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In a striking shift in Bitcoin’s global acceptance, nation-states are embracing it faster than individuals, on-chain analyst Willy Woo pointed out in a recent tweet. The revelation is an interesting way to look at things, as individuals are often viewed as the backbone of the cryptocurrency space, but that could change as nation-states scramble to find reliable hedges against inflation.
Willy Woo tweeted:
Image Source: X
Expanding on his analysis of the actions of individuals and nation-states, Woo noted that while 8% of countries had a policy to hold/acquire BTC, 12% actually do, which makes it even more interesting for analysts. There could be multiple reasons more nations actually hold crypto than those that want to, but the obvious answer is that most of the BTC comes from law enforcement actions. The BTC eventually ends up in the state’s coffers and usually sits there for a long time before legal formalities are concluded.
Why Governments are Frontrunning Their Own Citizens in the Race to Own Bitcoin?
Woo’s list includes major nations like the USA, the UK, China, Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Argentina, and a handful of others. This growing state-level trend, especially in the more developed world, suggests their future positioning. Bitcoin is viewed as a reserve asset, or a tool for financial sovereignty, and nothing else compares. This is why, even with today’s subdued figures, the race is very much on and unlikely to slow over time.
The increasing state-sponsored adoption of Bitcoin is lending further legitimacy and stability to the premier digital asset, ensuring long-term demand. Bitcoin is rapidly moving away from its supposed fringe speculative notion into the realm of national strategy.
The Future
While the gap between individual users and government holders isn’t that big right now, it could widen over time, with nation-states emerging as the sector’s main stakeholders. That could drive up the price of BTC, but it could also mean that these states will have considerable leverage over the future of the crypto economy, something that has not been beneficial over the years.
This is because, at the core, Bitcoin is a decentralized asset, and nation-states inherently don’t approve of anything they cannot control. Every state, however, is logically expected to want more mining power and BTC reserves so it can control supply and price to a large extent, and it will try to do that. The only way to counter the negative effects of state crypto exposure is to increase individual ownership, and the new generation is expected to accelerate the process and help bridge the gap.

Metaplanet just pulled off one of the year’s most eye-catching Bitcoin treasury maneuvers.
The Japanese-listed company sold a staggering 10,000 BTC in the third quarter, then scooped up 11,000 BTC later, turning a seemingly massive Bitcoin sell-off into a strategic liquidity test. But this was not simply a bet on price—it was a calculated move to prove the Tokyo-listed treasury company can turn its vast Bitcoin holdings into cash when it matters most.
The sale and repurchase ultimately left Metaplanet with a net gain of 1,000 BTC, lifting its total holdings to 44,000 BTC as of September 30, according to BitcoinTreasuries.
Metaplanet’s Bitcoin Holdings Hit 44,000 BTC After Q3 Liquidity Play
Metaplanet offloaded 10,000 BTC before purchasing 11,000 BTC later in the third quarter as part of a strategy to “demonstrate liquidity.”
“Rating agencies and credit investors ask one question of a Bitcoin company: can that Bitcoin be turned into cash to meet obligations, and will it be?” CEO Simon Gerovich said in an X post. “We answered by doing it.”
The filing explains that Bitcoin’s liquidity alone is not enough to satisfy rating agencies and bond investors. What ultimately matters is whether Metaplanet can sell its holdings and is willing to do so when its financial obligations come due. Instead of simply making that case, the company chose to prove it through an actual transaction.
Metaplanet sold enough Bitcoin to cover more than the full principal value of its outstanding bonds, borrowings and other interest-bearing debt, while keeping the sale proceeds in cash. The company did not use the funds to repay those obligations, which remain outstanding under their original terms. By the end of the quarter, its liabilities after accounting for cash and dollar-backed stablecoins totaled ¥122.4 billion, compared with ¥124.7 billion in proceeds from the Bitcoin sale.
The Bitcoin sale also offered Metaplanet a potential tax benefit. Since the company disposed of coins for less than their original purchase price, the transaction generated a capital loss under U.S. tax rules. Metaplanet estimates that the loss could translate into a deferred tax asset of roughly $97 million across subsidiaries of its U.S. holding company.
Asia’s Leading Bitcoin-Focused Financial Firm
With 44,000 BTC on its balance sheet, Metaplanet now ranks as the world’s second-largest publicly listed Bitcoin treasury company, behind Michael Saylor’s Strategy.
However, CEO Simon Gerovich emphasized that the company’s strategy extends well beyond simply amassing Bitcoin. He said Metaplanet is ultimately aiming to establish itself as “the leading Bitcoin financial company in Asia.”
Metaplanet has also rolled out a Net Interest Income Strategy focused primarily on preferred securities issued by other Bitcoin treasury companies. The firm plans to dedicate roughly 10% to 15% of its total assets to the strategy, aiming to generate returns that exceed its financing costs. The additional income is expected to help cover debt obligations while also providing capital for future Bitcoin acquisitions.

Cardano (ADA) is moving deeper into institutional infrastructure after CIP-113 was merged into the main Cardano Improvement Proposal repository.
The Cardano Foundation confirmed on September 29 that CIP-113 had been merged into the main CIP repository, completing the proposal process.
Notably, the standard introduces programmable token-like assets that can enforce rules such as KYC allowlists, denylists, freezes, transfer limits, and jurisdiction requirements on-chain.
The milestone does not mean CIP-113 is already widely deployed or that institutions are using programmable tokens at scale. Implementation and adoption remain next.
For context, CIP-113 addresses limitations of conventional Cardano native tokens. Existing assets can have minting rules, but those rules do not automatically govern every transfer after issuance.
Programmable assets can add validation logic to transfers. An issuer could therefore establish conditions that must be satisfied before a transaction is accepted.
That could be useful for regulated securities, stablecoins and real-world assets (RWAs), where compliance requirements can form part of how an asset is transferred.
Charles Hoskinson has also discussed the broader direction of blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
In a September 15 video, Hoskinson said blockchain could have “ushered in a revolution for real-world assets” while discussing digital securities and industry standards.
He also discussed making “KYC, AML, and anti-terrorist financing” requirements compatible with smart contracts. Hoskinson suggested zero-knowledge technology could help satisfy compliance requirements without exposing all sensitive information on-chain.
His comments did not specifically refer to CIP-113. However, they address several of the same challenges that programmable assets are designed to handle.
Cardano’s institutional push is developing alongside efforts to expand its DeFi ecosystem with Bitcoin liquidity.
Meanwhile, in a September 13 video, Hoskinson discussed Pogun, a project designed to mirror Bitcoin into Cardano. He said this could create substantial total value locked and increase stablecoin activity.
“We’re going to take big chunks of Bitcoin, mirror them into Cardano, which instantly creates a lot of TVL,” Hoskinson said.
Notably, while Pogun could bring Bitcoin liquidity into Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem, CIP-113 could provide programmable compliance controls for regulated assets built around that liquidity.
He also described Bitcoin-backed assets being used in lending and stablecoin markets, potentially allowing BTC holders to seek returns without selling their Bitcoin.
Cardano’s institutional infrastructure is also expanding through Fireblocks. Last week, the Cardano Foundation announced that Fireblocks, an enterprise platform securing $16 trillion in digital asset transactions will fully support Cardano Native Tokens, allowing users to custody, send and receive CNTs through its existing security and policy infrastructure.
The support is expected by March 2027 and will cover assets using Cardano’s CIP-26 and CIP-68 standards.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) could see its payment push gain momentum in Japan after Binance Pay started connecting crypto users with PayPay merchants across the country.
According to a September 30 announcement by PayPay, one of Japan’s major mobile payment services, beginning September 30, overseas Binance Pay users can use the service at PayPay-affiliated stores through HIVEX, a payment interoperability framework. The rollout covers everyday purchases including food, accommodation, and souvenirs.
However, the current integration does not add SHIB as a supported payment asset. Binance Pay initially enables payments using Tether’s USDT, while participating merchants continue to receive settlement in Japanese yen.
The development nevertheless creates a potential pathway for other cryptocurrencies supported by Binance Pay if the payment network adds more assets.
Notably, the Japan rollout has already prompted speculation within the Shiba Inu community about whether SHIB could eventually become usable through a similar payment arrangement.
In a tweet on Wednesday, SHIB community member “Kimi_to_Mickey” asked whether cryptocurrency payments could become possible in Japan and specifically highlighted the prospect of using SHIB at everyday businesses.
“If SHIB payments could be made at the neighborhood drugstore, that’d be insanely hot,” he wrote.
The size of Binance Pay’s existing network gives the development significance for cryptocurrencies seeking greater payment utility.
PayPay said the partnership connects its merchant network with approximately 48 million Binance Pay users across more than 100 countries and regions. PayPay is already used across Japan at retail stores, restaurants, vending machines, taxis, and other services.
HIVEX also supports several overseas payment services, particularly across Asian markets, allowing PayPay to expand its reach among international visitors without requiring merchants to overhaul their existing payment systems.
Moreover, Japan’s large tourism market adds another potential use case. The country recorded 3.1 million foreign visitors in August 2026, according to the figures supplied by PayPay.
Notably, SHIB is not starting from zero when it comes to cryptocurrency payments. Payment-tracking platform Cryptwerk lists more than 2,200 online and physical retailers associated with SHIB payments, including businesses such as Newegg, eGifter and Kinguin.
SHIB also has a substantial wallet base. Data supplied in the source material puts the number of SHIB holders at roughly 1.69 million, with thousands of new unique wallet addresses added during September.
That said, the payment development follows SHIB’s recent inclusion on Japan’s crypto Green List by the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA), alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP.
The recognition could add weight to future SHIB payment integrations in Japan by giving the token greater standing within the country’s regulated crypto market.
SHIB, however, still has a large circulating supply of roughly 589 trillion SHIB, and its price remains just over 93% below previous highs.
At press time, SHIB was trading at $0.0000053, down 8.42% in the past 24 hours.

The timing of Shiba Inu’s Solana expansion couldn’t be more explosive.
In a major announcement on X, the memecoin powerhouse confirmed that Shiba Inu (SHIB) is officially live on the Solana network, opening the door to a new wave of liquidity, users, and increased trading activity.
The launch appears to be already capturing traders’ attention. SHIB is showing signs of renewed bullish momentum as market participants ramp up activity around the canine-themed meme coin.
SHIB Volume Skyrockets 199% in Explosive Trading Surge
Shiba Inu is turning heads across the crypto market. SHIB’s trading volume rocketed 199% on Monday, signaling a sharp pickup in market activity as the meme coin officially lands on Solana.
According to CoinMarketCap data, the token’s 24-hour trading volume has climbed to roughly $101 million, highlighting renewed interest from traders following its Solana expansion.
The increased market activity is also spilling into SHIB’s price action. The meme coin is trading near $0.000005943, up roughly 2% over the past 24 hours, suggesting that the burst in volume is being accompanied by fresh buying pressure.
Could SHIB’s Solana Debut Fuel a Major Q4 Breakout?
Shiba Inu (SHIB) has officially expanded into the Solana ecosystem, with the meme coin now available on the network through Sunrise. The integration gives Solana users direct access to SHIB’s canonical Ethereum token, allowing them to trade and use the asset across Solana’s growing decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape without leaving the ecosystem.
Different chain. Same dog. Have we mentioned $SHIB is on Solana yet? We have? Good. Just checking. pic.twitter.com/0AENVGaVKa
— Shib (@Shibtoken) October 5, 2026
Solana has welcomed the move by highlighting SHIB’s massive crypto community and its evolution beyond its original meme-coin identity. Once known primarily for its dog-themed branding, Shiba Inu has steadily expanded its ecosystem and utility, making its arrival on Solana a notable step in that broader evolution.
Importantly, SHIB’s arrival on Solana does not signal a departure from Ethereum. The meme coin’s native version remains an ERC-20 token, while Shibarium continues to operate independently. Instead, Sunrise is introducing SHIB’s canonical representation on Solana, allowing the token to tap directly into the network’s trading venues and broader market liquidity.
The SHIB-Solana partnership could provide the catalyst Shiba Inu needs to reignite its momentum. As deeper memecoin liquidity flows into the Solana ecosystem, all eyes will be on whether the expansion can spark a fresh wave of buying pressure and finally put SHIB bulls back in control in Q4.
The broader memecoin market is entering Q4 with momentum already building. The sector’s total market capitalization climbed 43% in Q3, marking its strongest quarterly performance since Q2 2025 and pointing to a renewed appetite for higher-risk crypto assets. Against that backdrop, SHIB’s arrival on Solana could hardly be better timed, giving the meme coin an opportunity to tap into rising liquidity and potentially catch the next wave of market enthusiasm.

Two Bitcoin (BTC) wallets that had remained dormant for roughly 13 years have suddenly become active, moving a tiny amount of BTC from holdings worth approximately $115 million.
According to blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain, the wallets transferred 0.0005 BTC, worth around $43, as a test transaction after years of inactivity. The addresses collectively hold 1,346 BTC, making the movement notable despite the relatively insignificant amount transferred.
Notably, the wallets acquired the Bitcoin about 13 years ago for approximately $240,000, when BTC traded at an average price of just $178. At current valuations, the holdings represent a return of roughly 479 times the original investment.
The reactivation adds to a growing list of early Bitcoin wallets that have recently started moving coins accumulated when the cryptocurrency traded for only a few dollars.
Last week, another early Bitcoin wallet moved 20.43 BTC, worth about $1.7 million, after remaining inactive for nearly 15 years, according to a tweet by Galaxy Research.
Moreover, on September 5, twelve wallets containing 50 BTC each moved a combined 600 BTC. The coins were reportedly received as mining rewards in March 2010 and remained untouched for more than 16 years.
That said, the age of some of these wallets has triggered speculation about whether they could be connected to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Blockchain researchers, however, have found no evidence linking the 600 BTC movement to Satoshi.
The dormant-wallet activity comes as Bitcoin’s broader market attempts to strengthen its recovery.
CryptoQuant contributor “MAC-D” noted last Friday that Bitcoin’s 30-day apparent demand growth rate improved from negative 182,000 BTC to negative 101,000 BTC between September 24 and October 1.
However, demand has yet to turn decisively positive. The Coinbase Premium Index also remains negative, suggesting that buying pressure from US-based spot investors has not fully recovered.
“Bitcoin demand is currently in a recovery phase, but there’s still no confirmation of this from the United States,” MAC-D said.
The analyst added that a move in apparent demand into positive territory, combined with a recovery in the Coinbase premium, would better indicate that Bitcoin’s rally can continue.
Meanwhile, analyst Darkfost of the same firm pointed to improving spot-market activity. September trading volumes on Binance exceeded $50 billion, compared with $42 billion in July. Bybit recorded $19 billion, up from $14 billion, while Kraken’s volume rose to $8 billion from $4 billion.
For Bitcoin to reach new highs, Darkfost argued that spot volumes and demand need to accelerate.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $85,504, up 0.23% in the past 24 hours.

Cardano is having a year of big ambitions, but ADA holders are still waiting for the payoff. As criticism over adoption, liquidity, and the token’s stubbornly weak price performance continues, Input Output Global founder Charles Hoskinson has had enough — firing back at critics with a blunt question: “What the hell else can I do?”
Hoskinson’s frustration comes as Cardano pushes forward with projects such as Midnight, RealFi, and new ecosystem integrations, creating a striking gap between the network’s expanding activity and ADA’s market performance.
Hoskinson Hits Back as Cardano’s Progress Collides With ADA’s Price Problem
The clash began when a Cardano community member argued that Midnight’s launch as a separate network could ultimately come at the expense of ADA holders.
Hoskinson pushed back sharply, pointing out that NIGHT was issued through Cardano and questioning why a project originating from the Cardano ecosystem should automatically be seen as a threat to ADA or its holders.
Another community member turned up the heat, likening Hoskinson to a “used car salesman” while taking aim at what he characterized as Cardano’s weak liquidity, limited stablecoin activity, and sluggish DEX volume.
The community member also accused Hoskinson of shifting the blame onto ADA holders instead of developers when the ecosystem falls short of expectations, adding another layer to the growing debate over whether Cardano’s development progress is translating into real value for ADA holders.
Hoskinson responded by pointing to a long list of Cardano projects that have moved from development into real-world deployment this year. RealFi went live on the Cardano mainnet on Oct. 1 after months of public testing. Midnight also launched its network in March, while its NIGHT token had already debuted as a Cardano Native Asset in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Midnight.city is already running in open beta, adding an AI-focused application to the broader Midnight ecosystem.
Hoskinson also highlighted Pogun, a Bitcoin-focused DeFi initiative built around credit, yield, and bridging. The project’s request for 12.29 million ADA from the treasury failed to secure sufficient support in September, but Hoskinson has continued to maintain that development is moving forward.
Then there is the Pentad infrastructure push, with USDCx and Pyth already live, LayerZero being introduced in stages, and Fireblocks announcing plans to support Cardano Native Tokens fully.
Explain what I should do differently. We just launched RealFI; Pogun is on the way; we launched Midnight; and now we have Midnight. city. We did the Pentad that brought LayerZero, Fireblock, Pyth, Circle, and other integrations to Cardano. We have Draper and Alphagrowth. All…
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) October 4, 2026
Together, Hoskinson’s examples were intended to underscore a broader point: Cardano’s development pipeline is moving, even as ADA’s price performance continues to frustrate holders.
Cardano Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
This is where the debate gets more interesting — the on-chain numbers tell a more nuanced story than the criticism suggests.
According to DeFiLlama data, Cardano currently has roughly $70.78 million locked across its DeFi ecosystem, alongside about $67.2 million in stablecoin liquidity. That makes claims that the network has no stablecoin presence or DEX activity not entirely true.
DEXs have handled around $4.36 million in volume over the past 24 hours and $42 million over seven days, with weekly activity jumping 139%. Meanwhile, the network recorded approximately 15,985 active addresses and 25,631 transactions over the same 24-hour period.
The figures show that Cardano is far from inactive. But they also establish a hard benchmark for Hoskinson’s ambitious roadmap: the real test now is whether the projects he is touting can turn that development momentum into significantly deeper liquidity, greater usage, and stronger demand for ADA.
ADA is up about 10.8% on the day, trading near $0.273, at a $10.2 billion market capitalization. Notably, Cardano remains 91.1% below its $3.09 all-time high, highlighting just how much ground the token still has to recover.

AVAX is undergoing significant transformations as its underlying technology and investment environment are drawing considerable market attention. Today, this is demonstrated by Kenya’s move to adopt the Avalanche blockchain to fight academic fraud through the network’s ability to create immutable, decentralized records.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), a government agency responsible for overseeing national examinations in Kenya, has just migrated over 30 million academic records to Avalanche, according to reports shared on the X platform.
KNEC adopts Avalanche to curb academic fraud
With Avalanche’s integration, the African nation is solving the challenges of lengthy bureaucratic processes. It now directly tackles academic certificate forgery, a persistent fraud that has seriously affected employers, universities, and state institutions in the country.
Every year in Kenya, thousands of academic records are forged, with individuals using forged academic certificates to secure employment. The problem comes to light as revelations show that outdated systems have allowed thousands of individuals to secure employment using fake academic certificates.
With the new efficient, decentralized system run by the Avalanche blockchain, KNEC is prepared to enable instant authentication of academic papers.
In a recent appearance before a parliamentary committee in April, KNEC administrators acknowledged that aging technology has severely hindered efforts to detect forged academic qualifications. The agency admitted that it has been using a system that’s more than a decade old, making it harder to instantly authenticate academic credentials. The national body further revealed that the current slow, inefficient, and costly system created loopholes that have been widely exploited.
AVAX growth and its real-world demand trends
To address these shortcomings, KNEC today announced a partnership with Avalanche to implement a modern, efficient, decentralized verification system. This means that the agency has adopted tamper-proof electronic certification in the country through the Avalanche blockchain. By registering over 30 million academic records on-chain, any employer, organization, or individual can now authenticate the genuineness of a document in seconds, in an immutable way and without the involvement of intermediaries.
Kenya’s collaboration with Avalanche further shows AVAX is back in the spotlight as institutional appetite for its decentralized network continues to grow. Recognized for its scalability and almost-instant finality, Avalanche is demonstrating that it is more than just another layer-1 network – it is becoming a bridge between onchain engagement and real-world utilities.
This development shows that institutions are exploring Avalanche for tailor-made compliance, enterprise-level needs, and regulated RWAs. Data shows AVAX has seen a resurgence in market growth, with projects such as KNEC and others increasing liquidity and user activity. The asset is currently the 22nd-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, showing its popularity and market growth.

In a significant event in the Bitcoin market, the IMF has granted a waiver to El Salvador, expecting the state to fix breaches related to its Bitcoin holdings. In a statement shared on the X platform, the financial regulator today awarded $139 million to El Salvador after waiving the country’s violation of limits on its BTC holdings.
The development follows the IMF’s completion of the second and third reviews of the $1.4 billion credit facility allocated to El Salvador earlier this year. In February, the regulator approved the $1.4 billion financial arrangement to the Central American country to support the government’s reform agenda.
IMF expects El Salvador not to buy more BTC
After completing the second and third reviews of El Salvador’s fund facility arrangement, the IMF made key announcements about the nation’s Bitcoin commitment. Recently, the Central American country has shown the world that a state can include Bitcoin in its financial strategy.
In the first announcement, the IMF approved a $139 million award to El Salvador. The award compensates the country for economic performance better than expected, as shown by increased investor confidence and improved security conditions in the nation.
The second announcement is the IMF’s waiver to El Salvador. According to the press statement, the IMF granted El Salvador a waiver to encourage the government to address its failures to meet performance requirements for its Bitcoin holdings.
Despite El Salvador breaching rules on Bitcoin accumulation under its $1.4 billion credit arrangement, the IMF issued a waiver, noting its corrective actions and recommitment to reduce government involvement in Bitcoin activities. From now on, the IMF expects El Salvador not to participate in any more Bitcoin accumulation, apart from documented donations. Furthermore, the regulator requires increased transparency in the country’s public Bitcoin holdings. Going forward, it also expects the government not to purchase more Bitcoin.
Salvador’s commitment to Bitcoin
In 2021, El Salvador became the first nation in the world to adopt Bitcoin as part of its financial reserve strategy. This investment approach drew scrutiny from the IMF in February 2023, when the regulator cautioned the country against exposing public funds to cryptocurrency volatility.
Currently, El Salvador holds 7,787.37 Bitcoin valued at $658 million. This follows the nation’s purchase of eight BTC two weeks ago and another 31 BTC in the past 30 days. The acquisitions show the country’s ongoing commitment to investing in Bitcoin as part of its national reserves.

Remember Tesla’s massive Bitcoin stash that Elon Musk bought in 2021? A chunk of it still sits in the company’s registered wallets, on-chain analysis firm Arkham confirmed in a recent tweet. Based on Bitcoin’s latest valuation, the company’s total stash now values at around 11,509 BTC or $997 million, just shy of a billion dollars.
Arkham tweeted:
Image Source: X Tesla’s Long-term Bitcoin Exposure
Tesla made headlines in 2021 when it purchased Bitcoin worth $1.5 billion from company revenue, totaling around 48,000 BTC. The move made the cryptocurrency economy a major talking point, as institutional interest in the premier digital currency was subdued then, and there were no Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The company subsequently sold around 10% of its holdings near the end of 2021 for a realized gain.
After this initial sale, Musk seemed to want to hold the cryptocurrency long term, as he often repeated the talking points of HODLers and crypto pioneers. He called cash stupid and BTC the least stupid among currencies.
However, in true Musk style, he flipped his apparent position entirely. In a lengthy X post, he said crypto had a lot to prove and was damaging to the environment. As a result, he said that he was going to sell a large portion of it. In total, the company sold about 34,200 BTC for $936 million, below its purchase price, essentially reporting a loss on the transaction.
The move drew instant backlash from the crypto community, and the news cycle amplified it considerably, tanking the BTC price index in the ensuing weeks. The company hasn’t made another purchase ever since.
However, four years have passed, and the remaining 11,509 BTC are still in the company’s wallets. No movements of the digital currency have been reported since, and after a major bull cycle, the asset has appreciated significantly. This roughly one-fourth of the original amount is valued at almost the same as the company’s massive 2022 sale: $1 billion. That is up from $314 million four years ago.
The Future
Musk and other Tesla executives have given no indication of what will happen to this Bitcoin stash. The world’s first reported trillionaire is not focused on his electric car manufacturer right now; instead, he has set his sights on SpaceX, which has become his most valuable asset over the years. The asset is likely to remain in place for a time before the company decides to cash in on the unrealized gains.

XRP traded relatively weak Saturday as bearish sentiment spread across crypto communities at the start of October, with social data suggesting that growing pessimism could create a contrarian opportunity for investors.
The decline came as Bitcoin (BTC) pulled back after briefly climbing to $86,914 on October 2, before recoiling to the $84,000 range.
Notably, analysts have pointed to developments in market sentiment, exchange balances and long-term chart patterns that could influence XRP’s next move.
Santiment reported Thursday that XRP’s social sentiment had deteriorated sharply as October began. Its bullish-to-bearish comment ratio fell to 0.67, the lowest reading since August 17.
A reading below 1.0 indicates that bearish commentary outweighs bullish discussion across platforms including X, Reddit, Telegram and other cryptocurrency communities.
Ethereum experienced a similar shift, with its bullish-to-bearish commentary ratio falling to 0.89, its lowest since June 7.
The firm, however, suggested that the growing pessimism could present a contrarian setup.
“Fear is returning while some underlying market signals remain healthy, which is exactly the kind of divergence contrarian traders typically wait patiently for.” Santiment wrote.
That said, not all market observers share the bearish mood reflected in social discussions. Veteran trader Peter Brandt has presented a more nuanced technical picture for XRP.
In a September 27 post, Brandt shared a long-term XRP/USD chart and explained why he remains interested in the asset based on its technical structure.
“It is not necessary to be a certified cult member to be an interested owner of a crypto XRP. The charts alone have always been enough reason for us to make a bet. There is a difference between being open-minded and having a hole in the head.” He stated.
Brandt’s chart highlighted an inverse head-and-shoulders formation, which could support a short-term XRP bounce toward $2.
However, that potential recovery sits within a much larger ascending triangle structure. This means a move toward $2 would represent a possible near-term rebound rather than confirmation that XRP has already broken out of its broader formation.
Meanwhile, analyst Ali Martinez highlighted an ascending triangle on XRP’s monthly chart, identifying $3.66 as a key resistance level. He suggested that a monthly close above this threshold could open the way toward $31.87. That remains a speculative technical projection rather than an established price target.
Elsewhere, analyst Rios highlighted that spot XRP exchange-traded funds hold roughly 1.16 billion tokens, while exchange balances have dropped from about 12.9 billion to 11 billion since April. The decline points to less XRP readily available on exchanges, a potentially positive supply signal for the token.
At press time, XRP was trading at $1.51, up 0.51% over 24 hours, with a market capitalization of about $95 billion and daily trading volume of $2.01 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

Bitcoin (BTC) is showing renewed bullish momentum after reclaiming a key long-term market indicator, with BTC holding above $85,000 after breaking through a major seller wall.
Notably, the crypto asset climbed to $87,096 on October 2, its highest level since September 23, before pulling back slightly. The move marked a 15.6% recovery from its September 15 low of $75,170 and pushed BTC above a resistance zone that had capped its gains for much of the week.
Now, analysts are watching whether the latest momentum can hold. In a Saturday tweet, CryptoQuant highlighted one of the most important developments in Bitcoin’s on-chain data, saying its MVRV Z-Score has moved above its 365-day average.
The analytics platform said the move has historically represented an important change in Bitcoin’s market momentum.
“Bitcoin’s MVRV Z-Score just broke ABOVE its 365-day average. Historically, reclaiming this moving average has been an important shift in market momentum. Now the key is whether Bitcoin can stay above it,” it stated.
For context, MVRV compares Bitcoin’s market value with the realized value of coins on the network. A sustained move above the long-term average can indicate improving market conditions.
CryptoQuant’s data also showed that Bitcoin’s 1-to-3-month holders are sitting on their largest unrealized profits since May 2025.
The cohort currently has an average unrealized profit margin of 24%, suggesting that recent buyers have gained substantial exposure to the rally.
Elsewhere, James Thorne, Chief Market Strategist at Wellington Altus, also sees a broader improvement in Bitcoin’s technical structure.
Thorne said Bitcoin’s weekly chart is showing a strong setup after the recent correction held around the rising 200-week moving average.
“Bitcoin’s weekly chart is one of the best-looking setups in the market,” Thorne wrote.
He noted that Bitcoin’s 30-week and 40-week exponential moving averages have turned upward since the June low, with price reclaiming both measures. According to the strategist, this represents an intermediate trend shift from bearish to bullish while the longer-term uptrend remains intact.
Thorne also pointed to improving weekly momentum and changing market fundamentals. He argued that regulated stablecoins, tokenized Treasuries and on-chain settlement are helping move Bitcoin and digital assets beyond a purely speculative market.
“Yes, a Super Cycle,” Thorne added.
Moreover, the bullish signals arrive as Bitcoin clears an important technical obstacle. Glassnode recently identified a significant concentration of sell orders between $85,000 and $85,500 on Binance’s spot market. That supply zone had restricted Bitcoin’s advance for roughly a week.
Buyers eventually absorbed the resistance on October 2, allowing BTC to push toward $87,000. After the breakout, sell orders above the market declined, and some existing orders were canceled.
The next major resistance sits around $87,400, according to QCP, which identified the level as September’s high. Above that, $90,000 becomes an important psychological and options-market target. On the downside, QCP sees $82,500 as a key support area.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $85,990, up 0.86% in the past 24 hours.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs are gaining traction, netting another positive week despite altcoin stumbles and mid-week price shocks. Institutional investors’ confidence is back in the market, and bulls look to capitalize on the momentum to break price levels in coming months.
Bitcoin Funds Notch Third Consecutive Weekly Inflow
Last week, net spot Bitcoin ETF flows stood at $241 million, marking the third straight week in the green zone. This streak follows a sentiment jump in September, as traders began to see more positive moves than in previous months.
SoSoValue data shows all-time net inflows at $57.8 billion after massive additions last month. In two weeks, investor funds grew by $2.4 billion, signaling a bullish turn after previous dry spells that sent prices below multiple support lines.
On Oct 2, net inflows were $189 million, led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. For weekly volume, the fund contributed about $158.2 million, the largest share. Funds like Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund pulled in $29.3 million, while MSBT attracted $2.4 million.
Overall, this portrays the demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs in every upward swing since their launch in the United States. As an institutional window for firms to increase crypto exposure, these funds have become more popular among traditional clients who previously avoided the asset class.
Right now, inflows to these funds are a strong gauge of institutional sentiment in a given period. Bitcoin institutional demand, unlike retail, moves prices and jumpstarts a recovery trend, often with the aid of macroeconomic events.
“Today the price pushed once again toward $87000, almost touching an eight-month high, before pulling back to the $86000 area. It’s the second time this week that sellers have strongly defended that resistance zone. The move was mainly driven by softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data, which reduced bets on a Fed rate hike, along with a return of positive flows into spot Bitcoin ETFs,” Bitcoin miner Javi Q wrote on X.
On the flip side, altcoins saw low volumes as investors moved toward Bitcoin momentum. Last week, spot Ether ETFs saw net $138 million outflows, taking year-to-date inflows to $1.5 billion. However, Solana and XRP extended their positive runs with $2.4 million and $4.7 million in inflows, respectively.

A Bitcoin (BTC) wallet that sat untouched for more than 15 years has suddenly become active, moving 20.43 BTC, now worth roughly $1.7 million.
According to a Wednesday tweet from crypto analytics platform Onchain Lens, the coins were acquired for an estimated $70, when BTC traded between about $3 and $4, for a return of more than 20,000 times the original investment.
Blockchain records also show the address previously interacted with wallets linked to Mt. Gox and Silk Road, two names closely tied to Bitcoin’s early years.
Notably, the holder split the 20.43 BTC into two separate transfers, with one transfer of 10.33 BTC, currently worth about $863,000, first received on May 8, 2011. The second contained 10.10 BTC, valued at roughly $844,000, and was originally received on May 1, 2011.
The 20.43 BTC transfer is not an isolated event. On September 5, twelve wallets, each holding 50 BTC, all mined in March 2010 and untouched for over 16 years, sent out 600 BTC between them. Galaxy Research then flagged four other wallets, each idle for a decade or longer, that shifted a combined 1,971.03 BTC over the following weeks, from September 6 to 22.
Moreover, on September 19, a wallet from 2011 released 100 BTC, worth about $8.09 million. Three days later, an address that had been silent since July 2012 moved 600 BTC, valued at roughly $51.9 million.
The movements come as analysts assess whether Bitcoin’s recent recovery has enough underlying demand to continue.
CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost said Bitcoin has become increasingly dominated by futures trading while spot demand remains weak. According to the analyst, the Binance spot-to-futures volume ratio was around 0.12, meaning futures activity was substantially larger than spot trading.
He described spot demand as the “missing piece” and warned that a rebound driven mainly by futures could become unstable if direct buying fails to strengthen.
Another analyst, MorenoDV, offered a more measured view of Bitcoin’s demand indicators. The analyst said the 90-day Buy/Sell Pressure Delta had recovered from negative territory and entered a zone associated with stronger buying pressure.
However, MorenoDV noted that the indicator remained below levels seen during stronger market expansions. The analyst said the key question is whether buying pressure can continue increasing while Bitcoin holds its recent recovery.
Elsewhere, Santiment reported that wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC added 41,025 BTC over a 10-day period. Their combined holdings subsequently reached 13.64 million BTC, equivalent to 67.93% of Bitcoin’s total supply.
The analytics platform said these whale and shark wallets have returned to their highest holdings since the mid-August rally. Historically, Santiment noted, stronger accumulation from this group has coincided with healthier conditions across the broader crypto market.
Meanwhile, smaller retail wallets holding less than 0.01 BTC, meanwhile, have remained largely flat.
At press time, BTC was trading at $84,934, up 1.10% in the past 24 hours.

Illinois is moving ahead with a new tax framework for digital assets that would impose a 0.2% levy on certain crypto-related transactions beginning in 2027.
The Illinois Department of Revenue published proposed rules on September 28, outlining how the Digital Asset Tax Act would work. The rules cover digital asset exchanges, transfers, and custodial storage that businesses provide on behalf of customers.
Under the framework, the tax would apply from January 1, 2027, at 0.2% of the value of the digital asset involved in a qualifying transaction. Digital asset brokers would collect the levy from customers and send the money to the state.
Notably, the rules cover activities such as buying and selling digital assets, converting fiat currency into crypto, converting crypto back into fiat and certain blockchain-to-blockchain transactions. Transfers carried out through brokers can also fall within the tax.
However, the proposal does not treat every crypto transaction the same way. The rules exclude direct peer-to-peer transfers that do not involve an intermediary and do not involve valuable consideration.
Illinois is not the only state considering additional taxes on the crypto industry. In August 2025, New York lawmakers introduced A8966, a proposal that would establish a 0.2% excise tax on digital asset transactions, including the sale or transfer of digital assets. The bill was referred to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and remains a proposal, not enacted law.
Unlike Illinois’ measure, the New York proposal specifies that revenue would support the expansion of substance-abuse prevention and intervention programs in upstate schools.
New York also considered a separate tax targeting energy-intensive crypto mining.
In October 2025, lawmakers introduced S8518, which would impose an excise tax on electricity consumed by proof-of-work digital asset mining operations. Lawmakers later introduced a companion Assembly bill, A9138, that month. Both remain in committee.
The proposed tax would use a tiered structure. Mining operations using more than 2.25 million kilowatt-hours annually would face rates ranging from 2 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on consumption. The proposal would apply to taxable years beginning January 1, 2027.
The issue returned to the spotlight in March 2026, when New York lawmakers included the crypto-mining tax in the Assembly’s one-house budget proposals. The proposal was estimated to generate $95 million beginning in 2027 and $380 million annually through 2030, according to the material provided. Industry groups opposed the measure, arguing that other power-intensive industries were not being targeted in the same way.
Besides Illinois and New York, states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Montana, Kentucky, and Washington have introduced taxes on cryptocurrency or digital-asset activities. Most proposals have focused on crypto mining, energy consumption, or digital-asset businesses, rather than a direct tax on ordinary crypto transactions.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has been in overdrive as it is set to finish the third quarter of 2026 with a performance that stands in sharp contrast to its historically weak Q3 trend.
Per CryptoRank data, SHIB has surged by 44.1% during Q3, putting it on track for its strongest third-quarter performance.
Why is it a welcome move? Well, the end of Q3 has historically been a challenging period for the top meme coin, with September averaging only a 5.5% return.
Source: CryptoRank
Therefore, 2026 has emerged as a promising year for Shiba Inu because it has defied the seasonal Q3 weakness.
Following a 24% correction in June, the 34th-largest cryptocurrency by market cap posted gains in three consecutive months as the broader crypto market recovered. SHIB advanced by 12.2% in July, added another 7.55% in August, and has so far surged by 19.4% in September.
Is There Light at the End of Shiba Inu’s Tunnel?
According to CoinGecko data, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.00000573, up 9.6% over the past 14 days, with the next major technical hurdle at the psychological level of $0.0000075.
If heightened buying pressure materializes, a decisive move above that level could bring the long-term $0.0000110 region back into focus.
On the other hand, SHIB’s on-chain activity is providing another notable signal. CryptoQuant data shows more than 74 billion SHIB in net exchange outflows.
Why is this bullish? Well, large withdrawals can indicate that coins are being moved away from exchanges into private wallets or cold storage for future purposes, in the process slashing selling pressure.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, a longtime figure within the SHIB community suggested that the project’s long-discussed spot ETF ambitions could be moving closer to reality.

Ripple-linked XRP may be gearing up for another parabolic move, at least according to a trader who called XRP’s breakout from a seven-year pennant in 2024 ahead of the token’s eventual breakout above $3 later that year.
Crypto Michael is once again sounding the alarm for bulls, telling his followers to “get ready for green. A lot of green.” This time, however, there is a catch: the analyst has kept his latest chart setup private, meaning he has not disclosed a specific price target, resistance level, or timeframe for the potential move.
Trader Is Suddenly Seeing “A Lot of Green” for XRP
In a Sept. 29 post on X, Crypto Michael revealed that he had a fresh XRP chart setup he wanted to share publicly, but said he had agreed to keep the details exclusive to members of his group.
He offered little in the way of specifics, but his message to XRP traders was unmistakably bullish:
“Let’s just say… get ready for green. A lot of green.”
The teaser leaves plenty of room for speculation, however, because Michael did not reveal the price levels, breakout targets, or timeframe behind his bullish outlook. For now, his “a lot of green” call offers more intrigue than concrete details, leaving XRP traders watching closely for the chart setup he has kept behind the group’s paywall.
Michael turned up the bullish rhetoric even further in a follow-up post, describing the current XRP rally as something that was supposedly “foretold in ancient scriptures dating back to the Egyptian times.”
He then compared the potential move to a parabolic rally, claiming the scale of the surge could be so dramatic that millions of people could eventually escape traditional 9-to-5 jobs. Michael described the potential move as a “historical event” and a “lifeboat to financial freedom,” underscoring just how extreme his expectations for XRP are.
Crypto Michael’s Track Record
Michael’s bullish stance on XRP did not begin with his latest posts. His current outlook dates back to the token’s lengthy consolidation in 2024, when XRP was still trading below $1.
In July 2024, he highlighted what he viewed as a seven-year bull pennant, arguing that the formation could set the stage for one of the cryptocurrency market’s most significant breakouts.
The pattern eventually broke higher during the November 2024 rally, and Michael later pointed back to his earlier analysis as XRP pushed through $1 and ultimately climbed above $3.
He also revealed in July 2024 that he bought XRP after years of sideways price action, arguing that widespread selling and investor capitulation had created the kind of setup he had been waiting for.
With XRP now trading above $1.50, the question is whether Michael’s latest update is pointing to another explosive move or simply another round of crypto-market hype.

Chainlink (LINK) is moving deeper into traditional finance after teaming up with SWIFT to help banks connect to its blockchain ledger.
On Monday, Chainlink said its infrastructure will allow financial institutions to connect their systems to the SWIFT ledger.
Notably, SWIFT’s wider network covers more than 11,500 financial institutions and corporates across over 200 markets. However, that does not mean all of these institutions are adopting Chainlink.
Under the proposed setup, banks would use Chainlink’s Runtime Environment (CRE) to connect their systems and transaction-signing infrastructure to the SWIFT ledger. Banks would still control the keys needed to authorize transactions, while CRE would coordinate workflows between their systems and Swift.
The goal is to support 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized deposits. These deposits would remain on bank-owned ledgers, while Swift’s ledger coordinates the movement of funds between participating institutions before final settlement.
Chainlink Labs CEO Sergey Nazarov said the company is “thrilled to be supporting the SWIFT ledger” as more banks explore tokenized deposits and look for ways to connect to the network.
The SWIFT development also came as Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0, an updated version of its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol.
The upgrade adds new transaction verification options, compliance controls and customizable transfer settings. Through its Automated Compliance Engine, CCIP 2.0 can also support KYC, AML and sanctions checks.
Chainlink says CCIP now secures more than $84 billion in cross-chain assets, with over $15 billion migrating to the protocol in the past four months.
The Swift announcement comes as LINK gains more attention from institutional investors and crypto traders. LINK-focused ETFs recorded more than $2 million in inflows on Monday, while spot Chainlink ETFs attracted another $6.4 million over the past week, according to data from Sosovalue.
These products now hold roughly $227 million in LINK, about 2.2% of the token’s current supply. The growing institutional interest has also supported LINK’s recent rally, with the token surging roughly 18.7% over the past week.
That said, crypto analytics firm Santiment highlighted a shift among LINK holders following the rally. The analytics firm said on Monday that Chainlink reached a 2026 high of $14.89 while the number of non-empty wallets fell to 912,020.
According to the firm, some smaller holders may have taken profits on the rally. The firm also noted that LINK’s holder base remains near record levels after expanding throughout 2026, a positive sign for LINK.
Elsewhere, popular analyst Javon Marks also sees room for a much bigger move. In a Monday post, Marks pointed to a multi-year descending trendline stretching back to LINK’s 2021 all-time high. The chart connects several lower highs formed through 2022 and 2023 before the recent breakout.
“LINK has turned significantly, and prices look to be entering a new wave with massive upside as the breakout target at $47.154 is still in play!” Marks wrote, adding that another 200% move could take LINK toward that level.
Marks made a similar call in June, saying the $47.154 target remained valid despite market volatility. At the time, he suggested LINK could eventually move more than 500% if an altcoin season developed.
At press time, LINK was trading around $13.59 after gaining roughly 10% in 24 hours.

Strategy has transferred 3,568 Bitcoin (BTC) worth roughly $297 million, just hours after the company added another 1,666 BTC to its massive holdings.
The movement has raised questions about whether Strategy is preparing to sell some of its Bitcoin or simply moving coins between wallets.
Blockchain tracking firm Whale Alert highlighted the transaction in an X post Monday, asking whether Michael Saylor’s Strategy was “dumping BTC again, or just moving funds to new wallets?” The tracker said the company transferred the 3,568 BTC over a nine-hour period.
Notably, while there is no confirmation that Strategy has sold the Bitcoin, the timing of the transfer is interesting.
On September 28, Michael Saylor disclosed that Strategy had purchased 1,666 BTC for approximately $142.7 million at an average price of $85,681 per coin. The purchase pushed its Bitcoin holdings to 847,666 BTC, representing roughly 4% of Bitcoin’s maximum supply.
That followed a 950 BTC purchase announced on September 21 for about $75.7 million. Across three September purchases, Strategy has added roughly 7,200 BTC after selling thousands of coins earlier this year.
Strategy had previously sold 6,948 BTC for approximately $431.8 million in net proceeds, or around $62,150 per Bitcoin. In August, it also sold another 1,690 BTC and used the proceeds to repurchase STRC.
The company has also made it clear that Bitcoin sales remain part of its financial strategy.
Following its second-quarter results, CEO Phong Le said Strategy would no longer automatically put all capital raised through STRC issuance into Bitcoin. Instead, the company would decide how much capital to allocate to BTC and how much to keep in dollars.
That policy gives Strategy room to move or sell Bitcoin when it considers doing so commercially appropriate.
Meanwhile, the company’s buying spree has already attracted criticism from Bitcoin skeptic Peter Schiff. After the September 21 purchase, Schiff pointed to Strategy’s earlier sales and questioned its decision to buy Bitcoin back at significantly higher prices.
“Now he’s buying back some of what he sold for over $80K per Bitcoin,” Schiff had said. “It won’t be long before he’s selling at lower prices again.”
However, analyst BLMihnea offered a different take on the latest transfer, arguing that a sale would make little sense so soon after Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchase. He also pointed to the company’s roughly $6 billion in cash reserves, suggesting it is not under immediate pressure to sell.
“Why would he sell BTC when he just bought it a few days ago?” BLMihnea told his 56,400 followers on X.
He added that Strategy could potentially use STRC to raise funds and buy Bitcoin again, particularly with the preferred stock trading around $99. In his view, the latest transfer may therefore be part of Strategy’s broader treasury strategy rather than an indication that the company is preparing to dump Bitcoin.
At press time, BTC was trading at $84,485, down 0.61% in the past 24 hours.

A Bitcoin (BTC) wallet dormant for more than 14 years has suddenly become active, moving 600 BTC worth about $51.15 million as Bitcoin surged toward $87,000.
According to a Tuesday tweet by blockchain tracker Whale Alert, the dormant address containing 600 BTC was activated after remaining untouched for 14.2 years. The coins were valued at $51,150,182 at the time of the transaction.
Notably, the wallet movement comes as Bitcoin posted a strong recovery, with BTC rising to as high as $87,341 late Monday for the first time since January.
However, the movement of the 600 BTC does not necessarily mean the holder is preparing to sell. There is currently no indication that the coins were transferred to a cryptocurrency exchange. The Bitcoin could have simply been moved to another wallet controlled by the same holder.
That said, movements involving wallets that have remained inactive for more than a decade often attract attention because they involve coins acquired during Bitcoin’s early years, when the asset traded at a fraction of its current value.
The latest transaction also comes just days after another long-dormant Bitcoin wallet was activated.
On Saturday, Galaxy Research reported that a wallet that had remained untouched since November 2011 moved 100 BTC worth around $8.09 million. The coins had reportedly been acquired at an average cost of about $3 per BTC and remained dormant for nearly 15 years.
Meanwhile, the latest 600 BTC transaction comes amid renewed buying activity across the Bitcoin market.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in net inflows on September 21, according to SoSoValue data. The products attracted approximately $999 million, marking their largest inflow in 12 months.
Elsewhere, BlackRock’s IBIT led the inflows with $381.4 million, while ARKB recorded $289.1 million and Fidelity’s FBTC attracted $238.8 million.
Meanwhile, Glassnode reported a shift in Bitcoin taker activity from selling toward buying, alongside rising trading volumes and short liquidations.
“Bitcoin touches $86k, up more than 10% from last Sunday’s close. Spot and perpetual buyers lead while leverage and profit-taking slowly rise with price.” The firm tweeted Monday. “ETF flows are the one reading still pointing the other way.”
Blockchain analysis firm Wintermute also highlighted a major shift in Bitcoin’s technical structure as the cryptocurrency pushed higher. BTC closed last week at $81,159, putting it above its 50-week moving average for the first time since early November. Bitcoin had previously spent 44 consecutive weeks below the key indicator, giving the cryptocurrency room to push higher toward the $87,000 level.
According to the firm, Bitcoin’s ability to hold above the 50-week moving average would be an important confirmation that the June low has held, rather than just another short-term move above resistance.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $84,490, up 0.63% in the past 24 hours.