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BlockCon Global has confirmed the speaker roster for its 2026 executive business retreat, a four-day program dedicated to the infrastructure layer of the digital economy. The retreat convenes attendees from 60+ countries, 50% of them C-level, with 50 curated speakers and over 90 companies represented.
Gulf capital anchors the program. Shaikh Ali Sultan Al Nuaimi of the Royal Family of the Emirate of Ajman, BOF Investments and Ajman Bank is joined by Imad Al-Abdulgader, Partner at DGA–Albright Stonebridge Group; Sarah Abuagela of Ceras Ventures; and Danish Chotani from Burj Financial.
Regulatory and public-sector authority sits in the same room. Camila Santana of Revolut, a regulatory expert and former supervisor in Colombia, is joined by Julio César Valentín, Superintendent of Insurance of the Dominican Republic; Senator Mario Ishii of Buenos Aires Province, and more.
The institutional and infrastructure layer is represented by Tomás Pérez Quevedo, Co-Founder at Makachain; Geraldine Pacheco, Account Executive for Latin America and the Caribbean at Chainalysis; Donald Lavoile founder of Venturis13 Global Holdings.
“Convergence is not something you announce. It is something you produce,” said Raymond Ratti, CEO and Co-Founder of BlockCon Global. “A central bank supervisor, a Gulf investor, a compliance architect and an infrastructure founder each hold one part of the same system. BlockCon exists to put those parts in the same room, for four days, under conditions where a conversation becomes a decision.”
BlockCon is built on decision density: what matters is the concentration of decision-making power in the room. The agenda spans stablecoins and digital payments, tokenization and real-world assets, prediction markets, iGaming infrastructure, regulatory architecture and cross-border payment rails, delivered through closed-door sessions, business roundtables, a Casino Experience, and the Cigar & Rum Room.
Three access tiers are available: starting at $195. Registration is open at https://www.gevme.com/blockcon-punta-cana-2026-69652010ABOUT BLOCKCON GLOBAL
BlockCon Global is an international executive business retreat dedicated to the infrastructure of the digital economy, the convergence point where capital, builders, financial institutions and regulatory architects meet to execute. The 2026 edition takes place November 25–28 at Barceló Bávaro Grand Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
MEDIA CONTACT
marketing@blockcon.co · Partnerships: partners@blockcon.co · https://www.blockcon.co/partner-with-us

Kakao Pay Securities has signed MOUs with Ondo Finance and Dinari Global to explore the tokenisation and international distribution of South Korean-listed stocks.
The partnerships could provide global investors with blockchain-based access to Korean equities.
Kakao Pay Securities has signed MOUs with both Ondo Finance and Dinari Global to explore the tokenisation and international distribution of South Korean-listed stocks. The partnership marks one of the most concrete moves yet to open Korean public markets to global investors through blockchain infrastructure, rather than the traditional and limited depositary receipt route.
Right now, international access to Korean equities is narrow. Only a subset of Korean companies have depositary receipts listed on overseas exchanges. SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest chipmakers and a trillion-dollar company, only reached Nasdaq this July. Tokenisation offers a direct alternative, one tied to the underlying share rather than a derivative instrument built around it.
What Dinari’s dShares Model Actually Does?
Dinari’s dShares are backed one-to-one by the corresponding underlying security, held with licensed custodians. Moreover, that structure is designed to preserve core shareholder rights, cash dividends, automated corporate actions, voting where applicable, redemption, and a protected claim to the backing securities.
The proof of concept will test that standard specifically on Korean-listed equities, covering issuance, redemption, reconciliation, and shareholder rights. Distribution would run through Dinari’s existing partner network, which already serves eligible investors in the United States and more than 85 jurisdictions worldwide. Also, Dinari currently provides access to 724 tokenised U.S. stocks and ETFs through this infrastructure.
What the Joint Task Force Will Cover
Kakao Pay Securities and Dinari plan to establish a joint task force later this year. In addition, the work will examine the operational and technical requirements for applying the dShares model to Korean equities, including token issuance and redemption against underlying shares, reconciliation between tokenised and underlying securities, and the infrastructure needed for international distribution.
Inyoung Chung, Executive Vice President of Kakao Pay Securities, stated:
“Through this partnership with Dinari, which has experience operating tokenized securities within the U.S. regulatory framework, we are working to develop a concrete framework for the international distribution of Korean equities. Starting with the sourcing of Korean-listed equities and advancing through a proof of concept for equity tokenization, we will carefully assess the technical feasibility and help create new pathways connecting shares of leading Korean companies with a broader global market.”
On the other hand, if the proof of concept clears technical and regulatory requirements, Korean equities could reach global investors through a channel that does not depend on which exchanges a company chooses to list on, a structural shift for both Korean public markets and the tokenised securities space more broadly.
Crypto Market Highlights
Coinbase Clearing Gets CFTC Nod, Bringing USDC Into Regulated Derivatives

NEWPORT BEACH, California, September 29th, 2026, Chainwire
Proposed acquisition would bring a gold-backed decentralized financial ecosystem, including decentralized financial infrastructure targeting retail, institutional, and blockchain markets.
A retail and institutional platform designed for the rapidly growing stablecoin industry, delivering compliance-focused infrastructure for payments, yield, lending and open-ecosystem, industry-wide decentralized financial applications.
Institutional gold-based infrastructure spanning gold as a currency, gold-collateralized USD products and gold-backed financial products, anchored to an Ethereum-based Layer 2 network designed as a stable foundation for the next generation of industry products.
Proprietary yield engines designed to power institutional products targeting competitive returns by bridging traditional and decentralized markets.
Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: AMZE) (“Amaze” or the “Company”) today announced it has entered into a binding Letter of Intent (“LOI”) to acquire the assets of BullionFX, including its core platform Alchemy (collectively, the “BullionFX Assets”), for stock valued at approximately $155 million.
The BullionFX Assets comprise the technology, infrastructure and intellectual property behind a blockchain financial ecosystem built around auditable physical gold. If completed, the acquisition would mark a strategic expansion for Amaze beyond creator commerce and into gold-backed digital-asset infrastructure. The transaction comes amid a broad resurgence in cryptocurrency markets, rapid growth in volume within the stablecoin industry, renewed institutional engagement with digital assets, and continued strength in gold as a long-established store of value. Adjusted stablecoin transaction volume hit $1.79 trillion in June 2026, up 125% year on year, according to Visa Onchain Analytics (Allium).
“Crypto’s renewed momentum and gold’s enduring role as a store of value have opened a rare window for infrastructure built on both,” said Joel Krutz, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Amaze. “Alchemy is a full-stack, gold-backed financial ecosystem, and we believe bringing it into the public markets can create meaningful long-term value for our stockholders.”
The acquisition gives Amaze the technology, infrastructure and intellectual property behind a comprehensive decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem in which every unit of digital value is tied to physical gold held by independent custodians. The platform’s architecture supports lending and borrowing protocols, yield products, cross-chain interoperability, and an Ethereum-based Layer 2 network that links traditional and decentralized finance while offering the rapidly growing market of gold- and USD-backed stablecoins users’ broad functionality, including access to yield opportunities.
Following closing, Amaze intends to prioritize activation of the self-custody retail wallet and yield engines and, as an initial institutional application, to pursue a listed Stable Asset Treasury (“SAT”) vehicle for gold and USD, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
“We have seen traditional financial markets adopt blockchain, and more recently stablecoins, as a direct result of retail users seeking more control, custody, and transferability of their own assets. We believe traditional finance will increasingly bridge with decentralized finance to extract the ideal attributes of both industries. Alchemy is well-positioned to compete in bringing to market a range of bridged traditional and decentralized financial products to introduce innovative financial offerings on a retail and institutional level while seeking to mitigate certain risks associated with traditional stablecoin models,” said Stephen Moss, Founder, BullionFX. “Joining a publicly listed company gives Alchemy the access and institutional credibility to accelerate our mission. That mission is a stable, transparent financial ecosystem for retail users that bridges traditional and decentralized finance.”
INSIDE THE ALCHEMY PLATFORM
$GOLD, Backed by Physical Gold. Alchemy’s core $GOLD token is designed to be backed one-to-one by vaulted, independently custodied and audited physical gold, with reserves intended to be subject to real-time attestation through third-party, institutional-grade audit mechanisms. $GOLD is designed to serve as the network’s settlement asset, combining the stability of a hard asset with the speed and transparency of blockchain settlement.
Built for the Stablecoin Industry. Alchemy is a retail and institutional platform designed for the rapidly growing stablecoin industry. Its compliance-focused architecture is built to support gold-linked payments, yield, lending and borrowing, cross-chain interoperability and open-ecosystem DeFi applications that third-party developers can build on.
Institutional Gold Infrastructure on Ethereum Layer 2. For institutions, Alchemy provides gold-based infrastructure spanning gold as a currency, gold-collateralized USD products and gold-backed financial products. Running on an Ethereum-based Layer 2 network, it is designed to bring gold’s stability on-chain as a foundation for future industry products.
Proprietary Yield Engines. Alchemy’s proprietary yield engines for gold and USD are designed to power institutional products targeting competitive returns by bridging traditional and decentralized markets.
Self-Custody for Retail. A planned self-custody retail wallet is designed to give users direct access to gold-linked payments, yield and DeFi applications while keeping control of their own assets.
“Stablecoins have proven the demand for digital money. The next question is what that money is anchored to,” said Simon Rahme, Co-Founder and CTO, BullionFX | Alchemy. “We engineered Alchemy’s Layer 2 so that gold sits inside the settlement layer itself rather than on top of it. That gives developers and institutions a base for payments, lending and yield products, with reserves designed to be verifiable on-chain.”
Transaction Terms
Under the LOI, which contains certain binding provisions, the parties will work toward definitive agreements. The transaction, if consummated, will result in significant issuance of Amaze common stock to BullionFX. Final terms are subject to due diligence, regulatory review, approval by each party’s board of directors and other customary closing conditions.
About Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: AMZE)
Amaze Holdings, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for brand development, product creation, advanced e-commerce, audience growth and scalable managed services. By helping people turn what they know, create and share into sustainable income, Amaze enables creators to build deeper audience relationships and more flexible paths to a better life. Discover more at www.amaze.co.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the proposed acquisition of the BullionFX Assets; the anticipated benefits, capabilities and potential of those assets; the parties’ ability to negotiate and enter into definitive agreements; the ability to successfully integrate the BullionFX Assets and realize anticipated synergies and value creation; the ability to generate anticipated yields or returns from proprietary yield engines or other platform features; the timing and success of planned product launches, including the self-custody retail wallet and Stable Asset Treasury vehicle; and expectations regarding the adoption and growth of decentralized finance, stablecoins, and gold-backed digital assets. Forward-looking statements often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “designed to,” or “targeted.” These statements are based on management’s current views and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation: the ability of the parties to negotiate and execute definitive agreements; the completion of due diligence; the receipt of required regulatory, stockholder and board approvals and the satisfaction of other closing conditions; the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination; the significant dilution to Amaze stockholders in connection with the transaction; the continued availability of capital and financing; the ability to commercialize and operationalize the BullionFX Assets; Amaze’s lack of operating history in digital asset infrastructure and decentralized finance; the performance and security of blockchain-based technology and digital assets; risks related to smart contract vulnerabilities, software bugs, cyberattacks, hacking incidents, and operational failures affecting blockchain-based systems; evolving federal and state laws, regulations and guidance applicable to digital assets, stablecoins, decentralized finance platforms and related custodial arrangements, including potential classification of tokens as securities; the creditworthiness, performance and regulatory status of third-party custodians holding physical gold reserves; the ability to maintain one-to-one gold backing and real-time attestation as described, and the risk that reserves may not be verified as anticipated; competition from established and emerging participants in the digital asset, stablecoin and decentralized finance industries; the ability to protect and enforce intellectual property rights in the acquired technology; the volatility of cryptocurrency and gold markets; prevailing market, regulatory and business conditions; and other risks and uncertainties described in Amaze’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Amaze undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.
Contact
Amaze Investor RelationsAmaze Holdings, Inc.ir@amaze.co888-672-0365

The wallets linked to Strategy transferred 3,568 BTC, which is approximately $297 million in value. It was thought that there might be another sale of Bitcoin.
According to Arkham, the movements were regular Fidelity Custody operations. It had no information suggesting that Strategy had sold Bitcoin.
Bitcoin wallets tied to Strategy have been involved in transferring out 3,568 BTC, which is equal to roughly $297 million. The Lookonchain blockchain tracking tool picked up 12 transfers within nine hours. Single transfers ranged from 138 BTC to 452 BTC in value. The transfers attracted attention because Strategy is one of the biggest corporates holding Bitcoin. But Emmett Gallic, an Arkham Intelligence analyst, argued that the transfers were not indicative of any Bitcoin sell-off. Gallic noted that the transfers were regular activity within Fidelity Custody. Arkham had previously flagged those addresses as Fidelity wallets.
These are neither selling or moving. These are normal movements within Fidelity Custody. Fidelity treats all customer BTC deposits as fungible and will move the funds as needed. Addresses are already reflected as Fidelity on Arkham
— Emmett Gallic (@emmettgallic) September 29, 2026
Previous Bitcoin Sales Have Contributed to the Confusion
The market reaction was also caused by the recent activities of Strategy in terms of monetizing Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Monetization Program of Strategy was launched on June 29. It is aimed at selling Bitcoin in cycles for USD reserves. With the help of the program, the company can get up to $1.25 billion.
In addition, Strategy had already revealed such actions. Strategy sold 1,363 BTC from June 29 to June 30. Such sales were made at the price of $59,256 per Bitcoin. Next, 2,225 BTC were sold from July 1 to July 5. In this case, the average price was $60,773 per Bitcoin. Therefore, the new wallet transactions were especially interesting for traders. However, Arkham did not reveal any sales in the recent transactions.
Bitcoin Buy Continues for Strategy
Unlike the previous filing, Strategy filed a new Bitcoin purchase report. In the period from September 21 to September 27, Strategy purchased 1,665 Bitcoins. The total expenditure to buy those Bitcoins amounted to approximately $142.7 million. Thus, the average price of acquiring each coin is approximately $85,681.
After buying 1,665 Bitcoins, the total number of Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings reached 847,666 BTC. Strategy purchased those Bitcoins with approximately $63.95 billion, which means that its average purchase price of Bitcoin amounts to $75,437.
Considering that Bitcoin is valued around $83,800, the approximate market value of the holdings is nearly $71 billion. In other words, the Bitcoin price is currently more than 10% above the average acquisition price of Strategy. The recent purchase was financed not only by MSTR sales but also by allocating $103.5 million for the purchase of STRC preferred shares. Strategy still holds $6.02 billion in its U.S. dollar reserves.
Highlighted Crypto News:
Tether’s USDT Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Iran Crypto Transactions

Four Greek crypto firms have appeared in the latest ESMA MiCA register.
The firms are BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank.
Greece has entered the European Union’s MiCA crypto regulatory register with four crypto-asset service providers, marking the country’s first appearance in the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) updated list.
The four Greek firms are BCASH, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank. They appear in ESMA’s register of authorized crypto-asset service providers under Greece. The latest register update was published on September 24 and was reported as a new development for Greece on September 29.
BCASH received its authorization on June 30, allowing it to provide crypto-to-fiat exchange services. Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece were authorized on July 22. Xenios can receive and transmit crypto-asset orders, while Capital Wallet Greece received authorization for several services, including custody, crypto-to-fiat and crypto-to-crypto exchanges, order execution and crypto transfers.
Piraeus Bank was authorized on August 7 by the Bank of Greece. Its permitted services include custody and administration of crypto-assets, order execution, reception and transmission of orders, and crypto-asset transfers.
Greece Joins the EU’s MiCA Framework
The four entries also highlight how Greece has divided MiCA oversight between its financial-market regulator and central bank. The Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) is the competent authority listed for BCASH, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece, while the Bank of Greece is listed for Piraeus Bank.
The broader ESMA update added 10 crypto-asset service providers from several EU countries, bringing the register to 359 unique providers, according to today’s report. MiCA establishes common rules for crypto-asset services across the European Union, covering authorization, supervision, transparency and disclosure requirements.
The development comes after Greece completed its first MiCA authorizations earlier this year, giving locally authorized firms a regulatory route to provide permitted crypto services under the EU framework.
Highlighted Crypto News:
Tether’s USDT Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Iran Crypto Transactions

According to a report from the Senate Democrats, USDT was seen in 84% of 846 sanctioned crypto wallets associated with Iran.
The Tether company challenges the description and claims that it helped block around $550 million worth of USDT associated with Iran in 2026.
The Senate of the United States is now investigating Tether’s USDT in relation to crypto dealings that have connections to Iran. This investigation was led by Senator Richard Blumenthal through the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The Senate analyzed transactions involving 846 crypto wallets that it had sanctioned or considered for seizure due to their links to Iran and its regional proxies. It turned out that in 84 percent of these crypto wallets, USDT was the only crypto coin being transacted. According to the report, such deals made it possible for Iranians to shift money across the globe while evading U.S. sanctions. The report also mentioned crypto dealings with Iran’s currency and the Central Bank of Iran.
How Tether Defended Its Freeze Practices
Tether refuted the label that USDT provides a safe haven for sanctioned individuals. The firm said that it works with U.S. regulators and assists in fighting any illicit crypto activity. Additionally, Tether mentioned that it was able to freeze $550 million of Iran-related USDT in 2026. The CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, said that the company has been working against sanctioned actors, terrorists, and criminals from the very beginning.
This statement differs greatly from the allegations stated by the Senate in its investigation report. According to the report, Tether did not always freeze the wallets of those who were designated before 2024. Furthermore, there is no proof that Tether actively freezes wallets that are associated with illicit Iranian finance.
Sanctions Against Iran Spark Scrutiny of Cryptocurrency
These findings come at a time when the US government is increasing pressure on Iran through sanctions, along with reviewing the use of cryptocurrency in evading sanctions. Blumenthal had earlier asked the Treasury and Justice Department to look into the sanctions and anti-money laundering procedures of Tether. This committee had already expressed concern about the use of USDT on Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges and their shadow banking systems.
Treasury had already flagged cryptocurrency as one of the components of Iran’s shadow banking system. These new findings now include analysis of transactions on wallets, alongside the previous concerns. For crypto markets, the findings put more focus on compliance and control measures for stablecoins. The ability of Tether to freeze USDT is an important aspect of the discussion.
Highlighted Crypto News:
Chainlink Enables Bank Access to Swift’s Blockchain Ledger for 24/7 Payments

Beldex, a privacy-centric blockchain ecosystem, announces the establishment of the Beldex Grants Program, a $1 million fund dedicated to fostering the development of privacy-preserving applications, tools, and infrastructure. The program operates as an ongoing initiative with flexible funding cycles, allowing developers globally to submit proposals based on project readiness rather than arbitrary deadlines.
The Beldex Grants Program was announced during Korea Blockchain Week 2026 in Seoul. The program is open to developers and teams worldwide, supporting the development of privacy-preserving applications, tools, and infrastructure. Beldex has historically focused on building its own privacy infrastructure and applications, including BChat, BelNet, BNS and the Beldex Browser. The Grants Program marks the next stage in that evolution, opening Beldex infrastructure to external developers and supporting a broader ecosystem of privacy-preserving applications, integrations and tooling Cris Blanco, Chief Strategy Officer at Beldex, said: “Beldex has spent years building privacy infrastructure and products. The next phase is about opening that foundation to developers and growing an ecosystem beyond what Beldex builds itself. We don’t expect the most important privacy applications of the future to all come from inside one organisation. The Grants Program is about giving builders the infrastructure, support and capital to take those ideas from concept to production.” The $1 million allocation is not divided into fixed tranche amounts. Instead, grant sizes are determined individually based on the scope of the proposal and the complexity of the required deliverables. The program accepts applications for:
Privacy-Preserving Applications: Consumer and enterprise applications spanning areas such as private payments, identity, communications, networking and other privacy-focused use cases.
Infrastructure, Research & Tooling: Core protocol contributions, developer tooling, SDK enhancements, privacy-focused middleware, and research that can advance Beldex’s privacy stack.
Integration & Interoperability: Integrations, wallet extensions and interoperability layers that connect applications and external ecosystems to Beldex infrastructure.
Applications are evaluated on five distinct criteria: innovation in privacy architecture, technical feasibility, potential ecosystem impact, adherence to security standards, and the clarity of proposed milestones. To ensure fiscal responsibility and project momentum, funding is released incrementally upon the verification of specific deliverables.
Depending on the nature of the project, milestone-based funding may include stages such as:
Prototype: A functional proof-of-concept demonstrating core privacy features.
Testing: Deployment, integration and testing in an appropriate test environment, including the Beldex testnet where applicable.
Mainnet/Production: Mainnet launch or production deployment, where applicable.
Chairman Afanddy Bin Hushni of Beldex, said: “We are not interested in handing out lump sums and hoping for the best. Funding is tied to clear, verifiable milestones, so ambition is matched by real delivery. The goal is simple: help strong teams turn promising ideas into technology people actually use”
The program provides direct technical integration support. Selected grantees receive access to Beldex’s Software Development Kits (SDKs), detailed wallet extension integration guides, and priority access to core repository maintainers via GitHub. This support structure is designed to reduce the engineering overhead typically associated with implementing zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and ring signatures in custom applications.
Proposals are accepted via the official Beldex application portal, which will go live concurrently with the announcement at Korea Blockchain Week. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis rather than through fixed hackathon or cohort deadlines, allowing teams to apply when their projects are ready for funding. Grants will be awarded while program funding remains available and proposals continue to meet the program’s technical and delivery criteria.
For more information on the Beldex Grants Program, including the application form and technical documentation, please visit beldex.io/grants. ENDS

Chainlink is working to connect financial institutions to Swift’s blockchain ledger through its Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE), while banks retain control of their transaction-signing keys.
Swift’s ledger is designed to support 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized bank deposits, with 17 financial institutions preparing to pilot live transactions.
Chainlink is working to enable financial institutions to connect their existing systems and transaction-signing infrastructure directly to Swift’s blockchain-based ledger through the Chainlink Platform, opening a path for 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized bank deposits.
Chainlink announced the initiative on September 28, saying its Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) will coordinate workflows between financial institutions and Swift’s ledger. Banks will retain control of the private keys used to authorize transactions rather than handing that authority to Chainlink.
Banks to Keep Control of Transaction Signing
The setup is designed to allow banks to use their existing security and approval processes while connecting to Swift’s blockchain infrastructure. CRE handles the workflow coordination, while financial institutions continue to control their transaction-signing keys.
TODAY: Chainlink announced it is working to enable financial institutions to connect to @swiftcommunity’s blockchain ledger through the Chainlink platform. Swift moves the equivalent of the world's GDP roughly every three days pic.twitter.com/ntIHTlOwH3
— Chainlink (@chainlink) September 28, 2026
Swift’s ledger is designed to coordinate 24/7 cross-border payments using tokenized deposits. The deposits remain on participating banks’ own ledgers and represent bank-issued money. Swift’s ledger coordinates the movement of funds between institutions, including during nights and weekends, before final settlement through existing mechanisms such as real-time gross settlement systems.
Swift said in July that its ledger had moved into initial use, with 17 financial institutions across six continents preparing to pilot live tokenized-deposit transactions. The broader initiative was developed with more than 40 financial institutions, while Swift’s network connects more than 11,500 financial institutions and corporates across more than 200 markets.
The ledger uses an EVM-compatible architecture based on Hyperledger Besu and is operated by Swift as an orchestration layer for transaction workflows and funding commitments. Banks retain authority over their keys, assets, funding and final settlement arrangements.
The Chainlink initiative comes as financial institutions continue expanding work around tokenized deposits and on-chain payments. Chainlink also launched CCIP 2.0 on September 28, aimed at providing institutional interoperability across public and private blockchains.
The latest announcement does not provide a specific date for a full rollout of the Chainlink-Swift connection across participating banks.

Coinbase Clearing LLC received CFTC registration, completing Coinbase’s full stack of CFTC-regulated derivatives infrastructure.
The clearinghouse uses USDC as collateral with 24/7 settlement, designed to support always-on regulated derivatives markets.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved the registration of Coinbase Clearing LLC as a Derivatives Clearing Organisation. This makes it the first USDC-native clearinghouse in the United States. The approval completes what Coinbase has been building toward for years: a full-stack, CFTC-regulated derivatives platform under one roof.
Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. serves as the Futures Commission Merchant. Coinbase Derivatives, LLC operates as the Designated Contract Market. And Coinbase Clearing LLC, the newly approved DCO, sits at the centre of it all, handling clearing and settlement natively in USDC with 24/7 availability.
For context, most derivatives platforms rely on external clearinghouses to settle contracts. Significantly, Coinbase has now cut that dependency entirely for its own products.
What This Changes for Coinbase?
The practical impact is noticeable. For the first time, Coinbase can create and settle fully collateralised contracts directly, without routing through third-party infrastructure. That means faster product development, leaner operations, and the ability to bring new regulated products to market on its own timeline rather than someone else’s.
Molly Abraham, General Counsel at Coinbase, stated:
“Today’s CFTC approval completes Coinbase’s end-to-end derivatives infrastructure, enabling us to bring more regulated derivatives products to market with native USDC collateral and 24/7 settlement.”
Moreover, the clearinghouse is registered to handle fully collateralised futures, options on futures, and swaps, all settled 24/7. That is not just operationally efficient. Also, it’s purpose-built for markets that do not close on weekends.
USDC as the Foundation
The decision to build the clearinghouse natively around USDC is deliberate. Using a regulated stablecoin as collateral removes the friction that comes with converting between fiat and crypto for settlement purposes. It also positions Coinbase’s infrastructure as something the broader market can eventually build on top of, not just a tool for Coinbase’s own products.
In addition, Coinbase will continue working with existing partners for certain products, including its margined derivatives business and the planned launch of single stock perpetuals. The new clearinghouse does not replace those relationships; it adds a layer of in-house capability that didn’t exist before.
On the other hand, a regulated, stablecoin-native clearing layer sitting inside one of the largest U.S. crypto exchanges is the kind of infrastructure milestone that doesn’t make immediate headlines but quietly reshapes what’s possible.
Furthermore, faster product launches, more efficient settlement, and a scalable foundation for whatever regulated crypto derivatives look like in the next five years. That is what the approval actually unlocks.
Crypto Market Highlights
Bitget Reopens Withdrawals in Phases After September 24 Security Incident

Chicago, United States, September 28th, 2026, Chainwire
AlgoQuant will deploy Liquid Mercury’s institutional-grade trading technology to scale its multi-strategy investment platform and enhance execution capabilities across global digital asset markets.
Liquid Mercury, a leading technology provider for digital asset marketplaces and crypto trading, announced today that it has been engaged by AlgoQuant Asset Management, an investment manager focused on solving inefficiencies in fast-evolving markets, to provide trading technology and infrastructure services.
The engagement will enable AlgoQuant to leverage Liquid Mercury’s institutional-grade trading technology and infrastructure to enhance its multi-strategy investment platform. AlgoQuant will gain access to deep liquidity, advanced execution capabilities, and professional-grade trading tools that support the firm’s commitment to quantitative excellence, risk integrity, and operational resilience.
Liquid Mercury’s battle-tested platform combined with AlgoQuant’s sophisticated quantitative strategies provides a powerful foundation for executing complex digital asset trades across global markets. This technology integration allows AlgoQuant to maintain 24/7 trading operations while scaling talent, capital, and technology without compromising precision.
With a team spanning key global financial and digital asset markets, AlgoQuant operates as a multi-strategy investment platform designed to perform across diverse market environments. Through Liquid Mercury’s platform, AlgoQuant will benefit from access to top-tier liquidity providers, low-latency infrastructure, and comprehensive middle and back-office tools designed to meet the demands of institutional asset managers operating in digital asset markets.
“AlgoQuant came to us with very specific infrastructure requirements that are unique to their sophisticated quantitative strategies,” stated Liquid Mercury CEO, Tony Saliba. “What sets Liquid Mercury apart is our ability to shape our tech stack to meet each client’s distinct needs. This level of customization isn’t something firms can always find off the shelf, but our battle-tested platform was built with the flexibility to adapt while maintaining institutional-grade standards. We’re honored to provide the tailored technology infrastructure that will support AlgoQuant as it continues to scale its investment platform.”
“Liquid Mercury has been an excellent technology partner for AlgoQuant Asset Management,” said Alexander Goncharov, President of AlgoQuant Asset Management. “We are very pleased with their sophisticated technology stack, collaborative approach, and willingness to tailor the platform to our specific needs. Their infrastructure delivers the speed, reliability, and precision required in today’s digital asset markets while integrating seamlessly with our proprietary systems and workflows.”
About AlgoQuant Asset Management
AlgoQuant is an investment manager with a clear mission: to solve inefficiencies in fast-evolving markets. From day one, the firm has been focused on building a platform that can scale talent, capital, and technology without compromising precision. At the heart of AlgoQuant’s model is a commitment to quantitative excellence, risk integrity, and operational resilience.
AlgoQuant operates as a multi-strategy investment platform with global reach, featuring team members and trading teams based in key global financial and digital asset markets. The firm’s structure supports 24/7 execution, oversight, and engagement with global allocators.
Further information can be found at www.aq.io
About Liquid Mercury
Liquid Mercury powers professional crypto trading and digital asset marketplaces. Founded by legendary trader Tony Saliba, who was featured in Jack Schwager’s “Market Wizards,” Liquid Mercury is the #1 choice for sophisticated buy-side and institutional sell-side trading professionals moving into crypto.
Mercury Pro is an institutional-grade trading platform designed specifically for professional traders navigating crypto derivatives and spot markets. The platform offers sophisticated trade execution tools including DMA routing, staging, execution algorithms, and anonymous multi-dealer RFQ to source block liquidity. Traders can manage all orders and trade data in a single platform with real-time views of balances and account positions.
Key capabilities include access to crypto derivatives at leading onshore and offshore exchanges, institutional-sized pricing with top OTC liquidity providers, and a wide range of spot products across leading exchanges. The platform supports both single-leg and multi-leg orders in net price structures, with low-latency infrastructure built for high-frequency and algorithmic trading strategies.
Liquid Mercury integrates with world-class custodians including Fireblocks, Gemini, and BitGo, and provides comprehensive APIs (FIX, WebSocket, and REST) for automated trading and workflow customization. Built by professionals for professionals, Liquid Mercury combines battle-tested trading technology with deep liquidity access and best-in-class workflow automation.
For more information about Liquid Mercury and the $MERC token, users can visit www.liquidmercury.com or merc.liquidmercury.com.
Disclaimer
This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or fund interests in any jurisdiction. Any offer or solicitation of interests in any fund managed by AlgoQuant Asset Management Corp will be made only by definitive offering documents, and only to eligible investors in accordance with applicable law. No statement in this press release is, or should be construed as, a representation as to the past or future performance of any fund or strategy managed by AlgoQuant.
Contact
DirectorKent EganLiquid Mercurysales@liquidmercury.com

South Korea’s FSC is reviewing a potential crypto market-making framework after JPYC briefly traded at more than four times its reference value on Upbit.
Upbit data showed 21,219 investors bought JPYC at prices more than 10% above its reference value during the five days after its listing.
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) is reviewing whether to introduce a formal market-making framework for digital assets after a sharp price distortion involving yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC on Upbit raised concerns over liquidity and investor protection.
FSC Director of Digital Finance Policy Yoo Young-jun said on September 28 that the regulator would review the need for market-making activities to improve the efficiency and stability of the digital-asset market. The comments do not represent an immediate rule change, and the existing restrictions on market-making remain in place.
JPYC Surge Highlights Liquidity Problems
The review follows JPYC’s September 17 listing on Upbit,the largest crypto exchange in South Korea. The token, designed to maintain a value of 1 JPYC = 1 Japanese yen. The stablecoin opened at around 12 Korean won and climbed to 37.6 won within about an hour, while its yen-linked reference value was around 8.8 won. The move pushed JPYC to more than four times its reference value before the price moved back toward the expected range as additional token supply became available.
The sharp move also drew attention to losses among retail traders. Data provided by Upbit to a South Korean lawmaker showed that 21,219 investors bought JPYC at prices more than 10% above its reference value during the five days following the listing. Their purchases totaled about 259.9 billion won, according to reporting published Monday.
So, reports attributed the sharp JPYC move to limited liquidity in the initial won market rather than a change in the stablecoin’s underlying yen reference. Market participants have subsequently called for stronger rules covering liquidity providers, issuance and redemption arrangements and controls for abnormal price movements.
JPYC was not the only stablecoin to experience unusual price movements on Korean exchanges this month. PYUSD briefly traded as high as 1,760 won on Upbit, while EURC reached 7,860 won on Bithumb, highlighting wider liquidity concerns.
South Korea’s current virtual-asset market-manipulation rules restrict professional market-making activity. Any new system would therefore require further regulatory or legislative work, with the FSC yet to announce specific licensing requirements or a timetable.
The review is also taking place alongside work on South Korea’s proposed Digital Asset Basic Act, which is expected to address stablecoins, exchanges, disclosures and other digital-asset rules.

George Town, British Virgin Islands, September 28th, 2026, Chainwire
Aster, the privacy-first onchain trading platform backed by YZi Labs, today announced the launch of its Liquidity Pool Mining campaign, a four-week incentive campaign featuring a total reward pool of up to 140,000 $ASTER and running from September 28 to October 25, 2026 (UTC). To celebrate the launch of Perpetual Grid 2.0, the program is open to all Aster users running Perpetual Grid strategies on eligible trading pairs.
Rewards will be distributed hourly based on each eligible Grid’s share of trading volume. The base reward pool is set at 10,000 $ASTER per epoch, with additional rewards available based on market conditions and trading activity on the platform. Participation is automatic, with no registration required.
“As Aster continues to bring more emerging assets and opportunities onchain, we’re also focused on building the tools traders need to navigate increasingly dynamic markets. Perpetual Grid offers a flexible way to capture opportunities amid market volatility, and Grid 2.0 takes this experience further with greater flexibility and independence. This upgrade is another step toward our broader vision of building the frontier of onchain trading,” said Leonard, CEO at Aster.
Incentivizing Automated Perpetual Trading
The campaign builds on Aster’s expanded Perpetual Grid infrastructure, giving users a new way to participate in automated trading while earning additional $ASTER rewards from eligible Grid activity. Both Maker and Taker volume count toward the campaign, while manual trading and activity outside the Grid strategy are excluded.
An Estimated Bonus APY is also displayed to provide an indication of potential annualized $ASTER rewards based on recent campaign activity. The estimate can change as trading volume, participating Grids and other campaign conditions change, and does not guarantee future rewards or returns.
Grid 2.0 Separates Automated and Manual Strategies
Alongside the campaign, the newly upgraded Perpetual Grid 2.0 enables Grid strategies to operate independently from users’ regular Perpetual trading. Each Grid runs through a dedicated Grid Bot subaccount, keeping its positions and margin separate from the main Perpetual account.
With support for both Cross and Isolated Margin, users can run automated Grid strategies while continuing to trade Perpetuals manually, including on the same trading pair. Isolated Margin supports up to 50 independent Grid strategies per account, with no per-pair limit.
Discover Strategies Through Grid Marketplace
Aster’s Grid Marketplace further simplifies strategy discovery by allowing users to browse active Grid strategies and review metrics such as PnL, ROI, runtime, price range, leverage and trading activity.
Users can use an existing strategy as a starting point through Copy, or switch its direction through Reverse, turning a Long strategy into Short or vice versa. Copied or reversed strategies remain independent from their source and do not automatically synchronize with the original Grid.
The Liquidity Pool Mining campaign is available on designated eligible trading pairs, with the Week 1 eligible pairs including OURA/USD1, POLYMARKET/USD1, and META/USD1. The reward pool is shared across participating pairs. Individual rewards are determined by each Grid’s eligible trading volume relative to the total eligible volume generated during the relevant hourly period.
More eligible trading pairs may be added in subsequent weeks to reflect the latest market trends. For more information about the campaign, eligible trading pairs and current campaign parameters, please visit the official campaign page.
About Aster
Aster is a privacy-first onchain trading platform backed by YZi Labs, with unique features like Hidden Orders to protect user trading activity. It pioneers the frontier of on-chain trading through perpetual futures, spots, and earn products for top-trending assets, including RWAs, memes, and core crypto markets. It is powered by Aster Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain built to power the future of decentralized finance.
Users can learn more about Aster on the official website or follow Aster on X.
Contact
Marketing ManagerLola Chenlola.chen@asterdex.com

Quant surged more than 50%, while HBAR jumped over 30% as Bitcoin and the broader crypto market traded lower.
PUMP, SEI and XDC also posted strong gains, supported by token buybacks, ETF developments and enterprise blockchain activity.
Bitcoin is trading lower today, with the broader crypto market also pulling back as major assets such as Ethereum and XRP remain in the red. Bitcoin was around $83,200, down about 1.5% over 24 hours, while total crypto market capitalization fell roughly 1.5% to $2.86 trillion. Despite the broader weakness, several altcoins are moving sharply higher, led by Quant (QNT), while Pump.fun (PUMP), Sei (SEI), XDC Network (XDC) and Hedera (HBAR) are also posting gains.
1. Quant (QNT)
Quant is leading the gainers list, securing the #1 spot by a wide margin. At the time of writing, QNT was trading around $260, up more than 50% over 24 hours, with an intraday high of $357. The altcoins market cap climbed above $3 billion, while trading volume surged about $1.5 billion, showing how much activity has entered the token during the latest move.
The biggest catalyst for QNT remains its recent selection by The Clearing House for the organization’s On-Chain Money Initiative. Quant will provide the interoperability, orchestration and transaction-management layers for a new network designed to allow financial institutions to clear and settle tokenized deposit transactions.
The network is expected to become available to participating institutions in the first half of 2027. The Clearing House says its existing payment networks process more than $2 trillion each day.
Quant is also benefiting from the recent UK tokenized-deposit milestone, where seven banks completed live customer transactions on the GBTD platform built by Quant.
2. Hedera (HBAR)
Hedera has stolen the #2 spot. HBAR is trading above $0.1245, up more than 30% over 24 hours. HBAR has not traded at this level since July 2026, while its trading volume has seen a huge gain of more than 800%. The token has remained relatively resilient despite weakness in Bitcoin.
HBAR price increased primarily due to continued market reaction to the IBM and The Hashgraph Group partnership which listed the Hedera-based IDTrust identity platform on the IBM Cloud Catalog. IDTrust is focused on verifiable identity for AI agents.
The inclusion of IDTrust in the IBM Cloud Catalog boosted enterprise adoption confidence and rerated Hedera’s utility in AI governance and digital identity. HBAR has also benefited from broader rotation into enterprise-focused blockchain projects.
4. Pump.fun (PUMP)
#3 PUMP is trading near $0.0051, up roughly 17% in 24 hours, with daily trading volume approaching $377 million and a market cap of about $2.4 billion. The token remains below its $0.008819 all-time high.
The latest catalyst is Pump.fun’s continued buyback-and-burn activity. On September 26, the platform burned 320.4 million PUMP, using 11,900 SOL worth about $1.46 million. The burn represented 52.04% of that day’s protocol revenue. Pump.fun has also reported 869,500 daily active wallets on Solana as of September 26.
4. Sei (SEI)
The #4 gainer is SEI. Right now, the altcoin is trading around $0.083, with the token up sharply 18% over the past 24 hours. Binance historical data shows, SEI gained 10.11% on Sep. 27 after rising 19.72% on Sep. 25. The current trading volume surges more than 122%, reaching about $274.7 million.
The rally has followed attention around Canary Capital’s proposed Staked SEI ETF. An amended SEC filing proposes staking 90% of the fund’s SEI, with BitGo serving as custodian. If approved, this would severely contract the available circulating supply of SEI on the open market while compounding yields back into the fund.
The upcoming Giga upgrade is another part of the current narrative. Recent testing reportedly reached 63,000 requests per second, adding to interest around Sei’s performance improvements.
5. XDC Network (XDC)
The #5 spot goes to XDC Network. XDC is trading around $0.034, up nearly 13% over the past 24 hours, with daily trading volume jumping 250% to about $35 million and a market capitalization of nearly $732 million.
XDC’s move comes as attention remains focused on its use in trade finance and real-world asset infrastructure. The network is designed for enterprise applications and international trade, while Singapore’s TradeTrust platform uses XDC Network for document authentication under the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records framework.

Bitget resumed BTC withdrawals, with 9,585 orders and 4,098.036 BTC already processed.
ETH, USDT, and other assets will resume in phases through October 2 across multiple networks.
Bitget has begun the phased resumption of withdrawals following the security incident identified on September 24. The first of its kind in the eight years of operation of the exchange. BTC withdrawals on the Bitcoin and BSC networks went live at 08:00 UTC on September 28, with 9,585 orders. 4,098.036 BTC were already processed as of 17:00 UTC+8.
The schedule for the remaining networks is as follows: ETH withdrawals across Ethereum, BSC, Arbitrum, Base, and Optimism open on September 29. USDT withdrawals on Ethereum, BSC, Solana, and Tron resume September 30. In addition, all other tokens, fiat, and P2P follow on October 2.
What Actually Happened
The full trace-back is complete. The attacker exploited vulnerabilities in a third-party security product used by Bitget to obtain high-level internal credentials. Those credentials were then used to send fraudulent withdrawal commands directly to the wallet system. This likely bypassed risk controls and triggered abnormal transfers. Private keys were not compromised. Cold wallets were not affected.
Bitget isolated the affected systems, remediated the vulnerability, revoked and reissued internal credentials, and restructured access to highly sensitive systems. The security team notified the third-party vendor and disabled the affected functionality.
Moreover, Mandiant and SlowMist are continuing to support the independent forensic investigation and on-chain tracing efforts. Bitget has published the identified attacker addresses publicly to support broader industry collaboration and asset recovery.
The Freeze and What It Recovered
Circle blacklisted an address labelled “Bitget Exploiter 8” at 05:00 UTC on September 25, freezing 218,023 USDT and 99,990 USDC, approximately $318,000 combined. Also, Tether subsequently blacklisted the same address, as confirmed by MistTrack.
The frozen amount represents a small fraction of the total stolen assets. On the other hand, MistTrack data shows attacker-linked addresses still hold more than 63,000 ETH. Significantly, the funds that issuers cannot freeze. Bitget has requested THORChain to refuse service to the identified attacker addresses.
Every user balance is fully covered by the Bitget Protection Fund, which will be topped back up to over $300 million with the firm’s own capital within the week. The incident caused zero user impact. Security teams will complete an internal report this week and publish confirmed details shortly after.
Furthermore, Bitget is launching Project Stand Together, a package of trading-fee rewards and additional protections for retail, VIP, and professional users.
Crypto Market Highlights
China’s MSS Warns Crypto Users: Blockchain Transactions Leave a Permanent Trail

China’s MSS says crypto users cannot assume digital assets disconnect transactions from their identities or the law.
Blockchain records are permanent and transparent, allowing transactions to remain traceable on a public ledger.
China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) issued a pointed warning on Monday: cryptocurrencies are not beyond the reach of the law, and anyone who believes otherwise is working from a false premise. The statement targets a growing misconception: that using crypto instead of traditional banking severs the connection between transactions and personal identity.
Also, the core of the MSS statement is that blockchain technology is, by design, transparent. Every transaction, regardless of size, location, or timing, is permanently recorded on a public ledger. Moreover, that record cannot be deleted or altered. The distributed nature of blockchain means that once data is written, it stays written.
Wallet addresses do obscure the link between an address and a real identity, but only temporarily. The moment crypto interacts with the traditional financial system, through exchanges, payment platforms, or fiat conversions, it leaves behind device information, IP addresses, and digital traces that professional investigators can follow. On-chain data analysis and big data comparison tools can reconstruct entire fund flows. It identifies the real people behind wallet addresses.
Furthermore, the MSS was direct: the “anonymity” that criminal networks have promoted as a selling point is, from a technical standpoint, a false premise.
How Crypto Is Being Misused?
The ministry outlined four specific criminal use cases that have exploited this misconception. Money laundering sits at the top, with criminals splitting and transferring illicit proceeds from telecom fraud, online gambling, and cross-border smuggling through crypto to evade financial oversight. The MSS described this as a direct threat to China‘s foreign exchange management and national financial security.
In addition, ransomware operators demand payment in crypto to obscure identities after attacks or cyber intrusions. Beyond domestic crime, the MSS flagged a more serious concern: foreign intelligence agencies are using crypto to fund espionage operations and pay individuals recruited or coerced into intelligence activities, posing a direct threat to state secrets.
On the other hand, the MSS added a warning that goes beyond law enforcement. Privately held blockchain keys have no recovery mechanism. Lose it, leak it, or have it stolen, and control over those assets is gone permanently. Entrusting keys to a platform introduces a different set of risks: platform insolvency, inaccessibility, or operational failure.
Crypto Market Highlights
Robinhood Chain Rug Pull Alert: How 53 Token Launches Were Linked

Legislation was enacted that prohibited public officials from issuing memecoins and imposed restrictions on specific official coins.
Another law will expand anti-money laundering laws and regulations in relation to any crimes committed with the use of cryptocurrencies.
New legislation in California has been signed to increase restrictions related to the operations of cryptocurrencies by public officials. The bill, known as Assembly Bill 2409, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27. The law aims to impose restrictions on memecoins issued by public officials in California.
They will apply to any qualifying memecoins issued on or after January 1, 2027. The bill includes provisions that will add to California’s already extant laws prohibiting state officers and employees from conducting any businesses conflicting with their official duties. AB 2409 introduces the issuance of cryptocurrency as an additional restriction on such outside business activities. The bill also gives provisions for enforcement through civil action. The California Attorney General, District Attorneys, City Attorneys, and County Counsel may pursue violations.
Broader Criminal Enforcement Measures Against Digital Assets
In addition to passing AB 2409, California has passed SB 1208. This bill is more concerned with digital assets than AB 2409. It will amend the existing law related to money laundering to cover any illegal transactions involving digital assets. It will also provide ways to recover money for victims of crypto scams and frauds. In addition, the bill will include provisions that enable the government to seize digital assets associated with transnational criminal organizations. The measures will give law enforcement the means to freeze, seize, and forfeit any crypto assets used in committing crimes.
New California Laws on Crypto Disclosure Obligations
These new laws are in addition to the existing disclosure obligations with respect to cryptocurrencies and other digital financial assets applicable to California public officials. Currently, California mandates disclosure of cryptocurrencies and other digital financial assets that may give rise to any disqualifying financial interest.
The new laws further restrict memecoins for public officials in California and also increase the enforcement mechanism with respect to financial crimes involving cryptocurrencies. This will give rise to new compliance obligations for public officials, digital asset businesses, and crypto users in California. The memecoin prohibitions will come into effect for qualifying coins issued after January 1, 2027.
Highlighted Crypto News:
Robinhood Chain Rug Pull Alert: How 53 Token Launches Were Linked

53 token launches on Robinhood Chain were linked to an alleged coordinated rug-pull operation extracting at least $18.43 million.
45 launches were connected through fund flows, with shared private keys and collector wallets revealing links between projects.
Onchain analyst Wazz has uncovered what appears to be the largest coordinated rug-pull operation traced on Robinhood Chain to date. Across roughly two months, 53 token launches were linked to a single extraction operation that pulled at least $18.43 million from retail buyers, with Wazz noting the real figure is likely higher given the limits of what could be directly traced.
The operation was structured, repeatable, and deliberately designed to be difficult to detect. Proceeds from one launch were used to fund the next, often within seconds. Furthermore, of the 53 launches identified, 45 were connected through these fund flows. Four shared the same private key signing funding batches across different launches. Four others shared a collector wallet that received proceeds from multiple projects.
Moreover, nearly every launch was sniped for over 70% of supply using bundles of 70 to 200 wallets, with most deployed through Pons V2. The pattern was consistent enough that Wazz was able to tag every involved wallet in his on-chain database.
The top three launches by extraction:
$CRUMBS: $3.12M extracted via a 92-wallet bundle
$LEGS: $2.9M extracted via a 77-wallet bundle
$PINK: $1.44M extracted via a 125-wallet bundle
Three separate launches each ran under the $PINK, $CRUMBS, and $DEED tickers, all linked to the same operation.
The Fake Launch Tactic
One of the more calculated elements of the scheme was the use of fake pre-launch contracts. The operation would hype a token heavily before launch, deploy a fake contract address to pull in early buyers, then release the real contract address afterwards, maximising extraction by running two rounds of the same scam on the same audience.
Most KOL posts promoting these launches were deleted immediately after the rug. Also, Wazz confirmed saved evidence only for the $DEED launch, noting that involved accounts likely overlap across multiple projects.
What This Means for Investors and the Robinhood Chain Ecosystem?
Most of the extracted funds are sitting in ETH, making them effectively unfreezable without exchange cooperation. In addition, the ease with which this operation ran for two months across 53 launches without detection points to a serious gap in on-chain monitoring on Robinhood Chain.
For retail investors, basic due diligence on wallet history, supply distribution, and deployer connections would have flagged most of these launches before a single dollar was lost. Sniping patterns, fresh deployer wallets, and concentrated supply are not subtle signals.
For the Robinhood Chain ecosystem, an $18.43M extraction operation tied to one ring, with at least two other unlinked serial operations also identified, raises legitimate questions about platform-level safeguards, launch screening, and the kind of infrastructure needed to protect a retail-first user base from organised extraction at this scale.
Crypto Market Highlights
ONDO Price Jumps 32%: BlackRock’s On-Chain Move Sparks Fresh Momentum

CryptoCon Sydney is set to return to ICC Sydney on 28–29 November 2026, bringing together founders, investors, builders, institutions, industry professionals and the wider crypto community for two days of education, industry insight and connection. This year, General Admission will be free, opening the event to anyone interested in learning more about crypto, blockchain and Web3. Free registration will provide access to the exhibition floor and speaker sessions, making it easier for both newcomers and experienced members of the industry to connect with the people, businesses and ideas shaping the sector. “Education has always been central to what we are building with CryptoCon. By making General Admission free this year, we’re removing a barrier and allowing more Australians to learn directly from the people shaping crypto, blockchain and Web3,” said David Haslop, Founder of CryptoCon. Across two days, the 2026 program will explore market trends, regulation, investing, blockchain infrastructure, startup growth and brand building. Confirmed speakers include Greg Oakford, Head of Partnerships at Swyftx; Pav Hundal, Lead Market Analyst at Swyftx; Olivia Long, Founder and CEO of SMSF AI; and David Bird, known as ASX Trader and Founder of Mastering The Markets. The event will also bring together some of the major platforms and businesses supporting Australia’s crypto and Web3 ecosystem, with AULT Blockchain, Binance, CoinSpot, Pepperstone Crypto and Swyftx joining CryptoCon Sydney as 2026 Title Partners. Beyond the main conference program, attendees can discover emerging companies, meet other members of the community through the event app and take part in official side events. Those looking for a more premium experience can also access optional paid upgrades, including the Super Yacht Party, Whale Lounge and Industry Networking Event. CryptoCon Sydney will take place at ICC Sydney on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2026. Free General Admission registrations and event updates are available at auscryptocon.com.
About CryptoCon Sydney
CryptoCon Sydney is Australia’s flagship crypto, blockchain and Web3 event. Held at ICC Sydney on 28–29 November 2026, the event connects founders, investors, builders, institutions, industry professionals and the wider crypto community through insight-led programming, startup discovery and premium networking experiences.
Media enquiries
Tara McMahon Marketing & Partnership Coordinator Web3 Australia Grouptara@web3expo.com Website: https://auscryptocon.com/

ONDO price has surged by over 32%, trading at around $0.5626 as investor interest picks up.
BlackRock brings three portfolio strategies on-chain through Ondo, covering stocks, bonds, and Bitcoin ETF exposure.
Ondo Finance’s ONDO is currently trading around the $0.5626 mark, posting a steady surge of over 32.5%. Also, the volume is at $1.378 billion, and the 24-hour session ranged between $0.4181 and $0.5789. The price chart shows that the token is now pressing against new yearly highs.
The catalyst is real, with BlackRock bringing three investment portfolio strategies on-chain through Ondo, covering stock, bond, and Bitcoin ETF exposure. These are not concept products, with tokenised equities backed by real securities sourced from real market liquidity, with allocation, rebalancing, and fee logic all encoded into smart contracts and executed automatically.
The first three portfolios launched under the Ondo Intelligent Portfolios brand mark the first time exposure to BlackRock-developed portfolio strategies has been made available to on-chain investors. Non-U.S. investors now get 24/7 trading, transfers, and the ability to borrow against their holdings, infrastructure that traditional finance still can’t match.
The ONDO Chart Confirmed the Move
ONDO price had been compressing inside a descending wedge, a contraction that resolved with a decisive breakout above trendline resistance. The vertical rally that followed reclaimed multiple key horizontal boundaries, converting former resistance into support floors.
The chart is now testing the upper horizontal resistance band, and holding above newly reclaimed support keeps the breakout structure intact. Zooming in on the 4-hour trading pattern, the ONDO/USDT pair is bullish. The price could rise to the $0.5680 resistance mark. If the bullish momentum gains more traction, the golden cross would send the price above $0.5728.
On the other hand, assuming the ONDO market momentum reverses and prints a red picture, the price could instantly slip to the $0.5572 support range. A failure to sustain the $0.5626 level might initiate more losses, along with the formation of the death cross, and gradually, there are chances for bears to reclaim dominance.
Will ONDO Momentum Maintain Its Uptrend?
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line and the signal line sit above the zero line; the asset is trading in a strong macro uptrend. The short-term bullish momentum is accelerating within that existing uptrend. This double-positive alignment confirms strong buying pressure.
Notably, the buyers remain in firm control and continue to drive ONDO price higher. Traders view this dynamic as a high-probability buy signal to maintain long positions. It is also essential to watch for overbought conditions that could hint at short-term momentum fatigue.
(Source: TradingView)
Besides, the market sentiment of ONDO is bullish, in the overbought territory, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 73.49. The strong buying pressure has sustained price appreciation over recent cycles. However, crossing above 70 serves as a signal that the move is becoming short-term overextended.
An overbought value is an indicator of strong momentum. In powerful macro bull trends, assets can remain elevated above for extended periods. Readings in the low-to-mid 70s are a signal to exercise caution and tighten stop-loss levels in anticipation of a potential consolidation.
Crypto Market Highlights
Bitget Hit by $351.6M Hot Wallet Breach, North Korean Hackers Suspected

QNT’s price climbed above $100, reaching its highest level since December 2025.
The Clearing House selected Quant to power its On-Chain Money Initiative for tokenized deposit transactions.
While the global crypto market is facing slight downtrend today as Bitcoin drops below $85K Quant (QNT) has become the top-performing cryptocurrency among the top 100 assets by market cap today. The token breaking above $100 as buying activity accelerates following a major institutional development involving The Clearing House.
At the time of writing, QNT was trading around $101.84, after reaching an intraday high of about $103.71, the level not seen since December 2025. CMC listed Quant as the day’s top gainer, with nearly a 48% increase from its intraday low of $70.51. The rally comes as QNT’s 24-hour trading volume surged more than 553%, while its market cap stood at around $1.25 billion.
What Let’s Quant Price Surge?
The main reason behind QNT price jump is The Clearing House’s decision to select Quant to power its On-Chain Money Initiative, announced on Sep. 24. The project is designed to create an interoperable payments network that allows financial institutions to clear and settle tokenized deposits.
Quant will provide the network’s interoperability, orchestration and transaction-management layers, while also connecting the system with existing payment infrastructure, including the RTP and CHIPS networks. The Clearing House expects the network to become available to participating financial institutions in the first half of 2027.
The development has given QNT fresh momentum as interest in tokenized deposits and real-world asset infrastructure continues to build. The Clearing House says its existing payment networks handle more than $2 trillion in transactions each day across wire, ACH, check-image and real-time payments.
QNT Price Breaks Higher as Momentum Accelerates
The 4-hour chart shows a clear bullish breakout pattern, with QNT forming a series of higher highs and higher lows before accelerating sharply above the $80 and $90 areas. The latest candles show the QNT price pushing into the $100-$102 zone after a steep upward move.
QNT is now trading well above both its 9-day moving average at $85.74 and 21-day moving average at $77.81 on the chart. That wide gap shows how quickly the rally has accelerated.
(Source: TradingView)
However, momentum has also pushed the 14-day RSI to 90.72, placing it deep inside overbought territory. The RSI average shown on the chart is around 74.96. Such a high RSI can increase the risk of a short-term pullback or consolidation as traders lock in profits.
That leaves the $100 area as an important near-term level for Quant. A sustained move above the recent $102.60 high would extend the breakout, while a pullback could bring the $92-$96 region back into focus before the next move.
The sharp rally follows an earlier move from around $70.64 on Sep. 23 to $90.13 on Sep. 24, according to historical market data, meaning QNT has more than doubled its momentum in just a few sessions.
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