Daily Brief: October 27, 2025

📖 Narratives to Watch

📈 Tether Eyes $15B Profit Driven by Stablecoin Growth

Tether expects its profit to jump to $15 billion in 2025 from $13 billion in 2024, fueled by the rising use of its USDt stablecoin now worth around $186 billion in circulation. The company plans to raise $20 billion at a $500 billion valuation, showing strong investor trust. New U.S. stablecoin laws like the GENIUS Act support this growth, signaling wider acceptance of digital currencies. CEO Reeve Collins predicts stablecoins will eventually replace all fiat currency.

Why it matters: Tether’s profit surge and regulatory backing highlight how stablecoins are becoming essential in finance, potentially reshaping traditional money systems.

🔗 Coinbase’s Plan to Put Startups Fully Onchain

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong plans to move the entire startup lifecycle onto the blockchain, covering incorporation, fundraising, and public trading. By using Coinbase’s Echo platform, startups could raise capital instantly through smart contracts, cutting out banks and lawyers. Armstrong also pushes for regulatory changes to let more investors join early funding rounds, aiming to make startup capital more accessible and transparent.

Why it matters: This approach could reshape startup funding by making it faster, fairer, and open to more people, while challenging current financial and regulatory rules.

⚠️ AWS Outage Reveals Web3's Infrastructure Risks

The AWS outage on October 20, 2025, disrupted many crypto and fintech platforms by cutting off user access despite blockchains themselves staying online. This showed how much Web3 still depends on centralized cloud providers like AWS, which creates a single point of failure. Experts urge moving toward hybrid or fully decentralized infrastructure to boost resilience and align with Web3's goal of reducing trust in single entities.

Why it matters: This matters because relying on centralized cloud services risks major disruptions, so Web3 must build more resilient and distributed infrastructure to keep services running smoothly.

📈 Market Moves

📈 Coinbase Gains from Base Layer-2 and USDC Moves

JPMorgan upgraded Coinbase to 'Overweight' with a $404 price target, citing new revenue from its Base layer-2 blockchain and improved USDC rewards. The Base token launch could unlock a market worth $12 billion to $34 billion, while USDC changes might add $374 million in yearly earnings. This boost helped Coinbase's stock surge over 9%, reflecting strong confidence in its growth plans despite competitive pressures.

Why it matters: Coinbase's strategy to monetize Base and USDC highlights its potential to increase revenue and stay competitive, which could shape investor views and crypto market trends.

📈 Mid-Tier Bitcoin Miners Gain Ground After 2024 Halving

Mid-tier Bitcoin miners like Cipher Mining, Bitdeer, and HIVE Digital have rapidly increased their hashrate, closing the gap with top firms following the 2024 halving. Public miners now control about one-third of Bitcoin's network power, with total hashrate doubling to 326 EH/s. This growth relies on record debt levels, reaching $12.7 billion, as miners invest in tech including AI to stay competitive amid tighter margins.

Why it matters: This shift signals a more competitive mining market and could lead to innovation and better pricing, but rising debt raises concerns about financial stability.

📉 Bitcoin Whales Move from Self-Custody to BlackRock ETFs

Top Bitcoin holders, known as whales, are swapping their self-custodied coins for BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETFs, converting over $3 billion. This move shows a preference for the ease of holding Bitcoin through traditional financial channels rather than managing private keys themselves. Institutional interest is also growing, with Galaxy Digital reporting $505 million in Q3 earnings amid rising demand for crypto services.

Why it matters: This shift signals a change in how Bitcoin investors want to hold their assets, blending crypto with traditional finance and affecting market behavior and custody models.

⚖️ Policy Tracker

🪙 Michael Selig Nominated as Pro-Crypto CFTC Chair

President Trump has nominated Michael Selig, currently chief counsel for the SEC's crypto task force, to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This move follows the withdrawal of the previous nominee amid industry pressure. Selig's appointment signals a potential shift toward a more crypto-friendly regulatory approach and closer cooperation between the CFTC and SEC on digital assets oversight.

Why it matters: Selig's nomination could shape U.S. crypto regulations, affecting market stability and encouraging industry growth.

🔍 Bank of England Probes AI Data Center Lending Risks

The Bank of England is investigating rising loans to data centers that support AI development. With an estimated $6.7 trillion needed by 2030, lenders are pouring funds into AI infrastructure instead of hiring. The BOE worries this could create a bubble like the dot-com crash, risking financial stability. Potential regulations may slow AI innovation and affect returns as the bank seeks to manage these risks.

Why it matters: Understanding these lending risks helps prevent financial market shocks and supports sustainable growth in AI technology.

🏦 Crypto.com Seeks US Trust Bank Charter

Crypto.com has applied for a National Trust Bank Charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to expand its custody and staking services under federal regulation. This charter lets the company manage digital assets securely for institutions without operating as a traditional bank. The move follows a trend among crypto firms aiming for clearer regulatory status and broader service offerings in the US market.

Why it matters: Getting this charter could boost institutional trust and signal a closer tie between crypto services and traditional finance, shaping how digital assets are managed and adopted.

🌟 Ecosystem Spotlight

🚀 Ripple Launches Ripple Prime for Institutional Brokerage

Ripple has rebranded Hidden Road as Ripple Prime after acquiring it for $1.25 billion, making it the first global crypto prime broker. Ripple Prime offers trading, financing, and clearing services to over 300 institutional clients, using Ripple's regulated RLUSD stablecoin as collateral. This move supports smoother integration of digital assets with traditional finance by simplifying market access and risk management for institutions.

Why it matters: Ripple Prime could reshape how institutions trade and finance digital assets, encouraging broader crypto adoption in traditional markets.

🔐 Sygnum Launches Bitcoin Loans with Multisignature Control

Sygnum Bank is launching MultiSYG in early 2026, a Bitcoin-backed loan platform made with Debifi. It uses a multisignature wallet that requires multiple key holders to approve any movement of Bitcoin collateral. This setup lets borrowers keep control of their assets while borrowing fiat, reducing risks like rehypothecation where lenders reuse collateral without permission. MultiSYG targets institutions and wealthy clients wanting safer, transparent loans.

Why it matters: MultiSYG offers a safer lending option that keeps borrowers in control of their Bitcoin, showing how traditional finance is adapting to crypto's demand for transparency and security.

🚀 Coinbase's x402 Protocol Sees 10,000% Transaction Growth

Coinbase's x402 protocol, launched in May, enables AI agents and humans to make direct stablecoin payments online without credit cards. Transaction activity soared over 10,000% in one month, with nearly 500,000 transactions recorded in a single week. The protocol supports autonomous transactions and has sparked a $180 million token market, showing strong developer and user interest.

Why it matters: The rapid growth of x402 signals a shift toward autonomous, AI-driven payments that could reshape online financial transactions and reduce reliance on traditional payment methods.

👥 Adoption & Culture

🏎️ Ferrari Launches Token for Exclusive 499P Auction

Ferrari is introducing the 'Token Ferrari 499P' for members of its elite Hyperclub to bid on the Le Mans-winning 499P race car. Partnering with fintech firm Conio, this digital token will offer unique auction access in 2027 during the World Endurance Championship season. The move continues Ferrari's embrace of cryptocurrency, aiming to boost loyalty among ultra-wealthy fans and tap into the growing market of crypto millionaires.

Why it matters: Ferrari’s token initiative shows how luxury brands can use digital assets to engage affluent customers and reshape high-value auctions.

💸 Rumble and Tether Bring Bitcoin Tips to Creators

Rumble, a video platform with 51 million monthly users, is launching Bitcoin tipping for creators in partnership with Tether. This feature aims to boost Bitcoin payments, offering creators a new way to earn while protecting them from censorship. Tether invested $775 million in Rumble and the platform holds over $23 million in Bitcoin, signaling a strong commitment to crypto adoption.

Why it matters: Bitcoin tipping could change how creators get paid, encouraging wider crypto use and financial freedom.

💸 Zelle embraces stablecoins to speed up cross-border payments

Zelle's parent company, Early Warning Services, announced it will use stablecoins to improve cross-border payments involving the U.S. Stablecoins are digital currencies tied to stable assets like the dollar, allowing faster and more reliable transactions across borders. This move reflects growing interest from traditional finance in blockchain tech and stablecoins, whose market value now exceeds $300 billion. Zelle aims to meet consumer demand and global payment needs more efficiently.

Why it matters: Integrating stablecoins into Zelle could revolutionize international payments by making them faster and more cost-effective, especially benefiting users in regions with unstable financial systems.