Crypto Briefs

Core DAO co-founders Rich Rines and Brendon Sedo have resigned from leadership roles, transferring responsibilities to independent validators and community members. The October 27 announcement marks a shift toward decentralized governance for the Bitcoin-focused blockchain.

Jack Dorsey's Spiral organization cautioned that Bitcoin is falling behind stablecoins in payments adoption despite Lightning Network advances, according to Crypto.news. Spiral called for ambitious initiatives to drive everyday Bitcoin adoption within five years, signaling concern over competing payment-focused cryptocurrencies.

BNY Mellon now offers custody services for XRP to eligible clients, according to CryptoSlate reporting. The service supports new XRP holdings, though transfers of existing tokens do not trigger additional purchases through the custody arrangement.

Bitcoin traded near $81,000 while altcoins outperformed, with Zcash (ZEC) jumping 8%, as cryptocurrency markets tracked broader tech stock gains ahead of an upcoming Federal Reserve announcement.

Bithumb, a major South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, disclosed a data breach alongside two other financial institutions in the country. The incident underscores vulnerabilities in South Korea's financial sector and highlights the need for stronger cybersecurity protections to safeguard customer information.

Bithumb, a major South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, reported a data breach alongside two other financial institutions in the country. The breaches underscore cybersecurity vulnerabilities in South Korea's financial sector and the need for stronger data protection measures across the industry.

Jack Dorsey cautioned that Bitcoin will fail if it becomes merely a store of value rather than evolving into a widely-used transactional currency. Dorsey's warning underscores ongoing debate within the Bitcoin community about whether the asset should prioritize payment functionality over its store-of-value properties.

Fidelity Bitcoin ETF clients bought $24.54 million worth of Bitcoin, according to Crypto Briefing. The inflow underscores Fidelity's growing dominance in Bitcoin ETF markets and raises questions about investment concentration across the sector.

Coinbase stated it did not experience a data breach after a security incident at Amplitude, a third-party analytics vendor. The incident underscores risks associated with reliance on external vendors and the importance of robust security protocols and user awareness.

A DBS survey found that 88% of large businesses are using or piloting tokenized money, signaling broader adoption of digital finance infrastructure. The finding suggests a shift in corporate and banking strategies toward blockchain-based payment and settlement systems.

USDT trading volume on Brazilian exchange Mercado Bitcoin surged nearly 800% on election day, with bitcoin volume jumping 865%, as companies sought shelter from currency instability. Binance's USDT/BRL market tripled in activity while the global BTC/USDT pair declined, indicating localized demand for dollar-pegged assets over broader crypto market trends.

X100 suffered a $6 million loss after an attacker exploited governance vulnerabilities using a flash loan, repaying the borrowed funds while keeping stolen stakes locked. The incident also revealed that Arkadiko's ballot system accepted late token purchases, exposing additional protocol design weaknesses in the DeFi ecosystem.

HashKey RWA announced the launch of its first hToken product, linked to Class A units of HashKey Fintech Opportunities fund. The hToken series tokenizes investment fund units, representing an expansion of HashKey's real-world asset offerings on blockchain infrastructure.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin transferred $1 million in USDC stablecoin to his Kanro Fund, a philanthropic vehicle focused on global health initiatives. The donation demonstrates use of blockchain technology for transparent and efficient charitable giving to under-supported health programs worldwide.

A $68 million bitcoin options position is wagering on a post-midterm election breakout to $90,000, according to CoinDesk's market analysis. The bet reflects trader expectations for significant price appreciation following the midterm elections, positioning bitcoin for potential gains from current levels.

Keystone, a Bitcoin hardware wallet manufacturer, removed devices from sale after attackers obtained its factory authentication key, potentially enabling counterfeit wallets. The breach affected 25,964 customer records, though Keystone stated that recovery phrases and private keys were not compromised. The stolen key allows attackers to forge legitimate-appearing devices.

Robinhood reported Q3 revenue of $1.42 billion, the highest on record, but posted earnings of $0.51 per share against analyst expectations of $0.55. Crypto revenue rose during the quarter while prediction market bets, including sports and election wagering, grew to $173 million.

Tranche Vault on Avalanche suffered a flash loan attack that drained 1.01 million USDC, according to security firm Blockaid. The attacker exploited the vulnerability to mint inflated tranche shares and redeem the vault's USDC; a balance check confirmed the contract now holds no USDC.

Coinbase is winding down support for GYEN, a yen-linked stablecoin issued by GMO-Z.com Trust Company, and converting customer balances to USDC. The conversion reflects the issuer's decision to retire the stablecoin, affecting users who held GYEN positions on the exchange.

Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission approved secondary trading for two tokenised money-market funds on October 26, enabling round-the-clock trading. The move expands access to digital asset markets in the region and reflects ongoing regulatory acceptance of tokenised financial products.

Datavault AI's stock price fell after the company disclosed it cannot withdraw Bitcoin held on the Biconomy platform, raising concerns about asset liquidity and custody risk. The incident underscores broader concerns about the security and accessibility of crypto assets held on third-party platforms, potentially impacting investor confidence in companies with significant cryptocurrency holdings.

Liquid's reserve deficit has decreased to 600 BTC following a test transfer, with Samson Mow stating remaining funds will arrive within days. The Liquid federation's recovery plan mandates full backing restoration before direct peg-outs can resume, indicating progress toward resolving the network's solvency issues.

Polymarket has added five-minute expiration crypto contracts to its US application, covering BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP. The new markets use CF Benchmarks pricing for settlement, with ties resolving to the Up outcome and taker fees charged separately from the spread.

Solflare reported a security incident at its staking provider that halted validator rewards, highlighting vulnerabilities in key management for staking operations. The incident raises concerns about user trust and the reliability of staking infrastructure in the Solana ecosystem.

Robinhood's cryptocurrency revenue reached $120 million in Q3, with the Robinhood Chain contributing $26 million and offsetting declines in other crypto revenue segments. The company's overall revenue and earnings missed MarketBeat consensus estimates, though crypto performance remained a bright spot.

Zcash is facing competing proposals over its developer funding model, with co-founder Sean Bowe proposing to end automatic payments to Zcash Community Grants while arguing the program already has sufficient resources. Tyler Winklevoss has joined calls to eliminate the subsidy program, which the network has accumulated $125 million for amid growing investor interest in the privacy-focused blockchain.

Samson Mow stated that Liquid Network will cover a 600 BTC shortfall within days, according to Crypto Briefing. The shortfall highlights security vulnerabilities in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, with Mow's statement emphasizing the need for robust security measures and corporate accountability in digital asset platforms.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent stated that embracing stablecoins strategically could enhance American financial influence, increase demand for US Treasuries, and broaden dollar accessibility globally. The comments reflect the administration's positioning of digital assets as a tool for maintaining dollar dominance in international finance.

The Stellar Development Foundation announced Bell, a proposed Protocol 30 network upgrade, with a testnet vote scheduled for November 3, 2026. The upgrade represents a significant evolution for the Stellar blockchain network, though specific technical details of the changes were not fully outlined in the announcement.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the department is actively tracking and freezing cryptocurrency funds linked to Iran, demonstrating expanded sanctions enforcement in digital-asset markets. The action challenges the perception that crypto provides immunity from government financial controls and underscores regulators' growing capability to enforce sanctions across blockchain networks.