Finance and Business News page 21

The stories that moved while US desks slept split cleanly by evidence quality, and the ones with the most independent confirmation are about settlement rails, not Ethereum's next number. The stories that moved while US desks slept split cleanly by evidence quality, and the ones with the most independent confirmation are about settlement rails, not…

BitMEX co-founder's bullish call contrasts with more cautious near-term price discussion elsewhere in crypto media. Arthur Hayes, the former chief executive of derivatives exchange BitMEX and a well-known commentator on macro and crypto markets, has said Ethereum's price could rally to $5,000. The comment was reported by crypto.news on September 28.

The oracle network's integration reportedly connects 17 banks to a shared blockchain ledger built by the global payments messaging network Swift. Chainlink has connected bank payment systems to a blockchain ledger developed by Swift, the global network banks use to send payment instructions.

The Central American nation partners with Coinbase's payment infrastructure to move money home for a flat $2 fee. El Salvador has introduced a remittance application that settles transactions in stablecoins for a flat fee of $2, according to reporting from Unchained.

Greece's capital markets watchdog registers its first crypto firms under EU rules while rejecting a reported link between Binance and ECB chief Christine Lagarde Greece has issued its first authorizations under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, according to reports published by Cointelegraph and CryptoBriefing.

The bank's institutional digital asset platform adds two more markets as demand for tokenized cash management grows Citi is bringing its Token Services platform to the United Arab Emirates and Japan, according to a report from Fintech News Middle East.

Investors clear the way for a novel equity instrument tied directly to Bitcoin holdings. The Smarter Web Company has received shareholder sign-off to create a new class of preferred stock backed by Bitcoin holdings, according to CryptoBriefing. The report describes the instrument as the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.

BlockTower Capital's founder says the exchange concealed a security breach that drained client assets. Ari Paul, the founder and chief investment officer of BlockTower Capital, has accused Coinbase of losing $25 million belonging to his firm. Paul says the loss stemmed from a security breach that the exchange did not disclose at the time.

Fresh institutional demand for spot ether exposure comes as another issuer's XRP fund also logs new inflows. Investors in BlackRock's spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund bought approximately $15 million worth of ether, CryptoBriefing reported. The purchase reflects ongoing demand from institutional and retail clients accessing ETH through a regulated fund structure rather than direct token custody.

The bank is connecting a traditional money market fund to crypto's institutional infrastructure without putting it on a blockchain. Goldman Sachs has reportedly opened access to a $100 billion Treasury fund for crypto companies, according to reporting from Crypto News Australia, Coindoo and UNLOCK Blockchain.

Europe's securities regulator signals a move from rule-writing to active oversight of crypto-asset service providers. The European Securities and Markets Authority, known as ESMA, is tightening its watch over crypto-asset service providers operating in the European Union.

The Trump administration and a key GOP senator say Democratic opposition sank digital asset market structure legislation The White House has publicly blamed Senate Democrats for the failure of the Crypto Clarity Act, according to reports from CryptoBriefing and CoinGape.

A new model release highlights higher token usage while a court ruling reframes built-in safety tools as a legal exposure rather than a selling point. Anthropic has released Sonnet 5.5, an updated version of its mid-tier language model. BeInCrypto reported that the new model's performance now approaches that of Opus, Anthropic's top-tier flagship system.

The pontiff's remarks come as measured concern over artificial intelligence risk reportedly climbed sharply Pope Leo has directed public criticism at Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang over artificial intelligence safety, according to reports from CryptoBriefing and Cryptopolitan. The pontiff's comments frame the Vatican as a moral counterweight to the world's largest technology companies.

The request follows Tether's freeze of $550 million in tokens tied to Iran amid a widening sanctions review. A member of the US Senate has formally urged federal authorities to open an investigation into Tether. The request centers on USDT transactions allegedly connected to Iran, a country under extensive US sanctions.

The approval lets the exchange operate regulated crypto trading services inside Bhutan's planned special economic zone. BTSE Bhutan has received a financial services license authorizing it to provide digital asset trading services within Gelephu Mindfulness City. The approval was reported by multiple outlets on September 29, 2026.

The approval limits Coinbase to fully collateralized derivatives, completing its in-house trading, clearing and custody chain. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved Coinbase to register as a derivatives clearing organization, according to Unchained, CoinTurk News EN and The Block.

A new state law targets public officials who issue crypto tokens, though enforcement over secondary market trading remains uncertain. California has enacted legislation restricting public officials from issuing meme coins, according to reporting from crypto.news and CryptoSlate. The law specifically targets the act of launching or issuing these tokens, rather than broader crypto activity.