Today's news tips:
Pantera Capital CEO: The company holds $1.1 billion in SOL, its largest holding
Citigroup predicts Ethereum price will fall to $4,300 by year-end
pump.fun paid out over $4 million in rewards yesterday, most of which went to first-time creators
Bitcoin Treasury Firm Strive Launches $950 Million in New Capital and Announces Board Members
Macro
According to Cointelegraph, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is about to establish a "Government Blockchain Academy" to teach the public sector about cryptocurrencies and other emerging technologies. The agency announced on Monday that it will launch the academy next year in partnership with the Exponential Science Foundation. UNDP said the academy will provide professional education and implementation plans to help governments promote transformative development with the help of technologies such as blockchain, focusing on education to deploy technology to meet development challenges. Irena Cerovic, head of the UNDP Europe and Central Asia team, said the academy will help countries meet challenges in new ways, moving from trials to implementation, and enhancing transparency. The academy's areas of focus include creating digital credentials to improve service convenience and improving access to financial services. It will also teach the use of blockchain to track public procurement, combat corruption, and promote climate finance using tokens. The academy will be launched in some countries starting in 2026, with course design beginning this year. It will provide a variety of teaching methods to support governments in creating high-impact blockchain initiatives.
According to the Shanghai High Court's official account, the Baoshan District People's Court, under the guidance of the Shanghai Higher People's Court, successfully disposed of over 90,000 FIL coins. This marks the first successful virtual currency disposal by a Shanghai court in a criminal property enforcement case. This disposal adopted a "domestic entrustment, overseas disposal, and closed-loop repatriation" model. The People's Court entrusted a third-party agency to dispose of the assets. After the third-party agency provided a performance guarantee, the overseas transaction was transferred to a qualified overseas agent. The disposal was completed on a licensed virtual asset trading platform certified by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. The transaction price was no less than the 20-day average price before the transaction date. The proceeds from the disposal were converted into foreign exchange and transferred to the court's dedicated case fund account after completing national foreign exchange management approval procedures. They will subsequently be confiscated and paid into the state treasury or returned to the victim in accordance with the law.
Canary announces a 0.95% fee for spot Litecoin ETF
According to market news, CANARY announced that the spot LITECOIN ETF charges a fee of 0.95%.
According to Bloomberg, financial regulators in France, Austria, and Italy are urging top EU regulators to directly oversee large cryptocurrency companies and tighten relevant rules after discovering discrepancies in cryptocurrency regulation across countries. The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Directive (MiCA) is set to be implemented by the end of 2024, requiring cryptocurrency companies to be licensed in at least one EU member state before they can offer services across the bloc. In a position paper released on Monday, the three countries' financial market regulators stated that this approach exposes "significant differences" in how companies are regulated, which could allow companies to exploit loopholes. They recommended transferring oversight of the industry's largest companies to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). They also stated that early implementation of MiCA showed limited regulatory convergence, making it difficult to ensure uniform EU standards. An ESMA spokesperson responded that they are working to ensure regulatory consistency and that they had identified areas for strengthening EU-level regulation last year. Furthermore, the three regulators may take precautionary measures to mitigate risks and call for stronger oversight of global platforms, cybersecurity, and token issuance.
According to Jinshi, a U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected President Trump's request to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the first such action by a president since the Fed's founding in 1913. The ruling by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit means Cook can remain at the Fed for now during the central bank's policy meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Separately, Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve Board Governor, Michelle Milan, received the necessary votes for confirmation in the U.S. Senate on Monday, allowing her to participate in the Fed's interest rate decision this week alongside 11 other voting members.
Bitwise Submits S-1 to SEC for Avalanche ETF
According to The Block, crypto asset management firm Bitwise is seeking to launch an ETF tracking AVAX, the native token of the Avalanche blockchain. If the product is approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Coinbase will be designated as the custodian. In its S-1 filing on Monday, Bitwise stated: "The trust provides investors with access to the Avalanche market through a traditional brokerage account, avoiding the barriers to entry or risks associated with directly purchasing and holding Avalanche." The fund will use the CME CF Avalanche-USD Reference Rate to determine its net asset value (NAV). The fund will hold AVAX tokens and will not use derivatives.
According to The Block, Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD) plans to launch a publicly traded fund, "Robinhood Ventures Fund I," to provide US retail investors with access to private companies. CEO Vlad Tenev stated that for decades, wealthy individuals and institutions have been able to invest in private companies, while retail investors have been excluded. The new fund will allow ordinary people to access investment opportunities once reserved for the elite. Previously, Robinhood allowed users in the European Union to purchase tokenized shares tracking prominent private companies such as OpenAI. This new fund, focused on the US market, will make long-term investments through IPOs and subsequent stages, targeting multiple industries. Robinhood noted that investment opportunities have shrunk in recent years, with the number of US public companies falling from approximately 7,000 in 2000 to approximately 4,000 in 2024, while the number and value of private companies have increased, exceeding $10 trillion in total. Robinhood has submitted a registration statement to the US SEC for the public offering of the fund and hopes to list it on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RVI.
According to Zhitong Finance, Yunfeng Financial (00376) announced that it has issued 191 million new shares through a placement at a price of HK$6.1 per share, raising approximately HK$1.17 billion. This placement aims to expand the company's shareholder and capital base and increase market liquidity. This move will further strengthen the group's financial position to support future business development plans. The funds raised will primarily be used for system and facility upgrades, talent recruitment, and related capital needs, including but not limited to the launch of comprehensive virtual asset trading services and virtual asset-related investment management services. Yunfeng Financial previously received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to provide virtual asset trading services.
Viewpoint
Citigroup predicts Ethereum price will fall to $4,300 by year-end
According to CoinDesk, Wall Street giant Citigroup has released a new Ethereum price forecast, predicting it will reach $4,300 by the end of the year, a decline from its current price. However, this is only a base case scenario. The bank's comprehensive assessment covers a wide range, with an optimistic scenario projecting Ethereum prices at $6,400 and a pessimistic scenario at $2,200. Citi analysts stated that network activity remains a key driver of Ethereum's value, but most recent growth has occurred on Layer 2 networks, and their "value transfer" to the underlying Ethereum network remains unclear. Citi assumes that only 30% of Layer 2 network activity contributes to Ethereum's valuation, meaning the current price is higher than its activity-based model, likely due to strong inflows and market enthusiasm driven by tokenization and stablecoins. Citi expects inflows to remain limited given Ethereum's small market capitalization and low awareness among new investors. Macro factors are believed to provide only limited support. With the stock market approaching the bank's target of 6,600 for the S&P 500, analysts do not anticipate a significant rally in risky assets.
According to The Block, Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered Bank, stated that Ethereum may benefit more than Bitcoin and Solana with the rise of digital asset reserves (DATs). His report notes that the recent decline in DATs' market net asset value (mNAV) will force companies to differentiate themselves and may drive consolidation among Bitcoin reserves. In contrast, Ethereum and Solana reserves may have higher mNAVs due to their ability to generate staking income, and the Ethereum reserve's greater maturity offers a more pronounced advantage. Currently, DATs hold 4% of Bitcoin, 3.1% of Ethereum, and 0.8% of Solana, and the size of their holdings significantly influences token prices. Kendrick believes that market saturation is the primary driver of valuation compression, but DATs still offer "selective investment value" as they provide access to digital assets in restricted regions. In the future, fund-raising capabilities, company size, and staking income will be key factors in differentiating DAT performance. He added that if some DATs remain below asset value for a prolonged period, this could trigger consolidation, and strategic acquisitions may be more cost-effective than direct token purchases. Overall, DATs will drive Ethereum's outperformance over Bitcoin and Solana.
Project News
Hybrid crypto exchange Grvt announced that its upgraded rewards program, Rewards 2.0, will be officially launched on September 23, 2025. At the same time, the early points of Rewards 1.0 will be locked and the final distribution ratio will be calculated. Rewards 2.0 uses a single points system and a ranking mechanism. Through a fixed weekly points distribution, users can earn points through trading, holding positions, and inviting friends. In addition, if a liquidation operation occurs, additional points can also be rewarded. Grvt expects to complete the token generation event (TGE) in the first quarter of 2026, and the total community rewards will account for 20% of the total token supply. Earlier news, the hybrid crypto exchange GRVT raised US$5 million in equity financing from Further Ventures.
Social media platform Stocktwits announces Polymarket as its official prediction market partner
Stocktwits, the social media platform for traders and investors, has announced that it has partnered with Polymarket to become its official prediction market partner.
The world's first AI Agent trading market "MuleRun" is officially launched
According to Jiemian News, MuleRun (translated as "Mule Runs Fast"), the world's first AI agent trading marketplace, has officially launched and is open to all users. It is also the world's first AI worker marketplace, or AI digital labor market. MuleRun previously announced the launch of two financial agents, focusing on US stock investment research and cryptocurrency market analysis. The blockchain analysis agent, called "Crypto Alpha Hunt," was developed in collaboration with veteran Bitcoin users to help users quickly identify early-stage cryptocurrencies with high growth potential. According to the WeChat official account "White Whale Outbound," MuleRun was launched by Alibaba's innovation team. However, no official confirmation of the relationship has been found.
According to market news, Polymarket submitted documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), showing that "other warrants" were provided in the latest round of financing, which generally refers to tokens, paving the way for the issuance of Polymarket tokens.
Coinbase announces the launch of Boundless (ZKC) spot trading
Coinbase has officially announced the launch of Boundless (ZKC) spot trading, labeled "experimental." Boundless (ZKC) will be available on coinbase.com, the Coinbase App, and Coinbase Advanced. Institutional investors can access Boundless (ZKC) directly through Coinbase Exchange. The ZKC-USD trading pair is now in auction mode. Users can place limit orders and view the final indicative opening price. The order book will remain in auction mode for at least 10 minutes, during which no trades will occur. After the auction closes, crossed-out orders will be matched at the opening price.
Important data
According to SoSoValue data, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $260 million yesterday (September 15th, US Eastern Time). The Bitcoin spot ETF with the largest single-day net inflow yesterday was Blackrock's IBIT ETF, with a net inflow of $262 million, bringing IBIT's total net inflow to $60.04 billion. The second largest single-day net inflow was Fidelity's FBTC ETF, with a net inflow of $7.54 million, bringing FBTC's total net inflow to $12.634 billion. The Bitcoin spot ETF with the largest single-day net outflow yesterday was Bitwise BITB ETF, with a net outflow of $18.8102 million, bringing BITB's total net inflow to $2.331 billion. As of press time, the total net asset value of the Bitcoin spot ETF was US$151.716 billion, the ETF net asset ratio (market value as a percentage of the total market value of Bitcoin) reached 6.6%, and the historical cumulative net inflow has reached US$57.091 billion.
According to SoSoValue data, Ethereum spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $360 million yesterday (September 15th, US Eastern Time). The Blackrock ETF (ETHA) saw the largest daily net inflow, with $363 million. ETHA's total net inflow has now reached $13.25 billion. The Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE) followed closely behind, with a daily net inflow of $9.9964 million. ETHE's total net outflow has now reached $4.539 billion. The Fidelity ETF (FETH) saw the largest daily net outflow, with $13.4613 million. FETH's total net inflow has now reached $2.845 billion. As of press time, the total net asset value of the Ethereum spot ETF was US$29.723 billion, the ETF net asset ratio (market value as a percentage of Ethereum's total market value) reached 5.46%, and the historical cumulative net inflow has reached US$13.723 billion.
A whale unstaked 53,194 SOL and sold them all, realizing a profit of approximately $3.2 million.
According to Lookonchain monitoring, the giant whale AiMFH9 unstaked 53,194 SOL and sold them all at an average price of US$233 in exchange for 12.41 million USDC, realizing a profit of approximately US$3.2 million.
pump.fun paid out over $4 million in rewards yesterday, most of which went to first-time creators
pump.fun posted on the X platform that yesterday, pump.fun paid out more than $4 million in creator rewards, most of which went to first-time creators.
Bubblemaps: A single entity is suspected of receiving $4 million in tokens from the AVNT airdrop
Blockchain analytics platform Bubblemaps published a post on the X platform claiming that an entity received $4 million in tokens from the AVNT airdrop, demonstrating a coordinated Sybil attack involving over 300 addresses. Multiple airdrop recipients exhibited clear signs of a Sybil attack: funds originating from Coinbase, receiving USDC from a small group of senders, exchanging them on Avantis, claiming the airdrop, consolidating tokens in a small number of addresses, and simultaneously transferring funds to centralized exchanges (Bybit/Gate). As with MYX, these wallets had been idle prior to the AVNT airdrop, and the pattern of fund infusions and claims matched perfectly, demonstrating a clear coordinated operation.
Financing/Acquisition
MoonPay acquires crypto payments startup Meso Network, adding former PayPal and Venmo executives
According to Bloomberg, MoonPay Inc. has acquired cryptocurrency payments startup Meso Network, moving toward building a global payments network supporting both crypto and fiat currencies, placing it in direct competition with Circle Internet Group Inc. and Visa Inc. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. CEO Ivan Soto-Wright stated that the acquisition will improve support for the U.S. banking system and optimize the developer platform to facilitate product integration. Meso co-founders Ali Aghareza and Ben Mills, who previously worked at PayPal's Braintree division and Venmo, will serve as MoonPay's chief technology officer and senior vice president of product, respectively. People familiar with the matter revealed that MoonPay is in talks with investors for a new round of funding, with the company's valuation expected to increase from $3.4 billion in 2021. A spokesperson declined to comment. The Meso Network acquisition is reportedly MoonPay's fourth acquisition this year, following its acquisitions of Iron, Helio, and the unannounced Decent.xyz.
Miami-based Senpi, which is building a cryptocurrency wallet, recently raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Lemniscap and Coinbase Ventures. The funds will be used to expand the platform’s accessibility and further develop its AI capabilities.
Epoch Protocol, the Web3 intent resolver coordination layer, announced the completion of a $1.2 million Pre-Seed round of financing, with participation from L2 Iterative Ventures, Alphemy Capital, G20 Group, LongHash Ventures, and multiple angel investors.
Web3 action role-playing game RuneSoul completes $4 million in new round of financing
RuneSoul, a Web3 action role-playing game, has secured $4 million in a new funding round led by Bitgo Capital, with participation from AccelByte and IGC Global P2E Guild. RuneSoul is a 3D card-based action role-playing game that combines real-time strategy with immersive storytelling. Integrating elements of GameFi and SocialFi, RuneSoul allows players to own in-game assets, trade them on the NFT marketplace, and earn tokens through gameplay.
Tokenized Stock and ETF Platform SHIFT Completes Seed Round, Led by SNZ Holding
SHIFT, a tokenized stock and ETF platform, announced the completion of its seed round, led by SNZ Holding. SHIFT stated that SNZ Holding will help it promote the integration of traditional financial assets with DeFi liquidity.
Standard Chartered's SC Ventures plans to raise $250 million for its new digital asset fund
According to Bloomberg, Standard Chartered Plc's venture capital arm, SC Ventures, plans to raise funds for a $250 million fund focused on investing in digital assets in the financial services sector. Gautam Jain, an operating member of SC Ventures, said on Monday during the inaugural Money 20/20 fintech event in Riyadh that the fund, planned to launch next year, will be backed by select investors in the Middle East and will focus on global investments. Jain said the unit also plans to launch a $100 million African investment fund and is considering launching its first venture debt fund, but did not specify whether these funds would also focus on digital assets or fintech. Jain also said that the unit is increasing its investment in the Middle East this year, having launched operations in Saudi Arabia in January. Its strategy is to build a team dedicated to the Saudi market and launch a domestic fund in 2026, focusing on minority investments in companies and new business development.
Institutional holdings
According to official news, French listed company Capital B announced that it has successfully completed a capital increase of 58.1 million euros through a private placement to institutional investors to accelerate the advancement of its Bitcoin Treasury company strategy.
Pantera Capital CEO: The company holds $1.1 billion in SOL, its largest holding
In an interview with CBBC, Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead stated that Solana is its largest holding, valued at $1.1 billion. He called Solana the fastest and best-performing blockchain, even outpacing Bitcoin's growth over the past four years. Regarding future competition among public blockchains, Morehead believes there will be no single dominant player, nor will there be a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem. Only a single-digit number of successful chains will emerge, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana. Morehead also stated that Bitcoin still accounts for a very low percentage of global wealth (single-digit percentages), and estimates that its value could reach $750,000 within four to five years.
According to Globenewswire, insurance technology company Reliance Global Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RELI) announced that its board of directors has approved its strategic expansion into digital assets and blockchain. As part of this plan, the company plans to build a diversified portfolio of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. Under the company's new digital asset funding strategy, the company plans to purchase up to $60 million in digital assets in the first phase, followed by an additional $60 million, for a total of up to $120 million. These assets will be managed by the company's newly established Cryptocurrency Advisory Committee and subject to market and other conditions. Furthermore, Reliance is exploring opportunities to tokenize insurance-related assets.
According to Cryptopolitan, Next Technology (NASDAQ: NXTT) filed a shelf registration statement for $500 million of common stock, planning to use part of the proceeds to increase its Bitcoin holdings.
Japanese financial giant Credit Saison launches investment fund for real-asset startups
According to The Block, the venture capital arm of Japanese financial giant Credit Saison will launch a blockchain investment fund, Onigiri Capital. The fund, with a size of US$50 million, aims to build an institutional-level bridge between American innovation and Asia's mature blockchain and financial networks, helping founders build global financial products. According to a spokesperson, Onigiri is backed by Saison Capital and has raised US$35 million through "joint investment by Credit Saison and external investors." The fund has a maximum limit of US$50 million and can absorb additional funds. The fund will focus on early-stage startups in the real-world asset field, covering financial infrastructure construction such as stablecoins, payments, tokenization, and DeFi, with a particular focus on connections with Asia. Credit Saison is a large financial services company in Tokyo, affiliated with Mizuho Financial Group, and is Japan's third-largest credit card issuer. It is also involved in various business areas. Its venture capital arm has invested in cryptocurrency companies since 2023.
Bitcoin Treasury Firm Strive Launches $950 Million in New Capital and Announces Board Members
According to The Block, Strive, which recently completed its merger with Nasdaq-listed Asset Entities, announced its board of directors and details of its Bitcoin accumulation strategy on Monday. The company raised $750 million in funding and has the option to raise up to $750 million more through warrants within the first 12 months. The company will raise its initial Bitcoin holdings of 69 Bitcoins, valued at approximately $7.9 million, under Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code. As part of its shelf registration, Strive announced a $450 million over-the-counter offering and a $500 million share repurchase program, aimed at maintaining balance sheet flexibility and increasing the number of Bitcoins per share. The company has qualified as a Well-Known and Established Issuer (WKSI), allowing it to omit certain details from regulatory filings and maintain an equity-only capital structure. Similar to Strategy, Strive plans to use shelf registration to issue perpetual preferred stock securities, which will be used to acquire additional Bitcoins as they accumulate value, thereby increasing common shareholders' Bitcoin exposure. Matt Cole will serve as CEO and Chairman of the Board, and three Strive executives will join his board of directors. The board of directors includes Shirish Jajodia, financial director of Strategy, and Pierre Rochard, CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company.
According to The Block, cryptocurrency supporters, including Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor and Marathon Digital Holdings CEO Fred Thiel, gathered in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to promote legislation that could allow the United States to purchase one million Bitcoins. On Tuesday morning, more than a dozen cryptocurrency supporters will participate in a roundtable hosted by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Nick Begich, co-sponsors of the bill to establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Hailey Miller of DPN, an affiliate of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, stated that cryptocurrency supporters hope the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will remain a priority in Washington. She explained that with much progress already underway in the digital asset sector and the fall agenda still to be advanced, the current goal is to ensure that the Bitcoin Act and the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve remain priorities. The bill has been referred to two committees, but no hearings have been scheduled. Miller expects the meeting to discuss next steps for the bill and garner bipartisan support. DPN will also share briefing documents, calling it an "opportunity for bipartisan cooperation."
According to PR Newswire, Helius (NASDAQ: HSDT) announced that it has secured over $500 million in private equity funding in partnership with Pantera Capital, Summer Capital, and Newfire Technology. The company plans to use Solana (SOL) as its primary reserve asset to drive the development of the Solana ecosystem. The funding includes common stock and prepaid warrants with an exercise price of $10.134 and a three-year validity period. Helius will use the proceeds to purchase Solana and develop digital asset reserve operations. It will subsequently evaluate DeFi opportunities such as staking and lending, maintaining robust risk management. The company's shares will continue to trade on the Nasdaq. According to Newfire Technology (1611.HK), a Hong Kong-listed company, Newfire invested $10 million in Helius (HSDT)'s private placement to support its strategic transformation.
Forward Industries spends $1.58 billion to purchase more than 6.82 million SOL
According to Business Wire, Forward Industries announced that it has purchased 6,822,000 Solana (SOL) tokens at an average price of $232 per token, totaling approximately $1.58 billion. This transaction represents the first deployment of the company's $1.65 billion PIPE financing led by Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital. All of the SOL purchased by Forward Industries has been staked, with some transactions conducted through DFlow, the Solana on-chain platform. The company plans to increase the value of its SOL tokens per share through active management and on-chain operations.
Strategy purchased another 525 bitcoins, bringing its total holdings to 638,985 bitcoins
According to Michael Saylor, Strategy purchased 525 bitcoins between September 8 and 14 for approximately $60.2 million, at a price of approximately $114,562 per bitcoin. As of September 14, the company held a total of 638,985 bitcoins, representing a total investment of approximately $47.23 billion and an average cost of approximately $73,913 per bitcoin. The projected return on investment in Bitcoin by 2025 is 25.9%.
BitMine disclosed that it holds more than 215,000 ETH, with total assets reaching US$10.77 billion
According to PR Newswire, BitMine Immersion Technologies announced that its total cryptocurrency and cash assets reached $10.771 billion, including 2.151 million ETH (priced at $4,632 per ETH according to Bloomberg), 192 Bitcoins, $569 million in cash, and $214 million in Eightco equity. BitMine is the world's largest corporate ETH vault, with an average daily trading volume of $2 billion, ranking 28th among US stocks. The company aims to hold 5% of the world's ETH supply and has received support from several institutional investors.
Hyperscale Data announces $100 million Bitcoin reserve strategy
According to PR Newswire, Hyperscale Data (NYSE: GPUS) announced the launch of a $100 million Bitcoin reserve strategy, intending to make Bitcoin its primary corporate reserve asset. The initiative will be funded in part by the sale of its Montana data center assets and equity financing. The company will accelerate the expansion of its Michigan AI data center, aiming to increase power capacity to 70 megawatts within 20 months, with potential expansion to 340 megawatts. Hyperscale Data will also disclose its cryptocurrency holdings weekly to enhance transparency.
