Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

The British Pound slips again as bets on an October Fed hike build

GBP/USD has stalled at 1.3400 in each of the last three sessions, and it trades just under that level again on Monday. The Dollar is up against most major currencies, so this is more a Dollar move than a Pound one. Traders put the odds of a second Fed increase on October 28 at 53%, according to CME FedWatch, up from about 40% straight after the September 16 decision. The UK calendar before Friday has a borrowing figure, two surveys and three speeches, and none of them changes the UKs interest rate.　　A second Fed increase is now more likely than not, eight days before the Bank of England next meets　　Chicago Fed President Goolsbee said in London on Monday that if US inflation is coming from overheated demand as well as from oil and tariffs, the Fed‘s increases should be bigger and come sooner. Talk like that raises the odds of an October increase, and higher odds have meant a stronger Dollar against the Pound since September 16. Fed Chair Warsh said on September 16 that the Fed needn’t hurt the job market to cut inflation, and President Goolsbee‘s remarks say doing it fast means pushing employment below the Fed’s goal.　　The

09-22Industry

Bitcoin rallies near $86K on improving markets ahead of quarterly options expiry

Bitcoin (BTC) market conditions improved over the past week as spot buying pressure strengthened and derivatives positioning increased, pushing the top crypto near $86,000.　　Spot demand strengthens as Bitcoin momentum recovers　　BTCs price momentum rose from 47.7 to 53.6, representing a 12.5% weekly increase. The recovery pushed momentum toward the middle of its range, suggesting that price action has stabilized after recent weakness, according to a Monday report from Glassnode.　　“This recovery from previous lows reflects improving price action and a shift away from immediate selling pressure,” Glassnode wrote.　　Discover more　　Daily crypto news　　Ethereum market analysis　　Bitcoin investment guide　　Spot Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) moved from a negative $97.9 million to a positive $46 million, representing a 147% improvement over the week. Glassnode argued that the flip indicates aggressive traders began lifting prices, marking a shift from net selling toward positive volume.　　Spot volume also increased 13%, rising from $5.48 billion to $6.18 billion. According to Glassnode, the liquidity expansion reflected stronger participation across centralized exchanges and provided additional support for the recent price recovery.　　Bitcoin derivatives point to growing bullish positioning　　The derivatives market also showed increased activity. Futures open interest climbed 2.7% from $36.2 billion to $37.28 billion, moving slightly above its high statistical band.　　Glassnode described the increase

09-22Industry

The scarcity trade is accelerating – And hard assets could be the biggest winners

There are moments when markets do more than move. They change regime.　　2026 increasingly looks like one of them.　　A major conflict is reshaping the Middle East. Russias war in Ukraine continues to disrupt energy and commodity infrastructure. The United States is heading towards its November Midterm Elections, while Central banks have begun tightening monetary policy again for the first-time in more than three years.　　Sovereign debt is approaching historic extremes, alongside an unprecedented artificial-intelligence infrastructure boom, which is demanding vast amounts of Electricity, Copper, Aluminium, Natural Gas and Critical Materials.　　Individually, each of these forces are creating a powerful cascade of back-to-back lucrative trading opportunities.　　Their convergence is what makes this cycle potentially historic.　　“Few periods in modern market history have brought together geopolitical disruption, inflation, fiscal stress, resource scarcity and a once-in-a-generation infrastructure build-out at the same time,” says Lars Hansen, Head of Research at The Gold & Silver Club. “That is precisely the type of environment in which extraordinary wealth creation can occur.”　　Markets are already paying a premium for scarcity. The evidence is visible in prices.　　From their 2026 lows, European Natural Gas has surged 204%, Heating Oil 149% and Diesel 136%. Gasoline has more than doubled, Jet Fuel has gained 98%, while WTI

09-22Industry

The Federal Reserve is shadowboxing inflation

Kevin Warsh and his minions at the Federal Reserve are shadowboxing.　　Mind you, they should certainly be battling inflation. But instead, they seem to be fighting rising oil prices.　　Thats not the same thing.　　Inflation, properly defined, is an increase in the supply of money and credit. Price inflation – rising consumer prices – is one symptom of this monetary inflation. However, other things can cause price inflation, including oil shocks.　　The difference between a price shock and inflation is that a price shock only raises some prices. Monetary inflation causes a rise in the general price level, and its the only thing that produces such an effect. As economist Milton Friedman put it, “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, in the sense that it is and can be produced only by a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output.”　　Dont get me wrong. There is plenty of inflation in the system, evidenced by the increasing money supply. By the M2 metric, inflation is running around 5 percent right now. However, Warsh and Co., along with the markets and pretty much everybody in the mainstream financial media, are fixated on oil prices.　　I‘m not saying rising fuel prices aren’t important.

09-22Industry

Strive Acquires $107.7M in Bitcoin, Holdings Reach 26,355 BTC

Strive acquired 1,355 Bitcoin for approximately $107.7 million last week, bringing its total holdings to 26,355 BTC. The latest purchase increases pressure on the companys year-end ambition to become the second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder.　　However, Strive still needs substantial acquisitions to overtake Twenty One, which holds 43,514 BTC. Bitcoin‘s recent price gains have also increased the dollar value of Strive’s treasury.　　Strive Accelerates Bitcoin Accumulation　　According to an SEC filing, Strive purchased Bitcoin between September 14 and 18, averaging $79,475 per coin. Consequently, its holdings now exceed $2.25 billion at current market prices.　　Additionally, Strive needs another 17,160 BTC to surpass Twenty One, assuming its rival maintains current holdings. With 14 weeks remaining in 2026, Strive must average approximately 1,226 BTC weekly.　　Moreover, maintaining its recent purchasing pace could help Strive overtake MARA during November. Metaplanet, meanwhile, holds approximately 43,000 BTC.　　Warrant Exercises Support Treasury Growth　　Significantly, Strives latest acquisition coincided with warrant exercises linked to its ASST common stock. Investors exercised nearly 786,000 warrants, generating approximately $21.2 million in gross proceeds.　　Meanwhile, Strategy resumed Bitcoin purchases after two unchanged weeks. It acquired 950 BTC for approximately $75.7 million, reaching 846,000 BTC. Additionally, Strategy spent around $174 million repurchasing preferred shares.　　Bitcoin traded near $85,900, gaining 5.86% over 24

09-22Industry

Gold market manipulation and the paper system [Video]

In a recent Money Metals podcast interview, host Mike Maharrey spoke with Chris Powell, secretary and treasurer of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee, or GATA. Powell has also served as a director of GATA and was managing editor of the Journal Inquirer in Manchester, Connecticut, from 1974 through 2018.　　Powell said GATA was formed in late 1998 and incorporated as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization in early 1999. Its original purpose was to investigate, expose, challenge, and litigate against what its founders believed was manipulation of the gold market. Silver was also part of GATAs work from the beginning.　　After consulting attorneys, Powell said GATA concluded that lawsuits against the U.S. government would be unlikely to succeed because the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 gave the government broad authority to intervene in markets secretly. GATA shifted its focus to gathering documents, publishing research, and exposing what it considers gold and silver price suppression.　　Powell said the organization has now pursued that work for 26 years. GATA publishes daily dispatches covering precious metals, currencies, central banks, and related market developments.　　A quarter-point rate hike against massive deficits　　Maharrey and Powell discussed the Federal Reserves recent 25-basis-point interest-rate increase. Powell argued that a quarter-point hike is insignificant when

09-22Industry

AAPL Price Prediction: Earnings Tailwind Meets a Ceiling — Can $335 Hold Before the October Report？

Caroline Bishop　　Sep 21, 2026 11:44　　Apple trades at $335.55 with momentum stalling just below key resistance and an October 29 earnings catalyst on the horizon. The bull case targets $355–$365; a break below $332 opens the door to a …　　iPhone 18 Launch Meets a Deceleration Warning — The Market Knows It　　Apple is running hot into September on the back of a historically strong Q3 FY2026 print — $109.4 billion in revenue, up 16% year-over-year, with diluted EPS of $2.02 beating Wall Street‘s $1.89 estimate by a comfortable margin. iPhone revenue alone surged 22% to $54.3 billion, the iPhone 18 Pro launch just dropped, and Apple Intelligence is rolling out with iOS 27. The narrative is clean. The problem？ Management already told you what’s coming next: September quarter growth decelerates to 9–11% year-over-year, hamstrung by supply constraints and a 2.5 percentage-point FX headwind. Gross margin guidance of 47–48% for the current quarter is a step down from the tariff-refund-boosted 50.1% we just celebrated.　　This is a market that has been pricing Apple close to perfection. At $335.55, the stock sits near its 52-week high of $344.57 with a trailing P/E of roughly 38x. When management pre-warns of deceleration on the same call they

09-22Industry

L2 growth and $120 billion in staking hide Ethereum’s supply reality

Ethereums institutional data hub showed about $120 billion in staked ETH and $40.4 billion in daily average total value locked on layer-2 (L2) networks in a Sept. 21 snapshot.　　Related Asset Ethereum #2 ETH · $2,781.27 24-hour change: up 5.36% Loading price history… 24H Up 5.36% 7D Up 9.58% 30D Up 15.09%　　They measure different things: ETH committed to network security and assets held across L2 networks, so adding them together would not measure fresh ETH demand.　　Meanwhile, US-traded Ethereum ETF sessions saw over $140 million in net outflows from Sept. 15 to 18. Large pools of staked ETH and assets on Ethereum-linked networks can coexist with investors pulling money from a particular investment channel.　　A staking balance is not a purchase receipt　　Staking involves depositing ETH to activate validators, which help secure Ethereum and earn rewards.　　An owner can stake ETH already held, resulting in staking participation. Yet, they could also acquire ETH specifically to stake it, so the result is not necessarily fresh demand in all cases.　　A staking balance expressed in dollars reflects both the ETH committed and its valuation, so it should not be read as the amount of new capital investors supplied during a particular day or week.　　Liquid staking tokens can represent

09-22Industry

Coinbase Launches Retail IPO Access With Oura Offering

Coinbase has expanded its U.S. trading platform by giving eligible retail customers access to IPO allocations before shares begin public trading. The exchange launched the service with Ouras IPO, allowing customers to request shares at the offering price. The move pushes Coinbase further into traditional financial markets while broadening its planned “Everything Exchange” strategy.　　Retail Investors Gain IPO Access　　Customers can access active offerings through a dedicated IPO section within the Coinbase app. They must fund their accounts before submitting requests once companies disclose expected price ranges. Consequently, Coinbase can collect customer demand before the stock begins trading publicly.　　Moreover, the allocation process depends on available shares and total investor demand. Customers may receive full, partial, or no allocations. Additionally, Coinbase allows customers to cancel and resubmit requests during the offering period.　　Coinbase also uses holding behavior when determining future allocations. Customers who sell IPO shares within 30 days may face temporary participation restrictions.　　Coinbase Builds Traditional Finance Products　　Coinbase Capital Markets handles the service through its FINRA-registered broker-dealer operation. Apex Clearing provides execution, clearing, and custody services for customer transactions.　　Besides IPO allocations, Coinbase has expanded into stocks, ETFs, options, and pre-IPO products. Earlier this year, it launched pre-IPO perpetual futures for eligible non-U.S. customers.　　However, those

09-22Industry

LDO Price Prediction: Whales Are Loaded Long — $0.46 Breakout or Overextended Bull Trap？

Luisa Crawford　　Sep 21, 2026 11:14　　LDO just printed a 7.81% single-session surge to $0.44, with top traders sitting at a 70% long bias and taker buyers overwhelming sellers — but price is punching above the upper Bollinger Band with…　　LDOs 7.8% Spike Is the Setup — Not the Trade　　A near-8% single-session rip on Lido DAO isn‘t background noise. LDO is trading at $0.44 as of 09:20 UTC on September 21, and the move has the fingerprints of a coordinated accumulation push rather than retail FOMO chasing headlines. The token cleared the $0.40 immediate support level like it wasn’t there, and more importantly, it is now trading above every major moving average on the daily chart. That kind of clean structure — price stacked above the 7, 20, 50, and 200-period SMAs in perfect bullish alignment — doesnt happen by accident. Something lit the fuse.　　The broader context matters here. LDO as a liquid-staking derivative sits squarely at the intersection of Ethereum‘s staking ecosystem and DeFi sentiment. When risk appetite picks up in the Layer-1 and DeFi space, Lido tends to amplify the move. Today’s action suggests exactly that kind of macro tailwind is blowing, and traders tracking these setups at Blockchain.news have seen

09-22Industry

...

8890

...

1000