Crypto digest — October 18, 2026
Industry news: 34 · Sources: 5. Every story links to the original article.
Key points
- ·Just 659? Shiba Inu L2 Transaction Hits Monthly Low as Activity DropsU.Today
- ·Saylor Teases More Bitcoin Purchases to Expand Strategy's 848,250 BTC HoardU.Today
- ·Bitcoin ETFs Shed Nearly $1 Billion in Two Weeks as Uptober Stays RedDecrypt
- ·Stablecoin supply stalls, but payments jump 45% as Visa, Mastercard and Stripe connect crypto to cashCoinDesk
- ·Crypto audits give investors false sense of security as Q3 hacks cost $1.18 billion, Hacken saysCoinDesk
BNB1
- Crypto exchanges Binance, Coinbase join West Africa scam sweep that flagged $11 million
Private-sector partners flagged $11 million in funds that could be frozen, while officials reported cryptocurrency seizures without disclosing their value.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
ETH3
- Just 659? Shiba Inu L2 Transaction Hits Monthly Low as Activity Drops
Shibarium, the layer-2 network associated with Shiba Inu, sees a slowdown in transaction activity, with daily transactions hitting a monthly low.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Ethereum Eyes Massive 3.3x Gas Limit Boost as Glamsterdam Approaches
Ethereum set to unlock new gas limit era as Glamsterdam upgrade enters final mile.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Tether backs AIsa as strategic investor, completing seed extension round
The round brings AIsa’s total funding to more than $9 million.
2026-10-18via Cointelegraph
More30
- Four Days Left: XRP Ledger Key Fix Upgrade Eyes October Activation
October continues to be a busy month for the XRP Ledger and the Ripple ecosystem.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- XRP Holders, Beware: Scammers Are Stealing Bank Names
As Ripple tests RLUSD with banks, fraud networks are spoofing brand names to steal XRP.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Saylor Teases More Bitcoin Purchases to Expand Strategy's 848,250 BTC Hoard
Michaels Saylor teases more Bitcoin buys for Strategy’s $69 billion BTC hoard via a fresh ‘orange’ chart update.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Bitcoin ETFs Shed Nearly $1 Billion in Two Weeks as Uptober Stays Red
Bitcoin ETFs lost a net $228.6 million this week, following a $681.1 million drain the week before and pushing October deep into the red.
2026-10-18via Decrypt
- Stablecoin supply stalls, but payments jump 45% as Visa, Mastercard and Stripe connect crypto to cash
Analytics firm Allium said stablecoin payments hit $482 billion this year so far, up 45%, as card spending surges and global payment firms add crypto rails.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- Most Americans polled oppose betting on elections: Reuters
The prediction market industry enables people to bet on US elections and sporting events.
2026-10-18via Cointelegraph
- Banks Hold a Lever Over Stablecoin Adoption, BIS Economists Say
A Bank for International Settlements working paper found that stablecoin growth slows when U. S. banks raise deposit rates, with Circle’s USDC most sensitive.
2026-10-18via Decrypt
- Crypto audits give investors false sense of security as Q3 hacks cost $1.18 billion, Hacken says
The security firm found that 77% of third-quarter losses involved compromised suppliers, delayed fixes or systems outside the latest security reviews.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- Bitcoin’s $100,000 year-end hope divides analysts as inflation clouds outlook
Bitwise sees a potential return above $100,000, while LO:TECH expects a narrower trading range as interest-rate uncertainty weighs on the market.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- 'We're Early': Creator of First XRP NFTs Points to Bull Run Everyone Missed
XRP pioneer Kaj Leroy reveals why the crypto market is quietly swapping digital NFTs for physical trading cards.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Shiba Inu (SHIB) Spot Flows Skyrocket 215% in 8 Hours: 3 Key Price Signals to Watch
Shiba Inu spot flows are rising rapidly, but it might be a short-term injection rather than a trend change.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- XRP Ledger Payments Volume Crashes 72%: Is This a Warning Sign for XRP?
XRP's market positioning isn't ideal and the volume crash on the network certainly isn't helping.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Stellar (XLM) Slated for 2027 as DTCC Unlocks $30 Trillion Tokenization Market
DTCC goes live with $30 trillion in tokenized assets this month, keeping Stellar on the calendar for its official 2027 rollout.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Monero (XMR) Rally Gains Momentum: Is a Bigger Breakout on the Horizon?
Monero's price surge isn't a fluke, as decreasing exchange liquidity will be pushing scarcity higher and higher.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Cysic crypto bridge halted after unauthorized mint of 10M CYS
Cysic said the incident was limited to bridge message processing and minting and did not affect the mainnet or other operational systems.
2026-10-18via Cointelegraph
- SEC Chair Atkins Reaffirms Push for Comprehensive Crypto Rules
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has reaffirmed the agency's commitment to establishing comprehensive crypto regulations despite legislative setbacks and leadership cha…
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Chinese suspect in $75M international crime network arrested in Bangkok
Police alleged the suspect was involved in cryptocurrency and foreign-currency exchanges for criminal groups across more than 133 accounts.
2026-10-18via Cointelegraph
- Cardano Founder Developing New Programming Language
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has revealed that he is personally developing a new programming language for the blockchain.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Chip-stock bets lost $52 million in 10 minutes with Wall Street shut
A 10-minute flush hit round-the-clock chip-stock contracts while U. S. markets were shut, leaving traders with no real share price to lean on.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- Ripple's Head of Engineering Reacts to AI Solving Decades-Old Cryptography Mystery
Ripple's head of engineering has reacted to an AI breakthrough that solved a 25-year-old cryptography mystery, shedding new light on longstanding concerns about…
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Dogecoin Volume Drops 50% in Quiet Weekend Trade Amid Market Selloff
The drop in volume highlights quieter trading environment, with the market now watching for what comes next.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Circle defends USDC economics as stablecoin rivals court its partners with bigger cut
Coinbase, Circle’s largest USDC partner, also backs Open USD, a rival network that passes reserve income to partners after a management fee.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- Almost 86 Trillion SHIB: Shiba Inu Eyes Key Support Threshold
Shiba Inu's exchange supply is headed to exiting the 87 trillion SHIB zone as netflow shows that bullish traders are gradually taking over the market.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- CoreWeave, Broadcom, Verizon among nine companies objecting to tokenized trading of their shares on OKXICE
Applied Optoelectronics told the WSJ it objected because it was unsure how tokenization would affect its stock price, liquidity and volatility.
2026-10-18via The Block
- Turkey confirms Hex founder Richard Heart’s arrest, says police seized $7.15 million and six cold wallets
Police reportedly seized $7.15 million in cash, six cold wallets, seven firearms and 1,400 rounds of ammunition in searches of 15 addresses.
2026-10-18via The Block
- Crypto Super PAC Fairshake Pours Millions More Into Defeating Sherrod Brown
An FEC filing shows the Fairshake affiliate Defend American Jobs disclosed roughly $7 million more in ads against the Ohio Democrat, pushing its total past $46…
2026-10-18via Decrypt
- Goldman, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley see tokenization as a growth play, not a threat
The largest banks in the world are eyeing new trading opportunities, speeding up payments and a role for advisers as tokenization takes root in Wall Street.
2026-10-18via CoinDesk
- 'Checkmate Satoshi?' Adam Back Reacts to Ledger Cofounder's Take on AI's ECDSA Findings
Claude reveals ECDSA curve origins, solving 26 year old cryptography mystery.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Bitwise Holds Over Half a Billion XRP
Bitwise now owns over half a billion dollars worth of XRP through its XRP ETF, establishing its dominance in the industry over other existing XRP funds.
2026-10-18via U.Today
- Crypto Firms Launch Quantum Alliance as 6 Million Bitcoin Sit Exposed
The nine-member group, modeled on the Internet Engineering Task Force, aims to set open standards for testing quantum-resistance claims as forecasts place the f…
2026-10-18via Decrypt
Sources
U.Today 17CoinDesk 7Decrypt 4Cointelegraph 4The Block 2