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Micron Technology posted $54.23 billion in revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter, up 379% from a year earlier. It also forecast $61.5 billion for the current quarter, well above Wall Street estimates.
Micron makes memory chips, the parts that hold data while artificial intelligence (AI) processors work on it. Demand from AI data centers lifted all four of its business units.
Micron Revenue Beats Estimates by $3 Billion
Analysts had expected about $51.1 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 3. Micron cleared that by more than $3 billion.
Adjusted earnings reached $33.42 per share, also above forecasts. Net income under standard accounting rules hit $37.70 billion, up from $3.20 billion a year earlier.
Profitability shifted even more. Micron kept 87 cents of every sales dollar after production costs, compared with about 46 cents a year ago.
Data center chips led the jump. Core Data Center revenue rose to $18 billion from $1.58 billion, while Cloud Memory brought in $16.28 billion.
MICRON $MU Q4’26 EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS🔹 Revenue: $54.23B (Est. $51.07B) 🟢; +379% YoY🔹 Adj. EPS: $33.42 (Est. $31.61) 🟢🔹 Adj. Gross Margin: 87.0% (Est. 86.1%) 🟢Q1 FY27 Guide:🔹 Revenue: $61.5B ± $1.5B (Est. $57.02B) 🟢🔹 Adj. EPS: $38.15 ± $1.00 (Est. $35.40) 🟢🔹… pic.twitter.com/DvLalHRPYe
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) September 30, 2026
Customers Prepay $12.7 Billion to Lock In Supply
Micron’s filings show customers deposited $12.75 billion under long-term supply contracts during fiscal 2026. Most of that money arrived in the final quarter.
CEO Sanjay Mehrotra tied the outlook to those deals.
“…our Strategic Customer Agreements provide added confidence in the durability of Micron’s financial performance,” he said in a statement.
For the fiscal first quarter of 2027, Micron guided $61.5 billion, plus or minus $1.5 billion. Analysts had pencilled in $57.02 billion. However, its gross margin guide of about 86.25% sat slightly below the 86.4% estimate.
Micron Stock Barely Moves as Burry Bets Against It
Shares barely reacted. Micron closed at $1,065.08 and traded near $1,068.90 after hours, up 0.36%, shortly after the release.
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) Stock Performance. Source: Yahoo Finance
Some investors remain unconvinced. Michael Burry, the “Big Short” investor, this week disclosed put options on Micron, a bet that profits if the stock falls.
Chip stocks also slid earlier this month on AI slowdown crash fears. Meanwhile, analysts handed out new Micron price targets last week as Taiwan chip exports hit a record.
Management discusses the outlook on its earnings call at 4:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on September 16. The following week, investors poured $3.55 billion into crypto funds, the most in any week of 2026.
Higher rates make safe assets like government bonds pay more. Crypto pays no interest at all. Yet big money went the other way.
Why Investors Bought Crypto After a Rate Hike
The Fed raised its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%. Markets had seen it coming.
CoinShares, the asset manager that tracks these flows, says the hike ended weeks of guessing. Buyers then rushed back.
“The scale and breadth of the week’s demand suggest institutional conviction returned once the policy decision removed a key source of uncertainty, a pattern consistent with buying the fact after weeks of caution,” CoinShares wrote in the report.
CoinShares also sells crypto funds of its own.
The rebound came after a bruising stretch. On September 15, the CLARITY Act, a bill to set federal rules for crypto markets, failed a Senate vote 49 to 50. Bitcoin sank below $75,000. Lawmakers are now drafting replacements.
US Funds Led the Buying as Strategy Sold Stock for Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) funds took $2.52 billion. Ethereum (ETH) funds added $702 million. Solana (SOL) and XRP (XRP) followed with $193 million and $92.3 million.
US products drew $3.43 billion of the total. US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) took in money on all five trading days. In late May, crypto funds lost $1.67 billion in a week.
Bar chart of weekly crypto fund inflows by asset. Source: CoinShares
MicroStrategy, the company that holds 847,666 BTC, bought 1,666 more last week. It paid for part of that $143 million purchase by selling new shares of its stock, MSTR. CoinShares noted this dilutes existing shareholders.
Another Fed Hike Could Test the Rally
Bitcoin now trades near $84,236, up 1.37% in 24 hours, per BeInCrypto data. Traders see a less than 40% chance of another hike in October. The 10-year Treasury yield sits near 5.28%.
10-Year US Treasury Yield. Source: TradingView
Wednesday offered some relief. US PCE inflation cooled to 3.4% in August. Friday’s jobs report comes next.

President Donald Trump spent months attacking Jerome Powell over the Federal Reserve’s $2.4 billion headquarters renovation, accusing the central bank of waste and pushing for a criminal investigation into Powell’s testimony about the project.
Now, the Fed’s own watchdog has found no evidence that Powell committed a crime or engaged in administrative misconduct.
Instead, the 120-page report points to years of weak project management, design changes, and poor cost controls inside the Fed itself.
The project’s budget jumped from $1.317 billion in 2020 to $2.381 billion by December 2024. Construction costs alone more than doubled, from $921 million to $2.018 billion.
Grouped bar chart of Fed headquarters renovation budget, total and construction, February 2020 vs December 2024 How the Fed Lost Control of the Project
One finding stands out. The Fed chose a contract designed to cap construction costs, yet never actually set the cap.
By July 2026, four years into construction and with more than $2 billion of work awarded, the project still had no guaranteed maximum price.
A switch from open-plan to closed offices also delayed the design by 21 months. Completion, originally expected in 2024, has now slipped to December 2027.
However, the political claims about luxury spending did not explain the overrun. Marble, fountains and a garden terrace were largely included in the original design and did not materially drive later cost increases, the watchdog found.
NEW: The Fed's inspector general finds no administrative misconduct and no grounds for a criminal referral over the central bank's headquarters renovation, ending the formal legal threat to Jerome Powell.The 120-page report is critical of how the Fed managed the project but…
— Nick Timiraos (@NickTimiraos) September 30, 2026
The Case Against Powell Is Now Over
On the criminal question, the inspector general was direct.
“At no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred,” the report said.
It also found no administrative misconduct.
The DOJ opened its investigation in January over Powell’s 2025 Senate testimony. A federal judge later quashed the subpoenas, citing “essentially zero evidence” of a crime, before prosecutors dropped the probe in April.
Powell had promised to remain on the Fed board until the matter was finished.
“I will not leave the Board until this investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality,” he said in April.
That condition has now effectively been met. The next question is whether Powell stays until his governor term expires in January 2028.

Hyperliquid Labs is unstaking 3.75 million HYPE tokens today, worth about $329 million, and says the whole batch is going to one institutional buyer.
The tokens are the October payout to Hyperliquid’s team. Co-founder iliensinc disclosed the plan on the project’s Discord server on Wednesday.
Hyperliquid Unlock Goes to a Private Buyer
Hyperliquid is a blockchain built around a futures trading exchange. Its token, Hyperliquid (HYPE), trades at $90, up nearly 5% today.
Unstaking means pulling tokens out of a lock where they earn rewards. On Hyperliquid, that takes seven days, according to its documentation.
Hyperliquid Labs has entered an OTC deal to sell 3.75M tokens to an institution for the October team unlock. None of it is being sold on the open market.Now we know why the team unlock did not occur as it regularly does this month. https://t.co/X1yQevUu8N pic.twitter.com/S740vM7YcS
— steven.hl (@_stevenhl) September 30, 2026
OTC, or over-the-counter, is a private deal between two parties. It skips the exchange order book, where large sell orders can drag prices down.
Will the Unlock Impact HYPE Price?
The deal could limit the immediate impact on HYPE’s price. Because the 3.75 million tokens are changing hands through an OTC transaction, they do not need to be sold through public order books.
The batch equals roughly 1.5% of HYPE’s current circulating supply. So, an equivalent open-market sale could create significant sell pressure.
Past unlocks have also produced mixed results. Tokenomics data show HYPE fell as much as 3% within 14 days of its August unlock and 7% after July, while the June unlock was followed by a 1% gain.
This suggests an unlock alone does not determine the price reaction.
The Hyperliquid team must be so busy with planning the events going on next week that they are late with unstaking the team allocation for October.@Hypurr, you up?
— steven.hl (@_stevenhl) September 29, 2026
For October, the bigger risk comes after the institutional buyer receives the tokens. With no publicly disclosed lock-up period, the 3.75 million HYPE could still reach exchanges later.
If the buyer holds or restakes the tokens instead, the immediate increase in sell-side supply would remain limited.
HYPE Crypto Token Unlock in September. Source: Tokenomist
The post did not name the institution or the price it paid. It also did not say whether the buyer must hold the tokens for a set period.
Once the tokens reach the buyer after October 7, public blockchain records will show where they go next. Transfers to exchange wallets, where coins are usually sent before a sale, would put that supply within reach of the open market.

Crypto whales are quietly building positions in three altcoins as September ends. But they are making three very different bets.
Large holders have added Aave (AAVE), Uniswap (UNI), and Moonriver (MOVR), according to data from Santiment and Nansen. How will prices potentially react?
AAVE Whales Buy as V4 Gains Traction
AAVE has seen the clearest accumulation.
Wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million AAVE added roughly 190,000 tokens since September 28, according to Santiment. At current prices, that is worth around $30 million.
Much of the buying came while AAVE was rising toward $176. Those holdings have since remained largely unchanged, suggesting whales have held through the pullback.
AAVE Whale Holdings Sharply Increased This Week
The buying also comes as Aave says its V4 deployment has passed $400 million in active loans.
AAVE now trades near $160. Support around $155 remains important, while $176 is the main level bulls need to reclaim.
Aave V4 crossed $400 million active loans. pic.twitter.com/Er2Ztop4wM
— Aave (@aave) September 29, 2026
UNI Whales are Buying the Pullback
Uniswap presents a different picture.
Whales have added about 1.13 million UNI since September 28, worth roughly $10 million, even as the token fell from $9.66 toward $8.45.
That looks like dip-buying. However, whale holdings remain below levels seen earlier this month, so the latest accumulation has only recovered part of previous selling.
UNI’s key level is around $8.45. Holding above it would keep the rebound intact.
Whales Maintained Uniswap (UNI) Holdings, Even as Price Dipped MOVR Whales Chase a 79% Rally
Moonriver is the speculative outlier. MOVR surged nearly 80% in 24 hours, while Nansen data showed balances held by the top 100 addresses on one tracked contract rose by more than 11%.
That points to aggressive momentum buying. It also comes with much higher risk. MOVR has a market cap of roughly $22 million, meaning relatively small flows can move the price sharply.
Crypto Whales Bought into the MOVR Rally
As the US inflation data came in cooler than expected and Fed rate hike odds for October dropped, whales could be preparing for a potentially bullish cycle towards the end of 2026.
However, it would largely depend on the underlying macro conditions following the November US midterms.

Ripple and Cardano both struck major partnerships in Brazil, pushing blockchain infrastructure deeper into the country’s regulated financial and energy sectors.
The deals highlight growing institutional interest in Latin America’s largest economy, even as both tokens posted only modest price reactions.
What Is Ripple’s New Deal With CSD BR?
CSD BR, Brazil’s financial market infrastructure operator, began testing XRP Ledger as a parallel record-keeping system for investment funds.
The pilot uses XRPL’s Multi-Purpose Token standard combined with Ripple’s custody infrastructure. BTG Pactual fund shares now get mirrored on the blockchain, while CSD BR’s traditional systems still handle official registration and settlement.
A licensed central securities depository is recording securities ownership on a public blockchain for the first time — on the XRP Ledger. 🇧🇷CSD BR is partnering with Ripple to bring Brazil's regulated capital markets onchain, starting with BTG Pactual fund shares, secured by…
— Ripple (@Ripple) September 30, 2026
Access remains limited to corporate and banking clients that meet strict identification requirements. Ripple’s Latin America director, Silvio Pegado, described the launch as a major industry milestone.
CSD BR manages more than $4 trillion in registered assets and plans to explore native asset issuance next. The company may also expand into fixed-income products once the pilot phase concludes.
How Is Cardano Expanding Into Brazil’s Energy Sector?
Cardano Foundation separately unveiled two blockchain applications built with Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled energy company.
The first tracks sustainable aviation fuel using a Book-and-Claim model. Airlines, companies, or individual passengers can then claim verified credits, regardless of where the fuel was produced.
The second application traces renewable diesel across production, transport, and use. It addresses complex Scope 3 emissions reporting that companies often struggle to consolidate.
Today, we announce two new initiatives with @Petrobras.As part of an ongoing R&D collaboration with Petrobras and PUC-Rio, the teams have delivered two blockchain applications focused on sustainable aviation fuel and Diesel R, Petrobras' brand of renewable fuel.The work adds…
— Cardano Foundation (@Cardano_CF) September 30, 2026
Rafael Fraga, Cardano Foundation’s Latin America lead, defended the partnership’s broader purpose. He said the energy transition “will depend as much on trust as it does on new fuels.” Brazil’s oil and gas market could reach $28.82 billion by 2031, underscoring the stakes behind the deal.
ADA price trades near $0.2549, up a modest 0.9% over the past 24 hours despite the announcement. The token still sits more than 91% below its all-time high, reached back in 2021.
Together, the two partnerships suggest Brazil is becoming a testing ground for real-world blockchain adoption.

Any UK crypto exchange that fails to win a full licence from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) by October 25, 2027, will have to stop offering regulated crypto services. Applications opened on Wednesday.
Britain’s financial watchdog has only required most crypto firms to register for anti-money laundering checks until now. The new licence puts them under standards closer to those facing banks and brokers.
What the New Rules Mean for UK Crypto Exchange Users
The FCA opened its application window on September 30. Firms have until February 28, 2027, to apply before the rules take effect in October.
JUST IN: The UK FCA launches mandatory licensing for all crypto exchanges, custody, and stablecoins.Firms operating in Britain must submit authorization filings by February 28, 2027 ahead of full enforcement on October 25, 2027.Those failing to meet strict capital adequacy… pic.twitter.com/ZR4NY3Ed7H
— BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) September 30, 2026
The rules reach beyond exchanges. They also cover firms that hold coins for customers, stablecoin issuers, and companies that arrange staking.
Each applicant will be judged on consumer protection, how it keeps customer assets safe, market integrity, and financial resilience. The watchdog says approval is not automatic, and firms that fall short will be refused.
An existing anti-money laundering registration will not convert into a license. Every firm has to apply from scratch.
“The UK’s new crypto regime will give consumers greater protections and firms a clear framework to operate in. Firms can now apply for authorization and start preparing for regulation,” said Dominic Cashman, director of authorization at the FCA.
Which Exchanges Could Close and When
Firms that apply on time can keep serving customers, including new ones, while the FCA decides. The regulator expects to rule on those applications before October 2027.
Late applicants get no fast track, according to the FCA’s gateway guidance. Without a license when the rules start, they can only honor existing contracts. They cannot sign new customers or new deals with current ones.
Firms that never apply must wind down their UK business before October 25, 2027. Otherwise, they risk carrying on unauthorised financial business, the FCA warns.
UK Crypto Firms Face Pressure From Banks Too
The licence window opens as British lenders and crypto firms clash over payments. Last week, the banking lobby ejected Coinbase from UK Finance, though the exchange can appeal.
Earlier approvals already came with limits. Robinhood’s UK crypto approval in August let it pass orders to others, but not hold customer coins.
The next five months will show which exchanges judge a full UK licence worth the cost.

Spain’s harmonized inflation hit 5% in September, its highest level since February 2023. France and Poland also posted faster price growth, with energy costs leading the rise.
The readings land seven months after the Iran war began on February 28. They also arrive weeks after the European Central Bank (ECB) raised rates for a second time this year.
Fuel Leaves Its Inflation Mark on Europe
Spain’s national consumer price index rose 4.9% year on year, according to INE. The agency said vehicle fuel prices climbed this September after falling a year earlier, while package holiday prices dropped less than in 2025.
The harmonized rate beat the 4.9% median forecast in a Bloomberg survey. The reading pushes Spain further above the ECB’s 2% target, which Bloomberg said strengthens the case for more hikes. Meanwhile, core inflation rose to 3.1%, its highest since March 2024.
In France, harmonized inflation jumped to 3.4% from 2.6% in August, its fastest pace in more than two years. It also topped analyst estimates.
ALERTE – L'inflation grimpe à 3% sur un an en septembre en France, annonce l'Insee. Au plus haut depuis février 2024. pic.twitter.com/MHBKUbhC74
— Infos Françaises (@InfosFrancaises) September 30, 2026
Poland’s inflation climbed to 4.0% from 3.4%. That took it above the central bank’s 1.5% to 3.5% tolerance band for the first time since mid-2025.
Transport costs there had already risen 11.2% on higher fuel prices. The National Bank of Poland has held its benchmark at 3.75% since March, Bloomberg reported.
Germany publishes its national figure on Wednesday, and preliminary data from 5 key states point to an increase.
Hesse posted the highest regional reading, with inflation rising to 3.4% from 3.0%. North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony both climbed to 3.3% from 2.9%.
Bavaria rose to 3.2% from 2.9%, while Baden-Wuerttemberg reached 2.9% from 2.6%. Destatis President Ruth Brand tied August’s energy jump to the conflict.
“The rise in energy prices, caused primarily by the war in Iran, was particularly noticeable in the case of motor fuel prices,” Brand said.
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Rate Setters From Frankfurt to Sydney Reach for the Brake
The ECB lifted its deposit rate to 2.5% on September 10. President Christine Lagarde said policymakers are not committing to a set rate path.
As of September 29, ECB Watch data priced a 70% chance the ECB holds at 2.5% on October 29. Traders put the remaining 30% on a quarter-point hike to 2.75%.
The picture shifts for the December 17 meeting. A 2.75% deposit rate is the most likely outcome there, at 68.4%, while a move to 3% carries 28.8% odds.
ECB Rate Hike Odds. Source: ECB Watch
Elsewhere, the Federal Reserve lifted rates on September 16, its first hike since 2023. The Reserve Bank of Australia followed on September 29, raising its cash rate to 4.6%, the highest since 2011. The bank said the Middle East conflict had widened, leaving energy prices well above its August forecasts.
Eurostat releases the eurozone flash estimate on Friday. August’s 3.3% reading was already the highest since September 2024, and the ECB’s next decision follows on October 29.
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XRP (XRP) enters October 2026 after gaining 48% in the third quarter, its best Q3 in four years. However, the token still trades 59% below its July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.
Strong institutional demand now meets a historically weak month, and the data points to a range-bound October.
XRP Fundamentals Pit ETF Demand Against October Headwinds
US spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) hold about 1.16 billion XRP, worth roughly $1.76 billion. Cumulative net inflows reached a record near $1.68 billion, according to XRP Insights.
Meanwhile, Ripple hosts its Swell conference in New York from October 27 to 29.
However, XRP has historically struggled in October. The token averaged a 5.14% October loss and closed the month lower in both 2024 and 2025.
Markets also price up to a 64% chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike at the October 27 to 28 meeting.
Ripple can also release up to 1 billion XRP from escrow on October 1. In addition, the CLARITY Act failed a Senate vote 49 to 50 on September 15.
XRP’s fourth-quarter strength usually arrives later, with median returns of 80% in November and 63% in December.
XRP Monthly Price Performance. Source: CryptoRank On-Chain Data Shows Tightening XRP Supply
Glassnode data shows XRP exchange balances fell from about 12.9 billion to 11 billion tokens since April. Roughly 1.6 billion XRP left exchanges in the last two weeks alone.
The largest outflows arrived during the late-September pullback. However, the step-like drops may partly reflect custody transfers.
Outflows also preceded the August breakout, arriving two days before XRP jumped from $1.00 to above $1.50.
XRP balance on exchanges versus price / Source: Glassnode
Daily ETF inflows peaked near 22 million XRP in late August and 20 million around September 24.
Large holders reportedly accumulated 470 million XRP in five days last week. In contrast, Binance’s XRP scarcity index recently fell to its lowest level since January 2025.
Still, inflows clustered during rallies and stayed quiet during the summer decline. ETF demand appears to follow price, so inflows could slow if XRP stalls.
US spot XRP ETF flows / Source: Glassnode XRP Price Prediction for October 2026 Hinges on $1.70
On the weekly chart, XRP broke the descending trendline that had capped price since the July 2025 peak. A high-volume August candle confirmed the breakout.
The weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI) also broke its own downtrend and sits near 55, above the midline. XRP holds support between $1.47 and $1.50.
However, the 0.618 Fibonacci level at $1.70 rejected price in August and again near $1.66 in September.
XRP weekly chart / Source: Tradingview
The four-hour chart shows a mature symmetrical triangle, with its trendlines converging around October 3. Resistance sits at $1.59, with support at $1.47 and $1.38.
The four-hour RSI reads a neutral 47, while lower highs hint at selling pressure.
A breakout could target $1.83, about 23% above the $1.49 lower boundary. A breakdown could send XRP toward $1.17, the 0.786 Fibonacci level, about 21% lower.
XRP 4-hourly chart / Source: Tradingview
Swell and the Fed decision land in October’s final week. Until then, XRP may range between $1.47 and $1.70, while a weekly close above $1.70 could set up November.

Bitcoin topped $85,000 and gold jumped within minutes of new US inflation data on Wednesday. The Fed’s preferred price gauge rose 3.4% from a year earlier, well below forecasts of 3.7%.
Gold price increased in a straight line, ending a week-long downtrend.
Gold and Bitcoin hourly charts showing the jump after the US inflation release, Source: TradingView How Much US Inflation Cooled
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index measures what Americans pay for goods and services. The Federal Reserve watches it more closely than any other inflation gauge.
Headline PCE slowed to 3.4% from July’s 3.7% reading. Core PCE, which strips out volatile food and energy, rose 3.0%, below the 3.3% consensus.
Core PCE much cooler than expected, as previewed:PCE 0.3% MoM, Exp. 0.3%PCE 3.4% YoY, Exp. 3.7%PCE Core 0.2% MoM, Exp. 0.3%, PCE Core 3.0% YoY, Exp. 3.3% https://t.co/vZws3Ik41Q
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) September 30, 2026
On a monthly basis, core prices climbed 0.2%, under the 0.3% forecast. Headline PCE rose 0.3%, in line with estimates.
Bullish for Bitcoin and Gold?
The timing points to the rate outlook. The Fed is raising rates, and this report was one of two it was watching before its Oct. 27 and 28 meeting.
On Sept. 16, the central bank lifted rates by 0.25% to a 3.75% to 4.00% range, its first hike since 2023. Of 18 officials, 16 projected at least one more increase before year-end.
Traders had braced for a hotter print. As of Sept. 28, CME FedWatch data showed a 72.5% chance of an October hike. Updated odds were less than 40 as of this writing.
Target Rate Probabilities for October Meeting. Source: CME FedWatch Tool
The dollar was also running hot going in. The US Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against major currencies, was having its best month since June on hawkish Fed signals.
A softer reading chips away at the case for the next hike. BeInCrypto reported earlier this month that lower rate hike odds tend to support Bitcoin by easing pressure from Treasury yields. Gold pays no interest, so it also tends to lose appeal when rates climb.
Part of the cooling may be technical, however. Bank forecasts flagged the risk ahead of the release, expecting core PCE to print around 0.27%.
August PCE Forecasts. Source: Timiraos/X
The BEA updated how it calculates prices in three components. That change was expected to trim August’s annual figure by a few tenths of a percentage point.
Strong GDP Keeps a Fed Hike in Play
Growth data released at the same time pointed the other way. Gross domestic product (GDP), the total value of goods and services the US produces, grew at a 2.2% annual rate in the second quarter. That beat the 1.5% forecast.
US FINAL Q2 GDP +2.2% (CONSENSUS +1.5%)US FINAL Q2 PCE PRICE INDEX +5.0%US FINAL Q2 CORE PCE +3.3% (CONSENSUS +3.6%)
— *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) September 30, 2026
Households also spent more. Consumer spending adjusted for inflation jumped 0.6% in August, the biggest monthly gain since March 2025.
The September jobs report on Friday is the last major data point before the Fed meets. Policymakers will weigh cooler inflation against hot spending and growth.

Apple stock fell 2.66% on September 29, closing at $329.40 and losing support at $333. The drop left shares 4.6% below the September 22 all-time high of $345.34.
The sell-off was Apple-specific. It posted the weakest session in the electronic technology sector, while chipmakers such as Broadcom and Micron closed higher.
Electronic technology stocks heatmap showing Apple stock as the worst performer on September 29 / Source: TradingView Why Apple Stock Is Falling
CEO John Ternus plans to cut middle management and engineering program manager roles, according to a Bloomberg report. He may also scrap Apple’s fixed spring and fall launch calendar.
Meanwhile, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan flagged Meta’s Muse AI agent as a threat. He warned Apple could keep device sales but lose shopping and referral activity. He still rates the stock a Buy.
Valuation adds pressure. Apple trades at 37.8 times trailing earnings, above its five-year median of 31. UBS holds a Neutral rating with a $296 target.
The pullback also erased more than half of the gains made since Ternus succeeded Tim Cook on September 1.
New $AAPL CEO John Ternus is reportedly looking to “accelerate product development” by cutting management layers and loosening Apple’s fixed launch calendar.That points to a more engineering-led Apple with faster product cycles and potentially quicker AI hardware. pic.twitter.com/94sjYPv5kI
— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) September 29, 2026
Fundamentals Still Back the Bull Case
Apple posted record June-quarter revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16% year-over-year. iPhone sales rose 22%.
An Evercore ISI survey of nearly 4,000 US consumers also pointed to strong iPhone 18 Pro demand. The foldable iPhone Duo ships in late October.
However, management guided gross margin down to between 47% and 48% on rising memory costs. Apple reports earnings on October 29.
Apple Stock Tests Trendline After Double Top
On the daily chart, Apple printed a double top. The first peak came near $344.57 on July 29, and the second at a record $345.34.
The stock has since lost the $333 zone, which may now act as resistance. Price is testing an ascending trendline that held repeatedly through August and September.
That trendline aligns with the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement at $328. A daily close below it could expose the 0.382 level near $315.
Deeper support sits at the 0.618 golden pocket near $300. That level also marks the double top neckline, so a break would confirm the pattern.
AAPL daily chart / Source: Tradingview
In that case, the measured move points toward $255, roughly 23% below the current price. Meanwhile, the RSI has dropped to about 50, with lower highs across both peaks.
Conversely, holding the trendline and reclaiming $333 could reopen a path toward the $345 record ahead of earnings.

Tokenized stocks averaged 11% of decentralized exchange (DEX) trading in September, according to Binance Research. Meme coins averaged 17% over the same month, leaving a gap of six percentage points.
The report suggests equities are absorbing part of the trading activity that meme coins once dominated.
Tokenized Stocks Climbed From Near Zero in a Single Summer
Tokenized stocks held close to a 0% DEX share through 2025, according to the Binance Research report. The share stayed there for most of the first half of 2026 before climbing.
In late July, tokenized stocks briefly passed meme coins. Their share then averaged 11% in September.
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Tokenized Stocks Vs. Meme Coins DEX Ratio. Source: Binance Research
Meanwhile, meme coin trading lost intensity. The meme coin DEX share swung between 6% and 53% during 2025, then cooled to a 17% average in September.
“The on-chain economy is evolving from its roots in crypto-native assets towards a broader financial network, where crypto and traditional assets trade side by side on shared, always-on rails,” the report read.
Tokenized Stocks Cross $3 Billion as Onchain Use Widens
The DEX gains came as the tokenized stock market itself grew larger. The category crossed $3 billion in market cap during September’s fourth week, per RWA.xyz data cited in the report.
That growth makes tokenized stocks the fastest-growing real-world asset (RWA) category of 2026. As of mid-September, BNB Chain hosted about $1 billion, or 34% of the market, according to Binance Research.
Onchain transfers of tokenized stocks followed the same upward path. Including trades, they rose from $6 billion in the first quarter to more than $100 billion in the third.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols have also drawn in the tokens, lifting tokenized stock DeFi deposits over the past year.
October data will show whether tokenized stocks can hold a double-digit DEX ratio and challenge meme coins again.
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Sony now requires Japanese buyers to prove at least 60 hours of PlayStation gameplay before they can apply for a PS5 Pro on its official store.
The rule targets scalpers, who have repeatedly stripped Japanese shelves of the console. If demand outstrips supply, Sony will pick winners by lottery.
Sony Sets a 60-Hour Bar for PS5 Pro Buyers
PlayStation Japan opened the application window on X.
Sony PS5 Pro. Source: X
According to the Sony Store terms, applicants must have logged 60 hours on a PS4 or PS5 between September 27, 2024, and September 27, 2026. That playtime must sit on the same Japan-registered Sony account used for the application. As a result, freshly created accounts cannot qualify. Sony also requires applicants to live in Japan.
Applications close on October 7, and Sony will notify winners from October 26. Winners then have until November 2 to complete the purchase. Each account can buy only one unit. The 2TB console costs ¥137,980, or roughly $876.
However, hitting the 60-hour mark does not guarantee a console. Sony still draws buyers at random when applications outnumber its planned stock.
Why Sony Is Doubling Down on Scalpers
The new bar doubles the 30 hours Sony demanded from Japanese buyers of the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition. Meanwhile, Japanese retailers have sold out of the standard PS5 Pro again and again.
Sony also warns that it will cancel any order it believes a reseller placed. Buyers cannot change their delivery address after applying, and the company bans package forwarding.
Hardware costs add further pressure. Sony has already raised console prices as AI memory demand drove up chip costs. Sony (SONY) shares are down nearly 10% this year, although they have climbed back from a June low below $20.
Sony (SONY) year-to-date stock chart on the NYSE. Source: TradingView
In addition, the gate fits a wider pattern of Sony tightening control over its ecosystem. The company plans to stop making game discs in January 2028. It also deleted purchased StudioCanal films from PlayStation libraries.
Still, the rule could shut out returning players who skipped PlayStation for two years. The October lottery should show whether proof of play curbs resales or simply pushes scalpers toward older accounts.

Early testers of OpenAI Dots say the always-on agents already sort email, catch schedule clashes, and clear office paperwork. They also report bugs that could make casual users wait.
Anyone typing Dot.com, however, lands on the download page for Grok Bot, a rival agent from Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI. OpenAI launched Dots at DevDay on September 29.
What Early Testers Did With OpenAI Dots
Each dot runs on its own cloud computer, so users can text or call it while their laptop is closed.
Your dot can do simple things like book a table—or take on your most ambitious work with the initiative of a high-agency engineer or chief of staff.It has its own computer and works across 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT, using the plugins you connect.It learns what you need and…
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) September 29, 2026
One tester, who had used Dots for several days before launch, named his agent Boo. He gave it access to his email and Slack.
Boo filtered incoming requests, so he could triage them without opening his inbox. The agent also acted without being asked. When he rebooked a flight, Boo flagged a clash with an unread Slack meeting request.
A tech journalist handed his dot a string of office chores instead. According to his review, it declined a radio invitation, answered a bookkeeper’s questions, and drafted a meeting agenda from a transcript. He estimated the dot finished about two hours of work for 15 minutes of his time.
Bugs, Rivals, and a Dot.com Twist
Still, the first tester called the pre-launch build buggy. He ran into permission errors, dropped messages, and missing iMessage support. His advice to most people was to wait a week or two.
He also compared Dots to Meta’s Muse and SpaceXAI’s Grok Bot. Users already deep into those tools may not switch right away, he wrote.
Another early tester drew a sharper line. He found Dots more work-focused than Grok Bot, with Slack as its strongest channel. As a personal assistant, however, he still ranked it behind Grok Bot, partly because its plugin setup feels less clear.
On the plus side, he praised the option to call his dot, which let him talk to it while driving to work. Payments, on the other hand, do not really work yet, he wrote, despite an on-stage ticket-buying example from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Meanwhile, the rivalry extends to the web address. Registry data shows Dot.com’s record was last changed on July 28, long before the Dots name surfaced publicly.
The redirect adds a new chapter to Musk and Altman’s rivalry. For now, OpenAI is rolling Dots out to ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium subscribers first. Whether it fixes the rough edges before users settle on a rival could decide how fast the agent catches on.

Gold futures have suffered more sharp one-day drops in 2026 than in any year since the global financial crisis.
Rising Treasury yields have driven the latest bout of selling, and The Kobeissi Letter says the year could end as gold’s most volatile in over 4 decades.
How Rising Yields Knocked Gold Off Balance
Bespoke Investment Group data, shared by The Kobeissi Letter, counts 7 daily declines of 3.5% or more so far this year. That is the highest count since 2008 and more than double 2025’s 3.
With 3 trading months left, Kobeissi says 2026 is on course for gold’s most volatile year since 1982.
“The bond market has catalyzing some of gold’s most volatile conditions in history,” the firm said.
Gold futures daily declines of 3.5% or more by year. Source: X/The Kobeissi Letter
Monday brought another steep drop. Spot gold fell as much as 4% intraday to its lowest since August 5, Reuters reported.
Kobeissi put the day’s decline at 3.4%. According to the analysts, this marked “ one of the rarest single-day declines of the last two decades.” The post also measured the move’s Z-score at -2.90, a drop expected about once every 2 years.
The decline came as yields continue to surge. The 10-year Treasury yield touched its highest level since June 2007. Because gold pays no interest, higher yields raise the cost of holding it.
The pressure kept building. The 30-year Treasury yield rose to 5.60%, its highest level since 2002.
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BREAKING: 30-year Treasury bond yield scales to highest level since 2002 pic.twitter.com/GPgciVOgah
— CNBC (@CNBC) September 29, 2026
Kobeissi noted that bond markets now price 4 more quarter-point Fed hikes by June 2027, on top of September’s increase. Nine months ago, traders expected at least 100 basis points of cuts over the same period.
From War Volatility to Forecast Cuts
Gold’s slide traces back to February 28, when the US and Israel struck Iran and gold briefly surged.
However, rising oil prices soon lifted inflation risks and cut hopes for Fed easing. By the end of June 23, spot gold had lost more than 25%.
Gold Prices in 2026. Source: TradingView
Kobeissi also noted futures are down 5.4% this year, on track for their first annual loss since 2022. Banks have trimmed their targets.
Goldman Sachs cut its year-end 2026 fair value to $4,650. JPMorgan projects $4,500 for the fourth quarter. Goldman still kept a $5,400 target for end-2027. Still, Goldman’s Lina Thomas flagged the downside.
“A significantly more hawkish Fed path could generate a sharper-than-usual correction,” Thomas said.
Wednesday’s PCE inflation data and Friday’s payrolls report will show whether October hike bets firm up.
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Today could set the tone for financial markets heading into the final quarter of 2026. It could also land at an awkward moment for Donald Trump, with voters increasingly focused on prices just weeks before the US midterm elections.
PCE inflation: The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge measures how prices are changing across what Americans actually spend money on. Economists expect headline inflation to remain at 3.7%, while core PCE is forecast at 3.3%, with a 0.3% monthly increase.
Q2 GDP: The US will publish its third estimate of economic growth between April and June. The previous estimate showed 1.5% annualized growth, and markets expect little change.
Why it matters: The Fed raised rates this month for the first time in three years. Today’s data could decide if they will raise rates again in October.
The bigger test: Hot inflation could push bond yields higher and hit stocks and crypto again. A softer number could challenge one of Wall Street’s biggest trades of September.
US economic prints to watch this week:💠Core PCE (Wed, 8:30 am ET): YoY: 3.3% prev, 3.4% est | MoM: 0.2% prev, 0.3% est💠GDP Q2 (Wed, 8:30 am ET): 1.5% prev, 1.5% est💠S&P Global Mfg PMI (Thu, 9:45 am ET): 57.0 prev, 57.0 est💠ISM Mfg PMI (Thu, 10:00 am ET): 54.6 prev,… pic.twitter.com/IL3gzyoYqI
— Lark Davis (@LarkDavis) September 30, 2026
Crypto Has Already Taken the First Hit
Bitcoin traded around $84,000 early Wednesday, while most major cryptocurrencies remained under pressure.
Some of today’s bad news is already priced in. Investors know inflation is expected to stay well above the Fed’s 2% target, while markets have already shifted sharply toward more rate hikes.
That means a 0.3% core PCE reading may produce limited surprise.
A 0.4% or 0.5% reading would be different. It could strengthen expectations for further Fed hikes, lift Treasury yields, and put another round of pressure on Bitcoin and higher-risk altcoins.
A 0.2% reading could trigger the reverse. Traders may start questioning whether the recent rise in rates has gone too far.
Stocks Face the Same Problem
Wall Street has handled the bond selloff surprisingly well.
The S&P 500 remains close to recent highs even as the 10-year Treasury yield has climbed above 5%. The yield has risen around 81 basis points since July and recently reached its highest level in 19 years.
Stocks slipped Tuesday, with the S&P 500, the Dow, and Nasdaq trading lower. Another hot inflation reading would test how long that resilience can last.
What is happening here.The bond market is now pricing-in 4 more 25 basis point rate hikes by June 2027, a total of +125 basis points including September's hike.Just 9 months ago, markets had expected at least 100 basis points of rate CUTS by June 2027.That's a +225 basis…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) September 29, 2026
Trump Has a Different Problem
The same inflation report will land just over a month before the November midterms.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week put Trump’s approval rating at 32% — the lowest of his political career.
Reuters said rising prices have become a major political problem, with roughly half of voters naming the cost of living as the most important issue in the congressional elections.
Consumer confidence has also fallen to a 12½-year low, as households face expensive fuel, groceries and borrowing costs.
Donald Trump Approval Rating. Source: New York Times
PCE will not decide an election.
But if inflation refuses to fall while interest rates keep rising, it gives voters another economic number that matches what many already feel at the checkout and the gas pump.
That makes today’s release a test far beyond Wall Street.

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood says stocks can keep rising with the 10-year Treasury yield above 5%. She argues that higher rates show a market working without heavy Fed control.
Her comments followed a chart from ARK’s Frank Downing that plots yields and the S&P 500 since 1980. It shows the 10-year yield at 5.18% and the index near 7,743.
Why Cathie Wood Welcomes Higher Rates
Wood wrote on X that the Fed, not the market, was in charge when rates sat between 0.5% and 2%. Today, she says, the market is working again.
She also pointed to 2017. That year, the Fed raised rates, yet long-duration stocks had a strong run, according to Wood.
At 0.5-2% interest rates, the “market”was not working. The Fed was in control.Today, the market is working. In 2017, interest rates increased as the Fed put the market on training wheels. Long duration equities had a fabulous year. Let the market work! https://t.co/FV1KCVSe3x
— Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) September 30, 2026
Her September 22 investor letter makes a longer case. Drawing on 230 years of data, Wood argues that the slide in rates from 1981 to 2021 was the outlier. Before the Great Depression, yields of 5% to 6% were normal.
Is the 10-Year Treasury Yield a Threat to Stocks?
Wood expects long-term yields to approach 5% to 6% as technology lifts productivity and growth. She also sees short-term rates climbing to 6% to 8% alongside nominal growth.
Meanwhile, she says real-time data shows cooler inflation than official figures suggest. For example, Truflation, an independent daily inflation tracker, put July headline inflation at 2.5%. By comparison, the government’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index showed 3.7%.
As a result, Wood suggests balanced portfolios could hold more stocks than the classic 60/40 split. Goldman Sachs’ Anshul Sehgal has made a similar call, favoring AI over bonds.
Still, not everyone shares her calm. Janus Henderson macro head Michael Contopoulos warned that the market is nearing its top as Fed tightening lifts yields.
Traders are also weighing a possible October Fed rate hike, which could hit risk assets, including Bitcoin.
Whether earnings can grow faster than borrowing costs may decide who is right. For now, Wood is betting that higher rates and higher stock prices can coexist.

Senator Bernie Sanders said the artificial intelligence (AI) industry plans to spend more than $300 million this election cycle. He called for a ban on super PACs, arguing the money lets AI shape Congress.
AI-linked groups have raised or pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for November. That money flows to both sides of the AI regulation fight.
What Congress Is Weighing
Sanders made the case in a post on X.
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AI is planning to spend upwards of $300 million this election cycle.The result: Congress does not regulate AI.AI regulates Congress.WE MUST BAN SUPER PACS.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 29, 2026
Congress is weighing several AI bills, and AI companies are betting their midterm spending will sway legislation, CNBC reported.
Earlier this month, Sanders and Representative Greg Casar announced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act. The bill would permanently prohibit superintelligent AI and halt advanced development until a regulator sets safety standards.
Democrat Ted Lieu and Republican Nathaniel Moran introduced the AI Kill Switch Act in July. The measure would require top AI developers to keep the ability to shut down their most powerful systems.
Who Is Writing the Checks
The groups funding the midterms disagree over what rules Congress should write. The largest pool belongs to Leading the Future, which said in April that it and associated organizations have raised over $140 million.
Its initial contributors include OpenAI President Greg Brockman and Anna Brockman, along with Andreessen Horowitz and Perplexity.
Leading the Future and Associated Organizations Announce Over $140 Million Raised to Support a National Framework for AI and Win the Race Against ChinaLeading the Future (LTF) and its associated organizations today announced they have raised more than $140 million in… pic.twitter.com/2EIBG961dy
— Leading the Future (@LeadingFutureAI) April 15, 2026
Trump-aligned Innovation Council Action has pledged at least $100 million. Public First Action, which backs stronger AI safeguards, said it raised $80 million through June.
Anthropic contributed $20 million, which the group says is restricted to public education on AI policy.
The AI groups are running a bipartisan playbook that Fairshake, the crypto super PAC, used in 2024. Fairshake is now spending $30 million on ads against Sherrod Brown.
Where the Money Is Landing
Leading the Future and Public First collided hardest in New York’s 12th District, where Assemblymember Alex Bores ran for Congress.
Think Big, Leading the Future’s Democratic arm, spent $8.17 million opposing Bores, per Transformer’s FEC tracker. It also put over $1 million each behind Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois and Ritchie Torres in New York.
In contrast, Public First’s Jobs and Democracy PAC spent $15.03 million supporting Bores. He lost the NY-12 Democratic primary to Micah Lasher.
Beyond that race, Leading the Future and Public First both spread money across party lines through separate Democratic and Republican affiliates. Think Big put over $1 million each behind Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois and Ritchie Torres in New York.
Both groups’ Republican arms have also spent to support Kevin Hern, Oklahoma’s Republican Senate nominee.
However, as the midterms near, those groups face voters who are skeptical of AI. Politico has warned that voter skepticism toward the industry could turn into backlash.
Its April poll found respondents less likely to back candidates supported by groups pushing looser AI rules. The next round of FEC filings, due in October, will show how much cash moves into the election.
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US spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $2.81 million in net outflows on September 29. The move ended a 7-day inflow streak that had brought roughly $850.8 million into the products.
Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs moved in the opposite direction on the same day. They took in $66.19 million, extending their own inflow run to 9 straight sessions.
How the Ethereum ETF Streak Lost Steam Before It Broke
The streak began on September 18, according to SoSoValue data. It followed 3 sessions of outflows between September 15 and 17, which pulled about $404.8 million from the funds.
BeInCrypto reported that those outflows coincided with the Clarity Act stalling in the Senate. The largest day of the run came on September 21, when the funds drew $269.98 million.
Daily totals then eased across most of the following sessions and slipped to $17.1 million by September 28.
Ethereum ETF inflow streak ends with outflow. Source SoSoValue
Weekly figures show how strong the run was at its height. The funds added $689.88 million in the week ending September 25, their biggest week since late August.
On September 29, BlackRock’s ETHA recorded the largest outflow at $8.94 million. Meanwhile, Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust took in $12.83 million, which kept the net loss small.
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Ethereum Price Slipped While the Money Kept Coming In
Ethereum’s price fell during the same week the funds were attracting capital. ETH traded at $2,673.54 at press time, down 3.32% over 7 days, according to BeInCrypto Markets data. The token gained 0.41% over the past 24 hours.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance. BeInCrypto Markets
Bitcoin showed the same split between price and flows. BTC dropped 3.78% over the week to $83,359, although its ETFs gathered roughly $3.08 billion during their 9-session streak.
Ethereum ETFs still hold $17.79 billion in net assets, equal to 5.45% of Ethereum’s market capitalization. They have also attracted $979.69 million in net inflows over the past 30 days.
The funds have opened this week with $14.29 million in net inflows, a fraction of the previous week’s pace. Flow data from the coming sessions will show whether ETHA’s exit stays isolated or spreads to other issuers.
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Elon Musk says Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian “will lose his job” after the executive reportedly took a swipe at him while explaining why Delta passed on Starlink.
Musk kept up the attack on Wednesday. He joked that a Delta flight is the perfect place to sandbox an artificial intelligence (AI) model because it has no internet.
What Bastian Reportedly Said About the Delta Starlink Decision
Bastian, a longtime Delta executive, has run the airline as CEO since 2016. He reportedly addressed the Starlink question at two internal staff events. The claims come from JonNYC, a pseudonymous X account known for leaking airline industry news. According to the account, he told employees, “We do not want to be with Elon Musk. Trust me.”
At an earlier event, he allegedly said Delta had tested Starlink but declined a deal. He then reportedly added, “it’s all true what they say about him.” However, JonNYC cautioned that he could not confirm the quotes were accurate, according to View from the Wing.
Instead of Starlink, Delta signed a deal with Amazon Leo in April. Amazon renamed the satellite internet service from Project Kuiper in 2025. According to the report, Leo will not enter beta testing until 2027.
Meanwhile, Starlink remains a core business for SpaceX, which recently completed Starship’s first orbital flight. The satellite network also sits at the center of SpaceX’s valuation. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood, for example, recently called the $1.75 trillion SpaceX IPO a bargain.
A travel blogger shared the report about Bastian’s alleged remarks and Delta’s Starlink decision on X. Musk replied within hours.
He will lose his job over this
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 30, 2026
Frequent Flyers Side With Musk as Delta Stock Holds Up
Musk then followed up with a jab at Delta’s current inflight Wi-Fi.
Best way to sandbox an AI is to put it on a Delta flight – it will have no chance of accessing the Internet!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 30, 2026
The joke also has an AI twist. Musk’s SpaceXAI unit recently released its Grok 4.7 model, which competes with the leading AI labs.
Several frequent flyers also sided with Musk on X, with some vowing to leave Delta for rivals with Starlink, such as United.
Delta Stock Chart. Source: TradingView
Wall Street, by contrast, shrugged off the spat. Delta shares closed 1% higher at $84.87 on Tuesday. The stock is also up 21.5% year to date.
Still, the dispute puts pressure on Amazon to deliver Leo on time. Until then, Delta faces rivals that already offer Starlink Wi-Fi on long-haul flights.