Bitcoin rose to $84,170 on Tuesday, up 0.82% since midnight UTC and 1.4% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinDesk data. The CoinDesk 100 index climbed 0.89% to 1,904.49, with 72 of its 100 constituents higher. The move came despite upward pressure on U.S. Treasury yields, which have weighed on risk assets for several days. The 10-year yield stood at 5.234%, near levels not seen since 2007, while the 30-year yield reached 5.549%, close to a 2004 peak. These conditions have contributed to broader market declines, including a second consecutive drop in U.S. equities that saw the Dow fall more than 300 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite lose 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.

DeFi tokens led the broader market gains for the second consecutive week. The DeFi Select Index rose 5.0%, driven by a 11% increase in Aave’s token following founder Stani Kulechov’s indication that a token burn mechanism may be part of an upcoming protocol upgrade. The CoinDesk 80 index outperformed the CoinDesk 5, though the relative ranking shifted over the 24-hour period. Privacy-focused tokens continued to underperform, with Zcash falling 4.1% to $1,422.35 and Dash slipping 6.4% to $61.38, extending a decline that has pushed Zcash roughly 13% below its pre-weekend price.

Brent crude eased 0.85% to $97.92, holding below $100 after a recent spike, while gold rose 0.68% to $4,140 and the U.S. dollar index edged up 0.18% to 101.36. In derivatives markets, open interest in Bitcoin futures held steady at $149.36 billion, though it declined slightly to 644,000 BTC—the lowest level since March 4. Funding rates turned positive after a period of negative readings, and the 24-hour open interest-adjusted cumulative volume delta showed a neutral stance. Binance reported that whale accounts were markedly more bullish than retail investors, with a long/short ratio of 1.88 versus 1.31.

Ethereum and Solana open interest continued to trend downward, while XRP reversed a brief rally that had reached a four-week high in open interest. Chainlink stood out with a 14% gain over 24 hours, accompanied by a 4% rise in futures open interest—the highest level since August 22—suggesting new long positioning. Funding rates for LINK remained modest at around 2% annualized, indicating sustained demand without excessive leverage. Conversely, Zcash futures open interest declined alongside price, reflecting ongoing long liquidations, and its 24-hour cumulative volume delta remained the most negative among major assets.

Options market activity pointed to shifting sentiment. The seven-day and one-month put-call skew for Bitcoin turned slightly negative, meaning calls were trading at a premium over puts—a reversal from the previous day, when an $84,000 strike put had been the most active contract. The most heavily traded Ethereum options contract had shifted to a $3,000 call expiring October 9. Aave’s token surged 11% to $166.55, its largest single-day gain in the CoinDesk 20, following speculation about a potential token burn mechanism in an upcoming protocol upgrade. Quant also posted a 17% gain to $269.58, continuing a rebound after a volatile stretch that included a 39% rise earlier in the week.

Curve DAO’s token rose 5.2% over the 24-hour period to $0.40, contributing to its largest rolling gain within the DeFi Select Index. Internet Computer and Avalanche posted gains of 8.3% and 7.0%, respectively, recovering some of the losses incurred during Monday’s selloff. Hedera Hashgraph gave back part of its recent rally, slipping 3.2% to $0.1046 but still up 9.5% over the past 24 hours. Litecoin edged lower, down 0.51% to $68.86, as its halving-related trade narrative appeared to cool.

The broader market context remains shaped by monetary policy and risk asset sensitivity. While Bitcoin’s price action has shown signs of resilience, its trajectory continues to be influenced by macroeconomic factors, including Treasury yields and global liquidity conditions. The interplay between decentralized finance innovation and traditional financial market dynamics remains a key driver of short-term price movements across digital assets.

Anthropic has announced a multi-year plan to allocate $518 billion toward cloud computing and related infrastructure as the company prepares for a possible public listing, according to a filing reviewed by Reuters. The disclosure, made in a prospectus cited by the news agency, frames the investment as a strategic bet on artificial intelligence reshaping global economic systems at a scale comparable to past industrial and technological revolutions.

The company, known for developing the Claude family of AI models, reported a net loss of $42 billion for 2025, which included a $34 billion non-cash accounting adjustment tied to financing instruments that may convert to equity in the future. Operating losses, excluding those write-downs, totaled more than $8 billion for the year. Revenue increased twelvefold from the prior period to approximately $4.6 billion, though nearly 25% of that revenue came from just two customers. The company also noted that many of its largest clients do not have long-term contractual commitments.

As of the end of 2025, Anthropic held $20.28 billion in cash and short-term investments. The prospectus indicates that the company expects its initial public offering to occur after the November U.S. midterm elections, with estimated valuation exceeding $2 trillion—more than double the $965 billion valuation recorded during its May funding round.

Pre-IPO perpetual futures tied to Anthropic’s implied valuation showed limited market movement, trading at $1,998 on major platforms, representing about a 2% decline over the prior 24 hours. The price, as reported by CoinMarketCap, reflects a projected valuation near $2 trillion based on exchange pricing mechanisms. These contracts, traded on twelve exchanges including Binance and Hyperliquid, are synthetic derivatives that settle in cash and do not confer ownership stakes in the company. Open interest across the contracts exceeded $100 million, with Binance accounting for over 30% of trading activity.

Despite the scale of the announced investment and the company’s financial profile, market response within the cryptocurrency-linked derivatives space has been muted. The activity remains small relative to perps tied to major digital assets like bitcoin and ether, where open interest often reaches into the billions. No equity ownership or governance rights are associated with these financial instruments.

The Internal Revenue Service is examining a tax strategy used by crypto-linked exchange-traded funds that could allow managers to defer gains and sidestep the 90% income threshold required for favorable tax status. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on X that the agency is "serious about cracking down on transactions designed to dodge taxes or exploit our federal tax code," framing the move as part of a wider effort to curb tax-motivated investment structures. The notice follows the SEC’s approval last year of in-kind creation and redemption mechanisms for spot crypto ETFs, a change meant to lower costs and reduce price slippage. While the SEC focused on market efficiency, the Treasury’s concern centers on how those mechanisms might be used to reshape taxable income calculations. The agency highlighted a rule for regulated investment companies that requires at least 90% of gross income to come from qualifying sources such as dividends, interest, or gains tied to stocks, securities, and certain currencies. Some ETFs have argued that gains from assets outside those categories — such as commodities or digital assets held directly or through grantor trusts — should be excluded from the calculation when they satisfy in-kind redemptions without recognizing embedded gains under Section 852(b)(6). Treasury warned that this approach could let funds limit taxable income regardless of their true economic earnings, effectively gaming the RIC income test. The scrutiny arrives after in-kind transfers have become a major component of crypto fund plumbing. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF reported roughly $5.49 billion in Bitcoin distributed through in-kind redemptions in the first half of 2026, with $3.85 billion occurring in the second quarter alone. Its Ethereum trust moved about $1.72 billion of Ethereum in kind during the same period, pushing combined inflows for the two products to approximately $7.22 billion. The filing also noted $9.36 billion in Bitcoin received through in-kind creations, illustrating how quickly direct crypto transfers between funds and authorized participants have grown since the SEC abandoned the cash-only model. Treasury’s focus, however, is on a different class of funds — those that obtain digital-asset exposure directly or via grantor trusts and then use redemptions to remove appreciated positions whose gains might otherwise count toward the 90% threshold. Such structures could allow gains to be deferred even when the underlying economics suggest they should be recognized. The agency has not proposed a ban, but it has requested information on the practice and is weighing possible regulatory responses, including new rules, revenue rulings, or guidance that could designate certain arrangements as transactions of interest or listed transactions. These designations would impose heightened reporting obligations and could apply retroactively to earlier trades if legally permissible. The IRS also cautioned that it can challenge what it deems abusive fund strategies during routine examinations under existing law, meaning crypto-linked ETF sponsors may need to reassess their tax positions even before formal rules are issued. Fund managers relying on in-kind redemptions to exclude gains from the RIC test may have to document the economic purpose of those transactions, alter basket construction, or adopt more conservative portfolio mechanics. The uncertainty could slow the launch of new crypto-linked ETFs that blend digital assets with traditional income or active management strategies, as legal teams weigh the risk of retroactive challenge against the desire to maintain tax efficiency. While the current focus is on crypto, the Treasury’s broader push reflects a willingness to revisit how tax provisions interact with innovative financial products, potentially reshaping the landscape for both digital and traditional ETFs.

Aztec Labs announced the relaunch of zk.money, a self-custodial wallet designed to conceal transaction details on Ethereum. The platform allows users to hide payment amounts, balances, and recipients by routing transfers through readable names or payment links.

Users can deposit dollar-pegged stablecoins DAI, USDC, and USDT from Ethereum, though USDC and USDT are converted to DAI upon entry. While transfers within the Aztec Network remain private, deposits retain a public trace on Ethereum. The early Alpha release imposes caps of $2,500 per transaction and a $50,000 daily deposit limit for all users, which replenish over time. These restrictions aim to mitigate risks while the system undergoes testing.

The wallet operates on the Aztec Network, which interfaces with Ethereum but obscures transaction data. Payments can be initiated via links or usernames like bob.zk.money, eliminating the need to share wallet addresses. Aztec Labs emphasizes self-custodial control, stating operators cannot access or freeze funds. Joe Andrews, CEO of Aztec Labs, stated that onchain transactions should not require public disclosure of financial activity.

DAI was selected for its decentralized profile among mass-market stablecoins, though future asset support is planned. Deposit fees total 35 cents plus Ethereum network costs, while withdrawals cost 20 cents. Users receive 100 sponsored transactions daily, though pending fees may delay processing if insufficient funds are available. Addresses are screened against sanctions lists, with a sealed server co-signing operations without spending user funds.

The original zk.money service launched in 2021 and ceased operations in 2024 after processing over $100 million across 75,000 wallets. The relaunched version enters early Alpha with documented security limitations, including an unpatched flaw in the V5 proof system. A separate tool, Oxide, will monitor for errors until the fix is deployed. The development aligns with broader Ethereum privacy initiatives, including proposals for the 2027 Hegotá upgrade to enhance privacy app integration.

Bitcoin is up roughly 7% for September, extending its gains after a 25% rise in August. A closing increase would mark the first time since 2013 that a positive August has been followed by another positive September. With two trading days left in the month, such a finish would give bitcoin three straight monthly gains from July through September and push its third-quarter return above 40%, the first quarterly advance since Q3 2025. Historically, September has been the weakest month for bitcoin, but the asset has defied that pattern this year.

The broader financial backdrop remains uneven. Global bond yields have climbed, with the U.S. 10-year Treasury rate surpassing 5.2%, and the MOVE index, which tracks bond-market volatility, has risen above 100, nearing its 2024 peak. Oil prices have held above $90 per barrel, keeping inflation concerns alive, while gold slipped about 3% to just over $4,000 per ounce on Monday. These dynamics have created a mixed environment for risk assets.

CoinGlass data shows that the fourth quarter has historically been bitcoin’s strongest period, averaging a 77% gain. This seasonal trend coexists with upcoming events that could influence liquidity and investor appetite. Reports suggest that Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, may pursue an initial public offering in November, potentially drawing capital toward a new equity listing. The size and timing of that offering have not been confirmed.

In addition, the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November could introduce further uncertainty as markets evaluate potential policy shifts. Analysts note that both the IPO speculation and the electoral outcome may affect risk tolerance in the coming months, though the precise impact remains difficult to predict.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $84,000, reflecting the interplay of these macroeconomic and market-development factors.

Crypto.com's AI agent platform, introduced during a Super Bowl advertisement in February, has been in development for nearly eight months without a public release. The company promoted the service with a $15 million ad campaign that aired during the fourth quarter of the game, generating significant user interest that temporarily overwhelmed its website. Within minutes of the broadcast, the platform's registration page crashed as users attempted to secure handles for personalized AI agents.

A spokesperson for Crypto.com confirmed to Cointelegraph that the AI agent system is still under development and operating in a private testing phase. "ai.com continues building in stealth mode; we are happy to provide more details when we fully launch to the public," the representative stated. The platform's current interface displays a message indicating that AI agent generation is queued due to sustained demand.

Competing cryptocurrency exchanges have advanced their artificial intelligence capabilities while Crypto.com has maintained a more conservative rollout. Robinhood introduced in-app AI agents capable of executing automated trades on Tuesday, while Kraken implemented AI-driven tools in July to help users identify investment opportunities aligned with their financial objectives. Bitget launched GetAgent, an AI-powered crypto trading assistant, in June. These rivals have focused on narrower financial functions, whereas Crypto.com's original vision encompassed broader operational tasks.

The proposed AI agent was designed to perform diverse functions including organizing work schedules, sending messages, interfacing across applications, and developing project components independently. It also claimed the ability to enhance its own capabilities and disseminate improvements throughout its network. Major technology firms have expanded similar functionalities over the past six months, with Anthropic introducing computer use features in Claude Cowork in March and OpenAI releasing ChatGPT Work in July for multi-step task execution across connected platforms.

Crypto.com has pursued other artificial intelligence initiatives concurrently. In March, the company integrated OpenClaw technology to enable personal AI trading agents for trade execution. That same month, Crypto.com announced a workforce reduction of approximately 12 percent as part of a strategic shift toward AI-focused growth areas. The company also achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its AI management systems in February, an international standard addressing governance and responsible development practices.

The prolonged development timeline reflects broader industry trends as technology companies navigate the complexities of deploying advanced artificial intelligence systems. While competitors have released functional AI assistants for specific financial tasks, Crypto.com's comprehensive approach appears to require additional refinement before public deployment.

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr reiterated his support for further interest-rate increases to achieve the central bank’s 2% inflation target, even as market indicators show declining expectations for a rate hike at the upcoming October meeting. Barr made the remarks during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on September 29, emphasizing that inflation risks have risen while labor-market pressures have eased. He argued that policymakers must prioritize price stability to sustain long-term economic growth. The Fed’s benchmark rate currently stands at 3.75%–4%, following a unanimous 25-basis-point increase in September. Barr noted that only two of the past 20 months have recorded core PCE inflation consistent with the 2% goal, indicating a lack of clear progress toward the target. He highlighted energy costs and demand driven by artificial intelligence investment as ongoing sources of price pressure, with geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East adding further volatility to the outlook. While acknowledging that tariff effects may have diminished, Barr cautioned that the path forward remains uncertain. Across financial markets, CME FedWatch data showed the probability of an October rate hike falling to approximately 50%, down from around 70% earlier in the month. New York Fed President John Williams echoed a more patient stance, stating that while one additional increase remains his base case for 2024, the timing will depend on incoming economic data. Treasury yields eased slightly as oil prices declined, reflecting investor response to the shifting outlook. The Fed has scheduled the release of August PCE inflation data and the September employment report this week, both of which will inform the next policy decision. In related cryptocurrency developments, BitGo Research noted that Bitcoin’s price fluctuated near $76,000 following the September rate hike, later rising above $86,000 amid renewed exchange-traded fund demand and short covering. The firm observed that despite the Fed’s tightening cycle and legislative setbacks for crypto-friendly legislation, Bitcoin has shown resilience in recent weeks. The Federal Open Market Committee’s September statement had described economic activity as expanding at a solid pace, with resilient domestic spending and robust capital investment. Officials reiterated their commitment to restoring price stability while supporting sustainable employment growth. The next Federal Open Market Committee meeting is scheduled for October 27–28, after which the Fed will assess whether to proceed with further adjustments based on economic indicators.

Bitcoin fell to an intraday low of $82,775.94 on Tuesday, testing a key support level as inflation expectations climbed and labor market indicators showed modest cooling. August job openings slipped to 7.1 million from a revised 7.3 million in July, with hires holding steady at 5.2 million and quits unchanged at 3.1 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Federal Reserve's September 16 rate hike to a 3.75%-4.00% target range preceded the releases, shaping consumer outlooks. The Conference Board's September consumer confidence index dropped to 81.9 from 88.6, with its Expectations Index falling to 63.6 for a third consecutive month. Sixty-eight point four percent of respondents anticipated higher interest rates over the next year, while expected inflation over the same horizon rose to 6.1%. Treasury yields stood at 5.24% for the 10-year and 4.92% for the two-year as of September 28, reflecting elevated rates that contrast with Bitcoin's lack of yield. The Conference Board noted that consumer sentiment about the job market weakened alongside growing rate concerns. Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $31 million net inflow on September 28, smaller than recent sessions, indicating muted buyer interest amid persistent yields. August personal income and outlays, including PCE inflation data, are scheduled for release on September 30, followed by the September employment report on October 2. Bitcoin's path above $84,000 will depend on whether upcoming economic data eases yield pressures and sustains ETF inflows, or whether inflation remains elevated and rates stay high.

Bittensor subnet operators have collectively generated more than $32 million in revenue over the past 18 months as commercial implementations gain traction, according to Evan Malanga, chief revenue officer of Yuma, a Bittensor infrastructure company. Malanga outlined the growth during an interview with crypto.news, citing specific deals that illustrate how AI subnets are transitioning from experimental networks to monetized services. The revenue increase follows a period when operator earnings were negligible, he said.

Commercial adoption has accelerated through use cases in computer vision and cybersecurity. One example involves Score, a subnet focused on computer vision, which has planned deployments of carwash monitoring systems across thousands of locations for Avia, a mobility company. Another involves RedTeam, a subnet providing financial cybersecurity services, which currently protects over one billion transactions weekly for multiple Fortune 500 institutions. These deployments stem from Bittensor’s AI competition model, where teams compete in task-specific contests and receive tokens for high-performing solutions. Winning outputs are increasingly integrated into commercial products, Malanga said.

Subnet operators have also begun purchasing their native tokens on open markets, a trend Malanga linked to rising demand for TAO, Bittensor’s native token. He described the network’s design as creating a direct feedback loop between demand for subnet-specific assets and demand for TAO, driven by external customers seeking AI services. This dynamic, he argued, distinguishes real-world usage from speculative token activity.

Bittensor operates through 128 specialized subnets, each dedicated to a particular AI task such as mathematical reasoning, machine learning, or resource optimization. Within these subnets, participants compete to solve defined problems, with validators assessing solution quality using independent scoring mechanisms. Rewards are distributed based on utility scores generated through Yuma Consensus, a mechanism designed to reduce collusion while enabling agreement on subjective evaluations. This structure allows different roles—miners producing solutions and validators assessing them—to operate separately, unlike Bitcoin’s single-purpose proof-of-work system.

Beyond token incentives, Malanga emphasized that lasting value depends on external demand for the intelligence produced. He cited subnets such as Lium for GPU computing, Chutes for AI inference, Leadpoet for sales intelligence, and Innerworks for bot detection as examples of services built on the network. Innerworks, for instance, improved its bot-detection accuracy from 73% to 99.5% within a year after integrating Bittensor competition outputs into its platform.

Investment in the ecosystem also reflects risk mitigation strategies. Yuma, backed by Digital Currency Group, has positioned itself as a major validator on the network, staking over $200 million in TAO and subnet tokens. However, Malanga acknowledged ongoing risks, including the possibility of subnet failures, token price volatility, and competition from other AI platforms. A notable case involved TAO Synergies, a U.S.-listed company that disclosed holding 42,111 TAO tokens—valued at approximately $10 million in July 2025—as part of its treasury strategy. This marked one of the first instances of public market exposure to Bittensor through a corporate treasury asset.

Despite growing adoption, challenges remain. Malanga noted that not all subnets successfully transition from competition winners to sustainable businesses, and the long-term viability of the network’s decentralized AI model is still unproven. Nevertheless, he described diversified investment across subnets as a way to manage exposure to individual project risks while capitalizing on broader AI demand.

U.S. President Donald Trump forecasted that the conflict with Iran would conclude “very soon,” following talks between American officials and mediators aiming to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The prediction came during a Monday, September 28, Oval Office briefing where he described the United States as poised for victory, saying, “We’re going to win, as far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be one way or the other.” He did not announce a ceasefire or confirm any agreement with Tehran.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, indicated that Tehran had transmitted a proposal through intermediaries that could reopen Hormuz within seven days if Washington accepted its conditions. The plan, first presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September, called for a halt to hostilities before the strait’s reopening and the initiation of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. It also requested that the United States lift its naval blockade, grant sanctions waivers for Iranian oil, and release at least $12 billion in frozen assets. Trump dismissed the initial offer on September 26, but mediators have continued to refine the proposal, according to the Financial Times.

The revised approach seeks to clarify the sequencing of steps: when Iran would restore passage through Hormuz and when Washington would ease its blockade and related economic restrictions. Disagreement persists over the order of those actions, while U.S. officials emphasize the need for any settlement to address Iran’s nuclear activities. Trump later denied on Truth Social that he had offered sanctions relief or access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions, stating, “I offered them NOTHING.”

No formal ceasefire or passage agreement has been announced by either government. Meanwhile, Iran’s rial fell below 2.5 million to the U.S. dollar, a record low, as sanctions and the naval blockade constrained oil exports. The United States argues that these measures limit Iran’s capacity to sustain hostilities. Disruptions to oil shipments have kept fuel prices in focus, with Trump predicting declines once the conflict ends.

Cryptocurrency markets showed little immediate reaction to the remarks. Bitcoin traded near $83,081, Ethereum around $2,680, and XRP near $1.48, each down more than 1.5% on the day. The price movements coincided with a rise in the U.S. 30‑year Treasury yield, though analysts have not established a direct causal link. Earlier in the week, Bitcoin had slipped below $84,000 after Trump rejected Iran’s initial proposal, and spot Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds recorded $2.39 billion in net inflows over five trading days.

Oil price fluctuations have mirrored expectations about Hormuz’s status. When Iran signaled on September 22 that the strait could reopen within a week, West Texas Intermediate crude dropped more than 2.5% to about $89 per barrel, and Brent fell below $98. By September 29, Brent was quoted at $106.77 and U.S. crude at $93.94 as the dispute continued to affect supply forecasts.

South Korea’s Kakaopay Securities announced on Tuesday that it has entered separate agreements with tokenization firms Dinari and Ondo Finance to examine the possibility of bringing shares listed on the Korea Exchange onto blockchain networks and offering them to investors abroad.

The deals cover three distinct areas: sourcing the underlying Korean shares, building the technical infrastructure for tokenization, and planning how those tokens might be distributed to non‑domestic markets. Under the terms of the partnership with Dinari, the two firms will run a proof‑of‑concept that uses Dinari’s dShares model. The model is intended to retain shareholder rights such as dividend entitlement and voting power. Dinari currently issues 724 tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange‑traded funds through its platform, and the Kakaopay collaboration will explore extending that approach to equities listed in South Korea.

Gabe Otte, chief executive of Dinari, told Cointelegraph that no specific Korean companies have been chosen for the pilot and that the partners have not set a public schedule for when commercial services might launch. He added that the proposed system would rely on actual Korean‑listed shares as the base assets rather than merely issuing tokens that track their market price.

In a second agreement, Kakaopay will work with Ondo to develop a framework for acquiring and safeguarding Korean shares that could later be tokenized. Kakaopay plans to operate an omnibus account for foreign investors, holding and administering the underlying securities on their behalf. Both firms will also investigate the processes for issuing and redeeming tokens.

The companies emphasized that any decision to move from testing to commercial rollout will hinge on the legal and regulatory environment in South Korea and in the jurisdictions where the tokens would be sold. Their remarks come as the country prepares to implement a new regulatory regime for securities that are issued on distributed ledgers. In January, the National Assembly passed amendments that formally recognize blockchain‑based ledgers as valid securities registries and that permit the issuance and circulation of tokenized securities.

In June, the Financial Services Commission linked the development of token‑security infrastructure to a broader overhaul of the national capital‑market architecture. The regulatory framework is slated to become effective in February 2027, while the Korea Securities Depository is building a bridge between its existing account‑holding system and blockchain‑based data stores.

When asked about demand for tokenized equities in South Korea, Otte said the firm is seeing “meaningful institutional interest” in using tokenization as a conduit for linking Korean capital markets with global investors. He noted that the goal is not simply to create digital replicas of Korean stocks but to construct infrastructure that can broaden international distribution while preserving the rights attached to the underlying securities.

Data from RWA.xyz indicate that the total value of tokenized stocks worldwide reached roughly $3.2 billion by the end of September 2026, though the market remains dominated by tokenized U.S. equities and exchange‑traded funds such as those tied to Strategy, Circle, Nvidia, Tesla and major U.S. index ETFs.

The move reflects a broader push in South Korea to modernize securities settlement. The Bank of Korea has already launched a 24‑hour won‑settlement pilot aimed at foreign investors, and the nation’s legislative body has been refining rules that will allow tokenized securities to be listed and traded under the new regime.

Peter Brandt, a veteran commodities analyst, recently speculated that Bitcoin could reach $600,000 by 2029 and described XRP as a “fool coin,” remarks that appeared in a separate Cointelegraph feature.

Cointelegraph adheres to an independent editorial policy and strives to deliver accurate, timely reporting. Readers are encouraged to verify the information presented here through primary sources.

Greece entered the European Union’s crypto regulatory register for the first time, adding four domestic providers to the European Securities and Markets Authority’s MiCA list updated on Thursday. The entrants — BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank — join six other firms from Germany, France and Slovenia, bringing the total to 359 providers. The development marks the first Greek authorizations under MiCA’s passporting framework, which would have allowed a local entity to operate across the bloc. Binance had sought a Greek license to leverage that pathway, but withdrew its request on June 24 before the Hellenic Capital Market Commission issued a decision. The Wall Street Journal reported in September that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde had intervened to block the application, citing a claim that an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had urged Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve it. The regulator denied making those statements in a written reply to Cointelegraph, stating that no official communicated with ECB personnel about the matter and that it received no contact from Mitsotakis, his office, the Finance Ministry or other government bodies. HCMC added that its denial extends to the specific allegation about the vice chair’s remarks. The exchange declined to comment on the report, saying it would not address speculation, while reaffirming its pursuit of MiCA authorization in Europe. The ECB also declined to comment. Greece’s MiCA oversight is split between the HCMC and the Bank of Greece, with the former overseeing BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece, and the latter responsible for Piraeus Bank. The split reflects the country’s implementation of the EU framework, which permits multiple competent authorities to share regulatory duties. The recent additions illustrate how national regulators are integrating into the EU’s broader crypto regime.