Stellar's XLM token has slipped below the critical support level of $0.40, driven by significant institutional selling. Between September 18 and 19, XLM fell 3.58% from $0.40 to $0.39, with trading volumes surpassing the 24-hour average of 22.33 million tokens, indicating a bearish trend.
Despite this pullback, XLM managed a slight recovery, gaining 0.05% in the final trading hour as buyers defended the $0.39 level. Analysts warn that the formation of lower highs suggests ongoing downside pressure, even as institutional interest in Stellar's infrastructure continues to grow, highlighted by recent initiatives at the Meridian conference.
The recent approval of spot ETFs for XRP and Dogecoin has sparked a wave of institutional interest in the crypto market. The XRP ETF debuted with impressive inflows of $24 million within the first 90 minutes, significantly outpacing previous ETF launches, indicating strong demand for altcoin exposure.
In addition, Grayscale's launch of the GDLC, the first index-based spot crypto ETF, further enhances the market's appeal to institutional investors. This development aligns with the SEC's new generic listing standards, which are expected to facilitate a surge in new crypto ETFs, potentially reshaping capital flows into the digital asset space.
Recent whale movements have added a layer of caution to the crypto market. Notably, Bhutan's government-linked wallet transferred 913 BTC, valued at approximately $107 million, while still holding a substantial 9,652 BTC. This activity coincides with a broader market pullback following the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut.
Additionally, traders are increasingly seeking downside protection through options, indicating a bearish sentiment despite some positive technical signals. The demand for put options remains elevated, suggesting that market participants are wary of potential corrections in the near term.
The recent surge in institutional adoption, driven by ETF launches and significant corporate investments, suggests a potentially bullish outlook for the crypto market. As more institutional players enter the space, the dynamics of capital flows are likely to shift, favoring altcoins alongside established assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
However, the market remains sensitive to macroeconomic factors, including interest rate adjustments and regulatory developments. Traders will be closely monitoring these elements as they navigate the evolving landscape of digital assets.
Nvidia has a $5 billion stake in Intel, which has turned bad finance into good money.
Nvidia is in talks for a $500 million investment in the UK self-driving start-up Wayve.
B. Riley Financial is selling assets to raise cash to cut its own debt load, while remaining long overdue on filing its financial results for the second quarter.
Global exchanges Coinbase and OKX are betting big on Australia’s $2.8 trillion pension pie, pushing crypto into self-managed super funds.
The U.S. stablecoin sector, valued at $270 billion, remains stagnant at less than 8% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, a level it has maintained since 2020. JPMorgan analysts suggest that upcoming U.S. stablecoin launches may lead to a zero-sum game unless the overall crypto market expands significantly. Tether plans to introduce a U.S.-compliant token, USAT, which will fully meet new regulatory standards, contrasting with its existing USDT, which is only about 80% compliant. This competitive landscape is further complicated by Circle's USDC, which currently dominates the U.S. market but faces increasing competition from fintech giants like PayPal and Robinhood, as well as emerging players like Hyperliquid. Circle is responding by developing Arc, a blockchain aimed at enhancing USDC's transaction capabilities.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is showing signs of a potential breakout, supported by rising trading volumes between $200 million and $300 million, which typically precede major trend reversals. The token is forming a bullish falling wedge pattern, suggesting a possible price increase of up to 680% if it surpasses key resistance levels. The recent launch of a Dogecoin ETF has reignited interest in meme coins, positioning SHIB for a potential rally as speculation grows around its own ETF listing. The Shiba Inu ecosystem has also expanded significantly, incorporating a decentralized exchange, a layer-2 chain, and various NFTs, enhancing its market presence.
The cryptocurrency market has rebounded to approximately $4.15 trillion following a $74 billion recovery spurred by a recent 25 basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Bitcoin is currently trading around $116,000, while Cardano and NEAR have posted gains of 5% and 15%, respectively. Despite a generally cautious sentiment in September, the Fear & Greed Index remains neutral at 51 points, indicating resilience in the market. Meanwhile, meme coins like Dogecoin and PEPE are experiencing fluctuations, with PEPE showing potential for a 350% upside if it breaks through key resistance levels.
USDe, a synthetic, yield-bearing digital dollar, has reached a total value locked (TVL) of $13 billion, marking the fastest growth trajectory in crypto history to surpass the $10 billion milestone. This achievement positions USDe ahead of established stablecoins like Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC in terms of adoption. YZi Labs' increased investment aims to enhance USDe's integration across centralized exchanges and DeFi platforms, as well as expand its presence on the BNB Chain, which includes the development of new products such as USDtb, a GENIUS Act-compliant stablecoin, and Converge, an institutional settlement layer in collaboration with Securitize and BlackRock's tokenization partners.
Valour Digital Securities has introduced its Bitcoin staking exchange-traded product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange, expanding its availability beyond Germany where it initially launched. The 1Valour Bitcoin Physical Staking (1VBS) product offers professional and institutional investors exposure to Bitcoin, complemented by an annual staking yield of 1.4%. Each share of the ETP is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin held in cold storage by Copper, with the yield contributing to the net asset value (NAV) published daily. Currently, access to this new ETP is restricted to professional investors under U.K. regulations, with retail access to crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs) expected to begin on October 8, 2025.
The Ethereum network is set to undergo the Fusaka upgrade on December 3, 2025. This upgrade aims to enhance scalability and efficiency through the introduction of PeerDAS, phased blob expansion, and comprehensive audits. The community is closely monitoring this upgrade, as it is expected to have significant implications for transaction costs and overall network performance.
Experts have raised concerns regarding the potential threat posed by quantum computing to Bitcoin, specifically highlighting Shor's algorithm, which could undermine the cryptographic foundations of Bitcoin's security. Current quantum technology is not yet capable of executing this algorithm at a scale necessary to compromise Bitcoin's elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA), but experts suggest that proactive measures are essential to safeguard the network's integrity in the future.
FTX's bankruptcy estate is set to initiate a third distribution of $1.6 billion to creditors on September 30, 2025. This payout follows earlier distributions that have returned over $6 billion to creditors since the exchange's collapse in November 2022. U.S. customers will receive 40% of their claims, bringing their total recovery to 95%, while "Dotcom" customers will receive an additional 6%, totaling 78% recovery. General unsecured and digital asset loan claims are set for a 24% payout, raising recoveries to 85%, and convenience claims will be paid out at 120% of their owed amounts, exceeding the face value of what was owed.
The U.S. Treasury Department is advancing its regulatory framework for stablecoins following the enactment of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act). An advance notice of proposed rulemaking has been opened, allowing a one-month public comment period that will close on October 20, 2025. This initiative aims to gather input on various aspects of stablecoin regulation, including issuer requirements, sanctions compliance, and anti-money laundering measures. The Treasury's actions are part of a broader effort to establish a comprehensive regulatory environment for the crypto industry.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic senators have called for clarity regarding Binance's compliance with U.S. regulations. In a letter to the Department of Justice dated September 17, 2025, they expressed concerns about Binance's adherence to a 2023 agreement related to money-laundering and sanctions violations. The senators highlighted a lack of satisfactory responses from the DOJ regarding Binance's compliance status and raised questions about potential connections between Binance and former President Trump's financial interests.
$2.5 billion was lost to crypto hacks in 2025, with a notable spike in incidents occurring in Q3. Users are advised to exercise greater caution as these hacks increase.
X’s Global Government Affairs team announced on September 19, 2025, the discovery of a bribery network attempting to reinstate accounts suspended for crypto scams and platform manipulation. This network involved middlemen who approached employees with bribe offers on behalf of scammers whose accounts had been banned.
The announcement follows a year marked by rising crypto-related phishing attacks, with more than $2.1 billion in losses recorded in early 2025. X reported suspending over 335 million abusive accounts in late 2024, highlighting the scale of efforts to combat misuse of the platform.
NBA star Kevin Durant regained access to his Coinbase account nearly a decade after losing it, allowing him to once again control his Bitcoin holdings, as confirmed by the exchange CEO.
© 2025 Daily Signals. All rights reserved.