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Nvidia-backed AI inference company Baseten launches $2 billion funding round at valuation of up to $30 billion
Odaily reports: Artificial intelligence inference company Baseten has announced the launch of a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation of up to $30 billion, with existing investor Sands Capital expected to lead the round. Founded in 2019, Baseten primarily provides enterprises with an AI model deployment and inference platform to help businesses run various AI models. In June of this year, it completed a $1.5 billion funding round at a valuation of $13 billion at the time. Its competitor Fireworks AI completed a $1.5 billion funding round in July of this year at a valuation of $17.5 billion. It is reported that Nvidia invested $150 million in Baseten in January of this year, stepping up its active positioning in the AI inference sector. (Bloomberg)
Analysis: Strategy's Move to Daily Dividends May Reduce Volatility and Enhance Bitcoin Financing Capacity
Odaily reports: According to Bitfinex analysis, Strategy shareholders voted on October 28 to approve a proposal for daily dividend payments on STRC preferred stock, with preliminary results showing 99.3% of votes in favor. STRC is expected to shift from semi-monthly dividend payments to daily dividend payments starting November 1, with the first cash dividend payment arriving on November 2; Strategy's other three preferred stocks, STRF, STRK, and STRD, are expected to follow suit in January 2027.Strategy's move aims to reduce price volatility around ex-dividend dates. Company CEO Phong Le stated that previously, when STRC paid dividends monthly, prices fell by an average of about 49 basis points around the ex-dividend date, which dropped to about 36 basis points after switching to semi-monthly payments. The company expects that daily dividend payments will further disperse selling pressure and improve price stability.This model was not pioneered by Strategy. Bitcoin treasury company Strive converted its SATA preferred stock to daily dividend payments in June of this year and launched a subordinated preferred stock, SATS, with a fixed annual dividend rate of 15%. In October, Strive issued 7 million shares of SATS at $90 per share, raising approximately $630 million, and used about $511 million of that to purchase 6,182 BTC.
GMO Ransomware Attack Hits Japan's Credit Market, Bond Spread Widens 52 Basis Points in 5 Days
Odaily Report: After a publicly listed company under Japan's GMO Internet Group suffered a cyberattack, related risks are spreading to Japan's credit market. Data shows that the spread on a GMO Internet Group yen bond maturing in June 2031 widened to approximately 174 basis points on October 28, up from about 122 basis points on October 20—before the company disclosed the unauthorized access incident—reflecting investor concerns over damaged earnings and rising compensation costs.The GMO subsidiary that provides cloud services disclosed on October 21 that it had suffered unauthorized access and received a ransom demand of approximately 8 billion yen (about $50.7 million). The attackers subsequently published data they claimed contained customer information. GMO refused to pay the ransom and plans to compensate customers for their losses. Analysts noted that as AI-powered cyberattacks increase, such incidents could affect corporate financing and bond issuance arrangements.GMO Internet operates the cryptocurrency exchange "Z.com EX," which has obtained licenses from the Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission and the Thai Ministry of Finance. The exchange disclosed that it has been acquired, with the acquisition involving all shares of the target company held by shareholders including GMO Internet and its related subsidiaries. It remains unclear whether customer information data involves the related cryptocurrency exchange. (Bloomberg)
IREN Completes $363M AI Equipment Refinancing, Freeing Up Capital for Business Expansion
Odaily reports: Bitcoin mining company IREN has announced the completion of a $363 million financing facility arranged by Wingspire Equipment Finance, secured by AI computing equipment that is already operational and generating revenue, to refinance recently purchased GPU servers and networking equipment. The facility was provided by six lenders, with Eldridge Capital Management and Silver Point Capital making major funding commitments. The financing is primarily secured by the relevant equipment and supported by multi-year customer contracts, with specific interest rates and terms not yet disclosed.This refinancing will help IREN recover capital already invested in operational infrastructure for further expansion. IREN is transitioning from Bitcoin mining to AI cloud services. Its AI cloud business revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, reached $128.8 million, up from $16.4 million in the previous fiscal year; Bitcoin mining revenue still reached $578.2 million. The company reported a net loss of $702.6 million for the same period, including $638.8 million in non-cash asset impairments primarily related to retired Bitcoin mining machines. (theenergymag)
Cancore Completes $7.2 Million Seed Round with Participation from Paper Ventures and Others
Cancore, a cross-chain trading platform built on the Canton network, has completed a $7.2 million seed round. The round was conducted through Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFT), corresponding to a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $60 million for its planned CNRX token.The round was participated in by Paper Ventures, dao5, ArkStream Capital, X Ventures, MH Ventures, and Proof of Talk, with Paper Ventures and dao5 receiving the largest allocations. Wasif Rashid, co-founder and CEO of Cancore, said the company began engaging with investors in June this year, officially launched fundraising in July, and closed the round in mid-September. (The Block)
Wintermute: BTC down for a third consecutive week; FOMC and PCE to determine short-term direction
According to Wintermute's weekly market report, Bitcoin fell 2.43% last week, marking its third consecutive weekly decline, breaking below $82,500 and retesting $80,000 before closing at approximately $80,500. ETH dropped 3.40%, closing at around $2,330. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $636 million on Thursday, the largest single-day outflow since June, coinciding with a 2.6% drop in the Nasdaq on the same day. On the macro front, following Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, Brent crude surged 5.66% to $116.72, with oil prices displacing AI financing as the primary market concern. Wintermute noted that as of October 18, markets price in roughly an 86% probability that the Federal Reserve will hold rates steady this Wednesday, alongside expectations for a December rate hike. The Fed's forward guidance regarding December represents the key risk. Technically, BTC must reclaim the $82,000–$82,500 zone. Should the $80,000 level fail, the next support sits at $76,000, with a breakdown likely pushing prices to just over $70,000. The firm stated it is temporarily not taking a bearish view but will remain cautious until the FOMC meeting concludes and BTC reclaims $82,500. Key upcoming events include the October 28 FOMC meeting, October 29 reports for Q3 GDP and September PCE data, and the October 30 monthly options expiration.
Bank of Korea Examines Virtual Asset Business Footprint and Risks at Banks and Securities Firms
The Bank of Korea plans to use the results as internal reference material to address the trend of gradually incorporating virtual assets into the regulatory framework. The bank's June Financial Stability Report also cautioned that the impact of virtual asset price volatility on the supply and demand for stocks and foreign exchange requires close monitoring.
South Africa’s Crypto Economy Grows 52% Over the Past Year to $39.3 Billion; Cross-Border Regulatory Draft May Be Revised
According to BeInCrypto, Chainalysis data shows that over the year ending June 2026, the South African crypto economy expanded by 52% to $39.3 billion, with increases across all tracked activity categories. Commercial payments, including those from South African merchants and P2P traders, reached $8.34 billion, outpacing institutional activity ($1.29 billion in inflows); stablecoin inflows through Sub-Saharan African P2P channels totaled $14.6 billion, on par with Bitcoin. A draft regulatory framework for crypto asset management released by the South African Treasury and Reserve Bank (SARB) on August 3 would stipulate that individuals may only transfer crypto assets abroad through authorized local service providers within existing foreign exchange limits, while businesses are prohibited from cross-border transfers of crypto assets. As of March 31, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) had issued licenses to 310 crypto asset service providers, though these entities must still secure separate authorization from the SARB. On October 21, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that after receiving thousands of public submissions, the Treasury will aim to release a revised second draft, with no timeline currently announced.
Korea FIU orders blocking of domestic access to two unregistered virtual asset service providers; DAXA refers three involved entities for investigation
Under current law, operators conducting virtual asset business without proper registration may face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million South Korean won. Overseas operators targeting Korean residents are equally subject to this regulation. According to the FIU, these unregistered operators operate in a regulatory blind spot and may be exploited for money laundering. In June this year, a joint enforcement investigation by DAXA and compliant operators revealed that the average trading fees of the detained entities ranged from 1.5% to 10%, with the highest rate reaching approximately 62 times the average of Korea’s top five won-based exchanges (0.16%).
Four French financial institutions call for conditional allowance of stablecoin rewards, opposing expansion of the ban to staking and lending
Odaily Report: The French Ministry of Finance, the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the Bank of France, and the Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) have jointly recommended to the European Commission that crypto platforms and other third parties be allowed to distribute rewards to stablecoin holders when specific conditions are met. The four institutions believe that such rewards should be regulated rather than banned outright.The four institutions proposed that platforms should disclose reward information to holders, must not promise guaranteed returns, and should not market rewards as savings products; regulators should also monitor the impact of rewards on bank deposits. France continues to support banning stablecoin issuers from paying interest, but opposes extending the ban to staking and lending activities.The European Central Bank and EU national central banks, meanwhile, advocate maintaining the ban on stablecoin interest and bringing indirect benefits such as rewards and fee waivers, as well as activities including lending and staking, within the scope of restrictions. The European Commission must submit a review report on the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) to EU legislative bodies by June 30, 2027, and may propose amendments. (Bitcoin.com News)
Interpol's Africa Cybercrime Operation Recovers Over $105 Million in Illicit Funds, Seizes More Than 2,000 Crypto Mining Rigs
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) reported that Operation Serengeti III was conducted across 21 countries from June 29 to August 31, 2026, resulting in the arrest of 1,462 suspects, the takedown of 10,909 malicious websites, and the seizure of over $105 million in illicit funds. Investigations also confirmed that 65,929 victims were targeted by cybercrime syndicates, with associated losses exceeding $385 million. The operation primarily targeted cyber fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams, and digital extortion. In specific cases, Ugandan police dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals; Angolan authorities shut down two illegal cryptocurrency mining farms, arresting nine individuals and confiscating more than 2,000 mining rigs; and another case in Nigeria involved over $2.4 million in suspected illicit proceeds, a significant portion of which was laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.
Polymarket Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber has been fired following an internal investigation into controversies involving misleading marketing practices.
According to The New York Post, which cited sources familiar with the situation, prediction market platform Polymarket has terminated its Chief Marketing Officer, Matthew Modabber. He is a high school classmate and close ally of CEO Shayne Coplan, and has served in the role since January 2024. Prior to this, the company conducted an internal investigation into multiple controversies involving Modabber. In one instance, as reported by The Wall Street Journal in June, his team allegedly created fraudulent websites to promote staged videos claiming users had profited from fake trades. This incident prompted an investigation by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), though no violations have been confirmed to date. Separately, Politico reported that he allegedly used a personal PayPal account to pay influencers for promotional content without disclosing the business relationship. Sources stated that Coplan was initially frustrated with the legal team driving the dismissal decision, but later came to agree that terminating Modabber was in the best interest of the company. Board members believe Modabber hindered efforts to distance the company from its grassroots startup image amid preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO). Both parties are currently finalizing the terms of his departure agreement, and Polymarket has declined to comment.
Low cost of just $3.77, a smart money deposited 100,000 VVV; if sold, estimated profit of $11.786 million
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi, a smart money address that bought VVV at a cost as low as $3.77 deposited 100,000 VVV to Coinbase 3 hours ago, worth approximately $2.32 million. This address has cumulatively deposited 663,400 VVV to exchanges at an average price of $21.53; if sold, it is expected to profit $11.786 million, representing a return of 471.2%. Since June 2026, this address is suspected to have sold tokens worth $14.28 million.
Two brothers in the U.S. sentenced to 15 years and 15 years and 6 months respectively for armed kidnapping of a family and robbery of over $8 million in cryptocurrency
Odaily reports: U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota announced that Raymond Christian Garcia and Isiah Angelo Garcia, from Waller, Texas, have each been sentenced to 180 months and 186 months in prison respectively for their involvement in a September 2025 armed kidnapping of a family in Grant, Minnesota, and cryptocurrency extortion scheme.Court documents show that on September 19, 2025, the two traveled from Texas to Minnesota, broke into the victims' home armed with firearms, bound the family with zip ties and held them at gunpoint for over 9 hours, forcing the victims to hand over access to their cryptocurrency accounts. After failing to obtain the expected amount, the two forced the victims to drive to the family's vacation home in northern Minnesota to retrieve additional cryptocurrency storage devices and transfer funds, ultimately forcing the victims to transfer over $8 million in cryptocurrency. After the victims' son called the police, the two fled the scene and were later identified and arrested by law enforcement near Houston, Texas. Both pleaded guilty in June 2026 and were sentenced on October 29.
South Africa’s Crypto Economy Grows 52% Over the Past Year to $39.3 Billion; Cross-Border Regulatory Draft May Be Revised
According to BeInCrypto, Chainalysis data shows that over the year ending June 2026, the South African crypto economy expanded by 52% to $39.3 billion, with increases across all tracked activity categories. Commercial payments, including those from South African merchants and P2P traders, reached $8.34 billion, outpacing institutional activity ($1.29 billion in inflows); stablecoin inflows through Sub-Saharan African P2P channels totaled $14.6 billion, on par with Bitcoin. A draft regulatory framework for crypto asset management released by the South African Treasury and Reserve Bank (SARB) on August 3 would stipulate that individuals may only transfer crypto assets abroad through authorized local service providers within existing foreign exchange limits, while businesses are prohibited from cross-border transfers of crypto assets. As of March 31, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) had issued licenses to 310 crypto asset service providers, though these entities must still secure separate authorization from the SARB. On October 21, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that after receiving thousands of public submissions, the Treasury will aim to release a revised second draft, with no timeline currently announced.
Analysis: Strategy's Move to Daily Dividends May Reduce Volatility and Enhance Bitcoin Financing Capacity
Odaily reports: According to Bitfinex analysis, Strategy shareholders voted on October 28 to approve a proposal for daily dividend payments on STRC preferred stock, with preliminary results showing 99.3% of votes in favor. STRC is expected to shift from semi-monthly dividend payments to daily dividend payments starting November 1, with the first cash dividend payment arriving on November 2; Strategy's other three preferred stocks, STRF, STRK, and STRD, are expected to follow suit in January 2027.Strategy's move aims to reduce price volatility around ex-dividend dates. Company CEO Phong Le stated that previously, when STRC paid dividends monthly, prices fell by an average of about 49 basis points around the ex-dividend date, which dropped to about 36 basis points after switching to semi-monthly payments. The company expects that daily dividend payments will further disperse selling pressure and improve price stability.This model was not pioneered by Strategy. Bitcoin treasury company Strive converted its SATA preferred stock to daily dividend payments in June of this year and launched a subordinated preferred stock, SATS, with a fixed annual dividend rate of 15%. In October, Strive issued 7 million shares of SATS at $90 per share, raising approximately $630 million, and used about $511 million of that to purchase 6,182 BTC.
Sports prediction trader swisstony becomes Polymarket's most profitable account with approximately $12.25 million in profits
Odaily reports: The sports prediction account pseudonymously known as swisstony has profited approximately $12.25 million since April 2026, becoming the most profitable account on Polymarket. The statistics cover 170 million predictions across roughly 1.2 million retail accounts. swisstony has opened positions approximately 184,000 times, covering more than 113,000 markets, with cumulative investments of about $657 million; since June, the account has made at least one prediction nearly every hour for 26 consecutive days.
Morgan Stanley: US Stocks Must Clear Three Major Hurdles Before Next Rally
Morgan Stanley analyst Mike Wilson believes the U.S. stock market pullback that began in June is entering its final stage, but the S&P 500 index may still need to drop to the 7,100 to 7,200 range before a more sustained rally can begin.
OnKey Founder: iPhone 11 and Earlier Models Have Hardware Vulnerabilities That Cannot Be Fixed via System Updates, Not Recommended for Storing Mnemonics
Odaily reports: OnKey founder Yishi posted a warning on X platform that using older iPhones as cold wallets for crypto assets may pose security risks. iPhone 4S through iPhone X are affected by the checkm8 vulnerability in BootROM, and the usbliter8 vulnerability disclosed in June this year affects iPhone XS, XR, 11 series, and second-generation SE, all of which involve low-level boot code that cannot be fixed through iOS system updates. After gaining physical access to a device, attackers can execute code via the USB interface before iOS boots, and airplane mode cannot prevent such attacks.Yishi recommends against using iPhone 11 and earlier models for storing mnemonics. Users who have already used such devices to store mnemonics should generate entirely new mnemonics in a trusted environment and migrate their assets, rather than merely changing the wallet address under the original mnemonic. In addition, users should promptly update their systems, use more complex device and wallet passwords, avoid charging via public USB ports, and remain vigilant against physical attacks during periods when the device is out of their control for extended periods.Previously, OneKey founder Yishi had posted on X platform recommending users use iPhone as a cold wallet, but only recommended iPhone 17 or newer models.
GMO Ransomware Attack Hits Japan's Credit Market, Bond Spread Widens 52 Basis Points in 5 Days
Odaily Report: After a publicly listed company under Japan's GMO Internet Group suffered a cyberattack, related risks are spreading to Japan's credit market. Data shows that the spread on a GMO Internet Group yen bond maturing in June 2031 widened to approximately 174 basis points on October 28, up from about 122 basis points on October 20—before the company disclosed the unauthorized access incident—reflecting investor concerns over damaged earnings and rising compensation costs.The GMO subsidiary that provides cloud services disclosed on October 21 that it had suffered unauthorized access and received a ransom demand of approximately 8 billion yen (about $50.7 million). The attackers subsequently published data they claimed contained customer information. GMO refused to pay the ransom and plans to compensate customers for their losses. Analysts noted that as AI-powered cyberattacks increase, such incidents could affect corporate financing and bond issuance arrangements.GMO Internet operates the cryptocurrency exchange "Z.com EX," which has obtained licenses from the Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission and the Thai Ministry of Finance. The exchange disclosed that it has been acquired, with the acquisition involving all shares of the target company held by shareholders including GMO Internet and its related subsidiaries. It remains unclear whether customer information data involves the related cryptocurrency exchange. (Bloomberg)
Interpol's Africa Cybercrime Operation Recovers Over $105 Million in Illicit Funds, Seizes More Than 2,000 Crypto Mining Rigs
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) reported that Operation Serengeti III was conducted across 21 countries from June 29 to August 31, 2026, resulting in the arrest of 1,462 suspects, the takedown of 10,909 malicious websites, and the seizure of over $105 million in illicit funds. Investigations also confirmed that 65,929 victims were targeted by cybercrime syndicates, with associated losses exceeding $385 million. The operation primarily targeted cyber fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams, and digital extortion. In specific cases, Ugandan police dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals; Angolan authorities shut down two illegal cryptocurrency mining farms, arresting nine individuals and confiscating more than 2,000 mining rigs; and another case in Nigeria involved over $2.4 million in suspected illicit proceeds, a significant portion of which was laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.
OpenAI is in talks to acquire security company Trail of Bits
According to The Information, citing sources familiar with the matter, OpenAI is in early-stage acquisition talks with New York-based software security firm Trail of Bits, with the deal size currently undisclosed. The move aims to expand OpenAI’s cybersecurity business. Trail of Bits focuses on open-source software vulnerability detection and remediation, and has conducted security audits for crypto projects such as Uniswap, Aave, and Worldcoin. Prior to this, both parties jointly launched the open-source software security initiative “Patch the Planet” in June.
Galaxy Research: Some BTC Transferred by US Government to Coinbase Prime Came from Unlabeled Addresses, LuBian and Bitfinex Assets Account for 71% of Holdings
Odaily News: Galaxy Research on-chain tracking shows that the US government transferred approximately 9,261 BTC, worth about $770 million, to Coinbase Prime over two days. Since the deposit address was first activated in December 2025, it has cumulatively received 11,567 BTC, of which 6,406 came from wallets already labeled as belonging to the US government, and 5,160 came from previously unlabeled wallets.Of the 9,261 BTC transferred this time, nearly half can be traced back to Bitfinex hacker funds recovered by the US government, with some coming from previously known Binance-related seized assets; among them, 2,456 BTC previously had no clear government attribution label, but because they entered this address through the same path as government funds, they are currently regarded as US government seized assets. The US government currently holds approximately 319,100 BTC, of which about 71% comes from LuBian-related BTC and Bitfinex recovered funds.In January 2025, a US federal court approved the return in kind of seized Bitfinex hacker funds to Bitfinex, and the main address holding approximately 94,600 BTC has still not moved. In October 2025, the US Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit against Chen Zhi and related assets, involving approximately 127,300 BTC; this batch of LuBian BTC entered addresses attributed to the US government between June and July 2024. Since 2013, US government-related addresses have received a total of approximately 555,300 BTC, worth about $16.1 billion at prices at the time; during the same period, approximately 236,200 BTC flowed out, worth about $3.8 billion at prices at the time. After excluding internal transfers between the government's own addresses, this transfer, based on labeled government addresses, ranks 9th among the largest single-day BTC outflows in US government history, and is also the largest since December 2, 2024. BTC being transferred to Coinbase Prime does not mean the US government has already sold it, and on-chain transfers alone cannot confirm the specific purpose of the funds.
$900,000 Bitcoin Theft Case: US Seeks Forfeiture of 110,300 USDT
Odaily News: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit on September 28, seeking the forfeiture of 110,300 USDT seized from a Binance account. The case involves phishing text messages impersonating Coinbase, which led to the theft of 33.7 bitcoins, worth approximately $900,000 at the time, from a beneficiary and their family trust held in the same Coinbase account.Investigators said that between June 5 and June 15, 2023, 11.2 of the stolen bitcoins were traced to the Binance account and were quickly converted into Monero. When the FBI requested the account be frozen, it held approximately 758.55 Monero; Binance transferred 110,300 USDT to a government-controlled wallet on August 3, 2026. (Bitcoin.com News)
Bank of Korea Examines Virtual Asset Business Footprint and Risks at Banks and Securities Firms
The Bank of Korea plans to use the results as internal reference material to address the trend of gradually incorporating virtual assets into the regulatory framework. The bank's June Financial Stability Report also cautioned that the impact of virtual asset price volatility on the supply and demand for stocks and foreign exchange requires close monitoring.
OnKey Founder: iPhone 11 and Earlier Models Have Hardware Vulnerabilities That Cannot Be Fixed via System Updates, Not Recommended for Storing Mnemonics
Odaily reports: OnKey founder Yishi posted a warning on X platform that using older iPhones as cold wallets for crypto assets may pose security risks. iPhone 4S through iPhone X are affected by the checkm8 vulnerability in BootROM, and the usbliter8 vulnerability disclosed in June this year affects iPhone XS, XR, 11 series, and second-generation SE, all of which involve low-level boot code that cannot be fixed through iOS system updates. After gaining physical access to a device, attackers can execute code via the USB interface before iOS boots, and airplane mode cannot prevent such attacks.Yishi recommends against using iPhone 11 and earlier models for storing mnemonics. Users who have already used such devices to store mnemonics should generate entirely new mnemonics in a trusted environment and migrate their assets, rather than merely changing the wallet address under the original mnemonic. In addition, users should promptly update their systems, use more complex device and wallet passwords, avoid charging via public USB ports, and remain vigilant against physical attacks during periods when the device is out of their control for extended periods.Previously, OneKey founder Yishi had posted on X platform recommending users use iPhone as a cold wallet, but only recommended iPhone 17 or newer models.
Nvidia-backed AI inference company Baseten launches $2 billion funding round at valuation of up to $30 billion
Odaily reports: Artificial intelligence inference company Baseten has announced the launch of a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation of up to $30 billion, with existing investor Sands Capital expected to lead the round. Founded in 2019, Baseten primarily provides enterprises with an AI model deployment and inference platform to help businesses run various AI models. In June of this year, it completed a $1.5 billion funding round at a valuation of $13 billion at the time. Its competitor Fireworks AI completed a $1.5 billion funding round in July of this year at a valuation of $17.5 billion. It is reported that Nvidia invested $150 million in Baseten in January of this year, stepping up its active positioning in the AI inference sector. (Bloomberg)
Bitcoin Whitepaper Turns 18: Wall Street Embraces Crypto Assets, Decentralization's Original Vision Faces a Test
Odaily reports: On October 31, 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto released the Bitcoin whitepaper, proposing a peer-to-peer electronic payment system that requires no participation from banks or central institutions. Over the past 18 years, Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe experiment on the early dark web and forums into an asset class recognized by Wall Street and institutional investors. As recently as last October, $19 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated in a single day, and the 2022 crypto winter wiped out more than $2 trillion in digital asset market value. On the 18th anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper's release, Bitcoin's price is hovering near $80,000, facing its worst month since June.Today, BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF has reached approximately $66 billion in assets, multiple public companies have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets, and traditional financial institutions are actively building out stablecoins, asset tokenization, and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Yet this development brings a certain irony: Bitcoin was originally designed to challenge the centralized financial system, but is now increasingly being embraced by traditional financial institutions. (Bloomberg)
South Africa’s Crypto Economy Grows 52% Over the Past Year to $39.3 Billion; Cross-Border Regulatory Draft May Be Revised
According to BeInCrypto, Chainalysis data shows that over the year ending June 2026, the South African crypto economy expanded by 52% to $39.3 billion, with increases across all tracked activity categories. Commercial payments, including those from South African merchants and P2P traders, reached $8.34 billion, outpacing institutional activity ($1.29 billion in inflows); stablecoin inflows through Sub-Saharan African P2P channels totaled $14.6 billion, on par with Bitcoin. A draft regulatory framework for crypto asset management released by the South African Treasury and Reserve Bank (SARB) on August 3 would stipulate that individuals may only transfer crypto assets abroad through authorized local service providers within existing foreign exchange limits, while businesses are prohibited from cross-border transfers of crypto assets. As of March 31, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) had issued licenses to 310 crypto asset service providers, though these entities must still secure separate authorization from the SARB. On October 21, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that after receiving thousands of public submissions, the Treasury will aim to release a revised second draft, with no timeline currently announced.
Analysis: Strategy's Move to Daily Dividends May Reduce Volatility and Enhance Bitcoin Financing Capacity
Odaily reports: According to Bitfinex analysis, Strategy shareholders voted on October 28 to approve a proposal for daily dividend payments on STRC preferred stock, with preliminary results showing 99.3% of votes in favor. STRC is expected to shift from semi-monthly dividend payments to daily dividend payments starting November 1, with the first cash dividend payment arriving on November 2; Strategy's other three preferred stocks, STRF, STRK, and STRD, are expected to follow suit in January 2027.Strategy's move aims to reduce price volatility around ex-dividend dates. Company CEO Phong Le stated that previously, when STRC paid dividends monthly, prices fell by an average of about 49 basis points around the ex-dividend date, which dropped to about 36 basis points after switching to semi-monthly payments. The company expects that daily dividend payments will further disperse selling pressure and improve price stability.This model was not pioneered by Strategy. Bitcoin treasury company Strive converted its SATA preferred stock to daily dividend payments in June of this year and launched a subordinated preferred stock, SATS, with a fixed annual dividend rate of 15%. In October, Strive issued 7 million shares of SATS at $90 per share, raising approximately $630 million, and used about $511 million of that to purchase 6,182 BTC.
Related news
Bank of Korea Examines Virtual Asset Business Footprint and Risks at Banks and Securities Firms
The Bank of Korea plans to use the results as internal reference material to address the trend of gradually incorporating virtual assets into the regulatory framework. The bank's June Financial Stability Report also cautioned that the impact of virtual asset price volatility on the supply and demand for stocks and foreign exchange requires close monitoring.
Low cost of just $3.77, a smart money deposited 100,000 VVV; if sold, estimated profit of $11.786 million
According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi, a smart money address that bought VVV at a cost as low as $3.77 deposited 100,000 VVV to Coinbase 3 hours ago, worth approximately $2.32 million. This address has cumulatively deposited 663,400 VVV to exchanges at an average price of $21.53; if sold, it is expected to profit $11.786 million, representing a return of 471.2%. Since June 2026, this address is suspected to have sold tokens worth $14.28 million.
OnKey Founder: iPhone 11 and Earlier Models Have Hardware Vulnerabilities That Cannot Be Fixed via System Updates, Not Recommended for Storing Mnemonics
Odaily reports: OnKey founder Yishi posted a warning on X platform that using older iPhones as cold wallets for crypto assets may pose security risks. iPhone 4S through iPhone X are affected by the checkm8 vulnerability in BootROM, and the usbliter8 vulnerability disclosed in June this year affects iPhone XS, XR, 11 series, and second-generation SE, all of which involve low-level boot code that cannot be fixed through iOS system updates. After gaining physical access to a device, attackers can execute code via the USB interface before iOS boots, and airplane mode cannot prevent such attacks.Yishi recommends against using iPhone 11 and earlier models for storing mnemonics. Users who have already used such devices to store mnemonics should generate entirely new mnemonics in a trusted environment and migrate their assets, rather than merely changing the wallet address under the original mnemonic. In addition, users should promptly update their systems, use more complex device and wallet passwords, avoid charging via public USB ports, and remain vigilant against physical attacks during periods when the device is out of their control for extended periods.Previously, OneKey founder Yishi had posted on X platform recommending users use iPhone as a cold wallet, but only recommended iPhone 17 or newer models.
Nvidia-backed AI inference company Baseten launches $2 billion funding round at valuation of up to $30 billion
Odaily reports: Artificial intelligence inference company Baseten has announced the launch of a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation of up to $30 billion, with existing investor Sands Capital expected to lead the round. Founded in 2019, Baseten primarily provides enterprises with an AI model deployment and inference platform to help businesses run various AI models. In June of this year, it completed a $1.5 billion funding round at a valuation of $13 billion at the time. Its competitor Fireworks AI completed a $1.5 billion funding round in July of this year at a valuation of $17.5 billion. It is reported that Nvidia invested $150 million in Baseten in January of this year, stepping up its active positioning in the AI inference sector. (Bloomberg)
Bitcoin Whitepaper Turns 18: Wall Street Embraces Crypto Assets, Decentralization's Original Vision Faces a Test
Odaily reports: On October 31, 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto released the Bitcoin whitepaper, proposing a peer-to-peer electronic payment system that requires no participation from banks or central institutions. Over the past 18 years, Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe experiment on the early dark web and forums into an asset class recognized by Wall Street and institutional investors. As recently as last October, $19 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated in a single day, and the 2022 crypto winter wiped out more than $2 trillion in digital asset market value. On the 18th anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper's release, Bitcoin's price is hovering near $80,000, facing its worst month since June.Today, BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF has reached approximately $66 billion in assets, multiple public companies have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets, and traditional financial institutions are actively building out stablecoins, asset tokenization, and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Yet this development brings a certain irony: Bitcoin was originally designed to challenge the centralized financial system, but is now increasingly being embraced by traditional financial institutions. (Bloomberg)
Two brothers in the U.S. sentenced to 15 years and 15 years and 6 months respectively for armed kidnapping of a family and robbery of over $8 million in cryptocurrency
Odaily reports: U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota announced that Raymond Christian Garcia and Isiah Angelo Garcia, from Waller, Texas, have each been sentenced to 180 months and 186 months in prison respectively for their involvement in a September 2025 armed kidnapping of a family in Grant, Minnesota, and cryptocurrency extortion scheme.Court documents show that on September 19, 2025, the two traveled from Texas to Minnesota, broke into the victims' home armed with firearms, bound the family with zip ties and held them at gunpoint for over 9 hours, forcing the victims to hand over access to their cryptocurrency accounts. After failing to obtain the expected amount, the two forced the victims to drive to the family's vacation home in northern Minnesota to retrieve additional cryptocurrency storage devices and transfer funds, ultimately forcing the victims to transfer over $8 million in cryptocurrency. After the victims' son called the police, the two fled the scene and were later identified and arrested by law enforcement near Houston, Texas. Both pleaded guilty in June 2026 and were sentenced on October 29.