cryptocurrencies

According to a report by Times of Israel, the Bank of Israel issued a statement on Saturday local time in response to Prime Minister Netanyahu's earlier proposal to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to address potential international banking sanctions, stating that cryptocurrency "cannot be a means to circumvent sanctions."The Bank of Israel stated that the best practice for the Israeli economy is to maintain economic relations with major trading partners and to strive to avoid sanctions and their economic impacts, which is a matter of political responsibility. Additionally, according to ynetnews, officials from the Israeli economic sector stated that they were not aware of the relevant plans.

CoinGecko's report on the cryptocurrency industry for the third quarter of 2026 shows that the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies increased by 39.6% quarter-on-quarter, rising by $840.1 billion to approximately $3 trillion, ending three consecutive quarters of decline and marking the largest quarterly increase since the fourth quarter of 2024. However, the total market capitalization is still down 4% year-to-date.In terms of mainstream assets, Ethereum (ETH) rose 71% in the quarter to $2,684, outperforming Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies, with net inflows into spot ETH ETFs reaching $3.1 billion for the quarter. Hyperliquid (HYPE) surged to an all-time high of $98, driven by favorable regulatory news in the U.S., with a quarterly increase of 40.5%. Meanwhile, trading activity failed to keep pace with the price rebound. The average daily trading volume in the cryptocurrency market decreased by 8.6% quarter-on-quarter to $73.3 billion, while the spot trading volume of the top ten centralized exchanges fell by 14.2% to $1.65 trillion. Binance's spot market share rose to 42.7%, up from 38.7% in the second quarter; the total open interest in perpetual contracts on centralized exchanges grew by 40.6% quarter-on-quarter, surpassing $100 billion at the end of the quarter for the first time since the third quarter of 2025.

According to The Defiant, the UAE-led "Confrontation Ghost" operation has identified over $39 billion in funds and cryptocurrencies. The operation has arrested more than 960 people and raided 29 scam centers. The countries involved in the operation are advancing asset recovery efforts to reclaim the assets involved.

According to The Defiant, the cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com has announced the launch of options trading services, initially supporting seven types of crypto assets. Buyers are required to fund the contracts with USDC.The options contracts cannot be exited early before expiration, and buyers must hold them until the expiration date. Residents of the United States and the United Kingdom are excluded from participating in this service.

According to the official announcement, Upbit has listed HBD and DNT as trading warning coins, and deposit and withdrawal services have been suspended.

The Central Bank of Russia has included Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, in the registry of institutions authorized to trade digital currencies, allowing it to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in its own name and with its own funds. Six days ago, Sberbank was listed among digital custodians.Sberbank plans to launch its first cryptocurrency products on December 1 through SberBank Online, SberInvestments, and SberBusiness, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT issued by Tether. The specific launch time depends on the decisions of the Central Bank of Russia and the preparation of supporting regulations. According to relevant laws, retail investors can trade up to 300,000 rubles per year through a single intermediary and must pass a knowledge test; using cryptocurrencies to pay for goods within Russia remains illegal.

According to TASS, Kirill Tsarev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank, stated that the bank has noticed a significant interest from a large number of customers in cryptocurrencies, which have become an indispensable part of the global market.

Greece is preparing to legislate a 10% tax on capital gains from cryptocurrencies. The draft bill was published on Thursday local time and has entered the public consultation phase, with a submission to parliament expected in November.According to the draft, individuals can be exempt from tax on capital gains from cryptocurrencies up to 500 euros per year, which is approximately 559.95 USD. Greece currently lacks a complete tax legal framework for cryptocurrencies, and officials have stated that it is difficult to accurately estimate the size of the country's cryptocurrency market due to the vast majority of investors using offshore platforms. The government has not made specific predictions regarding the fiscal revenue generated by the new tax.

The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies has returned to $2.8 trillion, briefly approaching $2.9 trillion. Bitcoin rose 5% to $81,914, the highest level since September 4, after briefly falling below $75,000 on September 16. The Hyperliquid token HYPE surged to a historic high of $94.48, with a weekly increase of 18%, and its market capitalization surpassed $20 billion.The Zcash token ZEC increased by 36% to a multi-year high of $1,590, with a market capitalization nearing $25 billion. NEAR rose from $2.33 on September 13 to $4.06, while AVAX increased by nearly 50% over the week; ETH and XRP rose 3% to $6. The total market capitalization of altcoins increased from $1.17 trillion at the beginning of the week to $1.23 trillion, before falling back to slightly below $1.2 trillion.

According to Solid Intel, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon is advancing several confidential projects related to BTC and cryptocurrencies, having previously agreed that the U.S. should seek a strategic advantage in the BTC field.

According to German media Golem, the Federal Ministry of Finance is preparing a bill to include cryptocurrency gains under capital gains tax. Speculative gains from digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum will be taxed at a rate of 25% starting as early as 2028, consistent with the current stock trading gains tax rate. Currently, selling crypto assets after holding them for more than a year is tax-free, while selling them within a year incurs a personal income tax rate of up to 45%.The bill proposes to retain the personal tax-free allowance (currently €1,000 per person) and allows crypto gains to offset losses from stocks and other securities; taxpayers with a personal tax rate below 25% can also apply for a "favorable assessment" to reduce their tax burden. This tax will apply to crypto assets purchased after January 1, 2027, and it remains to be clarified by legislation whether assets held prior to this date will enjoy transitional protection. The Ministry of Finance expects this move to generate approximately €350 million in additional tax revenue each year, and the bill has been submitted to other federal departments for consultation.

Binance Research's monthly market report shows that the total market capitalization of the cryptocurrency market increased by 17.6% to $2.7 trillion in August, with ETF inflows achieving the strongest performance since 2026.BTC rose by 24.8% within 7 days, ranking as the top weekly increase since 2020. In terms of user asset allocation, the proportion of cryptocurrency allocation among stockholders increased from 64% to 72%, while the allocation to stablecoins decreased by 22%; the proportion of TradFi perpetual contract trading volume dropped from 40% to 20%, with funds and trading activities clearly flowing back into cryptocurrency assets.

According to Hong Kong 01, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng reflected on his journey from a rural area in Jiangsu to a net worth of hundreds of billions in an exclusive interview, sharing his "Four No" financial principles: do not buy stocks, do not speculate on real estate, do not trade cryptocurrencies, and do not hold excessive cash. He explained that real estate transactions are time-consuming and the returns are not worth it, and he never trades stocks or engages in short-term cryptocurrency trading, only holding long-term and selling some crypto assets when needed. "Holding fiat currency is the dumbest investment method; cash continues to depreciate."In 2013, Zhao Changpeng sold his house and invested all his money into Bitcoin, which at one point dropped two-thirds in value and remained stagnant for a year and a half. In 2017, he founded Binance, which became the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange in just five months. In 2023, he was sentenced to four months in prison for violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, and was pardoned by Trump last year. His current net worth is approximately $114.6 billion. He admitted that success is a matter of luck, but the key lies in consistently making the right decisions and quickly correcting mistakes.

Ireland is preparing to exclude cryptocurrencies from the government-designed personal investment accounts set to launch in 2027, which will allow savers to invest in listed stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Irish government has classified cryptocurrencies and derivatives as "highly complex and higher-risk products" in its retail investment tax roadmap, and they will not be included in the scope of qualifying assets.The new accounts will set a yet-to-be-determined tax-free threshold, with amounts above the threshold subject to a low tax rate based on annual average value, and the existing deemed-disposal regime (which taxes unrealized gains at a rate of 38% every eight years) will not apply to investments within the accounts. Account providers will be responsible for calculating, reporting, and paying taxes to the Irish Revenue Commissioners, and savers will not face minimum contribution amounts, holding period, or lock-in period restrictions.The product list follows the European Commission's September 2025 recommendations regarding savings and investment accounts, which exclude high-risk and complex derivatives and cryptocurrencies, but with the exception of tokenized financial instruments. Tax rates, thresholds, and annual contribution limits are expected to be determined in the 2027 budget to be announced in October. Research from the Central Bank of Ireland shows that 38% of Irish households' financial assets are held in cash and deposits, higher than the EU average of 30%.

Zhao Changpeng stated at the "Bitcoin Asia 2026" conference in Hong Kong that many countries have misconceptions about Bitcoin, viewing it as a dangerous asset. However, in fact, not using Bitcoin is more dangerous, just like not investing in AI technology is a real risk for a country today.When discussing strategic reserves, he mentioned that Bitcoin will definitely be more important than gold. Large countries will take time to make this shift, but this trend will certainly occur. He believes that the possibility of a digital currency emerging that is superior to Bitcoin and surpassing it, taking the lead before Bitcoin overtakes gold, is very small. In the future, Bitcoin will soon surpass gold; currently, the gap between the two is only about 10 times, which could be realized in the next bull market.Regarding reserve allocation recommendations, he stated that he usually advises countries to allocate the top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalization (excluding stablecoins) in addition to their dollar reserves, according to their market capitalization proportions. This is the simplest and most market-oriented approach. Typically, Bitcoin will account for over 50%, Ethereum will account for 10%-20%, and BNB and others will also be included.

According to actu, a couple in the Landes department of France was invaded, taken hostage, and kidnapped by assailants in their home. The assailants targeted the Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies they held. Around 4 a.m., several criminals entered the residence, threatening and pressuring the couple to hand over a large amount of crypto assets.The two were subsequently taken away: the man was later found in the town of Solférino, completely naked and with multiple cuts on his body. The woman was found in another vehicle, in a different province at a considerable distance. After the incident, the French gendarmerie quickly blocked the roads and launched an investigation. Two men have already been arrested. The case is being handled by the Bordeaux Interregional Specialized Court (JIRS) and the National Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (PNACO).

According to RootData, among 3,244 cryptocurrency projects with financing records spanning no more than four years and amounts that can be accounted for, 1,617 have a cumulative financing amount of no more than $5 million, accounting for 49.8%. The median financing for this batch of projects is $2.5 million, with about 96% recording only one round of financing.In terms of sectors, DeFi, infrastructure, and gaming projects together account for 59.2%, with small-scale financing mainly flowing to protocol development, underlying technology, and consumer applications. However, a quarter of the projects in the sample have already ceased operations, indicating that while lower regulatory thresholds can improve financing efficiency, they cannot replace product demand and sustainable operational capability.Institutional participation is also higher than the market's usual perception of "small projects": 92.9% of the sample has identifiable investor records, and 83.5% disclosed at least two investors. Among them, Animoca Brands, Shima Capital, and Big Brain Holdings participated in 84, 69, and 67 projects, respectively.It is reported that the U.S. SEC officially proposed the "Regulation Crypto Assets" on August 18. The proposal aims to set up two tiers of issuance exemptions: projects can raise no more than $5 million in a single instance within four years; projects with greater financing needs can raise up to $75 million within each 12-month period, but must submit financial statements and fulfill ongoing reporting obligations. The proposal is currently in a 60-day public comment period and has not yet officially taken effect.