September wraps up with some major headlines: the CFTC is moving to allow stablecoins in US derivatives markets, Ethereum is preparing for a key upgrade, and regulators worldwide are laying fresh foundations for the future of Web3. We’ve pulled the week’s biggest stories together for you.
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CFTC Moves to Allow Stablecoins as Collateral in U.S. Derivatives Markets
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has unveiled a proposal to permit stablecoins like USDC and USDT as collateral in regulated derivatives markets. The plan, announced by Acting Chair Caroline Pham, would put stablecoins on par with cash and U.S. Treasurys, with public feedback open until October 20.
The initiative has won strong backing from Circle, Tether, Ripple, Coinbase, and Crypto.com, who see it as a breakthrough for liquidity and efficiency. Tied to broader reforms like the GENIUS Act and SEC’s Project Crypto, the move marks a major step in integrating digital assets into U.S. financial markets.
Other News Making Waves
- Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade set for December 3, 2025, will introduce PeerDAS to ease data availability, double blob capacity, and significantly cut rollup costs, marking a major step in scalability. (More)
- Vitalik Buterin urged adoption of open-source infrastructure in healthcare, finance, and governance, warning against centralization risks and stressing verifiable voting systems for public trust. (More)
- Michael Saylor predicts Bitcoin will rally by late 2025 as corporate and ETF demand far outpaces miners’ 900 BTC output, reinforcing Bitcoin’s role as “digital gold.” (More)
- BNB Chain validators proposed halving gas fees to 0.05 Gwei and cutting block times to 450ms, potentially dropping transaction costs to $0.005 and boosting competitiveness against Solana and Base. (More)
- Crypto treasury firms face strain as some borrow to fund share buybacks amid stock slumps, raising concerns that valuations are diverging from token holdings and hinting at a possible correction. (More)
- Jamie Dimon warned stubborn 3% inflation could stall Fed rate cuts, tempering market optimism for up to five reductions, while downplaying stablecoins as a systemic banking threat. (More)
- Vitalik Buterin defended Coinbase’s Base as a “true layer-2,” countering SEC scrutiny over sequencers, with Coinbase arguing they are blockchain infrastructure, not securities exchanges. (More)
- DBA Asset Management proposed cutting Hyperliquid’s HYPE supply by 45% to counter FDV distortions, winning institutional support but sparking criticism over growth risks and emissions. (More)
Around the World: Bold Moves and Regulations
- Nine top European banks formed a consortium to launch a MiCA-regulated euro stablecoin by 2026, aiming to rival U.S. tokens with instant, low-cost cross-border payments under Dutch oversight. (More)
- The U.S. Senate Finance Committee will hold a crypto tax hearing on October 1, featuring Coinbase and Coin Centre witnesses, as Senator Lummis pushes to end double taxation on miners and stakers. (More)
- Australia unveiled draft legislation mandating crypto exchanges and custodians to secure licenses or face penalties up to 10% of turnover, aligning with global standards to boost consumer protections. (More)
- Vietnam plans to regulate its $100B crypto market by 2026, requiring domestic exchange licenses, launching NDAChain, and mandating dong trading pairs to integrate digital assets into its economy. (More)
- The UK’s FCA slashed crypto registration times from 17 to 5 months, boosting approval rates to 45%, while preparing full banking-style regulation and deeper U.S. coordination by 2026. (More)
- Asia-Pacific crypto trading volume surged 69% to $2.36T, driven by Vietnam, India, Pakistan, and South Korea, as liquidity and institutional capital increasingly shift eastward. (More)
- South Korea flagged 36,684 suspicious crypto transactions in eight months—more than the past two years combined—mostly linked to $6.4B in illicit “hwanchigi” remittances. (More)
Market Trends: Winners and Losers
Top 5 Gainers 📈
According to data from CoinGecko, these are the five biggest gainers of the week:
- APEX +140.23%, from $0.225843 to $0.542788
- Aster +115.24%, from $0.878133 to $1.89
- APX +115.22%, from $0.882872 to $1.90
- Concordium +127.47%, from $0.00831818 to $0.01892444
- PunkStrategy +100.90%, from $0.02161451 to $0.04342337
Top 5 Losers 📉
According to data from CoinGecko, the five biggest losers of the week are:
- UXLINK -60.44%, from $0.321961 to $0.127384
- OpenVPP -39.61%, from $0.091671 to $0.055359
- Four -39.23%, from $1.68 to $1.021
- Torch of Liberty -47.02%, from $0.070260 to $0.03723991
- Ket -39.03%, from $0.094697 to $0.057745
Project Spotlight
Chainlink & Ithaca Protocol Launch 1-Minute Options for Tokenized RWAs
Chainlink has partnered with Ithaca Protocol, the top decentralized options platform, to introduce 1-minute options markets for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Using Chainlink Data Streams, the integration delivers ultra-low-latency, manipulation-resistant pricing, enabling high-frequency derivatives that execute and settle in under a minute. This expansion allows Ithaca to move beyond crypto into tokenized equities, commodities, and ETFs, targeting the $30 trillion RWA market.
Why It Matters:
The partnership bridges DeFi and traditional finance, unlocking secure, real-time trading on tokenized assets and positioning both players at the forefront of decentralized derivatives innovation.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein should be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading or investing in cryptocurrencies carries a considerable risk of financial loss. Always conduct due diligence.
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