Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Polkadot has launched dotUSD, a stablecoin backed by USDT, following an OpenGov governance decision. The token currently has a total supply of about 2.77 million, and DOT-backed borrowing is planned for a later phase.

TREE NEWS reports: Abstract’s planned Dec. 15 shutdown offers no independent exit for roughly $17.1 million in ETH bridged to the network. Withdrawals of that canonically bridged ETH will depend on operators rather than a permissionless path, and the wind-down plan sets out no independent exit after Dec. 15.

TREE NEWS update: Starknet is weighing a move to become an independent Layer 1 chain so it can control its own security upgrades, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson said, with the aim of pursuing quantum security by 2027. The shift would let Starknet set its own upgrade timetable rather than wait for Ethereum.

TREE NEWS update: Standard Chartered is planning to offer digital asset custody in Singapore, extending a custody network that already spans the UAE, Luxembourg and Hong Kong. The bank has not announced a launch date for the proposed service. No figures or regulatory approvals were disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Elon Musk said Spectrum will provide complete mobile coverage across the United States. The statement gives no further details on timing, pricing or the network’s launch schedule. Spectrum is the wireless connectivity venture associated with Musk’s satellite and communications ambitions.

TREE NEWS update: Ethereum’s Sepolia test network activated Glamsterdam on October 6, raising its block gas limit to near 200 million. That is more than three times the 60 million block gas limit currently used on Ethereum mainnet. The testnet upgrade precedes any mainnet deployment of the same change.

TREE NEWS reports: US stocks closed mixed on October 9, with the Dow up 0.20% while the Nasdaq fell 1.31% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.36%. Crypto miner Riot Platforms (RIOT) dropped 8.51%, leading declines among notable names. Intel (INTC) fell 5.38%, SanDisk (SNDK) lost 4.95%, Micron (MU) declined 4.75%, SPCX fell 4.42% and SKHY dropped 4.39%.

TREE NEWS update: Swiss crypto exchange WhiteBIT has integrated the Lightning Network, enabling users to deposit and withdraw bitcoin through the layer-2 network at a 0.25% deposit fee and a 0.15% withdrawal fee. The feature is supported by bitcoin infrastructure provider Voltage, and users can complete transactions via QR code or payment information.

TREE NEWS reports: Investment bank TD Cowen raised its end-2026 bitcoin price forecast to about $109,000, up from the $97,500 it set in early September, and projects $280,000 by 2029. The bank maintained its Buy rating and $260 target price on Strategy (MSTR). Analyst Lance Vitanza and colleagues said higher bitcoin prices could lift Strategy’s earnings potential, though capital-structure expansion and related dilution erode the per-share benefit.

TREE NEWS update: The NFL urged the Supreme Court to resolve a circuit split over whether states can regulate sports contracts on prediction markets, arguing they constitute gambling rather than federally regulated swaps. The league’s filing sides with states against Kalshi in the dispute over jurisdiction over event contracts tied to sports outcomes.

TREE NEWS update: A wallet tagged as belonging to the US government transferred 833.6 BTC, worth $71.6 million, to a Coinbase Prime deposit address. Arkham data shows 568.7 BTC is tied to seized HashFlare assets and 264.9 BTC to Bitfinex hack funds. A transfer to a Prime deposit address does not confirm a sale, and Coinbase also provides custody for government-held crypto; a similar $288 million transfer occurred in July.

TREE NEWS update: Aave has listed a December AUSD principal token on Monad with a 93% borrowing limit, and the new reserve has already filled its 30 million-token supply cap. Aave shows $29.67 million supplied against that cap.

TREE NEWS update: The NFL has backed New Jersey authorities in a petition to the US Supreme Court over prediction market Kalshi, arguing that Kalshi and other prediction markets “threaten game integrity” because many event contracts are “highly susceptible to manipulation.” The league’s position aligns it with state regulators in the widening legal fight over event-based contracts.

TREE NEWS reports: JPMorgan analysts estimate roughly $50 billion has flowed into digital assets in 2026, an annualized pace of about $66 billion, up from $52 billion in May but still about half of last year’s rate. ETF flows have improved since August and turned net positive year-to-date, while CME bitcoin and ether futures institutional positioning has rebounded over the past two months. Listed-company treasuries were the main buyers, and bitcoin miners sold about $1.8 billion net this year.

TREE NEWS reports: JPMorgan analysts estimate roughly $50 billion has flowed into digital assets so far this year, equivalent to an annualized pace of $66 billion. The bank’s analysts said momentum is improving heading into the fourth quarter.

TREE NEWS reports: A batch of 100.02 BTC mined in July 2010 moved Wednesday after sitting dormant for 16 years, with the coins now worth about $8.3 million. The transaction does not reveal who owns the bitcoin. It is one of the oldest mined batches to change hands in the current cycle.

TREE NEWS update: Google Cloud said its cloud storage service is currently affected in the Iowa (US Central 1) region. The company identified the Iowa cloud region as the location impacted by the Google Cloud Storage issue. No further details on the cause or scope of the disruption were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Aptos has reaffirmed a lock on 210 million APT tokens as its insider unlock cycle approaches its end. The network’s 2.1 billion APT cap, a 2.6% staking reward rate and a tenfold gas-fee increase are already live. The token lock covers roughly 10% of the maximum APT supply.

TREE NEWS reports: FalconX transferred 96,600 HYPE tokens from its hot wallet to Coinbase, on-chain monitoring shows, with the move valued at $8.01 million. The transfer places the tokens on the US exchange as HYPE, the native token of the Hyperliquid network, changes hands between a major crypto prime broker and a listed trading venue.