Crypto Briefs
Short updates on stories reported by a single outlet so far — summarized in a few sentences, always linking the original reporting. Stories picked up by more publications get full articles.
Monday, October 26, 2026
Strategy pauses Bitcoin buys; STRC buybacks hit $205M
Strategy has repurchased $204.9 million of its STRC preferred stock while making no Bitcoin purchases or sales in the week ended October 25, according to an October 26 filing. The company's Bitcoin holdings remain unchanged at 848,517 BTC. The pause in Bitcoin acquisitions comes as the company prioritizes share buybacks.
Read the original at Crypto.newsRobinhood Chain DEX volume drops 23% amid momentum questions
Robinhood Chain's decentralized exchange volume fell 23.1% week-over-week while maintaining $1.132 billion in DeFi deposits, according to DefiLlama data as of October 26. Traders are questioning whether the post-launch volume decline indicates sustained growth challenges for the blockchain.
Read the original at Crypto.newsKeystone to Destroy 18,835 Wallets After Auth Key Breach
Hardware wallet maker Keystone confirmed that hackers obtained a device authentication key and accessed personal data of 25,964 customers, prompting the company to destroy 18,835 units and halt shipments. The October 26 announcement details the security incident and remediation steps, affecting a significant portion of its distributed devices.
Read the original at Crypto.newsCanada Opens Stablecoin Consultation, Maintains Yield Restrictions
Canada has launched a consultation on stablecoin regulations while keeping in place restrictions on yield-bearing stablecoins. The regulatory framework aims to provide market clarity, though critics argue the yield ban may limit innovation in the stablecoin sector.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingKraken named Fintech Company of the Year at National Awards
Kraken was awarded Fintech Company of the Year – Established at the Business Post's National Fintech Awards 2026 in Dublin on October 15. The award recognizes innovation, product advances, and impact on the Irish fintech sector, with Kraken competing against major Irish fintech firms. The exchange emphasized Ireland's importance to its operations serving EEA clients.
Read the original at Cryptohopper Exchange NewsOCC Crypto Bank Charter Approvals Draw Pushback From Banking Lobbyists
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved conditional bank charters for five cryptocurrency firms—Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Paxos, and Fidelity—prompting criticism from traditional finance industry groups. Banking lobbyists have raised concerns about stablecoins and the regulatory shift, signaling potential friction over the OCC's approach to crypto sector legitimization.
Read the original at BitcoinistOCC Encourages Community Banks to Issue Stablecoins
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is encouraging community banks to become stablecoin issuers, though applications have not yet opened and new issuers must obtain regulatory approval before launching operations in the U.S. The move signals potential expansion of bank participation in the stablecoin market.
Read the original at The DefiantNexus Mutual, Firelight differ on coverage limits, claim filing
Kraken's Firelight insurance arrangement caps coverage at $100,000 per depositor address per period, while direct Nexus Mutual buyers can select their own coverage amount but must file claims themselves. The structural differences affect how users access protection and the maximum payout they receive in loss events.
Read the original at The DefiantRipple Expands Corporate Finance Services for Digital Assets
Ripple has launched a new venture enabling eligible businesses to generate returns on qualifying digital assets, including its stablecoin RLUSD, outside traditional market hours. The move expands Ripple's presence in corporate finance by offering yield-generation capabilities for institutional participants.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoVanguard ETF reportedly acquires $7.5M stake in Metaplanet
Vanguard's FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF (VSS) has reportedly purchased 4.5 million shares in Metaplanet, a Japanese Bitcoin treasury company, valuing the position at approximately $7.5 million according to Bitcoin Treasuries data from October 26. The move signals institutional investment interest in publicly traded crypto-focused corporate treasury strategies.
Read the original at Crypto.newsSchwartz argues banks should prefer XRP over Ethereum, Solana
David Schwartz, former CTO of Ripple, defended XRP's relevance in international finance, arguing that banks may favor XRP over Ethereum and Solana for certain use cases. Schwartz's comments reflect ongoing competition among the three blockchain projects for institutional adoption in cross-border payments.
Read the original at ZyCryptoStrive Completes Largest Bitcoin Purchase at 6,182 BTC
Strive acquired 6,182 bitcoin in what the company claims is its largest-ever purchase, surpassing its previous record set during the Semler Scientific merger. The acquisition underscores ongoing corporate demand for bitcoin as a treasury asset.
Read the original at CryptoPotatoAviva Investors Launches £22B Sterling Fund on XRP Ledger
Aviva Investors deployed a tokenized share class of its £22 billion Sterling Liquidity Fund on the XRP Ledger on October 26, with Ripple serving as technology partner; this marks the firm's second tokenized fund on the network following a dollar-denominated version in July. The institutional adoption milestone did not drive XRP price materially higher, with the token remaining below $1.30.
Read the original at 99BitcoinsCircle Mints ~4 Billion USDC on Solana in Week
Circle minted approximately 4 billion USDC tokens on the Solana blockchain over the past seven days, according to Crypto Briefing. The minting activity may reflect strategic positioning or increased demand for stablecoins on Solana and could influence the network's transaction volume and market dynamics.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingBitMine accumulates 10,452 ETH, repurchases 2.04M shares
BitMine added 10,452 ETH to its holdings and executed a share buyback of 2.04 million shares within a single week, according to Crypto Briefing. The moves reflect the company's confidence in Ethereum's value proposition and are intended to enhance shareholder returns through capital allocation to both digital assets and equity reduction.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingBitcoin Dead Search Interest Peaks; CZ Says Buy Dip
Google searches for 'Bitcoin is dead' reached their highest level since 2022, according to ZyCrypto. Binance founder CZ responded by noting the phrase has been repeatedly declared throughout Bitcoin's history, implying the current pessimism presents a buying opportunity.
Read the original at ZyCryptoDogecoin traders eye $0.081 as technical signals align
Market analyst Ali Martinez has identified $0.081 as a potential inflection point for Dogecoin, citing alignment of technical signals, on-chain support metrics, and whale accumulation activity. The price level represents a convergence of multiple analytical frameworks that some traders view as significant.
Read the original at ZyCryptoRetail Bitcoin Holders Deposit to Binance at 6-Month High; Whales Withdraw
Small Bitcoin holders are depositing coins to Binance at the fastest pace in six months while whale deposits have declined by one-third since late August, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost. The divergence occurs as Bitcoin attempts to sustain $80,000 ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday, with the contrasting flows suggesting disagreement among market participants on near-term price direction.
Read the original at 99BitcoinsSolana trader Kimchi adds Pump.fun to bio; KIMCHI token surges 150%
Solana trader Kimchi restored Pump.fun to his X biography on October 25, three days after removing it, prompting his KIMCHI meme coin to jump more than 150% briefly. The move follows a crypto saga that began with a deleted token post and subsequent crash; neither party has publicly explained the removal or restoration.
Read the original at 99BitcoinsBitcoin Call Options Surge Ahead of US Midterm Elections
Traders on Derive are accumulating Bitcoin call options positions in anticipation of the US midterm elections, signaling expectations for significant price volatility. The surge in call buying reflects positioning ahead of a potentially market-moving political event, though the source provides limited detail on the scale or specifics of the positions.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingCoinShares rebrands Toncoin staking product to Gram Staking ETP
CoinShares has rebranded its Toncoin Staking ETP to CoinShares Gram Staking ETP, aligning the product with Telegram's original vision for the blockchain. The move is intended to enhance investor confidence and improve the product's market positioning.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingCoinShares rebrands Toncoin staking ETP to Gram Staking ETP
CoinShares renamed its Toncoin Staking ETP to CoinShares Gram Staking ETP, aligning the product with Telegram's original vision for the blockchain project. The rebranding is intended to enhance investor confidence and improve the product's market positioning.
Read the original at Crypto BriefingBinance Futures Adds AbbVie and Indonesia ETF Perpetuals
Binance Futures launched four new 24/7 perpetual contracts with up to 20x leverage, including positions on pharmaceutical company AbbVie, Indonesia ETF, chipmaker STMicroelectronics, and EQT. The addition expands Binance's non-crypto derivatives offering tied to traditional finance assets.
Read the original at Crypto.newsHong Kong's Licensed Stablecoin Issuers Chart Divergent Retail Rollout Paths
Hong Kong's first two licensed stablecoin issuers are pursuing different strategies for retail adoption: HSBC launched RedCoin through its PayMe mobile wallet on October 23, while Anchorpoint's HKDAP has operated under institutional restrictions since August. Both face regulatory hurdles as they work toward broader retail deployment in the city's newly licensed digital-asset framework.
Read the original at Crypto.newsRipple launches Aviva Investors' £22B fund tokenized on XRP Ledger
Ripple and Aviva Investors have tokenized a share class of a £22 billion sterling fund on the XRP Ledger, with £50 million initially invested across two fund offerings totaling £86 million. The deployment marks a major use case for institutional asset tokenization on the ledger.
Read the original at Crypto.newsMEXC confirms lack of MiCA license, exits Netherlands
MEXC exchange confirmed it does not hold a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license as it winds down operations in the Netherlands and exits Russia and Belarus. The exchange also identified 13 prohibited jurisdictions where it will restrict services, citing regulatory compliance requirements across multiple regions.
Read the original at Crypto.newsSherman warns government stablecoin payments risk tax evasion
Rep. Brad Sherman cautioned that permitting U.S. government payments via stablecoins would legitimize alternatives to the dollar and potentially fuel tax evasion. Sherman's concern reflects broader lawmaker skepticism toward integrating digital assets into federal payment systems, though the source provides limited detail on specific policy proposals under consideration.
Read the original at DecryptCypherpunk Technologies Shares Fall 40% on Zcash Privacy Bug
Shares of Cypherpunk Technologies, the Winklevoss-backed Zcash treasury operator, fell nearly 40% to their lowest level since March amid concerns over a privacy vulnerability in ZEC. The decline reflects market concern about the bug's potential impact on the privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
Read the original at DecryptDogecoin, Shiba Inu tumble 9% as Bitcoin approaches $60K
Dogecoin and Shiba Inu fell 9% as heavy trading volume and liquidations broke through key support levels, part of a broader risk-off move across cryptocurrency markets. The memecoin losses tracked Bitcoin's approach to $60,000.
Read the original at CoinDeskAlsobrooks: Clarity Act requires ethics accord before Senate vote
Maryland Democrat Alsobrooks stated that the bipartisan Clarity Act crypto legislation is nearing completion but requires resolution of ethics and illicit finance concerns before a Senate floor vote. The comments indicate remaining disagreements between lawmakers on regulatory guardrails and compliance standards despite overall legislative momentum.
Read the original at CoinDesk