Standard Chartered Launches Spot BTC/ETH in UAE

Bitcoin traded back above $77,500 with market-implied Federal Reserve rate hike odds near 66% for the September meeting, according to CME FedWatch data. Earlier in the week, Bitcoin and Ethereum experienced selling pressure, with BTC trading in a range of $76,600 to $78,000, down approximately 2%, while ETH fell to between $2,373 and $2,400, down roughly 2% to 2.5%, amid US-Iran military tensions. About $115 million in long positions were liquidated within an hour during the sharpest decline, according to Coinglass data. Despite the pullback, Ethereum had gained 33% in August and 56% for the quarter, suggesting the move represents a retracement within an uptrend rather than a reversal. K33 reported that Bitcoin's average daily spot volume declined 35% over the past week to $3.1 billion, indicating thinning market participation. Market maker Wintermute moved approximately 5,100 BTC, worth close to $400 million, to Binance, while a separate whale transferred nearly 41,000 ETH, worth over $100 million, to exchanges, both representing potential sell-side pressure. The Coldcard exploiter moved about 10% of stolen funds through THORChain to a new Ethereum address, according to researchers tracking the assets.

Ether ETFs posted $48 million in outflows after attracting $1.62 billion over 12 consecutive trading days, ending a significant inflow streak, according to Cointelegraph. XRP funds also ended an 11-session inflow run during the same period. Meanwhile, Bitcoin funds experienced a rebound in flows, reversing earlier weakness. The shift in flows coincided with broader risk-off sentiment across crypto markets as Treasury yields rose and equity markets weakened.

Strategy ($MSTR) resumed Bitcoin purchases after a 10-week pause, adding 4,603 coins to reach total holdings of 845,050 BTC. The purchase was funded by new share issuance and contributed to a 30-day share price return of approximately 29.9%, though the stock remains down 21.6% year-to-date and down 62.7% on a 1-year total shareholder return basis. Coinbase Global ($COIN) expanded its product offerings with Better Home & Finance announcing general availability of its Coinbase-powered, token-backed conforming mortgage product, alongside a 1% closing-cost rebate of up to $10,000 for Coinbase One members across mortgages, HELOCs, and refinances. Coinbase also launched regulated crypto derivatives for Canadian traders and deeper platform access via Webull. Robinhood ($HOOD) received an 'Outperform' rating from Scotiabank with a $136 price target, implying upside of more than 27% from its last close. Hyperscale Data's Bitcoin holdings have fallen about 79% since late July to 215 BTC as the company ended Michigan BTC mining operations and redirected capital toward its Michigan AI data center.

Standard Chartered launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for institutional clients in the UAE, becoming the first major global bank to offer such access in the region, according to Cointelegraph. The move signals growing institutional infrastructure for crypto trading in the Middle East. Separately, catastrophe bonds may join the tokenization trend, with plans for test issuance in 2027, according to CoinDesk.

Australia's ASIC warned unlicensed crypto firms of fines up to 10% of annual turnover as its temporary enforcement relief approaches expiration on September 30. ASIC has recorded more than 45 digital asset-related license applications ahead of the deadline. The CFTC asked a judge to dismiss CME's lawsuit over crypto perpetual futures, according to CoinDesk. US federal authorities and private-sector partners, working with CrowdStrike, disrupted malware that redirected approximately $150,000 in crypto over the past eight years. The Department of Justice disclosed that Hamas crypto seizures reached $560,000 as the FBI took over fundraising sites, according to CoinDesk.

Uniswap ($UNI) token price has surged 100% since mid-August, with data showing Robinhood Chain pays Uniswap 60 times what Arbitrum earns from it, according to analysis cited by Yahoo. The payment differential from Robinhood Chain activity has been identified as a key driver of the token's rally.