The spot Solana ETFs have recorded inflows for 13 consecutive days.
SOL broke its multi-year uptrend, slipping below a key moving average.
Spot Solana (SOL) exchange-traded funds continued to attract investor interest, recording their thirteenth straight day of inflows, underscoring institutional demand for the network’s native asset.
According to data from SoSoValue, Solana ETFs added $1.49 million on Thursday, bringing cumulative inflows to $370 million and total assets to over $533 million. The Bitwise Solana ETF (BSOL) was the only one that recorded inflows on Thursday, marking the weakest since its launch on Oct. 28.
Solana ETFs inflows. Source: SoSoValue
The weakening SOL ETF inflows reflected the bearish sentiment across the market, with spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recording $866 million in daily net outflows on the same day, the second-worst day since launch.
Spot Ether (ETH) ETFs also posted $259.2 million in outflows, reducing their cumulative inflows to $13.3 billion. The funds shed $183.7 million on Thursday and $107.1 million on Wednesday.
The persistent demand for Solana ETFs has, however, failed to hold SOL above key levels, with the technical setup indicating a potential for a deeper correction.
SOL price breaks key support levels
In line with the waning ETF inflows, SOL’s price action turned sharply bearish last week, falling over 34% over the last two weeks to $142 on Friday, its lowest level since June 23. The correction also broke a 100-week SMA and the multiyear uptrend that began in January 2023, with the $95 level serving as the yearly low.
Solana is currently testing a daily order block around $140, a level with limited support, according to data from Glassnode.
Glassnode’s UTXO realized price distribution (URPD) — a metric that shows the average prices at which SOL holders bought their coins — reveals that there is little clustering of these buy levels below $140. This means there are a few holders who are defending the price there.
SOL: UTXO realized price distribution (URPD). Source: Glassnode
If the price breaks below this level, it could drop toward the 200-week SMA at $100, which represents the last line of defense for SOL price.
Solana’s downside is backed by weakness in the relative strength index, which has hit its lowest level since April 2025.
As Cointelegraph reported, a break below $150 will see the SOL/USDT pair extend the decline to $126 and subsequently to the solid support at $100.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Bitcoin has broken below the psychological support at $100,000, opening the gates for a potential sell-off to $87,800.
Several major altcoins are approaching their support levels but have failed to bounce with strength, increasing the risk of a breakdown.
Bitcoin (BTC) appears weak in the near term as bears pull the price further below the psychological level at $100,000. BTC’s persistent weakness pulled the Crypto Fear & Greed Index into the “extreme fear” category with a score of 15//100 on Thursday, its lowest level since early March.
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said to Cointelegraph that had BTC rallied sharply into the end of 2025 and followed it up with a pullback, it would have fit the four-year-cycle thesis. The failure to do so sets up BTC for a good year in 2026, buoyed by positive underlying fundamentals.
Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView
Another bullish projection came from Santiment, which said in a post on X that the crowd turning negative on BTC suggests the point of capitulation is nearing. An “unexpected November rally” could happen as stronger hands scoop up the cryptocurrencies sold by weaker hands. It added that it was “not a matter of if, but when this will next happen.”
How far lower could BTC and the major altcoins fall? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.
Bitcoin price prediction
Sellers are attempting to seize control by sustaining BTC below the psychological support of $100,000.
The downsloping 20-day exponential moving average ($104,850) and the relative strength index (RSI) near the oversold territory indicate that the path of least resistance is to the downside. Any recovery attempt is likely to face selling at the breakdown level of $100,000. If the price drops below $100,000, it signals that the bears have flipped the level into resistance. That suggests the resumption of the downtrend.
There is support at $92,000, but that could be broken. The BTC/USDT pair may then descend to $87,800. Buyers will have to push the price above $107,000 to indicate a potential trend change.
Ether price prediction
The failure of the bulls to push Ether (ETH) above the 20-day EMA ($3,567) attracted sellers on Thursday, pulling the price below the $3,350 support.
Sellers will strive to build upon their advantage by dragging the Ether price below the $3,050 support. If they can pull it off, the selling may accelerate and the ETH/USDT pair could plunge toward $2,500.
The bulls will have to push and maintain the price above the 20-day EMA to signal strength. The pair may then climb to the 50-day simple moving average ($3,930), where the bears are expected to step in.
XRP price prediction
Buyers again attempted to drive XRP (XRP) above the 50-day SMA ($2.56) on Thursday, but the bears held their ground.
The XRP/USDT pair could challenge the $2.06 support, which is at risk of breaking down. If that happens, the XRP price may plummet to $1.90 and thereafter to the crucial support at $1.61.
Any recovery attempt is expected to face selling at the 50-day SMA and then at the downtrend line. A close above the downtrend line signals that the bulls are back in the driver’s seat. The pair may then ascend to $3.20.
BNB price prediction
BNB (BNB) has been gradually dropping toward the $860 level, which is a critical near-term support level to watch.
The downsloping 20-day EMA ($1,004) and the RSI near the oversold zone suggest that the BNB/USDT pair risks a break below $860. If that happens, the BNB price could tumble toward $730.
Instead, if the price turns up sharply from $860 and breaks above the 20-day EMA, it points to a possible range formation. The pair could swing inside the large range between $860 and $1,183 for a while.
Solana price prediction
Solana (SOL) closed below the $155 level on Wednesday and extended the decline below the $145 support on Thursday.
There is minor support at $137, but it is likely to be broken. If that happens, the SOL/USDT pair could nosedive to $126 and eventually to the solid support at $110, where buyers are expected to step in.
The 20-day EMA ($166) remains the key overhead resistance level to watch out for. Buyers will have to pierce the 20-day EMA to signal a comeback. The Solana price could then rally to the 50-day SMA ($191).
Dogecoin price prediction
Dogecoin (DOGE) has been gradually sliding toward the lower end of the $0.14 to $0.29 range, indicating that selling pressure remains intact.
Buyers are expected to fiercely defend the $0.14 support, as a break below it could start a new downtrend toward the Oct. 10 low of $0.10.
Buyers have an uphill task ahead of them. They will have to swiftly push the Dogecoin price above the 20-day EMA ($0.17) to suggest that the selling pressure is weakening. The DOGE/USDT pair may then rally to $0.21. A close above the $0.21 resistance indicates that the pair may extend its stay inside the range for a few more days.
Cardano price prediction
Cardano (ADA) has dropped to the $0.50 level, where the buyers are expected to mount a spirited defense.
If the price turns up from the current level and rises above the 20-day EMA ($0.58), it suggests that selling pressure is reducing. The ADA/USDT pair could then rally to the 50-day SMA ($0.67) and later to $0.74.
Contrarily, if the price continues lower and breaks below $0.50, it signals the start of the next leg of the downtrend. The Cardano price could collapse to $0.40 and below that to the Oct. 10 intraday low of $0.27.
Both moving averages are sloping down, and the RSI is in the negative area, indicating that the bears hold an edge. If the $35.50 support level cracks, the HYPE/USDT pair could slump to $30.50 and later to $28.
The bulls will have to push and maintain the Hyperliquid price above the 50-day SMA ($42.23) to signal strength. The pair could then rally to $52, where the bears are expected to sell aggressively.
Chainlink price prediction
Chainlink (LINK) has gradually slipped near the vital support of $13.69, indicating a negative sentiment.
Sellers will try to resume the downward move by pulling the price below $13.69. If they succeed, the LINK/USDT pair could fall to $12.73 and subsequently to $10.94. Buyers are expected to defend the $10.94 level with all their might, as a break below it could sink the Chainlink price to $7.90.
The RSI is showing early signs of forming a positive divergence, but the bulls will have to push the price above the 20-day EMA ($16.05) to gain strength. The pair may then rally to the resistance line.
Bitcoin Cash price prediction
Buyers repeatedly attempted to push Bitcoin Cash (BCH) above the 50-day SMA ($529) in the past few days, but the bears did not budge.
The sellers are trying to pull the Bitcoin Cash price to the solid support at $443. If the price turns up from the current level or rebounds off the $443 level, the bulls will again try to clear the hurdle at the resistance line. If they manage to do that, the BCH/USDT pair could start a new uptrend to $580 and then $615.
Alternatively, a break below the $443 level opens the doors for a fall to the support line of the falling wedge pattern.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Cryptocurrency markets have extended their decline despite much-awaited political developments taking place in the US.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the record 43-day US government shutdown, after the bill passed through the Senate on Monday and was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The bill provides funding to the government until Jan. 30, 2026, and gives Democrats and Republicans more time to strike a deal on broader funding plans for the year ahead.
The end of the shutdown failed to lift demand among Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) buyers. Spot BTC ETFs saw a brief resurgence on Tuesday, attracting $524 million in inflows, but outflows quickly resumed, with a whopping $866 million in daily net outflows on Thursday, according to Farside Investors.
Bitcoin fell to a six-month low of $95,900 on Friday, a level last seen in May as its biggest demand drivers continued to lack momentum.
Investments from ETFs and Michael Saylor’s Strategy were the two main vehicles driving demand for Bitcoin’s price this year, according to Ki Young Ju, founder and CEO of crypto analytics platform CryptoQuant.
BTC/USD, one-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph
Bitcoin ETF demand stalls as US shutdown optimism fails to lift sentiment
The lack of demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs is raising concerns about Bitcoin’s prospects for the rest of the year.
On Monday, the US Senate approved the funding bill and brought Congress a step closer to ending the shutdown. The legislation headed for a full vote in the House of Representatives, which occurred on Wednesday.
Bitcoin ETF Flows, US dollars (in millions). Source: Farside Investors
“Despite the US shutdown seemingly ending, and the S&P and Gold bouncing hard, Bitcoin ETFs saw NO bid yesterday,” said Capriole Investments founder, Charles Edwards, adding that this is not a dynamic we want to see continue.
“Risk assets usually see a strong bid in the weeks out of the Shutdown. Still time to turn this ship around, but it needs to turn,” Edwards wrote in a Tuesday X post.
Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows were the primary driver of Bitcoin’s momentum in 2025, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, told Cointelegraph recently.
Bitwise exec says 2026 will be crypto’s real bull year; here’s why
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan is more confident that crypto markets will boom in 2026, particularly as there hasn’t been a late 2025 rally.
Speaking to Cointelegraph at The Bridge conference in New York City on Wednesday, Hougan said a crypto market rally at the end of 2025 would have fit the four-year cycle thesis, meaning 2026 would mark the start of a bear market, similar to 2022 and 2018.
When asked to revise his prediction about whether the crypto market will boom in 2026, Hougan said: “I’m actually more confident in that quote. The biggest risk was [if] we ripped into the end of 2025 and then we got a pullback.”
Hougan said interest in the Bitcoin debasement trade, stablecoins and tokenization would continue to accelerate, while arguing that Uniswap’s fee switch proposal introduced on Monday would reinvigorate interest in decentralized finance protocols in the coming year.
“I think the underlying fundamentals are just so sound,” Hougan said. “I think these earlier forces, institutional investment, regulatory progress, stablecoins, tokenization, I just think those are too big to keep down. So I think 2026 will be a good year.”
Matt Hougan at The Bridge conference in New York City. Source: Cointelegraph
Arthur Hayes tells Zcash holders to withdraw from CEXs and “shield” assets
The privacy coin sector returned to the spotlight after BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes urged Zcash holders to withdraw their assets from centralized exchanges (CEXs).
On Wednesday, Hayes told holders to “shield” their assets, a feature that enables private transactions within the Zcash network. “If you hold $ZEC on a CEX, withdraw it to a self-custodial wallet and shield it,” Hayes wrote on X.
The comments came as Zcash (ZEC) saw sharp price swings in the last few days. The token rallied to $723 on Saturday before dropping to $504 on Sunday. It then surged to a high of $677 on Monday, only to see another sharp decline. At the time of writing, ZEC was trading at about $450, marking a 37% decline from its Saturday high.
Analysts had warned that ZEC might undergo a sharp correction due to its relative strength index (RSI) reaching its highest reading after continuing to rally above its overbought zone.
Vitalik Buterin champions decentralization in “Trustless Manifesto”
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has authored and signed the new “Trustless Manifesto,” which seeks to uphold core values of decentralization and censorship resistance and push builders to refrain from adding intermediaries and checkpoints for the sake of adoption.
The Trustless Manifesto, also authored by Ethereum Foundation researchers Yoav Weiss and Marissa Posner, said crypto platforms sacrifice trustlessness from the first moment that they integrate a hosted node or centralized relayer, explaining that while it feels harmless, it becomes a habit, and with each passing checkpoint, the protocol becomes less and less permissionless.
“Trustlessness is not a feature to add after the fact. It is the thing itself,” the Ethereum Foundation members said in the manifesto published Wednesday. “Without it, everything else — efficiency, UX, scalability — is decoration on a fragile core.”
“When complexity tempts us to centralize, we must remember: every line of convenience code can become a choke point.”
While the manifesto wasn’t aimed at any particular person or company, some Ethereum layer 2s have been criticized for sacrificing decentralization to focus on scalability to speed up adoption.
Sonic Labs pivots from speed to survival with business-first strategy
Sonic Labs, the organization behind the Sonic layer-1 blockchain, announced a major strategic shift as it pivots from emphasizing transaction speed to building long-term business value and token sustainability.
After claiming industry-leading performance last year, Sonic Labs said its next chapter will focus on upgrades that deliver measurable financial outcomes, including new Ethereum and Sonic Improvement Proposals (EIPs and SIPs), token supply reductions and revamped rewards for network participants.
“Every decision we make moving forward will be guided by the principles of building real value, with price, growth, and sustainability always in focus,” said Mitchell Demeter, the new CEO of Sonic Labs.
The focus aims to bring “measurable, lasting value” for builders, validators and tokenholders, wrote Demeter in a Tuesday X post. “Our mission at Sonic is to move beyond hype and build a sustainable business model for a layer one, that creates, captures, and returns real value to tokenholders.”
The new fee monetization upgrade will include a tiered reward system for builders and fixed rewards for validators.
Sonic Labs will also increase the rate of programmatic Sonic (S) token burns, which means permanently removing tokens from circulation to tighten the supply.
Sonic claims to be the world’s fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain, with a “true” finality of 720 milliseconds (ms) — the assurance that a transaction is irreversible, which occurs after it is added to a block on the blockchain ledger.
According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the red.
The privacy-preserving Dash (DASH) token fell 45% to stage the biggest decline in the top 100, followed by the Internet Computer (ICP) token, down over 27% on the weekly chart.
Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlama
Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.
Bitcoin evolves on two clocks: slow, consensus-driven changes at the base layer and fast experimentation at the edges.
Major upgrades (such as Taproot) arrive through cautious soft forks after long review.
Rapid shifts such as Lightning payments and Ordinals happen without changing Bitcoin’s core rules, which is why headlines move faster than the L1.
The “50-year” line is a cue to look at where change occurs, whether in the core protocol or at the edge, before judging whether Bitcoin has truly changed.
On November 10, 2025, Ripple chief technology officer David Schwartz posted a deadpan line on X: “Bitcoin is not the same now as it was 50 years ago.”
The gag works because Bitcoin (BTC) launched in 2009, so the “50 years” is obviously tongue-in-cheek, but it landed because it pointed to a bigger truth about how people talk about Bitcoin’s evolution.
Schwartz’s quip came in a thread arguing that “1 BTC = 1 BTC” and that volatility exists in fiat terms, not in Bitcoin’s own unit of account. This framing often fuels absolutist takes about whether Bitcoin changes at all.
Did you know? Rajat Soni, a critic of XRP (XRP), is a CFA charterholder and a Bitcoin-focused finance commentator active on X.
The joke exposes the timescale confusion
Schwartz’s line works because it highlights a mismatch in how people think about time in crypto.
Headlines make it feel as if Bitcoin changes overnight, but the foundations it stands on were built over decades:
Public-key cryptography (Diffie-Hellman, 1976)
Merkle trees (1979)
Proof-of-work precursors such as Hashcash (1997 and 2002)
Digital-cash sketches such as Wei Dai’s B-money (1998).
Bitcoin’s 2008 design pulled decades of cryptographic work into a single, operational system. Once a protocol with real value reaches scale, change slows because coordination costs rise sharply. Researchers and builders now refer to this dynamic as “protocol ossification.”
That slow pace can look like nothing is changing at all, but that is not the case. A helpful way to think about it is the Lindy effect, which says that the longer a non-perishable technology has survived, the longer it is likely to survive. This is why long-standing building blocks such as public-key cryptography and hash trees continue to support newer systems. But the Lindy effect is only a heuristic, not a promise. It describes survival, not inevitability.
So, when you zoom out, the joke is a reminder that Bitcoin’s evolution runs on two different tempos: the decades-long lineage of its core ingredients and the faster cycles we see in today’s news.
Did you know? Segregated Witness (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 141) activated on Aug. 24, 2017, fixing transaction malleability and enabling capacity and Lightning improvements.
What changes at Bitcoin’s core (and how)
At the base layer, Bitcoin does change, but slowly and only with broad agreement.
Most upgrades are soft forks, which tighten the rules that nodes enforce. Soft forks create coordination risk between different versions of the software. To reduce disruption, the community has spent years refining activation methods such as BIP-9 and BIP-8 version bits.
In practice, a change moves from discussion and specification to testing and, if there is clear support, an activation window where miners and economic nodes signal readiness.
Taproot is the clearest recent example. Proposed years earlier and activated in November 2021, it added Schnorr signatures and a new output type that improves efficiency and privacy without breaking existing rules.
The path from idea to activation required extensive review and a miner signaling period before the rules actually switched on. It shows that upgrades do arrive, but only after patient consensus-building.
Today’s debates, such as reenabling “OP_CAT” or introducing “OP_CTV” (BIP-119), follow the same pattern: incremental programmability proposals undergoing public research, risk analysis and social review before any activation can even be considered.
The process is as much about coordination among maintainers, reviewers, miners and users as it is about code.
Did you know? Bitcoin Script is intentionally not Turing-complete, which limits complexity to keep validation predictable and safe for all nodes.
Where rapid change happens
The pace quickens once you move away from Bitcoin’s base layer.
Payment channels move transactions offchain, route them over a mesh and touch the layer 1 only as a backstop. This is why the Lightning Network iterates far faster than consensus changes. Its core mechanics, including hashed timelock contracts and newer approaches, such as point timelock contracts (PTLCs), let value move across intermediaries without trust.
PTLCs replace hash-based secrets with elliptic-curve points, giving channels better privacy, more flexible routing and the ability to split payments across multiple paths. Because these improvements live in implementations rather than the base protocol, they can evolve without a hard consensus vote.
Ordinals and inscriptions show the same fast-edge dynamic from another angle: new behaviors emerging by using existing rules. Casey Rodarmor’s scheme numbers satoshis and attaches data to them through Taproot-era scripting, creating collectibles without altering Bitcoin’s consensus. This is why the phenomenon could explode culturally, while the base protocol remained unchanged.
Both examples highlight the split tempo the joke points to: Layer 2s and client-side systems can add features, UX improvements and even new markets at high speed, while the base layer changes rarely and deliberately. Headlines tend to follow the edge, such as Lightning upgrades or inscription waves, while the chain’s core advances in carefully staged steps.
The deeper lesson
Schwartz’s “50-year Bitcoin” line sticks because it compresses how crypto really evolves into a single joke: a slow, conservative core that rarely changes and a fast, inventive edge that does.
The slow core is by design. Once a monetary protocol has billions at stake, upgrades move only after lengthy review and broad social consensus, a dynamic widely discussed as protocol ossification.
Yet slow is not the same as stuck. Concrete paths for change exist, such as the soft-fork track for new opcodes like “OP_CAT” and “OP_CTV,” which could expand Bitcoin’s transaction programmability. These follow multi-quarter or multi-year timelines rather than news cycles.
Meanwhile, new behavior can explode at the edges without touching consensus. Ordinals and inscriptions did exactly that by numbering satoshis and attaching data using rules already in place.
Forget the years. Think of the remark as a decoder. If a claim about Bitcoin “changing” does not specify where (base layer or edge) and how (consensus upgrade or emergent use), it is missing the point the joke highlighted.
Algorand (ALGO)’s October 2025 report highlights growth in user engagement and developer activity despite a decline in DeFi metrics, reflecting broader market trends.
Algorand (ALGO)’s October 2025 ecosystem insights reveal a month of mixed outcomes, characterized by increased user engagement and developer activity, alongside a notable decline in decentralized finance (DeFi) metrics, according to the Algorand Foundation. Despite broader market challenges, the blockchain network demonstrated resilience and growth.
Key Metrics and Growth
In October, Algorand saw a 20.3% rise in monthly active addresses, reaching 909,000. This uptick was largely driven by new ecosystem initiatives, such as Algoland and participating decentralized applications (dApps). The number of new assets created on the Algorand network surged by 54.3%, while smart contracts deployed increased by 8.3%, indicating robust developer engagement.
The overall network expansion was marked by a 1.5% increase in wallets, totaling 47.8 million, and a near 2% rise in transactions, surpassing 3.3 billion. Node count remained stable with a slight increase of 0.7%, reinforcing Algorand’s decentralization and network health.
DeFi and Social Metrics
Despite these positive developments, Algorand’s total value locked (TVL) in DeFi dropped by 16.3% to approximately $140 million, reflecting broader market trends. Social media engagement showed consistent growth, with followers on platforms such as X, YouTube, and Instagram increasing modestly.
Tokenomics and Staking
By the end of October, the circulating supply of Algorand’s native token, ALGO, reached 8.79 billion, representing 87.9% of the total maximum supply. This marks a 0.11% increase from the previous month. During the first ten months of 2025, validators received a total of 56.20 million ALGO in staking rewards, highlighting the network’s ongoing reward distribution and fee-driven activity.
Foundation’s Activities and Governance
Algorand Foundation’s CEO, Staci Warden, participated in key industry events, including the Federal Reserve’s conference on payment innovation and the Digital Asset Summit in London. Meanwhile, the xGov Platform (beta) went live on mainnet, with ongoing efforts to enhance voter turnout for proposal funding.
Looking ahead, Algorand is gearing up for a busy November, with participation in events such as the Blockchain Futurist Conference in Miami and DevConnect in Buenos Aires. The blockchain network continues to focus on fostering growth and innovation across its ecosystem.
Square is enabling 4 million merchants to accept fast, low-fee Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network.
The rollout turns Bitcoin into a practical checkout option with instant settlement and no processing fees until 2027.
Bitcoin payments can expand customer choice, cut costs and streamline cross-border transactions for online sellers.
Merchants must still consider volatility, compliance, irreversible payments and customer adoption before integrating Bitcoin.
Block, a payments infrastructure company led by Jack Dorsey, has introduced a Bitcoin payments platform through Square. The rollout gives Square’s US merchant network, which includes roughly 4 million businesses, the ability to accept Bitcoin (BTC), with availability expanding in phases.
This development is significant because it helps shift Bitcoin from a specialized asset mainly used for long-term holding to a practical option for everyday transactions. In online commerce, offering additional payment methods is essential for staying competitive.
This article explains how the feature works and what it means for online and omnichannel merchants. It also explores how it could affect the broader payments industry and the factors merchants should consider.
Bitcoin payments for businesses via the Lightning Network
Block presents this service as a simple and integrated Bitcoin payments and wallet solution for businesses, allowing sellers to receive payments in Bitcoin.
The process is straightforward. A Lightning invoice quick-response (QR) code is generated at checkout, the customer pays using a compatible wallet, and the funds settle promptly. This gives merchants an efficient, low-friction alternative payment method.
Key elements include:
Merchants can accept Bitcoin at checkout using Square’s point-of-sale system. Transactions occur via the Lightning Network, ensuring nearly instantaneous settlement.
No processing fees apply to Bitcoin transactions until at least 2027.
Merchants may choose to convert a portion of their daily card sales into Bitcoin, treating it as a form of savings or investment.
Settlement options allow merchants to receive funds in Bitcoin or convert them automatically to fiat currency such as the US dollar.
Did you know? Unlike traditional banking systems that close on weekends and holidays, crypto payments run continuously. This around-the-clock availability makes them ideal for global e-commerce and time-sensitive transactions.
The business case for Bitcoin payments
As digital commerce evolves, the business case for adopting Bitcoin payments centers on leveraging the speed and efficiency of the Lightning Network. It has the potential to improve the checkout experience and unlock new operational savings.
Expansion of payment choices: Online merchants aim to minimize obstacles at checkout and accommodate as many buyers as possible. Adding Bitcoin allows customers familiar with platforms like Coinbase to use a preferred payment method. Because Square is already integrated with millions of online sellers, implementation requires minimal additional effort.
Cost and settlement benefits: The Lightning Network facilitates rapid settlement. The absence of fees during the initial period may reduce overall payment costs compared with standard card fees.
Flexibility in finance and currency management: Merchants can retain revenue in Bitcoin if they anticipate appreciation or convert it immediately to fiat. This offers treasury versatility, particularly for businesses serving international or cryptocurrency-oriented customers.
Reputation and brand positioning: Accepting Bitcoin can project innovation and attract cryptocurrency enthusiasts. It may serve as a competitive advantage for online merchants. However, it also carries potential reputational risks if customers are unfamiliar with cryptocurrency or concerned about price volatility.
Did you know? While card payments may take one to three days to settle, Bitcoin Lightning and stablecoins can settle in seconds. This speed helps merchants avoid cash-flow delays, reduce chargeback issues and gain immediate access to working capital.
How this platform could shape online payments
Designed to handle conversions efficiently, Square’s solution might encourage earlier adoption, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses. Traditional card networks may face increased competition as merchants explore alternatives.
Cryptocurrency networks operate globally and reduce reliance on intermediaries, potentially lowering foreign exchange costs. They also accelerate settlement for merchants with international customers. Simplified cross-border Bitcoin payments could open access to new markets.
Integration with Square’s platform provides unified reporting across cryptocurrency and fiat transactions, improving analytics, reconciliation and operational efficiency. Future developments might include subscription services, loyalty programs and invoicing built on cryptocurrency infrastructure.
What merchants need to consider
Before adopting Bitcoin payments, merchants need to weigh several factors to ensure a seamless and sustainable transition to crypto-based transactions.
Price volatility and settlement decisions: Holding Bitcoin exposes merchants to market fluctuations. A sharp decline in price could harm profitability, particularly for businesses with narrow margins. Merchants must decide whether to hold Bitcoin or opt for immediate settlement.
Regulatory and tax requirements: Cryptocurrency transactions involve evolving regulations. Merchants may face complex accounting, increased tax reporting and added compliance obligations, especially in cross-border operations.
Customer acceptance and experience: Success depends on customers’ willingness to use Bitcoin. Merchants must ensure a seamless checkout process and strong customer support. Customers may have questions about wallet compatibility and transaction clarity.
Irreversible Bitcoin transactions: Bitcoin transactions are irreversible unlike card payments that permit chargebacks. Merchants must establish clear refund policies and manage a different risk profile while ensuring smooth integration.
Did you know? The Lightning Network was designed for instant, low-cost payments, making Bitcoin practical for everything from online shopping to streaming-based pay-per-use services.
A catalyst for change in the merchant payments sector
Block’s introduction of Bitcoin payments through Square has the potential to change how online and omnichannel merchants handle payments. By offering near-instant settlement via the Lightning Network and fee-free processing during the initial period, Square provides a credible alternative to traditional methods.
However, success with Bitcoin payments requires careful consideration of customer preferences, volatility risks, regulatory obligations and operational readiness. Merchants who adopt this option strategically may gain competitive advantages, including access to new markets, reduced costs and greater global reach. For many businesses, accepting Bitcoin may soon shift from an optional feature to a key strategic decision.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Today in crypto, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw $866 million in outflows as the US government shutdown ended, pushing BTC to a six-month low and raising concerns over market structure and investor demand. Elsewhere, Bitfarms announced its exit from Bitcoin mining and pivot to AI, and Grayscale filed to go public in the US.
Bitcoin ETFs bleed $866 million in second-worst day on record, but some analysts still bullish
Demand for Bitcoin and crypto-linked investment funds continued to decline Thursday, despite the long-awaited end of the 43-day US government shutdown.
US spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs saw $866 million in net outflows on Thursday, marking their second-worst day on record after the $1.14 billion daily outflows on Feb. 25, 2025, according to Farside Investors.
This marked the second consecutive day of outflows for the Bitcoin ETFs, as the end of the 43-day US government shutdown failed to reignite investor appetite.
The $866 million outflows occurred a day after President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill on Wednesday. The bill provides funding until Jan. 30, 2026.
Bitcoin ETF flows (in USD, million). Source: Farside Investors
The lack of ETF demand is causing significant concerns among crypto investors, as these funds were the primary drivers of Bitcoin’s momentum in 2025, alongside Michael Saylor’s Strategy.
However, Bitcoin’s bull market is still intact until the price falls below the key $94,000 level, or the average cost basis of investors who bought Bitcoin in the past six to 12 months, according to Ki Young Ju, founder and CEO of crypto intelligence platform CryptoQuant.
“Personally, I do not think the bear cycle is confirmed unless we lose that level. I would rather wait than jump to conclusions,” wrote Ju in a Friday X post.
The company will start the transition by converting its 18-megawatt Bitcoin mining site in Washington to support AI, with completion expected in December 2026. It will then wind down the rest of its Bitcoin mining business throughout 2026 and 2027.
Bitfarms CEO Ben Gagnon said the conversion of the site to support AI “could potentially produce more net operating income than we have ever generated with Bitcoin mining.”
Ben Gagnon speaking on stage at a Las Vegas Bitcoin conference in April. Source: YouTube
He told investors on the company’s Q3 earnings call that “the best opportunity for most miners in the United States, really, is this transition to HPC and AI” and that Bitcoin mining is becoming more competitive as miners can “go to cheaper locations, higher-risk locations, more remote locations” compared to AI data centers.
It comes as Bitfarms’ stock dropped nearly 18% on Thursday after reporting a net loss of $46 million in Q3 compared to losses of $24 million a year ago. The company’s revenue increased 156% year-on-year to $69 million, missing analyst estimates by over 16%.
Asset manager Grayscale files for US IPO
Grayscale Investments, an asset management company specializing in digital asset investments, has filed a registration statement as part of the process for going public on US markets.
In a Thursday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Grayscale said it intended to list shares of its Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GRAY. The company said the initial price would be determined “through a directed share program” to investors in its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF and Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF.
The Form S-1 filing was part of the process for the asset management company to go public, but it was not yet effective. Based on the SEC’s record of approvals, it could take anywhere from weeks to months before the registration statement becomes effective and the company prepares to list its shares.
Grayscale’s filing came on the first day the SEC is expected to return to normal operations after a 43-day government shutdown. Though companies were able to submit filings while the agency had limited staff and capabilities, it was unlikely that the SEC would have been able to move forward with approvals of IPOs or investment vehicles like ETFs.
The public SEC filing occurred about four months after Grayscale had filed confidentially for an IPO. According to data in the registration statement, the asset manager reported about a $20 million decrease in net income year-over-year, to $203.3 million in September 2025 from $223.7 million in September 2024.
The cross-border e-commerce arm of Chinese tech behemoth Alibaba is working on a deposit token amid mainland China’s crackdown on stablecoins, according to CNBC.
Alibaba president Kuo Zhang told CNBC in a Friday report that the tech giant plans to use stablecoin-like technology to streamline overseas transactions. The model under consideration is a deposit token, which is a blockchain-based instrument that represents a direct claim on commercial bank deposits and is treated as a regulated liability of the issuing bank.
Traditional stablecoins, which these tokens closely resemble, are issued by a private entity and backed by assets to maintain their value. The report follows JPMorgan Chase — the world’s biggest bank by market capitalization — reportedly rolling out its deposit token to institutional clients earlier this week.
The news also follows reports that Chinese technology giants, including Ant Group and JD.com, suspended plans to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong after regulators in Beijing expressed displeasure with the plans. The report was just the latest of many suggesting that mainland Chinese authorities appear dead set on preventing a stablecoin industry from arising in the country.
In July, both Ant Group and JD expressed interest in participating in Hong Kong’s pilot stablecoin program or launching tokenized financial products, such as digital bonds. Similarly, HSBC and the world’s largest bank by total assets — the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China — were reported to share these Hong Kong stablecoin ambitions in early September.
Later in September, a now-removed report by Chinese financial outlet Caixin claimed that Chinese firms operating in Hong Kong may be forced to withdraw from cryptocurrency-related activities. According to the report, policymakers would also impose restrictions on mainland companies’ investments in crypto and cryptocurrency exchanges.
In early August, Chinese authorities reportedly instructed local firms to cease publishing research and holding seminars related to stablecoins, citing concerns that stablecoins could be exploited as a tool for fraudulent activities. Still, China is not entirely devoid of stablecoin ties.
In late July, Chinese blockchain Conflux announced a third version of its public network and introduced a new stablecoin backed by offshore Chinese yuan. Still, the stablecoin aims to serve offshore Chinese entities and countries involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, not the mainland.
In late September, a regulated stablecoin tied to the international version of the Chinese yuan launched. Still, this product was also intended for foreign exchange markets and was launched at the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, signalling a similar target market.
A recent analysis suggested that we should not expect Chinese stablecoins to be allowed to circulate in the mainland. Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, said, “China is unlikely to issue stablecoins onshore.”
Opinion by: Lennix Lai, global chief commercial officer of OKX
More than three years after FTX’s collapse, the crypto industry must not forget that trust in our system depends on verifiable transparency. Arguably, that lesson matters more now than ever as we experience a period of volatility.
The idea behind proof of reserves (PoR) is simple yet powerful. Through transparent, onchain audits, exchanges can demonstrate that every customer balance is backed one-to-one by assets held in reserve. In the aftermath of FTX, PoR became a lifeline — a tangible way to prove that the industry was taking real steps to overcome its “Wild West” reputation.
As the market remains relatively optimistic, we have a real opportunity to make transparency the industry standard rather than the exception. Independent market analyses show that while a handful of major exchanges continue to publish monthly PoR attestations, others vary in cadence or omit such disclosures entirely. History reminds us that bull markets have a way of testing our discipline — this is our moment to prove that crypto has moved beyond its “Wild West” origins.
The “flash crash” in October, which wiped out nearly $20 billion in leveraged positions, highlighted both the risks inherent in crypto and the resilience of transparent systems. The drop in open interest across perpetual decentralized exchanges told the story of leverage getting wiped out.
Source: DefiLlama
When prices spike and liquidity floods the market, discipline tends to give way to euphoria. Yet the lesson of 2022 remains unchanged: Transparency cannot be seasonal or optional. It must be constant, verifiable and built into the core of how the crypto industry operates.
Three years post-FTX, coincides with the third anniversary of PoR programs at major exchanges, which launched monthly attestations in response to the crisis. These attestations collectively account for tens of billions of dollars in customer assets, with overcollateralization across the most highly traded cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Tether’s USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC).
Yet public attention to PoR remains inconsistent. Recent data shows that while public interest in PoR is fading from daily conversation, it resurfaces whenever transparency becomes a systemic concern. Google Trends recorded a brief spike in searches for “Proof of Reserves” in August 2025, surpassing even the first major surge post-FTX collapse.
That renewed attention coincided with major policy milestones centered on solvency and disclosure, including the CLARITY and GENIUS Acts passed in July 2025. These laws introduced one-to-one reserve-backing requirements for payment stablecoins and mandated monthly audited attestations — the first federal-level standards that mirror the essence of proof of reserves. These policy milestones show the direction is set; now it’s up to exchanges to lead rather than follow.
The industry’s need for transparency extends beyond PoR. Recent headlines around opaque exchange listing practices — where projects face unclear demands for fees or token allocations — highlight this broader need for accountability. While distinct from proof of reserves, these issues underscore how a lack of transparent standards erodes confidence across the board. PoR, with its cryptographic proofs and independent audits, ensures customer funds remain secure and accessible through mathematically verifiable systems, and that same approach should extend to every aspect of exchange operations.
Credible PoR frameworks rely on technologies, like zk-STARK zero-knowledge proofs and Merkle trees, enabling anyone to verify reserves while keeping their personal data private. The goal is simple: to give customers confidence that their assets are entirely theirs and fully withdrawable. That is the essence of accountability.
The strength of crypto depends on trust, and trust can’t exist without transparency. Every exchange has an opportunity to commit to provable solvency standards, backed by independent audits and open‑source data. Customers, too, can take an active role in examining the facts instead of relying on assumptions — the tools and information are increasingly available.
Transparency alone isn’t enough. To grow sustainably, exchanges must integrate with traditional finance. Leading exchanges are already building these bridges; some have partnered with global systemically important banks to offer institutional-grade custody alongside exchange trading. Others are hiring hundreds of compliance, risk and law enforcement response experts to meet the standards of regulated finance.
We must challenge the crypto industry’s Wild West image.That means not just building bridges to regulated finance but also remembering what we learned during bear markets.
Everyone in this industry has a responsibility to strengthen their systems and take meaningful steps toward greater accountability and integration with the wider, regulated financial world.
Opinion by: Lennix Lai, global chief commercial officer of OKX.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
AAVE price prediction targets $226-246 recovery within 4-6 weeks as technical indicators suggest oversold bounce potential despite current bearish momentum at $183.86.
Aave’s price action presents a compelling technical setup for a potential recovery rally despite the recent 13.74% daily decline. Our comprehensive AAVE price prediction analysis suggests the DeFi protocol’s token is approaching oversold levels that historically precede meaningful rebounds.
AAVE Price Prediction Summary
• AAVE short-term target (1 week): $205-215 (+11-17%)
• Aave medium-term forecast (1 month): $226-246 range (+23-34%)
• Key level to break for bullish continuation: $249.00
• Critical support if bearish: $176.71
Recent Aave Price Predictions from Analysts
The analyst community shows cautious optimism in their latest Aave forecast despite current market turbulence. CoinCodex maintains the most bullish AAVE price prediction with a $226.07 target by November 18, representing a potential 17.08% gain from current levels. This aligns closely with Blockchain.News and ABC Money’s $246 price target, supported by strong fundamental metrics including Aave’s $25 billion Total Value Locked.
However, FX Leaders presents a more conservative near-term outlook with targets of $199.50 daily and $205.00 weekly, reflecting the current technical uncertainty. The Market Periodical’s identification of a weekly TD Sequential ‘9’ buy signal adds credibility to the bullish case, suggesting institutional accumulation despite retail selling pressure.
The consensus among analysts points toward a recovery scenario, though timeframes vary from immediate (5 days) to extended (4-6 weeks).
AAVE Technical Analysis: Setting Up for Oversold Bounce
Current Aave technical analysis reveals a classic oversold setup that often precedes significant rebounds. With AAVE trading at $183.86, the token sits just above the lower Bollinger Band at $181.38, indicating extreme selling pressure that’s reaching exhaustion levels.
The RSI reading of 37.91 approaches oversold territory, while the Stochastic %K at 11.85 confirms selling momentum is overdone. Most telling is AAVE’s position relative to key moving averages – trading 48.61% below its 52-week high of $357.78 creates substantial recovery potential.
The MACD histogram at -0.2490 shows bearish momentum is slowing, though it hasn’t yet crossed into positive territory. Volume analysis from the $76.1 million in 24-hour trading suggests institutional interest remains despite retail capitulation.
AAVE’s distance from the SMA 20 at $213.20 represents a 16% gap that typically gets filled during relief rallies, supporting our initial AAVE price target of $205-215.
Aave Price Targets: Bull and Bear Scenarios
Bullish Case for AAVE
The primary bullish Aave forecast centers on a multi-stage recovery beginning with a test of the $205-215 resistance zone (7-day and 12-day EMAs). Breaking above $215 with volume would target the 20-day SMA at $213.20, followed by the critical $249 resistance level.
A sustained break above $249 opens the path to analyst targets of $246-302, with the upper Bollinger Band at $245 serving as an intermediate target. The strongest bullish scenario sees AAVE price prediction reaching $340-370 if the protocol’s fundamental growth continues supporting price appreciation.
Technical confirmation would require RSI breaking above 50 and MACD crossing into positive territory, both achievable within 2-3 weeks given current oversold conditions.
Bearish Risk for Aave
The primary risk to our optimistic AAVE price prediction lies in a break below the $176.71 immediate support level. Such a breakdown would target the pivot point at $193.63, though this seems unlikely given current fundamental strength.
A more severe bearish scenario could see AAVE testing the $125.30 yearly low if broader crypto markets experience significant selling pressure. However, the protocol’s strong TVL growth and revenue metrics provide substantial downside protection.
Critical warning signs would include RSI breaking below 30 and daily volume exceeding $150 million on downside moves, suggesting institutional distribution rather than retail capitulation.
Should You Buy AAVE Now? Entry Strategy
Current levels present an attractive entry opportunity for the patient investor willing to buy or sell AAVE based on technical merit. Primary entry zones exist between $180-190, with the strongest support at $176.71 offering maximum risk-reward potential.
Conservative traders should wait for confirmation above $200 before establishing positions, while aggressive buyers can accumulate on any test of the $176-180 support zone. Position sizing should reflect the high volatility environment, with stop-losses placed below $170 to limit downside risk.
The optimal entry strategy involves scaling into positions over 1-2 weeks, taking advantage of any additional weakness while maintaining dry powder for a potential breakdown scenario.
AAVE Price Prediction Conclusion
Our comprehensive analysis supports a medium-confidence AAVE price prediction targeting $226-246 within 4-6 weeks, representing 23-34% upside potential from current levels. The confluence of oversold technical conditions, strong fundamental metrics, and analyst consensus creates a compelling setup for patient investors.
Key indicators to monitor include RSI crossing above 45 (bullish confirmation) and daily closing prices above $200 (trend reversal signal). Invalidation of this prediction would require a sustained break below $176.71 with high volume.
The timeline for this Aave forecast extends through December 2025, with initial confirmation signals expected within 7-10 trading days. Investors should remain flexible as cryptocurrency markets can shift rapidly, but current risk-reward dynamics favor the bullish scenario over bearish alternatives.
