Bitcoin Magazine

Republican Senator Steve Daines Releases Text of Proposed Crypto Tax Plan

Republican senator Steve Daines has released a new proposal to update the tax code with regards to digital assets. 

The senator for Montana released the Aligning Digital Assets with Principles of Taxation Act — or ADAPT Act — sponsored by Sen. Daines with Sens. Lummis, Moreno, and Tim Scott on Wednesday, aiming to draft rules for assets like stablecoins. 

Lawmakers and regulators are fast trying to draft rules for digital assets since U.S. President Trump took office on a pro-crypto platform. The Clarity Act collapsed in the Senate last month; one day after, the House Ways and Means Committee overwhelmingly approved legislation that would revamp the tax treatment of cryptocurrency. 

“Digital assets have moved into the mainstream, but the tax code hasn’t kept up,” Senator Daines wrote on X. 

“My bill would create clearer rules for stablecoins, network fees, staking and lending — while extending familiar tax rules like wash sales and constructive sales to digital assets.”

The bill proposes that everyday users of stablecoins get tax relief for everyday uses. Spending a qualifying dollar stablecoin on goods or services wouldn’t trigger gain or loss, and brokers wouldn’t have to report those transactions. 

To qualify, the stablecoin must be issued under the GENIUS Act framework, appear on a quarterly Treasury list of coins that have held within 3% of $1.00, and have been bought by you within 3% of $1.00. 

Separately, network or gas fees paid in crypto would be tax-free dispositions as long as the fees for a given transaction total $10 or less, with anti-structuring rules. 

The bill would also apply wash sale rules to crypto for the first time. The rules bar investors from claiming a tax loss if they sell an asset and buy it back within 30 days. Stock investors have long been bound by them, while crypto traders could sell at a loss and immediately rebuy. 

The rules would cover traded digital assets other than qualified stablecoins. Assets bought before the bill becomes law would be grandfathered, and staking rewards, mining rewards and regular recurring purchases would be exempt. 

Tokenized versions of stocks would count as “substantially identical” to the underlying shares.

The ADAPT Act now heads to committee, which would need to approve it before it could reach a vote by the full Senate.

This post Republican Senator Steve Daines Releases Text of Proposed Crypto Tax Plan first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

The Justice Department says UCLA’s law school discriminated against white and Asian applicants in its 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes.

The findings say the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on race in admissions.

The department says the school rejected white and Asian applicants who had the same LSAT scores as admitted black and Hispanic applicants.

In 2024 and 2025 combined, half of the admitted black applicants had LSAT scores at or below 90 percent of the admitted white applicants.

Investigators say the application still uses essays that draw out race, and staff told applicants how to reveal it at a “Diversity Admissions Open House.”

Says Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon,

“Like many of its peer institutions, UCLA Law School runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin.

The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal. The Department will continue to enforce equal treatment under the law everywhere — including in our nation’s law schools.”

UCLA Law is the law school at the University of California, Los Angeles. It takes federal money, which puts it under the civil rights rule.

The department says it will try to settle. If that fails, it will sue.

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The post Department of Justice Says UCLA Law Discriminated Against White and Asian Applicants appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

US President Donald Trump has indicated that the government could acquire a stake in OpenAI and Anthropic, mirroring its strategy with Intel. In a TIME interview, Trump said “I might” about possible investments in the AI firms. His comments bring to light a proposal that was first raised this year as Washington deepens its engagement

The post Donald Trump Says US Government Might Take Stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic appeared first on CoinGape.

Public infrastructure for charging an EV in America is a mess. Executives have all been vocal and up front about it. So much so that seven of the world’s largest automakers formed a joint venture called Ionna to tackle the issue and stand up a nationwide charging network. Toyota joined the party a year later to bring the count to eight. But this isn’t just about selling EVs, it’s an entirely new form of business diversification.

During an interview on The Drivecast Ionna CEO Seth Cutler said, “This is a for-profit business.” That business is EV charging.

Listen to the entire conversation starting at the moment Cutler discuses Ionna needing to turn a profit below.

“We know the company has to get to financial independence and profitability over time,” Cutler said. Currently Ionna exists off an undisclosed amount of money invested into the joint venture by BMW, Mercedes, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis along with Toyota joining a year later.

At some point the faucet will be turned off, and Cutler, who has spent most of his career in the EV charging and energy vertical, knows it.

Cutler said, “Infrastructure has to be for-profit or it’ll never survive, and if it never survives, EVs will never survive.”

The approach to profitability and scale has been multi-pronged including various partnerships with Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz, and Casey’s.

Beyond partnerships, Cutler said, “Very early on, we said let’s make some bets and plant some seeds for future trees. We’ve bought land at several dozen sites; we’ve built our own amenities where you’ve got buildings that we operate with vending machines, bathrooms, and other technology inside, like Amazon Just Walk Out; we’ve taken a piece of land, have a ground lease, and can come back later to add to it, add a building, or find a co-tenant. These things are all sitting there underground as seeds, but we’ve not focused time on that because it’s easy for an organization to get distracted and not have everybody working on driver quality and charging quality at scale. But we know that in 2027, 2028, or beyond, we’ll start to invest resources in terms of other ways to monetize or provide value to drivers with these things that we’ve developed that are different in the marketplace. But it is definitively not a focus right now.”

Ionna isn’t alone in trying to build out a nationwide network of EV fast chargers to rival Tesla’s Supercharger network. Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe is making similar bets, though his focus is a bit more spread out than Cutler’s. Despite launching the R2 and being keenly aware everyone has ants in their pants for the R3X, a large focus is being put on building the Rivian Adventure Network (RAN). As of the summer the Rivian Adventure Network was a hair smaller than Ionna’s network today, and about 4% of Tesla’s Supercharger network.

For now, Cutler was up front about the path forward, “My goal is to triple the size of the network this year from where we started at 80 at the beginning of the year. That scale isn’t baked into a lot of what people are seeing because we’re moving so fast right now,” he said.

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The post EVs ‘Will Never Survive’ If Charging Doesn’t Make Money, Ionna CEO Says appeared first on The Drive.

Crypto may have benefited from the failure of the US CLARITY Act, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan.

The CLARITY Act failed to get the 60 votes needed to move forward in the US Senate after years of negotiations. But instead of hurting the crypto market, its failure was followed by a strong rally across several digital assets.

Unexpected Wins in Washington

Both Bitcoin and Ethereum rose about 11% after the vote. Some other tokens posted much bigger gains. NEAR jumped 125%, Uniswap rose 49%, and Avalanche gained 44%, according to Hougan. The reaction may seem surprising because the crypto industry had strongly supported the bill. Hougan said the industry wanted the legal certainty that CLARITY promised. But added that the final version also included several compromises that could have created new restrictions for crypto companies.

One major area is stablecoins. The exec explained that the proposed legislation would have restricted platforms from paying customers interest or rewards on stablecoin balances. With the bill now stalled, existing stablecoin rules remain in place. Hougan said this could benefit companies such as Coinbase, which use stablecoin rewards to attract users.

CLARITY would have created a national licensing system for spot crypto exchanges. It also could have placed limits on the way exchanges combine trading and brokerage services. With the bill gone, established exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken avoid those changes for now.

Instead of waiting for new legislation and lengthy studies, the SEC recently allowed certain tokenized US stocks to trade through blockchain-based systems under temporary rules, which, according to Hougan, could give tokenization companies a chance to test the technology in real markets sooner.

Revenue-generating tokens are another area that has benefited from clearer regulatory guidance. Several tokens, including NEAR and Uniswap, have gained strongly while using protocol revenue for token buybacks. The SEC has also clarified that, once a blockchain network is functional, announcing a buyback program does not by itself turn a token into a security.

There is still a major risk as regulation can change when a new administration takes office. A future SEC or CFTC leadership could take a tougher approach to crypto. Despite this, Hougan expects “crypto to be too big to crush.”

Progress Under Existing Rules

Michael Saylor, co-founder and former CEO of Strategy, also sees the failure differently. He recently argued that crypto may be better served by working with supportive regulators at the SEC, CFTC, Treasury, and banking agencies than accepting the restrictions included in the bill’s final version.

Saylor believes the sector should use the next few years to build compliant crypto products under existing rules instead of rushing to accept a compromise simply to get legislation passed. His focus is on products that can lower costs, expand access, and give users more control over their money.

The post Crypto May Be Better Off Without CLARITY Act, Says Bitwise CIO: ‘Too Big to Crush’ appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Federal Reserve Board Governor Philip Jefferson has suggested that the FOMC is likely to hold rates steady at the October meeting. This comes as crypto traders continue to price in a hold following the latest macro data point, with the odds of an October Fed rate hike sharply declining this week. Ad Ad Jefferson Hints

The post Fed’s Jefferson Signals October Rate Pause as Rate Hike Odds Fall appeared first on CoinGape.

Standard Chartered's DeFi research expansion signals a shift towards institutional-grade analysis, potentially accelerating DeFi's mainstream adoption.

The post Standard Chartered is building an institutional research universe for DeFi appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

A 50,000-letter campaign is pressing Brussels to rethink stablecoin rewards as EU central banks seek broader changes to MiCA’s stablecoin rules.

Circle has called on EU policymakers to adjust certain provisions in MiCA, noting that the majority of the largest global stablecoins are not included. According to Patrick Hansen, EU strategy and policy director at Circle, only three of the world’s top 30 stablecoins are MiCA-compliant. Ad Ad Circle Pushes for Wider Stablecoin Recognition According to

The post Circle Urges EU to Change MiCA Rules, Says Only 3 of Top 30 Stablecoins Comply appeared first on CoinGape.

What happens when you mix sky-high fuel prices with a rollback of EV incentives? A boom in hybrid sales, as it turns out. A year after Congress officially ended America’s electric vehicle subsidies, we’ve seen an unsurprising decline in EV sales. But as the stagnant and unfavorable geopolitical climate continues to put pressure on global fuel prices, Many (though clearly not all) buyers are turning to hybrids for their new-car purchases, and companies like Toyota are reaping the benefits. But with hybrid sales exploding, why the heck is no one buying the Prius?

Let me give you some context. At this point last year, automakers with deep EV portfolios were doing everything they could to blow out their inventory while they could still send customers home with some cash in their pockets. Toyota would have been pushing its U.S.-built plug-in hybrid models hard, while the Prius languished despite a strong start to 2025. Toyota sold only 2,011 of them last September. This year, without that same EV pressure, that number fell again—to just 1,897.

Toyota moved more than 25,000 Camry Hybrids and more than 28,000 RAV4 Hybrids in the same period. In fact, the only hybrids in the Toyota lineup that sold worse than the Prius last month were the Corolla Cross (1,821), Tacoma (1,705), the Highlander (1,088), and the Crown (406). Toyota sold more BZ EVs in September than regular Prius hybrids; you have to throw in the plug-in variant just to sneak past the EV. Consequently, in a year when hybrids are taking market share left and right, the industry’s best-known model is headed in the opposite direction. Year to date, Prius sales are down 51%, to just 16,731.

Are Toyota buyers spoiled for choice, or is America just over the Prius?

Plenty of support backs the former argument. Toyota sells multiple hybrids in its own showroom that compete with the Prius, including the Corolla and Corolla Cross; even the Camry and RAV4 overlap in price. Like the Prius, the hybrid Corollas move in modest numbers, especially compared with their gas-powered sibling. Toyota has sold nearly 200,000 ICE Corollas so far in 2025, to just over 34,000 hybrids. Not even close.

But even if there’s a case for cannibalization, there’s still one more factor to consider: the Prius is actually kind of cool now. I’d certainly rather drive this than any Corolla short of a GR. Clearly, many Toyota buyers feel differently. Bummer.

Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!

The post Is America Over the Prius? appeared first on The Drive.

SRC has received an order from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for two AN/TPQ-49A (Q49A) radar systems configured with Air Surveillance software to support unmanned aircraft testing and ground-based sense-and-avoid (GBSAA) operations.

The radars will be deployed at GA-ASI flight operations sites in El Mirage and Gray Butte, California, providing detection and tracking of cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft operating near uncrewed aerial system (UAS) testing areas. Delivery is expected by the end of October 2026.

The Q49A systems will provide the surveillance sensor component of a broader GBSAA system, giving UAS operators airspace situational awareness for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. The ground-based configuration allows surveillance capabilities to be used for UAS that cannot accommodate onboard radar.

SRC said the Q49A provides 3-D target position data and can operate remotely over an IP network, with detection data fed to a central fusion processor. The radar can be installed on tripods, rooftops, towers or vehicles and is designed to operate in low-visibility and night-time conditions.

The company is also advancing FCC Part 87 certification for the Q49A, following completion of the required compliance testing. SRC said certification would support broader use of the radar for civil air surveillance and integration into GBSAA and detect-and-avoid (DAA) architectures for UAS and BVLOS operations.

For more information

https://www.srcinc.com/news-and-events/press/2026/20260929-contract-air-surveillance-radar-uas-operations.html

Image: SRC

The post SRC supplies radars to General Atomics for UAS airspace surveillance first appeared on Unmanned airspace.

SEC’s October 1 filing reveals the details of a grandiose merger approval between Evernorth & Armada.

Continue reading at DailyCoin.

The Drift Foundation has officially opened claims and redemptions for DFX, its recovery token issued to users who suffered verified losses in the April 1, 2026 exploit. Eligible wallets receive one DFX token for every one USDT of verified loss. The Recovery Pool currently holds roughly 3.11 million USDT, setting an early redemption rate of

The post DFX Goes Live: Drift Users Can Claim 1 Token Per $1 Lost as Recovery Pool Starts at $3.11M appeared first on CoinGape.

State officials agreed to delay the 0.2% crypto tax for six months after lawsuits and industry pushback claimed the bill was rushed through the legislature.

Bitcoin Magazine

Peter Todd Joins MARA to Lead Private Mempool Slipstream

Bitcoin O.G. Peter Todd has joined the MARA Foundation as lead maintainer of Slipstream, the miner’s private Bitcoin mempool service. 

Announced by the foundation on Thursday, the new role will see Todd responsible for developing and running the service.

Slipstream lets users send bitcoin transactions straight to MARA Pool, the company’s mining pool, without going through Bitcoin’s public peer-to-peer network. It was useful after hackers exploited Coldcard hardware wallets in July, stealing over $115 million in user funds. 

Because transactions sent through Slipstream stay private until they’re confirmed in a block, the service helps to keep key information hidden before confirmation — protecting exposure of their public keys. 

“I most look forward to seeing what’s possible on Bitcoin — using Slipstream as a proving ground for experimental development and protocol innovation,” Todd said. 

Todd added: “Working with Slipstream is a natural complement to my work on Libre Relay, and my mempool policy work more broadly. I’ve always believed that Bitcoin is better when we design protocols with economic demand in mind. This is also a good opportunity to build bridges between Bitcoin Core developers and miners.”

MARA’s Slipstream first drew attention in 2024 for publishing large Ordinals inscriptions. More recently it has been used for research projects like Quantum Safe Bitcoin and Binohash, a way to emulate covenants without a soft fork.

Todd is a longtime Bitcoin Core contributor, who co-authored BIP 125 (replace-by-fee), created OpenTimestamps, and in 2024 launched Libre Relay, a Bitcoin Core fork with looser relay rules for non-standard transactions. 

He argues that mempool policy should follow what the market wants miners to mine, rather than restrict how people use Bitcoin.

This post Peter Todd Joins MARA to Lead Private Mempool Slipstream first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

XRP just witnessed a massive supply event today with 1 billion tokens being unlocked from Ripple’s escrow. However, analyst CrediBULL Crypto remains confident that XRP price will experience one of the best rallies of the current cycle. Even though the analyst is advising that the token might return to $1.25, it could go as high

The post XRP Price Eyes Parabolic Rally To $30 Despite Ripple’s 1 Billion XRP Unlock Today, Says Analyst appeared first on CoinGape.

A nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) report published September 30, 2026, has put the debate over bank-permissible crypto activities back in the spotlight. The analysis details how the Senate version of the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) would formally add 11 categories of crypto activities, including digital asset underwriting and dealing, as permissible for all U.S.

The post From GENIUS to CLARITY: Congress Weighs On-Chain Banking for US Depositories appeared first on CoinGape.

The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that it had seized nearly 250 kilograms (around 550 pounds) of explosives being transported from neighbouring Syria into Lebanon, though it was unable to apprehend the smugglers. “An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wiring for the detonators”, which were […]

The post Lebanon army says seized 245 kg of TNT at Syria border appeared first on Insider Paper.

September was a strong month for many cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Zcash (ZEC), all of which posted significant gains.

Nonetheless, their pumps can’t be compared to what happened with Quant (QNT). The altcoin became a sensation after surging nearly 400% in a month, fueling expectations of a continued bull run among top analysts. On the other hand, traders and investors should tread lightly, as key signals suggest a short-term pullback may be coming.

Final Barrier Before the Real Boom?

As of this writing, it seems surreal that less than two weeks ago QNT was worth around $60. By the end of September, the token’s price skyrocketed to nearly $350, and now it trades just under $280.

Perhaps the biggest catalyst for the rally was the announcement that The Clearing House (which operates payment networks that process over $2 trillion each day) selected Quant to power its On-Chain Money Initiative.

One of the many analysts commenting on the token’s bull run lately is Ali Martinez. Earlier today (October 1), he set $430 as key resistance, which sits at the top of a certain channel.

In his view, a decisive break above this level could send QNT into price discovery mode, potentially triggering another parabolic expansion toward an all-time high of $2,000.

Jia Crypto also made an optimistic prediction, albeit far less bullish than Martinez’s take. She believes QNT could cross $300 “soon with big profits,” and then might rise to $400.

Beware, Bulls

Despite the overall optimism, a further price uptrend is not guaranteed. Lookonchain revealed that the Quant Network founder’s wallet has woken up after seven years of inactivity and has moved almost $7 million worth of QNT. Even if no actual sale occurs, traders may interpret the move as a sign of potential profit-taking, which can trigger uncertainty and panic selling.

Meanwhile, QNT investors have been abandoning self-custody en masse and flocking to centralized exchanges over the past several days. This in turn increases immediate selling pressure.

The token’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) should also serve as a warning. The ratio has surged past 70, suggesting that QNT has entered overbought territory and could be on the verge of a short-term correction. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where anything below 30 is considered a buying opportunity.

The post Quant (QNT) Could Explode to $2,000: Analyst Reveals the Critical Factor appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russian assets of Western companies that Moscow had seized were frozen and could potentially be returned. Putin last month ordered the seizure of businesses and assets of Swiss food giant Nestle, French retailer Auchan, the former Leroy Merlin DIY chain and German wholesaler and food retailer Metro. Asked […]

The post Putin says Western companies’s assets seized by Russia could be returned appeared first on Insider Paper.

TRUMP memecoin’s organizers have launched another holder-access contest. The top 185 wallets on a time-weighted leaderboard will secure seats at a November 22, 2026 gala dinner at Trump National in Washington, D.C. President Donald J. Trump is the listed featured speaker. Scoring opened September 30, locking on a November 12 snapshot. Ad Ad Third Access

The post Official Trump Memecoin Opens Time-Weighted Contest for Top 185 Seats at Nov 22 Washington Gala appeared first on CoinGape.

The United States on Thursday announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran’s largest automakers, as well as major rail, manufacturing and metals companies, as Washington seeks to exert maximum pressure in its war against the country. “Because the rail and automotive sectors represent some of the regime’s largest remaining sources of revenue and logistical capacity, today’s action […]

The post US sanctions Iran’s largest automakers, major rail companies appeared first on Insider Paper.

Sweden’s coast guard said Thursday it was investigating a suspected oil spill in the Baltic Sea off the island of Gotland. The spill was discovered on Wednesday in the shipping lane southeast of Gotland by European satellite monitoring. A coast guard aircraft later confirmed there appeared to be oil floating in the water, it said. […]

The post Sweden probing suspected Baltic Sea oil spill appeared first on Insider Paper.

Evernorth’s merger with Armada Acquisition Corp. II won shareholder approval on Wednesday, putting its 473 million XRP treasury on course for a Nasdaq listing.

The vote passed with about 20.5 million shares in favor and 1.4 million against, according to Armada II’s filing on Thursday. It came five weeks after the SEC declared Evernorth’s registration statement effective on August 27.

Evernorth expects the deal to close on October 7. The company’s shares should start trading the next day under XRPN, the ticker the SPAC already uses.

Over $1 Billion Raised

The firm said the deal and its private placements have raised more than $1 billion, the total it first put on the merger in October 2025. Investors contributed part of that total as XRP, which the release does not value in dollars.

Evernorth’s release puts about $300 million of the total in gross cash. Private placements supply $225 million of that cash. Another $30 million comes from convertible notes the company agreed to sell in September.

Advance funding investors provided $214 million of the private placement money, according to the proxy statement. Evernorth spent it in late 2025 on 84.4 million XRP, at an average of $2.54 per token. Those tokens are already part of its holdings.

The SPAC’s trust adds about $48 million of cash. That trust held about $241.9 million on the August 20 record date. Public shareholders could redeem their shares from the trust at an estimated $10.52 each until September 28. Neither Thursday’s release nor the vote filing says how many shareholders did.

RippleWorks supplied the largest block of Evernorth’s XRP, 211.3 million tokens, by investing them in the SPAC’s sponsor, Arrington XRP Capital Fund. The sponsor must exchange those tokens for Evernorth shares at closing. It has agreed to vote the shares as RippleWorks directs. Ripple co-founder and Executive Chairman Chris Larsen co-founded RippleWorks and sits on its board.

Ripple itself contributed 126.8 million XRP when the merger agreement was signed. A further 50 million comes from the Larsen Lam Children’s Remainder Trust.

Books Carry XRP Below Cost

Evernorth Holdings’ financial statements in the proxy put the cost of 346.3 million of its XRP at $846.6 million. By June 30, 2026, the company carried those tokens at $348.8 million. It recorded impairment charges of $233.7 million in 2025 and $264.1 million in the first half of 2026.

Evernorth books XRP at cost and writes it down to the lowest intraday price seen since it acquired each lot. The written-down value is not adjusted upward when the price recovers.

The post XRP Is Coming to Nasdaq: Evernorth Clears Key Vote With 473M Treasury appeared first on CryptoPotato.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic told reporters Thursday that any moves on a US export ban on diesel would be “unexpected for Europeans,” in comments after he spoke with US counterpart Jamieson Greer. “It would have very dramatic consequences for our economic performance. And we clearly decided to stay in close touch to avoid any […]

The post EU trade chief says any US steps on diesel export ban would be ‘unexpected’ appeared first on Insider Paper.

British anti-terrorism police said they had arrested a man with dual UK-Iranian citizenship over a mysterious “major incident” on Sunday at an airbase in southwest England. The arrest came after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF […]

The post British police arrest UK-Iranian national over airbase incident appeared first on Insider Paper.

U.S. manufacturing activity expanded again in September, although growth eased slightly from August. The ISM Manufacturing PMI reached 54.5%, below the 54.8% forecast and August’s 54.6% reading. Ad Ad US Manufacturing Remains in Expansion The Institute for Supply Management reported manufacturing growth for a ninth-straight month. PMI readings above 50% indicate growth, and below that

The post US ISM Manufacturing PMI Hits 54.5%, Below 54.8% Forecast appeared first on CoinGape.

Bitcoin outperformed stocks and gold in September as it entered the fourth quarter on a high note, according to Santiment. The world’s largest crypto asset gained around 8% during the month. In comparison, the S&P 500 saw little movement, while gold fell by more than 6%.

Several altcoins also recovered as investor interest returned to the market.

What Changed in September?

Fresh capital inflows supported Bitcoin’s rally. US-listed spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted billions of dollars in September, including several large inflow days toward the end of the month. Meanwhile, Strategy added another 1,665 BTC to its holdings, which was indicative of continued corporate accumulation. Strive also expanded its corporate Bitcoin holdings by purchasing 1,107 for $94.5 million.

Improving economic conditions also helped the market. US inflation data for August came in below expectations, easing pressure on Treasury yields as well as reducing concerns about another Federal Reserve rate hike. While stock markets showed a limited response, cryptocurrencies recorded stronger gains following months of weak sentiment and heavy short positions.

Santiment found that crypto markets are entering Q4 with several potential growth drivers.

“Continued ETF demand, corporate accumulation, improving regulatory clarity, and renewed altcoin participation give traders reasons to stay optimistic.”

But while higher yields and crowded leverage can still create sharp pullbacks, the analytics firm stated that “crypto currently has catalysts that traditional assets simply haven’t matched.”

What’s Next?

Bitcoin is stuck just below $86,000, and Crypto Patel thinks this level could decide where the asset heads next. If BTC breaks above this level and holds, a move toward $100,000 could be back on the table. If it fails, however, traders will be watching $82,886, $80,300, and $76,400 for support. BIT Research’s latest report, meanwhile, has put a much bigger number on Bitcoin’s current cycle. The firm said that the bear market has likely ended and predicted an upside range of $185,000 to $215,000.

Whale wallets are also stacking up. In fact, wallets holding 10 to 10,000 BTC added 41,025 coins in just 10 days, pushing their total holdings to 13.64 million.

Bitcoin’s longer-term setup is still looking healthy as the MVRV Z-Score remained above its 365-day moving average. That level has historically acted as support during broader rallies. It doesn’t mean BTC is guaranteed to keep climbing, though. Short-term pullbacks can still hit, and they could be sharp.

For now, the bigger thing to watch is whether the Z-Score can hold above that average. If it does, CryptoQuant’s analysis states that the broader valuation trend remains supportive of further upside. A sustained break below the 365-day average would be a different story and could signal that the longer-term structure is starting to weaken.

The post Why Bitcoin Is Starting Q4 on Stronger Footing Than Traditional Markets appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin Magazine

21bitcoin Now Pays Interest on Idle Euros, Payable in BTC 

Austrian Bitcoin platform 21bitcoin will start paying 1.21% annual interest on customers’ uninvested euro balances from today — and letting them collect it in BTC, with no conversion fee.

The company says it’s the first provider in Europe to pay savings interest directly in Bitcoin.

The interest covers every euro in the account, including cash waiting for the next savings-plan purchase or reserved for an open limit order, the company said. There’s no minimum deposit and no lock-up. 

“Building wealth with Bitcoin does not begin with the purchase itself, but with the euros set aside for it,” said co-founder and CEO Daniel Winklhammer.

The money is paid by Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Bayern Mitte eG, a German bank that has owned a stake in 21bitcoin since 2023. 

Customer euros sit in a segregated trust account at the bank as instant-access savings. 21bitcoin says it passes the interest on in full and keeps no margin. The company is pitching this as a deliberate contrast to the high-yield promises that brought down several crypto lenders.

The rate is variable, and interest is subject to German withholding tax.

The launch follows 21bitcoin’s zero-fee Bitcoin savings plan, introduced earlier this year. The company last year teamed up with VR Bank Bayern Mitte eG and Sopra Financial Technology GmbH to launch a pioneering European pilot project in hopes to develop an institutional-grade Bitcoin-backed credit product.

Bitcoin-backed loans, insured cold storage, and multisig inheritance custody are slated for 2027.

Founded in 2021, 21bitcoin holds a MiCAR licence in Austria and is authorized by Germany’s BaFin. It reports more than 100,000 users and over €650 million in trading volume.

This post 21bitcoin Now Pays Interest on Idle Euros, Payable in BTC  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Russia would consider using “all types of weapons”, if its exclave of Kaliningrad was attacked, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, while insisting that Moscow had “no intention of attacking anyone”. His comments came as tensions mount over Kaliningrad — Russia’s heavily militarised territory that borders Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. “If it comes […]

The post Putin says all weapons ‘on agenda’ if Russia’s Kaliningrad attacked appeared first on Insider Paper.

The US Supreme Court said Thursday it will decide whether President Donald Trump’s administration can deny immigrants facing deportation the chance to seek release on bond, in the latest major challenge to his hardline immigration agenda. The policy, introduced after Trump returned to office last year, allows authorities to keep some immigrants detained throughout removal […]

The post US Supreme Court to review indefinite immigrant detention appeared first on Insider Paper.

French energy giant TotalEnergies will invest nearly $10 billion in the coming years to expand its operations in Argentina, its chief executive said Thursday as Argentine President Javier Milei visited Paris. “I’m happy to announce that we have close to $10 billion of investments ahead of us in Argentina,” Patrick Pouyanne said at a conference. […]

The post TotalEnergies chief says to invest nearly $10 billion in Argentina appeared first on Insider Paper.

The agreement will allow the two state regulators to share supervisory information, streamline licensing reviews and coordinate examinations and enforcement actions involving digital asset firms.

Novation have teamed up with FL Studio developers Image-Line to create another dedicated controller for the popular DAW, but rather than another keyboard to the collection, the latest offering draws its inspiration from the Launchpad family.

Ten years (and about a half-dozen daily drivers) ago, I purchased a brand-new Ford Fiesta ST. Back then, when you bought one of Ford’s fun cars, the company threw in a complimentary day of driver “education” at what we colloquially call Utah Motorsports Park. If you bought a either the Focus or Fiesta ST, that program took the form of ST Octane Academy.

The Academy was a day-long school that mixed time on track with classroom sessions and a massive autocross/gymkhana course. It was in that sea of cones that we were expected to apply all of the knowledge we’d gained throughout the day for a best-of-three timed runoff—with trophies and all. As one of the few in the room with any prior autocross experience, I was salivating at the prospect of climbing to the top of our small classroom podium. You can’t win a track day, after all, but you certainly can win an autocross.

There was a catch, however: this wasn’t a traditional autocross, and these weren’t entirely stock cars. While both of Ford’s hot hatches came with an old-fashioned hand brake, these had custom-fabricated “drift” brakes instead. Functionally, they’re not really all that different. They both engage the rear brakes with the yank of a handle; the major difference is that a drift brake lacks the latching detents you find in a regular hand brake. When you let go, it simply springs back to the “off” position.

That renders it useless for holding your car stationary on a hill while you visit a restaurant, but it’s super helpful if you’re trying to break a car’s rear end loose on command. And that’s precisely what our instructors (and, at this point, scorers) wanted us to do just a few seconds into the course, where they’d placed a 180-degree turn so tight that we simply had no choice but to attempt a j-turn.

If you’ve ever autocrossed with people who take it seriously (which is most of them), you already know that getting sideways is often frowned upon. Sure, some cars drive loose, but a good course is designed so that it can be negotiated without resorting to the sort of trickery expected of us here.

Suffice it to say that I’ve mellowed quite a bit over the past decade. My inner old man may still be yelling at clouds over the fact that the EcoBoost Mustang lost its stick-shift with the S650 redesign, but I don’t view the RTR’s drift brake with the same ire I might have ten years ago. In fact, I consider myself a full-blown convert; that turbocharged RTR Mustang is actually a fun little package.

As it turns out, I actually just miss the entire notion of a hand brake. It’s one of those things whose utility is made more obvious by its absence, and where a dual-clutch gearbox can do a respectable impression of a manual in some cases, a button-activated parking brake, while perfectly adequate for use as an actual parking brake, is even more useless than a pedal-activated parking brake when it comes to traction management.

Even in the dwindling population of cars still available with a manual transmission, the old-fashioned, pull-handle parking brake is virtually extinct. Almost every one of them has been replaced by an electronic button or switch. In a way it’s strange and funny that Ford and RTR had to come together to engineer a hand brake back into the Mustang; it hasn’t even been gone long enough for anybody to really miss it.

But miss it, I do. Like the manual gearbox, it’s yet another tool we no longer have access to. It was just another sacrifice in the name of saving space—and saving somebody else money. And so I’m glad Ford and RTR took the time (and resources) to keep some part of that functionality alive. It’s nice to see that somebody still thinks “It’s just fun” is a good enough reason to do something.

Oh, and that autocross? I finished third. Yep, still bitter, just less.

Got a story tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!

The post There’s Still Hope for the Old-Fashioned Hand Brake appeared first on The Drive.

The platform said it will compensate users affected by the hack, which stemmed from a bug that affected deposits and withdrawals.

The crypto market’s recovery near $3 trillion reflects renewed Bitcoin momentum and broader altcoin gains. Market dominance, ETF flows, and economic conditions may help indicate whether the recovery can last.

Continue reading at DailyCoin.

Citigroup forecasts Bitcoin will reach $113,000 by the end of 2026, up from its previous $82,000 target. The bank also raised its Ethereum year-end target to $3,028 from $2,240, citing recovering ETF demand, increased crypto activity, and improving financial conditions. Ad Ad Citi Sees Steadier Crypto Inflows Ahead Citi estimates that approximately USD 5 billion

The post Citi Raises 12-Month Bitcoin Target to $113K, Ethereum to $3,028 appeared first on CoinGape.

Unique colors, paint jobs, and even wraps are cool. After all, it’s the unique individuals who spring up for these that keep our roads looking less bland than they already are. But how much are you willing to pay for that visual pizazz? What about 20% of the vehicle’s purchase price?

A Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew starts around $60,000, so checking the box for the new $12,545 two-tone paint job offered on 2027 models means you’ll spend roughly 20% of your truck’s cost on a single option. Of course, that percentage will vary depending on which trim and options you ultimately buy, but regardless, that just seems silly and, not to mention, a poor financial decision. I can’t imagine anyone will salvage any resale value from it down the road.

Speaking of poor financial decisions, you can dig yourself into an even bigger hole by opting to roll the price of that paint job into the lease or finance monthly payment. Yes, you can actually do that. Depending on your personal history and financing terms, that could mean anywhere from $200 to $320 per month on top of the car’s monthly payment. Or, y’know, you can just pay it out of pocket.

For the record, I’m a big supporter of people doing whatever they want with their money as long as it makes them happy. If you want to pay almost $13,000 (or more) for a paint job, wheels, or engine mods, by all means, do it. What I’m emphasizing here is the ridiculously high cost of that standalone option and, to a certain extent, the fact that an automaker and its credit division are salivating at the revenue they can make off this thing, fully knowing it’ll put consumers in a tough place down the road.

Would you?

Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com

The post Ford Wants to Charge You $12,545 for a Paint Job appeared first on The Drive.

Illinois has agreed to delay implementation of the crypto tax law, which was set to take effect on January 1, 2027. This follows lawsuits from crypto groups, which filed for a preliminary injunction to block the law from taking effect at the start of next year. Ad Ad Illinois Agrees To Delay Crypto Tax Plans

The post Illinois Delays Crypto Tax Plans Following Lawsuits From Crypto Groups appeared first on CoinGape.

The altcoin market is showing signs of overheating, as spot trading volume is now four times higher than that of Bitcoin. The sharp rise in activity has also pushed leverage higher across the market.

This has prompted one trader to take profits and reduce exposure to altcoins.

Bitcoin Over Altcoins?

Doctor Profit said ONDO was sold with a 73% profit, while HBAR was closed with a smaller gain. XRP remains on watch, with a possible entry planned at a better price. The trader said there is no interest in buying altcoins while market conditions remain this hot. He also called altcoins a “great distraction and liquidity grab” and went on to add,

“This is why I’m out of Alts!”

Instead, the trader is betting on a Bitcoin correction, reiterating his previous stance. A short position was opened at $86,200, and additional short orders were placed between $86,500 and $89,500.

While he remains bullish overall, Doctor Profit had previously pointed to a potential pullback toward $79,000, near the 50-week moving average, before the broader uptrend continues. The analyst had flagged bearish signals across RSI, MACD/PPO, and MFI, while ADX showed weaker trend strength.

Warning Signs Emerge

A few days earlier, Darkfost also identified a few warning signs. According to the analyst, Total2, which tracks the altcoin market cap including Ethereum, absorbed more than $371 billion in inflows since June 2026. This is a 45% increase in just a few months.

The shift is also visible across Binance, where 87% of listed altcoins are trading above their 200-day moving average. That is a major change from August, when 80% were still below the crucial trend level. Darkfost explained that the move is indicative of a growing euphoria around altcoins, something that has historically been difficult to sustain for long.

Another signal is the rise in altcoin deposits to exchanges. Weekly deposit transactions have climbed above 22,700 on Binance and 8,300 on Coinbase, with another 32,000 or so across other platforms. The numbers are still below the levels seen early in the previous bull cycle. However, Darkfost also pointed to a developing bearish divergence on Total2’s RSI, which suggests that the altcoin momentum could be starting to cool after the recent surge.

The post Altcoin Trading Volume Hits 4x Bitcoin as One Trader Says He’s Out appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Strong September gains and renewed institutional demand put Bitcoin in focus as markets look ahead to Q4.

Continue reading at DailyCoin.

Hyperliquid Policy Center has urged European regulators to keep perpetual futures under existing derivatives rules. The group wants product features, rather than blockchain technology, to determine their regulatory treatment. Ad Ad HPC Backs MiFID II Rules for Perpetual Futures Hyperliquid Policy Center submitted its position during the European Commission’s review of the Markets in Crypto-Assets

The post Hyperliquid Policy Center Urges EU to Regulate Perpetual Futures as Derivatives appeared first on CoinGape.

October is here, and so are fresh expectations that Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency market can continue their upward momentum and enter a sustained bull run.

We asked three of the most popular AI-powered chatbots whether the meme coin sector will thrive this month and which token in that space has the best chance to outperform. Here are the interesting answers.

PENGU?

ChatGPT picked Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) as a potential October breakout, warning that this is a speculative judgment, not a certainty. OpenAI’s platform noted its solid performance over the past few weeks, which makes it a candidate to attract further momentum buying if the market remains bullish.

It also outlined that PENGU’s market capitalization sits slightly above $600 million, giving it more scope for large percentage moves. Last but not least, ChatGPT pointed out that the meme coin is built on Solana, arguing that recognizable tokens within the ecosystem could benefit if traders increase their exposure to the network in October.

PENGU also received support from Google’s Gemini, which identified it as the month’s most promising candidate. According to the chatbot, the meme coin stands out because it bridges Internet jokes with real-world sales.

“Most meme coins run strictly on X chatter and speculation; PENGU has a physical brand selling toys and trading cards in major stores like Target,” it added.

Gemini later claimed the token offers a balance of viral meme energy, massive retail presence, and strong trading momentum, which could play a vital role in further price gains.

It is worth noting that several renowned analysts are also quite bullish on PENGU. Ali Martinez recently claimed the token might be preparing for a bull run, citing key factors such as the Tom DeMark Sequential indicator flashing two consecutive buy signals and the SuperTrend indicator supporting a rally.

At the same time, he revealed that PENGU’s Bollinger Bands have squeezed on the weekly chart. Usually, this precedes a major move, although the exact direction (up or down) remains unclear.

How About DOGE?

Perplexity argued that the OG meme coin is most likely to explode this month because it combines the deepest liquidity with a clearer near-term technical setup than its rivals.

“Its advantage is not that it has the biggest possible upside – it is that it is the meme coin most likely to catch a broad market rally first,” it said.

The chatbot noted that Bitwise recently closed its spot DOGE ETF, but reminded that other products of this type remain live, meaning a potential spike in institutional interest could lift the price. It also highlighted recent whale activity, with large coin purchases showing strong conviction among this cohort of investors and perhaps setting the stage for a serious rally. As CryptoPotato reported, these market participants accumulated over 1.14 billion DOGE in about 96 hours.

The post The Meme Coin Most Likely to Explode in October, According to 3 AIs appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Today Amazon started running some great discounts on tools (hand and power), full mechanic sets, and specialty tools along with special sale pricing on car accessories like OBD scanners and dashcams ahead of Prime Big Deal Days (aka Amazon Big Deal Days). Most of the flagship mass-appeal sales will be happening on October 6, but the car-stuff category niche has live discounts now.

I’ve been covering consumer products here at The Drive for over a year now, and I’ve figured out it takes a lot more than just endlessly scrolling through Amazon hoping to hit something good to find the real deals. Here’s what we were able to dig up by aggressively trawling sale aggregator sites, Amazon’s own product lists, studying pricing history, and of course, deploying AI agents to help us parse and comparison-shop at 100 mph.

Full disclosure, pricing may change from the time we found it to when you click the link.

Top 5 Early October Prime Day Deals for Car People

1. DeWalt 20V MAX 6Ah battery 2-pack: $179 (was $279). Two big batteries for less than many retailers charge for one. If you’re already running yellow tools, this is the deal to grab.
2. Craftsman 308-piece mechanics set: $199 (was $319). This matches last October’s Prime Big Deal Days price, so it’s not a new low. It is a strong price for a full set in a case you can actually close.
3. Wera 8100 SB 29-pc 3/8″ metric ratchet set: $142 (52% off). Wera is a premium brand that rarely gets discounts this deep. This is the set you buy once and keep.
4. Klein Tools 8-pc SAE ratcheting wrench set: $44.98 (was $79.98). Ratcheting wrenches save real time in tight engine bays, and Klein makes good ones. This price makes them easy to justify.
5. Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 power station: $899.99 (was $1,499). Enough capacity to run a fridge on an overlanding trip or keep the lights on through a storm outage. It’s an expensive item, but $600 off is a big cut.

More Early Prime Day Deals

The post $100 off DeWalt Batteries and More Early October Prime Day Deals for Car People appeared first on The Drive.

Crypto security losses reached $1.26 billion in Q3 across 247 incidents, with September alone accounting for roughly $769 million.