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The survival of both stocks and Bitcoin over the next 50 years hinges on their ability to adapt to the accelerating pace of innovation driven by Artificial Intelligence. Stocks represent ownership in companies, and the stock market's longevity suggests resilience, but AI will widen the gap between adaptable and stagnant firms. Companies that effectively apply AI through automation, data analytics, and new business models, especially in emerging fields like robotics and biotech, are most likely to endure and grow. For investors, diversified portfolios like index funds and focused investments in high-tech sectors are suggested as a strategy to mitigate risk in a disruptive era. The history of the stock market, dating back to 1602, provides a foundation of survival through previous technological and economic cycles, implying that adaptation, rather than obsolescence, is the most probable outcome for the concept of stocks.
Bitcoin, as a more recent invention established in 2009, presents a case for a decentralized monetary revolution with a fixed supply of 21 million coins, positioning it as a potential hedge against inflation and a superior store of value. AI is expected to positively affect Bitcoin by improving security, trading strategies, mining efficiency, and overall system maintenance, which can help address existing challenges such as scalability and volatility. The convergence of AI and blockchain could foster broader adoption and create a more intuitive financial ecosystem, giving it a competitive edge, particularly as decentralized finance gains traction. Ultimately, while both assets face risks—stocks risk becoming inefficient investment vehicles, and Bitcoin faces regulatory and technical challenges—their futures are intertwined with their ability to embrace and integrate the advances brought about by AI. Source
Despite a week of major volatility that saw two liquidation events across the wider crypto market, Bitcoin briefly recovered above $112,000, prompting an analyst to argue that the bull market is still intact. Crypto investment firm XWIN Research Japan pointed to on-chain data, specifically the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio and long-term holder behaviour, as indicators of underlying resilience. The MVRV ratio, which compares the market value to the average cost basis of holders, dropped to 2, a level that historically signifies a cooling from overheated conditions without panic or euphoria, and has often preceded the strongest expansion phases in past cycles. Furthermore, a decrease in profit-taking by long-term holders suggests a reduction in available supply, creating conditions for renewed demand to push prices higher, supporting the view that the current period is one of "digestion" rather than the end of the rally.
The recovery follows significant market turmoil, with crypto bulls experiencing over $4 billion in liquidations from long positions in two major events on September 22 and Thursday of the preceding week, as Bitcoin briefly dropped below key support levels. The first liquidation saw nearly $3 billion in long positions wiped out, followed by another $1 billion on Thursday, with Bitcoin and Ether making up the bulk of the losses. However, coinciding with Bitcoin’s current price recovery, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has also improved, rising to a "Neutral" score of 50 out of 100 for the first time since September 19, an uptick from a period of "Fear." This market sentiment recovery, combined with the on-chain data, suggests that the recent consolidation is simply the groundwork for the next major upward leg, indicating the bull market remains alive. Source
BNB Chain has surged past Solana to take the lead in daily chain fees for three consecutive days, marking a sharp reversal from mid-September when Solana dominated the metric. This spike in activity saw BNB Chain’s daily fees climb to between $1.1 million and $1.4 million from September 20 to 22, while Solana's fees cooled to under $1 million. The primary catalyst for this surge was the launch of the Aster decentralized exchange (DEX) on BNB Chain. The new platform, which was publicly endorsed by Binance founder CZ, drove significant user activity and liquidity inflows, quickly accumulating a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $1.52 billion and briefly overtaking Hyperliquid in daily trading volume with over $515 million recorded in a 24-hour period.
This record-breaking fee activity is also reflected in the broader adoption of the BNB Chain, which processed over 16.5 million transactions in a single day on September 21st, achieving an average of 191 transactions per second (TPS). Furthermore, the network secured the second spot in terms of total development activity over the past 30 days, trailing only Ethereum and surpassing other major blockchains like Polygon and Optimism, which indicates a robust and growing ecosystem. Amid this momentum, BNB, the native token of BNB Chain, defied the broader crypto market sell-off, climbing nearly 10% over the past week to trade at $1,016, standing out against its peers who largely remained in the red. Source
The dramatic slowdown in corporate treasury purchases of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies is expected to continue weighing on market prices and keeping volatility high. According to three market observers, the waning activity removes a crucial "demand floor" that had previously propped up the market during the summer's massive gains. Treasury buys of Bitcoin in August and September have plummeted to less than half the amount acquired in July, a drop that coincided with a slump in prices across major cryptocurrencies, making the market more susceptible to short-term volatility. This absence of steady corporate buying, coupled with macroeconomic uncertainties and broader risk-off sentiment, creates a feedback loop that pressures crypto assets and the equities tied to them.
The impact of this slowdown is already visible, with Bitcoin trading off more than 5% and falling below $109,000 for the first time since early September, and major altcoins also entering negative territory. Furthermore, the share prices of several treasury firms, including those focused on Solana and Ethereum, have plunged. Despite these near-term headwinds—which also include increased regulatory scrutiny of trading volumes and share price increases among treasury firms—some analysts remain optimistic about the long-term outlook. One prediction suggests Bitcoin could hit $140,000 or higher by year's end, with sustained corporate treasury adoption eventually sparking a fresh rally, even as these publicly traded companies face continued scrutiny over their specific crypto strategies. Source
NYDIG’s global head of research, Greg Cipolaro, has argued that the popular crypto industry metric, market to net asset value (mNAV), should be retired because it is inaccurate and misleading for investors. Cipolaro stated that the original definition of mNAV—comparing a company's market capitalization to its crypto/digital asset value—is “useless” as it fails to account for treasury companies that have assets and operations outside of their crypto holdings, such as software sales. The metric is commonly used by traders to determine the value of a company and if it is trading at a discount or premium to its crypto assets; however, Cipolaro asserts that it “doesn’t give credit” to these other valuable aspects of the business, arguing that net asset value (NAV) per share is the metric that truly matters for digital asset treasury companies.
A second major flaw Cipolaro identified is that mNAV incorrectly uses "assumed shares outstanding," which often includes convertible debt. He argues that accounting for this debt as equity is neither correct from an accounting nor an economic perspective, as convertible debt holders would typically demand cash, not shares, in exchange for their debt, making it a much more onerous liability for the company. The research note followed the announcement of Strive’s acquisition of Semler Scientific, the first time one crypto treasury company has acquired another. Cipolaro explained that the deal appears beneficial to both parties by increasing the merged company's NAV per share, but he concluded that predicting where the new stock will ultimately trade is difficult because it depends on the premium or discount to NAV that investors decide to place on it. Source
U.S. spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) recorded their first weekly outflow in over a month, ending a four-week streak of inflows, as quarter-end rebalancing triggered sharp redemptions. Last week saw $902.50 million in net outflows, largely driven by a single-day outflow of over $418 million on Friday. Fidelity’s FBTC product experienced the biggest redemption at over $300 million, followed by BlackRock’s IBIT. Analysts attribute this sudden shift to profit-taking and routine portfolio rebalancing as the third quarter concluded, suggesting the activity is a normal function of mainstream portfolio management rather than a sign of fundamental weakness.
Despite the recent negative flows, experts maintain an optimistic outlook, asserting that the long-term trajectory of institutional adoption remains firmly intact. Although Bitcoin struggled to regain the momentum seen in mid-August when it hit a new all-time high, its September returns remained positive at approximately 3.2%. The lack of aggressive follow-through from sellers demonstrates the asset's resilience, suggesting it is currently in a state of consolidation while the market awaits clearer macroeconomic signals, such as decisions from the Federal Reserve or U.S. government policy. With Bitcoin historically delivering significant returns in the fourth quarter during past bull runs, analysts anticipate renewed momentum, heightened volatility, and potential "trend-setting moves" in the coming months, offering fresh opportunities for investors. Source
The Markethive Founding Share Token (MFST) is a core component of the Markethive ecosystem, serving as both a strategic tool for company capital formation and a unique wealth-generation opportunity for community members. Markethive is issuing a limited supply of 1,000 MFSTs through an innovative funding approach called the Initial Loan Procurement (ILP), or Incentivized Loan Program, which moves beyond traditional fundraising to directly engage the community as active stakeholders. These rare, limited-edition tokens provide holders with priority in receiving a share of the platform’s profits, specifically by designating 20% of Markethive's net monthly profits for distribution among all MFST holders as interest payments. This mechanism directly links the token's value to the platform’s financial performance, meaning that as Markethive expands its user base and revenue streams, the potential profit distributions for each MFST could substantially increase.
The MFST/ILP structure is legally distinct from traditional equity, classifying the arrangement as a debt obligation secured by a legally binding, UCC-compliant smart contract on a blockchain, which exempts it from taxation (excluding earned interest) and regulatory classification as a security. This debt classification provides a key security advantage for investors: in the event of the company's financial distress or legal challenges, ILP holders, as creditors, have a higher priority for asset recovery compared to shareholders. Furthermore, unlike illiquid stock options, the ILP is designed to be highly transparent and liquid, with the MFST being divisible into small units called BITs, and its value linked to verifiable performance, not speculation. The tokens are transferable and accessible worldwide, with interest payments distributed in Hivecoin (HVC) through the Markethive Wallet, and holders can eventually sell their MFSTs on the forthcoming decentralized ILP Exchange. Source
Early adopters of the perpetuals-focused layer-1 blockchain Hyperliquid were heavily rewarded with the airdrop of the Hypurr non-fungible token (NFT) collection. The free digital cats were airdropped by the Hyper Foundation to the most active participants in the "Genesis" event from November 2024, which coincided with the launch of the HYPE token. The collection's floor price immediately soared to around 1,458 HYPE, or approximately $68,700. Demand was already high before the launch, with some NFTs selling for up to $88,000 via OTC desks earlier in the month. The value appreciation culminated in an eye-watering sale on Sunday, where Hypurr NFT #21, featuring extremely rare "Knight Ghost Armor" and "Knight Helm Ghost" traits, sold for 9,999 HYPE, equivalent to $467,000.
The Hypurr NFTs were deployed on the HyperEVM and consist of 4,600 cartoon cat avatars, with the vast majority going to Genesis event participants. The Hyper Foundation stated the collection's goal was to share a memento with those who contributed early to the platform’s growth, with each NFT reflecting the community's moods and quirks. This significant reward event did not go unnoticed by the wider crypto community, with some users highlighting the stark contrast between the novelty of receiving a free, high-value digital asset and the current global cost-of-living crisis. Following the airdrop, the collection saw substantial trading activity, with OpenSea data showing a 24-hour volume of 952,000 HYPE, valued at approximately $44.6 million. Source
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has publicly criticized the European Union’s proposed “Chat Control” legislation, arguing that the mandatory surveillance measures threaten the right to digital privacy and security. Buterin, in a post on X, warned against the idea of making society secure by making people insecure, arguing that any backdoors built into digital communications for law enforcement are "inevitably hackable" and will undermine the safety of everyone's private conversations. His opposition came in response to a public call to reject the regulation, which would require tech platforms to scan private messages for illegal content, potentially allowing officials access to citizens’ personal messages.
Buterin also highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of lawmakers who are reportedly seeking to exempt themselves, intelligence, police, and military staff from the same mass surveillance provisions they are pushing for the general public. While 15 EU countries currently support the proposal, it still falls short of the required 65% population threshold, making Germany's uncommitted vote pivotal to the law's passage. Crypto advocates have weighed in, suggesting that the "Chat Control" law could inadvertently drive users toward decentralized Web3 platforms designed for privacy by default, as users become disillusioned with centralized systems. They also warn that the legislation may violate Articles 7 and 8 of the EU Charter, which protect private communications and personal data. Source
Crypto markets are showing a rare green start to the week following last week’s major declines, but the immediate future is dependent on a raft of labor market data coming out of the United States. The primary focus for the week is the US economic calendar, with key reports that will influence the Federal Reserve’s policy decisions, particularly regarding interest rate cuts. Critical data releases include job openings and consumer confidence on Tuesday, the ISM Manufacturing PMI and ADP Nonfarm Employment data on Wednesday, and initial jobless claims on Thursday. The most significant report is Friday's unemployment reports, which detail the number of new jobs created and the percentage of people actively seeking employment, a key component of the Fed’s full employment mandate. Negative data below expectations could reinforce the premise that "decisive interest rate cuts are needed to ward off rising trouble in the job market."
The overall crypto market capitalization has seen a recovery of 2.2% to $3.95 trillion, with Bitcoin briefly reclaiming the $112,000 level and Ethereum rising to over $4,140, though both were beginning to retreat at the time of writing. The market's next decisive move is expected to be dictated by the clarity of the incoming macroeconomic signals. Macroeconomics researcher ‘Capital Flows’ noted that the labor market prints this week will indicate whether the yield curve will steepen or if the Fed will be compelled to lower real rates even further, which would likely trigger a “crazier melt-up” in assets including equities, gold, silver, and Bitcoin. The market is looking ahead to the October and December Fed meetings, with the new data prints serving as crucial inputs that will determine the short-term direction for risk assets like cryptocurrencies. Source
The moral case for Bitcoin as a tool to end warfare rests on its properties as sound, supply-capped, and decentralized money, which, according to author Adam Livingston, compels governments and individuals toward fiscal discipline. Livingston argues that currency inflation, enabled by fiat money and central banking, acts as a "silent partner of every modern war," allowing governments to finance conflicts through a hidden tax that citizens would otherwise reject if the cost were transparently levied through direct taxation. He points to historical precedents, such as the world wars following the erosion of the gold standard, and argues that when a government can "conjure currency with a few keystrokes," it acquires the means to project violence far beyond what its citizens would willingly approve, a power that Bitcoin's fixed supply is designed to eliminate.
Livingston and other Bitcoin advocates, such as Saifedean Ammous, believe that sound money is a prerequisite for human flourishing and that moving the world to a Bitcoin standard would alter humanity's trajectory, similar to how the printing press eroded centralized power. Ammous, author of “The Bitcoin Standard,” asserts that flawed monetary media like paper currencies slowly rob holders of future value through inflation, leading societies to "discount" the future. In contrast, a society based on sound money places a greater emphasis on saving for the long term, encouraging the invention of paradigm-shifting technologies, the building of civilizational capital, and the promotion of social cohesion and artistic creation, ultimately separating money from the state. Source
Solana developers are currently considering a new proposal to scrap the network’s fixed 60 million compute unit cap per block following the planned Alpenglow upgrade. Filed as SIMD-0370 by the Firedancer development team at Jump Crypto, the change aims to allow block size to adjust dynamically, effectively enabling the network's throughput to scale with the capacity of validator hardware. Under the proposal, blocks could expand to fit as many transactions as the fastest validators can handle, while validators with less powerful machines could use a "skip-vote" feature to abstain from voting on blocks that exceed their capacity, ensuring network consensus is maintained.
This proposed move is seen by supporters as a way to correct a "broken" incentive structure where network capacity is arbitrarily capped rather than determined by hardware capabilities, potentially boosting overall performance. However, the proposal has sparked a debate, with critics warning that removing the block limits could lead to centralization by tilting rewards toward well-funded operators who can afford high-end hardware, potentially pushing out smaller validators. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the possibility of overly large blocks causing propagation delays or weakening security if too many validators opt to skip voting, thereby creating a trade-off between scaling capacity and maintaining a broad validator set. Source
Jump Crypto, the development team behind the Firedancer validator client, has proposed removing Solana’s fixed compute unit (CU) block limit of 60 million to significantly enhance network performance and incentivize validator hardware upgrades. The proposal, SIMD-0370, is intended to be implemented after the Alpenglow upgrade, which recently passed a near-unanimous vote. By removing the static cap, the block size would scale dynamically based on the capabilities of the fastest validators, allowing block producers to pack more transactions and earn higher fees. According to Solana research company Anza, this creates a "performance flywheel" where slower validators lose rewards by skipping complex blocks, forcing them to upgrade their hardware and optimize their code to remain competitive and increase overall network performance.
While the proposal is part of a broader effort to improve Solana’s network resilience and diversify its validator base, it has raised concerns regarding potential centralization risks. Engineer Akhilesh Singhania warned that if larger validators continuously upgrade to more expensive hardware, smaller validators who cannot afford the upgrade may be forced to drop out, potentially leading to a concentration of power among fewer, bigger validators. Despite this concern, the move builds on the massive Alpenglow upgrade, which is expected to be Solana’s biggest ever protocol change, aiming to reduce transaction finality time from approximately 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds and position Solana to compete with current internet infrastructure. Source
October has been dubbed "ETF month" for the crypto industry as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) faces final deadlines for decisions on 16 spot crypto Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). These filings, which cover major altcoins including Solana, XRP, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, have final deadlines scattered throughout the month, starting with Canary’s Litecoin ETF on October 2nd and concluding with WisdomTree's XRP fund on October 24th. NovaDius Wealth Management president Nate Geraci highlighted this period as an "enormous next few weeks for spot crypto ETFs," noting that approvals could occur at any point before their respective final deadlines.
The potential flood of new altcoin ETF approvals has led analysts to predict a possible new altcoin rally or season, as the products offer investors exposure to these coins with less perceived risk. Although major players like Fidelity and BlackRock are absent from the current October deadline list, the overall sentiment is optimistic, especially after the SEC's recent approval of a new listing standard for commodity-based trust shares. Analysts believe this policy change could significantly shorten the path for future spot crypto ETFs and has already prompted firms like Hashdex to expand their crypto ETF offerings. Despite the SEC’s previous delays on multiple funds, the new, friendlier approach signals a positive step toward a "wave of spot crypto ETP launches." 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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