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Key Takeaways

Elizabeth Warren is expected to chair the Senate Banking Committee in January, potentially bringing tougher scrutiny of crypto’s expansion into finance.
ChartNerd challenged XRP’s $750 and $1,000 forecasts in an X exchange involving Dom Kwok and Jacob Metzger.
A $750 XRP price would imply approximately $75 trillion in fully diluted value.

XRP’s enormous price forecasts are facing fresh questions as Elizabeth Warren emerges as the expected next chair of the Senate Banking Committee, potentially giving one of crypto’s toughest critics greater influence over its Washington agenda.

The prospect comes as an argument over $750 and $1,000 XRP targets spills across X, with supporters and skeptics clashing over how much evidence should accompany public predictions.

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Warren Could Put Crypto’s Banking Ambitions Under Scrutiny

Warren is expected to take the gavel of the Senate Banking Committee in January 2027 following Democrats’ midterm victories, according to recent reports.

The position would give her greater influence over hearings and financial legislation, as crypto businesses desperately seek regulation with banks.

However, Warren has been a staunch defender of the crypto industry, arguing for tougher regulations.

In September remarks opposing the CLARITY Act, Warren said:

“We need crypto regulation — but not a crypto bill written by the crypto industry”

She argued that the legislation endangered families and national security while failing to address President Donald Trump’s financial interests in the sector.

Warren has also questioned the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s approval of national trust charters for crypto companies, challenging whether applicants qualify under banking law.

ChartNerd Challenges $750 XRP Call

The political uncertainty arrives alongside a public dispute over the scale and timing of XRP forecasts.

In a Nov. 5 X exchange, technical analyst ChartNerd called out Jake Claver’s massive $750 by the end of the year and EasyA co-founder Dom Kwok’s $1000 call by 2030:

“Hey @beyond_broke, are we still on track for $750 $XRP by end of year? Hey @dom_kwok, are we still on track for $1000 $XRP by 2030? Asking for a friend.”

Kwok replied:

“If you can’t see it, it’s not my duty to convince you”

if you can’t see it, it’s not my duty to convince you

— Dom Kwok | EasyA (@dom_kwok) November 5, 2026

ChartNerd then argued that supporting XRP did not require accepting every bullish forecast.

“Public predictions will inevitably invite public scrutiny,” he wrote in the follow-up post.

“Nothing personal btw, we can be bullish and still demand evidence.”

In another visible reply, he said expectations needed balance:

“The boys do great work, I just disagree with their price calls, and feel the table needs some balance to cool down expectations to avoid disappointment.”

Jacob Metzger seemingly backed Kwok’s response with the single-word endorsement “Bingo.”

Jake Claver’s ‘Serious’ $750 XRP Price

Jake Claver previously predicted XRP will trade above $750 before the end of 2026, outlining a series of events he believes could transform demand for the token.

Asked how he expected the financial system to look on Dec. 31, Claver anticipated a BlackRock XRP ETF, the unwinding of a reverse carry trade, and XRP being used to settle stock market transactions.

“I think XRP will be higher than 750 bucks on the day that you’re talking about,” he said.

His argument centers on a “domino theory” involving Japanese capital flows, institutional liquidity, and the tokenization of traditional financial markets.

Claver believes Japanese investors bringing capital home could also trigger a liquidity rotation, initially lifting stocks and crypto before money concentrates in a smaller group of surviving digital assets.

Serious.
I have a public bet on it

— Jake Claver, QFOP (@beyond_broke) September 1, 2026

Claver also identified circumstances that would make him reconsider.

If a BlackRock XRP ETF launched and the reverse carry trade unwound without XRP repricing, he said his thesis would need to be reassessed.

Despite criticism, he has maintained his conviction. Asked on Sept. 1 whether he was being a “shock jock” or was serious, Claver responded:

“Serious. I have a public bet on it.”

CCN previously covered Claver’s much larger $10,000 prediction for late 2026 or early 2027, following his missed $100 target for 2025.

What Would XRP Need To Do?

Based on the $1.19 price shown in ChartNerd’s screenshot, XRP would need to rise by around 62,925%, reaching roughly 630 times that reference price.

At $750, XRP’s original maximum supply of 100 billion tokens would imply approximately $75 trillion in fully diluted value.

For perspective, that would be roughly 17 times Nvidia’s $4.39 trillion market capitalization as of Nov. 5.

It would also exceed twice the value of all above-ground gold, which the World Gold Council estimated at approximately $31 trillion at the end of 2025.

To achieve Claver’s goal, XRP would need to rise 62,925% from $1.19 in less than two months.

Ripple’s Institutional Growth Faces a Different Test

Ripple’s recent expansion provides evidence of institutional interest, but translating that growth into demand for XRP remains a separate question.

As CCN previously reported, Aviva Investors launched a tokenized share class of its approximately £22 billion Sterling Liquidity Fund on the XRP Ledger.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s UK and Europe managing director, Cassie Craddock, described the company’s London office as “over capacity”, reporting stronger engagement from British institutions after years of hesitation.

While these developments support the argument that financial firms are exploring Ripple’s services, they do not show how demand is translating into XRP.

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Key Takeaways

Vitalik Buterin suggested regulators could impose tougher accountability when stolen crypto reaches North Korea.
Binance says it will absorb losses from its approximately $6.34 billion breach.
Replacing customer assets and recovering funds from attackers remain separate challenges.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised the prospect of tougher consequences for crypto companies whose security failures allow stolen funds to reach North Korea.

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Vitalik Buterin Compares Hacks to ‘Donating to North Korea’

In a Nov. 4 interview with Moneycontrol, Buterin suggested persistent hacking could push regulators to demand more conservative security practices.

Describing an extreme scenario in which stolen funds reach North Korea, he said: “They should treat that as donating to North Korea.”

“Things are going to move in that direction in terms of pushing people to take things more seriously. Everyone is adapting now,” he said.

He also distinguished the security of blockchain applications from the infrastructure surrounding them.

In his assessment, recent major attacks have increasingly targeted user interfaces and centralized components, even as smart-contract security has improved.

Buterin said companies were recognizing that their immediate responsibility was:

“not to win but to survive”

He expects exchanges and institutions to adopt a defensive approach he called “bunker mode,” in which they prioritize resilience against attacks.

His recommendations included multisignature wallets and more deliberate questioning of security arrangements.

Binance’s Repayment Pledge Addresses Customer Losses

The comments follow the Oct. 29 Binance breach, which the exchange estimates affected approximately $6.34 billion in digital assets.

In its Nov. 3 investigation update, Binance said it would absorb “the financial impact of the stolen funds, not our users.”

The company said it had allocated more than enough funding to cover the loss and had replenished 98% of affected token assets as of Oct. 31.

It also reported approximately $2.85 billion in frozen or intercepted assets, subject to reconciliation and market-price changes.

“In the long term, the only solution is that we do have to make things actually secure,” Buterin added.

“The challenge is the set of things that you can do securely keeps going up and up.”

FBI Links North Korea

The North Korean connection extends beyond Buterin’s hypothetical comparison.

In an Oct. 31 alert, the FBI attributed the Binance theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation.

The agency said investigators had observed stolen assets being converted primarily into Ethereum.

It urged exchanges and other service providers to block transactions associated with identified attacker addresses.

“If you have any information to provide, please contact your local FBI field office or FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center,” the report said.

Vitalik Buterin Sees Security Test Beyond Wallet Balances

Buterin also argued that recent major breaches have increasingly targeted interfaces and centralized infrastructure.

To combat this, he recommended multisignature wallets and greater scrutiny of security arrangements.

TRM Labs’ analysis of the Binance attack highlighted the importance of authorization controls, as the firm traced unauthorized transfers across ten blockchains.

On Ethereum, attackers used pre-signed EIP-7702 authorizations to make a hot wallet execute malicious instructions.

Transfers on other networks used conventional signatures, leading TRM to assess that Binance’s wallet-signing infrastructure had been compromised.

Binance announced it had rebuilt systems along the attack path and strengthened device controls.

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Key Takeaways

Ripple’s London office now occupies three full floors, according to UK and Europe managing director Cassie Craddock.
Craddock says UK institutions are beginning to engage after regulatory uncertainty previously held them back.
Aviva’s £50 million investment in tokenized fund shares provides a concrete example.

Ripple’s London office is “over capacity” as British financial institutions begin warming to blockchain services after years of hesitation, according to its UK and Europe managing director, Cassie Craddock.

The new development comes ahead of the UK’s broader crypto regulatory regime, expected to take effect in October 2027, raising questions of whether growing institutional interest will translate into new business.

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Ripple’s London Office Fills Three Floors

In a Nov. 4 post on X, Craddock described London as Ripple’s largest office hub outside the US.

The company took its current office in 2018, initially occupying two floors with unused desks. It now occupies three.

“Today it is three floors, every desk is full and we are over capacity,” Craddock wrote.

Had the pleasure of joining a fireside chat at the British Residence in New York last week, on the sidelines of Swell, talking about the UK’s role in the future of financial services. TLDR: it's going to be huge.

Not many people know that our London HQ is Ripple's largest office… pic.twitter.com/oaWFMLsvmz

— Cassie Craddock (@CraddockCJ) November 4, 2026

Her comments followed a fireside discussion at the British Residence in New York, held alongside Ripple’s Swell conference.

Craddock attributed Ripple’s early commitment to London to its capital markets, legal infrastructure and financial talent.

Craddock Says UK Institutions Are Beginning to Engage

Craddock’s went on to discuss the difference between Ripple’s European and British business opportunities.

She said Ripple had been signing agreements with major banks across the EU following the introduction of its Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, while large UK institutions remained hesitant.

“But regulation was the missing piece,” she wrote.

Now, however, she said “that has changed.”

Craddock said engagement from leading UK financial institutions was becoming more meaningful.

Ripple already holds specific UK permissions.

In its Jan. 9 announcement, the company said it had secured an Electronic Money Institution license and cryptoasset registration from the Financial Conduct Authority, enabling expansion of its licensed payments offering.

Aviva’s £50M Investment Gives Ripple a Concrete UK Use Case

Craddock pointed to Aviva Investors’ latest launch as evidence that institutional engagement is translating into products with capital committed.

On Oct. 26, Aviva Investors announced a tokenized share class for its Sterling Liquidity Fund on the XRP Ledger.

Aviva allocated £50 million to the new sterling share class, taking the amount invested across its sterling and US dollar tokenized offerings to more than £86 million ($116 million). The dollar product launched in July.

Aviva Investors CEO Mark Versey said:

“We believe tokenized funds can increase efficiency and ultimately lead to improved client outcomes.”

The sterling fund manages approximately £22 billion ($29.4 billion).

Aviva’s initial £50 million allocation therefore equates to roughly 0.23% of the fund’s assets.

As CCN previously explained, the offering uses a “digital twin” structure, where blockchain tokens represent ownership in an existing fund.

Eligible investors gain a blockchain-based way to hold fund shares, with the same investment objectives, risk profile and regulatory protections as the conventional offering.

What Ripple’s UK Expansion Means for XRP

For XRP holders, three developments will be watched closely:

Ripple’s corporate growth
Institutional use of the XRP Ledger
Demand for the token itself.

A larger London operation demonstrates Ripple’s commitment to the market, while Aviva’s launch establishes a financial product using XRPL.

However, neither development shows how much XRP participating institutions will acquire or retain.

Aviva’s £50 million investment is also focused on tokenized money market fund shares; it does not relate to any XRP purchases.

Britain Steps Up Its Push for Crypto Business

Ripple’s expansion comes as Britain moves towards a framework intended to attract crypto businesses.

The FCA opened its authorization gateway on Sept. 30, beginning the application process for firms seeking permission to provide services covered by Britain’s incoming crypto rules.

The regulator will assess whether applicants meet standards on protecting customer assets, preventing market abuse and maintaining adequate financial resources.

Firms must secure the relevant permissions to carry out those activities once the new regime takes effect, expected on Oct. 25, 2027.

The government’s ambitions also extend to tokenized investment products and stablecoin payments — the areas Ripple is targeting through its institutional services.

Speaking at UK Digital Assets Week on Oct. 6, City Minister Lucy Rigby described the challenge as enabling wider commercial adoption.

The Minister said the challenge was no longer proving the technology worked, but enabling wider adoption:

“It is creating the conditions in which markets can adopt it at scale.”

Rigby also highlighted work led by Wholesale Digital Markets Champion Christopher Woolard to address practical barriers to tokenization, as well as reforms to accommodate stablecoins.

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Key Takeaways

Tom Lee says a divided government could protect crypto from restrictive legislation and encourage Democrats to support the industry.
Six of his selected Bitcoin forecasts show two targets reached before their deadlines and four missed.
His earlier $250,000 target for 2026 requires a 212.5% rise from $80,000, with fewer than two months remaining.

Tom Lee sees Donald Trump’s midterm setback as a potential catalyst for crypto markets to surge, arguing that Democrats could become more supportive of the industry after winning control of Congress.

The Fundstrat co-founder’s bullish assessment has renewed attention on his earlier prediction that Bitcoin could reach $250,000 in 2026 — and criticism of his history of failed price calls.

Speaking in several interviews, Lee said Democrats were now pushing crypto legislation and explained why post-election sentiment could benefit the market.

But with fewer than two months remaining this year to reach his $250,000 Bitcoin target, crypto faces a much steeper test.

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Tom Lee Sees Upside in Trump’s Midterm Setback

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 elections, weakening Trump’s ability to advance his legislative agenda.

Lee argued that investors had reasons to welcome the result.

“I know a lot of people thought a blue tsunami might be bad for markets,” he told CNBC.

“But there’s many reasons why this is actually a positive outcome for stocks.”

He suggested that a divided government would encourage negotiations in Washington and could give the Federal Reserve more room to operate independently.

“I think one thing that people haven’t talked enough about is the fact that this might also take pressure off the Fed.”

Turning to crypto, Lee claimed Democrats were changing their approach following the election.

“Crypto’s rallying because, as you know, the Democrats are now pushing crypto legislation, which they opposed just before the midterms.

“Now they want to actually pass crypto legislation.”

Why Lee Thinks Democrats Could Turn Pro-Crypto

In a recent interview with Altcoin Daily before the results, Lee expanded on his reasoning, outlining three reasons why he did not consider that scenario bearish for technology, artificial intelligence, or cryptocurrency.

The first was Trump’s ability to resist legislation targeting those industries.

“Even if the Democrats take the Senate and the House, it doesn’t mean they can actually pass anti-crypto and anti-AI legislation because the president has veto power.”

Lee’s second argument focused on the financial incentives facing lawmakers.

“They’re very likely to flip pro-data center and pro-crypto because now that they control Congress, the money that these data centers bring into the community and the lobbying money that the crypto money would be spending would just go to the Democrats.”

He suggested that investment and political support would encourage a more receptive approach.

“So they’re very likely to support legislation because, one, it brings jobs and money and plus they’re getting political support,” he said.

His third argument was that markets could recover once election uncertainty passed.

“The third reason that I think tech and AI and crypto trade well after midterms is it’s just seasonal,” Lee said.

“These stocks have priced in a lot of bad news and historically markets really rally after midterm elections.”

‘Going Parabolic’ Claim Draws Pushback

Lee shared his recent CNBC interview on X, reposting a message from The Bitcoin Historian claiming that Bitcoin was “going parabolic because Democrats are already flipping pro-crypto.”

“NOTHING STOPS THIS TRAIN,” the account added.

This is correct https://t.co/aWVpIbhOtt

— Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FundstratDirect.com (@fundstrat) November 4, 2026

This led many users to speak out against his past credibility.

“Tom Lee has been wrong over and over again with his predictions. Why would anyone listen at this point,” one wrote.

Another said: “That was funny. Never been right but praying he is this time.”

The criticism puts his earlier Bitcoin forecasts under renewed scrutiny, particularly the $250,000 target he supported for 2026.

As CCN previously reported, Lee confirmed that target during a January appearance on The Master Investor Podcast.

How Many Bitcoin Predictions Has Tom Lee Got Right?

The suggestion that Lee has “never been right” is not correct.

In August 2017, he projected that Bitcoin could reach $6,000 by the middle of 2018. It passed that level in October 2017.

His longer-term forecast of $25,000 by 2022 was also reached ahead of schedule, in December 2020.

However, his predictions became considerably less reliable when he attached ambitious prices to closer deadlines.

The following review covers six of his Bitcoin forecasts.

CCN counted the target as reached if Bitcoin traded at that level before the deadline; it did not have to remain above it.

Forecast	Outcome	Assessment
2017: $6,000 by mid-2018	Bitcoin crossed $6,000 in October 2017.	Reached early
2017: $25,000 by 2022	Bitcoin crossed $25,000 in December 2020.	Reached early
2018: $25,000 by year-end	Bitcoin ended the year around $3,743.	Missed
2021: $100,000 by year-end	Bitcoin peaked below $69,000 and finished around $46,306.	Missed
2024: $150,000 during the year	Bitcoin surpassed $100,000 but did not reach $150,000.	Missed
2025: $250,000 by year-end	Bitcoin peaked around $126,000 and ended around $87,509.	Missed

Lee has had many more predictions than these particular six, but this selection highlights the public losses compared to wins Lee has achieved.

Although Lee has often gotten the direction right, his actual target-hitting is less regular.

This was clear in 2024, when Bitcoin gained approximately 121% that year, but still fell short of his $150,000 forecast.

Can Bitcoin Reach $250,000 Before Year-End?

Lee’s earlier 2026 target would require an extraordinary late-year advance.

Using $80,000 as a round reference price, Bitcoin would need to rise 212.5% to reach $250,000.

Bitcoin target	Required gain from $80,000
$100,000	25%
$125,000	56.3%
$150,000	87.5%
$200,000	150%
$250,000	212.5%

At a circulating supply of 20 million BTC, the top target would imply a market capitalization of around $5 trillion, compared with $1.6 trillion at $80,000.

That would put Bitcoin in the same valuation bracket as the world’s largest public companies.

Lee’s longer-term case rests on a massive increase in crypto adoption and banks making greater use of blockchain.

But those changes could take years to generate significant demand for Bitcoin.

With just two months to meet his $250,000 target, Bitcoin has less than sixty days to more than triple before the end of December — making it highly unlikely.

Even if the election result supports his bullish outlook, it offers little evidence that Bitcoin can reach that price in the remaining weeks of 2026.

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Key Takeaways

NYSE expanded its tokenization partnerships without naming XRPL as a selected settlement network.
Securitize’s relationship with Ripple concerns RLUSD and a separately announced XRPL integration.
Dark Defender’s independent $10.11 XRP scenario would require a rally of approximately 672%.

The New York Stock Exchange’s expanding tokenization plans have sparked claims that Wall Street is connecting directly to the XRP Ledger.

However, NYSE’s latest announcement does not identify XRPL as a selected settlement network or establish that investors will need XRP to trade tokenized shares.

The speculation comes as analyst Dark Defender outlines a price scenario above $10, raising a familiar question for holders — how much institutional blockchain activity actually translates into demand for XRP?

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NYSE Deal Sparks XRPL Adoption Claims

NYSE’s expanding tokenization partnerships have prompted speculation that the exchange is connecting its planned digital securities venue to the XRPL.

In a Nov. 2 X post, crypto commentator SMQKE wrote:

“NYSE CONNECTS TO XRPL, STELLAR, XDC AND ALGORAND THROUGH TWO TRANSFER AGENTS”

‼️NYSE CONNECTS TO XRPL, STELLAR, XDC AND ALGORAND THROUGH TWO TRANSFER AGENTS‼️

NYSE has signed Securitize and tZERO as transfer agent partners for its new tokenized securities venue.🤝

Securitize integrated RLUSD into its platform and is integrating with the XRP Ledger.✅… https://t.co/MnPbfqXUnp pic.twitter.com/fiMjU9PfXd

— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) November 2, 2026

The commentator linked NYSE’s relationships with Securitize and tZERO to those companies’ blockchain integrations, highlighting Securitize’s work with Ripple and XRPL.

However, NYSE’s announcement stops short of confirming which networks its planned venue will use.

In its update, the exchange added Broadridge, Computershare, Equiniti, and Superstate to its existing transfer-agent partners, Securitize and tZERO.

The planned platform would support round-the-clock trading, instant settlement, and stablecoin funding, with a design that supports multiple blockchains for settlement and custody.

Where the XRP Connection Comes From

The bullish theories draw on a real relationship between Ripple and Securitize, announced separately in September 2025.

That agreement introduced functionality allowing holders of BlackRock’s BUIDL and VanEck’s VBILL tokenized funds to exchange their shares for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin.

Ripple’s announcement also stated:

“Securitize is also integrating with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to expand access and bring new utility to the XRPL ecosystem.”

However, it does not provide evidence that NYSE trades will settle on the ledger or that investors will be required to buy XRP.

Securitize’s Stock Offering Uses Solana and USDC

Securitize’s own stock offering helps explain why its relationship with Ripple does not automatically establish an NYSE–XRPL connection.

On Nov. 2, Securitize expanded its tokenized stock offering to 25 equities, with the products trading on Solana and transactions settling in USDC.

Securitize also expects those stocks to become available on NYSE’s planned digital venue, subject to its launch and regulatory requirements.

However, that does not confirm which blockchain NYSE will use for settlement.

This is comparable to the questions for XRP holders, as Securitize’s involvement alone cannot establish whether a transaction will use XRPL, RLUSD or XRP.

Regulatory approval also presents further hurdles.

As CCN previously reported, 50 companies objected to tokenized versions of their shares trading on OKXICE, a separate initiative backed by OKX and the owner of NYSE, Intercontinental Exchange.

Dark Defender Maps XRP Above $10

Meanwhile, popular crypto analyst Dark Defender outlined a bullish XRP scenario combining an initial breakout above $2 with a longer-term advance beyond $10.

In his Nov. 3 post on X, he wrote:

“Nothing changed in the 10-day timeframe. Wave 1 is complete. Wave 2 is technically complete.”

Nothing changed in the 10-day timeframe. Wave 1 is complete. Wave 2 is technically complete.

The structure is ready; the RSI is ready.

I expect the move above the $2 mark to start this month. pic.twitter.com/uCAzj8b6X8

— Dark Defender (@DefendDark) November 3, 2026

He added:

“The structure is ready; the RSI is ready.

“I expect the move above the $2 mark to start this month.”

The accompanying chart marks Fibonacci extension levels around $7.08, $4.10, and $10.11.

Dark Defender’s chart drew mixed reactions.

One respondent described the outlook as “pretty bullish,” while another argued that the token was “not going anywhere but sideways or down.”

What a $10.11 Price Would Require

With XRP currently trading around $1.31 and around 63.35 billion tokens circulating, reaching $10.11 would require a gain of roughly 672%, taking its price to about 7.7 times that starting level.

Assuming circulating supply remained unchanged, the target would imply a market capitalization of around $640 billion.

CCN previously examined concerns about whether Ripple’s expanding RLUSD business benefits XRP holders.

XRPL transactions generally incur small XRP fees, but that requirement is different from institutions choosing XRP as the asset used to settle the underlying investment.

The gap between Ripple’s expansion and XRP’s price has prompted frustration among individual holders.

XRP supporter Fabrizio Scudu recently addressed an emotional appeal to Brad Garlinghouse and David Schwartz, arguing that longtime investors deserved a greater financial reward.

“We didn’t just buy an asset; we chose to fight the exact same war alongside you,” he wrote.

Scudu accused Ripple of prioritizing RLUSD and its corporate business over XRP holders, adding:

“You secured your future while leaving ours out in the cold.”

He demanded that XRP reach what he called its “true fair value” of $15–$20 or higher, urging the executives to:

“Take every step necessary. Execute every market action required to restore dignity to our sacrifice.”

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Key Takeaways

Crédit Mutuel Arkéa says attackers accessed its own account through a service provider, with customer balances unaffected.
Bitquery traced $126 million in USDC withdrawals associated with the suspected theft.
The investigation follows other major crypto thefts and a rise in physical attacks.

French banking group Crédit Mutuel Arkéa has confirmed a cyberattack involving its own money, as blockchain investigators follow a suspected $126 million crypto trail through exchanges and hundreds of wallets.

The bank’s Wednesday announcement describes attackers moving funds through other financial institutions, potentially allowing them to convert the proceeds into digital assets.

As Paris prosecutors open an investigation, the case has raised already bubbling concerns about the wave of fraudulent bank transfers reaching crypto platforms — and how much can still be recovered.

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French Bank Confirms Attack but Leaves Final Loss Unresolved

In its detailed statement, Arkéa said attackers reached the bank through an external provider’s platform.

It explicitly rejected reports that its online banking subsidiary Fortuneo provided the entry point.

Asked whether €118 million, around $133 million, had been stolen, the bank declined to confirm the precise figure.

“We do not confirm this information and can only validate the order of magnitude,” its English-language statement said.

Some funds have been blocked, and further recovery work continues, while the bank has not identified the compromised provider or attackers.

Arkéa’s initial announcement said customer assets were protected, although some transfers were delayed.

The group also warned customers about possible follow-up phishing attempts.

Investigators Follow $126M Through Crypto Exchanges

A Nov. 5 investigation by Bitquery traced around $126.04 million in USDC withdrawn from accounts at Kraken, Crypto.com and OKX over 28 hours on Nov. 1 and 2.

The analytics company followed the suspected proceeds into 526 wallets.

Bitquery found that around $37.26 million remained on Ethereum in addresses it associated with the attacker.

The firm also identified approximately $1.14 million in USDT that Tether froze.

Its updated total also remains below investigator ZachXBT’s estimate, which exceeds $133 million, and the difference has not yet been fully reconciled.

Crypto.com and OKX separately told CoinDesk that they had intervened to restrict funds or accounts linked to the incident.

Binance Theft Highlights Recovery Challenge

The investigation follows one of the biggest hacks in crypto history, as Binance was breached and lost approximately $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency.

As CCN reported, token issuers and other industry participants helped immobilize substantial amounts of stolen assets.

However, freezing funds does not automatically return them to their owner, as recovery can require a myriad of legal proceedings and coordination.

Investigators tracking Binance-linked funds found affected crypto across over 12,000 wallets and 11 blockchains.

Crypto Attack Map Shows France’s Wider Crime Exposure

The bank attack also arrives against a backdrop of physical crimes targeting crypto holders.

In September, Jameson Lopp released an interactive attack map that documented 68 publicly reported incidents in France, compared with 59 in the US and 24 in the UK.

The database included kidnappings, home invasions, and other physical attacks aimed at obtaining cryptocurrency.

The UK ranked third globally for violent crypto crimes. | Source: Bitcoin Wrench Attacks

Although the UK ranked highly on the map, France remains the worst-affected area for physical crypto theft in 2026.

Lopp’s data showed that 41 attacks occurred in France during the first nine months of 2026, almost three times the recorded number over the equivalent period in 2025.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said authorities had documented 77 linked kidnapping or attempted-extortion incidents during the first half of the year.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Customers can now earn up to 7% APY* on RLUSD, a US dollar stablecoin issued by Ripple, through the Uphold app.

San Francisco, California

Customers can now earn up to 7% APY* on RLUSD, a US dollar stablecoin issued by Ripple, through the Uphold app.
Earn over 18 times the US national average savings rate.**
DeFi-powered yield without the complexity: no external wallet to set up, no private keys to manage and no DeFi platform to navigate.
Flexible access with no long-term commitment and no subscription: customers can add more RLUSD or request a withdrawal when they need their funds. Fees apply.

Uphold, the infrastructure provider for on-chain finance, today launches RLUSD Earn. Customers now have a simple way to earn up to 7% APY* on RLUSD, a US dollar stablecoin issued by Ripple, through the Uphold app. The potential yield on RLUSD is more than 18 times the US national average savings rate.**

For many customers, stablecoins sit in an account earning little to nothing. DeFi lending can put them to work, but getting there has usually meant setting up an external wallet, managing private keys and moving funds across bridges. Uphold’s RLUSD Earn removes all that complexity. Customers only need to choose how much RLUSD to put to work, and everything else is managed through the Uphold app they already use.

Uphold gives customers access to a lending market curated by Sentora, on Morpho. When borrowers pay interest to borrow RLUSD, that interest generates the yield, so the rate moves with demand.

“Your RLUSD could be doing more,” said Simon McLoughlin, CEO of Uphold. “The average US savings account pays well under half a percent, and most crypto yield platforms ask you to learn wallets and protocols before you earn anything. RLUSD Earn gives customers a much higher rate on a stablecoin from a name they know, through the app they already use, with nothing to set up.”

RLUSD is issued by Ripple under a New York Department of Financial Services limited-purpose trust charter and backed 1:1 by US dollar reserves, which are checked every month by an independent accounting firm. Because RLUSD is designed to hold its value against USD, customers earn without taking on crypto price swings. It is not a bank deposit, it is not FDIC insured, and the balance can fall.

“RLUSD Earn is for people who want an easier way to earn a better return on their stablecoins,” said Nancy Beaton, President Uphold Consumer. “There’s no subscription and no long-term commitment and customers can see their balance and earnings daily in the app.”

Getting started takes only a few taps: open Earn in the Uphold app, select RLUSD, then buy RLUSD with cash or move RLUSD already held. Customers can check the current APY as it changes and see what they’re earning. A withdrawal is quick and easy to request.

RLUSD Earn is available on the Uphold mobile app for iOS and Android in eligible US states and other countries. See here for the full list.

*Up to 7% APY, variable, as of October 29, 2026 Rates move with borrowing demand, so what you earn will vary. Actual returns may differ materially from APY shown. Not a bank deposit. Not FDIC insured. Your balance can fall. Returns variable, not guaranteed. Paid by the protocol, not Uphold. This is lending, and it carries risk of loss.

**Based on the FDIC’s national average savings account rate of 0.38% APY as of September 2026. Uphold’s rate is variable and ‘up to’; this comparison will change as either rate moves. Participation in RLUSD Earn is voluntary and at your own risk. RLUSD Earn operates through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and neither Uphold nor Sentora is responsible for any changes, security breaches, or other incidents relating to such protocols. Uphold acts solely at your direction and does not control or manage the protocols. At your direction, assets move off the Uphold platform and are held within the protocol’s smart contracts. Once moved, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Uphold no longer has any responsibility or liability for these assets. Any strategies made available in RLUSD Earn are provided by Sentora solely as automated, non-custodial smart-contract functions and do not constitute financial products, investment management, or advisory services. Sentora does not guarantee any performance or outcomes, does not assume any fiduciary or custodial duties, and should not be relied upon for any financial decision or expectation of return. Sentora provides only technical and algorithmic functionality and does not provide legal, tax, accounting, security, investment, portfolio or asset management, or any other regulated financial services under applicable law. At no time shall Sentora have custody, possession, or control over any digital assets or other assets in RLUSD Earn. All returns are paid by the protocols. Returns and performance are variable and depend on the Protocol activity and are not guaranteed by Uphold. Returns may include limited time incentives. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Users must have a sufficient understanding and accept the inherent risks associated with digital assets, distributed ledger technology, decentralized software systems and the use of or participation in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and related activities, and agree that to the maximum extent permitted by law, neither Sentora nor Uphold shall have any responsibility or liability for any losses, including complete loss of assets or any indirect, incidental, punitive, economic, or consequential damages, however caused. See Terms and RLUSD Earn specific disclaimers here.

About Uphold

Uphold is a financial technology company that believes on-chain services are the future of finance. It provides modern infrastructure for on-chain payments, banking and investments. Offering Consumer Services, Business Services and Institutional Trading, Uphold makes financial services easy and trustworthy for millions of customers in more than 140 countries.

Uphold integrates with more than 30 trading venues, including centralized and decentralized exchanges, to deliver superior liquidity, resilience and optimal execution. Uphold never loans out customer assets, except at customer request, and is always 100% reserved.

The company pioneered radical transparency and uniquely publishes its assets and liabilities every 30 seconds on a public website (https://uphold.com/en-us/transparency).

Uphold is regulated in the U.S. by FinCen and State regulators; and is registered in the UK with the FCA and in Europe with the Bank of Portugal. Securities products and services are offered by Uphold Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC.

To learn more about Uphold’s products and services, visit uphold.com.

Media Contact Details

Marc Sparrow

Eureka Box

[email protected]

https://uphold.com/

Key Takeaways

Brad Garlinghouse says RLUSD competes with other stablecoins and wants its use cases running on XRPL.
Ripple’s stablecoin expansion also includes Ethereum and Base, making the location of activity important for XRP demand.
Separately, Steph Is Crypto anticipates a potential record high.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has pushed back against concerns that the company’s growing RLUSD stablecoin business could sideline XRP, arguing that the assets serve different markets.

His latest comments address whether Ripple’s expanding financial infrastructure will generate meaningful demand for XRP — or primarily benefit its dollar-backed token.

The debate comes as analyst Steph Is Crypto outlines a possible return to record highs.

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Garlinghouse Says RLUSD Targets Other Stablecoins

In a Nov. 3 reply on X, Garlinghouse explained where he sees RLUSD competing.

“RLUSD isn’t competing with XRP. It’s competing with other stablecoins. Use case matters, and I want those use cases running on the XRPL.”

Agreed!

RLUSD isn’t competing with XRP. It’s competing with other stablecoins. Use case matters, and I want those use cases running on the XRPL.

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) November 3, 2026

The exchange concerned whether deeper stablecoin liquidity on the XRPL could make XRP more useful, including in cases where its involvement in a transaction is indirect.

Holder Demands $15–$20 as Reward for Years of Support

As CCN reported on Nov. 2, supporter Fabrizio Scudu addressed Garlinghouse and David Schwartz in an emotional open letter, arguing that holders deserved a financial reward for supporting Ripple through its legal battle.

“We didn’t just buy an asset; we chose to fight the exact same war alongside you.”

Scudu described years of financial pressure and uncertainty, claiming that the community’s savings had helped sustain confidence in Ripple while the company fought regulators.

He then accused Ripple of diverting XRP’s potential toward RLUSD and other corporate businesses.

To Brad Garlinghouse and David Schwartz: A message for your souls by the fireside.When you sit by the fireside of your homes in the evening, enveloped in the peace and warmth of your families, I look upon you and ask you to look into your souls. That sense of peace, that right to…

— Fiduciary Ledger '17 (@ledger_fid) November 1, 2026

“You secured your future while leaving ours out in the cold.”

The letter framed a higher price as something holders were owed, demanding that the token reach what Scudu called:

“the true fair value it deserves ($15/$20+).”

He urged Ripple’s leadership to intervene:

“Take every step necessary. Execute every market action required to restore dignity to our sacrifice.”

However, Scudu supplied no valuation model supporting the requested price or evidence establishing that RLUSD had reduced XRP’s value.

Garlinghouse had already defended XRP’s importance in an earlier Bloomberg interview.

“XRP is at the heart of everything Ripple does,” he said.

RLUSD Can Support XRPL Without Every Payment Buying XRP

RLUSD allows customers to transfer a dollar-denominated asset rather than expose the payment amount to XRP’s price movements.

On XRPL, those transactions still require small fees paid in XRP, and accounts also face reserve token requirements.

These provide a baseline role for the native asset even when customers primarily hold stablecoins.

However, transferring RLUSD does not require converting the entire payment into XRP.

At the documented standard minimum fee of 0.00001, one million standard transactions would destroy only 10 XRP, before accounting for different transaction types or higher network load.

Garlinghouse’s preference for XRPL also aligns with Ripple’s expansion into other networks.

The company’s Oct. 28 Coinbase announcement included RLUSD deposits and withdrawals on XRPL, Ethereum and Base.

Ripple explicitly committed to providing liquidity on Base.

“Institutional appetite for compliant, high-quality stablecoins is clear,” Ripple’s stablecoin executive Jack McDonald said.

Analyst Sees Potential for a Near-Threefold XRP Recovery

Separately, Steph Is Crypto’s Nov. 1 analysis, reported Nov. 3, identifies bullish divergence between the token’s price and its relative strength index.

He said the pattern:

“signals that the sell pressure is possibly getting exhausted right now.”

I JUST CHANGED MY $XRP PRICE PREDICTION FOR 2026! pic.twitter.com/fzX7EltjAE

— STEPH IS CRYPTO (@Steph_iscrypto) November 1, 2026

The analyst anticipates a potential record high later in 2026 or in 202,and identifies approximately $1.10 as an important level for his bullish setup. He supplied no exact upper target.

Using XRP’s price near $1.29, a return to its recorded high of $3.65 would require around 183% growth, bringing the token to about 2.83 times that starting level.

In a previous post in October, the analyst predicted that the token would “fly to $15 before you know it.”

$XRP will fly to $15.00 before you know it. pic.twitter.com/5UJTpHFWJF

— STEPH IS CRYPTO (@Steph_iscrypto) October 17, 2026

Many holders have pushed back against the calls, with some describing it as a “reach.”

“You keep changing your mind almost every day, first you bearish then you bullish, dude make up your mind,” one X user said.

Another wrote: “Anything above $1.5 is pretty much a reach.”

Top Picks for XRP

Key Takeaways

Democrats have won control of Congress, weakening Trump’s ability to advance his legislative agenda.
Bitwise’s $3.67 million Bitcoin bull scenario depends on substantial institutional adoption and market-share gains.
Bitcoin recovered from its election-night slide, but US spot ETFs recorded $1.157 billion in withdrawals across three sessions.

Donald Trump’s Republican Party has lost control of Congress, with pro-crypto lawmakers Jon Husted and Bryan Steil among those defeated, reshaping the political environment facing Bitcoin just days after Bitwise outlined a potential $3.67 million price.

Democratic victories across the House and Senate will give the opposition greater influence over legislation and appointments when the new Congress takes office in January.

Bitcoin investors are now facing the possibility that a loss of legislative allies could slow the regulatory progress desperately needed for institutional adoption.

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Trump Loses Congress as Bitcoin Reverses Election Slide

The new Democrat victories end the Republican control of Washington that accompanied Trump’s return to the presidency.

The party flipped historically staunch Republican Senate seats in states including Texas, Ohio and Maine, alongside its gains in the House.

Although Trump remains president, advancing new legislation will now require cooperation with Democratic lawmakers.

Bitcoin initially fell to approximately $75,700 during the election count before recovering toward $78,000 on Wednesday morning.

Some analysts attributed the recovery to the removal of uncertainty over control of Congress.

Pro-Crypto Lawmakers Lose Seats as Industry Spending Falls Short

The Republican losses included lawmakers who had actively supported crypto legislation.

In Ohio, Sen. Jon Husted lost to former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Husted was endorsed by Stand With Crypto, which awarded him an A rating and recorded his support for advancing the CLARITY Act.

Brown’s return represents a particularly significant setback for the industry, as the former Senate Banking Committee chairman has previously advocated for tougher crypto oversight.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil lost to Democrat Mitchell Berman.

Steil chairs the House subcommittee overseeing digital assets, financial technology and artificial intelligence and has also been a prominent advocate for the CLARITY Act.

However, crypto support has also entered among some Democrats.

Democratic winners included Stand With Crypto-backed Chris Pappas in New Hampshire and James Talarico in Texas, both of whom received an A rating from the advocacy group.

Why the Election Matters to Bitwise’s Bitcoin Outlook

In its October Bitcoin Long-Term Capital Market Assumptions report, Bitwise identified improving regulation as one factor supporting institutional participation.

The asset manager, however, acknowledged the limits of that progress:

“The Clarity Act’s failure, especially on such a strongly partisan basis, opens the door to future regulatory risk.”

As CCN previously reported, the Senate voted 49–50 against advancing the legislation in September, falling short of the 60 votes required.

The dispute included ethics and conflict-of-interest provisions involving public officials’ crypto interests.

With more Democrats back in power, more lawmakers may now be able to seek tougher conditions before supporting another deal.

CCN also reported that seven Democratic senators remained committed to negotiations after the failed vote.

Bitwise’s $3.67 Million Bitcoin Scenario

Bitwise’s research presents three potential Bitcoin valuations for 2036:

Scenario	BTC price
Bear	$130,686
Base	$1,599,766
Bull	$3,667,911

The bull scenario assumes Bitcoin captures 50% of the projected gold-and-Bitcoin store-of-value market and 5% of institutional investment assets, alongside smaller allocations from other markets.

Explaining the updated outlook in an Oct. 28 memo, Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan wrote:

“Using the exact same model as last year with updated data, we’re raising our 10-year forecast from $1.3 million to $1.6 million.”

Hougan acknowledged several challenges to Bitwise’s outlook, including:

Gold has attracted more store-of-value investment.
Bitcoin remains vulnerable to sharp declines.
ETF flows have slowed.

However, he argued that the downturn also revealed signs of a maturing market.

“Despite slowing ETF purchases, institutions continued to add exposure through the entire drawdown—all of which is remarkable,” Hougan wrote.

He pointed to Bitcoin’s strengthening correlation with gold and its approximately 53% peak-to-trough decline, which he described as substantially shallower than previous bear-market losses.

“That Bitcoin made this sort of progress in a difficult year makes me very optimistic about what happens in a good one.”

He also highlighted Bitcoin’s growing share of the store-of-value market, which he said had increased from less than 1% a decade ago to more than 5%.

“I think the next ten will be even better,” Hougan wrote.

Can BTC Reach $3.67M Despite Trump’s Midterm Defeat?

Trump’s loss of congressional control could complicate the regulatory progress supporting Bitwise’s adoption thesis, but it does not automatically rule out the firm’s most bullish scenario.

The immediate challenge is attracting sustained demand.

Farside Investors recorded $1.157 billion in net US spot Bitcoin ETF withdrawals across Oct. 30, Nov. 2, and Nov. 3.

From a starting price of $78,000, reaching Bitwise’s $3 million bull scenario would require around 4,602% growth, taking Bitcoin to around 47 times that level.

At its maximum supply of 21 million coins, that would imply a fully diluted valuation of around $77 trillion.

Achieving that scale would require far more than favorable US legislation.

Bitwise’s scenario says it would need Bitcoin to capture half of the projected gold-and-Bitcoin store-of-value market and 5% of institutional investment assets by 2036.

While it is true that a divided Washington could slow legislation, bipartisan negotiations and adoption outside the US could continue supporting Bitcoin.

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Key Takeaways

Blockchain investigators have traced stolen Binance assets through approximately 12,000 wallets across 11 blockchains, including more than 800 Ethereum addresses used to distribute funds.
Around $2.85 billion of the reported $6.43 billion theft has been frozen or seized, while approximately $3.18 billion remains in addresses linked to the attack as of Nov. 3.
The FBI has attributed the theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation, but preventing the remaining funds from being converted into spendable money presents a different challenge.

The hackers behind Binance’s multibillion-dollar security breach are moving stolen cryptocurrency through thousands of wallets, decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges, testing how effectively law enforcement can follow illicit funds across an increasingly fragmented blockchain ecosystem.

An updated Nov. 3 investigation by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic identified more than 40,000 transactions involving approximately 12,000 wallets during the first three and a half days following the Oct. 29 attack.

Binance hack update: the laundering is running on conventional automation, with about 12,000 wallets on 11 blockchains and more than 40,000 transactions in under four days.

➡️ $3.24 billion still sits in linked addresses, mostly ETH and BTC
➡️ $2.85 billion has been frozen
➡️…

— Elliptic (@elliptic) November 2, 2026

The laundering operation has involved 11 blockchains, with stolen assets repeatedly divided, exchanged, and transferred between networks.

Although roughly $2.85 billion has already been frozen or seized, investigators estimate that another $3.18 billion remains in accounts associated with the theft.

That leaves a central question for the FBI and cryptocurrency exchanges: can identifying the perpetrators and tracking their wallets actually prevent the stolen assets from entering the financial system?

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Binance Hackers Split Stolen Funds Across 12,000 Wallets as Ethereum and Tron Become Key Routes

The Oct. 29 attack resulted in approximately $6.43 billion in cryptocurrency being stolen from Binance, according to Elliptic’s latest accounting.

Binance has attributed the initial compromise to an engineer’s laptop, raising questions about how access to an individual employee’s device could expose such substantial exchange-controlled assets.

The attackers’ immediate challenge was not simply moving the cryptocurrency. It was preventing assets from being frozen before they could be converted.

Approximately $3.46 billion of the stolen funds consisted of stablecoins, including USDT and USDC. Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, these tokens can be frozen by their issuers under certain circumstances.

That created a race between the attackers, token issuers, and investigators.

On Ethereum, approximately 434 million USDT was exchanged for ETH before Tether intervened. On Tron, another 234 million USDT was converted into TRX.

Circle reportedly froze all 823 million stolen USDC before the attackers could exchange it.

Elliptic estimates that approximately $786 million in stablecoins escaped conversion restrictions, while the wider freezing and seizure response secured $2.85 billion.

Once the immediately vulnerable stablecoin balances had been addressed, the operation shifted toward dispersing assets across numerous wallets.

Tron became a major distribution network.

Approximately 684.6 million TRX was routed through a distribution wallet before being divided among roughly 7,700 addresses. At its busiest, the network recorded around 1,300 transactions linked to the operation in a single hour.

Binance laundering final 5 tron wallet by hour. | Source: Elliptic

The attackers also used multiple cross-chain bridges to transfer value from Tron to Ethereum. At least $147 million was bridged out of Tron, with much of it ultimately arriving as ETH.

By Nov. 3, approximately 68,600 ETH was distributed across roughly 840 smaller Ethereum addresses, many holding between 10 and 100 ETH. However, the smaller wallets represent only part of the picture.

Nine larger Ethereum addresses reportedly held 89% of the attacker’s ETH, with those balances largely unmoved since Oct. 30.

This creates an unusual situation: the most visible laundering activity involves thousands of transactions, yet substantial amounts of stolen cryptocurrency remain concentrated in relatively few addresses.

The scale of wallet creation can make the investigation appear more complicated than the actual movement of value. A transfer between two addresses controlled by the same attacker does not necessarily indicate a payment, sale, or successful laundering.

The more consequential question is where those funds eventually leave the blockchain ecosystem.

FBI Names North Korea’s TraderTraitor Group, but Can It Stop the Laundering?

The FBI formally attributed the Binance theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation on Oct. 31, two days after the attack.

In its public security alert, the agency said it was working alongside the US Secret Service and IRS Criminal Investigation to track the stolen cryptocurrency.

Investigators identified ETH conversion as an early laundering strategy and warned that the proceeds could subsequently move through decentralized finance platforms and instant exchange services.

The FBI also published cryptocurrency addresses associated with the attackers, urging exchanges, blockchain analytics companies, THORNode operators and other infrastructure providers to prevent transactions involving stolen funds.

However, publishing an address does not automatically immobilize its assets.

Bitcoin and Ethereum transactions generally cannot be reversed or frozen by a central issuer. Unless investigators gain control of the private keys, secure cooperation from a custodian, or intercept assets at a service that can restrict them, the cryptocurrency can continue moving.

This is where the difference between identifying stolen funds and recovering them becomes significant.

The FBI can establish attribution, share intelligence, and coordinate legal action. But preventing laundering requires cooperation from exchanges, token issuers, and other service providers, many operating across different jurisdictions.

The attackers appear to be exploiting those operational gaps.

Elliptic identified transfers through lending vaults, where funds can be deposited from one address and withdrawn to another without a conventional direct wallet-to-wallet transfer.

Some cryptocurrency was also converted into Bitcoin and passed through CoinJoin transactions, which combine multiple users’ inputs and outputs to complicate transaction tracing.

By early Nov. 2, approximately 28 BTC, worth around $2.2 million, had been involved in 18 such transactions.

Although small compared with the overall theft, this activity signals a shift from distributing stolen assets toward making their ownership history harder to reconstruct.

Investigators have also observed movement involving XRP and Solana.

On Nov. 2, approximately 233 million XRP were transferred into six new addresses. By the following morning, around 87,000 SOL, valued at approximately $8 million, had left the original Solana theft wallet.

Binance laundering final 7 xrp and solana — Binance laundering final 7 XRP and Solana. | Source: Elliptic

Some SOL was routed through lending and liquid-staking services before being converted into Bitcoin.

These developments suggest the attackers are testing several laundering channels rather than relying on a single network.

Importantly, the rapid transaction patterns do not establish that artificial intelligence is directing the operation. Elliptic’s findings are consistent with conventional automated scripts, including repeated transfers, predetermined amounts, and retries after failed transactions.

Why the $1.5B Bybit Hack Offers a Warning for Binance

The FBI has encountered a similar challenge before.

In February 2025, the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor stole approximately $1.5 billion from Bybit.

The FBI subsequently warned that the stolen assets were being converted into Bitcoin and distributed across thousands of addresses on multiple blockchains.

The pattern resembles the current Binance investigation, although the scale is considerably larger.

According to Elliptic, attackers moved the approximately 499,000 ETH stolen from Bybit through laundering transactions within 10 days. Converting those proceeds into spendable money, however, took substantially longer.

Its subsequent analysis indicated that some Bybit-linked funds eventually reached suspected Chinese over-the-counter cryptocurrency brokers.

Such brokers can create a difficult investigative boundary. Cryptocurrency is sent to an address controlled by an intermediary, while payment to the seller may occur through separate, off-chain arrangements.

The blockchain records the transfer, but not necessarily the identity of the ultimate beneficiary or the corresponding payment.

Elliptic estimates that only around 3% of the Bybit theft was frozen, compared with approximately 44% of the Binance assets. That improvement is substantial, but it does not guarantee the remaining funds will be recovered.

The Binance attackers still control assets that their issuers cannot directly freeze. Elliptic’s Nov. 3 update indicates that around 18,270 stolen BTC remains distributed across 19 addresses, with no subsequent movement detected.

The relative inactivity of those holdings could be significant. Large Bitcoin transfers may attract immediate attention, particularly when their source addresses are already publicly identified.

Instead, the attackers may choose to convert and liquidate smaller amounts over an extended period.

The critical issue is whether exchanges and OTC brokers can recognize stolen funds after multiple swaps, bridges, and wallet transfers.

Elliptic has published a public blocklist to help businesses identify addresses associated with the theft. However, static lists become less effective as new addresses emerge, making continuous transaction monitoring increasingly important.

For the FBI, the investigation is therefore entering a potentially prolonged phase.

The agency has identified the suspected perpetrators, and a significant portion of the stolen cryptocurrency has already been immobilized. Yet investigators must now contend with an operation capable of creating thousands of wallets, crossing blockchains, and changing assets faster than conventional manual investigations can keep up with.

As of Nov. 3, Elliptic believes only a negligible portion of the stolen funds has actually been cashed out.

That leaves an important window for intervention, but not necessarily a short one.

The real test is no longer whether investigators can follow the stolen cryptocurrency. It is whether they can prevent the people controlling it from eventually converting billions in traceable blockchain assets into spendable money.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

1win is a crypto entertainment platform that gained widespread popularity after its founding in 2016. With 100 million users and collaborations with well-known public figures, including Ilia Topuria, Ryan Garcia, and Tyga, 1win has established itself as a key player in the iGaming sector.

The platform’s native token, $1WIN, is now live for trading on Meteora following a successful two-week public sale which raised approximately $61 million from over 6,100 participants. With an initial target of $3.9 million, the $1WIN token sale was oversubscribed by 15.64 times.

How to Claim $1WIN Tokens

People who participated in the token sale can now claim their $1WIN. The process is straightforward and open until October 31st 2027:

Step 1: Go to the $1WIN token website and connect the Solana wallet used to participate in the public sale.

Step 2: Press the ‘Claim’ button and approve the transaction from your wallet. You’ll need some SOL to cover network fees.

Step 3: After confirming the transaction, your $1WIN tokens and any unused USDC will be returned to your wallet. You may need to manually import the $1WIN token using its contract address, which can be verified on the 1win Token X account.

Trading Publicly

Following the public sale’s conclusion, $1WIN tokens are now available for on-chain trading on Meteroa, a popular decentralized liquidity protocol and Automated Market Maker (AMM). Users can track trading volume and the price of $1WIN denominated in SOL.

The Meteroa listing enables traders to buy and sell $1WIN on the open market. Prices are determined by supply and demand, rather than fixed by 1win, as in the public sale. Though things could change as additional supply enters the market, the asset has performed reasonably well since its October 31st listing.

$1WIN has a fixed total supply of 1 billion tokens, with around 267 million unlocked during the Token Generation Event (TGE). Additional tokens have been allocated to 1win games, wager rewards, liquidity, marketing, the treasury, and a Telegram Mini App airdrop.

While new tokens will regularly enter the market, $1WIN is supported by various buyback programs. 1win will use a portion of its gaming revenue to purchase tokens and burn 10% of the $1WIN tokens used across its platform. Token burns are publicly trackable via an on-chain dashboard, with the first scheduled for 30 days after the TGE.

The $1WIN token, public sale, and burn mechanism have all undergone security assessments by CertiK and Halborn.

1win’s Broader Web3 Strategy

1win has been deepening its roots in the Web3 sector for some time. Earlier this year, it launched multi-chain crypto deposits/withdrawals as well as wallet-based authentication via Trust Wallet, MetaMask, and WalletConnect, simplifying access and participation for digital asset enthusiasts.

With the $1WIN token being used to distribute rewards and enhance utility across the 1win ecosystem, it’s clear the company is betting big on crypto. While supported by 1win’s gaming revenue and a strict vesting schedule, the token’s success will ultimately be dictated by utility, demand, and market conditions.

Key Takeaways

Tom Lee argues that crypto’s response to the Binance theft supports his bullish outlook.
Bitmine reported another purchase of 8,573 ETH, bringing its holdings to over 6.06 million tokens.
His earlier $62,000 Ethereum scenario would require roughly 2,656% upside.

Tom Lee says a crypto bull market is underway despite Binance’s $6.3 billion security breach, arguing that the market’s relatively restrained response points to greater resilience.

His comments accompanied Bitmine’s November 2 announcement that it acquired another 8,573 ETH over the preceding week, bringing its treasury to 6,060,506 ETH.

It comes after Lee previously outlined an Ethereum scenario in which it reaches $62,000.

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Why Tom Lee Sees Strength After the Binance Hack

In Bitmine’s report, Lee described the relatively muted market reaction as “very constructive.”

He argued that Binance’s financial resources and the absence of cascading DeFi failures helped contain the fallout.

“Limited price downside is a sign that a crypto ‘bull market’ is underway, notwithstanding recent price declines,” Lee wrote.

Lee compared Ethereum’s approximately 4% decline following the disclosure of the Binance incident with its sharper decline after the February 2025 Bybit theft.

“While this is a terrible development, in my view, the relatively muted crypto market reaction is very constructive,” Lee added

“We believe this is a far more muted market reaction despite the size of the theft being approximately quadruple the size.”

Ethereum Buyers Face Continued ETF Withdrawals

However, exchange-traded fund flows offer a more cautious counterpoint to Lee’s bullishness.

According to Farside Investors, US spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $139.7 million in net withdrawals on Nov. 2, following $155.7 million in net withdrawals on Oct. 30.

That brings the two-session withdrawal to $295.4 million, while BlackRock’s ETHA accounted for $138.3 million of Monday’s outflow.

Compared with Bitmine’s purchases, this illustrates a divided market, as a major corporate holder continues buying while investors withdraw money across the board.

Tom Lee’s $62,000 Ethereum Scenario

Lee’s more ambitious valuation framework predates the Binance incident.

As CCN previously reported, his earlier scenarios linked Ethereum’s valuation to a substantially higher Bitcoin price and a stronger ETH/BTC ratio, as well as the adoption of Ethereum for tokenized finance.

He revisited the scale of that opportunity in his Oct. 7 chairman’s message, discussing whether tokenization and AI applications could support a much larger cycle.

Talking in the presentation, Lee said:

“Bitmine is 90% correlated to the move in ETH. So, if ETH gets to $22,000, that’s 300 to 500 for Bitmine shares.

“If ETH gets to $62,000, that’s $1,200 to $1,500 per share and Bitmine’s currently at 26.”

Lee also explained what a $62,000 ETH price might mean for Bitmine shareholders:

“If ETH gets to $62,000, that’s $1,200 to $1,500 per share.” Bitmine Immersion Technologies

What Would $62,000 ETH Require?

Starting from a price of $2,250, Ethereum would need to rise by around 2,656% to reach the mega level.

At an unchanged supply of 122.2 million ETH, a $62,000 price would imply a market capitalization of around $7.58 trillion.

A valuation of that scale would require a massive growth in ETH demand.

To put it into perspective, that would make Ethereum worth more than Apple, Nvidia, or Microsoft individually.

Using their Nov. 2 market valuations, a $7.58 trillion ETH would be roughly 50% larger than either Apple or Nvidia and almost twice the size of Microsoft.

However, it would still fall well below gold’s estimated $27 trillion valuation.

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Key Takeaways

Google has expanded personalized gambling advertising on YouTube in the US, UK, and Canada.
Restrictions on sensitive targeting, advertiser certification, and underage audiences remain.
Prediction-market advertisers face separate rules.

Google has expanded personalized gambling advertising on YouTube across the US, UK, and Canada, with prediction markets included among the products subject to its sensitive-targeting rules.

The change took effect on Oct. 30, but prediction-market operators face a narrower advertising route.

Google’s separate policy currently permits eligible campaigns only in specified US locations, leaving Britain and Canada outside that approval.

What YouTube’s Gambling Advertising Change Allows

Personalized advertising lets businesses direct campaigns toward audience groups selected based on specific characteristics or interests.

Google’s targeting rules distinguish between audiences it defines and those advertisers assemble themselves.

For sensitive categories, which include gambling, advertisers can use predefined Google audiences.

The company says those audiences are configured to exclude sensitive user signals.

Available targeting categories include interests, demographics,s and location. Google’s notice does not specify which targeting features were changed by the update.

However, advertisers cannot freely build their own customer groups for sensitive-category campaigns.

Google’s gambling policy states:

“You can’t use advertiser-curated audiences.”

Google also explicitly prohibits targeting based on health information related to gambling.

Prediction Markets Face a Separate Advertising Test

Google includes prediction markets within its gambling-sensitive advertising category, making the update relevant to an industry competing for mainstream attention.

However, permission to personalize an advertisement is only one part of the approval process.

Google’s separate prediction-market policy requires advertisers to hold:

“all applicable local financial, commodity, and/or gaming licenses”

Its approved locations currently cover the US, excluding Connecticut, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Ohio.

Britain and Canada are also not listed.

The US requirements identify qualifying CFTC-authorised exchanges and NFA-authorised brokerages offering access to specified exchange-listed products.

The policy separately prohibits ads for binary options that pay a fixed amount or zero depending on a financial asset’s price movement.

It comes as prediction markets face competing interpretations of their legal status.

As CCN previously reported, federal regulators are challenging Utah’s effort to apply gambling laws to event contracts.

Certification and Age Restrictions Remain

Google’s broader gambling advertising rules require approved locations, responsible gambling information, and compliance with relevant licensing requirements.

They also state that gambling advertisements must “never target minors.”

Separately, users under 18 are ineligible for personalized advertising of any kind under Google’s targeting policy.

The YouTube update, therefore, does not permit unlicensed crypto casinos to advertise simply because they accept digital assets.

The personalization change follows another adjustment to gambling advertising in October.

In a notice published Oct. 7, Google said certified online-gambling advertisers would become eligible for YouTube Masthead advertisements from Oct. 21.

Key Takeaways

BTCPay Server confirmed that attackers exploited outdated software to steal Bitcoin and Litecoin from internet-connected hot wallets.
The attacks targeted versions 2.4.1 and earlier, exploiting a vulnerability patched in August 2026.
Operators running vulnerable versions have been urged to migrate to fresh servers and wallets, even if they have not detected unauthorized withdrawals.

BTCPay Server has issued an urgent security warning after attackers exploited outdated installations of its open-source cryptocurrency payment software to drain Bitcoin and Litecoin wallets.

In a Nov. 2 security advisory, the project confirmed that the attacks targeted servers running version 2.4.1 or earlier, exposing merchants who had not installed an August security patch.

The incident has renewed concerns about the security of self-hosted cryptocurrency payment infrastructure, particularly when private keys are stored on internet-connected servers.

BTCPay has not confirmed the number of affected operators or the total value of stolen cryptocurrency.

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BTCPay Server Identifies Vulnerability Behind Bitcoin Wallet Thefts

BTCPay Server first received reports of unauthorized wallet withdrawals on Nov. 1, prompting an emergency warning advising operators to shut down their installations.

🚨 We are receiving reports of hot wallets on BTCPay Servers being swept by unauthorized attackers.

If you're running an instance, please shut it down (./btcpay-down.sh) until we complete the investigation.

— BTCPay Server (@BtcpayServer) November 1, 2026

According to the project’s investigation, a wallet drain was reported at 13:46 UTC, while its security team received the first email reporting a theft at 20:56 UTC.

By 22:25 UTC, BTCPay had publicly warned operators and contacted hosting providers, including LunaNode, requesting precautionary shutdowns. Investigators subsequently established that attackers had exploited a vulnerability affecting software released on or before July 23.

The security weakness had already been patched in version 2.4.2 on Aug. 7, but attackers reportedly used a different exploitation method from the one identified during the earlier incident.

BTCPay said installations already running version 2.4.2 or later when the warning was issued showed no impact from these attacks.

Bitcoin and Litecoin Stolen as Earlier Security Flaw Resurfaces

The latest incident follows an August security breach involving vulnerabilities in BTCPay’s Lightning Network integration.

That earlier attack exposed credentials associated with Lightning payments, prompting an emergency software update.

The November thefts instead affected onchain hot wallets, where the private keys required to authorize transactions are stored directly on the server. This configuration allows merchants to automate payments but also creates an opportunity for attackers who obtain unauthorized access.

BTCPay identified one Bitcoin address and one Litecoin address associated with reported thefts.

However, the project cautioned that some transactions involving those addresses predated the known incidents, making their complete balances unreliable measures of confirmed losses.

Wallets whose spending keys were held outside the affected servers, including hardware wallets, were not compromised through this attack.

BTCPay Urges Users to Rebuild Servers and Move Funds

BTCPay has warned that installing the latest software may not be sufficient for operators whose systems were previously exposed.

Users running version 2.4.1 or earlier should create fresh wallets, transfer remaining funds, replace potentially compromised credentials, and rebuild their installations on new servers.

The recommendation also applies to operators who updated their software after the Nov. 1 warning.

BTCPay emphasized that attackers may retain access through stolen credentials even after a vulnerability has been patched.

The project recommends keeping only operational funds in hot wallets and storing larger balances using devices that retain private keys offline. Affected users have been asked to submit transaction records and sanitized server logs to the security team.

As the investigation continues, the incident highlights a recurring challenge for self-hosted cryptocurrency services: security patches can close known vulnerabilities, but outdated installations may remain exposed long after fixes are available.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

Britain’s quantum security timetable highlights the need to prepare, while Bitcoin’s proposed defenses remain in draft form.
A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could threaten Bitcoin’s digital signatures.
Bitcoin developers are exploring defensive upgrades, with major proposals still in draft form.

Bitcoin’s readiness for quantum computing is facing a key test as Britain’s cyber security agency urges organizations to begin preparing for a technological shift that could undermine today’s protections.

In its State of the Cyber Nation report, the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) identifies 2031 as a key milestone for protecting critical services and high-priority information through post-quantum cryptography.

The warning comes amid concerns that cyber threats are outpacing Britain’s defenses, with artificial intelligence making attacks easier to carry out.

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UK Urges Organizations to Prepare for Quantum Transition

The NCSC describes the move to post-quantum cryptography as a major undertaking that organizations should already be planning.

“The transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) will be one of the largest technology migration challenges over the coming decade,” the report states.

It went on to give direct instructions to organizations responsible for essential services:

“For operators of critical services, organisations holding sensitive information, and those managing complex technology environments, preparation should begin now.”

Post-quantum cryptography uses algorithms designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers.

The report stated that organizations should complete discovery and migration planning by 2028, undertake priority migrations by 2031, and complete the transition by 2035.

These milestones also appear in the NCSC’s existing migration guidance, stating:

“2031 is a key date for the migration of critical services and components and the protection of high-priority information and services.”

Why Quantum Computing Matters for Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s quantum challenge centers on the cryptography that proves someone has permission to spend their coins.

In theory, a full quantum computer could pull a private key from an exposed public key, potentially allowing an attacker to authorize transactions without the owner’s consent.

That threat is described in Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 360, which distinguishes between attacks on keys exposed for extended periods.

However, the proposal’s authors acknowledge uncertainty over when — or whether — computers capable of carrying out such attacks will become viable.

Bitcoin’s Quantum Defense Proposals Remain Drafts

Developers are exploring ways to protect Bitcoin before that threat becomes a practical reality.

One proposal, BIP-360, would introduce a new way to lock coins, reducing the risk of leaving public keys exposed for long periods.

However, it would not solve the entire problem.

A faster quantum computer could attack a public key that is revealed when someone sends a transaction before it is confirmed.

A separate proposal, BIP-361, considers how to move users toward quantum-resistant protections and gradually restrict vulnerable transaction methods.

Its authors warn that implementing such changes would take time:

“Coordinating wallets, exchanges, miners and custodians historically takes years.”

Cyber Threats Are Already Outpacing Defenses

The quantum preparations sit alongside a stark warning concerning the UK’s exposure to AI-assisted attacks.

In his foreword, NCSC chief executive Richard Horne says:

“The cyber threat has increased faster than our defensive capabilities, leaving too many organisations vulnerable to attacks that could – and should – be prevented.”

He identifies AI as an accelerator:

“AI makes cyber attacks easier, faster and cheaper to execute, and at greater scale.”

The report says the NCSC’s incident management team received 1,831 reports of cyberattacks during the reporting year.

Of those, 337 required support, including 80 classified as nationally significant.

Can Bitcoin Adapt Before the Threat Arrives?

The proposals show that Bitcoin has potential paths toward stronger quantum protection, but their draft status also indicates how much remains to be implemented.

On the flip side, the UK’s 2031 milestone shows how critical services are being urged to make priority changes years before the final 2035 migration target.

Those concerned about Bitcoin are focusing on whether developers and holders can coordinate a transition before quantum capabilities make existing protections unsafe.

As Horne puts it:

“The future is not set. The UK’s ability to withstand disruption – and to exploit the opportunities that AI promises – will be determined by the choices we make now, the speed with which we adapt, and our collective willingness to act.”

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Key Takeaways

Santiment recorded 7,934 new XRP wallets on Nov. 1, the sixth-highest daily total of 2026.
The firm suggested the Binance hack may have encouraged self-custody, meaning some addresses could belong to existing holders.
A $30 XRP price would require a 2,300% rally from $1.25.

XRP recorded nearly 8,000 new wallets in a single day following the Binance hack, but the increase has raised questions about whether they are new investors buying or existing holders moving their coins.

Santiment’s Nov. 2 update identified 7,934 new wallets the previous day, placing it among the strongest days for network growth this year.

However, the analytics firm suggested that concerns about exchange security may have helped drive the increase.

At the same time, some of XRP’s biggest bulls are predicting a $30 XRP price — but this deserves a great deal of scrutiny.

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XRP Wallet Growth Jumps After Binance Hack

“XRP network growth is accelerating fast,” Santiment wrote, describing Nov. 1 as the sixth-highest daily total of 2026.

The firm noted that the increase occurred on a Sunday, a typically quieter day for network activity, while XRP traded near $1.25.

Santiment said the Binance incident “may have pushed more users toward self-custody and fresh wallets.”

🚨 XRP Adoption Accelerates While Price Hovers Near $1.25

🌱 XRP network growth is accelerating fast. November 1st saw 7,934 new wallets created, the 6th highest daily total of 2026, despite Sunday usually being one of crypto’s quieter days for network activity.

📈 The surge… pic.twitter.com/CIeC7iWOW8

— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) November 2, 2026

The security breach did not directly affect XRP holdings.

According to blockchain analytics company Bitquery, around $6.3 billion in crypto assets left Binance hot wallets across nine chains on Oct. 29.

Its investigation traced roughly 233.5 million XRP from five Binance accounts to an attacker-controlled account.

Binance’s $6.3 Billion Hack Puts Custody in Focus

The increase in XRP wallets followed one of the crypto industry’s biggest security failures.

As CCN reported, Binance suffered a breach totaling roughly $6.3 billion, leading it to temporarily suspend deposits.

The exchange’s investigation pointed to a compromised engineer’s laptop that may have allowed an attacker to submit unauthorized withdrawals.

Binance said it had found no evidence of leaked wallet private keys.

“Binance will cover all losses,” the company pledged.

The exchange said it would use company funds and its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) to absorb the losses.

It also pledged to publish updated proof of reserves after completing its remediation work.

Blockchain investigators TRM Labs and Chainalysis linked the attack to North Korea’s TraderTraitor group, which they previously connected to the $1.5 billion Bybit theft in February 2025.

New Wallets Do Not Necessarily Mean New Buyers

A holder who withdrew XRP months earlier into a newly created personal wallet can contribute to network growth without making another purchase.

For example, moving 1,000 XRP from an exchange into a new address changes where those tokens are held — but the investor still owns 1,000 XRP.

One person can also control multiple addresses, making it impossible to translate a wallet count directly into an equivalent number of investors.

However, there is still a potentially positive interpretation.

Holders taking direct control of their assets may become more active users of the network. Some of those new wallets may also belong to first-time buyers.

“Strong network growth while XRP trades near $1.25 suggests usage is improving even while price remains under pressure,” Santiment wrote.

What Would XRP Need to Reach $30?

The $30 prediction predates the latest wallet figures.

As CCN previously reported, crypto commentator @btcbox123 promoted that target without a firm deadline. I

Using the $1.25 price cited in Santiment’s update, XRP would need to rise 24-fold to reach $30—a 2,300% gain.

XRP price	Multiple of $1.25	Required gain
$5	4×	300%
$10	8×	700%
$30	24×	2,300%

For scale, assuming a circulating supply of 63 billion tokens, a $30 price would imply a market capitalization of approximately $1.89 trillion.

That would exceed Bitcoin’s current valuation of roughly $1.54 trillion by about 23% and be almost seven times Ethereum’s $274 billion market cap.

One strong day of wallet creation offers no way to measure whether demand could sustain that price.

Santiment’s Immediate Test Is Much Closer

Santiment’s own outlook also focused on nearer price levels.

The firm identified $1.30 as an initial test of improving momentum.

It said a recovery above that level, accompanied by daily wallet growth remaining above roughly 4,000, would strengthen the setup.

“If new-wallet growth stays above roughly 4K per day while XRP reclaims $1.30, the setup becomes more constructive,” the firm said.

However, a move below $1.20, alongside wallet growth dropping below 3,000, would weaken its assessment.

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Key Takeaways

Kim Yo Jong has rejected the FBI’s attribution of Binance’s $6.3 billion hack to North Korea, calling Washington’s accusations politically motivated.
She suggested, without evidence, that the US government’s cryptocurrency reserve policies could raise questions about who benefits from recovered assets.
Crypto investigator Tyler Reed has separately accused Binance of involvement in previous cryptocurrency thefts, although his allegations remain unsubstantiated.

North Korea has publicly denied responsibility for the $6.3 billion Binance hack, with Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, accusing Washington of using the theft to portray Pyongyang as a cybercriminal state.

In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Nov. 3, Kim rejected the FBI’s findings and described the allegations as a political provocation.

Kim Jong Un's Sister Denies North Korea's Role in $6.3 Billion Binance Hack

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denied Pyongyang's involvement in the $6.3 billion hack of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, calling the FBI's accusations… pic.twitter.com/A98tE5aK7y

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) November 3, 2026

The response came three days after US investigators attributed the Oct. 29 cryptocurrency theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor hacking operation.

Kim also raised questions about Washington’s plans for confiscated cryptocurrency, introducing a new political controversy into an investigation already complicated by the rapid movement of stolen assets.

Kim Yo Jong Rejects FBI Claims, Questions Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve

Kim accused US authorities of repeatedly blaming North Korea whenever major international cybercrimes occur. She called the FBI’s attribution “absurd rhetoric and nothing new,” arguing that Washington was attempting to damage Pyongyang’s international reputation.

Her statement went further, suggesting that investigators should examine who ultimately receives any cryptocurrency recovered from the Binance theft.

Kim pointed to the Trump administration’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve policy as a possible clue, implying that Washington itself could have an interest in the stolen assets. However, she presented no evidence linking the US government to the attack.

The suggestion also overlooks that identifying and recovering stolen cryptocurrency does not automatically transfer ownership to the US government. Recovered assets may be subject to victim restitution and other legal proceedings.

The unusually direct response from Kim comes amid uncertainty over renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang.

FBI Links Binance Theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor Hackers

The FBI’s Oct. 31 advisory explicitly identified TraderTraitor as responsible for stealing more than $6 billion from Binance.

Investigators said the attackers were converting stolen assets primarily into Ethereum before potentially laundering them through decentralized finance platforms and instant-swap services.

The agency published cryptocurrency addresses associated with the theft and urged exchanges, THORChain operators, and other blockchain service providers to block related transactions.

Independent blockchain investigations support the attribution to North Korea.

TRM Labs traced approximately $6.36 billion in unauthorized withdrawals across ten blockchains, identifying signs of compromised transaction-signing infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Elliptic reported that the laundering operation had used approximately 12,000 wallets and more than 40,000 transactions within four days.

Laundering stages overlapped chart 1 — Laundering stages overlapped. | Source: Elliptic

As of Nov. 2, approximately $3.24 billion remained in theft-linked addresses, primarily in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Crypto Investigator Raises Separate Binance and FTX Allegations

The political dispute has also revived accusations against Binance itself.

Crypto investigator Tyler Reed, known as BoringSleuth on X, alleged that a Binance developer was involved in the 2022 FTX hack.

Reed claimed he had previously investigated the alleged connection and subsequently experienced intimidation, surveillance, and an attempted attack against him.

Binance’s own Developer provably hacked FTX during its implosion. When I proved it in 2023, I had a driveby on my residence, countless surveillance issues, an assassination attempt on me, and a defamation lawsuit designed to discredit, defame, and silence me.

Binance has money… https://t.co/ZVd6A24ZHb

— Tyler Reed – TruthLabs 🫡 (@BoringSleuth) November 3, 2026

He further accused Binance of participating in other cryptocurrency thefts and money laundering operations. However, Reed did not provide independently verifiable evidence in the cited post to establish Binance’s involvement in the FTX theft or to support his personal allegations.

His claims are separate from Kim Yo Jong’s statement and do not establish an alternative explanation for the October Binance breach.

For now, the FBI’s attribution remains unchanged, while the stolen cryptocurrency continues moving through blockchain networks.

North Korea’s denial introduces a diplomatic confrontation, but neither Pyongyang’s suggestion of US involvement nor separate accusations against Binance has displaced the evidence presented by investigators.

The next development will depend on whether authorities can identify the operators behind the transactions and intercept stolen assets before they reach cash-out services.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

Binance’s $6.3 billion hack has triggered unsubstantiated inside-job theories, while investigators examine compromised employee infrastructure and unauthorized withdrawals.
BitGo CEO Mike Belshe warned that publicly identifying crypto employees on LinkedIn could expose them to targeted phishing attacks.
Blockchain intelligence firms suspect North Korea’s TraderTraitor group, whose previous operations have involved fake recruiters, malicious software and elaborate social engineering.

A LinkedIn search for Binance DevOps engineers has become an unlikely talking point following the largest reported cryptocurrency hack in history.

As investigators examine how attackers moved approximately $6.3 billion from Binance wallets on Oct. 29, some commentators are questioning whether the breach involved insiders.

Others argue that the real danger lies in how easily hackers can identify employees with access to sensitive infrastructure.

BitGo CEO Mike Belshe joined the debate, warning that publicly listing technical roles at cryptocurrency companies could make employees attractive targets for sophisticated phishing campaigns.

I can only imagine how bad the devops engineer that was breached must feel.

I don't know if he was on linked in.

But if you're a devops engineer in crypto, get off of LinkedIn!

It's how the hackers find you. There are pages and pages of binance devops engineers listed… https://t.co/TCdZwduUeU pic.twitter.com/tGapXoU30I

— Mike Belshe (@mikebelshe) October 30, 2026

Meanwhile, speculation has taken a more dramatic turn, with unverified claims that Binance deliberately staged the incident to conceal trading losses.

There is no verified evidence supporting those accusations. Binance says its investigation has not implicated any individual, while independent blockchain intelligence firms have linked the attack to suspected North Korean hackers.

The competing narratives raise a more useful security question: Could an employee’s public professional profile provide the starting point for a multibillion-dollar cyberattack?

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Binance’s DevOps Laptop Breach Fuels Inside Job Speculation

Binance initially identified a compromised DevOps engineer’s laptop as a possible entry point.

According to the exchange, the attacker gained access to a service container and submitted unauthorized withdrawal transactions. Binance reported no evidence of leaked wallet private keys.

Its investigation subsequently uncovered additional points of compromise, suggesting a more complex operation than a single stolen password or employee authorization.

In an Oct. 30 statement, co-CEO Richard Teng said the company would cover customer losses using its SAFU emergency reserve and corporate funds. Approximately $3 billion in affected assets had been frozen through cooperation with blockchain partners.

Teng also said Binance would publish an updated proof of reserves after completing remediation.

The uncertainty surrounding the attack has encouraged speculation on social media.

Trader Tim Savage suggested Binance could have fabricated the breach after suffering losses from market-making activity around Hyperliquid. He estimated possible trading losses of at least $200 million but explicitly acknowledged that he lacked hard evidence.

Trader speculates Binance hack engineered to hide trading losses. | Source: @zTimSavage on X

Another commentator, The Modern Investor, alleged that the hack was intended to undermine confidence in cryptocurrency exchanges ahead of traditional financial institutions entering the market.

Binance was hacked on purpose. The largest banks and companies on the planet are planning to launch their OWN crypto trading desks in the next few months. In order to drop morale and integrity in the space you have to attack the largest player to make everyone scared.

— The Modern Investor (@ModernInvest) October 30, 2026

Neither allegation has been substantiated by trading records, blockchain forensics or official investigative findings.

The existence of a compromised employee device does not, by itself, establish insider involvement. Attackers can obtain access through malware, stolen credentials, or manipulated software without the employee knowingly assisting them.

Even some of Binance’s most vocal critics have rejected the growing conspiracy theories. Crypto commentator MASTR, who has previously criticized the exchange over its operations and political connections, said there was no credible evidence supporting claims that the $6.3 billion theft was an inside job or that social media accounts had advance knowledge of the attack.

Alright guys.

Stop talking shit about the #Binance hack.

I’m one of Binance’s harshest critics, and I do not trust this crypto bank.

I brought the Trump-Binance deal and plenty of other issues to your attention here.

I was reporting on the October crash and Binance from… pic.twitter.com/hog5HV97aq

— MASTR (@MastrXYZ) November 1, 2026

Pointing to the FBI’s attribution of the breach to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation, MASTR argued that Binance still faces serious questions about its security failures and financial transparency.

He also questioned whether the exchange’s reported allocation of more than $6.34 billion and its claim to have replenished approximately 95% of affected assets could be independently verified without access to its complete financial records. “My distrust of Binance does not give me permission to make shit up,” he wrote, urging commentators to separate legitimate scrutiny from unsupported allegations.

BitGo CEO Warns LinkedIn Profiles Could Help Hackers Find Crypto Employees

Belshe’s warning focused on a different problem: the visibility of engineers who work on cryptocurrency infrastructure.

In a post on X, the BitGo CEO argued that employees who publicly identify themselves as crypto DevOps engineers may inadvertently help attackers select targets.

LinkedIn profiles commonly reveal job titles, employers, technical skills, and employment histories. Such information can help criminals construct convincing approaches.

A hacker impersonating a recruiter, for example, might contact an engineer about a role requiring experience with Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure or blockchain systems. The attacker could then send a supposedly confidential coding assessment containing malicious software.

The engineer may believe they are completing a routine recruitment exercise while unknowingly granting the attacker access to their computer.

Belshe’s concern is supported by the FBI. In a September 2024 advisory, the agency warned that North Korean hackers research cryptocurrency employees through professional networking websites before launching personalized social engineering campaigns.

However, there is no public evidence establishing that LinkedIn was used to compromise Binance.

Nor do publicly available profiles establish that any particular employee was involved in the incident.

FBI Confirms North Korean TraderTraitor Role in Binance Hack

The North Korean connection has moved beyond industry speculation.

On Oct. 31, the FBI formally attributed the Binance theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation.

The agency said it was working with the US Secret Service and IRS Criminal Investigation to track stolen assets, including funds converted into ETH.

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs independently traced approximately $6.36 billion in unauthorized transfers across ten blockchains.

TRM identified similarities with earlier North Korean operations, including the February 2025 Bybit hack. Its investigation also identified signs of preparation beginning at least 36 hours before the Binance theft.

On Ethereum, attackers used 50 pre-signed EIP-7702 authorizations to gain control of a hot wallet’s transaction behavior.

Other blockchain networks experienced unauthorized transfers using conventional signatures.

TRM concluded that the evidence pointed toward compromised wallet-signing infrastructure, although Binance has not published a final technical explanation.

The FBI’s attribution identifies the suspected state-backed operation. It does not establish how the attackers initially compromised the employee’s device.

North Korean Fake Recruiters, IT Workers, and Romance Rumors

North Korea’s cryptocurrency operations extend well beyond conventional phishing emails.

The FBI has documented campaigns in which attackers impersonate recruiters, investors, and industry contacts to establish relationships with employees before attempting to install malware.

Some operations involve prolonged conversations designed to build trust. The agency has also warned about North Korean IT workers obtaining remote employment using stolen identities, fabricated credentials and manipulated interview processes.

In a July 2025 notice, the FBI said North Korea had deployed thousands of skilled IT workers internationally to obtain employment and generate revenue for the regime.

These operations present two separate risks: an external attacker deceiving a legitimate employee and an operative gaining employment under a false identity.

Neither scenario has been established as the entry point in Binance’s breach.

Was a Binance Engineer Romantically Involved With a North Korean Spy?

Another allegation circulating on X claims that a Binance engineer developed a romantic relationship with a North Korean operative and left a laptop unattended.

Some versions attribute the story to blockchain investigator ZachXBT.

However, the allegation lacks supporting evidence, and there is no corresponding ZachXBT investigation supporting the romance claim.

The publication also reported that Binance explicitly denied the allegation.

ZachXBT’s documented findings instead concerned connections between cryptocurrency stolen from Binance and an earlier Bitget exploit.

North Korean hackers have used relationship-building and impersonation in previous operations, but those established tactics do not verify a romantic relationship in this case.

The owner of the compromised laptop has not been publicly identified by Binance, and there is no substantiated evidence of employee collusion.

What Binance’s $6.3B Hack Reveals About Employee Security

The breach highlights a difficult problem for cryptocurrency companies.

Engineers need access to production systems to maintain infrastructure, troubleshoot problems, and deploy updates.

Attackers seek to turn that legitimate access into control over financial systems.

A compromised laptop should not automatically provide the ability to authorize billions in withdrawals. Organizations need additional controls between employee devices, production services, and transaction-signing systems.

The FBI recommends separating approval systems, restricting software execution on corporate devices, independently verifying recruiters, and requiring multiple approvals before transferring company assets.

As part of its security response, Binance announced that it has updated its Proof of Reserves address list to include newly generated wallets, which will now process all withdrawals.

The exchange has also promised a detailed technical postmortem. While the FBI has attributed the $6.3 billion theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor operation, claims of an inside job or employee involvement remain unsupported.

The incident raises a broader question about whether crypto exchanges have sufficient safeguards to prevent a single compromised employee device from exposing billions in customer assets.

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Key Takeaways

Park Jin Hyok is wanted by the FBI over alleged involvement in North Korean state-sponsored cyberattacks.
US prosecutors linked his alleged conspiracy to Sony, WannaCry, and the Bangladesh Bank theft, later expanding the case to cryptocurrency crimes.
The FBI attributed Binance’s $6.3 billion theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor activity, without publicly naming Park as a participant.

Park Jin Hyok, the North Korean programmer wanted by the FBI over alleged involvement in some of the world’s most damaging cyberattacks, is drawing renewed attention following Binance’s approximately $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft.

A post by X user Nana Sei Anyemedu recirculated Park’s background as scrutiny of Pyongyang’s hacking operations returned.

The FBI has attributed the Binance attack to North Korean activity it tracks as TraderTraitor.

However, its public alert does not identify Park as a participant in the breach. His documented history provides context, rather than proof of involvement.

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Who Is Park Jin Hyok?

The FBI describes Park as an alleged state-sponsored computer programmer associated with a hacking conspiracy operating under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, its military intelligence agency.

Researchers have used names such as Lazarus Group and APT38 for groups within the alleged conspiracy.

Park’s aliases include Jin Hyok Park, Pak Jin Hek and Pak Kwang Jin. His FBI wanted notice lists reported birth years of 1981 and 1984, illustrating the uncertainty surrounding even basic details of his identity.

Park Jin Hyok is a North Korean programmer and hacker reputedly involved in some of the most expensive cyber intrusions in history. North Korea officially denies his existence. Park attended the Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang and has reportedly traveled to… https://t.co/ypP6bcNc8a

— Nana Sei Anyemedu (@RedHatPentester) November 1, 2026

The agency says he previously traveled to China and was last known to be in North Korea.

According to a Justice Department complaint unsealed in September 2018, Park worked for more than a decade at Chosun Expo Joint Venture.

Prosecutors described the business, which maintained offices in China and North Korea, as a government front affiliated with military intelligence.

They alleged that legitimate programming work for international customers operated alongside malicious cyber activities.

Sony, WannaCry, and Bank Theft Define the Allegations

US prosecutors linked Park’s alleged conspiracy to three landmark incidents: the 2014 Sony Pictures attack, the 2016 theft of $81 million from Bangladesh Bank and the 2017 WannaCry ransomware outbreak.

The Sony operation involved stolen confidential information, threats against employees, and damage to thousands of computers. Prosecutors described it as retaliation for “The Interview,” a comedy depicting the assassination of North Korea’s leader.

WannaCry subsequently disrupted computers worldwide, including systems within Britain’s National Health Service. The Justice Department connected its development to the conspiracy through shared malware characteristics and infrastructure.

THE GUY BEHIND ALL THIS HACK HAS NO RUNNER YET ???

Reports suggest the FBI believes North Korean hacker Park Jin-hyok was behind the attacks on Binance, Bybit, DMM Bitcoin, WazirX, and BtcTurk. He is featured on the FBI Cyber’s Most Wanted list.

The FBI literally posted him in… https://t.co/re3UBCiDEh pic.twitter.com/8HjghdRx5w

— 4dev (@4devvvv) November 1, 2026

Investigators said they traced overlapping email accounts, phishing activity, malware code, and internet infrastructure to establish connections between the attacks.

In February 2021, prosecutors expanded the case, naming Park alongside Jon Chang Hyok and Kim Il in an alleged conspiracy to steal and extort more than $1.3 billion in money and cryptocurrency.

The indictment also described malicious cryptocurrency applications that opened backdoors into victims’ computers, as well as attacks targeting cryptocurrency businesses. Those allegations placed digital asset theft within the group’s broader financial operations years before the Binance incident.

The charges remain accusations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Binance Attribution Stops Short of Naming Park

The latest incident has intensified attention on North Korea’s capacity to compromise major cryptocurrency platforms.

Binance said unauthorized withdrawals from its hot wallets on Oct. 29 caused approximately $6.3 billion in losses. Its update said that investigators initially identified a potentially compromised laptop but later uncovered additional points of entry.

The exchange reported no evidence that wallet private keys had leaked and pledged to absorb the financial impact through its insurance fund and corporate treasury.

The most successful crypto traders in history : pic.twitter.com/MTahqpYNNM

— Jun Song (@jun_song) October 30, 2026

On Oct. 31, the FBI attributed the theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor activity. It said investigators observed attackers converting stolen assets primarily into ether and urged cryptocurrency service providers to block transactions involving identified addresses.

That attribution identifies a state-linked operation, without publicly establishing which individuals executed it.

Park’s outstanding charges explain his prominence in discussions of North Korean hacking, but linking him personally to Binance requires evidence beyond his reputation and alleged historical affiliations.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

India’s Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) are reportedly examining offshore cryptocurrency cards, including those offered by RedotPay.
Several Indian users have reported sudden card deactivations, although no official nationwide shutdown has been announced.
Legal and blockchain industry executives warn that stablecoin-funded payments could raise questions about foreign exchange compliance, customer verification and transaction monitoring.

India’s growing use of stablecoin payment cards has attracted regulatory scrutiny, leaving some users uncertain whether they can continue spending cryptocurrency through international card networks.

The RBI and FIU-IND are examining offshore prepaid cards that allow Indian residents to convert digital assets into rupees for purchases and cash withdrawals, according to a Nov. 2 report by The Economic Times, citing two people familiar with the developments.

🚨 INDIA IS COMING AFTER OFFSHORE CRYPTO CARD USERS

The RBI and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) are reportedly tightening scrutiny of offshore crypto cards used by Indian residents.

These cards let users spend crypto on everyday purchases in India and even withdraw cash. But…

— Pushpendra Singh (@pushpendrakum) November 2, 2026

The review reportedly covers services such as RedotPay, whose cards use established payment networks, including Visa.

Some users have complained that their cards have stopped functioning in India in recent days. However, regulators have not publicly announced enforcement action against RedotPay, and the reasons for individual deactivations remain unconfirmed.

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Why Are RBI and FIU Examining RedotPay Crypto Cards?

The attraction of stablecoin cards is straightforward: users can spend cryptocurrency without first transferring funds to an Indian bank account.

A customer holding dollar-backed stablecoins can use a prepaid card to purchase goods, recharge a phone, book travel or, where supported, withdraw cash. The conversion to local currency occurs through the payment infrastructure, so merchants receive conventional payments rather than cryptocurrency.

But this convenience creates a regulatory question.

If an Indian resident holds funds with an overseas crypto provider and spends them domestically, which institution is responsible for verifying the source of those assets and monitoring the transaction?

Sudhakar Lakshmanaraja, founder of Bengaluru-based nonprofit Digital South Trust, said his organization tested multiple crypto card programs and submitted its findings to authorities.

The organization reportedly obtained a Visa-backed RedotPay virtual card in August and successfully completed domestic purchases.

Lakshmanaraja warned that some offshore card programs advertise limited customer verification, which can make it difficult to identify who ultimately controls the cryptocurrency being spent.

His findings highlight a possible gap between traditional card-network compliance and the oversight of underlying digital assets.

Can Offshore Stablecoin Cards Bypass India’s Payment Rules?

Harshal Bhuta, co-founder and international tax and FEMA specialist at Ascentium India, warned that foreign-issued crypto debit cards could operate outside India’s domestic prepaid payment framework.

The concern arises when digital assets are held by an overseas custodian and automatically converted to fiat currency at the time of purchase.

Under the RBI’s prepaid payment instrument rules, payment operators generally require authorization to issue and operate regulated prepaid instruments in India.

However, whether a particular offshore card arrangement violates those requirements depends on its issuer, transaction structure, and applicable exemptions.

Manavendra Mishra, a white-collar crime and investigations partner at Khaitan & Co., raised another concern: users may not fully understand the implications of India’s Foreign Exchange Management Act.

He noted that blockchain analytics can trace cryptocurrency movements and help investigators examine the origins of funds, including assets associated with theft or other illicit activity. The executives’ comments were reported by The Economic Times.

The issue extends beyond individual cardholders. If an offshore service controls the cryptocurrency while a conventional payment network processes the purchase, regulators must determine where responsibility for customer verification and transaction reporting begins and ends.

Visa’s Stablecoin Expansion Raises a Bigger Question for India

India’s scrutiny comes as stablecoin-linked cards gain traction internationally.

In September, Visa disclosed that more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs were operating globally, with payment volume growing nearly 200% year over year during its fiscal second quarter.

The company also reported an annualized stablecoin settlement run rate exceeding $20 billion, although settlement activity should not be confused with consumer card spending.

Vedang Ratan Vatsa, founder of Hashtag Web3, described stablecoin cards as an additional funding layer built on existing payment networks rather than a completely separate payment system.

This creates a challenge for Indian authorities: merchants may see an ordinary card transaction even when the customer’s purchasing power originates from cryptocurrency held abroad.

For users, the immediate uncertainty concerns access to existing balances.

A disabled card does not necessarily mean the underlying cryptocurrency has been seized or lost. However, users may face difficulties withdrawing or transferring assets if the provider restricts account functionality.

No public statement from the RBI, Visa or Mastercard has confirmed a coordinated shutdown, and RedotPay has not been formally accused of wrongdoing in the reported review.

The central question is whether offshore stablecoin cards can continue serving Indian customers while satisfying domestic payment, foreign exchange, and anti-money laundering requirements.

Until regulators clarify their position, reported card deactivations remain a warning about the operational risks of relying on offshore cryptocurrency payment services, rather than evidence of a nationwide ban.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

An XRP supporter demanded a $15–$20 price, accusing Ripple of prioritizing RLUSD and corporate expansion over token holders.
The post provided no evidence that RLUSD depressed XRP’s value or a valuation model supporting the target.
Ripple’s Coinbase partnership expands access to RLUSD, but its effect on XRP demand remains uncertain.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse faces an emotional appeal from an XRP investor demanding a token price of $15 to $20 or higher and questioning whether the company’s growing stablecoin business serves investors’ interests.

In a post on X addressed to Garlinghouse and David Schwartz, XRP investor Fabrizio Scudu accused Ripple of prioritizing RLUSD and corporate expansion at the expense of XRP holders.

His message raises a question for the company’s supporters: how much of Ripple’s institutional growth ultimately translates into demand for XRP?

The post presents an investor’s grievance without evidence establishing that RLUSD has depressed XRP’s value.

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XRP Supporter Demands a Reward for Years of Loyalty

Scudu framed his criticism around the sacrifices he said XRP holders made during Ripple’s lengthy legal battle and years of uncertainty.

Investors did more than purchase a cryptocurrency, he argued. They supported the company through a shared struggle, committing savings while enduring negative sentiment and prolonged financial pressure.

“We didn’t just buy an asset; we chose to fight the exact same war alongside you,” he wrote.

He then accused Ripple of redirecting XRP’s economic and technological potential toward RLUSD and other enterprise structures, allowing the company to secure its future while leaving holders behind.

To Brad Garlinghouse and David Schwartz: A message for your souls by the fireside.When you sit by the fireside of your homes in the evening, enveloped in the peace and warmth of your families, I look upon you and ask you to look into your souls. That sense of peace, that right to…

— fabrizio scudu (@fabrizioscudu) November 1, 2026

Scudu described $15 to $20 or more as XRP’s rightful value and urged Ripple’s leadership to take market action to achieve it.

However, the post offered no valuation model to support those targets, nor transaction data demonstrating that RLUSD displaced XRP demand. Its central argument rested on loyalty and a perceived moral obligation to reward holders.

That makes the demand an expression of investor expectations rather than an established assessment of XRP’s fair value.

Garlinghouse Says RLUSD Complements XRP

Garlinghouse addressed the broader concern about Ripple’s priorities in a Bloomberg interview, before Scudu’s appeal attracted coverage.

“XRP is at the heart of everything Ripple does,” he said, arguing that the company launched RLUSD to complement its existing work with the cryptocurrency.

According to Garlinghouse, roughly half of RLUSD was issued on the XRP Ledger at the time. He said that activity brings liquidity, trading volume, and broader participation to the network.

‼️RLUSD WAS NEVER CREATED TO REPLACE XRP‼️

RLUSD and XRP were never doing the same job.

RLUSD holds the value. XRP moves the value.

Each one expands what the other can do.✅

Stablecoins create the traffic. The traffic creates the need for the bridge. 🌉

Full breakdown in the… pic.twitter.com/peXrpsr95N

— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) October 31, 2026

He also described stablecoins as an accessible starting point for corporate finance executives exploring blockchain technology. Ripple’s approach, he said, involves solving customers’ needs through stablecoins, XRP, or conventional payment infrastructure, depending on the transaction.

Asked what XRP offers that RLUSD cannot, Garlinghouse pointed to its role as a bridge between different currencies. A dollar stablecoin serves dollar-denominated transactions, while XRP can facilitate conversions across other currency pairs.

Those remarks explain Ripple’s stated strategy. They do not constitute a direct response to Scudu or a commitment to deliver his requested price.

Coinbase Expansion Puts RLUSD Strategy in Focus

A recent distribution agreement illustrates why Ripple’s stablecoin ambitions have become central to the debate.

On Oct. 28, Ripple announced that RLUSD would become available through Coinbase Prime, Coinbase Exchange and Coinbase’s retail app, with blockchain support spanning the XRP Ledger, Base and Ethereum.

The announcement said RLUSD had surpassed $2.4 billion in market capitalization since launching in December 2024. It also outlined plans to extend availability to Coinbase Global Exchange customers, including use as collateral.

Ripple described the partnership as a way to expand institutional access across trading, settlement, and custody.

The agreement demonstrates commercial progress for RLUSD. Assessing its effect on XRP requires a separate examination of how customers actually use the token.

The distinction leaves Scudu’s underlying question unresolved: whether growing adoption of Ripple’s services will generate sufficient XRP demand to meet holders’ expectations. The announcements establish expansion, but they do not establish a path to $20.

Top Picks for XRP

Key Takeaways

A fraudulent SKR Claim app appeared in Solana Mobile’s dApp Store Spotlight on Nov. 1 following unauthorized access to its publishing portal.
The app remained available for approximately one hour before Solana Mobile removed it and addressed a vulnerability involving unpublished applications.
Users who entered wallet seed phrases into the fake app have been urged to move their assets to a new wallet immediately.

Solana Mobile faced a security incident on Nov. 1 after an unauthorized application posing as an SKR token claim tool appeared in the Solana dApp Store Spotlight.

The fraudulent listing, named SKR Claim, remained visible for approximately one hour, potentially exposing users to a wallet-draining scam.

Solana Mobile removed the application, patched a publishing vulnerability, and began taking steps to remove the unauthorized software from affected devices.

Today a malicious third party app named “SKR Claim” was submitted to the Solana dApp Store. The App Spotlight and Quests UI were updated following unauthorized access to the dApp Publishing Portal. The app requested entry of user seed phrases.

The app was live on the dApp…

— Seeker | Solana Mobile (@solanamobile) November 1, 2026

The incident raises concerns about how users verify cryptocurrency applications, particularly when a fraudulent listing appears inside an official app marketplace.

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How Did a Fake SKR Claim App Enter Solana’s dApp Store?

According to Solana Mobile’s account of the incident, an unauthorized party accessed its app publishing portal and exploited a bug, allowing an unpublished application to appear in the store.

The fake SKR Claim application subsequently appeared in the Spotlight section, where users would ordinarily expect to find featured applications.

Its presence there could have made the listing appear more credible than a suspicious link distributed through social media.

The application was removed after roughly an hour, and Solana Mobile said it had patched the underlying publishing flaw.

The company also initiated the removal of the unauthorized application from devices on which it had been installed. However, the short exposure window does not establish how many people downloaded the app, whether anyone submitted a seed phrase, or whether cryptocurrency was stolen.

Why the SKR Airdrop Became an Attractive Phishing Target

The app’s name exploited an existing feature of Solana Mobile’s ecosystem.

SKR is the token associated with Solana Mobile’s Seeker platform, used for staking and governance. Earlier in 2026, Solana Mobile introduced an SKR airdrop claiming process through its built-in Seed Vault Wallet.

That legitimate distribution gave scammers a recognizable theme to imitate.

The fake app requested seed phrases, the recovery words that provide access to a cryptocurrency wallet. Anyone obtaining those words can potentially restore the wallet elsewhere and transfer its assets.

Solana Mobile emphasized that its team never asks users to disclose seed phrases, send cryptocurrency, or connect wallets to external applications to claim airdrops.

The company also said the incident did not compromise the Seed Vault hardware wallet, Solana Mobile device security, or blockchain systems. The identified failure concerned app distribution rather than the underlying network.

What Should Solana Mobile Users Do After the Breach?

Users who installed SKR Claim should stop interacting with it and follow Solana Mobile’s official removal guidance.

Anyone who entered a seed phrase should consider the corresponding wallet compromised, create a new wallet with a fresh recovery phrase, and transfer remaining assets immediately.

Simply uninstalling the malicious app cannot make an exposed seed phrase secure again. Solana Mobile has not disclosed the number of installations, confirmed financial losses, or the attacker’s identity.

The incident also comes as its application marketplace expands. On Oct. 22, the company announced that the Solana dApp Store had surpassed 1,500 applications.

That growth increases the importance of preventing unauthorized applications from reaching featured sections.

Although Solana Mobile closed the identified publishing loophole, the breach exposed a broader weakness in cryptocurrency app discovery: a familiar token name and prominent marketplace placement can make a phishing attempt appear legitimate.

For users, the most important safeguard remains unchanged. No legitimate token claim requires revealing a wallet’s seed phrase.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

50 companies have objected to tokenized versions of their shares trading on OKXICE, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and JPMorgan.
Timely objections block the affected third-party stock tokens from trading on the venue under the SEC’s temporary exemption.
OKXICE plans 24/7 trading through permissioned liquidity pools on X Layer, pairing tokenized shares with stablecoins.

Microsoft, Nvidia, and JPMorgan Chase are among 50 companies objecting to tokenized versions of their shares trading on OKXICE, raising a significant obstacle for the planned blockchain stock venue backed by crypto exchange OKX and New York Stock Exchange owner Intercontinental Exchange.

Journalist Eleanor Terrett highlighted the updated count on Nov. 1, with Nvidia, Nike, Costco, Micron and Reddit among the latest additions.

The objections restrict which securities the venture can offer under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s temporary exemption for tokenized stock trading.

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Corporate Opposition Spreads Across Industries

The growing opposition extends beyond technology companies to include banks, retailers, healthcare providers, and consumer brands.

Microsoft and Nvidia appear alongside Alphabet, AMD, Intel, Oracle, and Broadcom. Financial institutions include JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, while Walmart, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Eli Lilly also feature among the objectors.

The breadth of that list presents a commercial challenge for a venue seeking to connect blockchain trading with recognizable public companies. Several businesses whose shares could attract investors have exercised their ability to keep third-party tokenized versions off the platform.

🚨UPDATE: The list of issuers objecting to @okx/@ICE_Markets tokenizing their shares on its TSV has grown to 50. New additions include Nike, Costco, Micron, Reddit and Nvidia.

The venture initially proposed tokenizing shares from 62 companies.

Full list of objectors here: pic.twitter.com/He9sVxHTS0

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) November 1, 2026

The objections have accumulated rapidly. OKXICE’s Oct. 19 notice listed 16 companies, compared with the 50 reported in its latest update. The public notice lists objectors without explaining their individual reasons.

Terrett said the venture initially proposed shares from 62 companies. However, some subsequent objectors were absent from the original selection, so the headline totals do not confirm that exactly 12 proposed companies remain available.

The distinction matters when assessing how much of the original trading lineup the venture can retain.

SEC Framework Gives Issuers a Blocking Right

The objections carry regulatory consequences under the SEC’s innovation exemption.

Before offering stock tokenized by an unaffiliated third party, a qualifying venue must notify the underlying issuer. The company then has 30 calendar days from receipt of that notice to object in writing.

A timely objection prevents the venue from making those tokenized shares available under the exemption. The venue must disclose the objection through an updated public notice within five business days.

I have been ruminating on the objections around the okx-ice 24/7 trading platform for tokenized stocks for a while. I don’t have it clear yet, but I’ll say it as I have it right now.

currently, 26 companies have said no to OKXICE and the way the media portrays it is that “Wall…

— stein (@steinRWA) October 27, 2026

That mechanism gives companies a direct say in whether this particular third-party trading arrangement can include their stock. An objection does not establish that the issuer opposes every form of tokenization.

The framework also requires eligible tokenized shares to preserve the rights and privileges of equivalent conventional shares, including dividends, voting rights, and liquidation claims. It therefore differs from products that merely provide synthetic exposure to a stock price.

The SEC identifies potential price dislocations and complications involving shareholder records among the concerns an issuer might weigh. Those examples do not establish why any individual OKXICE objector declined participation.

OKXICE Plans Permissioned, Round-the-Clock Trading

OKXICE, a venture owned equally by ICE and OKX, proposes trading tokenized stocks 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Its planned infrastructure uses automated liquidity pools on OKX’s X Layer blockchain, built with Uniswap v4. Investors would trade stock tokens against supported stablecoins, bringing blockchain settlement and continuous market access into an equity trading environment.

Access would remain controlled. Participants would need approved wallets carrying a special credential issued by the venue, rather than unrestricted access through any blockchain address.

Another major milestone for the OKXICE joint venture.

ICE and @tradexyz are advancing a new regulated, 24/7 market model for U.S. retail traders, with access through OKXICE.

One shared vision: financial markets that are more open, efficient, and accessible. pic.twitter.com/u6xK8Xoigk

— OKX (@okx) October 29, 2026

The venture has not announced a confirmed launch date. Its public landing page continues to describe the service as forthcoming and identifies Oct. 30 as the latest notice revision.

The expanding objection list leaves OKXICE facing a practical test: assembling a compelling selection of shares while respecting issuers’ blocking rights.

Regulatory flexibility creates an opening for the trading model, but corporate participation will help determine the breadth of its eventual offering.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

Bullish XRP forecasts range from 21Shares’ $2.69 scenario to Jake Claver’s $10,000 prediction.
Institutional adoption, ETF demand, and historical chart patterns underpin the different forecasts.
The targets span different timelines, with Claver’s latest call following his missed $100 deadline.

XRP remains almost two-thirds below its record high, but asset managers, veteran traders and prominent supporters continue to outline ambitious targets for the crypto.

Their forecasts range from a recovery to $2.69 during 2026 to a longer-term climb toward $28, while the most aggressive calls put triple-digit prices back on the table.

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XRP’s 2026 Price Action So Far

XRP began 2026 with a sharp rally, gaining around 25% during the first week as investors responded to demand for XRP exchange-traded funds.

However, the optimism quickly faded as the broader crypto market weakened.

By February, XRP had briefly fallen to $1.16, prompting Standard Chartered to slash its year-end forecast.

At the time of reporting, XRP traded near $1.32 on Oct. 28, roughly 64% below its $3.65 record high, according to CoinGecko.

That leaves substantial ground to recover before XRP can challenge its previous peak, even before the more ambitious forecasts become relevant.

Here are five bullish XRP forecasts published or defended this year, ranked by their price targets.

5. 21Shares: $2.69

Asset manager 21Shares outlined a bullish scenario of $2.69 in its January 2026 XRP outlook.

The firm’s investment case focused on three potential drivers:

improved regulatory clarity
sustained demand for spot XRP ETFs
greater adoption of stablecoins and tokenized assets on the XRP Ledger.

Its bullish scenario assumes institutional tokenization expands while available supply tightens, supporting a stronger repricing of XRP.

However, $2.69 was the optimistic end of its forecast framework.

The firm also outlined a $2.45 base case and a $1.60 bear case.

21Shares also identified several risks, including weakening ETF demand, competition from other blockchains, and disappointing adoption of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin.

4. Peter Brandt: $5.40

Veteran trader Peter Brandt outlined a potential move to $5.40 in September, putting a new XRP record firmly within his longer-term chart scenario.

“This is my long-term chart of $XRP. It implies an eventual advance to $5.40,” Brandt wrote.

As CCN previously reported, Brandt did not attach a deadline to the forecast.

He also warned that publishing a price target does not establish that someone executed a successful trade.

This is my long-term chart of ripple:native It implies an eventual advance to $5.40
A claim of a "call" or simple presentation of a chart is NOT a trade People who claim "trades" need to provide proof or else the claims are BS An X post is NOT proof pic.twitter.com/Szu6FiZq2T

— The Factor Report (@PeterLBrandt) September 21, 2026

His analysis since has been more cautious.

In October, Brandt outlined a separate $2.16 technical objective while warning that XRP faces substantial selling pressure above its current price.

3. Standard Chartered: $28

Standard Chartered has maintained one of the most ambitious institutional forecasts for XRP, with a reported target of $28 by 2030.

The bank’s longer-term outlook contrasts sharply with its reduced expectations for this year.

In February, Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, cut its end-2026 target from $8 to $2.80 following the market selloff.

However, its revised forecast path still envisaged XRP reaching $7 in 2027, $12.60 in 2028 and $19.60 in 2029 before climbing to $28 in 2030.

Kendrick has pointed to stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets as potential sources of growth for both XRP and Ethereum.

“We see XRP keeping pace with ETH,” he said in the February research note reported by DL News.

2. EGRAG Crypto: $50

XRP analyst EGRAG Crypto floated a $50 scenario in September, drawing comparisons between the token’s recent trading pattern and its earlier accumulation cycle.

His analysis focused on the possibility of three consecutive positive monthly candles, similar to the sequence observed around the beginning of 2016.

As CCN reported, EGRAG argued that a similar pattern could support another substantial rally.

However, the historical comparison does not establish when such a move might happen.

XRP spent much of 2016 trading sideways after its earlier three-month run, with its dramatic gains arriving in 2017.

The valuation hurdle is also extremely substantial.

Using 63.35 billion circulating tokens, a $50 XRP price would imply a market capitalization of roughly $3.17 trillion.

1. Jake Claver: $10,000

XRP advocate Jake Claver has reaffirmed his prediction that the token could reach $10,000 by late 2026 or early 2027.

Acknowledging that he had previously outlined the same target, Claver said: “I still think that.”

His argument begins with XRP rising to between $50 and $100, driven by organic demand and banks adopting it as a financial asset.

Once institutions hold and use XRP at those prices, he expects what he calls a “systemic administrative repricing.”

Claver also argues that liquidity problems in stablecoins or sanctions affecting Tether’s USDT could push exchanges toward XRP, creating additional demand.

His final scenario involves XRP settling the global derivatives market, which he believes could propel the token toward $10,000.

However, Claver previously predicted XRP would reach $100 by the end of 2025 — a deadline that passed without the target being met.

Top Picks for XRP

Key Takeaways

Bitcoin’s $80,000 support faces a Halloween test, with Glassnode identifying resistance between $85,000 and $87,500.
Glassnode reported $653 million in Bitcoin ETF inflows on Oct. 19, but weak trading volumes raise questions about sustained demand.
Coinbase Institutional sees $73,000 to $75,000 as the next support zone if Bitcoin loses $80,000 to $82,000.

Bitcoin is approaching Halloween with an uncomfortable question for investors: Will November bring a recovery or another round of selling?

The cryptocurrency has struggled around $80,000 in October, leaving traders watching whether institutional demand can support prices as the market enters the final two months of 2026.

Historically, November has produced some of Bitcoin’s strongest rallies. However, the Halloween indicator, the idea that seasonal market patterns can help predict year-end returns, offers no guarantee that Bitcoin will follow previous cycles.

Monday Playbook || Week 10

Everyone expected UPtober.

A bearish November could be the plot twist; Anthropic IPO, Bearish market signals.

Here’s what I’m watching this week:

➬ Funding Rate & Open Interest

Since we had the open interest break the $50B resistance, we’ve been… pic.twitter.com/JyxKWOsD2N

— 0xRetardio (@0xRetardio) October 26, 2026

This year, the seasonal argument faces a particularly difficult test. Recent research from Glassnode and Coinbase Institutional shows Bitcoin caught between concentrated selling pressure above current prices and institutional cost bases below.

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Bitcoin’s Halloween Indicator Meets the $80,000 Test

The Halloween indicator stems from a traditional stock market seasonal investing strategy, often summarized as buying around Halloween and holding through spring.

For Bitcoin, the question has evolved into whether the cryptocurrency tends to recover in November and December.

But unlike a trading signal derived from blockchain activity, the Halloween indicator is a historical calendar pattern. It cannot explain why prices should rise in any particular year.

Glassnode’s Oct. 21 Week On-Chain report offers a more immediate way to assess Bitcoin’s prospects.

The analytics firm estimated that corporate Bitcoin treasuries held their coins at an average acquisition price of approximately $80,200, while the US spot Bitcoin ETF cost basis was around $81,500.

These levels matter because a sustained decline below them would leave the average holder in both groups facing unrealized losses.

BTC bounced near the ETF cost basis, above the True Market Mean. | Source: Glassnode

Glassnode also identified the True Market Mean, a measure of the average acquisition cost of economically active Bitcoin supply, near $77,600.

The report found that buying orders around $80,000 had replenished after Bitcoin briefly traded near that level on Oct. 15. However, it warned that a daily close below $80,000 could expose lower support.

That makes the Halloween period less about superstition and more about whether buyers can defend a price zone shared by two major institutional holder groups.

Glassnode Data Reveals $653 Million ETF Rebound, but There’s a Catch

Institutional demand presents a mixed picture heading into November.

According to Glassnode, US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted approximately $653 million in net inflows on Oct. 19, their strongest single-day inflow since Sept. 22.

However, the firm identified a weakness beneath that recovery: ETF trading volume remained relatively subdued, with the 30-day average running at less than one-quarter of its level a year earlier.

This is important because a large inflow on a single day does not necessarily indicate a sustained recovery in institutional buying.

Glassnode also reported that realized profit-taking had slowed to approximately half the pace recorded around September’s market high, suggesting that some selling pressure had eased.

Still, the cryptocurrency faced substantial resistance between $85,000 and $87,500, where investor cost bases, exchange sell orders, and leveraged liquidation levels overlapped.

A sustained breakout would require buyers to absorb that supply rather than merely push prices higher through short liquidations.

Bitcoin’s November History: 37% Rally or Another 17% Decline?

Historical returns show why November attracts attention from Bitcoin investors, but also why relying on seasonality can be dangerous.

According to CoinGlass historical return data, Bitcoin gained approximately 37.3% in November 2024 and 8.8% in November 2023. However, it lost roughly 17.5% in November 2025.

The contrast becomes even clearer when comparing recent years.

Year	November BTC return
2020	+42.8%
2021	-7.1%
2022	-16.2%
2023	+8.9%
2024	+37.3%
2025	-17.5%

Approximate calendar-month returns, rounded from historical BTC/USD data. Figures can vary slightly by exchange and daily closing convention.

The results demonstrate that November has delivered both substantial gains and double-digit losses.

In 2024, Bitcoin’s strong performance coincided with a broader market rally following the US presidential election. In 2022, by contrast, the collapse of FTX intensified selling pressure across cryptocurrency markets.

That makes it difficult to separate any genuine seasonal effect from major events occurring during the same period.

Coinbase Warns Bitcoin Could Fall Toward $73,000

Coinbase Institutional’s Oct. 23 market commentary offered another reason to question an automatic recovery in November.

The firm’s analysts identified $80,000 to $82,000 as Bitcoin’s most important near-term support region, citing the overlap between the ETF investor cost basis and the 50-day moving average.

If that area fails, Coinbase expects the next significant support between $73,000 and $75,000.

The research also identified approximately 2.1 million BTC that last moved between $87,500 and $91,700, citing Glassnode data. That represents roughly one-tenth of Bitcoin’s circulating supply concentrated in a relatively narrow price range.

BTC market depth on Coinbase (up to 5% mid). | Source: Coinbase

Investors who acquired coins at those prices may be inclined to sell as Bitcoin approaches their break-even levels, creating resistance to a sustained recovery. However, Coinbase did not dismiss the possibility of a rebound. Its analysts argued that the broader market setup remained constructive despite macroeconomic headwinds.

The firm also highlighted a major shift in institutional buying. Since August, spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted approximately $6.4 billion, compared with $1.5 billion purchased by corporate treasuries.

The difference suggests ETFs have become a more important source of marginal demand, making sustained fund inflows particularly relevant to Bitcoin’s November outlook.

Will November Bring a Bitcoin Rally?

The immediate calendar could prove more influential than the Halloween indicator.

The Federal Reserve announces its next interest rate decision Oct. 28, with investors watching whether policymakers signal further tightening. Persistent inflation and higher Treasury yields could pressure Bitcoin by making interest-bearing assets relatively more attractive.

For a bullish November scenario, Bitcoin would need to maintain the $80,000 to $82,000 support region, attract consistent ETF inflows, and eventually break through the $85,000 to $87,500 resistance zone identified by Glassnode.

A stronger move above $90,000 would help clear the concentrated supply that Coinbase highlighted.

Conversely, losing $80,000 could expose Glassnode’s True Market Mean near $77,600, followed by Coinbase’s $73,000 to $75,000 support region.

Neither outcome is predetermined.

November is getting closer and it's gonna be a deciding month for bitcoin:native

If we see some big red candles pushing the price down, the journey to a new bottom could be completed in November

But if BTC finds support around 74k, we can say there won't be another lower low https://t.co/DlQ8bcmOrT

— Endlessq (@endlessq1) October 26, 2026

Bitcoin’s historical November gains provide an intriguing seasonal backdrop, but the latest on-chain evidence suggests the market is still searching for convincing demand.

For investors hoping for a Halloween treat, the more meaningful indicator may not be the calendar at all. It will be whether buyers can defend $80,000 and absorb the millions of coins held by investors waiting to break even.

Top Trending Crypto Articles

Key Takeaways

FTT, CEL, VGX, LUNC, USTC, LUNA and SFM continue trading despite failed businesses, collapsed models or major legal fallout.
“Zombie token” covers different situations: Terra’s networks retain community activity, while FTT has lost its original exchange utility.
Thin liquidity, contract migrations and similar tickers can make these tokens difficult to assess or sell.

A crypto company can collapse, its founders can face prison, and its original business model can disappear. The token, however, may keep trading.

As of late October, several assets associated with spectacular failures still have exchange listings, liquidity pools or communities pursuing revivals.

“Zombie token” is an editorial description, not a formal classification. These seven examples range from assets stripped of their original utility to functioning networks carrying the legacy of failed projects.

Their survival demonstrates why a quoted price alone says little about an investment’s underlying health.

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1. FTX Token (FTT): Trading Without FTX

FTT remains one of the clearest examples of a token outliving its business.

FTX stopped operating in November 2022, removing the exchange services that originally supported FTT’s utility.

The clearest breakdown of the FTX collapse you'll ever watch. $8 billion of customer money was missing at an exchange valued at $32 billion, and it took just nine days to go from one leaked balance sheet to bankruptcy.

The trick was a token FTX printed itself. Alameda's books… https://t.co/xqpogmKPv5 pic.twitter.com/QKhFjwU3r0

— Benny (@0xBenjamine) October 22, 2026

Yet the token continues trading. CoinGecko’s data showed approximately $1 million in daily turnover and a price roughly 99.7% below its peak.

CoinMarketCap explicitly warns that FTT no longer has any use. Bankruptcy headlines should not be confused with restored token functionality.

2. Celsius (CEL): The Loyalty Token After the Lender

CEL once supported rewards and borrowing benefits within Celsius’s lending platform. Today, the company’s recovery process and its token market tell different stories.

Celsius announced a fourth creditor distribution of $344.4 million in January 2026.

Meanwhile, CEL remains quoted on decentralized markets, approximately 99.9% below its historical high in CoinGecko’s data.

Creditor distributions represent bankruptcy recoveries, not evidence that the former lending platform or CEL’s original benefits have returned.

3. VGX: A Token Searching for Another Life

VGX survived Voyager Digital’s bankruptcy and subsequently moved into an ecosystem managed independently by the VGX Foundation.

That distinction matters: the token is not simply an operating Voyager loyalty program awaiting a rebound.

CoinGecko identifies the foundation’s independent role and continues tracking VGX markets, although reported activity can be extremely thin.

Repurposing offers a possible second life, but an existing ticker and new ambitions do not establish meaningful adoption or dependable exit liquidity.

4. Terra Classic (LUNC): A Collapse With a Community

LUNC is the original Terra network’s token, renamed after the ecosystem’s devastating 2022 collapse.

Unlike an abandoned exchange token, it belongs to a blockchain that still has validators, governance and community maintenance. Calling it “dead” would therefore misrepresent its operational status.

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Down over 92% from its 2022 high.

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But look at the weekly chart.$LUNC is sitting near a major historical… pic.twitter.com/8WYwvqvrv6

— @TakeProfitNow (@TakePr0fitN0w) October 26, 2026

Its inclusion reflects the enormous gap between Terra’s original ambitions and its subsequent survival. Continued network activity demonstrates persistence; it does not restore the economic model that failed.

5. TerraClassicUSD (USTC): The Stablecoin That Is Not Stable

USTC offers an especially stark contradiction: a former dollar-pegged asset trading around half a cent.

CoinGecko’s figures showed approximately $1.58 million in daily trading volume, despite the token remaining far below its former dollar target.

Trading activity has survived the failure of its defining promise. USTC should consequently be understood as a volatile speculative asset, rather than treated as equivalent to a functioning dollar stablecoin.

6. Terra (LUNA): The Reboot Outliving Its Sponsor

The newer LUNA belongs to the separate Terra blockchain launched after the original collapse.

Terraform Labs’ website still announces its wind-down, while LUNA continues to trade approximately 99.8% below its historical peak, according to CoinGecko’s current snapshot.

The distinction between a company and a blockchain is crucial. Community-supported infrastructure can survive a corporate shutdown. What remains uncertain is whether that survival can support a durable ecosystem beyond the history attached to its name.

7. SafeMoon (SFM): The Brand Survives the Verdict

SafeMoon’s legal reckoning advanced in February 2026, when former CEO Braden John Karony received a 100-month prison sentence for fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.

Yet SFM remains tracked, with CoinGecko flagging a contract migration and listing Solana-based trading.

The SafeMoon US, LLC Chapter 7 Trustee has posted the attached notices regarding the proposed class settlement.
The Settlement Class Bar Date is November 9, 2026.
If you timely filed a proof of claim in the SafeMoon bankruptcy case, you do not need to submit a separate… pic.twitter.com/LUv4HSqBpk

— SafeMoon (@safemoon) July 21, 2026

That creates an additional complication: legacy tokens, migrated assets, and similarly named coins can differ substantially. The brand’s survival does not erase its history, and a familiar name is insufficient to identify what it actually trades.

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OG.com is a prediction market platform that was launched in 2026 by Crypto.com. It spans real-world events, sports, politics, and financial markets, including cryptocurrency, forex, and commodities.

On October 29, 2026, OG.com unveiled a new feature to users in the United States that capitalizes on the rapidly growing Trading Card Game (TCG) market, while delivering an enhanced pack-opening experience.

OG.com Rips lets people purchase and rip Pokémon, NBA, MLB, and NFL packs directly within the OG.com web platform and mobile app. Users can request a physical delivery for their cards or sell them back to OG.com Rips directly, offering a streamlined alternative to in-hand openings.

OG.com Rips Key Features

Live pack openings are immensely popular on social media, but traditional collecting is encumbered by the difficulty of acquiring packs, marketplace listings, and secondary transaction fees.

OG.com Rips solves these challenges by implementing a suite of tools that enhance the convenience of collecting and cashing out.

Physical Redemption: Cards on OG.com Rips are not solely digital. Users can request physical redemption, and the platform will send cards straight to your door via a tracked and insured service.
Instant Buyback: Users receive a cash buyback offer whenever they open a pack. Buyback offers are valid for seven days. If accepted, funds are deposited into account balances instantly, avoiding selling fees and the need to negotiate with third-party buyers.

Easy Funding: Users can purchase card packs directly using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit/debit card. You do not have to pre-fund an account, which can leave excess funds trapped.

Integrated Card Vault: Whenever you pull a card, it’s automatically cataloged in a personal digital vault. Users can track rarity, buyback offers, and overall portfolio value. The corresponding physical card is simultaneously secured in a certified third-party vault custody network.

High Production Reveals: The pack opening experience on OG.com Rips is designed to be shared online. It features an animated ripping sequence that can be captured live and posted with one tap.

Discussing OG.com Rips, Kris Marszalek, Founder and CEO of OG.com, said:

“OG.com was built around letting fans and consumers act on what they know across sports and culture, and OG.com Rips is a natural extension of that ethos. Pack ripping is an immediate, physical parallel to the experience OG.com is known for. Bringing the adrenaline of the live pack rip into an app purpose-built for a community that lives for sports and culture, OG.com Rips is a natural next step for us with much more to come.”

Looking Forward

Trading cards have exploded in popularity over the past few years, and many analysts predict that trend will continue. Grand View Research estimates that the trading card market will grow at a CAGR of 7.7% between 2026 and 2033, so platforms like OG.com Rips, which remove friction and simplify the pack-opening experience, are likely to quickly grow in popularity among enthusiasts.

With straightforward funding, the ability to redeem wins for physical cards, and the option to instantly sell via cash buyback, OG.com Rips is one of the most seamless ways for people to rip packs and collect cards. While some people will prefer opening packs in hand, OG.com Rips is worth checking out if you’re looking for an easier way to buy/sell trading cards or if you’re intrigued by the digital format.