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Crypto Violent Heists Exceed $30 Million in 2026, France Becomes a Hard-Hit Area
According to The Block, data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis shows that violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency holders in the first half of 2026 have resulted in losses exceeding $30 million. If the trend continues in the second half, the full-year total will surpass the historical peak of $58 million in 2025. France has become the world's largest "Wrench Attack" hotspot, with 30 public cases recorded in the first half of 2026, while the French Minister of the Interior stated that actual cases exceed 70. Chainalysis attributes this to the 2024 French tax authority data breach—a tax official was suspected of stealing and selling the names, addresses, holdings, and tax records of high-net-worth crypto holders, causing the attack frequency to surge from a monthly average of 1.9 in 2025 to a monthly average of 4.6 in the first half of 2026. Attack methods have also deteriorated; cases targeting family members rather than the holders themselves now account for over 40% of French cases, and the proportion of home invasions rose from 14% in 2025 to 37%. Stolen funds are typically quickly moved on-chain, with some laundered through tools such as decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges; advanced criminal networks are even linked to cartel money laundering and terrorist financing channels.
Analysis: Strategy’s Bitcoin Purchases Plunge 91%, Possibly Linked to STRC Cooling Off
According to Decrypt, Bitcoin treasury company Strategy purchased only 3,273 BTC last week—down approximately 91% from the previous week’s acquisition of 34,164 BTC for $2.54 billion. Analysts attribute this slowdown in buying pace to cooling market sentiment surrounding Strategy’s perpetual preferred shares (STRC). STRC had previously driven Strategy to execute its largest BTC purchase in nearly 16 months, fueled by an 11.5% monthly dividend. However, since the ex-dividend date on April 14, STRC’s price has persistently traded below its $100 target range, prompting Strategy to issue 1.4 million common shares for fundraising last week. Notably, Michael Saylor has announced plans to adjust STRC’s dividend distribution frequency to biweekly, aiming to mitigate cyclical fluctuations in the company’s BTC acquisition rhythm.
Strategy Plans to Change STRC Preferred Stock Dividends to Semi-Monthly
Odaily News: Strategy has proposed adjusting the dividend mechanism for its STRC preferred stock, planning to change the current monthly dividend distribution to twice a month (semi-monthly), subject to shareholder approval.STRC is a perpetual preferred stock, targeting trading near a par value of $100, with its price regulated through a floating dividend mechanism. The current annualized dividend yield is approximately 11.5%. The company stated that increasing the dividend frequency helps reduce reinvestment lag, enhance market liquidity, and improve price stability.STRC is one of a series of preferred stock financing instruments within Strategy, forming part of its capital structure alongside products like STRF, STRE, STRK, and STRD. These instruments have already helped the company raise significant funds for its ongoing accumulation of Bitcoin.
STRC Perpetual Preferred Shares Record $1.1 Billion in Daily Trading Volume, Continuously Fueling the Engine for BTC Accumulation
Odaily News Bitcoin treasury company Strategy's perpetual preferred shares, STRC, recorded approximately $1.1 billion in trading volume on April 13, representing a nearly 47% increase from the previous record. This has become a core financing tool for the company to accelerate its Bitcoin accumulation. Strategy raises capital by selling preferred shares like STRC and uses the funds for high-frequency Bitcoin purchases.Data shows that Strategy recently purchased 13,927 BTC for approximately $1 billion, bringing its total holdings to 780,897 BTC. The related funds primarily came from the issuance of over 10 million STRC shares. Within the overall capital plan, STRC, along with STRK, STRF, STRD, and common stock financing, constitutes its "42/42" financing framework. The goal is to raise $84 billion by 2027 for continuous Bitcoin purchases. Current market views suggest that STRC is gradually becoming the dominant instrument within this financing system. (The Block)
South Korea Plans to Strengthen Cybersecurity Reviews of Financial Institutions, 130 Institutions Found to Have Security Deficiencies
South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to enhance threat monitoring, increase the frequency of security assessments, and strengthen executive accountability. An industry review revealed that 130 out of 555 financial companies have cybersecurity deficiencies, involving 16 prior security incidents.The FSC stated that the affected institutions had approximately 100,000 customer records exposed in total, including names, contact information, and ID numbers. Affected institutions include Streami, the operator of Gopax, and cryptocurrency trading platform Prabang, which previously disclosed that a hack on October 2 resulted in the leak of some customers' personal information.Under the proposed reforms, large financial institutions would undergo vulnerability assessments at least twice a year, and regulators also plan to strengthen information sharing and consider using AI to monitor the security posture of smaller companies. In the event of urgent threats, regulators may also conduct additional inspections beyond routine assessments. Authorities are still investigating whether the incidents involved AI or were carried out by the same attacker. (Cointelegraph)
U.S. House Financial Services Committee Advances Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Bill with 28-21 Vote
Odaily News: The U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday advanced the American Reserve Modernization Act (H.R. 8957) by a vote of 28 to 21. All 28 votes in favor came from Republicans, while all 21 votes against came from Democrats.The bill requires the Treasury Department to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a digital asset reserve within 180 days, and mandates that federal agencies declare their asset holdings within 60 days. Bitcoin included in the reserve may not be sold, exchanged, auctioned, or pledged as collateral for 20 years.The revised text removes provisions to purchase additional Bitcoin using Federal Reserve funds, gold certificate revaluation, and tariff revenues, and changes the frequency of proof-of-reserve reports from quarterly to annual. The bill does not authorize the purchase of Bitcoin; it only requires the Treasury Department and the Commerce Department to study acquisition plans that impose no cost on taxpayers. (Decrypt)
Analysts: Fed rate hike probability reaches 92.7%, US stocks and Bitcoin face correction risk
CryptoQuant certified analyst Axel Adler Jr. noted in a post that CME FedWatch data indicates a 92.7% probability of the Federal Reserve raising rates by 25 basis points at its September meeting, potentially moving the target rate range to 3.75%-4.00%. In the seven rounds of initial rate hikes since 1988, the S&P 500 index declined five times six weeks later, with an average drop of 2.83%. The market has largely priced in this hike, with attention shifting to the future policy path; should the Fed signal a higher frequency of rate hikes or a longer duration of elevated rates, it could further pressure U.S. stocks and Bitcoin.
Wintermute Plans ~$1B Investment Over Five Years to Expand AI and High-Frequency Trading, Non-Crypto Revenue Expected to Exceed 50% by 2027
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency market maker Wintermute plans to invest approximately $1 billion over the next five years in AI infrastructure and high-frequency trading systems, while expanding into equities, commodities, foreign exchange, and prediction markets. The company aims to increase non-crypto revenue to more than 50% of total revenue by the end of 2027. Wintermute founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy said the company plans to fund the investment with retained earnings. Wintermute's average daily trading volume this year is around $10 billion, down from approximately $15 billion last year; non-crypto businesses currently account for about 10% of revenue. The investment projects will cover computing power, storage, network, and data center infrastructure, supporting quantitative strategies that rely on large-scale datasets and models requiring continuous training and retraining. Wintermute has already expanded into exchange-traded funds, real-world asset perpetual futures, and prediction markets. Wintermute's U.S. affiliate recently completed its broker-dealer registration, allowing it to trade equities and stock options for its own account and serve as an authorized participant for exchange-traded products. The registration provides a pathway for the company to enter regulated securities markets. (Bitcoin.com News)
Bitget Launches Institutional-Grade CFD Liquidity Solution, Supporting Multi-Level Depth Aggregation and 100% STP Execution
Odaily News - Bitget has officially launched an institutional-grade CFD liquidity solution, targeting quantitative teams, proprietary trading firms, funds, brokers, and high-net-worth professional traders, supporting high-frequency trading, spot-futures arbitrage, and automated trading scenarios such as Expert Advisors (EA). As professional trading institutions continue to demand greater execution efficiency, liquidity, and low latency, this solution aims to provide a more stable and efficient execution environment for large-volume, high-frequency trading.On the execution and liquidity front, Bitget adopts a 100% STP (Straight-Through Processing) model, routing orders directly to external liquidity pools and aggregating multi-level market depth from global Tier-1 banks and non-bank market makers, thereby reducing slippage and market impact during large-order execution. Additionally, trading servers are deployed in core financial data centers such as LD4 in London and TY3 in Tokyo, supporting sub-millisecond order matching via dedicated lines and fiber-optic connections, and offering a FIX API to facilitate institutional clients' integration with existing trading systems, bridging tools, and liquidity aggregation platforms.In terms of fund management, client assets are segregated from platform operating funds, with independent custody accounts, compliance reviews, and third-party audit mechanisms enhancing asset management transparency. The launch of this institutional-grade liquidity solution further strengthens Bitget's CFD backend trading infrastructure, complementing its existing retail-facing products and covering a multi-tiered range of trading needs from retail traders to professional institutions.
South Korea's Financial Services Commission: If Demand for Single-Stock Leveraged ETFs Does Not Cool Down, Will Consider Setting Individual Investment Quota Limits
South Korean Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eok-yeon announced that if market demand for single-stock leveraged ETFs fails to cool down sufficiently, regulators will study the introduction of further regulatory measures, including limits on individual investment quotas. It is reported that South Korea may limit the investment scale of single-stock leveraged ETFs to within 20% of an individual's total financial investment assets and assess further raising investor access thresholds, including introducing periodic re-education, simulated trading, and minimum investment experience requirements. At the same time, the South Korean Financial Services Commission requires fund companies to disperse ETF rebalancing (Rebalancing) timing to avoid concentrated position adjustments at the end of trading sessions amplifying market volatility, and calls on Liquidity Providers (LP) to reasonably control quoting and trading frequency to reduce unnecessary trading. The South Korean FSC previously announced that starting from July 31, the minimum margin for single-stock leveraged ETFs will be increased to 30 million Korean won, and investor education and premium rate management will be strengthened.
Galaxy Research: Bitcoin Network Sees Random Garbled Inscriptions for Three Consecutive Weeks, Suspected to Be Testing of a Data Publishing Tool
Galaxy Research has published an analysis stating that over the past three weeks, approximately 40 inscriptions composed of random letters have appeared on the Bitcoin network each day, with content that appears to be encrypted text but is not actually cryptographic information. The relevant addresses had previously inscribed the U.S. Constitution onto the Bitcoin network in May. The study found that after analyzing 562 texts, the frequency distribution of the 26 English letters was nearly uniform, clearly differing from normal English and substitution cipher characteristics; metrics such as word length distribution and repeated word frequency also indicated that these texts were likely generated by a random letter generator.Galaxy Research refers to the operator as "Babel Scribe," believing that the activity is more likely testing a data publishing tool on the Bitcoin mainnet rather than attempting to convey hidden messages. The on-chain transaction structure, the continuous use of change addresses, and the regular timing of publications all display characteristics of automated scripts. Related activities also include test texts, random words in different languages, binary data, and the subsequent inscription of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It is estimated that the project has transferred in approximately 3.33 million satoshis in total, of which about 24% was used to pay miner fees, with the remaining funds still held in the relevant addresses. The researchers suggest that there is no need to interpret these garbled texts as hidden messages.
Analysts: Long-term holders have sold 345,000 BTC since late July, but recent sell-off frequency has slowed.
Analyst Axel Adler Jr. noted that since July 30, the long-term holder supply of Bitcoin has fallen from 16.41 million to 16.06 million, a cumulative decrease of 345,000 BTC, or roughly 2%. Over the past week, holdings dropped by 9,000, but increased by 40,000 in the most recent three days. The Long-Term Holder Spending Frequency indicator shows that between October 6 and 10, it reached 13 days out of the past 15 with declining holdings, marking a near-one-year high; as of October 19, this figure had receded to 10 days. At the current BTC price of approximately $82,800, the long-term holders' average cost basis stands at around $48,600, yielding an overall unrealized gain of roughly 70%. Adler suggests that if the number of days with declining holdings over the past 15 days drops further to around 7, the long-term holders' spending frequency would noticeably decrease.
Analysts: Fed rate hike probability reaches 92.7%, US stocks and Bitcoin face correction risk
CryptoQuant certified analyst Axel Adler Jr. noted in a post that CME FedWatch data indicates a 92.7% probability of the Federal Reserve raising rates by 25 basis points at its September meeting, potentially moving the target rate range to 3.75%-4.00%. In the seven rounds of initial rate hikes since 1988, the S&P 500 index declined five times six weeks later, with an average drop of 2.83%. The market has largely priced in this hike, with attention shifting to the future policy path; should the Fed signal a higher frequency of rate hikes or a longer duration of elevated rates, it could further pressure U.S. stocks and Bitcoin.
Bybit appoints Sean Ballard as Head of Derivatives and Institutional Business
Bybit announced the appointment of Sean Ballard as Head of Derivatives and Institutional Business. He will oversee enhancements to Bybit’s trading infrastructure, risk framework, and institutional business capabilities, with responsibilities spanning trading risk and exchange technology domains. According to public information, Ballard possesses over 25 years of experience in global financial markets, with deep expertise in derivatives, high-frequency trading, trading risk, and market structure. Prior to joining Bybit, he held a position at Jump Trading, leading the firm’s high-frequency futures operations in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. He also served as a Senior Trader on the Jump Crypto team, spearheading centralized exchange trading initiatives and strategic ecosystem partnerships.
Binance Report: Gen Z Prefers ETFs and Has Lower Trading Frequency
Binance Research data shows that the share of ETFs in Gen Z investors' net stock inflows rose to 22%, and this group's trading frequency and leverage usage are both lower than other generations.
Since May, cumulative contract profits have reached $17.44 million; a whale is 10x shorting PLTR with a $26.6 million order placed
Odaily News According to monitoring, the PLTR contract on Hyperliquid is currently trading at $172.32, rebounding 39.3% from its 7-day low of $123.74. The 24-hour trading volume is approximately $7 million, with open interest valued at around $33.986 million. One whale currently holds 39% of the total platform open interest for this asset, and their order size is equivalent to 78% of the asset's total open interest value. After the price increase, the largest short seller, a whale, is currently in a losing position. This whale is shorting 78,300 PLTR contracts with 10x isolated leverage, with a position value of approximately $13.5 million, an average entry price of $169.46, and an unrealized loss of about $224,000. The liquidation price is $187.08, roughly 8.6% above the current price. The whale has set up three layers of orders around its existing short position, totaling $26.6 million, making it the largest order placer for PLTR at present. Near the $172 price level, the whale has placed 24 reduce-only buy orders, planning to cover 5,845.7 short contracts with a notional value of approximately $1.006 million; in the $167.3 to $171.41 range, 49 buy orders have been placed, planning to purchase 101,200 PLTR contracts with a notional value of approximately $17.002 million, at a weighted average order price of about $167.98. If all of these are filled, the remaining short position would be closed, potentially converting to a long position of approximately 28,700 PLTR contracts; in the $175.9 to $179.08 range, 49 sell orders have been placed, planning to sell 54,300 PLTR contracts with a notional value of approximately $9.6 million, at a weighted average order price of about $176.8. If PLTR rises first after the market opens, this batch of orders would expand its short position to approximately 132,600 contracts. Currently, PLTR's 24-hour trading volume is approximately $7 million, with open interest valued at around $33.986 million, and an hourly funding rate of approximately +0.00042%. The market has not yet shown obvious long-side crowding. This whale primarily trades US equities and is a high-frequency event-driven trader, often using positions worth tens of millions of dollars and dense laddered orders to rotate between storage, semiconductor, and technology stocks. Since May, its cumulative contract profits have reached approximately $17.44 million.
Dragonfly Partner: On-Chain Hacking Attacks Surge, But Stolen Funds Remain Flat Compared to 2025, Smaller Protocols Become Primary Victims
Dragonfly Managing Partner Haseeb Qureshi (@hosseeb) posted on X stating that the cybersecurity sector is experiencing a pandemic-like wave of attacks. He views on-chain breaches as a "warning signal" for the broader internet security landscape, as it remains the easiest place for cyberattacks to be monetized. He noted that while the volume of exploits in the crypto space has surged significantly, the annualized value of stolen assets remains roughly consistent with 2025 levels—indicating a trend of increased attack frequency offset by smaller individual amounts. Smaller, under-maintained protocols are facing mass breaches, while major protocols have already integrated AI tools to bolster their defenses. He anticipates that a similar dynamic will soon emerge in the traditional cybersecurity industry.
South Korea Plans to Strengthen Cybersecurity Reviews of Financial Institutions, 130 Institutions Found to Have Security Deficiencies
South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to enhance threat monitoring, increase the frequency of security assessments, and strengthen executive accountability. An industry review revealed that 130 out of 555 financial companies have cybersecurity deficiencies, involving 16 prior security incidents.The FSC stated that the affected institutions had approximately 100,000 customer records exposed in total, including names, contact information, and ID numbers. Affected institutions include Streami, the operator of Gopax, and cryptocurrency trading platform Prabang, which previously disclosed that a hack on October 2 resulted in the leak of some customers' personal information.Under the proposed reforms, large financial institutions would undergo vulnerability assessments at least twice a year, and regulators also plan to strengthen information sharing and consider using AI to monitor the security posture of smaller companies. In the event of urgent threats, regulators may also conduct additional inspections beyond routine assessments. Authorities are still investigating whether the incidents involved AI or were carried out by the same attacker. (Cointelegraph)
Crypto Violent Heists Exceed $30 Million in 2026, France Becomes a Hard-Hit Area
According to The Block, data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis shows that violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency holders in the first half of 2026 have resulted in losses exceeding $30 million. If the trend continues in the second half, the full-year total will surpass the historical peak of $58 million in 2025. France has become the world's largest "Wrench Attack" hotspot, with 30 public cases recorded in the first half of 2026, while the French Minister of the Interior stated that actual cases exceed 70. Chainalysis attributes this to the 2024 French tax authority data breach—a tax official was suspected of stealing and selling the names, addresses, holdings, and tax records of high-net-worth crypto holders, causing the attack frequency to surge from a monthly average of 1.9 in 2025 to a monthly average of 4.6 in the first half of 2026. Attack methods have also deteriorated; cases targeting family members rather than the holders themselves now account for over 40% of French cases, and the proportion of home invasions rose from 14% in 2025 to 37%. Stolen funds are typically quickly moved on-chain, with some laundered through tools such as decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges; advanced criminal networks are even linked to cartel money laundering and terrorist financing channels.
Citadel Securities Sues Former Employee for Over $7.9 Million Over Crypto Startup
Citadel Securities has filed a lawsuit in London, seeking over £6 million (approximately $7.9 million) from Leonard Lancia, its former European Head of Derivatives Systematic Market Making and co-founder of high-frequency crypto trading firm Portofino Technologies.Citadel Securities alleges that Leonard Lancia and his colleagues began planning their startup while still employed, and has won damages and legal cost support in related labor arbitration. Additionally, Citadel Securities filed a lawsuit against Portofino Technologies in the US in 2023, accusing it of stealing trade secrets. Leonard Lancia and Portofino Technologies have denied all allegations. The High Court in London rejected Leonard Lancia's request to lift the asset freezing order last Friday. (Bloomberg)
2026 Q2 sees 83 crypto hacks, a new all-time high
according to DefiLlama data, Q2 2026 has become the most active quarter on record for crypto hacks, with 83 separate attack incidents, setting a new all-time high.Despite the increased frequency of attacks, the total losses for the quarter were approximately $755.3 million, still lower than the $3.56 billion lost in Q4 2020. Of this, the $293 million attack on KelpDAO and the $280 million attack on Drift Protocol accounted for more than three-quarters of the quarter's total losses. Cross-chain bridges were the largest source of losses, with related attacks leading to approximately $351 million being stolen. Earlier this month, Humanity Protocol lost $36 million, Aztec Connect experienced two attacks on passive smart contracts, each losing about $2.1 million, and decentralized exchange Raydium suffered a $1.3 million attack in June. (financefeeds)
Threshold Network: Successfully Thwarted Attempt to Maliciously Mint tBTC
Threshold Network posted on platform X, stating that on May 18, 2026, a malicious attacker attempted to mint tBTC without depositing the underlying Bitcoin. The attempt was unsuccessful; no invalid tBTC was issued, and user funds were not at risk.As a precautionary measure against high-frequency malicious activity in the broader crypto ecosystem, Optimistic Minting has been temporarily suspended. Currently, minting operations are conducted through the liquidation mechanism, with typical minting times increasing from approximately 1.5 hours to around 6 to 7 hours.
The U.S. CFTC Plans to Increase "Commitments of Traders" Report Frequency to Twice Weekly
Odaily reports: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is working to increase the release frequency of the closely watched Commitments of Traders (COT) report to twice a week by the end of this year.The report is currently published every Friday, detailing buying and selling activity in commodity markets and distinguishing between hedge funds and other asset management institutions and commercial trading participants. Producers rely on this report to help inform hedging decisions, while speculative traders use the data to observe changes in market positioning and whether related bets have become overly concentrated. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said last week at an agricultural commodity futures conference in Kansas that the plan to increase the report's release frequency stems from demand from the agricultural community.
OpenAI Releases GPT-6.1 Terra, API Pricing Reduced by 50% Compared to Previous Generation
OpenAI announced the release of GPT-6.1 Terra, focusing on enhancements to visual reasoning, computer operation, factual accuracy, and software engineering capabilities. The model is designed for daily office workflows and high-frequency automation tasks, capable of processing technical drawings, completing forms, editing videos, and developing software. In terms of performance, OpenAI reported that GPT-6.1 Terra reduced its factual error rate in internal complex prompt tests from 53.6% (observed in GPT-5.6 Terra at low reasoning intensity) to 16.7%, with the error rate further dropping to 4.3% under highest reasoning intensity. In the Terminal-Bench 4.0 programming benchmark, the model achieved a task completion rate of 50.3% at peak reasoning intensity, surpassing GPT-5.6 Terra's 21.5%.
Bitget CFD adds Standard+ trading mode, supporting zero-fee trading
According to official announcements, Bitget CFD has added a Standard+ trading mode, further expanding users' diversified trading options. Under this mode, trades incur no fixed commissions, are subject only to standard overnight fees, and utilize a unified spread model. All trading instruments carry a .p suffix (e.g., XAUUSD.p), covering the full range of available assets, while underlying configurations such as tiered leverage and contract sizes remain consistent with ECN mode. Users can switch to this mode for trading provided their accounts hold no open positions or pending orders. Web users can navigate to "Account Preferences" – "Account Mode" to open the switching pop-up window. App users must upgrade Bitget App to version 2.95.0 or later and tap "Account Mode" on the trading page to switch. Currently, Bitget CFD supports four account modes: Standard+, ECN, Zero Commission, and Pro, allowing users to flexibly choose based on their trading frequency and strategic requirements.
Galaxy Research: Bitcoin Network Sees Random Garbled Inscriptions for Three Consecutive Weeks, Suspected to Be Testing of a Data Publishing Tool
Galaxy Research has published an analysis stating that over the past three weeks, approximately 40 inscriptions composed of random letters have appeared on the Bitcoin network each day, with content that appears to be encrypted text but is not actually cryptographic information. The relevant addresses had previously inscribed the U.S. Constitution onto the Bitcoin network in May. The study found that after analyzing 562 texts, the frequency distribution of the 26 English letters was nearly uniform, clearly differing from normal English and substitution cipher characteristics; metrics such as word length distribution and repeated word frequency also indicated that these texts were likely generated by a random letter generator.Galaxy Research refers to the operator as "Babel Scribe," believing that the activity is more likely testing a data publishing tool on the Bitcoin mainnet rather than attempting to convey hidden messages. The on-chain transaction structure, the continuous use of change addresses, and the regular timing of publications all display characteristics of automated scripts. Related activities also include test texts, random words in different languages, binary data, and the subsequent inscription of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It is estimated that the project has transferred in approximately 3.33 million satoshis in total, of which about 24% was used to pay miner fees, with the remaining funds still held in the relevant addresses. The researchers suggest that there is no need to interpret these garbled texts as hidden messages.
Block finality time reduced to about 150 milliseconds, Solana Alpenglow to launch on mainnet-beta on October 21
Odaily News: Solana research and development company Anza has announced that Alpenglow will go live on Solana mainnet-beta on October 21 at approximately 22:50 (UTC+8), with the migration completed within a single slot. The upgrade, which took 18 months of development, will replace the TowerBFT consensus protocol that Solana has used since the public network's launch, reducing block finality time from several seconds to about 150 milliseconds. Alpenglow combines the latest consensus research with erasure-coded data dissemination technology and is designed for use cases such as high-frequency trading, institutional financial services, Web3 applications, and the AI agent economy.
Middle East Tensions Escalate: Riyadh Airport Attacked, Strait of Hormuz Under Tighter Control
On October 10, amid continued Middle East conflicts, an attack on Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries, while the frequency of airstrikes involving Houthi forces and the Saudi-led coalition significantly increased. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced enhanced defenses in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that an LPG carrier was struck and caught fire after illegally transiting the waters.
Related news
The U.S. CFTC Plans to Increase "Commitments of Traders" Report Frequency to Twice Weekly
Odaily reports: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is working to increase the release frequency of the closely watched Commitments of Traders (COT) report to twice a week by the end of this year.The report is currently published every Friday, detailing buying and selling activity in commodity markets and distinguishing between hedge funds and other asset management institutions and commercial trading participants. Producers rely on this report to help inform hedging decisions, while speculative traders use the data to observe changes in market positioning and whether related bets have become overly concentrated. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said last week at an agricultural commodity futures conference in Kansas that the plan to increase the report's release frequency stems from demand from the agricultural community.
OpenAI Releases GPT-6.1 Terra, API Pricing Reduced by 50% Compared to Previous Generation
OpenAI announced the release of GPT-6.1 Terra, focusing on enhancements to visual reasoning, computer operation, factual accuracy, and software engineering capabilities. The model is designed for daily office workflows and high-frequency automation tasks, capable of processing technical drawings, completing forms, editing videos, and developing software. In terms of performance, OpenAI reported that GPT-6.1 Terra reduced its factual error rate in internal complex prompt tests from 53.6% (observed in GPT-5.6 Terra at low reasoning intensity) to 16.7%, with the error rate further dropping to 4.3% under highest reasoning intensity. In the Terminal-Bench 4.0 programming benchmark, the model achieved a task completion rate of 50.3% at peak reasoning intensity, surpassing GPT-5.6 Terra's 21.5%.
Bitget CFD adds Standard+ trading mode, supporting zero-fee trading
According to official announcements, Bitget CFD has added a Standard+ trading mode, further expanding users' diversified trading options. Under this mode, trades incur no fixed commissions, are subject only to standard overnight fees, and utilize a unified spread model. All trading instruments carry a .p suffix (e.g., XAUUSD.p), covering the full range of available assets, while underlying configurations such as tiered leverage and contract sizes remain consistent with ECN mode. Users can switch to this mode for trading provided their accounts hold no open positions or pending orders. Web users can navigate to "Account Preferences" – "Account Mode" to open the switching pop-up window. App users must upgrade Bitget App to version 2.95.0 or later and tap "Account Mode" on the trading page to switch. Currently, Bitget CFD supports four account modes: Standard+, ECN, Zero Commission, and Pro, allowing users to flexibly choose based on their trading frequency and strategic requirements.
Galaxy Research: Bitcoin Network Sees Random Garbled Inscriptions for Three Consecutive Weeks, Suspected to Be Testing of a Data Publishing Tool
Galaxy Research has published an analysis stating that over the past three weeks, approximately 40 inscriptions composed of random letters have appeared on the Bitcoin network each day, with content that appears to be encrypted text but is not actually cryptographic information. The relevant addresses had previously inscribed the U.S. Constitution onto the Bitcoin network in May. The study found that after analyzing 562 texts, the frequency distribution of the 26 English letters was nearly uniform, clearly differing from normal English and substitution cipher characteristics; metrics such as word length distribution and repeated word frequency also indicated that these texts were likely generated by a random letter generator.Galaxy Research refers to the operator as "Babel Scribe," believing that the activity is more likely testing a data publishing tool on the Bitcoin mainnet rather than attempting to convey hidden messages. The on-chain transaction structure, the continuous use of change addresses, and the regular timing of publications all display characteristics of automated scripts. Related activities also include test texts, random words in different languages, binary data, and the subsequent inscription of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It is estimated that the project has transferred in approximately 3.33 million satoshis in total, of which about 24% was used to pay miner fees, with the remaining funds still held in the relevant addresses. The researchers suggest that there is no need to interpret these garbled texts as hidden messages.
Yi Lihua: Midterm Elections Approaching, Potentially Greater Market Volatility
Yi Lihua posted on the X platform that in a choppy market, both long and short trades will face wear and tear and problems, requiring overcoming greed and controlling trading frequency. In a bull market trend, one should not short on pullbacks; sticking to opportunities with higher certainty is enough to achieve annual targets. With the midterm elections approaching, Trump faces an unfavorable situation, and whether one or two seats are lost, greater volatility will follow.
Dragonfly Partner: On-Chain Hacking Attacks Surge, But Stolen Funds Remain Flat Compared to 2025, Smaller Protocols Become Primary Victims
Dragonfly Managing Partner Haseeb Qureshi (@hosseeb) posted on X stating that the cybersecurity sector is experiencing a pandemic-like wave of attacks. He views on-chain breaches as a "warning signal" for the broader internet security landscape, as it remains the easiest place for cyberattacks to be monetized. He noted that while the volume of exploits in the crypto space has surged significantly, the annualized value of stolen assets remains roughly consistent with 2025 levels—indicating a trend of increased attack frequency offset by smaller individual amounts. Smaller, under-maintained protocols are facing mass breaches, while major protocols have already integrated AI tools to bolster their defenses. He anticipates that a similar dynamic will soon emerge in the traditional cybersecurity industry.