Bitcoin rewards app Lolli now supports withdrawals on the Bitcoin Lightning Network after integrating with Spark. This move may help resolve user complaints since Lolli was acquired by Thesis in July. Spark is an open-source Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol developed by Lightspark, enabling instant, low-cost, self-custodied transactions of Bitcoin and Bitcoin-based assets, and is fully compatible with the Lightning Network. The two companies stated that Spark's software development kit (SDK) will provide Lightning Network withdrawal support for Bitcoin rewards held on the Lolli platform. (The Block)

According to ChainCatcher, Michael Hsu, the acting Comptroller of the Currency at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), has joined venture capital firm Core Innovation Capital as a venture partner. In his new role, Hsu will provide support to startup founders in areas of regulatory compliance and policy engagement.

According to PANews, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has decided not to include cryptocurrencies in its annual list of risks to the U.S. financial system. This change reflects a broader shift in focus away from the vulnerabilities of the financial system. The 2025 FSOC report has entirely removed the term 'vulnerability,' which was previously common in such analyses. In the opening letter of the report, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that past analyses concentrated on identifying potential threats to the financial system. The 2025 report does not offer recommendations regarding digital assets nor express explicit concerns about the industry. It details how U.S. financial regulators with authority over cryptocurrency have altered their previous policy positions. While the report generally praises the advantages of digital assets, it notes in the 'illegal finance' subsection that stablecoins could be misused to facilitate illicit financial transactions. However, it also predicts that the continued use of dollar-denominated stablecoins over the next decade is expected to further solidify the dollar's position in the international financial system.

The Federal Reserve's shift to easing will spill over globally. Emerging markets will benefit from a weaker dollar, but the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan may follow suit with interest rate cuts. Crypto assets may become beneficiaries of liquidity.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Thursday issued no-action letters to the operators of prediction market platforms Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini, and LedgerX/MIAX, announcing that these companies are exempt from certain record-keeping requirements as long as they meet other specific requirements, and that they may clear contracts through third-party clearing members. In a press release, the CFTC stated that the no-action letters mean that the regulator will not take any enforcement action (i.e., will not bring lawsuits against these companies for violations) regarding their compliance with "certain record-keeping requirements related to swap transactions and failure to report data related to binary options transactions to swap data repositories." The CFTC stated, "No-action letters apply only to specific circumstances and are similar to no-action letters issued to designated contract markets and derivatives clearing organizations in other similar situations." Under the no-action letters, issuers must: ensure their contracts are adequately collateralized at all times; clear contracts only through their designated platforms; publish all relevant data on their platforms after contract execution; and comply with other specific swap transaction record-keeping requirements. (CoinDesk)

According to ChainCatcher, data from hyperbot reveals that a major investor known as the 'October 11 Flash Crash Insider Whale' has significantly increased their Ethereum (ETH) holdings. Nine hours ago, the whale expanded their position to 140,094.5238 ETH, up from an initial 120,094.5238 ETH, adding 20,000 ETH to their portfolio. The average opening price for these holdings is $3,179.54, resulting in an unrealized profit of approximately $8.33 million. Additionally, early this morning at 4 a.m. UTC+8, the whale opened new positions with 100,000 Solana (SOL) and 958.91 Bitcoin (BTC). These positions have generated unrealized profits of $60,000 and $910,000, respectively. The total value of the whale's holdings now stands at $556 million, with total unrealized profits reaching $9.3 million.

CFTC issues no-action letters offering operational flexibility to Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini, and LedgerX/MIAX, streamlining derivatives compliance. source: https://coincu.com/news/cftc-crypto-platforms-flexibility/

Acting Chair Caroline Pham of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said the agency is withdrawing “outdated and overly complex guidance” related to the delivery of digital assets. On Thursday, Pham stated that the agency will withdraw its 2020 guidance under the Dodd-Frank Act, a federal law passed in 2010 to address the 2008 financial crisis. The guidance focused on the “physical delivery” of digital assets. Pham said this was part of recommendations in a report by the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. This summer, the White House released a lengthy report on cryptocurrencies, addressing illicit finance and taxation issues, and making recommendations on granting the CFTC regulatory power over digital assets. (The Block)

A senior official in Pakistan stated that BTC and digital assets should create a new financial system for the country. source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/pakistan-taps-crypto-as-financial-backbone/

x402, an open-source payment protocol incubated by Coinbase and designed specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) agents, is releasing a major upgrade approximately six months after its initial launch. x402 V2 essentially transforms the previously simple, one-off payment system into a mature, internet-facing unified payment layer. Version V2 includes a series of backend improvements designed to make it easier to create customizable payment processes, better wallet and identity features, and support for "traditional payment systems." The biggest upgrade in V2 is the unification of x402's payment interface. x402 V2 standardizes the way networks and assets are identified in the protocol, "creating a single payment format that works across different blockchains and traditional payment systems." This means that x402 will "support multiple chains by default," enabling support for native tokens of other blockchains such as Base or Solana without requiring custom logic. Furthermore, the system is compatible with "traditional payment systems" such as ACH and bank card networks. The updated system also introduces dynamic "payTo" routing, supporting payment processes such as usage-based billing, subscriptions, prepaid payments, and multi-step transactions. Developers can also inject "lifecycle hooks" for conditional tools or metric monitoring, and create more customized payment walls. (The Block)

The Southern District of New York sentenced Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon to 15 years in prison, exceeding the sentence prosecutors had previously requested. Prosecutors argued that given Kwon's past misconduct and the sheer scale of the fraud, he should have received a 12-year sentence; Kwon's lawyers, however, argued for a mere 5-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer stated that Kwon "chose to lie" and "made the wrong choice." In March 2023, Kwon was criminally charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, merchandise fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and conspiracy to manipulate the market and launder money. In August of this year, Kwon pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. Kwon may face further legal challenges in South Korea; he must serve at least half of his sentence before he can apply for transfer there, and the 17 months he served in Montenegro prison will be counted towards his sentence. (The Block)

Jinse Finance launches its daily cryptocurrency and blockchain news bulletin, "Jinse 8 AM," issue 2906, providing you with the latest and fastest news on the digital currency and blockchain industry.

机器人 AI 可以像人类一样有自己的账户进行货币支付。AI Agent 支付的底层 Infra，x402 协议究竟是什么？为什么 Google、Visa 都在积极布局 x402 赛道？

17 Observations on Crypto Trends in 2026 by Several Partners of the a16z Crypto Team

Market predictions about when a “cryptography-related quantum computer (CRQC)” will be born are often too radical and exaggerated—leading to calls for an immediate and comprehensive migration to post-quantum cryptography.

Surf is an AI-powered investment research assistant for the cryptocurrency field. It recently completed a $15 million funding round led by Pantera, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and others.

The UAE, particularly Abu Dhabi, is rapidly emerging as a compliance hub and “new Switzerland” for the global cryptocurrency industry.

Federal Reserve, BTC: When the Fed is hijacked by politics, is a historic opportunity for Bitcoin coming? Golden Finance: The Fed cut interest rates, but the market is panicking.

Similar to the role of Coinbase or Binance, national banks in the United States can directly provide intermediary services for cryptocurrency trading to their clients.

Artificial Intelligence, Cryptocurrency, Web 3.0: How to Become a Web3 Super Individual? A Guide to Personal Awakening in the AI+Crypto Era. (Jinse Finance) Individuals are replacing institutions as the core link in value creation.