most important lifestyle and networking weekends.
For companies operating in crypto, Web3, fintech, trading, investment and digital assets, premium Formula 1 hospitality can also provide an alternative environment for building relationships with clients and partners outside the traditional conference setting.
The experience can be particularly suitable for:
Crypto exchanges and trading platforms hosting VIP clients
Web3 and fintech companies entertaining partners or executives
Private investors and high-net-worth individuals
Corporate leadership and incentive programmes
Family offices and investment companies
International founders and entrepreneurs visiting the UAE
Brands looking for premium client-engagement experiences
Corporate and Group Hospitality
Companies interested in bringing multiple guests can also request tailored corporate and group arrangements.
Depending on the size of the group and specific requirements, additional services and hospitality elements can be arranged to create a more personalised experience for clients, executives or strategic partners.
For larger corporate requirements, bespoke options can be explored individually based on availability.
More Than Just a Formula 1 Ticket
This experience is designed for guests looking for more than simply attending the race.
The combination of premium track views, hospitality, dining, entertainment and networking creates an opportunity to experience the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from one of Yas Marina’s most distinctive locations.
Previous editions of the Garage Terrace experience have welcomed hundreds of guests, combining premium race viewing with elevated dining, free-flowing beverages and the atmosphere of the Formula 1 finale at Yas Marina.
Limited Availability for Abu Dhabi F1 2026
Hospitality inventory for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is limited and availability can change quickly as the race weekend approaches.
For this reason, current availability must be confirmed before any booking can be finalised.
Pricing is available privately upon request.
Individuals, companies and corporate groups interested in the W Garage Terrace experience can contact us directly with the number of guests and any specific hospitality requirements.
Premium Access to Other Global Sporting Events
Through our international hospitality network, Web3 Digital and Crypto Breaking News can also assist clients looking for premium access to other major sporting and live entertainment events worldwide.
Opportunities can include Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends, Grand Slam tennis, international football, major cricket events, concerts and bespoke VIP experiences.
If you are planning to attend a major international event and are looking for premium hospitality or hard-to-access experiences, our team can check available options based on your requirements.
Request Abu Dhabi F1 Hospitality Availability
To request current availability, private rates or corporate hospitality options for the 2026 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, contact:
Web3 Digital / Crypto Breaking News
Email: hello@web3digital.ae
Website: www.web3digital.ae
Availability and hospitality options are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.
This article was originally published as Exclusive Abu Dhabi F1 Hospitality Experience Now Available for Crypto Executives, Investors and VIP Guests on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Polish prosecutors have expanded their criminal case involving crypto exchange Zondacrypto by formally charging an additional suspect, identified as Romana Ż., with allegedly taking part in an organized criminal group and misappropriating user funds.
According to an announcement from Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors also requested that the Katowice-Wschód District Court order Romana Ż. to be held in pretrial detention, citing concerns that the suspect could flee or obstruct the investigation.
Key takeaways
Romana Ż. has been formally charged in Poland’s Zondacrypto investigation with participating in an organized criminal group.
Prosecutors allege the suspect misappropriated 7.8 million zlotys (about $2.1 million) in user funds.
Prosecutors asked for pretrial detention, arguing the suspect may flee or interfere with the probe.
The latest charges follow earlier detentions and charges of three other individuals connected to Zondacrypto.
Earlier reporting and court actions cited far larger loss estimates tied to the exchange and related investigations.
New charges filed in the Zondacrypto case
Prosecutors said Romana Ż. was detained on Sept. 5 due to concerns about flight risk and possible interference with the investigation. After the detention, the suspect was questioned by prosecutors, according to the National Prosecutor’s Office. The suspect denied the allegations and provided a statement.
In their filing, prosecutors accuse Romana Ż. of acting with others to misappropriate funds entrusted to the exchange. The alleged conduct, as described in the prosecutor’s submission, includes unauthorized changes to computer records and interference with the way Zondacrypto processed and transmitted exchange data.
Prosecutors’ motion for detention was submitted to the Katowice-Wschód District Court on Monday, with the announcement pointing to the same stated risks: potential flight and interference with the investigation. The court’s decision on detention was not described in the announcement.
Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office announcement (linked in the source)
Earlier detentions and the group-wide allegations
The Romana Ż. charges follow a broader escalation earlier in September. The National Prosecutor’s Office reported that three other individuals had been detained on Sept. 2 and subsequently charged. Those allegations included money laundering, misappropriation of company assets, and participation in an organized criminal group.
Polish court records referenced in the source indicate that the court ordered all three suspects held in pretrial detention for up to three months. This is important for investors and users watching the case: it suggests prosecutors are framing the alleged misconduct as systemic rather than isolated, and they are building a timeline intended to support an organized-crime theory.
Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office announcement (linked in the source)
Loss estimates and the expanding scope of the probe
Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph, linked in the source material, said prosecutors estimated losses connected to Zondacrypto at no less than 350 million zlotys. That figure dwarfs the 7.8 million zlotys attributed to the newly charged suspect, highlighting how individual defendants may be tied to different alleged portions of a larger total.
Cointelegraph also previously reported that the investigation was merged in July with a separate probe into the 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, the founder of BitBay, later renamed Zondacrypto. The merger matters because it suggests prosecutors are connecting the exchange’s later operations and the alleged handling of user funds to broader events around its leadership and corporate history.
Earlier Cointelegraph coverage (linked in the source)
Bankruptcy proceedings for the Estonian operator
Beyond criminal charges, the case has already spilled into formal insolvency steps. The source notes that Zondacrypto’s Estonian operator, BB Trade Estonia, was declared bankrupt in August. It also states that the first creditors’ meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17.
For creditors and affected users, bankruptcy timelines can be as consequential as criminal proceedings. Criminal cases often determine responsibility and potential recovery routes, while insolvency processes are typically where claims are filed, assets are managed, and distributions may be negotiated or decided.
While the source does not detail whether claimants are expecting crypto-specific asset recovery or fiat distributions, the scheduled creditors’ meeting is likely to influence how quickly affected parties can formalize their requests and learn what portion—if any—may be recoverable.
What to watch next
The immediate next step is the Katowice-Wschód District Court’s decision on the detention request for Romana Ż. Separately, the Sept. 17 creditors’ meeting for BB Trade Estonia will be a key milestone for anyone seeking to understand their prospects for recovery as the criminal investigation continues to build its case against multiple defendants.
This article was originally published as Polish Prosecutors Seek Pretrial Detention in ZondaCrypto Probe on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

French corporate Bitcoin treasury firm Capital B has expanded its holdings with a new purchase of 376 BTC, acquiring the coins for €25.3 million (about $29.5 million). After the deal, Capital B’s total Bitcoin treasury rises to 3,521 BTC, according to a company announcement published Monday.
The acquisition follows Capital B’s capital raises of roughly €30.1 million (about $35 million), which included a private placement backed by investors Adam Back and TOBAM. The company says Swissquote Bank Europe executed the purchase, while Taurus provided custody for the assets.
Key takeaways
Capital B bought 376 BTC for €25.3 million, bringing total holdings to 3,521 BTC.
The purchase was funded after €30.1 million in capital raises, including a private placement backed by Adam Back and TOBAM.
Capital B paid an average of €67,182 per BTC for the latest tranche; its overall average cost across the treasury now sits at €87,878.
The latest buy is Capital B’s largest since September 2025, when it acquired 551 BTC for €54.7 million.
Capital B now ranks 25th among publicly traded companies by Bitcoin holdings, based on BitcoinTreasuries.net.
Details of Capital B’s latest Bitcoin purchase
Capital B’s latest acquisition consists of 376 Bitcoin purchased at an average price of €67,182 per BTC. In the announcement, the company links the buy to its financing activity completed ahead of the trade.
Execution and custody were handled by third parties: Swissquote Bank Europe carried out the purchase, while Taurus is designated as the custodian. Capital B also distinguishes operational holdings from its treasury reserve, stating that it holds an additional 61 BTC for operational purposes that are kept separate from the company’s Bitcoin treasury and excluded from its Bitcoin-related performance metrics.
Across its Bitcoin treasury program, Capital B reports spending a total of €309.4 million at an average cost basis of €87,878 per BTC. Based on that accumulated position, the firm moved to 25th place among publicly traded companies tracked by BitcoinTreasuries.net.
Why the financing and custody structure matters
Corporate Bitcoin treasury strategies often live or die on execution quality, custody arrangements, and the consistency of funding. In this case, Capital B’s announcement ties the purchase directly to capital raised—roughly €30.1 million—rather than leaving investors to infer the financing source after the fact.
For market participants, the specific counterparties named for execution (Swissquote Bank Europe) and custody (Taurus) are also notable because treasury programs depend on minimizing operational risk. Even when the market impact is not the main driver, reliable custody and clear segregation between operational BTC and treasury BTC can matter for how companies report performance and how investors evaluate treasury discipline.
Capital B’s position in the wider corporate Bitcoin race
Capital B’s purchase adds to a broader pattern seen among corporate Bitcoin holders: while some companies have moved to unwind holdings, others continue adding. The announcement places Capital B among the persistent accumulators—particularly relevant as Bitcoin treasury rankings can shift quickly with even mid-sized acquisitions.
Japan-based Metaplanet, for example, reportedly acquired 2,823 BTC during the second quarter for about $222 million, bringing its total to 43,000 BTC. BitcoinTreasuries.net data cited in the article places Metaplanet third among publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holders, behind Strategy and Twenty One Capital.
Meanwhile, Sweden-based H100 Group reportedly expanded its treasury in August after an all-share deal involving Norwegian companies holding 2,455 BTC. That transaction reportedly lifted H100’s holdings to 3,506 BTC, positioning it as Europe’s second-largest publicly traded corporate holder at the time. Capital B’s latest buy leaves it 15 BTC ahead of H100, while both remain behind Germany’s Bitcoin Group SE, which holds 3,605 BTC, according to the cited ranking data.
At the top end of the corporate list, Strategy—described as the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder—resumed buying in August after a pause of two months. The article states Strategy purchased 4,603 BTC for $370 million, bringing total holdings to 845,050 BTC at an aggregated purchase value of $63.3 billion, again referencing BitcoinTreasuries.net for rank context.
What to watch after the September 2025 high-water mark
Capital B’s newest tranche is its largest acquisition since September 2025, when it bought 551 BTC for €54.7 million. That matters because it suggests the firm has not been buying at a comparable scale for most of the interim period, even if smaller additions or operational balance changes may have occurred.
Going forward, investors will likely focus on whether Capital B maintains a steady cadence of treasury purchases—especially given that the latest deal appears tied to fresh capital raising. The key uncertainty is how quickly (and at what average prices) future acquisitions will follow, and whether treasury growth continues to translate into meaningful movement within the publicly traded rankings tracked by BitcoinTreasuries.net.
For now, Capital B’s updated holdings and cost basis provide a clear snapshot of where the company stands in the competitive landscape of corporate Bitcoin accumulation—and its next reported treasury purchase will determine whether it can keep closing the gap to Europe’s largest peers.
This article was originally published as Capital B Buys 376 BTC for $29M, Lifts Holdings to 3,521 BTC on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin eased on Monday after failing to hold onto weekend momentum, with the price slipping back toward the high-$70,000s as liquidity thinned during the Labor Day holiday in the United States. The pullback comes shortly after BTC posted its first weekly close above $80,000 since early May.
At the time of writing, TradingView data showed BTC/USD down nearly 2% on the day. With major US markets closed for the holiday, thinner order books increased the odds of sharper, liquidity-driven moves in both directions—rather than a steady trend.
Key takeaways
Bitcoin is trading about 2% lower and sits below $80,000 after its strongest weekly close above that level since early May.
Labor Day has left markets with thinner liquidity, which can amplify sudden moves as traders seek liquidity above and below spot.
CoinGlass data shows liquidation pressure was roughly balanced between long and short positions over the past 24 hours.
QCP Capital said volatility has compressed, suggesting investors are waiting for external catalysts—particularly US inflation data later this week.
Analysts highlighted “resilience,” noting BTC has absorbed recent macro shocks while remaining supported within a narrow range since mid-August.
Why Monday’s dip looks liquidity-driven
TradingView charts indicated BTC/USD down close to 2% at the time of writing, after the benchmark briefly regained traction over the weekend and notched its first weekly close above $80,000 since early May. Monday’s decline reflects a market environment where directional conviction can weaken when participants thin out.
Because US markets were closed for Labor Day, order books tended to be thinner, increasing the likelihood of abrupt repricing toward nearby liquidity pools. CoinGlass liquidation data, covering the prior 24 hours, showed cross-crypto liquidations totaling about $178 million, with liquidations split evenly between long and short positions.
CoinGlass also flagged notable nearby concentrations that could act as short-term magnets for price action—around $80,500 above and $78,800 below. As liquidity accumulates near these levels, even modest flows can push prices toward those areas.
By the end of the day’s early trading, liquidity appeared to thicken somewhat, but the key takeaway is that the market’s near-term behavior has looked less like sustained selling and more like positioning around known liquidation zones.
Traders wait for US inflation as volatility compresses
While BTC remains range-bound, analysts argue the market is preparing for a potential shift once macro data lands. QCP Capital pointed to declining overall volatility, suggesting traders are not aggressively pricing a clear directional outcome ahead of the week’s main catalyst.
The catalyst in focus is US inflation data later in the week—scheduled for release on Thursday and Friday. The reason traders care is straightforward: inflation readings influence expectations around the Federal Reserve’s path for interest-rate hikes, which can quickly alter risk appetite across crypto.
In its latest analysis, QCP Capital wrote that near-term volatility compression, despite the approach of key catalysts, “reflects a market waiting for clarity rather than pricing in strong directional views.” QCP added that “the market is positioned for a directional break once the inflation data arrives.”
That framing matters for traders because it suggests this dip may not be a definitive trend change. Instead, it may represent a pause while participants hold back until they can better assess the implications for rates and yields.
BTC’s “resilience” inside a narrow range
Despite Monday’s downtick, analysts see evidence that Bitcoin has managed to absorb recent macro turbulence without breaking down. BTC/USD has been trading in a confined range since Aug. 21, yet it has retained the majority of the roughly 25% gains it built earlier last month.
In comments to Cointelegraph, Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget, said Bitcoin has “digested” last week’s macro volatility trigger—referring to a surprise uptick in nonfarm payrolls numbers. The implication of stronger employment data is typically higher yields and a firmer dollar, conditions that can be challenging for risk assets.
Lee argued that the resilience is notable precisely because employment strength would ordinarily push those rates dynamics in a way that makes it harder for assets like Bitcoin to maintain momentum. “The market’s ability to absorb that repricing suggests investors are not treating a potential Fed hike as the only factor driving Bitcoin at current levels,” he said.
In other words, the market may be more balanced in its interpretation: instead of assuming the Fed path is the sole determinant of BTC, investors appear to be letting Bitcoin’s own supply/demand factors and broader positioning contribute alongside macro expectations.
That said, the narrow range also implies that conviction is still limited. If QCP is correct that the market is waiting for clarity, BTC’s resilience may be more about controlled positioning than a confirmed breakout.
Spot ETF flows remain a supporting narrative
Beyond spot price action and macro data, investor attention continues to track US Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. Cointelegraph previously reported that Thursday saw net inflows of $730 million into the US spot Bitcoin ETF cohort.
That figure was described as the highest single-day tally since January, and it has helped keep ETFs in the broader discussion as a potential source of sustained demand. While Monday’s move has pulled price back below $80,000, ETF flows can remain a stabilizing counterweight—particularly if inflows persist around key macro releases.
Investors, however, will still likely treat inflation data as the main swing factor for near-term volatility, with ETF flows providing context rather than an immediate override to macro-driven repricing.
Heading into the next inflation releases, market participants will likely watch for whether compressed volatility breaks into a sustained trend and whether the liquidation levels highlighted by CoinGlass act as temporary boundaries or get swept through. The uncertainty is less about direction in the immediate term and more about how quickly traders reprice Fed expectations once the data confirms the next inflation reality.
This article was originally published as Bitcoin Holds Near $80K as Weekend Gains Stall on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has proposed a temporary pause on new registrations for payment-system operators while tightening how banks and other BSP-supervised institutions handle payment arrangements involving regulated virtual asset service providers (VASPs). The move, set out in a draft circular, is designed to give the regulator time to “holistically” review its approach to licensing and the taxonomy used for payment-system oversight.
Under the proposal, the BSP would suspend the acceptance and processing of applications from entities seeking to operate payment systems for 12 months. Applications already submitted before the suspension would still be assessed, but the BSP would not approve or deny them until the pause period ends—effectively freezing new licensing decisions in the segment while the framework is reviewed.
Key takeaways
The BSP proposes a 12-month halt on accepting new payment-system operator (OPS) registration applications to complete a review of its licensing and taxonomy.
Existing applications would continue to be evaluated, but BSP would delay approval or denial until the pause ends.
Banks and BSP-supervised institutions that offer merchant acquisition services would have to route merchant relationships with regulated VASPs through direct arrangements with added risk controls.
The stricter requirements would apply to VASPs licensed, registered, or authorized by the BSP, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or another relevant authority.
The draft would take effect 15 days after publication if finalized, and BSP is currently collecting feedback.
OPS registration pause aims at revising the regulator’s framework
In the draft circular, the BSP says it would suspend acceptance and processing of OPS applications as part of a “holistic review” of its taxonomy and licensing framework for payment systems. The regulator’s intent is not to immediately deny new entrants, but to slow the flow of new licensing activity while it revises how payment operators are categorized and supervised.
Importantly, the suspension would not wipe out pending work. Applications submitted before the pause would be allowed to continue through evaluation, but BSP would withhold any approval or denial until the 12-month review period concludes. The proposal also states that entities would not be allowed to start activities that require OPS registration unless the BSP grants authorization outside the standard process.
Merchant acquisition rules tighten for regulated crypto-related payments
Alongside the OPS pause, the BSP’s draft includes specific constraints for merchant acquisition services—functions commonly tied to how merchants are onboarded and how card or payment processing is enabled.
According to the draft, BSP-supervised institutions offering merchant acquisition services would need to handle regulated VASPs through direct merchant arrangements. Those relationships would be subject to enhanced due diligence and monitoring, as well as transaction and settlement limits and other risk-based controls.
For market participants, the practical impact is straightforward: even if a VASP is properly regulated, payment rails managed by BSP-supervised intermediaries would still face stricter oversight. The draft does not describe the exact level of transaction or settlement limits, but it explicitly requires risk-based measures as part of the direct arrangement model.
Which businesses are in scope—and why VASPs are grouped with higher-risk categories
The BSP draft is explicit that the requirement would apply to VASPs that are licensed, registered, or authorized by the BSP, the SEC, or another relevant authority. It frames VASPs as a type of regulated entity that will fall under the same kind of heightened scrutiny typically used for other higher-risk sectors.
In the proposal, VASPs are listed alongside categories that include gambling businesses, gaming providers, adult-oriented businesses, and money service businesses. While the draft does not equate all these industries in terms of risk, the grouping suggests the BSP intends to treat crypto-related payment arrangements with a risk-control mindset rather than relying solely on “regulated” status.
That matters for businesses seeking to expand merchant processing services to crypto platforms: the BSP’s draft indicates that compliance architecture—including enhanced due diligence and active monitoring—will be central to approvals and ongoing operations, not an afterthought.
Timeline and next steps for the draft circular
The BSP states that if the draft circular is finalized, it would take effect 15 days after publication. The central bank is currently accepting feedback, meaning the eventual final rule could reflect adjustments based on industry comments.
Cointelegraph reported that it reached out to the BSP for additional information but did not receive a response before publication.
Related coverage from Cointelegraph notes that the Philippines SEC has flagged certain platforms as unauthorized—highlighting that Philippine regulators are actively working to enforce permissions and oversight for crypto-related activity. Against that backdrop, the BSP’s payment-system proposal appears focused on strengthening payment integrity and controls, particularly where payments interface with regulated virtual asset firms.
What to watch as BSP reviews its payment licensing approach
For investors, payments providers, and regulated VASPs planning expansion, the immediate question is whether the final rules will further define the scope of merchant acquisition limits and the specific due-diligence standards expected for direct arrangements. The next watchpoint is the 12-month OPS application suspension: once the pause ends, BSP’s revised taxonomy and licensing framework could determine how quickly new payment-system entrants can obtain approvals and under what conditions.
This article was originally published as Philippines Considers Freezing Payment Operator Registrations, Tightens VASP Checks on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

XRP is currently trading near one of the most crucial resistances after moving up from $1.10 to $1.41-$1.44 in August and September, respectively. XRP bulls have taken it up to its highest level for 12 months, but on-chain data is now posing some doubts regarding the strength of the rally.
The daily chart provides more insight into what is going on. For over 12 months, XRP bulls have been able to contain XRP within the $1.00-$1.41 range, with $1.4108 representing its most recent yearly high. The current level sees the XRP price back near this ceiling.
Key Takeaways
XRP price is testing the $1.4131-$1.42 resistance area after rising by about 28% from $1.10 in August.
If the breakout above $1.4131 is confirmed, XRP will face $1.50 and $1.60; otherwise, rejection could lead to a fall to $1.38 and $1.35.
XRP market capitalization increased from $87 billion to $91 billion, supporting the rise in price.
The number of active addresses increased to 45,000 but fell again to 35,000, indicating that network activity has cooled down amid the highs.
XRP number of transactions decreased from 2.15 million to 1.85-1.90 million amid the price rise, generating a bearish divergence.
For confirmation of the breakout, active addresses should return to 40,000-45,000, and transactions should be above 2 million.
Xrp Price Tests $1.41 Resistance
We looked at the XRP chart, and the short-term trend looks stronger than the broader market structure. XRP climbed from about $1.10 to $1.4131 over the past three to four weeks. That works out to a move of roughly 28%, and the rally has produced a clear series of higher highs and higher lows on the 4-hour timeframe.
The EMA 9 is also giving buyers some support. It currently stands at $1.4093, with XRP fluctuating near $1.4122. If the price continues above the stated level, short-term momentum will favor buyers. The critical levels are $1.4131-$1.42.
XRP hit a peak of $1.4131 but couldn’t keep it, falling to $1.3988. That shows sellers are still active around this zone. A 4-hour break above $1.4131 will confirm the breakout above the yearly range for the bulls. The next target is $1.50, followed by $1.60. However, in case of failure, the first level to watch is $1.4093. A breakdown of the EMA 9 could see the price fall to $1.35, with support around $1.30-$1.35.
On-Chain Data Raises Some Questions
The market-cap figures also indicate the recent surge in XRP. XRP’s market cap increased from around $87 billion to $91 billion as the price surged from around $1.38 to $1.44, an increase of about 4.6%.
Network activity doesn’t seem particularly convincing. Active addresses rose from around 25,000 to 45,000 as the price reached $1.44, but then dropped to around 35,000.
Transaction activity is even more interesting. Transactions fell from roughly 2.15 million to about 1.85-1.90 million as the XRP price climbed from around $1.36 to $1.44.
In simple terms, XRP is trading at higher prices, but fewer transactions are taking place on the network. That makes the current rally look more dependent on investors holding XRP than increased network usage. For the move to look healthier, active addresses would need to return toward 40,000-45,000, and transactions would need to push back above 2 million.
What Comes Next for Xrp
The XRP price now has a clear line to watch: $1.4131. A strong 4-hour close above that level could open the door to $1.50 and potentially $1.60. The market-cap data also gives $91 billion an important role, with a move above that level pointing toward the $95 billion area.
If XRP gets rejected again, $1.38 becomes the first major level to watch, followed by $1.35. The technical setup is bullish in the short term, but the on-chain numbers need to improve. XRP can break above $1.41 without them, but stronger transaction activity and more active addresses would give the breakout better confirmation.
This article was originally published as Xrp Price Tests $1.44 as On-Chain Data Raises Concerns on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Zcash has surged to its highest level since 2016, pushing the privacy-focused token’s market capitalization past $20 billion as momentum continues into the new week. CoinGecko data shows ZEC briefly touched $1,249.28 before easing to around $1,195 on Monday.
The move has been rapid: ZEC is up roughly 45% over the past week and about 138% across the last 30 days, according to CoinGecko’s price charts. While the latest rally is impressive, it still sits below Zcash’s launch-era peak—CoinGecko lists an all-time high of $3,191.93 on Oct. 28, 2016, when only a small supply of tokens was available.
Key takeaways
ZEC reached the highest price since 2016, with CoinGecko reporting a peak near $1,249.28 before a pullback to about $1,195.
The token has gained approximately 45% in a week and 138% in 30 days, helping push Zcash’s market cap above $20 billion.
Zcash’s privacy model relies on shielded transactions using zero-knowledge proofs to hide sender, recipient, and transfer amount.
Grayscale’s Zcash ETF—trading on NYSE ARCA under the ticker ZCSH—has supported renewed attention since it began trading Aug. 25.
Grayscale research argues privacy demand could rise as AI makes it easier to connect public blockchain activity to real-world identities.
A privacy asset resurfaces at multi-year highs
The latest rally has placed Zcash back in the spotlight for investors looking at how privacy features may translate into real market demand. CoinGecko’s figures show the token extending gains that have steadily built over the last month, rather than spiking and fading quickly.
Zcash’s “shielded” option is central to that narrative. Unlike fully public transfers on most traditional blockchains, Zcash allows users to choose between public and shielded transactions. Shielded payments use zero-knowledge proofs to verify that a transfer is valid without exposing key details such as the sender, recipient, or the amount.
That capability matters because it directly addresses a persistent concern in crypto adoption: transparency can be valuable, but it can also create traceability risks for individuals and businesses. If more market participants believe those risks are increasing, privacy-preserving assets may attract renewed capital.
Grayscale links the privacy thesis to AI-era tracing
In an Aug. 31 analysis, Grayscale’s head of research, Zach Pandl, highlighted Zcash’s privacy features as potentially becoming a “must have” for users who prioritize confidentiality. The argument is not limited to general privacy preferences; Pandl specifically pointed to the role AI could play in raising the difficulty threshold for anonymity.
Pandl said AI could increase demand for financial privacy by making it easier to link public blockchain transactions to user identities. The core idea is that even if transactions are technically pseudonymous, pattern recognition and entity linkage tools can reduce anonymity over time.
For Zcash, that framing aligns with what shielded transactions are designed to do: keep critical transaction data private while still maintaining verifiability through cryptographic proofs.
ETF-driven momentum after Grayscale’s Zcash Trust conversion
Grayscale’s product transition appears to be part of the catalyst behind the renewed interest. The firm converted its existing Zcash Trust into an exchange-traded fund, with the resulting ETF trading under the ticker ZCSH. The fund started trading on NYSE ARCA on Aug. 25, giving traditional brokerage investors a more straightforward way to gain exposure to ZEC.
According to the ETF’s website, the fund closed Friday at $83.77 per share and reported $463.2 million in assets under management. That combination—new access routes plus accumulating assets—often reinforces momentum, particularly when a token is already in a strong price trend.
At the same time, ZEC’s recent performance also underlines how investor narratives can accelerate quickly once a key access point changes. The ETF’s listing did not alter Zcash’s underlying protocol, but it did expand who can buy the exposure and how easily that exposure can be held within existing portfolio infrastructure.
What to watch next for ZEC and the privacy trade
With ZEC now at its highest level since 2016, the next question is whether the rally can hold as the market digests the ETF-driven demand narrative. Traders and long-term observers may want to monitor how liquidity and ETF inflows evolve after the initial momentum phase, and whether broader sentiment toward on-chain privacy continues to strengthen alongside the privacy-and-AI argument.
This article was originally published as Zcash Reaches Highest Price Since 2016 as Market Cap Passes $20B on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

DBS and Citi have completed what they describe as the first weekend tokenized cross-border payment between Singapore and the United States, using tokenized deposits routed through Swift’s Digital Ledger. The transaction was settled within minutes, positioning blockchain-enabled payment rails as a potential solution to the long delays and limited operating hours associated with conventional cross-border banking workflows.
DBS said it finalized the transfer using tokenized deposits on Swift’s system, enabling activity outside standard banking schedules. The group called the speed of settlement a “significant improvement,” contrasting it with the industry norm—often up to two business days—for traditional cross-border transfers.
Key takeaways
DBS and Citi executed a Singapore-to-US cross-border payment over the weekend using tokenized deposits on Swift’s Digital Ledger.
Settlement reportedly took minutes, improving on typical traditional cross-border timelines of up to two business days.
The test highlights how major banks are experimenting with blockchain-based messaging/settlement infrastructure while keeping deposits within regulated banking channels.
It builds on earlier Swift-led pilots involving other large banks, including HSBC and Standard Chartered.
Citi is also pursuing a separate roadmap for tokenized deposit networks via The Clearing House, with plans discussed for 2027.
Weekend settlement becomes the latest proof point for tokenized rails
The DBS-Citi payment underscores a practical problem tokenization aims to address: cross-border transfers often remain bound by banking hours and operational processes that can stretch timelines well beyond a single business day. By running the transaction through Swift’s Digital Ledger and using tokenized deposits, the banks were able to complete the payment during a weekend—when many traditional settlement and processing paths are less active.
According to DBS’s announcement, the workflow relies on tokenized deposits rather than a full move to cryptocurrency custody or retail-style blockchain transfers. That distinction matters for investors and market participants watching these initiatives: it signals the direction large institutions are taking—using blockchain-style settlement mechanics to accelerate payment completion while preserving deposit-based structures familiar to regulated banking systems.
DBS emphasized that the deposit was finalized in minutes, framing it as a notable improvement over the “as long as two business days” timeframe often experienced in traditional cross-border channels. For banks and corporates alike, reducing idle time between initiation and settlement can improve cash management and operational efficiency, especially when payments are time-sensitive.
Swift’s Digital Ledger pilots: from readiness to expanding bank participation
This latest settlement follows earlier milestones tied to Swift’s push into tokenized deposits. In August, Standard Chartered and HSBC completed what was described as the first live tokenized cross-border transaction on Swift’s blockchain ledger.
Before that, Swift said its blockchain-based ledger was ready for initial use and that it was preparing to pilot tokenized cross-border payments with 17 major banks. In July, reporting noted that the pilot group included institutions such as Citi and DBS, alongside HSBC, BNP Paribas, UBS, ANZ, and Standard Chartered. Earlier coverage also tied the effort to Swift’s broader strategy for modernizing financial messaging and settlement paths.
What’s notable in the DBS-Citi weekend test is the maturity implied by moving beyond pilot-style milestones toward transactions that address real-world timing constraints. If weekend settlement becomes repeatable at scale, it could change how banks and payment operators think about cut-off times and settlement certainty for international transfers.
Citi’s parallel plan for a tokenized deposit network
DBS’s transaction also arrives amid other institution-level roadmaps for tokenized deposit infrastructure. Citi CEO David Watson, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, discussed a separate initiative in which a group of major US banks—including Citi—aim to launch a tokenized deposit network in the first half of 2027.
Watson linked the effort to The Clearing House, the US payments and clearing operator owned by banks. This suggests the industry is not placing all its bets on a single technology path. Instead, it appears to be building multiple layers: one focused on interoperable cross-border messaging and settlement, and another focused on domestic deposit token networks designed for broader interbank transfer capabilities.
For readers tracking the direction of crypto-adjacent finance, the coexistence of these efforts is important. Swift’s Digital Ledger work centers on cross-border settlement mechanics through a messaging network, while the Clearing House plan points toward a more US-centric network of tokenized deposits. Together, they reflect how large institutions may pursue both interoperability and network effects as they move from prototypes to operational systems.
Ongoing collaboration between major banks on tokenization frameworks
The industry momentum also includes collaboration frameworks between banks aimed at establishing compatibility across deposit token ecosystems. In November 2025, reporting highlighted that DBS and JPMorgan unveiled plans to develop a blockchain-based tokenization framework enabling onchain transfers between their deposit token environments, with the stated goal of moving toward an industry standard for cross-bank payments.
While these announcements do not guarantee full interoperability across all banks or across different tokenization platforms, they do indicate a shared theme: large financial institutions see tokenization as a way to reduce friction in transfers without necessarily replacing deposits with entirely new asset classes. The closer the industry gets to standardized frameworks, the easier it becomes for participants to connect systems and reduce settlement bottlenecks.
DBS’s Monday announcement tied the weekend transaction directly to the benefits of 24/7 settlement ability, reinforcing the idea that the value proposition is operational rather than speculative.
What to watch next
As Swift and major banks move from pilot milestones to repeatable live usage, the key question for the market is whether tokenized cross-border payments can sustain faster settlement reliably at scale—especially across weekends and holiday periods—while aligning with longer-term plans for tokenized deposit networks. The next updates from banks and Swift will likely focus on throughput, operational controls, and whether improvements in minutes translate into broader day-to-day savings for international payments.
This article was originally published as Citi and DBS Execute First Tokenized Cross-Border Deposits via SWIFT on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has rejected reports that the country transferred its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to a private operator as part of its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The denial came after the IMF reached a preliminary agreement with El Salvador that will unlock $140 million in additional funding under a broader $1.4 billion financing program.
Bukele said the transaction involved shares in the government’s Chivo wallet rather than the country’s Bitcoin holdings, pushing back against reports that the reserve itself had been handed to a private entity.

Bitcoin sidechain Liquid Network has paused operations after supposed white-hat hackers withdrew 4,000 BTC, worth around $320 million, from its federation wallet.
White-hat hackers are cybersecurity professionals who detect vulnerabilities in software, hardware, or networks and warn organizations about potential security risks.
Liquid Network Pauses Operations
The Bitcoin sidechain released a statement on X confirming the incident, adding that it was working with Blockstream, its technology partner, to contact the hackers in question through an on-chain signed message. However, Liquid Network has not yet identified the hackers or disclosed whether the funds would be returned.
“We are aware of a security incident on @Liquid_BTC. Purported white-hat hackers have withdrawn ~4,000 BTC (~$320 million) from the Liquid Federation wallet. The @Blockstream team is working on contacting them on-chain with a signed message.”
The hackers withdrew around 95% of Liquid’s Bitcoin reserves. The sidechain’s Bitcoin reserves stood at 4,200 BTC before the security incident.
Incident Details
The statement also explained how the Bitcoin was withdrawn. According to Liquid Network, the hackers withdrew the funds using the SideSwap PAK, or Peg-Out Authorization Key. The statement clarified that the network was not compromised, but it did not disclose the vulnerability that allowed the white-hat hackers to withdraw the BTC. Following the withdrawal, the hackers reached out to the Liquid Network in an on-chain message linked to the transaction.
“We are whitehats. Contact us on-chain.”
It also notified cryptocurrency exchanges, with deposits and withdrawals of LBTC, the sidechain’s Bitcoin-backed token, already suspended. The protocol also temporarily disabled bridge nodes to prevent new transactions from being submitted to the network.
“Exchanges have been notified and have already paused (or will pause) LBTC deposits and withdrawals. Other Liquid assets such as USDT, DePix, and RWAs are unaffected by this security incident. Bridge nodes have been temporarily disabled, so no new transactions can be submitted to the network. Effectively, the Liquid sidechain is paused until this issue is resolved.”
The Liquid Network warned that wallets may also be impacted, but said the incident did not affect other assets such as USDT, DePix, and real-world assets.
Crypto Security Back In Focus
Liquid Network is a Bitcoin sidechain facilitating faster and confidential transfers. It also enables the issuance of digital assets. BTC in Liquid is represented by the LBTC token, with the underlying asset secured by federation operators. The protocol is used by several platforms for quick settlements, primarily because the primary Bitcoin blockchain often faces network congestion.
The incident, part of a string of hacks that have hit the industry, has put crypto security back in the spotlight. A Crypto.com-linked lending platform was drained of $6 million by a hacker on August 31. The recent Coldcard exploit also shook the foundations of digital asset custody, raising serious questions about cold wallets, considered the safest way to store crypto.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
This article was originally published as Liquid Network Pauses Operations After Supposed White-Hat Hackers Withdraw 4,000 BTC on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.