Crypto Twitter has about 500 opinions on every single price move, and most of them are either wrong or written by someone with a token to sell to you. We send the version that skips all of that and just tells you what actually happened and why it matters. No noise, no pitch, just the newsletter at utb.beehiiv.com

Ethereum was supposed to activate its Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet today, October 26. But developers have postponed the upgrade after security researchers identified potential problems with how the new rules interact with existing smart contracts. The concerns involve proposed changes to Ethereum's gas accounting system. Gas is the fee mechanism used to pay for transactions and smart contract operations. According to the Ethereum Foundation, developers need more time to investigate how one proposed change, EIP-8037, could affect contracts already deployed on the network. Some contracts could behave differently when an operation runs out of gas, potentially causing unexpected failures. The delay also affects the planned increase of Hoodi's gas limit to 200 million. No replacement activation date has been announced. One important distinction is that this postponement affects a test network, not Ethereum's live mainnet. For regular ETH holders, no action is required. Testing upgrades before deploying them to a live blockchain is part of the process of identifying problems before they can affect real users and funds. In this case, developers decided to investigate the issue rather than proceed with the original schedule.

CoinDCX initially called reports of a $16 million crypto theft a false alarm. Now, the Indian crypto exchange has confirmed that 15.99 million USDT was stolen from its old wallet infrastructure. According to CoinDCX, the affected addresses were supposed to have been retired after a $44 million security incident in July 2025. However, an automated system responsible for moving funds out of those wallets stopped working for a period, allowing deposits to accumulate in addresses that were already vulnerable. The stolen funds were later traced by blockchain investigators, who questioned why the exchange continued processing transactions through supposedly retired wallets. CoinDCX says it has absorbed the entire loss and that customer balances, active wallets, and trading services remain unaffected. The incident raises an important question about exchange security. Even when a company retires compromised infrastructure, the systems connecting old and new wallets still need to be monitored. A security upgrade is only effective if the older vulnerabilities are actually removed from the process.

Hardware wallet maker Keystone has confirmed that customer information was exposed after an attacker gained access to its Shopify-powered online store. The compromised information included customer names, phone numbers, email addresses, shipping addresses, and order details. Keystone says private keys, recovery phrases, wallet passwords, and payment information were not exposed. However, there's another issue. The company previously promised that customer shipping information would be permanently deleted 180 days after an order. Some customers are now reporting that their information was included in the breach despite placing orders more than 180 days ago. Keystone has not confirmed how many customers were affected, and the claims about older records remain under investigation. For hardware wallet owners, exposed shipping details can create risks beyond ordinary spam. Scammers could use real purchase information to make fake support calls, emails, or replacement-device offers appear legitimate. A hardware wallet can keep private keys offline, but it cannot protect the personal information stored by the company that sold it. If you purchased a Keystone device, be cautious of unexpected messages claiming to be from customer support.

Bitcoin fell below $80,000, triggering another wave of liquidations across the crypto market. According to CoinGlass data, approximately $404 million in leveraged long positions were liquidated in just four hours. As more leveraged positions are forced to close, the resulting selling pressure can contribute to additional price declines and further liquidations. With the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision scheduled for October 28, investors are also watching how macroeconomic conditions could affect risk appetite. For anyone following Bitcoin, understanding leverage is just as important as watching the price itself.

An NFT sent to the wrong address can’t be called back. There’s no support line on a blockchain, and a few quick checks are the whole safety net. Before you hit confirm: make sure the receiving wallet works on the same network as your NFT (an Ethereum NFT doesn’t become a Solana NFT because the address looks similar), read the full address and not just the first few characters, and keep a little of the network’s token for fees. Then watch the transfer on a block explorer. A transfer isn’t always a sale for tax purposes either, though rules vary by country, so it’s worth keeping a record. We walked through sending an NFT on Ethereum, Layer 2s, and Solana, plus what to do if something goes wrong: usethebitcoin.com/wallets/ho…

The cheapest-looking quote on a bridge isn’t always the cheapest route. The number that matters is how much arrives on the other side. A route can show a low fee and still lose value to slippage, price impact, or extra gas on the destination chain. That’s why it helps to compare the final amount you’d receive, the time it takes, and any steps in between, not just the headline fee. A bridge aggregator puts those routes side by side in one place. Before you sign, check the token approval you’re granting, send a small test amount first, and revoke access you no longer need. We compared 6 aggregators and walked through the steps and safety checks: usethebitcoin.com/resources/…

A “10,000 USDT welcome bonus” usually isn’t 10,000 USDT you can withdraw. Most sign-up bonuses are made of fee rebate vouchers and futures bonuses that unlock when you hit deposit and trading targets, often within 7 to 30 days. They typically can’t be transferred or withdrawn, and they expire. The big number is the top of a ladder, not where you start. Before you sign up for anything, read what you’d have to deposit, how much you’d have to trade, and by when. If the requirements push you to trade more than you planned, that tells you what the offer is really for. We broke down how these bonuses work and the terms to check: usethebitcoin.com/resources/…

Web3 social media has something for most kinds of creators and communities, and you can try most of it with just an email. You don’t need a wallet to get started, since most of the platforms we covered let you sign up the way you would on any other app. From there, you can find a spot for writing, for connecting with a community, or for simply following along. We compared all six on sign-in options and who each one suits: usethebitcoin.com/resources/…

Zcash is preparing to make its blockchain three times faster through its upcoming NU7 network upgrade. Developers have selected block 3,543,405 as the planned activation point, expected around November 5. The upgrade will reduce the time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. That means an exchange requiring three confirmations for a ZEC deposit could potentially reduce the waiting period from nearly four minutes to around 75 seconds. But faster payments aren't the only change. NU7 also changes how transaction fees are distributed, temporarily setting aside 60% of block fees for future miner payments beginning around 2031. Another important change involves Sprout, Zcash's original privacy system. Sprout will be disabled during the upgrade, meaning any funds still held in that legacy system would become unspendable unless moved beforehand. The activation details still need to be fully integrated into the network software before the upgrade can proceed. For Zcash users, NU7 is an important reminder that blockchain upgrades can improve performance while also introducing changes that require attention from wallet providers and holders.

The United States has finalized a major set of rules for companies issuing payment stablecoins. On October 21, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published its final regulations implementing key parts of the GENIUS Act. The rules cover how stablecoin issuers manage reserve assets, process redemptions, report their financial condition, and protect customer funds. For context, payment stablecoins are digital tokens designed to maintain a stable value, usually against the US dollar. The idea is that holders should be able to redeem their tokens for the underlying currency without depending entirely on market demand. The rules also establish requirements for custody, risk management, and supervision of eligible US and foreign issuers. One important detail is that the regulations will not take effect until January 18, 2027. Other areas, including anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance, will be addressed separately. For stablecoin users, the development is significant because the rules governing the assets backing their tokens are becoming more clearly defined. But regulation doesn't eliminate every risk associated with holding or using stablecoins.

Solana just activated Alpenglow, its biggest network upgrade since launching in 2020. The upgrade replaces TowerBFT, the original system validators used to agree on transactions, with a new consensus protocol developed by Anza. According to Anza, Alpenglow reduces transaction finality from approximately 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds. Finality is the point when a blockchain transaction can no longer be reversed. For everyday users, that could mean exchanges crediting deposits faster, merchants confirming payments almost instantly, and applications spending less time waiting for transactions to become final. The upgrade went live on Solana's mainnet on October 21 after months of testing and security reviews. However, faster finality doesn't automatically mean every transaction or application will become faster. Network conditions and application design still matter. For Solana, the upgrade represents a major change to its underlying infrastructure, not just another increase in transaction speed.

Moving tokens from BNB Smart Chain to Ethereum is easier than it sounds once you know your options. A bridge aggregator compares routes for you and shows what you’ll receive, the fees, and the expected time. If you want to go straight to one provider, a direct bridge like Celer cBridge works too. You can also use a CEX or the bridge built into your wallet, depending on your token and how much you’re sending. A quick prep list helps any route go smoothly: hold a little BNB and ETH for gas, pick Ethereum mainnet as the destination, and send a small test amount first. We compared all four methods, with steps for cBridge and a guide to bridging back: usethebitcoin.com/guides/bri…

The most useful crypto accounts tell you what happened and why. They don’t tell you what to buy. A good feed usually mixes three kinds of voices: news alerts so you know what’s moving, onchain trackers who follow wallet activity, and educators who explain things in plain English. Together they give you the facts, and your own plan does the deciding. A few quick checks before you follow anyone. Do they keep pushing the same project? Do they say when they’re paid to promote something? Do they admit it when a call was wrong? An influencer’s trade idea isn’t a plan. We picked 19 accounts across X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and explained what each is good for: usethebitcoin.com/resources/…

Prediction markets are becoming a bigger business for crypto exchanges. According to the Financial Times, trading volume across Polymarket and Kalshi increased from $17 billion in January to $72 billion in September 2026. That's an increase of more than 300% in just eight months. Now, Blockchain.com and Binance US are seeking regulatory approval to offer prediction markets to American users, joining the likes of Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Gemini in exploring the space. With crypto trading activity under pressure, exchanges are looking for additional ways to attract users and generate revenue beyond traditional spot and futures trading. But prediction markets also come with regulatory challenges, particularly because some US states treat certain event contracts as gambling. For investors, this is another example of how crypto platforms are expanding beyond buying and selling digital assets. The competition is increasingly about which financial services users can access through a single platform.

Mastercard is taking another step into crypto-powered payments, this time by letting AI agents pay for digital services. The company has opened early developer access to Agent Pay for Machines following successful pilots involving Coinbase, Base, Cloudflare, and other partners. During one demonstration, an AI agent completed nine payments to two different service providers, all within a budget approved by a human. The system uses the x402 payment protocol, while Coinbase provides wallet infrastructure and Base handles on-chain settlement. It also supports payments involving traditional currencies and stablecoins. One important detail is that these AI agents do not get unlimited spending authority. Businesses can specify how much they are allowed to spend and what services they can purchase. The technology is still in its early testing stage and is not yet commercially available. As AI agents become more capable of carrying out tasks independently, payment infrastructure will need to support transactions between software systems, not just between people.

Switzerland has approved its first spot Bitcoin ETF for retail investors. The country's financial regulator, FINMA, has authorized an exchange-traded fund that invests directly in Bitcoin under Swiss investment fund rules. Switzerland already had crypto exchange-traded products, but this approval is different because the fund falls under the country's regulated retail investment fund framework. FINMA is also requiring safeguards involving custody, operational security, and clearer disclosures about investment risks. Interestingly, the regulator made an exception to its usual diversification rules because the fund focuses entirely on Bitcoin. However, FINMA also emphasized that regulatory approval does not make Bitcoin a low-risk investment. Investors can still experience substantial losses from price volatility. The approval gives retail investors another regulated way to gain Bitcoin exposure without managing their own wallets or private keys.

Yield farming comes in more flavors than most people expect. Some platforms lend, some provide liquidity, and some automate the whole thing for you. Aave is built around lending, where suppliers earn variable interest from borrowers. Curve focuses on stablecoin pools. Uniswap lets you choose the price range your liquidity works in. Beefy’s vaults collect rewards and reinvest them for you, and Raydium is the Solana option. Each one earns from a different source, so the best fit depends on what you want to hold and how hands-on you want to be. Before depositing anywhere, check the live APY, the source of the yield, and how withdrawals work. We compared 7 platforms side by side, including networks, deposits, and risk notes: usethebitcoin.com/resources/…

If you’ve been around crypto for years, you probably remember when trading meant trusting a middleman with your money and your ID. Uniswap ( @Uniswap ) launched in 2018, founded by Hayden Adams, with a different idea: no middleman, just a wallet you control and pools of tokens that other users fund. Eight years later, our guide calls it the biggest DEX in DeFi, alongside PancakeSwap and Aerodrome by 24-hour volume. It has also grown well beyond Ethereum, now running on Base, Arbitrum, Solana, Polygon, and more. New to it, or just haven’t opened it in a while? We walked through swapping, sending, and providing liquidity step by step: usethebitcoin.com/guides/how…

Trust Wallet ( @TrustWallet ) has grown from a 2017 startup into a wallet with a user base of about 220 million, and its 2023 redesign is a big part of that story. The redesign gave the wallet a more modern look and made it easier for newcomers to get on-chain, which is what the team set out to do from the start: make crypto simple and open to everyone. Today you can use it on mobile or on a Windows or Mac computer through the Chrome extension, or by connecting your phone with WalletConnect. We walked through all three ways to use Trust Wallet on a computer, step by step: usethebitcoin.com/wallets/ho…

If an NFT shows up in your wallet and you never asked for it, it isn’t a gift. It’s usually bait. Scammers send unsolicited collections with links or messages that push you toward a fake site, often asking you to connect your wallet to “claim” something. Don’t click, and don’t connect. If your wallet lets you hide or report the NFT, use that. Hiding it only removes it from view, and the token stays on the blockchain. Never give your recovery phrase to anyone claiming to be wallet support. Real support doesn’t need it to fix a display issue. We covered the full scam checklist and compared 7 NFT wallets across Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin: usethebitcoin.com/wallets/nf…