Crypto Briefs

Pendle protocol reported its first total value locked increase in a year, driven by a strategic shift toward real-world assets and buyback initiatives. The move signals potential changes in DeFi incentive structures toward sustainable value generation rather than traditional yield farming mechanics.

Bitcoin Core released fixes for three bugs across four release branches, including a non-Linux node crash vulnerability. However, 32-bit systems and FAT32 storage devices remain exposed to a separate low-severity flaw that was not patched in the latest update.

Alipay has denied supporting cryptocurrency trading through third-party platforms, reaffirming its compliance stance amid regulatory scrutiny. The denial underscores ongoing friction between fintech services and crypto market access in jurisdictions where digital asset trading faces restrictions.

Coinbase faces analyst scrutiny over trading rebound strength as its upcoming earnings report arrives following Robinhood's 55% drop in crypto revenue. Wall Street analysts are divided on whether the trading recovery will sustain, with Robinhood's decline raising questions about the broader retail trading environment and market momentum.

The Federal Reserve voted 10-2 to keep interest rates unchanged Wednesday, with Governors Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack dissenting in favor of a hike. The decision leaves open the possibility of a rate increase in December, a factor that typically influences Bitcoin and broader crypto-market sentiment.

Ethena Pay's leverage loop product promises high yields through 11x leverage, but actual returns depend on borrowing costs and funded exits that remain opaque to users. The vault's real leverage ratios and risk controls have not been independently verified, raising concerns about hidden losses.

MEXC announced a phased exit from France with trading restrictions and a March withdrawal cutoff for French users, citing regulatory pressure. In Brazil, the exchange faces a licensing deadline; existing providers missing the filing cutoff receive a 30-day grace period to cease operations before enforcement.

Diva has canceled its mainnet launch and instructed early stakers to withdraw their funds from pre-launch vaults, which collectively hold approximately 654.5 ETH. The project's shutdown statement provided no plan for alternative DIVA token distribution to affected participants.

Peer has added USDC trading functionality on Coinbase's Base blockchain in beta, enabling users to pay individual sellers in Chinese yuan. The platform clarified it has no official partnership with Alipay despite the feature's integration with the payment service, suggesting peer-to-peer settlement infrastructure for a major fiat currency.

DekaBank, a major German institutional investor, purchased $15.2 million in shares of Strategy, a Bitcoin treasury management firm. The investment reflects growing appetite among traditional financial institutions to gain Bitcoin exposure through regulated corporate structures rather than direct holdings.

On-chain metrics show Bitcoin whale net outflows declined from -282,000 BTC in July to -39,000 BTC, representing a 243,000 BTC improvement in holdings. CryptoQuant data indicates large holders are easing selling pressure, potentially signaling a market turning point, though the article draws speculative comparisons to 2023 price rallies.

Ripple partnered with Coinbase to expand access to its RLUSD stablecoin across XRP, Ethereum, and Base blockchains for retail and institutional investors. The expansion includes RLUSD's launch on the Base ecosystem, positioning the stablecoin for broader utility on Coinbase's trading and custody platforms.

Trader Michael XBT, who previously called XRP's drop below $1, has turned bullish on the cryptocurrency amid weeks of consolidation. XBT believes XRP is setting up for a significant parabolic move, though the article does not provide specific price targets or timing.

Aave has raised collateral borrowing limits for Bitcoin and Ether across its V3 and V4 protocols. WBTC and cbBTC borrowers gain approximately 11% additional borrowing capacity against the same collateral, though maximizing the new limits reduces price-decline safety margins. The change affects how much leverage users can take on major cryptocurrency collateral.

A Canadian lender is offering mortgages backed by bitcoin collateral, but borrowers face liquidation risk if cryptocurrency prices fall sharply. The lender said property and crypto collateral will be managed separately, though details on cost structure remain unclear to prospective borrowers.

Ethereum Foundation researchers are exploring native transaction assertions that would tie transaction safety to final state outcomes alongside signed instructions. The approach aims to reduce signing risks by ensuring transactions execute only under specified conditions, improving protection against certain classes of attacks.

Ethereum developers identified and corrected a flaw in the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade that could have misdirected staking deposits to block builders. Developers initially resisted the fix but reversed course after testing delays provided additional time to examine the vulnerability. The correction was implemented before the upgrade's deployment.

Bitcoin price recovered following Federal Reserve Chair Warsh's remarks explaining a pause in rate hikes, though the decision was not unanimous among policymakers. The mixed messaging from the Fed reflects ongoing debate within the central bank over monetary policy direction.

Bitcoin held near $81,000 following the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain interest rates at 3.75% to 4% in a 10-2 vote. The Fed's policy stance, marked by dissent from two members, comes as markets react to monetary policy signals affecting asset valuations across markets including cryptocurrencies.

Privacy Pools v2 has deployed on BNB Chain, enabling shielded payments and yield generation for BNB, USDT, FDUSD, and U tokens. The protocol maintains a deposit-screening requirement via 0xbow approval before users can execute private transactions, balancing privacy with compliance measures.

Samsung and Solana announced plans to integrate cross-border USDC transfers into Samsung Wallet, with rollout targeted for late October 2026 for US Galaxy device users. The partnership aims to expand stablecoin accessibility through a mainstream consumer hardware platform.

Ethereum (ETH) is attempting to recover but encountering persistent selling pressure, according to CryptoPotato analysis. An unnamed analyst forecasted a near-term price target of $3,600 for the asset.

The XRP Ledger Foundation added Flare to its recommended validator list and removed Anodos Finance following its own request to step down. The foundation and Ripple now publish matching sets of 35 validator keys, according to the foundation's announcement.

A survey indicates that while 22% of Americans have experimented with cryptocurrency, only 13% actively use it, revealing a significant gap between curiosity and sustained engagement. The crypto sector faces headwinds from low trust and negative public perception in converting trial users into regular participants.

Trezor's Rojčyk has advocated for requiring human signatures on every AI wallet transaction to prioritize security and user control. The proposal emphasizes maintaining oversight of automated AI operations, though such requirements could constrain the efficiency benefits that AI-driven wallet features might otherwise provide.

Trenton Johnston, a Canadian, has been sentenced in Miami federal court for his role in a cryptocurrency laundering scheme involving over $13 million in stolen funds. Investigators connected Johnston to the scheme through fake support calls and demonstrations of his methods posted on Discord, leading to his conviction.

Solidus Labs identified over $170 million in suspicious oil-linked perpetual orders on the Hyperliquid exchange during March's energy-market volatility, with two accounts repeatedly canceling large orders while completing trades—a pattern consistent with spoofing. Lookonchain documented the activity between March 8 and 10, raising market manipulation concerns on the decentralized derivatives platform.

Blockchain.com added TRX options to its Trading Account as part of a seven-asset rollout, requiring a $5 minimum premium and restricting access to eligible users outside the U.S. and certain excluded jurisdictions. TRON DAO confirmed the availability, expanding derivative trading options on the platform.

Solana has instituted a mandatory 1 SOL burn fee for each security vulnerability submission following a monthlong bug bounty contest that received 809 reports, nearly all believed to have been generated or written with AI assistance. The fee requirement aims to reduce spam submissions that overwhelmed the security team's review capacity.

Polymarket has generated $14 billion in 30-day face-value trading volume primarily from US sports betting, with $3.4 billion in actual contract payments, according to CryptoSlate reporting. Reuters reports the platform faces renewed offshore-access scrutiny and separate US customer-protection investigations, raising questions about its regulatory compliance.