SourcedBlock

MSCI's new index rules could push Strategy and other crypto treasury firms out, with a final list due Nov. 11

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 22:15:56 GMT

Index provider MSCI has finalized rules for what it calls non-operating companies, a change that could remove Strategy and other crypto treasury firms from its indexes, The Block reported.

The Block named Strategy, Metaplanet and SharpLink as companies that could be excluded, while Cointelegraph said Strategy, Metaplanet and Upexi had previously been identified for deletion under the methodology.

Both outlets said MSCI will announce its final list of affected firms on Nov. 11.

The two reports differ on which other companies are at risk, so we'll update this story once MSCI publishes its list.

Sources: The Block · Cointelegraph

Bitcoin dips below $80,000 as hot U.S. inflation data revives Fed rate-hike bets

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:48:42 GMT

Bitcoin fell after back-to-back hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation reports this week and briefly slipped below $80,000 on Oct. 15, according to Bitcoin Magazine and Cointelegraph.

Decrypt reported that September CPI came in at 3.7%, above forecasts, and CoinDesk said the data could put multiple Federal Reserve rate hikes back into play.

A day later, September producer prices beat expectations by 100 basis points, the largest monthly gain since March 2022, Cointelegraph reported.

CoinDesk and Decrypt each reported that nearly $1 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, with CoinDesk saying ether made up nearly 60% of forced closures across the two largest cryptocurrencies.

Decrypt said odds of an October Fed hike rose to 29% from 18% a week earlier, while CoinDesk reported that bitcoin later bounced back to $82,000.

Sources: CoinDesk · Decrypt · The Block · CoinDesk · CoinDesk · Decrypt · Cointelegraph · Decrypt · Bitcoin Magazine

Starknet asks STRK holders whether to research leaving Ethereum for its own post-quantum chain

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:22:00 GMT

Starknet opened a seven-day poll on Thursday, Oct. 15, asking STRK holders whether it should research an independent post-quantum layer-1 blockchain, The Block reported.

Cointelegraph said the idea is to reduce Starknet's dependence on the timeline for Ethereum's own quantum-security upgrade.

Both outlets describe the vote as a question of exploring or researching the option, not an immediate move off Ethereum.

Sources: Cointelegraph · The Block

Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI knock 241 crypto scam sites offline in a case targeting Russian speakers

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:01:21 GMT

Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI seized 112 servers and shut down 241 websites tied to crypto investment scams aimed at Russian-speaking Americans, Cointelegraph reported.

CoinDesk said the scheme allegedly stole tens of millions of dollars using Russian-language Facebook ads and fake advisers.

According to Decrypt and CoinDesk, the operators later went after victims again with a fake recovery service that promised to get their stolen crypto back.

Bitcoin Magazine called it one of the largest cyber takedowns ever carried out by a local prosecutor.

Sources: Cointelegraph · Decrypt · CoinDesk · Bitcoin Magazine

Patrick Witt leaves the White House crypto post, leaving the digital assets office vacant

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 20:30:15 GMT

Patrick Witt has stepped down as the Trump administration's top crypto adviser, The Block and Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 14 and 15.

Cointelegraph said his exit leaves a leadership gap at the White House Crypto Council and is the fourth high-profile departure from the advisory group.

CoinDesk reported that the move leaves the digital assets office vacant and its policy aims uncertain, and The Block noted that it comes as the Clarity Act stalls.

The reports we reviewed did not name a successor.

Sources: The Block · Cointelegraph · CoinDesk

HEX founder Richard Heart reportedly detained in Istanbul as HEX token falls 30%

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:03:20 GMT

Richard Heart, the founder of HEX and PulseChain, has been detained in Istanbul, according to Turkish media reports cited by Decrypt, The Block and CoinDesk.

Decrypt said the detention was reportedly tied to an Interpol Red Notice, and The Block and CoinDesk cited reports that police seized $4 million in cash and 64 watches; Decrypt also listed phones, jewelry and firearms.

At the time of The Block's Oct. 14 report, police had not confirmed the detention.

Cointelegraph, which identified him as Richard Schueler, reported that HEX dropped 30% after the news, with sellers erasing $160 million, nearly two years after Interpol issued the Red Notice.

Sources: Decrypt · The Block · CoinDesk · Cointelegraph

Chainalysis: AI agents made 138 million crypto payments in a year, most of them tiny

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:35:36 GMT

Payments made by AI agents through Coinbase's x402 protocol jumped from about 1,500 in mid-2025 to more than 138 million by the third quarter of 2026, according to Chainalysis research reported by Decrypt and CoinDesk.

Decrypt reported that most of those payments were tiny.

CoinDesk said U.S.-linked wallets accounted for just over 88% of tracked payments for AI models, compared with a 0.1% share for China.

The figures come from Chainalysis; we haven't independently reviewed the report.

Sources: CoinDesk · Decrypt

Strive adds to its bitcoin stash, with reports citing $280 million and $235 million purchases

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:15:05 GMT

Nasdaq-listed asset manager Strive has been buying more bitcoin, Decrypt and The Block reported, though the two outlets cite different figures.

Decrypt reported on Oct. 13 that Strive bought $280 million of bitcoin at an average of about $84,500, its largest purchase in months, lifting its holdings to 32,773 BTC.

The Block reported on Oct. 14 that Strive acquired 2,822 bitcoin for $235 million after raising $369.2 million in gross proceeds from warrant exercises.

The reports we reviewed don't make clear whether they describe one purchase or two, so we're giving each outlet's numbers as stated.

Sources: Decrypt · The Block

Tampered Ledger wallets sold through resellers leaked recovery phrases, and Ledger and Trezor are tightening sales

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:14:50 GMT

Ledger confirmed that wallets sold by a Southeast Asian retailer carried a hidden implant that sent out users' recovery phrases, Decrypt reported on Oct. 13.

Decrypt later reported that Ledger asked resellers in seven Asian markets to pull devices after a suspected $86 million drain, and that European electronics chain MediaMarkt Saturn halted Ledger sales after a customer in Germany reported finding an implant.

Rival Trezor is ending reseller authorizations on Jan. 1, 2027, according to Decrypt.

Bitcoin Magazine reported that Ledger released a statement describing a “sophisticated” supply chain attack by an organized crime group that spent millions targeting hardware wallet users.

Separately, Cointelegraph reported that a scammer lost $4.8 million in stolen funds that had been stored on tampered Ledgers.

Sources: Decrypt · Decrypt · Bitcoin Magazine · Cointelegraph

Russia will ban direct peer-to-peer crypto trading from July 2027

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:22:43 GMT

Russia plans to ban direct peer-to-peer crypto trades starting July 1, 2027, Cointelegraph and Decrypt reported.

Decrypt, which said the Bank of Russia confirmed the plan, reported that after that date every trade will have to go through a broker or exchange approved by the central bank.

Cointelegraph noted that separate rules already prohibit transfers from digital accounts to self-custody wallets.

The news came a day after Decrypt and Bitcoin Magazine reported that the central bank cleared Sberbank to offer crypto exchange services.

Sources: Cointelegraph · Decrypt

Mastercard and BVNK launch a platform to hold and spend fiat and stablecoins in one place

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:46:05 GMT

Mastercard and BVNK have launched a Global Money Platform that lets banks, fintechs and enterprises hold, convert and spend both fiat money and stablecoins through a single API, Decrypt reported.

It is the first major integration since Mastercard acquired BVNK, a deal Decrypt valued at $1.8 billion and Cointelegraph said took place in August.

Cointelegraph reported that Nuvei and Marqeta are among the first companies to adopt the platform, and Decrypt said support for agentic commerce is planned.

Sources: Cointelegraph · Decrypt

Ledger unveils Atom, an $849 Android device with a protected crypto mode, due in 2027

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Hardware wallet maker Ledger has announced Atom, an Android-based device that pairs everyday smartphone apps with a protected mode for managing digital assets, CoinDesk, Decrypt, The Block and Cointelegraph reported.

Cointelegraph said Atom will cost $849 and is expected to ship in summer 2027, and Decrypt said it will be sold only on Ledger's own website.

The Block reported that it includes Solana Mobile integration, controls for AI agents and hardware-tampering protections, while CoinDesk said it will run apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram.

The launch comes as Ledger investigates tampered wallets resold in Asia, which several of the outlets tied to the device's anti-tamper features.

Sources: CoinDesk · The Block · Cointelegraph · Decrypt

EU regulators label Circle's USDC the first 'significant' e-money token under MiCA

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:03:52 GMT

The European Banking Authority has classified Circle's USDC as a “significant” e-money token under the EU's MiCA rules, according to Cointelegraph and The Block, which said it is the first token to get that label.

Cointelegraph said the classification means USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market cap, will be overseen by French and EU authorities.

The Block reported that the new supervisory responsibilities begin Nov. 12.

Sources: Cointelegraph · The Block

Australia's ASIC proposes capital, custody and trading rules for crypto platforms ahead of licensing

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:00:40 GMT

Australia's securities regulator, ASIC, has proposed tougher rules for crypto platforms and is seeking public feedback, CoinDesk and Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 15.

Cointelegraph said the proposals cover capital, custody and trading standards and follow Parliament's passage of digital asset legislation in April.

CoinDesk said the rules are meant to protect users' digital assets and trading and to safeguard financial stability ahead of a licensing deadline, which Cointelegraph described as a 2027 rollout.

Sources: Cointelegraph · CoinDesk

Binance shuts down its bitcoin mining pool after six years, and miners must move by Nov. 10

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:16:03 GMT

Binance is discontinuing Binance Pool, Pool Savings, Cloud Mining and related services, Decrypt reported, calling it a retreat from mining infrastructure after six years.

CoinDesk reported that the hashrate pointed at Binance Pool has fallen from 26 EH/s in December to about 9 EH/s, and that the pool once handled 2.3% of the network.

Remaining miners have to choose another provider before a Nov. 10 cutoff, according to CoinDesk.

Sources: Decrypt · CoinDesk

Bank of Russia clears Sberbank to exchange and hold crypto, with products due in December

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:46:03 GMT

Russia's central bank has authorized Sberbank, the country's biggest bank, to exchange cryptocurrencies, Decrypt and Bitcoin Magazine reported on Oct. 14.

Decrypt said Sberbank now holds both custody and exchange status under Russia's new crypto law and plans to bring Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT to apps used by 110 million retail clients.

Bitcoin Magazine reported that the bank will debut its bitcoin-related products in December.

Sources: Decrypt · Bitcoin Magazine

Kraken owner Payward agrees to buy Lithuania's Saldo Bank to offer deposits and lending in the EU

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:21:34 GMT

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has agreed to buy Lithuania's Saldo Bank, CoinDesk and Decrypt reported on Oct. 14.

CoinDesk said the bank holds $190 million in total assets and that the deal gives Payward an EU license for deposits and lending, making it the first crypto firm to buy an EU bank.

Decrypt reported that co-CEO Arjun Sethi said customers want cash, crypto, tokenized stocks and credit in one place, starting with lending and cards.

Sources: Decrypt · CoinDesk