Daily digests
Crypto News Digest: October 13, 2026
The stories that moved crypto on October 13, 2026.
32 stories
All crypto news
AI Powered PlayStation Crack Could Let You Play GTA 6 on PC at Launch
AnyPS5 develops an AI‑driven emulator that aims to run any PS5 title natively on Windows, and gamers anticipate it could launch Grand Theft Auto VI on PC the same day as the console release; the tool claims to translate console binaries in real time, potentially bypassing traditional ports and prompting publishers to reconsider launch‑day PC strategies.
Crypto exchange MNX takes on OKX, Bitget offering pre-IPO futures for AI giants
MNX launches a novel futures platform letting traders speculate on private AI firms’ future valuations, featuring OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek, while positioning itself against rivals OKX and Bitget that already list pre‑IPO AI contracts.
Strive Buys $280 Million in Bitcoin, Its Largest Purchase in Months
Nasdaq‑listed asset manager Strive purchases $280 million of Bitcoin at roughly $84,500 each, its biggest buy in months, pushing its holdings to 32,773 BTC during a volatile week. The sizable inflow signals confidence despite recent price dips, potentially supporting Bitcoin’s rebound and encouraging other institutional investors to re‑enter the market overall trend.
Trezor reduces resellers as a ‘preventative step’ amid Ledger tampering reports
Trezor announces it will drop several hardware‑wallet resellers from its authorized list beginning January 1, a “preventative step” after reports of Ledger device tampering, CCO Danny Sanders says. The move aims to protect users from counterfeit or compromised products, reinforcing supply‑chain security and signaling heightened scrutiny that could tighten market distribution standards.
Bitcoin Whale That Sat Through Every Crash Since 2020 Just Moved $377M
Bitcoin whale that has held 4,581 BTC since March 2020 finally moves the coins, transferring the entire stash when its value peaks around $377 million, up from roughly $40 million at acquisition. The sudden outflow signals potential profit‑taking or strategic redeployment, prompting traders to watch for price pressure and possible market volatility.
Most tokenized stock trading on Solana, BNB Chain occurs outside US market hours
Tokenized equities on Solana and BNB Chain now total roughly $3.3 billion, with most trading occurring outside U.S. market hours, giving investors continuous access beyond traditional Wall Street sessions. This surge reflects growing demand for 24/7 crypto‑linked securities, prompting regulators and platforms to adapt infrastructure, while the broader market anticipates increased liquidity and price discovery across decentralized exchanges.
Binance Is Shutting Down Its Bitcoin Mining Pool After Six Years
Binance announces it will shut down Binance Pool, Pool Savings, Cloud Mining and related services, ending its six‑year Bitcoin mining operation. The decision reflects the exchange’s strategic retreat from mining infrastructure amid tightening regulations and rising energy costs. Investors anticipate reduced mining revenue for Binance, while the broader market may see heightened competition among remaining mining pools.
Character.AI Files for Bankruptcy as Disney Bids $20 Million—And Users Get Grief Resources
Character.AI files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, placing the former $1 billion‑valued chatbot on the market as a Delaware court auction begins, with Disney offering a $20 million bid while the company rolls out new AI models and grief‑support resources for users; the sale’s outcome could reshape AI‑driven conversational services and influence investor confidence in emerging chatbot startups.
OpenAI Engineer Arrested for Bugging Office, Company Says AI Caught Him
OpenAI confirms a Saudi engineer was arrested after an encrypted audio recorder was discovered hidden behind a TV in an executive meeting room, and the company says its own AI models identified the device and traced it to him. The incident highlights how generative‑AI tools can monitor internal security, prompting firms to reassess surveillance policies and potential privacy risks.
BNY, Citadel Securities test tokenized U.S. Treasuries to speed up Wall Street financing
BNY Mellon and Citadel Securities pilot a tokenized U.S. Treasury platform that instantly transfers bond collateral between settlement and financing, cutting traditional processing times. The blockchain‑based system tokenizes each Treasury note, enabling real‑time settlement, reduced counterparty risk, and lower operational costs. If successful, the innovation could accelerate Wall Street financing, reshape collateral management, and pressure legacy infrastructures.
DRW and Marex complete OTC swap referencing tokenized S&P iBoxx Index
DRW and Marex finalize the first OTC swap that references a fully tokenized S&P iBoxx index on Derivnex, using Canton Network infrastructure and Kaiko market data. The deal demonstrates institutional confidence in blockchain‑based index products, showcases seamless integration of real‑time pricing feeds, and signals broader adoption that could boost tokenized asset liquidity across the crypto market.
Interactive Brokers expands crypto services with Ethereum staking via Zerohash
Interactive Brokers launches Ethereum staking for eligible clients through its Client Portal, partnering with Zerohash to provide the service; the broker enables users to lock up ETH and earn staking rewards directly on the platform. By integrating crypto staking, Interactive Brokers broadens its digital‑asset offering, potentially attracting institutional and retail investors and boosting overall market participation in proof‑of‑stake ecosystems.
UK crypto trader says almost $800,000 lost in knife attack as wrench attacks proliferate
A UK crypto trader reports masked intruders stealing almost $800,000 worth of digital assets at knifepoint, highlighting a surge in “wrench attacks” across Britain. The incident underscores growing physical‑security threats to crypto holdings, prompting investors to reassess custody strategies and regulators to consider stricter protection guidelines, potentially tightening market confidence and liquidity.
Bitcoin keeps up pressure on $84K as US stocks skirt Korea tech sell-off
Bitcoin maintains pressure near $84,000 as U.S. equities rebound after a brief dip caused by Korea’s tech‑stock sell‑off. The cryptocurrency preserves overnight gains, trading just below the $84K threshold, while the S&P 500 recovers, offsetting Asian market weakness. This resilience suggests bullish sentiment may sustain Bitcoin’s upward trajectory despite global equity volatility.
Strive reports $208M in warrant exercises as Bitcoin holdings jump 11%
Strive reports $208 million in warrant exercises, boosting its Bitcoin stash by 11 percent to 32,773 BTC and making it the fifth‑largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder; the equity financing inflates its treasury, signals strong institutional confidence, and could pressure other firms to increase crypto exposure, potentially lifting overall market sentiment.
Ripple, Stripe-owned Privy partner to bring embedded wallets to XRP Ledger
Ripple partners with Stripe‑owned Privy to enable developers to embed XRP Ledger wallets directly into applications, supporting native XRP, the RLUSD stablecoin, AI‑agent payments and the upcoming x402 token standard; this integration streamlines on‑chain onboarding, reduces friction for users, and is expected to boost transaction volume on the XRPL, strengthening its competitive position in the broader crypto wallet ecosystem.
Trezor Cuts Its Resellers After Ledger Finds Spy Implant in Crypto Wallets
Trezor announces it will terminate all reseller authorizations on January 1 2027 after Ledger uncovered a hidden implant in wallets sold by a Southeast Asian retailer that exfiltrated users’ recovery phrases, prompting a swift security crackdown; the move forces merchants to source directly from Trezor, tightening supply chains and reinforcing industry focus on hardware‑wallet integrity.
Bitcoin Shakes Off Spooky Season Jitters: Can Bulls Keep It Going?
Bitcoin briefly slips under $81,000 before buyers push it back above that level, yet the Fear and Greed Index remains in neutral territory, indicating traders still doubt sustained optimism. The price rebound shows short‑term resilience, but lingering caution suggests that any further advance will depend on stronger market sentiment, otherwise volatility may persist.
How the SEC’s lack of leadership could facilitate crypto rulemaking
The SEC’s recent quorum‑rule change lets a smaller committee approve actions, potentially allowing the agency to reshape crypto regulation without waiting for a market‑structure bill; this streamlined process could accelerate rule amendments, prompting faster compliance demands for exchanges and issuers while increasing regulatory uncertainty as firms scramble to adapt to evolving oversight.
AI Researchers Are Smoking Cigarettes to Prove AI Will Cure Cancer, Says Palantir Exec
Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar reports that a growing number of AI researchers are deliberately smoking cigarettes to demonstrate confidence that artificial intelligence will eventually cure cancer, using the habit as a symbolic “faith‑test.” He argues this quirky gesture reflects broader optimism, suggesting heightened investor enthusiasm and potentially inflating AI‑related stock valuations across the tech sector.
Ledger details LTE-enabled spy implants in wallets sold by CryptoBilis
Ledger reveals that LTE‑enabled spy implants hidden in CryptoBilis‑distributed hardware wallets expose users’ recovery phrases, prompting CryptoBilis to suspend sales while Trezor and OneKey sever ties with the reseller; the breach underscores supply‑chain vulnerabilities, driving investors to scrutinize device provenance and likely tightening regulatory pressure on wallet manufacturers, affecting market confidence.
Chinese fraud victims lose key court battle over 61,000 Bitcoin
Chinese fraud victims lose a crucial court fight as a UK judge rules Chinese law governs their claim to recover 61,000 seized Bitcoin, effectively blocking them from pursuing the assets in British courts. The decision underscores jurisdictional complexities in cross‑border crypto disputes, signaling that future recoveries may hinge on foreign legal systems and could deter similar restitution efforts.
NFT Marketplace Blur to Shut Down Website, Stop New Blend Loans Next Month
Blur announces it will close its website and halt new Blend loans next month, citing sharply reduced NFT activity; trading volumes have collapsed from the 2021‑2022 peak and projected market revenue falls to $318 million this year, prompting the platform to cut services and signaling further consolidation and reduced liquidity across the NFT sector.
UK court ruling boosts government’s chances of keeping $5 billion in seized bitcoin
UK court rules that the government can retain 61,000 seized Bitcoin, valued around $5 billion, after Metropolitan Police linked them to Zhimin Qian’s fraud scheme targeting thousands in China. The decision strengthens authorities’ ability to confiscate illicit crypto assets, signaling tighter enforcement and potentially deterring future scams while bolstering public‑sector crypto holdings.
Ledger says 'spy' chip inside CryptoBilis Ledger devices transmitted wallet keys over mobile network
Ledger reports a covert “spy” chip inside CryptoBilis‑branded hardware wallets that silently transmitted users’ master private keys via cellular network, bypassing Ledger’s firmware. The component operates independently, extracting seed phrases without firmware changes. This breach exposes millions of assets to theft, prompting immediate device recalls and heightened scrutiny of supply‑chain security across the crypto industry.
Bitcoin hits $84K resistance as Korean tech rout deepens KOSPI losses
Bitcoin stalls below $84,000 as liquidity constraints intersect a sharp sell‑off in South Korean tech and semiconductor shares, dragging the KOSPI lower. The cryptocurrency’s price hesitates near the resistance level while investors shift capital to equities, suggesting that continued market stress could suppress further Bitcoin gains and keep broader crypto sentiment cautious.
MediaMarktSaturn pulls Ledger products amid tampering reports
MediaMarktSaturn removes all Ledger hardware wallets from its European stores after the manufacturer begins investigating tampering reports that extend beyond the CryptoBilis incident in Southeast Asia, where several devices were allegedly altered. The pull‑back triggers heightened consumer caution, pressures Ledger to accelerate security audits, and may temporarily depress hardware‑wallet sales across the market.
Metaplanet to issue $329M convertible bonds to pay debt, fund share buybacks
Metaplanet announces a $329 million zero‑interest convertible bond issuance with a five‑year term, aiming to restructure debt, reduce reliance on Bitcoin‑collateralized loans and avoid selling its crypto holdings while also financing share‑buyback programs; the move signals confidence in cash flow stability and could bolster investor sentiment, supporting a steadier market outlook.
‘Leave’: Crypto Backlash Over French Proposal to Report Wallets Over $112K
French lawmakers propose a new rule forcing crypto users to report any wallet holding over €100,000 (about $112,000), prompting a sharp backlash as investors fear heightened surveillance and potential “wrench attacks” targeting large holdings. Critics argue the measure could stifle adoption, push activity offshore, and dampen market liquidity, potentially pressuring prices downward across the crypto sector.
UK Moves Closer to Keeping $5B Bitcoin Haul After High Court Ruling
A UK High Court judge rules that Chinese law, not UK law, governs fraud victims’ claims to the 61,000 BTC seized from Zhimin Qian, effectively blocking a $5 billion recovery effort.
Bitcoin slides below $82,000 as crypto liquidations surge past $770 million
Bitcoin slides below $82,000 as crypto liquidations surge past $770 million, with $685.6 million targeting long positions. The massive unwind triggers sharp price pressure, eroding recent gains and prompting traders to cut risk. Such volume underscores heightened market volatility, suggesting further downside risk for Bitcoin and broader digital‑asset valuations amid tightening liquidity.
South Korea moves to block 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin, MEXC
South Korean regulators announce a ban on 27 crypto websites, targeting unregistered platforms such as KuCoin and MEXC, and warn users they may face withdrawal difficulties; the crackdown aims to enforce licensing rules, curb illicit trading and protect investors, while prompting market participants to shift toward compliant exchanges, potentially tightening liquidity and driving short‑term price volatility.