🦾 x402 Transactions, AI-Era Threats, & Trade Optimism Rally

Good Afternoon,

AI and crypto are converging across payments, public health, and global policy. Coinbase’s x402 transactions have surged 10,000% as AI-driven payments go mainstream, pushing the ecosystem to an $830M market cap. Meanwhile, OpenAI-backed Valthos launches with $30M to tackle AI-era bio threats, Kyrgyzstan rolls out a national stablecoin, CZ’s pardon signals a shifting political tide, and crypto stocks rally on renewed U.S.-China trade optimism.

Dive into more news below!

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News Roundup

Artificial Intelligence

• OpenAI-Backed Biodefense Startup Valthos Launches With $30M to Tackle AI-Era Biological Threats (Decrypt)

• Coinbase’s x402 Transactions Surge 10,000% as AI Payments Go Mainstream (Cointelegraph)

• Alibaba’s Qwen Deep Research Turns Reports Into Live Webpages and Podcasts (Decrypt)

• Microsoft Faces Australian Lawsuit Over Hidden Cheaper 365 Plans After AI Copilot Price Hikes (Decrypt)

Decentralized, Centralized, & Traditional Finance

• Ripple Becomes First Crypto Firm to Own a Global Prime Broker With $1.25B Hidden Road Deal (DL News)

• Sygnum Bank to Launch Bitcoin-Backed Lending With Multisignature Custody (Cointelegraph)

• Kyrgyzstan Launches National Stablecoin and Will Launch CBDC, on BNB Chain (CZ)

• Western Union to Test Stablecoin Transfers for Faster, Cheaper Remittances (Cointelegraph)

• Japan’s JPYC Launches First Legally Recognized Yen-Backed Stablecoin (The Block)

• Iran’s Ayandeh Bank Collapses, Impacting 42 Million Customers (Cointelegraph)

• China’s Central Bank Vows Continued Crackdown on Domestic Crypto Activity (Sina)

• Digital Asset Funds Record $921M Inflows as Rate Cut Hopes Lift Sentiment (CoinShares)

• Figure’s $13B Blockchain Loan Token Suffers 81% Flash Crash (DL News)

• Citi Partners With Coinbase to Pilot Stablecoin Payments for Institutional Clients (Bloomberg)

• Trump-Linked USD1 Stablecoin Expands Cross-Chain Reach via Enso Partnership (DL News)

• Kraken’s Layer-2 Ink Sees 3,800% TVL Surge Driven by Native Lending Protocol Tydro (The Defiant)

• Ledn Crosses $1B in Bitcoin-Backed Loan Originations as Crypto Credit Booms (Cointelegraph)

• ClearBank Joins Circle Payments Network to Boost USDC and EURC Adoption in Europe (Cointelegraph)

• Coinbase Asset Management and Apollo Partner on Stablecoin Credit Strategies (Coinbase)

Exchanges

• Crypto.com Applies for U.S. National Trust Bank Charter to Expand Regulated Services (Cointelegraph)

• CZ Eyes Binance Comeback as Trump Pardon Resets His Record (Bloomberg)

Exchange-Traded Funds

• Crypto Biz: Bitcoin Whales Trade Keys for Comfort as TradFi Beckons (Cointelegraph)

• REX-Osprey XRP ETF Tops $100M AUM in Just Five Weeks (CoinDesk)

• From October 20–24, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $446 million in net inflows.

• U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs saw $244 million in net outflows from October 20-24.

• NYSE Arca Clears Bitwise Solana Staking ETF for Listing, Launch Timing Uncertain (SEC)

Infrastructure

• Custodia and Vantage Launch Live Tokenized Deposit Network for U.S. Banks (Decrypt)

• 51% Attacks Can’t Steal Assets—But Validator Trust Has Limits (Vitalik Buterin)

• Bitcoin Soft Fork Proposal Divides Developers Over Data Restrictions (The Block)

• Bitcoin Developers Clash Over ‘Legal Threats’ in Controversial Soft Fork Proposal (Cointelegraph)

• IBM Launches Digital Asset Platform to Power Tokenization and Stablecoin Adoption (CoinDesk)

• AIOZ Network Builds a Contributor-Powered Internet for the AI and Media Era (CoinDesk)

• Vitalik Buterin: “The Future Is ZK — Not Your Silicons, Not Your Keys” (Wu Blockchain)

Markets

• $31B in Bitcoin Options to Expire on Halloween, Setting Up Potential Volatility Surge (Decrypt)

• Bitcoin Miners Rally as Jane Street Discloses New Stakes (Cointelegraph)

• Binance to List Giggle Fund (GIGGLE) and SynFutures (F) on October 25 (Binance)

• ISM Manufacturing Data Hints Bitcoin Bull Cycle Could Run Longer Than Usual (Cointelegraph)

• TAO Halving Set to Ignite Institutional Interest and Market Decoupling (TAO Daily)

• Bitcoin Soars Past $115,000 as $350M in Shorts Are Wiped Out (The Block)

• Bitcoin Options Open Interest Hits Record $63B as Bulls Target $120K–$140K (Cointelegraph)

• Zcash Soars 30% After Arthur Hayes Predicts $10K Price Target (Cointelegraph)

• Over $653M in Token Unlocks Coming This Week, Including GRASS, SIGN, and OMNI (Tokenomist)

• Bitcoin Market Sentiment Turns Neutral as Fear Finally Fades (Cointelegraph)

• BNB Foundation Burns $1.66B Worth of BNB in 33rd Quarterly Burn (BNB Chain)

• x402 Ecosystem Reaches $830M Market Cap, Led by Infrastructure Tokens (CoinGecko)

• Crypto Stocks Rally as U.S.-China Trade Optimism Lifts Markets (CoinDesk)

Mining

• Mid-Tier Bitcoin Miners Rise as Post-Halving Competition Heats Up (Cointelegraph)

Non-Fungible Tokens

• Justin Aversano’s ‘Moments of the Unknown’ Captures Humanity’s Universal Language of Love (Decrypt)

Politics & Regulation

• Trump to Nominate Michael Selig as CFTC Chair to Advance U.S. Crypto Policy (Bloomberg)

• Africa Races to Regulate Crypto as Adoption Surges (Cointelegraph)

• Bank of England Probes Data-Center Lending Amid AI Bubble Fears (Cointelegraph)

• CZ’s Pardon Highlights Power Shift on K Street Toward Trump-Aligned Lobbyists (Politico)

• US, China Reach ‘Substantial’ Trade Framework, Averting 100% Tariffs (Cointelegraph)

• Indian Court Rules Crypto Is Property, Blocks WazirX From Redistributing User XRP (Decrypt)

• Javier Milei’s Crypto-Friendly Party Wins Argentina’s Midterms, Strengthening 2027 Bid (Cointelegraph)

• Australian Crypto Firms Welcome Draft Laws but Demand More Clarity (Cointelegraph)

• Canada Races to Finalize Stablecoin Rules as U.S. Regulation Gains Momentum (Bloomberg)

• Senators Warren and Schiff Condemn Trump’s Pardon of Binance Founder CZ (Decrypt)

Token Generation Events

• Vultisig Tops Mindshare Charts Ahead of Kraken Listing (Vultisig)

• Ferrari to Launch Tokenized Auction for Its Le Mans-Winning 499P (Cointelegraph)

• MetaMask Token Rumors Surge as “Claim Portal” Link Appears Online (The Block)

• MegaETH’s $50M Token Sale Oversubscribed — Social Media Engagement to Determine Allocations (DL News)

Treasuries & Reserves

• SpaceX Moves Another $134M in Bitcoin, Likely Wallet Consolidation — Arkham (The Block)

• Korea’s Bitplanet Begins Daily Bitcoin Purchases in $40M Treasury Plan (Decrypt)

• American Bitcoin Expands Holdings to 3,865 BTC After Acquiring 1,414 Bitcoin (PR News)

• Strategy Expands Bitcoin Holdings to 640,808 BTC After $43M Purchase (The Block)

• Bitmine Boosts Ethereum Holdings to $13.75B After $320M Purchase (Onchain Lens)

Venture Capital

• Crypto Startups Secure Nearly $100M as Wintermute, YZi Labs Lead Weekly Funding Surge (DL News)

Other News

• Rumble Partners With Tether to Launch Bitcoin Tipping for Creators (Decrypt)

• Meet the “Roaring Kitty” of Beyond Meat: Capybara Stocks Takes Center Stage (Decrypt)

• Coinbase CEO Outlines Vision to Bring Entire Startup Lifecycle Onchain (Cointelegraph)

• Ant Group Files Trademarks for Virtual Assets and ‘ANTCOIN’ in Hong Kong (hket)

• Spotting Pre-Listing Gems: A Playbook for Finding Coins Before Major Exchange Listings (Cointelegraph)

• North Korea’s Crypto Theft Nears $3B, But Global Pushback Strengthens (Decrypt)

• Solana Co-Founder Challenges Ethereum’s Layer-2 Security Claims (Cointelegraph)

• Mt. Gox Delays Creditor Repayments to October 2026 Amid Ongoing Processing Issues (The Block)

Check This Out

Blockchains now handle over 3,400 transactions every second, a hundredfold increase since 2020, putting them within range of major financial systems like Nasdaq and Stripe in scale, but at far lower cost.

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