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Ahead of a key U.S. Federal Reserve meeting, certain altcoins, particularly Layer 1 tokens like BNB, Hyperliquid, and XRP, have shown significant gains. This performance is attributed to coin-specific narratives and developments rather than anticipation of the Fed's interest rate decision. For example, BNB and Hyperliquid are benefiting from growing business flows and clear value models, while excitement around XRP is fuelled by a newly approved spot ETF that could launch soon. These tokens are outperforming other sectors like meme coins and Layer 2s, indicating that unique project fundamentals are currently more influential than broader macroeconomic factors.
Despite a short-term bearish trend in the overall crypto market, institutional interest remains high, with large inflows into U.S. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and significant movements of tokens like SOL off exchanges. This suggests accumulation by larger players who are reducing their exchange holdings. The surge in altcoin open interest also points to an increasing appetite for an "alt season" among investors, with many looking toward the historically bullish performance of the fourth quarter. Source
Santander's digital bank, Openbank, has introduced cryptocurrency trading for its customers in Germany, allowing them to buy, sell, and hold five major cryptocurrencies directly on its platform. This new service, which includes Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon, and Cardano, integrates crypto with the bank's existing investment products, removing the need for customers to use third-party platforms. The bank's move is in direct response to increasing customer demand and is compliant with the European Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework.
The crypto trading service is set to be rolled out to customers in Spain in the coming weeks. The bank plans to add more digital assets and features, such as crypto-to-crypto conversions, in the future. This initiative is part of a wider trend in Germany and Europe where major banks are embracing crypto services, and it builds on Santander’s previous forays into the blockchain space, including its Ripple-powered payments app and exploration of stablecoin issuance. Source
Bitwise, a crypto asset manager, has submitted a new S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch an Avalanche exchange-traded fund (ETF). The proposed "Bitwise Avalanche ETF" would hold AVAX, the native token of the Avalanche network, with Coinbase serving as the custodian for the digital assets. This filing follows similar applications from other major asset managers, including VanEck and Grayscale, indicating a growing trend of firms seeking to introduce investment products for a wider range of cryptocurrencies.
The filing for the Avalanche ETF comes as the U.S. market is poised to see the debut of other altcoin-based ETFs, specifically for XRP and Dogecoin. While these latter funds will operate differently, using a Cayman Islands-registered subsidiary, they signal an expanding landscape for crypto investment products beyond the previously approved Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The SEC, which previously approved Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, is currently reviewing a number of additional altcoin fund applications. Source
The UK is reportedly seeking to align its digital asset policies with the United States in an effort to spur innovation and attract investment. Following a last-minute appeal from crypto industry groups, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met to discuss deepening cooperation on digital asset regulation, with a focus on stablecoins. The UK government is looking to adopt a more crypto-friendly stance, mirroring the approach of the current US administration, which it believes is vital for unlocking greater adoption of digital assets in Britain.
This move comes as UK crypto advocacy groups have criticized the country's cautious regulatory approach, particularly a recent Bank of England proposal to limit individual stablecoin holdings, which they argue would be difficult to implement and put the UK at a competitive disadvantage. British officials are hopeful that closer regulatory alignment with the US would provide UK companies with better access to US markets and attract more American investment. As part of this effort, officials are reportedly working with the US to establish digital securities sandboxes for testing blockchain technology in financial services. Source
Google has launched an open-source protocol called the Agent Payments protocol, aiming to establish a "common language" for financial transactions handled by AI agents. This new protocol is an extension of Google's existing Agent2Agent framework, which allows AI agents to interact with one another. The Agent Payments protocol is designed to enable AI agents to seamlessly complete financial transactions with users, merchants, and payments providers, supporting traditional methods like credit cards and bank transfers, as well as cryptocurrencies.
The protocol has garnered support from a wide range of companies, including traditional payment giants like PayPal and American Express, as well as major crypto firms like Coinbase, MetaMask, and the Ethereum Foundation. To facilitate crypto payments specifically, Google also created a crypto-focused extension called x402, to which the Ethereum Foundation and others contributed. The Ethereum Foundation noted that this effort aligns with its own ERC-8004 standard, which helps AI agents securely discover, verify, and transact on the Ethereum network. Source
Markethive is transforming digital commerce with its unique "market network" model that combines social networking, a marketplace, and software tools into a single platform. Unlike early referral programs like PayPal's, which focused on transactional incentives and failed to foster lasting connections, Markethive's system is built to create a thriving, self-sustaining community. The platform values each new lead highly, seeing them not just as a contact but as a valuable asset deeply integrated into its interconnected network. This approach allows for personalized engagement and predictive analytics that go beyond what traditional lead-generation methods offer.
This model fundamentally redefines Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). Instead of measuring value through individual transactions, Markethive’s system integrates multiple revenue streams and uses its native cryptocurrency, Hivecoin, to create a dynamic economic environment. The platform aims for an extended CLV of over 10 years, which it achieves with a low customer acquisition cost through strategic airdrops and promo codes that encourage organic growth. Ultimately, Markethive is designed to empower entrepreneurs by providing a holistic ecosystem for generating leads, acquiring customers, and sustaining business growth. Source
The article discusses a potential shift in the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy, moving from its long-held dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment to a "third mandate" that includes moderate long-term interest rates. This third mandate, a forgotten statutory requirement, is being cited by the Trump administration as justification for more aggressive intervention in bond markets. This could lead to policies like yield curve control, where the Fed buys government bonds to lower interest rates, or expanded quantitative easing, both of which would involve printing more money.
The primary goal of this new approach is to actively suppress long-term interest rates to reduce the cost of government borrowing amid a record national debt, and to stimulate the housing market by lowering mortgage rates. Experts suggest that this policy is a form of financial repression and could be seen as an attempt to devalue the dollar. This could be bullish for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are often seen as a hedge against traditional financial systems and a weakened fiat currency. Source
The US House of Representatives is considering a legislative manoeuvre to fast-track a bill that would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The House Rules Committee has proposed adding the text of the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which has already passed the House. This "engrossment" method would send a combined bill to the Senate for consideration, potentially creating a shorter path to enacting a CBDC ban. This move comes after both bills, along with a third one on stablecoins, received some bipartisan support and passed the House in July.
However, the article notes that it's uncertain whether this combined House bill will influence the Senate's own legislative efforts. The Senate Banking Committee is working on its distinct version of a market structure bill, known as the Responsible Financial Innovation Act. While the two chambers' proposals aim to provide regulatory clarity for the digital asset industry, there are differences in their approaches. The article also mentions that despite the Republican majority in both the House and Senate, bipartisan support will likely be necessary to pass any legislation into law. Source
Davide Crapis, the new lead for the Ethereum Foundation’s AI team, stated in an interview that the formation of the new team was not a pre-planned part of the foundation's roadmap. Instead, the team was created in direct response to a growing demand from projects within the Ethereum ecosystem. The new dAI team will operate at the intersection of the foundation’s protocol and ecosystem divisions, with the goal of developing AI-related products and attracting traditional AI developers to the Ethereum platform. Crapis believes that showing traditional developers the value of decentralization for issues like AI verification and governance will be a key to success.
The immediate focus for the dAI team is a short-term roadmap centered on Ethereum proposal ERC-8004. Co-authored by Crapis, this proposal aims to establish a trustless and standardized way for AI agents to discover, interact with, and verify each other on the Ethereum network. The team will also provide clarity and support for existing AI products within the ecosystem, such as micropayments and on-chain identity. Crapis noted that while other protocols have entered the AI space earlier, the timing feels right for Ethereum to move forward now, as there has been a significant amount of grassroots experimentation with AI coordination on the platform over the past two years. Source
Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs) have experienced their strongest weekly inflows since July, with a net intake of 20,685 BTC. This surge, primarily driven by U.S. ETFs, has pushed the combined holdings of these products to a new record of 1.32 million BTC. Analysts attribute this renewed investor appetite to a combination of factors, including expectations for interest rate cuts and a series of recent crypto-related IPOs and announcements. This demand has been so significant that it has outpaced the new supply of Bitcoin by a factor of nearly nine, indicating a strong positive tailwind for the cryptocurrency's performance. Fidelity's FBTC product notably contributed a large portion of these inflows, highlighting its significant role in the recent market activity.
Despite the strong inflows and growing institutional demand, the article notes that directional signals for Bitcoin remain mixed. Trading activity is described as tepid, and both realized and implied volatility are at historical lows. Bitcoin's seven-day volatility recently hit yearly lows, and it has remained low for an extended period, which is the second-longest stretch of its kind this year. This lack of market movement, combined with high offshore leverage and a lack of immediate major catalysts, creates an environment where, despite the significant institutional investment, the future price direction of Bitcoin is not clearly defined. Source
According to Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is working to create a more straightforward process for listing crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs), which could lead to a surge in new offerings. Currently, each new crypto ETP requires a detailed, case-by-case review that can take up to 240 days with no guarantee of approval. The new process, which could be implemented as early as October, would establish "generic listing standards" that would make approval for compliant products "virtually guaranteed" and much faster, potentially in 75 days or less. This streamlined approach would mirror a similar change the SEC made for traditional ETFs in 2019, which led to a significant increase in new product launches.
However, Hougan cautions that the mere existence of more crypto ETPs does not guarantee their success. He emphasizes that significant inflows will only occur if there is "fundamental interest in the underlying asset." The launch of an ETP, for example, for an asset like Bitcoin Cash, would not automatically attract money unless the asset itself experiences a renewed interest from investors. While ETPs make it easier for traditional investors to access crypto, their success is ultimately tied to the market fundamentals of the specific cryptocurrency they track. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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