Finance and Business News page 6

Losses from exploits and thefts across the crypto industry hit their highest monthly total so far this year. September has been confirmed as the worst month of 2026 for crypto-related theft. Reported losses from hacks and exploits across the industry topped $768 million, according to Cointelegraph.

A Florida judge ordered Fundsz promoters to pay millions and barred two executives from future trading. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has secured a judgment of more than $31 million against Fundsz, following a civil enforcement action tied to an alleged cryptocurrency fraud scheme.

The bank's research division becomes one of the first major traditional finance institutions to publish a long-term price target on the Ethena token. Standard Chartered has started research coverage of Ethena, according to reports from CryptoBriefing and crypto.news.

The prediction market platform will retire its rewards scheme as scrutiny grows over a reported $5 billion in trading activity. Kalshi plans to shut down its volume incentive program on October 13, according to CryptoBriefing.

AllUnity brings a euro-area-regulated dollar token to a market long dominated by Tether and Circle. AllUnity has introduced USDAU, a dollar-backed stablecoin built to meet the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, according to reporting from Cointelegraph and crypto.news. The launch adds a new entrant to a stablecoin market still dominated by non-European issuers.

The bank ties the rollout to survey data showing strong Hong Kong customer familiarity with stablecoin use cases. HSBC has reported the launch of a stablecoin called RedCoin, designed for peer-to-peer payments. The rollout is set for Hong Kong, according to reporting on the announcement.

The Taiwanese platform now lets users convert Tether's stablecoin on the Aptos network directly into New Taiwan Dollars. MAX Exchange has enabled native support for Tether's USDT stablecoin on the Aptos blockchain, according to reports from CryptoBriefing and The Cryptonomist. The Taiwan-based exchange now allows direct conversion between Aptos-native USDT and the New Taiwan Dollar.

Reuters reports the prediction market operator is negotiating a new investment round that would sharply raise its valuation. Kalshi is in advanced talks to raise fresh capital at a valuation of roughly $40 billion, according to a Reuters report cited by crypto.news and Cointelegraph.

The new fund includes staking rewards and comes with a long-term 2030 price projection from Bitwise. Bitwise has introduced the first U.S. spot exchange-traded fund built around NEAR Protocol's native token, according to reporting from TronWeekly, BeInCrypto, and Crypto News Australia.

The integration lets travelers convert stablecoin holdings into everyday purchases across Japan's merchant network Binance Pay has integrated with PayPay, allowing users to spend USDT directly at merchants across Japan that accept the payment app.

The deal ties blockchain infrastructure to a national asset registry valued at roughly BRL 22 trillion. Ripple has entered into a partnership with CSD BR, a central securities depository in Brazil, according to reporting from Bitcoin.com News and CryptoBriefing. The agreement will see securities records mirrored on the XRP Ledger, Ripple's public blockchain network.

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.