Из жизни альткоинов

Председатель правления BitMine и сооснователь компании Fundstrat Том Ли (Tom Lee) в интервью основателю Pomp Investments Энтони Помплиано (Anthony Pompliano) заявил, что при определенных обстоятельствах биткоин может потерять до половины своей стоимости.

Судьбу крипторынка на поздней стадии бычьего тренда будут определять «биткоин-дельфины», хранящие на своих кошельках от 100 до 1000 BTC, заявили эксперты платформы CryptoQuant.

Министерство юстиции США подало в суд округа Колумбия иск о конфискации криптоактивов, находившихся на кошельках криптовалютной биржи BTC-e на 25 июля 2017 года.

Пользователь под ником Carl рассказал, что спустя почти восемь лет смог вернуть доступ к 0,142 BTC, хранившимся на поврежденном жестком диске.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump granted a pardon to former Binance CEO and co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), following months of speculation and anticipation surrounding this decision. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the pardon, stating, “President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency.”

Binance Celebrates Trump’s Pardon For CZ

This scrutiny came during former President Joe Biden’s administration, which focused heavily on digital assets and firms like Binance. In 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to violations of US anti-money-laundering (AML) laws and served a four-month prison sentence as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities.

In response to the pardon, Binance expressed in a new statement gratitude on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating: 

Thank you, President Trump @POTUS for your leadership and for your commitment to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world! CZ’s vision not only made Binance the world’s largest crypto exchange but also shaped the broader crypto movement. Binance remains focused on building a secure, transparent, and user-first platform that reduces fees and increases access to the financial system for all.

Following the announcement, Zhao expressed his appreciation, stating he is “deeply grateful for today’s pardon and to President Trump for upholding America’s commitment to fairness, innovation, and justice.” He further pledged to contribute to making America the capital of crypto and advancing Web3 on a global scale.

However, the pardon has drawn criticism from experts like Adam Cochran, who described the decision as “disgusting—even for Trump.” Cochran pointed out that Zhao had admitted to allowing groups such as Hamas and Wagner to utilize Binance for sanctions violations.

Expert Raises Concerns Over CZ’s Ties To Trump

Cochran highlighted several developments linked to Zhao’s pardon, including Binance’s partnership with Trump’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) and collaboration with Dominari Holdings, which includes Trump’s sons and operates out of Trump Tower, on various projects. 

Cochran also questioned the significance of the pardon, emphasizing that Zhao had already served his time and asked, “What difference does the pardon make?” He argued that it allows Zhao to take the reins of Binance or other financial projects again and removes oversight requirements. 

Cochran concluded that this situation represents “the CLEAREST case of pay-for-crime,” asserting that Trump has made it clear that “crime can be overlooked in America” as long as one can afford to pay for a pardon.

Following this development, Binance Coin (BNB) surged back toward $1,122, marking a 3.6% gain within 24 hours.

Featured image from Reuters, chart from TradingView.com 

Хакер, в прошлом году взломавший кроссчейн-протокол децентрализованного кредитования Radiant Capital, перевел 2834 ETH на сумму $10,8 млн в криптомикcер Tornado Cash. Транзакцию отследила компания CertiK, работающая в сфере безопасности блокчейна.

В рамках 19 пакета антироссийских санкций власти Евросоюза (ЕС) ввели запрет на любые сделки с рублевым стейблкоином А7А5 на территории входящих в союз стран. Запрет вступит в силу 25 ноября.

Canada’s anti-money laundering (AML) watchdog, The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), recently announced that it had imposed a fine of $126 million on crypto trading platform Cryptomus for failure to report illicit transactions.

FINTRAC Slaps $126 Million Fine On Crypto Exchange Cryptomus

According to an official announcement on October 22, Canada’s FINTRAC has slapped a massive penalty of $126 million on Vancouver-based digital assets trading platform Cryptomus. The exchange was found in breach of multiple federal AML and counter-terrorist financing laws.

Notably, the fine imposed by FINTRAC on the trading platform is the largest penalty slapped on a Canada-based virtual assets entity to date. Cryptomus failed to report more than 1,000 suspicious transactions between July 1, 2024, and July 31, 2024.

In addition to the 1,000 unreported transactions, Cryptomus was also found guilty of not reporting 1,500 large digital currency transactions with questionable digital trails. It also failed to comply with a Ministerial Directive.

The regulator stated that the unreported transactions were largely related to child sexual abuse material, ransomware payments, fraud, and sanctions evasion. Further, Cryptomus failed to keep its compliance policies updated.

Per the FINTRAC press release, Cryptomus also did not assess risks of illicit finance, and failed to report crucial business changes as required by law. Commenting on the development, FINTRAC CEO Sarah Paquet said:

Given that numerous violations in this case were connected to trafficking in child sexual abuse material, fraud, ransomware payments and sanctions evasion, Fintrac was compelled to take this unprecedented enforcement action.

It should be highlighted that the Canadian financial regulator has been having a relatively busy 2025. Earlier this year, in February, FINTRAC issued an alert about the role of virtual asset funds in cleaning illicit funds tied to fentanyl and opioid trafficking. 

Similarly, in September, the Canadian police confirmed the largest digital assets seizure in the country’s history. At the time, Canada’s RCMP seized digital assets worth $40 million belonging to Montreal-based crypto exchange TradeOgre.

2025: The Year Of Penalties

2025 has seen an uptick in digital assets entities and traders facing fines for breach of laws. For example, Hungary’s financial watchdog announced that traders could face five years in prison for trading on unauthorized digital assets trading platforms.

Similarly, one of the largest global digital assets exchanges by trading volume, OKX, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in the US. As a result, the exchange was fined $504 million.

That said, some countries’ citizens are pushing back against draconian digital assets laws. For instance, a controversial digital assets bill in Poland – Bill 1424 – is facing pushback from the Polish virtual assets community. At press time, Bitcoin trades at $109,401, up 1.1% in the past 24 hours.

Жительница канадского города Виктория Янь Ли Сюй (Yan Li Xu), отдавшая мошеннику $670 000, проиграла иск против криптоплатформы NDAX Canada, через которую она переводила деньги злоумышленнику.

Председатель Комитета Госдумы России по финрынку Анатолий Аксаков заявил, что активная фаза внедрения цифрового рубля начнется с 1 сентября 2026 года При этом цифровой рубль будет обладать тройной системой защиты от мошенников.

Участница комитета по финансовым услугам Палаты представителей США Максин Уотерс (Maxine Waters), принадлежащая к Демократической партии, назвала помилование основателя биржи Binance Чанпэна Чжао (Changpeng Zhao) коррупцией.

Indian exchange WazirX is set to restart crypto trading and withdrawals for the first time since the July 2024 hack. Here’s the full schedule.

WazirX Trading Restart Will Begin Rolling Out This Friday

As announced in a new blogpost, WazirX is finally gearing up to restart trading. The crypto platform has been inoperational since July 2024, when it fell prey to a massive $235 million hack. User funds have remained stuck with WazirX in this period, but with the exchange now rolling out a restart, creditors should at last be able to get their digital assets back.

According to the blog post, the platform will enable trading in phases over four days, starting October 24th and reaching full activation by October 27th. Each day, around 25% of all tokens will go on listing. During this initial rollout, all tokens will be available for trading in the USDT market, but INR trading pairs outside of USDT/INR will be gradually enabled later. WazirX explained:

This phased rollout will help restore liquidity safely, confirm technical stability, and ensure a gradual and reliable return to normal trading across all market pairs.

The Indian exchange is also set to offer zero trading fees for the first 30 days of the restart, with a potential extension depending on how the community responds to it.

The trading restart announcement comes a day after WazirX reopened both INR and crypto deposits. Although the blog post contained no clarification about when withdrawals will start, the platform’s founder and CEO, Nischal Shetty, has shared the relevant info in an X post.

Shetty has noted that INR withdrawals are already live on the exchange, with crypto withdrawals beginning alongside the trading restart on Friday. “We will continue to add more tokens to the trading and withdrawal list,” said the WazirX CEO.

WazirX’s reopening arrives after several months of proceedings in Singapore’s High Court, where the platform’s parent company, Zettai Pte Ltd, a Singaporean entity, had to obtain the green light for a restructuring scheme.

The High Court finally approved the scheme earlier this month, and WazirX made it active on October 15th. The exchange had promised a restart within 10 business days, and with the plan to restart on October 24th, it appears to be right on schedule.

In July of this year, CoinDCX, another major Indian crypto exchange, also suffered a breach. Hackers stole around $44 million in digital assets, but in this case, the tokens came from the exchange’s own internal treasury, not user funds.

The timing of the hack was eerie, as it occurred exactly one year and one day after the WazirX incident. The WazirX hack has been linked with the North Korean Lazarus Group, and CoinDCX’s event is also suspected to involve the same or a similar entity.

Bitcoin Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $109,400, down 1.7% over the past week.

T. Rowe Price, the US asset manager with $1.8 trillion in assets, has filed to launch its first crypto exchange-traded fund, according to regulatory filings and market reports. The filing seeks registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an actively managed product that would give investors exposure to a basket of digital tokens rather than a single coin.

Active Fund Aims For Multiple Coins

Based on reports, the proposed vehicle — referred to as the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF — would normally hold five to 15 different cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are expected to be on the eligible list, along with other top tokens such as Solana (SOL), XRP, Cardano (ADA) and Litecoin (LTC).

The filing describes an active approach: managers would select and weigh assets using valuation, momentum and fundamental analysis rather than simply tracking a passive benchmark.

A Different Kind Of Crypto ETF

Most recent US filings on Wall Street have focused on single-asset ETFs or passive funds that mirror an index. This product, by contrast, is framed as an actively managed, multi-asset fund. That distinction matters because active management gives the team flexibility to shift allocations over time, but it also introduces manager risk and typically higher fees.

The filing notes the intent to seek returns that beat the FTSE Crypto US Listed Index, though it stops short of promising any particular outcome.

Wall Street: Regulatory Hurdles Remain

According to the filings, the request is now subject to the SEC’s review process. Approval is not guaranteed. Issues such as custody of digital assets, daily valuation, trading rules and operational safeguards are likely to be scrutinized by regulators before any listing is permitted.

What This Could Mean For Markets

Wall Street watchers say the move is significant because it signals that a large, long-standing manager is willing to offer regulated crypto exposure to mainstream clients. If the SEC approves the product, it could open another door for institutional and retail flows into a broader set of tokens, not just Bitcoin and Ethereum.

That said, the active structure could lead to different performance patterns compared with passive crypto ETFs, and investors would need to weigh the potential benefits against added costs and manager decisions.

Featured image from Reddit – r/orioles, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin continues to struggle to break decisively above the $110,000 mark following the October 10 market crash, as volatility and uncertainty dominate sentiment. The market now stands at a critical crossroads — one that could define whether the next phase brings a deep correction or sets the stage for a massive recovery.

According to top analyst Axel Adler, both Bitcoin and the S&P 500 remain in what he calls the late bull phase. The S&P 500’s 52-week return currently sits at +13%, reflecting that global markets remain in a risk-on environment, with investors still willing to take exposure to growth-oriented assets. Adler notes that the BTC–S&P correlation currently stands at 0.26, meaning Bitcoin tends to move in the same direction as equities, though not entirely in lockstep.

This moderate correlation suggests that while macro factors like earnings and monetary policy still influence Bitcoin, its internal dynamics — such as liquidity shifts and derivatives positioning — remain key. However, Adler warns that the S&P 500’s sensitivity to macro and political narratives could quickly spill over into the crypto market. Any cooling in equities or broader risk sentiment could pressure Bitcoin and define its next major move.

Bitcoin Mirrors Late-Cycle Market Behavior as Q4 Earnings Take Center Stage

According to Axel Adler, the final quarter of 2025 marks a crucial transition point for both traditional and crypto markets. After nearly two years of steady yield growth and tight monetary policy, the macro focus is shifting from expectations to real corporate performance. The Q3 earnings season is now in full swing, and early results have been surprisingly strong — out of 58 companies that have reported so far, all have beaten estimates by an average of 571 basis points (bps). Moreover, expected earnings growth for the quarter has climbed from 7% to 8%, reinforcing the idea that markets are still in the final phase of a bull cycle.

This late-cycle behavior typically reflects investor optimism, even as underlying risks — such as stretched valuations, declining liquidity, and macro uncertainty — begin to surface. Adler notes that such conditions often coincide with high volatility across risk assets, including Bitcoin, which tends to track broader shifts in investor sentiment.

For crypto markets, this context is particularly relevant. Bitcoin’s muted reaction to strong earnings data suggests that institutional flows remain cautious, waiting for confirmation of macro stability before re-entering risk positions. Historically, when equity markets approach the peak of their bull cycle, Bitcoin can either decouple and surge amid renewed liquidity or follow equities downward during a correction phase.

Adler concludes that the current setup aligns with a late-bull, pre-cooling environment — a moment defined by strong short-term optimism but fragile long-term balance. The coming weeks, driven by the remaining earnings reports and central bank commentary, will determine whether this momentum fuels another Bitcoin rally or marks the beginning of a broader market cooldown.

Bulls Defend Key Support, Market Awaits Breakout Confirmation

Bitcoin is currently trading around $109,300, showing modest recovery momentum after finding support near the 100-day moving average (green line). The 3-day chart reveals that BTC remains in a consolidation structure, oscillating between $106,000 and $117,500, the latter acting as a significant resistance level since mid-September.

The $117,500 zone continues to mark the upper boundary of the current range, aligning with the previous high-volume node from the August–September period. This level represents the Point of Control for the recent trading structure and is critical for defining short-term direction. A successful breakout above it would likely trigger momentum toward $123,000, where large liquidity clusters and short liquidations are positioned.

On the downside, the 50-day moving average (blue line) sits near $111,000, overlapping with the mid-range level, while the 200-day moving average (red line) near $90,000 remains a longer-term support base.

Bitcoin’s trend remains neutral-to-bullish, but confidence is fragile. A strong close above $111,000–$112,000 could signal renewed strength, while a rejection here would likely confirm extended consolidation or even a deeper correction toward $105,000. The next few sessions will determine whether BTC can regain momentum or face renewed selling pressure.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

• Ein Bitcoin-Wallet aus dem Jahr 2009 wurde nach 14 Jahren wieder aktiv und bewegte 150 BTC im Wert von rund 16 Millionen Dollar.
• Analysten sehen darin keinen Verkauf, sondern eine technische Neuorganisation der Bestände.
• Trotz der symbolischen Bedeutung bleibt der Einfluss auf den Markt gering und vor allem psychologischer Natur.

Ein Relikt aus den Anfängen von Bitcoin ist plötzlich wieder aufgetaucht. Eine Adresse, die noch aus der mysteriösen Satoshi-Ära stammt, hat nach über 14 Jahren Ruhe 150 BTC bewegt. Der unerwartete Transfer weckt alte Spekulationen über verschollene Miner, vergessene Schlüssel und mögliche Marktreaktionen. Doch wie gefährlich ist dieses Erwachen wirklich für den Kryptomarkt?

Ein Stück Bitcoin-Geschichte erwacht

Ein Bitcoin-Wallet aus dem Jahr 2009 hat nach über 14 Jahren erstmals wieder Aktivität gezeigt. Die Adresse, die in den Anfangstagen der Kryptowährung rund 4.000 BTC gemint haben soll, übertrug in dieser Woche 150 BTC im Wert von rund 16 Millionen US-Dollar. Das ist die erste Bewegung seit Juni 2011 – eine Zeit, in der Bitcoin noch kaum bekannt war und nur wenige Enthusiasten an seine Zukunft glaubten.

Die damals verdienten Coins hatten beim letzten Zugriff einen Wert von nur knapp 68.000 Dollar. Heute steht die Summe für ein kleines Vermögen. Der Vorgang zeigt, wie rasant sich der Wert von Bitcoin seit den Anfängen entwickelt hat und wie viele frühe Miner durch Geduld oder Vergessen zu Multimillionären wurden.

Seltene Aktivität aus der Satoshi-Ära

Solche Bewegungen aus der sogenannten Satoshi-Ära sind extrem selten. Laut Daten des Analyseunternehmens Glassnode werden nur wenige Wallets aus der Zeit vor 2011 überhaupt noch aktiv. Das weckt regelmäßig großes Interesse, da diese Coins geschürft wurden, als Bitcoin-Erfinder Satoshi Nakamoto selbst noch online diskutierte und Beiträge in Foren veröffentlichte.

Jede Bewegung alter Coins löst Spekulationen aus – könnten es Satoshi selbst sein oder frühe Mitstreiter? Historisch betrachtet führen diese Ereignisse oft zu kurzfristiger Unruhe an den Märkten, da Anleger Verkäufe befürchten. Doch bisher hat sich fast immer gezeigt: Die meisten dieser Transfers dienen rein technischen oder organisatorischen Zwecken.

Psychologische Wirkung statt Marktschock

Der Zeitpunkt des Transfers ist bemerkenswert. BTC handelt derzeit um die Marke von 110.000 Dollar, nachdem die Kryptowährung Anfang des Monats von einem Rekordhoch über 126.000 Dollar gefallen war. Der Markt hat jüngst den größten Liquidationsschock seiner Geschichte erlebt, mit fast 19 Milliarden Dollar an aufgelösten Positionen.

In einem so sensiblen Umfeld wirken Bewegungen großer, alter Bestände wie ein psychologischer Auslöser. Doch rein faktisch spielt die Transaktion kaum eine Rolle. Die 150 BTC entsprechen einem winzigen Bruchteil des täglichen Handelsvolumens von mehr als 20 Milliarden Dollar. Der Effekt liegt also nicht in der Marktmechanik, sondern in der Wahrnehmung.

Les hier, wieso einige Experten bei BTC noch dieses Jahr eine Rally bis 250k sehen.

Warum die Coins jetzt bewegt wurden

Analysten nennen mehrere mögliche Gründe für den Schritt. Der Inhaber könnte seine Bitcoins in eine moderne, besser gesicherte Wallet übertragen haben, um sie vor Verlusten oder technischen Risiken zu schützen. Ebenso denkbar sind Erbschaftsregelungen oder einfache Funktionstests alter Wallets.

Bislang gibt es keine Hinweise darauf, dass die Coins an Börsen gesendet wurden, was auf einen geplanten Verkauf hindeuten würde. Auch frühere Fälle, etwa in den Jahren 2021 und 2023, führten zu keiner nachhaltigen Preisbewegung. Stattdessen stellte sich meist heraus, dass die Besitzer lediglich ihre Guthaben restrukturierten.

Ein Blick auf den aktuellen Markt

Die allgemeine Stimmung am Kryptomarkt bleibt vorsichtig. Nach dem starken Preisrückgang Anfang des Monats schwankt BTC nun in einer engen Spanne zwischen 108.000 und 111.000 Dollar. Viele Anleger warten auf neue Impulse, während Analysten über mögliche Korrekturen diskutieren.

In dieser Phase werden On-Chain-Daten besonders aufmerksam verfolgt. Bewegungen alter Wallets dienen dabei als Erinnerung an die Ursprünge des Netzwerks – und an das enorme, bislang unberührte Vermögen früher Miner. Es zeigt, dass ein großer Teil des Gesamtbestands von BTC noch immer in den Händen einer kleinen, historischen Gruppe liegt.

Hier kommst du zu unserer detaillierten Prognose für Bitcoin.

Mehr Symbolik als Substanz

Letztlich dürfte das Erwachen dieses 14 Jahre alten Wallets keine fundamentale Auswirkung auf den Markt haben. Der Vorgang ist eher ein Symbol für die Beständigkeit und Geschichte der Kryptowährung als ein Signal für bevorstehende Verkäufe.

Für viele Investoren ist es ein faszinierender Einblick in die frühen Tage von Bitcoin – eine Erinnerung daran, dass digitale Werte auch über Jahrzehnte hinweg Bestand haben können. Solange die Coins nicht auf Börsen auftauchen, bleibt die Bewegung reine Statistik und kein Grund zur Panik. So zeigt diese Geschichte doch auch besonders eines: Wie lange es schon BTC gibt und wie weit Bitcoin als Projekt gekommen ist.

Das bedeutet auch, dass neue Projekte, die sich an Bitcoin orientieren und dessen Sicherheit und Zuverlässigkeit benutzen, durchaus auch noch zukünftig Potenzial haben, so wie Bitcoin Hyper.

$Hyper: Eng verbunden mit der Stärke von Bitcoin

Bitcoin Hyper baut direkt auf dem BTC-Netzwerk auf und erbt damit dessen Sicherheit und Vertrauen. Es erweitert Bitcoin um das, was bisher fehlte – Geschwindigkeit, niedrige Gebühren und Smart Contracts. Wenn Bitcoin stark performt, profitiert auch $Hyper, denn sein Fundament ist untrennbar mit BTC verbunden. Steigt das Interesse an Bitcoin, wächst auch die Nachfrage nach Lösungen wie Bitcoin Hyper, die echte Nutzung ermöglichen.

Lies hier eine langfristige Prognose für Bitcoin Hyper!

$HYPER: Der Token, der mit BTC wächst

$HYPER ist der Treibstoff desHyper-Ökosystems – sicher durch Bitcoin, effizient durch Solana. Wenn BTC langfristig zulegt und stärker in den Alltag und institutionelle Nutzung rückt, dürfte auch $HYPER profitieren. Denn wo BTC die Basis ist, bietet Bitcoin Hyper die Anwendung – und beide stärken sich gegenseitig.

Les hier, wieso einige Experten bei BTC noch dieses Jahr eine Rally bis 250k sehen.

A crypto market analyst who correctly predicted gold’s price surge to new all-time highs and explosive rallies in the S&P 500 is now turning his focus toward Bitcoin (BTC). The analyst has officially declared Bitcoin the next bull run opportunity. His bold call and history of accuracy have left the crypto community eager to see where the cryptocurrency’s price heads next.

Bitcoin Now In Focus After Analyst Nails Gold And S&P Predictions 

In a post on X earlier this week, financial services veteran Mel Mattison announced that investors should start buying Bitcoin. The analyst believes BTC is entering a potentially bullish phase, suggesting that the pioneering cryptocurrency could be on the verge of a “massive run.”

Interestingly, this is not the first time Mattison has made such a bold call. Earlier this year, his predictions on gold and equities proved surprisingly accurate. In April, he had made a striking prediction about the S&P 500, urging investors to “buy now” and forecasting that the index would hit 7,000 within a year and 15,000 before the end of US President Donald Trump’s term. Since then, the S&P 500 has surged, validating Mattison’s aggressive bullish outlook. 

Months later, in August, the financial service veteran encouraged investors to accumulate gold while its price was down and still consolidating, labeling it a rare long-term opportunity. He also detailed his moves by adding to January 2026 GLD call options at the 330 and 350 strike levels, explaining that the setup was ideal for a 6-12 month rally. Remarkably, his timing aligned perfectly with gold’s subsequent rally, which saw the precious metal break to new all-time highs. 

With his focus now on Bitcoin, Martian appears to be positioning the digital asset alongside gold and equities as the next major play in a global risk-on environment. His bullish calls align with other analysts who believe BTC could advance toward a new ATH this Q4. 

BTC Price Chart Mirrors Gold’s Legendary 1980s Surge

Sharing similar bullish sentiments, crypto market expert Merlijn the Trader has presented a striking technical comparison between Bitcoin’s current weekly chart and gold’s historical price action in the late 1970s. The analysis highlights a near-identical ascending channel formation, with BTC’s price action from 2023 to 2025 closely mirroring gold’s structure from 1976 to 1979. 

In the accompanying chart, Merlijn indicated that Bitcoin’s trajectory shows a clear consolidation within the same upward channel that preceded gold’s dramatic breakout to new all-time highs above $760 in 1980. The analyst explained that the cryptocurrency has accurately traced the rhythm, structure, and squeeze of this distinct bullish setup.  

Currently, Bitcoin’s price is situated at the upper end of the ascending channel, suggesting that a breakout could lead to a significant upward move that could mirror gold’s historic surge. While the analyst has not shared a specific price target for his bullish outlook, he remains confident that BTC is primed for a “legendary move” to new highs.

In a wide-ranging Coin Stories interview published October 21, David Marcus—co-founder and CEO of Lightspark, former president of PayPal and co-creator of Diem, the cryptocurrency project initiated by Facebook—laid out a thesis that Bitcoin will ultimately surpass gold in value and evolve from a purely “store-of-value” asset into the invisible, neutral settlement layer of the internet for money.

How Bitcoin Could Reach $1.5 Million

“I think Bitcoin will be more valuable than gold,” Marcus told host Natalie Brunell. “At today’s gold price, it’s, you know, $1.3 million a bitcoin that [it] will have a higher market cap than gold.” He emphasized he is “decent at directional predictions” but “terrible at timing,” framing the trajectory as inevitable over a five-to-ten-year horizon rather than a near-dated call. The implication of outgrowing gold’s market capitalization places Bitcoin’s potential value well north of $1.3 million per coin and, at Gold’s recent ATH at $4,381.58/oz, above $1.53 million.

Marcus’s price view is inseparable from his broader contention that BTC must progress beyond a narrow “digital gold” narrative. Echoing a line from analyst Matt Pines that Brunell cited—“if Bitcoin is only a store of value, it has failed”—Marcus agreed “fully,” but added a critical caveat: the savings-asset phase was a necessary precondition for utility.

“We believe that the store-of-value phase is absolutely essential for us to be able to actually build a utility phase of Bitcoin on top of it,” he said, arguing that institutional adoption, ETFs and nation-state accumulation conferred enough legitimacy to begin scaling real-world payments. “Now that every institution… whether it’s BlackRock, Fidelity or others, are actually supporting Bitcoin… we can actually really start building payment utility on top of it.”

That utility vision hinges on using Bitcoin more like TCP/IP—an invisible settlement substrate—than as a volatile unit of account for everyday spending. Marcus was blunt about behavioral and economic constraints: “People don’t want to use Bitcoin for everyday purchases because it’s volatile and people want to actually benefit from appreciation… they don’t want to be the Bitcoin pizza guy.”

Lightspark’s approach is to move fiat end-to-end while using BTC in the middle. “You can send dollars from a US bank account to someone in Mexico receiving Mexican peso… the settlement asset is Bitcoin in between. So you have dollars, Bitcoin, Mexican peso and it’s invisible to people using it.”

Technically, Lightspark is pushing beyond Lightning’s channel model while remaining backward-compatible. Marcus lauded Lightning’s trust model and speed, but highlighted its liquidity and self-custody frictions when scaled to “billions of endpoints.”

The company’s newly launched “Spark” is described as a Lightning-compatible, non-channel payment system that enables spinning up “billions of wallets” with “minimal new trust assumptions.” Crucially, he said, it preserves safety valves: “It’s not as trustless as Lightning, but we believe it’s trustless enough and has unilateral exits to Layer 1… you can pull a rip cord and no one can prevent you from recovering your funds on L1.”

Stablecoins And Adoption

Marcus also argued that stablecoins—despite their centralized issuer model—are an unavoidable component of global payments, and that anchoring them to BTC’s settlement layer enhances resilience. He described a personal “schizophrenic journey” with stablecoins, disliking the “single throat to choke,” yet accepting their ubiquity and attempting to minimize trust by avoiding separate gas tokens and preserving unilateral exits to Bitcoin L1.

On adoption, Marcus pointed to shifting institutional sentiment. Recounting a panel in New York “put together by Citadel Securities,” he said a “majority” of a roughly 450-person room of large traditional-finance investors indicated they own BTC, versus far fewer holding ETH, stablecoins, or any token. “This is a room that traditionally would have been very resistant to Bitcoin… now the times have changed so profoundly.” Yet he still framed retail penetration as early, estimating “low hundreds of millions” of unique holders globally and significant headroom from there.

Overall, Marcus’ thesis returns to first principles: BTC as neutral, scarce, programmable collateral and a credibly decentralized settlement layer. Dismissing critiques that it lacks “intrinsic value,” he argued, “Underlying scarcity of Bitcoin secured by code is the intrinsic value… this is the only thing that’s deflationary by nature.”

That, he contends, is why Bitcoin should outcompete gold over time: “When the first gold ETFs were launched, they started mining more gold. You can’t do that with Bitcoin.” If and when that market-cap crossover arrives, it would validate the structural call embedded in his remarks—and, by extension, the headline-grabbing notion that BTC’s fair value is not just above seven figures, but ultimately “more valuable than gold,” which today maps to $1.5 million.

At press time, BTC traded at $109,060.

Ethereum is once again under pressure, struggling to find the strength to reclaim the $4,000 level amid growing uncertainty across the crypto market. Investor sentiment has turned increasingly cautious, with mixed opinions emerging among analysts — some warning that a bear market may be taking shape, while others believe this correction could precede a massive rally in the coming weeks.

According to CryptoQuant insights, the latest on-chain data reveals a notable shift in Ethereum’s exchange activity that could shape short-term price dynamics. Despite the recent decline in ETH’s price, the 7-day moving average of Exchange Netflow (Total) has transitioned from heavy outflows to inflows — climbing from approximately -57,000 ETH on October 16th to +7,000 ETH recently.

This shift suggests that more ETH is now moving onto exchanges, potentially signaling rising selling pressure as traders prepare to offload assets amid volatility. Historically, such inflow spikes have often preceded short-term pullbacks, especially when accompanied by negative market sentiment. However, some analysts caution that this could also reflect whale repositioning or liquidity management, not outright distribution.

Ethereum Exchange Inflows Spike as Binance Activity Signals Caution

According to CryptoOnchain’s latest analysis on CryptoQuant, Binance appears to be playing a major role in Ethereum’s recent exchange flow dynamics. Data shows that Binance’s 7-day netflow has shifted dramatically — moving from approximately -31,000 ETH on October 15th to +3,000 ETH in recent days. This single exchange accounts for nearly 50% of the total shift observed across all major trading platforms, underscoring its significant influence on Ethereum’s short-term liquidity landscape.

This sudden and pronounced rise in ETH deposits onto exchanges — particularly during a period of price weakness — is typically seen as a bearish short-term signal. When traders or institutional holders transfer coins from private wallets to exchanges, it often suggests a readiness to sell or reposition in anticipation of further downside. As a result, the increased on-exchange supply could add selling liquidity, making it easier for large sell orders to impact price action more sharply.

However, analysts also caution against interpreting this move too narrowly. While exchange inflows often precede selling pressure, they can also reflect strategic hedging, collateral deposits for derivatives trading, or liquidity management during periods of market stress.

Still, when combined with the broader macro uncertainty and Ethereum’s struggle to stay above key technical levels, this data reinforces the cautious tone prevailing across the market. If inflows persist and Ethereum fails to defend support near $3,800–$3,700, downside risk could intensify. Conversely, a quick reversal back to outflows would signal renewed investor confidence and potentially set the stage for a stronger recovery.

ETH Holding Key Support Amid Uncertainty

Ethereum is currently trading around $3,880, holding slightly above a key short-term support zone near $3,700–$3,750, as shown in the 3-day chart. The recent retracement has brought ETH back toward the 50-day moving average, which now acts as an important line of defense for bulls.

After failing to break and hold above the $4,400 level earlier this month, Ethereum entered a corrective phase that mirrors the broader weakness in the altcoin market. Price structure shows lower highs forming since the local top, indicating fading momentum. However, as long as ETH stays above the 100-day moving average near $3,400, the broader uptrend remains technically intact.

If the current support holds, Ethereum could attempt another recovery toward $4,000–$4,200, where heavy resistance and previous liquidity clusters are located. A confirmed close above this zone would signal renewed strength and potentially mark the end of this correction phase.

On the downside, a decisive breakdown below $3,700 could expose ETH to deeper losses, targeting $3,400 and possibly $3,000, where stronger historical demand lies. For now, Ethereum’s price action remains at a pivotal point — balancing between short-term weakness and the potential for a mid-term recovery.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Momentum around XRP picked up again this week after Ripple-backed Evernorth unveiled plans to go public via a SPAC and use the proceeds to build what it calls the world’s leading institutional XRP treasury. However, there have been questions as to how much of the altcoin is actually being purchased by the company. 

Evernorth’s upcoming Nasdaq listing through a merger with Armada Acquisition Corp. II is expected to raise over $1 billion, but there are questions regarding how much of that capital will go toward open-market purchases of the token versus in-kind contributions.

Confusion Over Evernorth’s XRP Structure

A post on the social media platform X from an account named ScamDetective added to the uncertainty. The user claimed that “most of the XRP in Evernorth will not be purchased” and that “only 14% of their total holdings at close will be purchased,” alleging that the rest would be committed to the fund in-kind for shares.

This means that only about 14% of the proposed $1 billion XRP treasury will be bought from the open market. The rest will be sourced as XRP by other parties. This interpretation quickly spread among XRP holders who feared that Evernorth’s market impact might be far less significant than originally believed.

However, lawyer Bill Morgan quickly countered the claim, explaining that the only confirmed in-kind contribution to Evernorth was the 50 million of the altcoin transferred by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. However, Larsen’s in-kind contribution is separate from the cash Evernorth is trying to raise for open-market purchases.

Morgan clarified that SBI Holdings’ $200 million investment was entirely in cash and would be used specifically for open-market purchases once the deal closes. This makes a guaranteed minimum of 20% of the treasury that’s going to be bought from the open market, which is more than the 14% number noted by ScamDetective.

To reinforce his point, Morgan shared an official document from SBI Holdings that outlines the investment structure. The document shows that the proceeds are meant primarily for XRP acquisitions from the open market, and this counters the suggestion that the majority of the token in the treasury will be from token commitments.

The Real Numbers Behind The Headlines

Evernorth’s merger with Armada is planning to raise over $1 billion in total proceeds. Assuming that the majority of those funds are indeed used for open-market purchases, the scale of the accumulation would be massive. 

A $1 billion allocation to the treasury would translate to roughly 415 million to 420 million XRP tokens based on its current trading range. However, until the SEC filings and post-merger financials are released, the exact amount of the altcoin Evernorth will buy is only an estimate.

The treasury would be another positive institutional milestone for the altcoin. At the time of writing, the token’s price is trading at $2.41.

Crypto market watcher Stedas has said that many investors are still not bullish enough on XRP, even with all the developments happening around the token. In a new post on X, the popular pundit pointed to a project that could push the altcoin further into the spotlight. He explained that the project, which involves leading names connected to Ripple, shows how strong the long-term belief in XRP has become. The post has also started new conversations in the community about what this means for the future of the coin and its role in global finance.

Stedas Points To XRP Treasury Company’s Massive $1.1 Billion Backing

In his post titled, “You are still not bullish enough on $XRP,” Stedas highlighted the rise of Evernorth, a company that plans to manage over 560 million XRP. According to him, this makes Evernorth the largest publicly listed XRP treasury company so far. The scale of the move indicates that major players are building serious projects around the altcoin, not just trading it for short-term gains.

Stedas shared that Evernorth has raised $1.1 billion to support its operations and long-term plans. The post explained that the funding includes $300 million from Ripple, $200 million from SBI Holdings, and another $645 million from institutional investors. 

For Stedas, this level of investment proves that XRP’s growth story is far from over. He suggested that many people might still be underestimating how large the ecosystem could become as more firms adopt it for payments and finance. His point is that if so much institutional money is entering the space, then the general market sentiment might still be too cautious. To him, this is a reason to be even more optimistic about its future.

Ripple Executives Join Evernorth As Advisors And Board Members

Stedas also noted that Evernorth’s leadership team is full of key names from Ripple, which adds another layer of strength to the project. He pointed out that Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, and CTO David Schwartz are serving as strategic advisors for Evernorth. Both are well-known figures in the crypto world and have been central to Ripple’s efforts to expand blockchain use in global payments.

Along with them, Asheesh Birla and Stu Alderoty, both senior Ripple executives, are part of Evernorth board of directors. Their experience gives the company strong connections to Ripple’s existing network and technology.

This mix of funding and leadership explains why Stedas believes the market is still not bullish enough on XRP. Institutional support and direct involvement from top Ripple figures could make Evernorth one of the most essential XRP-related projects so far. For investors and community members, Stedas’ post could serve as a reminder that the cryptocurrency continues to attract primary backing from serious players, and that the story may be just getting started.