Happy Friday! Welcome to the 40th instalment of the Coinbyte Weekly Wrap.

The market traded in a relatively tight but volatile range this week, with Bitcoin moving between approximately US$79,700 and US$84,200 before stabilising around US$82,200. BTC briefly climbed above US$84,000 early in the week before pulling back, with the price settling at around US$82,242 today, representing a weekly decline of approximately 0.37%. Price action showed a midweek rebound followed by a late-week retracement.

Major altcoins delivered a mixed performance, with Solana standing out among large-cap tokens with a 3.06% weekly gain. TRX and USDC also gained 0.88% and 0.63% respectively, while Ether slipped 0.91%, BNB declined 0.34%, and Cardano fell 0.44%. Dogecoin underperformed, posting a 3.11% weekly decline.

Trading activity across major cryptocurrencies remained active: BTC average daily volume reached roughly US$26.1bn over the past seven days, while USDT turnover remained elevated at around US$61.7bn. ETH and SOL recorded approximately US$11.5bn and US$2.8bn respectively in average daily volume.

Institutional participation continued to expand across digital assets. Strategy purchased 250 BTC and repurchased US$192m worth of STRC shares, while Strive added 3,311 BTC between October 5 and 9 at an average purchase price of approximately US$84,500, bringing its total holdings to 32,773 BTC. Bitmine’s total holdings reached approximately US$16.2bn, including around 6.03 million ETH, equivalent to about 4.9% of Ethereum’s circulating supply. The company added 12,532 ETH last week, with its staked ETH holdings surpassing 5.06 million. JPMorgan also estimated that around US$50bn had flowed into digital assets so far in 2026, supported by increased Q3 crypto ETF inflows and Bitcoin and Ether futures positions.

Regulatory developments remained a key theme. Australia’s ASIC proposed extending its CFD product intervention order for another 10 years and expanding coverage to certain derivatives settled through digital assets. In Thailand, new rules for Bitcoin and Ether ETFs are set to take effect on October 16, while Russia added Sberbank to its register of authorised crypto exchange providers, marking further progress in regulated digital asset markets. Standard Chartered also expanded its digital asset services by launching RLUSD custody on the XRP Ledger and enabling eligible UAE professional investors to trade Bitcoin and Ether directly through their bank accounts.

Crypto markets also saw notable onchain activity, with Galaxy highlighting the movement of 100.02 BTC mined in July 2010, worth approximately US$8.5m, marking the first movement of these coins in more than 16 years. Meanwhile, stablecoin adoption and tokenisation continued to develop. A Visa survey found that nearly half of Asia-Pacific consumers would be willing to use stablecoins by 2031, with potential applications spanning payments and cross-border transfers. Morgan Stanley also plans to introduce tokenised equity trading through its alternative trading system in Q1 2027, reflecting continued institutional exploration of blockchain-based financial markets.

Overall, this week’s market action pointed to a period of consolidation in Bitcoin after its recent strength, with BTC holding above US$82,000 despite a midweek pullback. At the same time, continued institutional accumulation, regulatory progress, expanding digital asset services, and developments in stablecoins and tokenised securities highlighted the continued integration of crypto into mainstream financial markets.

Performance

Newsflow

Regulation | ASIC Proposes 10-Year CFD Rules Extension

Australia’s securities regulator ASIC has proposed extending its contracts-for-difference (CFD) product intervention order for another 10 years and expanding its scope to cover certain derivatives settled through digital assets. The proposed changes also update the rules on margin requirements and incentives, aiming to strengthen retail investor protections and ensure consistent oversight across different settlement methods. link link

Market | JPMorgan: US$50B Crypto Inflows in 2026

JPMorgan estimates that around US$50 billion has flowed into digital assets so far in 2026, equivalent to an annualized pace of US$66 billion. Crypto ETF inflows and Bitcoin and Ether futures positions increased in Q3, pointing to broader retail and institutional participation and positive momentum heading into Q4, although the annualized inflow pace remains about half of last year’s level. link

More News

Regulation | Russia’s central bank has added Sberbank, the country’s largest bank, to its register of authorized cryptocurrency exchange providers, expanding the bank’s role in the country’s newly regulated digital asset market. Sberbank plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1, supporting Bitcoin, Ether and USDT through its existing banking and investment platforms. The move follows Russia’s new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency trading and custody, which took effect in September 2026. link

Institution | Standard Chartered has launched institutional custody services for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger, expanding its digital asset custody offering. The bank is also working with Ripple and LMAX Group to explore using RLUSD as collateral for trading products, subject to testing, regulatory review and internal approvals. link

Market | Galaxy said Bitcoin has seen its first Satoshi-era movement in 16 years, as 100.02 BTC mined in July 2010 moved for the first time in more than 16 years. The coins were worth approximately US$8.5 million at the time of the transfer and were split between two new addresses. link

Regulation | Thailand’s SEC will implement new rules for Bitcoin and Ether ETFs on October 16, establishing a regulatory framework for crypto-focused exchange-traded funds. The rules allow licensed asset management firms to offer ETF products linked to the two digital assets, expanding regulated investment options for Thai investors. link

Institution | Standard Chartered has launched direct Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible Professional Investor clients in the UAE, allowing them to buy and sell the two assets through their existing bank accounts. The bank manages custody and settlement in-house through a closed-loop model, eliminating the need for separate crypto wallets or third-party platforms. The service has received approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). link

Adoption | A Visa survey found that nearly half of consumers in Asia-Pacific would be willing to use stablecoins by 2031. Potential use cases include everyday payments, travel spending, cross-border transfers and overseas shopping, highlighting growing interest in stablecoins beyond crypto trading. link

Tokenization | Morgan Stanley plans to begin supporting tokenized equity trading through its alternative trading system (ATS) in Q1 2027, according to The Block. The initiative will bring tokenized stocks into the bank’s existing trading infrastructure, reflecting traditional financial institutions’ continued exploration of blockchain-based securities trading. link

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