Bitcoin's growth potential lies in its unique attributes and macroeconomic factors, offering diversification without gold's decline.

The post Fidelity says Bitcoin can appreciate without taking market share from gold appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Monero's delisting from exchanges complicates trading, leading to varied liquidity and pricing, necessitating careful route comparison by traders.

The post Monero liquidity after exchange delistings: How traders compare XMR swap routes appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The lawsuit could significantly impact Amazon's advertising credibility, potentially altering digital ad market dynamics and regulatory scrutiny.

The post FTC alleges Amazon hid overcharges to advertisers in lawsuit backed by 22 states appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Citi's dovish forecast could lower borrowing costs, benefiting consumer industries, but highlights market uncertainty amid inflation concerns.

The post Citi expects Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points in June, September, and December 2027 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Rising jet fuel costs due to US-Iran tensions could lead to prolonged instability, impacting airline financial health and market dynamics.

The post US-Iran tensions drive jet fuel prices up, raising airline borrowing costs appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Bear Market May Not Yet Be Over, Says Fidelity 

Bitcoin may be rallying but that doesn’t mean the bear market is over. Not yet, anyway. 

A new report from asset manager Fidelity said that while bitcoin was behaving like it did in previous cycles, it could still hit a bottom in November. 

Bitcoin started rallying in mid-August after the U.S. Treasury Department said it would more than double the size of its government debt repurchases. The asset’s price recently stood at close to $81,639, up nearly 30% over a 30-day period. 

Some have since argued that bitcoin is out of its bear market. The coin touched a record high in October last year, hitting $126,080. 

“Given bitcoin’s recent performance, the bottom could already have occurred in July,” Chris Kuiper, Vice President of Research at Fidelity Digital Assets, wrote. 

“It could also drop again to make another new low in November or later,” he continued, adding that bitcoin cycles have historically not been precisely four years long, so they “aren’t reliable for timing the market.” 

Throughout most of June and July, bitcoin’s volatility was particularly muted, and the coin traded below $65,000. 

But that all changed in August after the Treasury Department’s announcement, which has since brought the so-called debasement trade back in the picture again. 

To get an idea of where bitcoin moves next, Kuiper argued that investors should pay attention to what happens with the crypto Clarity Act. Proponents argue it could provide “greater regulatory certainty and support continued innovation in the U.S. digital asset ecosystem,” he wrote. 

President Donald Trump in August urged lawmakers to get the long-awaited crypto market structure bill over the line, helping spur bitcoin’s run. The president called the draft “very, very powerful” after meeting with crypto industry bigwigs at the White House. 

The digital asset industry has long called for clear rules on how regulators should treat bitcoin, stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies. 

Lawmakers will vote on the bill this month. 

This post Bitcoin Bear Market May Not Yet Be Over, Says Fidelity  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin-Gold Correlation Hits Six-Year High as Debasement Fears Mount

Bitcoin’s correlation with gold is at its highest in six years as investors increasingly look for ways to hedge against currency debasement. 

That’s according to a new report from Bitwise, which this week pointed out that the precious metal and leading cryptocurrency are trading in lockstep because the U.S. government has “materially intervened in the macro picture.” 

Bitcoin started surging last month, after the U.S. Treasury Department said it would more than double the size of its government debt repurchases. The coin had its best run in three years and third best August ever. 

“The last time the bitcoin-gold correlation was that high was in 2020, following the rounds of fiscal and monetary stimulus during the Covid crisis,” Bitwise’s European Head of Research, André Dragosch, wrote. 

He added that bitcoin’s correlation with the stock market dropped to a one-year low, “implying some kind of decoupling between hard assets and the stock market.”

Bitcoin has been pushed as “digital gold” for years but has sometimes traded with tech stocks as a “risk-on” asset. 

But the so-called debasement trade — when investors buy an asset as a way to hedge against a currency losing value — was a much-talked about investment strategy last year and appears to be back. 

The reason is down to the government intervening in markets, Dragosch argued. When the Treasury said it would try to rein in long-term borrowing costs, the dollar’s value slid and sent investors flooding back to gold — and bitcoin. 

The Treasury the same week also said the U.S. public debt exceeded $40 trillion for the first time. Excessive debt also undermines confidence in the dollar. 

“Investors are no longer asking whether to hedge currency debasement with gold or bitcoin. They’re simply hedging with both,” the report added. 

“Bitcoin spent its first fifteen years being priced as a risk asset. If this correlation trend with gold holds, the next fifteen may look very different.”

The leading cryptocurrency again rallied this week, and was recently trading for close to $81,438 after jumping nearly 6% over a 24-hour period. 

This post Bitcoin-Gold Correlation Hits Six-Year High as Debasement Fears Mount first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

French Hill Eyes Bipartisan Path for Clarity Act Ahead of September Vote

U.S. congressman French Hill expressed the importance of bipartisan support to get the long-awaited crypto market structure bill, the Clarity Act, over the line before the midterms. 

The lawmaker told Fox Business Thursday that Democrats and Republicans have come to “narrow their differences in getting the bill drafted. 

Pro-crypto lawmakers were hoping the Clarity Act passed before Congress departed for August recess. After a delay, a vote will now go ahead on September 15. 

“Can Democrats work with Republicans and make sure America leads the world in distributed ledger technology and financial services?” Hill said. 

“This one remaining significant issue is the ethics provision, and that is best solved by passing the legislation because everybody — no matter what family they belong to, the Trumps or not — would then be under a regulatory framework fully scrutinized by the United States government in commodity and securities and banking regulators,” he added. 

The Clarity Act was first introduced by Hill, the House Financial Services Chairman, last year. 

Crypto companies have long called for clear regulations for the industry. The Clarity Act drafts a framework to formally divide oversight between regulators, distinguishing which digital assets are securities, commodities or stablecoins. 

The House of Representatives passed the bill last July but it has been stalled this year, mostly because the banking lobby clashed with crypto companies over paying customers stablecoin yield. 

A new draft tackling the issue of ethics started circulating in July. It bans government officials from promoting or making money from crypto — something Democrats have criticized the Trump family for doing. 

A group of Democrats said the bill fell short and wanted amendments. Some were accused of deliberately holding it back by Republicans like Cynthia Lummis. 

Some have praised the bipartisan work that has already gone into the bill, namely Coinbase, America’s biggest crypto exchange. The company’s Chief Policy Officer, Faryar Shirzad, said in July that while some Democratic lawmakers were holding back the long-awaited legislation, younger Democrats wanted to pass it. 

President Donald Trump in August said that in order for the U.S. to remain the “undisputed leader in Bitcoin and crypto,” lawmakers had to pass the “very, very powerful legislation.” 

This post French Hill Eyes Bipartisan Path for Clarity Act Ahead of September Vote first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Kraken and SoFi Link Crypto Trading To Banking Rails

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, and fintech company SoFi Technologies on Thursday announced a deal to route SoFi customers’ crypto orders through Kraken’s institutional trading platform and list SoFi’s stablecoin on the exchange.

Under the agreement, SoFi will send its digital asset order flow to Kraken Prime, Kraken’s prime brokerage arm, which launched in 2025. 

Rather than filling trades against a single order book, Kraken Prime uses smart order routing to compare prices and depth across multiple venues and execute where the fill is best. SoFi said customers will see no change to the app itself.

Payward is also joining the SoFi Exchange Network, the bank’s real-time settlement system, and will list SoFiUSD — SoFi’s bank-issued stablecoin — on Kraken. 

Kraken Prime’s institutional and business clients will in turn gain access to SoFi’s business banking services and round-the-clock fiat settlement. The companies said qualified custody services would follow later.

SoFi holds a national bank charter and has 15.8 million members. The partnership is the latest in a series of tie-ups between Kraken and established financial firms, following arrangements with Deutsche Börse on foreign exchange and derivatives infrastructure, Nasdaq on a tokenized equities gateway, and Franklin Templeton on tokenizing exchange-traded funds.

The news comes after SoFi, a purely digital lender, last year became the first nationally chartered bank in the United States to launch crypto services for retail customers.

The company’s new SoFi crypto platform allows members to buy, sell and hold bitcoin directly within their bank accounts.

Kraken — like other crypto exchanges — is pushing into the traditional finance world, allowing users to trade stocks, bonds and other assets. The company has sold its app as a “primary account for everything.”

This post Kraken and SoFi Link Crypto Trading To Banking Rails first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Rallies Over $81,000 — And Brings BTC-Related Stocks With It

Bitcoin surged on Thursday — but industry-related stocks rose even quicker as a rally that started weeks ago again picked up steam. 

The price of the biggest cryptocurrency hit as high as $81,282 on Thursday morning in New York, a nearly 3% increase over a 24-hour period. 

Over the past 30 days, the bitcoin price has surged over 23% following both positive regulatory news and announcements from the U.S. Treasury Department regarding debt buybacks. 

But other major crypto company stocks rose quicker. Bitcoin treasury Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) was trading more than 13% higher on Thursday. The company on Monday resumed bitcoin buys after a 10-week pause to reshuffle its cash balance sheet. 

America’s biggest crypto exchange, Coinbase, also saw its stock shoot up. Nasdaq-listed COIN was trading 11% higher in the same time period. 

Elsewhere, bitcoin mining companies had a boost too. Top public companies in the space — including the Nasdaq-listed HIVE Digital, MARA, and CleanSpark — all were up on Thursday. 

HIVE Digital led the pack with a 13% jump, while MARA Holdings was up more than 10% on the day. 

Clean energy bitcoin miner CleanSpark jumped by 9%; IREN, which is slowly phasing out its mining operations to focus on AI-compute, was up by 4%. 

Bitcoin had a phenomenal run in August — its third best such month in its history — after the U.S. Treasury Department said it would more than double the size of its government debt repurchases.

The announcement, aimed to tame surging yields not seen in nearly 20 years, hurt the dollar but has benefited non-yielding assets like bitcoin and gold. 

Soon after, President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to get the long-awaited crypto Clarity Act over the line — digital asset legislation the industry has long called for. 

Investors rushed back into bitcoin exchange-traded funds as a result, throwing over $2.8 billion at the vehicles — the most since October, when the coin hit a new all-time high. 

Bitcoin had spent a lot of the year trading below $80,000 per coin, with June and July mostly below $65,000. The coin hit a new record of $126,080 in October. It is now nearly 40% below that number. 

This post Bitcoin Rallies Over $81,000 — And Brings BTC-Related Stocks With It first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.

The Mina Mesa upgrade stopped transaction processing for about eight hours on September 3 as the layer-1 blockchain shifted mainnet to its Mesa release. Exchanges suspended MINA transfers, while deployed zkApps now need new verification keys before they can resume proof-authorized activity.

The process split into five hours when blocks continued without transactions and roughly three hours when the network produced no blocks. Mina reached its 10:00 UTC transaction cutoff, and upgraded block producers made empty blocks for 100 slots before block production halted at 15:00 UTC.

The official upgrade runbook now marks those milestones as completed. It also records the Mesa package release at 16:30 UTC and the first Mesa slot at 18:00 UTC as completed. Archive-node and manual node upgrades remained in progress this morning.

Mina instructed exchanges to disable MINA deposits and withdrawals from the 10:00 UTC stop-transaction slot until the Mesa network became operational. The first Mesa slot has since completed, although each exchange controls when its transfer support resumes.

Mina Mesa upgrade cuts slot times

The Mina Mesa upgrade also changes the network’s operating cadence. According to Mina’s feature explainer, the release halves slot time from three minutes to 90 seconds. It temporarily limits zkApp transactions to 12 per block after stress tests found memory spikes when developers tested removing the soft limit.

The harder compatibility requirement falls on deployed zkApps. Mesa changes protocol constants and circuit constraints, so proofs made against pre-upgrade verification keys no longer verify. A zkApp cannot process new proof-authorized transactions until its developer compiles a Mesa-compatible key with o1js 3.0 and updates the key stored on-chain.

This is an on-chain compatibility update, not a permanent failure of the deployed contract. Once the new key is recorded, the zkApp can again submit proof-authorized transactions under Mesa, subject to its restored permission rules.

Mina’s migration path temporarily lets verification-key permissions set to proof or impossible fall back to signature authorization. An access permission set to proof receives the same fallback, but an access permission set to impossible remains locked. After a successful key update, the account’s transaction version advances and its original verification-key permission rules return.

There is no fixed migration deadline: the fallback remains active until a zkApp updates its key. Until then, proof-authorized activity remains paused even though the chain has resumed.

The post Zero-knowledge apps go dark after chain upgrade breaks their underlying verification keys appeared first on CryptoSlate.

ProCap Financial sold Bitcoin to buy back discounted shares, lifting BTC exposure for remaining investors.

The Nasdaq-listed company sold about 50 BTC and repurchased more than 2% of its common stock while shares traded roughly 40% below net asset value, extending a strategy that has now retired about 10% of outstanding shares since its buyback program began.

ProCap reported about 5,305 BTC and 86.8 million shares outstanding as of Sept. 2, down from 5,355 BTC and 88.6 million shares at the end of June.

The Bitcoin balance fell about 0.9% over that period, while the share count declined roughly 2%. That lifted Bitcoin per share by about 1.1%, showing how buying stock below NAV can offset a smaller treasury even as the company sells some of its Bitcoin.

Anthony Pompliano, ProCap’s chairman and chief executive, said the company intends to keep exploiting the gap between its market price and underlying asset value.

“We continue to repurchase shares of $BRR while they trade significantly below NAV,” Pompliano said. “We have now repurchased approximately 10% of shares outstanding since we started the buyback program.”

BRR discount flips the Bitcoin treasury playbook

The strategy reverses the usual approach used by Bitcoin treasury companies, which often issue stock when shares trade at a premium and use the proceeds to accumulate more Bitcoin.

For ProCap, the economics shift when its own stock trades well below the value of the Bitcoin and cash backing each share. At Sept. 2, ProCap calculated NAV at about $3.71 per share, while BRR closed at $2.31, a discount of roughly 38%.

Selling some Bitcoin to retire deeply discounted shares can therefore leave each remaining share representing a larger portion of the company’s treasury.

ProCap used the same approach in June, when it sold about 52 BTC and repurchased two million shares at an estimated 50% discount to NAV.

The company still had $84.4 million remaining under its $100 million buyback authorization at June 30, though further purchases remain discretionary.

Its ability to keep repeating the trade will also depend on liquidity. ProCap reported $15.3 million in cash at June 30, along with $99.6 million of convertible-note principal and a $77.3 million working-capital deficit driven largely by how the notes were classified.

As long as BRR remains deeply discounted, however, ProCap has an unusual incentive: selling Bitcoin may increase the Bitcoin backing each share faster than simply holding every coin.

The post A public company sold Bitcoin and somehow gave each shareholder more BTC exposure appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin accelerated above $81,000 on Thursday as easing rate fears and fresh institutional demand lifted the broader crypto market.

On Sept. 3, Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said he could support keeping interest rates unchanged this month if August inflation continues to cool, helping push the market-implied odds of a September rate increase to roughly 50% from about 65% earlier in the day. Treasury yields declined following the remarks.

This news helped spark a rally across major cryptocurrencies, with Ethereum, XRP and Solana gaining more than 5%, while Zcash and Cardano climbed more than 10%.

Fresh capital starts replacing the short squeeze

Bitcoin’s rally is beginning to draw fresh capital from several parts of the market after its initial advance relied heavily on bearish traders being forced out of positions.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs drew $730.9 million on Thursday, their largest daily inflow since January. BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for roughly $454 million, while products from Fidelity, Grayscale and others also attracted capital.

The inflows provide a stronger source of demand after CryptoQuant found that much of Bitcoin’s earlier push toward $81,000 was driven by shorts being liquidated or closed, with relatively few traders opening new long positions. That left the first phase of the rebound dependent on forced buying that fades as bearish positions are cleared.

The latest market activity suggests that composition is starting to change.

Thursday’s ETF haul followed a strong August in which US Bitcoin funds attracted about $3.5 billion, their best month since September 2025. At the same time, spot trading activity across exchanges has accelerated sharply as Bitcoin recovered toward $80,000.

CryptoQuant data showed daily Bitcoin spot volume rising roughly three to four times from early-August lows. Binance captured the largest increase, while Coinbase and MEXC also recorded stronger activity.

Large holders have also become more active around exchanges. Hourly Bitcoin whale inflows repeatedly exceeded 2,000 BTC, while the average deposit size on Binance climbed from roughly 20 to 30 BTC to more than 50 BTC, with peaks near 75 BTC.

Those transfers point to heavier participation rather than outright accumulation, since coins sent to exchanges can also precede selling.

Combined with stronger ETF subscriptions and rising spot turnover, however, they show that the rally is drawing activity from a broader group of market participants than during its initial short-covering phase.

Notably, this market expansion is also spreading beyond Bitcoin. Seven-day cumulative altcoin deposit transactions increased from roughly 15,000 to 20,000 to around 45,000, suggesting improving sentiment is translating into greater participation across the wider crypto market.

That leaves Bitcoin entering its next test with a broader demand base than it had during the first phase of the rebound.

Options traders stay cautious near Bitcoin’s breakout zone

The stronger spot backdrop is running into a derivatives market clustered around the same price region Bitcoin needs to clear.

About 29,600 Bitcoin options worth $2.39 billion expired Friday, carrying a put-call ratio of 0.65 and a maximum pain level of $73,000. The expiry represented only about 7% of outstanding options, leaving most positioning intact.

Greeks.live said call gamma exposure, previously spread across multiple strikes, has increasingly converged as traders sell calls above $80,000, while put gamma exposure remains minimal. That positioning could create additional friction around heavily populated strikes if option sellers adjust hedges as Bitcoin moves higher.

The concentration sits directly below another major threshold.

Bitcoin reached $81,400 on Aug. 28 before retreating into a roughly $76,000 to $81,000 range. CryptoQuant’s 365-day moving average is near $82,300, a level the firm uses to distinguish stronger long-term bull-market regimes.

Its Bull Score remains at 70 after briefly reaching 80 during the August rally, the highest since October 2025. Readings above 60 have historically coincided with stronger market conditions.

Yet volatility markets are becoming less aggressive as Bitcoin approaches that test.

Monthly realized volatility increased to about 40% this week, while monthly implied volatility declined to roughly 36%. The 15-day volatility risk premium briefly dropped to negative 16% on Thursday before recovering to about negative 6%, well below last month’s peak near 15%.

Bitcoin has therefore been moving more sharply than options prices imply it will move in the coming period.

Headline leverage figures also look less extreme beneath the surface. Bitcoin open interest is approaching $48 billion when measured in dollars, but Alphractal data show the same exposure declining when denominated in BTC. Part of the rise in dollar open interest reflects Bitcoin’s higher price rather than a proportional increase in the amount of exposure traders are taking.

The result is a derivatives market that remains comparatively restrained even as Bitcoin sits beneath a major breakout level.

With call positioning building above $80,000 and implied volatility falling below realized volatility, traders appear to be pricing consolidation rather than an immediate expansion in price swings.

The next move needs buyers to stay

Bitcoin now enters its next attempt at the $80,000 to $83,000 zone with a stronger foundation than it had during the first phase of the rebound.

Short covering can accelerate a rally, but its contribution fades as bearish positions are closed. Sustained advances eventually require investors willing to keep buying at progressively higher prices.

Thursday’s ETF flows suggest that transition may be beginning.

The test is persistence. A single $730.9 million session can strengthen demand without establishing a durable institutional bid, particularly after the funds recorded a $236 million outflow earlier in the week.

Bitcoin must also absorb call positioning above $80,000 and clear the roughly $82,300 long-term threshold while the options market continues to price lower volatility.

Waller’s comments have improved the macro backdrop, but that support remains conditional on incoming inflation data. A stronger-than-expected reading could quickly restore expectations for tighter policy and reverse some of Thursday’s easing in financial conditions.

For now, Bitcoin has gained something its initial rebound lacked: a large fresh injection of spot capital alongside expanding participation across the crypto market.

Whether that becomes a sustained bull-market breakout depends on those buyers returning after the first surge. If ETF demand persists, Bitcoin’s next attempt at $83,000 may also test how long the options market’s subdued volatility expectations can hold.

The post Bitcoin’s rally over $81,000 is finding real buyers, but options traders still aren’t pricing a clean breakout appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Australian crypto firms that need financial-services authorization have until Sept. 30 to enter a compliance pathway or risk enforcement.

This week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said qualifying digital-asset businesses must apply for or vary a license, become an authorized representative, notify the regulator of an intended market-license application or begin winding down before the deadline.

From Oct. 1, firms that require authorization but have not met the applicable conditions will lose the benefit of ASIC’s temporary no-action position. The regulator warned that breaches of financial-services law can carry civil and criminal penalties, including fines of up to 10% of annual turnover.

However, this deadline does not apply uniformly across the crypto sector.

Whether a business falls inside the regime depends on whether the digital asset or arrangement it offers qualifies as a financial product and what service the company provides. ASIC said that assessment turns on the rights, benefits, expectations and product features attached to each offering.

That makes Sept. 30 less a blanket licensing cutoff and more a deadline for firms to establish where they sit within the regulatory framework.

Firms must choose a path or step away

Businesses providing financial services involving digital assets that qualify as financial products can apply for an Australian Financial Services License, vary an existing license or operate through specified authorized-representative and related-company arrangements.

Market operators and clearing and settlement providers face a different route. They must notify ASIC in writing that they intend to apply and attend a pre-application meeting by Sept. 30, with a formal application due within 12 months.

Companies that do not want to enter the licensing system can wind down instead, but they must notify ASIC by the same deadline and stop the covered activity within the permitted period.

The no-action policy also excludes several products, including crypto lending and earn offerings, most digital-asset derivatives and certain non-cash payment facilities.

ASIC has already recorded more than 45 applications for relevant digital-asset financial-services authorizations since updating its guidance in October 2025.

The regulator originally set a June 30 deadline, then extended the transition by three months and broadened the available compliance routes.

That extension now appears to be the final buffer.

ASIC’s no-action letter does not declare the covered activity lawful or prevent courts and third parties from acting. It simply sets out when the regulator presently intends not to pursue enforcement.

The practical choice for qualifying firms is therefore narrowing quickly: enter the licensing system, restructure how they operate or leave the regulated activity behind before the reprieve expires.

The post Australia gives crypto firms until Sept. 30 to get licensed or risk enforcement appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) asked a federal court on Sept. 2 to dismiss CME's challenge to Kalshi's Bitcoin perpetual contract.

The lawsuit turns on whether a contract without a fixed expiration belongs in the US futures regime. Before the court reaches that question, the regulator says CME must first show an injury the court can fix.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission says CME is free to list a comparable digital commodity product, so the exchange cannot blame the regulator for competitive harm caused by its choice to stay out.

That threshold argument turns a dispute over one Bitcoin contract into a test of how perpetual-style futures can spread through regulated US markets.

Bloomberg reported discussions about Coinbase seeking a regulated route to selected contracts linked to prices on Hyperliquid. Kalshi is reportedly preparing to seek approval for a West Texas Intermediate crude-oil version.

Together, the examples trace a contract structure popularized in offshore crypto markets as it enters the American regulatory perimeter one venue and asset class at a time.

CryptoQuant data shows that global crypto perpetual-futures volume reached about $61.7 trillion in 2025, up 29% from the previous year, while spot trading totaled $18.6 trillion over the same period.

The CME case could shape how much of that activity US exchanges can pursue through the CFTC's futures framework.

The CFTC says CME can compete in Bitcoin perpetuals

CME sued the CFTC on June 18, seeking to overturn the agency's May 29 approval of KalshiEX's Bitcoin perpetual contracts and the accompanying policy statement. CME argued that a contract without a fixed expiration is a swap rather than a future under the Commodity Exchange Act.

The CFTC's motion said the relief CME seeks would fail to remedy the exchange's claimed competitive injury.

The agency added that CME may list similarly structured digital commodity perpetuals, characterizing any disadvantage from CME declining that opportunity as self-inflicted.

A judicial decision treating Kalshi's product as a swap would not necessarily remove competing exposure from the market because another venue might offer it under that classification. In the agency's view, a win for CME on that point would still fail to redress the alleged injury.

The current schedule gives CME until Oct. 2 to oppose the dismissal motion. A ruling on standing could leave the deeper line between futures and swaps unresolved.

The May 29 CFTC policy defined designated contract markets as those that could list similarly structured perpetuals tied to Bitcoin and digital commodities with deep, active, and continuous spot markets. Products outside that group were directed toward case-by-case review under Regulation 40.3.

The result is a faster path for qualifying digital commodity products and a separate review track for other assets. That distinction will matter as venues look from crypto toward energy and other established futures markets.

Coinbase's derivatives market page markets US perpetual-style futures with 24/7 trading and contract families tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.

The name “perpetual” covers different contract mechanics in the emerging US market. Coinbase's official help material describes the covered contracts as having five-year expirations, so they offer long-dated, continuously traded exposure, while a literal expiry-free contract requires different terms.

A June CFTC staff letter granted conditional relief for requests from Coinbase Derivatives and Bitnomial to remove expiration dates from existing digital commodity perpetual-style contracts that expired on June 30.

Regulated US perpetual-style crypto futures have moved from policy concept to operating category, even as the exact expiration mechanics vary by contract. CME's suit challenges the agency approach behind that change as rival venues adapt one of crypto's largest trading formats.

Hyperliquid would test an on-chain bridge

Hyperliquid and Payward are reportedly discussing a structure for registered US users. Payward subsidiary Bitnomial, a regulated derivatives venue, would offer selected contracts tied to token prices on Hyperliquid.

Payward completed its acquisition of Bitnomial in August, adding its US derivatives exchange and clearing infrastructure.

President Donald Trump supplied a political signal on Aug. 19, saying that his administration was working on a US route for Hyperliquid during a White House technology event.

A signed-off structure would test a bridge between a registered domestic venue and token prices formed in an on-chain market. Surveillance, market integrity, and the precise relationship between the venues would turn on the approved design.

Polymarket's international site shows live leveraged crypto perpetual markets, while Polymarket US is a separate platform. The international product demonstrates how quickly crypto-native venues are expanding the format, supplying global context.

Oil brings the model into traditional futures

In June, the CFTC requested public comment on 24/7 futures trading and perpetual contracts for storable, physically delivered energy commodities, including crude oil. That consultation placed the structure under active review in a longstanding futures market.

Kalshi is reportedly preparing a CFTC filing for a perpetual contract tied to WTI crude oil, potentially as soon as the following week.

A WTI proposal would follow the CFTC's case-by-case route. Its review would also confront the practical differences between a cash-referenced crypto contract and a market built around a physical commodity with established delivery infrastructure.

Perpetuals are being considered for a traditional commodity market where CME is an incumbent, placing the new structure closer to the core of established derivatives competition.

A quick CFTC victory on standing would preserve the agency's framework without a ruling on the futures-versus-swaps question. Other exchanges could read that result as support for proposing similar contracts, subject to the applicable listing or review process.

Continued litigation on the merits would put the statutory classification question before the court. A decision on whether a no-expiry contract can qualify as a future would create a clearer legal boundary, while the period before a ruling could complicate product planning.

Regulatory sign-off for selected Bitnomial contracts linked to Hyperliquid prices would test the on-chain bridge. Acceptance of a WTI perpetual would show the structure crossing into a traditional commodity.

The CFTC is now defending its approach in court while exchanges probe its limits, with perpetual-style products entering the regulated US market.

The next phase will depend on whether CME has standing, how a court classifies the Kalshi contract, which venues can meet the CFTC's conditions, and whether regulators allow the model to extend from digital commodities to on-chain prices and physical markets.

The post From Bitcoin to oil, perpetual contracts are breaking into American financial markets appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin soared past $81k, HYPE and ZEC hit smashing new ATHs and the onchain rally leveled up. Is this the first stage of the next leg up?

A year ago the fund claimed the total had not moved, and that the reserve was only shuffling coins between government wallets.

Some records exposed in the breach date to 2019, years beyond the 90-day retention Trezor said its partners had agreed to.

Monthly reported sums rose 18% on average, and the compounds now appear to be spreading beyond Southeast Asia.

Adam Aron says AMC Entertainment has no connection to the tokens and is putting outside securities counsel on the case.

Critical security alert issued as XRP Ledger based wallet users get Hit by unauthorized transactions.

Robinhood Chain appears to have suffered a network outage on Sept. 4, temporarily halting new block production.

Key crypto updates for Sep. 4: SEC clears XRP and Solana; a $566M short squeeze hits bears, and Zcash jumps above $1,000 on autonomous AI risks.

Four crypto assets added to Binance's delisting roster with another 14 set to be axed on the Binance Alpha platform.

ZCash is coming closer to the historic threshold despite the relatively bearish momentum.

Key Takeaways

• Shares of Micron advanced 4.3% during Friday’s early session, positioning the stock for a weekly increase exceeding 6%
• Since reaching its peak in June, the memory chip manufacturer has declined 20% and has oscillated around its 50-day moving average starting in mid-August
• The company has delivered a remarkable 236% gain in 2026, with analysts at Barron’s previously indicating potential for shares to double from the $1,100 level
• The fiscal fourth-quarter earnings release scheduled for September 30 may serve as a pivotal moment determining the stock’s next significant direction
• As the sole American member of the global “big three” memory chip manufacturers, Micron stands to benefit from the Trump administration’s emphasis on domestic semiconductor production

Shares of Micron Technology (MU) climbed 4.3% during Friday’s early trading session, positioning the memory chip maker for a weekly advance of more than 6%. This upward movement occurred despite the S&P 500 edging down 0.2% after a robust employment report exceeded market expectations.

Micron Technology, Inc., MU

Trading around the $1,100 mark, Micron finds itself at a price point that Barron’s analysts have previously identified as a launching pad for potentially doubling the stock’s value.

However, a broader perspective reveals important context. The stock has retreated 20% from its June summit and has been dancing along its 50-day moving average throughout mid-August. Whether this technical indicator is functioning as a floor or ceiling for the stock remains uncertain.

Quarterly Results Loom as Critical Inflection Point

Investors will face the next major moment of truth on September 30 when Micron unveils its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results. This earnings announcement should provide crucial insight into whether the stock breaks decisively higher or lower.

Year-to-date in 2026, Micron has surged 236%, establishing itself as one of the semiconductor industry’s top performers.

The entire memory chip sector showed strength Friday. SK Hynix American depositary receipts gained 3.4%, while Sandisk jumped 5.6%.

Micron’s Strategic Advantage in Artificial Intelligence

Micron occupies a critical position within the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Memory semiconductors are indispensable components for operating AI systems, and demand has been so robust that manufacturers have shifted supply away from consumer devices toward data center applications.

Together with SK Hynix and Samsung, Micron forms the triumvirate of dominant global memory producers. However, Micron possesses a distinctive competitive advantage: it’s the only American company among these three industry giants.

Given the Trump administration’s aggressive push for onshore semiconductor manufacturing, Micron could emerge as the preferred memory supplier for major customers including Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, as these companies seek to minimize tariff risks through domestic sourcing.

The company recently unveiled a $10 billion commitment to U.S.-based research and manufacturing facilities, forming part of an ambitious $250 billion domestic investment strategy. President Trump has publicly commended this initiative.

Wall Street sentiment toward MU has strengthened considerably, with multiple analysts forecasting the stock will establish fresh record highs.

Alongside Micron’s Friday rally, SK Hynix ADRs advanced 3.4% and Sandisk gained 5.6% during morning trading.

The post Micron (MU) Stock Surges 4.3% Friday as AI-Driven Memory Demand Continues appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• The Trade Desk revealed plans to eliminate 15% of its global workforce, impacting approximately 575 employees in over 21 countries worldwide.
• Chief Executive Jeff Green positioned the layoffs as a strategic realignment toward more efficient teams rather than an indication of financial trouble.
• Restructuring expenses are projected between $39 million and $51 million, predominantly allocated for severance packages and employee benefits.
• Shares of TTD declined 3% to close at $14.65 on Friday, erasing an earlier pre-market gain of 0.2%.
• The stock has plummeted 60% during 2026 and suffered a 71% loss over the trailing 12-month period, with profit projections showing continued deterioration.

The Trade Desk disclosed on Friday its intention to eliminate approximately 15% of its worldwide employee base as part of an extensive restructuring plan. Shares retreated 3% to $14.65 following the announcement.

The Trade Desk, Inc., TTD

TTD shares had initially climbed 0.2% during pre-market hours after the disclosure, but those gains evaporated when standard market hours commenced.

Chief Executive Jeff Green notified staff members on September 3 and submitted an SEC 8-K filing that same day. The workforce reduction impacts around 575 employees spanning more than 21 nations.

The Trade Desk reported 3,843 full-time staff members as of December 31, 2025. A 15% workforce reduction translates to slightly more than 500 affected employees.

The organization anticipates restructuring expenses ranging from $39 million to $51 million, mainly covering severance payments and employee benefit obligations. This figure will see partial offset through a $4 million to $5 million reduction in stock-based compensation expenses.

Green characterized the decision as an intentional transition toward more compact, nimble organizational structures. He referenced The Trade Desk’s approximately $1.5 billion cash reserves and zero debt load as evidence the company isn’t implementing cuts due to financial vulnerability.

The majority of workforce reductions are anticipated to conclude throughout Q3 2026.

Resource Reallocation Strategy

The organization indicated that freed-up resources will be channeled toward connected television platforms and AI-powered advertising solutions, which management identifies as higher-priority expansion sectors.

In early August, The Trade Desk fell short of second-quarter revenue projections. Leadership stated at that time the company was “taking decisive action to strengthen our execution, upgrade our platform, and sharpen our focus.”

One market analyst maintained a Buy recommendation with a $19 target price on September 3. The analysis highlighted potential gains connected to a possible reorganization of a major rival’s advertising-technology operations.

Challenging Year for TTD Shareholders

TTD shares have tumbled 60% year-to-date in 2026 and experienced a 71% decline across the past year. The stock trades considerably beneath its 52-week peak of $56.39.

Financial analysts project full-year earnings will contract to 40 cents per share, dropping from 90 cents in the prior year. This would represent a consecutive second year of profit decline after The Trade Desk delivered earnings of $1.66 per share in 2024.

Market forecasters also anticipate revenue will decrease this year and maintain its downward trajectory into 2027, based on FactSet data.

The overall market offered minimal assistance on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones each retreating 0.2% while the Nasdaq registered a slight advance of +0.1%.

TTD concluded Friday’s trading session at $14.65, representing a 3% daily decline.

The post The Trade Desk (TTD) Stock Plummets 60% in 2026 Amid Workforce Restructuring appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Shares of Robinhood climbed 16.6% on Thursday, finishing at $124.72, marking the highest closing price since early December.
• Morgan Stanley elevated HOOD to Overweight with a new $150 price target; Scotiabank began coverage with a Sector Outperform rating and $136 target.
• Piper Sandler increased its price objective to $145, highlighting robust prediction market activity ahead of football season.
• Deutsche Bank lifted its HOOD target from $115 to $136, emphasizing Robinhood Chain as a significant catalyst.
• Total Value Locked on Robinhood Chain surged 27% in one week to $840 million, with fee generation surpassing Ethereum, Solana, and other prominent networks in a 24-hour period.

Thursday proved to be an exceptional trading session for Robinhood shares, as the stock rocketed 16.6% higher to settle at $124.72. This marked the company’s strongest closing level since December 10, fueled by a wave of optimistic analyst assessments from leading Wall Street firms.

Robinhood Markets, Inc., HOOD

The positive momentum began when Morgan Stanley’s Michael Cyprys released his updated outlook on September 1, elevating HOOD from Equal-weight to Overweight while increasing his price forecast to $150 from $124. His thesis centers on the company’s ability to convert product diversification into enhanced customer profitability.

“Customer asset levels have climbed 23% compared to last year,” Cyprys noted, emphasizing that the expanded suite of offerings encourages users to consolidate their holdings with Robinhood as their portfolios mature.

Also on September 1, Scotiabank’s Lance Jessurun launched coverage with a Sector Outperform designation and a $136 price objective. Jessurun contends that investors continue to view Robinhood through an outdated lens as merely a discount brokerage, while the reality shows a company generating income from five separate categories, with four displaying reduced cyclicality compared to traditional trading fees.

Prediction Market Activity Emerges as Major Driver

Patrick Moley of Piper Sandler boosted his price target from $135 to $145 while maintaining an Overweight stance. He identified prediction market trading volumes as a particularly promising opportunity as NFL and college football seasons approach.

Moley’s baseline scenario anticipates Robinhood users will execute approximately 29.7 billion event contracts between September and December 2026, translating to roughly $320 million in prediction market-related revenue during that window.

Despite August typically representing a sluggish period for sports betting, volumes remained healthy, partially supported by World Cup activity. The upcoming football campaigns are anticipated to deliver substantially greater engagement.

Deutsche Bank joined the chorus of bullish voices, elevating its HOOD price target to $136 from $115. The firm highlighted Robinhood Chain, the company’s layer-2 blockchain infrastructure, as a notable source of potential upside.

Robinhood Chain Demonstrates Rapid Expansion

Despite launching under two months ago, the Robinhood Chain is already generating impressive metrics. Total Value Locked across the network increased nearly 27% during the past week to reach $840 million, based on DeFiLlama tracking data.

During the most recent 24-hour period, the blockchain generated $4.59 million in fees, exceeding the fee production of Ethereum, Solana, BNB, Avalanche, and multiple major layer-2 solutions including Base and Arbitrum.

Industry observer The Milk Road highlighted that when annualized, Robinhood Chain’s seven-day revenue performance positions it as the fourth-largest contributor among Robinhood’s 14 distinct revenue categories.

Separate from blockchain developments, Robinhood disclosed that users have placed approximately $150 million into recently launched trust accounts, with typical account balances exceeding $500,000.

The company’s premium tier, Robinhood Gold, reached an all-time high of 4.8 million paying subscribers during the second quarter.

The post Robinhood (HOOD) Stock Soars 17% Following Multiple Analyst Upgrades appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Second-quarter revenue reached $508.4 million, representing 30% year-over-year growth and surpassing the $483 million consensus forecast
• The company delivered adjusted earnings per share of 20 cents, exceeding Wall Street’s projection of 16 cents
• Annual recurring revenue climbed to $2.125 billion, marking 30% growth, with an unprecedented 242 customers contributing $100K+ in ARR
• Full-year revenue forecast was upgraded to a range of $2.043B-$2.047B from the previous $2.005B-$2.013B guidance
• Shares climbed 14.4% during Friday’s trading session after gaining 5.3% the previous day

The connected operations cloud provider delivered impressive fiscal second-quarter financial results Thursday evening, propelling IOT stock up 14.4% Friday to approximately $44.33. Shares had already climbed 5.3% Thursday, finishing at $38.75 before the earnings announcement.

Samsara Inc., IOT

Second-quarter revenue totaled $508.4 million, representing 30% year-over-year expansion and significantly exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $483 million. The company’s adjusted earnings per share of 20 cents surpassed the Street’s expectation of 16 cents.

This quarter marked the company’s fourth consecutive period of GAAP profitability, a significant achievement for an organization that faced cash flow challenges in recent years.

Annual recurring revenue grew to $2.125 billion, up 30%. Net new ARR totaled $134 million, reflecting 28% growth.

The company welcomed a record-breaking 242 new customers contributing over $100,000 in ARR during the quarter. Additionally, 20 customers generating more than $1 million in ARR were added.

Revenue from customers exceeding the $1 million threshold surpassed $500 million. This metric has maintained over 50% year-over-year growth for three consecutive quarters.

Platform Adoption Expands Among Enterprise Clients

Within the customer segment generating more than $100,000 in ARR, 96% utilize a minimum of two Samsara solutions, while 72% leverage at least three products. The company reports that enterprise customers are transitioning from isolated implementations to comprehensive deployments spanning multiple departments and operational functions.

“What begins with one use case often grows into the platform they rely on across assets, teams, and workflows,” said Amit Vyas, Samsara’s chief revenue officer.

Throughout the past year, customers digitized 340 million workflows and recorded 105 billion miles using Samsara. The platform also gathered over 30 trillion data points, representing more than 40% growth compared to the previous year.

Newer product offerings accounted for over 20% of net new annual contract value for the third consecutive quarter.

Artificial Intelligence Capabilities Expanded

The company introduced multiple AI-powered solutions during the quarter, including a Bluetooth tracking label, an AI-driven shipment center, and intelligent agents designed for safety management, maintenance scheduling, and dispatch operations.

Additional camera-based innovations include rear collision detection, blind-spot monitoring, and comprehensive 360-degree vehicle visualization. Customer adoption of select AI features increased more than fourfold during the past two months.

The company emphasized that its extensive data collection capabilities provide enhanced contextual intelligence for its AI systems, resulting in superior performance outcomes.

Looking ahead, management elevated its full-year revenue forecast to $2.043 billion-$2.047 billion from the earlier projection of $2.005 billion-$2.013 billion. The adjusted EPS outlook was also increased to 76-78 cents from the previous 70-72 cents range.

Wall Street rates IOT as a Strong Buy, based on 12 Buy and four Hold ratings over the past three months.

The consensus price target stands at $52.73, suggesting approximately 36% potential upside from present levels. Multiple analysts have increased their targets in response to the quarterly results.

IOT stock has advanced 9.31% year to date but continues to trade down 7.94% over the trailing 12-month period.

The post Samsara (IOT) Stock Jumps 14% Following Stellar Q2 Earnings Beat appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Anil Chakravarthy will become Adobe’s new CEO in December 2026
• The appointment replaces Shantanu Narayen’s 19-year tenure as chief executive
• Shantanu Narayen will transition to executive chair role
• Shares of ADBE declined 6% following the announcement, extending year-to-date losses to approximately 20%
• David Wadhwani, considered a leading candidate, departed Adobe following the CEO reveal

Adobe (ADBE) unveiled its next chief executive Thursday, triggering a sharp selloff in shares as investors digested the surprising leadership choice.

Adobe Inc., ADBE

The software giant revealed that Anil Chakravarthy will assume the CEO position this December, taking the reins from Shantanu Narayen, who has steered the company for nearly two decades. The market response was swift—ADBE shares tumbled 6.41% Thursday, followed by an additional 4% decline in Friday’s premarket session. Year-to-date, the stock has lost approximately 20% and now trades at less than half its 2024 high of over $600 per share.

Currently heading Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration division and global field operations, Chakravarthy brings experience from his previous role as CEO of Informatica, a cloud data management company. He’s spent the past six and a half years with Adobe after joining in 2020.

The succession plan was set in motion when Narayen revealed his intention to step down this past March, sparking widespread industry speculation about his eventual replacement.

An Unexpected Choice

Market watchers at Jefferies characterized Chakravarthy as “not who many expected” to land the top position. The investment firm had projected that David Wadhwani—a nearly two-decade Adobe veteran who oversaw the company’s creative division—would secure the CEO role. Notably, Wadhwani exited Adobe’s ranks immediately following the leadership announcement.

“With his departure, we expect others to follow as Anil reshapes the organization,” Jefferies analysts indicated. They also suggested the board might pursue candidates with enhanced AI credentials.

The company’s shares have faced sustained headwinds recently as market participants express concern that artificial intelligence platforms might diminish demand for Adobe’s flagship creative software suite. This executive transition introduces additional ambiguity into an already uncertain outlook.

Wall Street Weighs In

Despite the market’s negative reaction, Jefferies analysts acknowledged that Chakravarthy might be “well tuned to the needs of Adobe’s large enterprise clients.” They expressed interest in learning his strategic vision for the creative business segment and his approach to positioning it for the artificial intelligence age.

JPMorgan analysts struck a more optimistic tone, informing clients that “in aggregate, we believe the announcement is a positive in relation to addressing the uncertainty.”

In an official statement, Narayen expressed strong confidence, saying he “could not be more confident” that Chakravarthy represents “the right person to lead Adobe’s growth in an AI-driven era.” The outgoing CEO will maintain influence as executive chair throughout the leadership handoff.

The company highlighted Chakravarthy’s track record in launching AI-powered solutions, including Adobe CX Enterprise, GenStudio, and Brand Visibility, as validation of his preparedness for the CEO position.

When the announcement first broke Wednesday evening, Adobe shares declined 1.4% in after-hours trading.

Investors will get their next major update when Adobe releases quarterly earnings following market close on Thursday, September 11.

The post Adobe (ADBE) Stock Tumbles Over 6% Following Unexpected CEO Announcement appeared first on Blockonomi.

Ethereum has staged a sharp recovery from the June lows and is now consolidating below $2.5K after reclaiming several important technical levels. The daily structure has improved materially, but ETH is still struggling at a key resistance area, while the latest taker-flow data suggests that aggressive buying has not yet fully confirmed the move.

Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

The daily chart shows a clear structural recovery from the $1.5K area. ETH subsequently reclaimed the $1.9K zone and pushed above the $2K mark, with the latest impulsive move taking price toward $2.5K.

The most important development is the price moving above the previous swing-high area around $2.45K and finally creating a higher high after months of decline. However, the asset is still sitting directly below the $2.5K resistance zone and has not yet cleared it after it was rejected again today. Therefore, further upside may require a decisive daily breakout rather than another rejection from the same area.

The 100-day and 200-day moving averages have also become more constructive. Both are now sloping upward after being reclaimed, with the 200-day moving average around the $2K region being the most important support element buyers should defend.

If ETH establishes a daily close above the $2.5K resistance zone, the next major upside area visible on the chart is the next swing high at $3.4K. Conversely, a rejection could send ETH back toward the $2K-$2.1K region, which appears to be the key structural support that must be held at all costs.

ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The 4-hour chart shows that most of the recent advance occurred through a very aggressive vertical move from roughly $1.9K toward $2.5K. Since then, ETH has been consolidating inside a tight range, roughly between $2.35K and $2.55K.

This consolidation is important because it follows a strong impulsive breakout. Rather than immediately giving back the entire move, ETH has spent several weeks holding above the previous breakout area. The latest candles are also moving toward the upper boundary of the range.

The $2.4K-$2.5K area is therefore the key near-term pivot. Holding around this region would preserve the bullish structure and could allow another attempt to break out higher. This would strengthen the continuation case and potentially expose the $2.8K area before the larger $3.4K resistance zone.

On the downside, a loss of the consolidation range’s low around $2.4K would weaken the immediate setup and could trigger a deeper retracement toward the $2.25K order block. Meanwhile, the 4-hour RSI remains constructive, although it has cooled from its recent spike. This suggests that momentum is still positive without being as stretched as it was immediately after the breakout.

Sentiment Analysis

The Ethereum Taker Buy/Sell Ratio chart provides a more cautious signal. The 30-day moving average of the metric has recently dropped below the neutral 1.0 level  again and appears to be hovering around 0.995, meaning aggressive sell orders have slightly outweighed aggressive buy orders across exchanges.

This is notable because ETH has simultaneously remained close to $2.5K. In other words, the latest price strength has not been accompanied by a strong increase in taker buying pressure.

The divergence does not necessarily invalidate the bullish technical structure, but it does suggest that the current consolidation may need another wave of genuine spot or aggressive futures demand before ETH can sustain a larger breakout. A move back above 1.0 in the taker buy/sell ratio alongside a decisive break above $2.5K would provide stronger confirmation for continuation and potentially lead to a genuine market recovery after months of downtrend.

The post Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH Rejected at $2.5K Again – What Happens Next? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

[PRESS RELEASE – Chicago, United States, September 4th, 2026]

Liquid Mercury today announced that ACQUA1, LLC completed the initial closing of its MERC exchange offering on September 1, 2026.

ACQUA1 is a Liquid Mercury subsidiary that operates Liquid Mercury’s Lab Company program, licensing Liquid Mercury technology to companies primarily tokenizing real-world assets and receiving fees plus a minority equity stake in return. Liquid Mercury is the majority holder and Manager.

“Over the past 18 months, dozens of companies have approached Liquid Mercury seeking to tokenize their assets,” said Tony Saliba, CEO and founder of Liquid Mercury. “Many assumed they would need to raise capital and build this infrastructure from scratch. Licensing Mercury RWA lets them launch on systems that were already live and proven, at a fraction of the time and cost. ACQUA1 token holders now own a slice of the business that earns equity, plus fees from the companies in the Lab Company program.”

Verified accredited investors subscribed by exchanging MERC for non-voting Class B units of ACQUA1 at the initial conversion rate of 10 MERC per unit. Under its operating agreement, ACQUA1 must burn 100% of the MERC it receives at each closing within five business days and may not transfer, trade, lend, stake, pledge, or otherwise deploy it.

On September 2, all 563,230,000 MERC received at the initial closing were burned via a transfer to the dead address, as the offering documents require.

Initial Closing Highlights

• Initial closing: September 1, 2026
• MERC burned: 563,230,000
• Transferred to the dead address September 2, 2026
• Units issued: 56,323,000
• Non-voting Class B units of ACQUA1, LLC under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D
• 10 MERC per unit
• Evidenced on-chain by ACQUA1-C tokens
• ACQUA1-C tokens convert one-for-one into ACQUA1 tokens upon issuance
• Remaining closings: On or about October 30 and December 31, 2026
• ACQUA1 may skip or terminate at its discretion
• The conversion rate at subsequent closings may differ

Verification Links

Burn transaction

ACQUA1-C contract

Verified accredited investors can request full terms at acqua1.liquidmercury.com/contact.

About Liquid Mercury

Liquid Mercury powers professional crypto trading and digital asset marketplaces. The company delivers institutional-grade infrastructure, access to deep liquidity, and best-in-class trading tools and workflow automation across its Pro, OTC, and RWA platforms. Through Mercury RWA, Liquid Mercury is extending that infrastructure into tokenized real-world assets, with $MERC serving as the access and platform layer token. For more information, visit www.liquidmercury.com.

Investor Notice

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Class B units of ACQUA1, LLC and the ACQUA1 tokens representing them are offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Rule 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, solely to verified accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D, and solely pursuant to ACQUA1’s confidential private placement memorandum, as supplemented, and definitive subscription documents, which contain important information, including risk factors. ACQUA1 tokens are restricted securities, are subject to transfer restrictions under ACQUA1’s operating agreement and may remain illiquid indefinitely; investors should not assume that Rule 144 will be available. Statements regarding future revenues, valuations, portfolio performance, and subsequent closings are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties; actual results may differ materially. The MERC contract has no burn function; tokens are removed from circulation by transferring to the dead address. Supply outstanding excluding the dead address is 5,436,770,000 MERC, as of the date of publication.

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This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum was flat this week. Still, the price held well above the support at $2,400. However, the volume has been falling since the initial rally, and volatility has decreased significantly compared to the early days.

While a consolidation period is normal, this is also a period of weakness in the price action when sellers could make their return. Nevertheless, as long as the key support is not challenged, buyers continue to have the upper hand.

Looking ahead, ETH must stay above $2,400 if it wants the rally to continue. So far, buyers appear in control, but the road towards $2,800 could be bumpier compared to the past few weeks.

Ripple (XRP)

XRP was also mostly flat this week, booking a modest 2% gain. The price has been moving sideways between $1.3 and the resistance at $1.6. This range also kept the price in check between February and May this year.

To get momentum back, this cryptocurrency will need to break away from this range. That will likely see volume and volatility return as well. Based on the current price action, buyers have the advantage, but this could change if they fail to clear $1.6.

Looking ahead, the market is showing some indecision here after a strong pump. While a continuation would put an end to the bear market, it is still too early to say this is it. That’s why buyers may be hesitating here.

Cardano (ADA)

ADA closed 5% higher this week after a good push from buyers, with the price retesting resistance at $0.23. At the time of this post, the resistance remains intact but could be put under pressure by any renewed buying.

For Cardano to confirm a bottom under $0.15, the price has to move beyond its current resistance. Buyers were rejected there in August. However, another push in September could be successful.

Looking ahead, this cryptocurrency is ripe for a strong rally as soon as $0.23 turns into a key support. That can easily see ADA move towards $0.30 and $0.40 if buying volume picks up.

Binance Coin (BNB)

This week, Binance Coin held well above the support at $690, but did not manage to distance itself much beyond that. That’s the reason why the price is up only 1% in the past seven days.

While momentum has been decreasing, BNB is very close to making a higher high. Any price above $745 would confirm it and likely see this cryptocurrency continue its rally towards $900 next.

Looking ahead, the market may be taking a pause right now before momentum returns. While the price action favors a continuation of the rally, a higher high is needed to give it confidence.

Hype (HYPE)

This week, Hyperliquid managed to break above the $85 resistance and closed 4% higher. This both confirmed a higher high and new price record. The question is if this level can hold as support or sellers will turn it into a resistance again.

If the latter, then buyers will likely move to the support at $76 next to defend the recent gains. Still, HYPE has been in a rally for weeks without any significant pullback or correction. One should be expected eventually.

Looking ahead, HYPE could continue its push higher until it hits the psychological level at $100. Sellers could be making a stand there if buyers decide to go for it. But for now, best to watch the price reaction at $85 in the coming days.

The post Crypto Price Analysis Sep-04: ETH, XRP, ADA, BNB, and HYPE appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The US economy added almost three times as many jobs as expected in August, triggering an immediate sell-off for risk-on assets like bitcoin as investors reassess the chances of another Federal Reserve rate hike.

The cryptocurrency’s price had risen to over $81,000 before the news went live, but plunged immediately by $2,000 to $79,200.

More specifically, the US economy added 162,000 jobs in August, according to data shared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The general expectations were for roughly 55,000-58,000 new jobs, which means that the actual numbers were significantly higher. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%.

The July reading was also revised sharply higher, from a previously reported loss of 23,000 jobs to a gain of 21,000. Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% monthly and 3.1% annually.

A strong labor market gives the Federal Reserve more room to keep monetary policy tight, which, given Kevin Warsh’s hawkish speech from last week, spells trouble for risk-on assets like bitcoin.

The blowout jobs number weakens one argument for keeping rates unchanged: that the US labor market needs protection from tighter monetary policy. Higher interest-rate expectations typically push Treasury yields and the greenback north while reducing the relative appeal of risk assets.

Although the jobs report does not guarantee a September rate hike, as inflation remains the biggest concern for the US central bank, it certainly gives investors a lot to think about ahead of the CPI data next week.

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[PRESS RELEASE – Los Angeles, California, United States, September 4th, 2026]

Digital collectibles platform MEMONS has officially launched its service. MEMONS is a digital collectibles platform where users can obtain digital cards of various rarity levels by opening Capsules, collect them, and trade them with other users through the Marketplace.

Unlike conventional collectible services that end once an item is acquired, MEMONS connects Capsule Opening, Collection, and Marketplace functions within a single platform. This creates a continuous ecosystem in which collecting and trading continue even after cards are obtained.

MEMONS combines the concepts of collecting, scarcity, and trading—widely used across the global collectible card, loot box, gacha, and digital asset markets—within a digital environment.

Recently, Web3 projects have increasingly expanded beyond token- and community-centered models into services where users can actively participate, including IP, gaming, digital content, and marketplaces.

In line with this trend, MEMONS is expanding into a digital collectibles platform that can connect various IPs and Web3 projects, beginning with APEPE.

About MEMONS

MEMONS is a digital collectibles platform that brings Capsule Opening, Collection, and Marketplace experiences together within a single ecosystem. Users can obtain digital cards of varying rarity levels, build their own collections, and trade cards with other users through the Marketplace.

Incubated within the APEPE ecosystem, MEMONS is designed as a scalable platform capable of supporting various IPs, characters, and Web3 communities. APEPE serves as its founding IP and core ecosystem partner.

Website: https://memons.io

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