Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

XRP Ledger: Top Developer Highlights Benefits of Permission Delegation Technology

Key Insights:XRP Ledger XLS-75 innovation improves permission delegation by closing security gaps found during V1.0 testing.XRP Ledger and Claude AI connect through formal verification work aimed at proving key ledger functions work as expected.The lending protocol will support institutional credit, including working capital and trade finance use cases.　　XRP Ledger developer J. Ayo Akinyele has highlighted how the XLS-75 innovation makes permission delegation safer, after a major security issue was found during testing before the feature reached the XRPL mainnet. V1.1 keeps the feature intact while adding fixes for delegate checks and multi-signing.　　XRP Ledger Update: XLS-75 Gets A Safer Path To Mainnet　　Akinyele explained that Permission Delegation allows one account to act for another, but only within the permissions given by the account owner. The feature can help users and custody providers let another account handle selected actions without giving it full control.　　Because delegation changes how transactions are processed, security was a major concern. During V1.0 testing, a critical vulnerability was reported through the bug bounty program before the amendment reached the XRP Ledger mainnet.　　XRP Ledger Permission Delegation Update | Source: J. Ayo Akinyele　　Instead of only patching the issue, the team pulled the amendment and introduced V1.1. This creates a clear line

09-10Industry

Liquid Network Exploit Drains $320M in BTC, 85% Returned

Lawrence Jengar　　Sep 09, 2026 22:23　　Hackers exploited a Liquid Network bug to steal $320M in BTC, returning 85%. The incident reveals risks in blockchain-based financial layers.　　A critical software vulnerability in Liquid Network allowed hackers to siphon off nearly 4,000 BTC, worth $320 million at the time, before returning 85% of the stolen funds. The exploit, which occurred on September 6, targeted flaws in the Bitcoin sidechains transaction validation mechanisms, underscoring risks in blockchain-based financial infrastructure.　　The attack hinged on Liquid‘s Confidential Transactions system, which uses cryptographic proofs to validate transfers while keeping transaction amounts hidden. A flaw in the caching mechanism for these proofs enabled the attackers to create unbacked L-BTC tokens, which they then swapped for actual BTC from Liquid’s reserve. Approximately 3,998 BTC—95% of Liquids federation wallet—was drained before the network was paused.　　Liquid Network, developed by Blockstream, is intended to provide fast, low-cost, and private Bitcoin transactions using L-BTC, a token pegged 1:1 to BTC. Under normal conditions, users must deposit BTC into Liquids network to mint L-BTC. However, the exploit bypassed this requirement, allowing hackers to mint tokens without collateral and “withdraw” real BTC.　　After the breach, the attackers, claiming to be white-hat hackers, communicated with Blockstream via Bitcoin‘s OP_RETURN

09-10Industry

23% Of Us Trust AI Agents To Spend Our Money. Visa Has A Plan

New Visa research finds consumers are fine letting AI shop for them, but deeply unwilling to let it pay. I chat with Group President Oliver Jenkyn on why trust, not technology, is the gating factor.　　VCG via Getty Images　　Almost three quarters of us have used AI agents like OpenClaw or Hermes, or perhaps Meta‘s new Muse. But only 23% trust agents with their money. That’s a problem for Visa, which is looking to expand its payments empire. As Visas chief product and strategy executive writes, “Your AI just bought you a couch. Are you okay with that？”　　AI agents are increasingly common. They can check Slack or summarize our email, They can help us manage our calendars, they can research information. They could also be used to track prices, re-order consumables, or even book travel, but few of us have trusted them with our wallets.　　At least, so far.　　Citing a survey of 2,065 US consumers, Visa says that when its name is attached to the agentic AI purchase, acceptance almost triples to 61%. That is, of course, not a statement about whether the technology works or not, or which AI agent you should use. Instead, its a statement about who consumers want standing

09-10Industry

FBI Uses Blockchain for Darknet Opioid Bust, Links Crypto to Fatal Overdoses

Rongchai Wang　　Sep 09, 2026 22:15　　FBI charges two brothers for darknet drug sales after tracing $230K in Bitcoin transactions. Blockchain analytics linked crypto to fatal opioid overdoses.　　U.S. authorities have charged Vladislav and Stanislav Chernyshov, two Jacksonville-based brothers, in a federal case linking their darknet vendor account, “BarbaraWhite,” to at least 12 overdoses, including three fatalities. Investigators used blockchain analytics to trace $230,000 in cryptocurrency transactions, revealing a sophisticated operation distributing counterfeit opioids.　　According to the Justice Department, the brothers sold highly potent nitazene-laced pills under the guise of legitimate medications, using marketplaces like Nemesis, Bohemia, and Abacus since at least 2020. The BarbaraWhite account was prolific, allegedly moving over 95,000 counterfeit pills through these platforms and contributing to the ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. Synthetic opioids, like nitazenes, are even deadlier than fentanyl and accounted for 69% of overdose deaths in 2023.　　Crypto Tracing Unmasks Darknet Vendors　　The Chernyshovs relied on Bitcoin for transactions, believing it provided anonymity. However, blockchains transparency cuts both ways. Investigators used Chainalysis Reactor, a blockchain analytics tool, to map the wallet activity of BarbaraWhite. They identified Bitcoin addresses used to withdraw funds from darknet sales and traced payments to a China-based chemical supplier, other vendors, and a cryptocurrency-based

09-10Industry

Crypto Crime Empire Crumbles as 22-Year-Old Ringleader Malone Lam Pleads Guilty

“If you build a cybercrime empire, we will find you, dismantle your operation, and hold you accountable,” said US Attorney Pirro.　　Malone Lam, a Singaporean citizen and recent Miami resident, pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., to taking part in an international cybercrime conspiracy that stole and laundered more than $245 million in cryptocurrency.　　Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the plea after Lam appeared before US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.　　$245 Million Crypto Heist　　According to the official press release, the 22-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a RICO conspiracy, and the judge scheduled a status hearing for December 8, 2026. Court documents claim the criminal enterprise started no later than October 2023 and continued through at least May 2025.　　The group grew through connections on online gaming platforms and included people based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, as well as other countries. Its members relied on social engineering and, at times, home break-ins to gather information that helped them drain victims crypto wallets.　　US Attorney Pirro said,　　“If you build a cybercrime empire, we will find you, dismantle your operation, and hold you accountable. This defendant led an international network that preyed on victims through deception, invaded their privacy, and stole hundreds of

09-10Industry

Apples first foldable iPhone is finally here, seven years after Samsung started the trend

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has finally released its first folding iPhone, seven years after Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930) began selling foldable smartphones. The new iPhone Duo opens into a 7.6-inch handset and closes into a smaller 5.4-inch device.　　Apple says it becomes its slimmest iPhone when unfolded. Buyers get two finishes, star white and night sky. Orders open on Friday, October 16, while store availability starts Friday, October 23.　　The outside panel gives users around 90% of the usable display area found on iPhone 18 Pro. Open the phone and the inner screen becomes 50% larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max.　　Both Super Retina XDR panels use matching proportions, so apps resize without suddenly changing their layout. They also support ProMotion, Always On mode, and 3,000 nits of maximum outdoor brightness. Apple covered the inner panel with a nano-textured surface to cut glare, reduce visible reflections, and make the fold line harder to notice.　　Source: AppleApple rebuilds the iPhone around a 100-part hinge, titanium frame and two-screen layout　　Apple placed the inner FaceTime camera underneath the screen so it disappears when unused. Apple Pencil with USB-C support arrives later this year and will work across both screens for writing, drawing, and document markup.　　Discover more　　Track Stocks Bonds　　Open

09-10Industry

Consensys Splits MetaMask Into Independent Company

Consensys Software Inc. announced on Sept. 9 that it is separating into two independent companies, turning its MetaMask consumer platform into a standalone business while placing its protocol and institutional infrastructure operations in a newly formed Consensys entity. The companies began operating independently immediately, with the legal separation expected to finish by the end of 2026.　　In the official announcement, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin said the existing company will be rebranded as MetaMask. Lubin will serve as its chairman and chief executive, while becoming executive chairman of the new Consensys.　　The rebranded MetaMask business will focus exclusively on the wallet and its consumer products. Consensys said the app, users assets, private keys and access remain unchanged, and customers do not need to take any action because of the corporate restructuring.　　The company also said its developer-facing SDKs, APIs and tooling will continue as before. MetaMask has recently broadened its product reach through integrations, including support for Robinhood Chain swaps, bridging and decentralized applications. The separation gives that consumer strategy its own corporate structure rather than keeping it alongside institutional infrastructure.　　Linea and Ethereum infrastructure stay with Consensys　　The newly formed Consensys will retain Linea as well as the protocol and enterprise infrastructure work that includes

09-10Industry

Dow Jones forecast: Bears eye 43,047–47,437 as August warning confirms breakdown

On August 6, we flagged a rare Dow Jones setup: two consecutive daily sessions with both the open and close entirely above the upper 20-day, 2-standard-deviation Bollinger Band, capped by an August 5 shooting star. Momentum was stretched (RSI-5 near 81, full stochastic near 92), and the NYSE McClellan Oscillator was neutral rather than the deep oversold readings that have historically marked lasting bottoms.　　The conclusion was cautious but measured: the primary trend remained higher, yet the combination pointed to a vulnerable rally and a likely pause or pullback toward the middle Bollinger Band. That pullback has now materialized — and then some.　　What happened after the signal　　Price immediately slipped back into the upper band and never convincingly reclaimed the August extreme. As of September 9, the Dow was last near 52,450, with the short-term RSI washed out, price at the lower Bollinger band (which is expanding), and the index below its 10-day, 20-day, and 50-day Simple Moving Average (d SMA). Meanwhile, the MACD has been pointing lower and has been in a sell signal since August 17. See Figure 1 below.　　Figure 1: Dow Jones Daily chart with our short-term Elliott wave count and several technical indicators.　　The original studys completed historical analogs

09-10Industry

Taiwan Dollar: Range trade expected after CPI surprise against US Dollar – Commerzbank

Commerzbank highlights that Taiwan‘s August CPI undershot expectations due to favourable food base effects, but core inflation remains above the CBC’s forecast. The bank sees scope for a modest rate hike as growth stays robust and inflation risks persist. In FX, they expect USD/TWD to consolidate in a 31.30–31.80 range, with JPY strength supportive but higher Oil prices capping TWD gains.　　CBC tightening bias and bounded currency　　“August CPI rose less than expected by 2.0% yoy (Bloomberg consensus: 2.4%) vs 2.5% in July, the lowest reading since April. Softer food inflation drove the moderation, bringing headline inflation a tad above the Central Bank of the Republic of Chinas (CBC) 2% target for the first time in four months.”　　Discover more　　Brokerages & Day Trading　　NEWS　　financial　　“Core CPI also eased to 2.3% (Bloomberg consensus: 2.5%) vs 2.4% in July, pointing to some softening in underlying price pressures. Nonetheless, core CPI remained above the CBCs 2026 forecast of 1.9% for the fourth consecutive month.”　　“On monetary policy, the CBC could raise its policy rate by 12.5bp to 2.125% at its next quarterly meeting on 17 September. The robust growth backdrop gives policymakers scope to remain focused on upside inflation risks.”　　“While headline inflation moderated to around 2% in August, the

09-10Industry

Harvey Secures $550M at $15.5B Valuation for Legal AI Expansion

Luisa Crawford　　Sep 09, 2026 20:50　　Legal AI startup Harvey raises $550M at a $15.5B valuation to expand its platform, now serving 80% of Am Law 100 firms.　　Harvey, the San Francisco-based legal AI startup, has raised $550 million in funding at a $15.5 billion valuation, according to a company announcement on September 9, 2026. The round was co-led by Diffusion and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors such as Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, and a16z, as well as new backers like Sapphire Ventures and Whale Rock.　　This marks a significant leap for Harvey, which just six months ago raised $200 million at an $11 billion valuation. The latest funding brings its total investment to over $1.55 billion since its 2022 founding. Harveys growth reflects its rapid adoption: 80% of Am Law 100 firms, alongside five Fortune 10 companies, now use its AI tools to enhance legal research, contract analysis, and workflow automation.　　The capital will fuel further development of Harveys platform, including its recently introduced post-trained open-weight model and Harvey LAB, the Legal Agent Benchmark. These tools aim to help law firms and in-house legal teams build and scale AI-driven intelligence. Founders Winston Weinberg, a former litigator, and Gabriel Pereyra, a former researcher

09-10Industry

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