Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

xAI Launches Grok 4.7. It's Bigger, But Late to the AI Frontier Party

In briefxAI released Grok 4.7 on Monday, after at least five delays since late July.The model scored second to Claude Fable 5.1 on GDPval and AA-Briefcase, and second to GPT-6 Astra on EEBench, an electrical-engineering benchmark.Grok 4.7 is live immediately in the Grok app, Cursor, Grok Build, and the xAI API, running on 2.1 trillion parameters with supplemental training on SpaceX engineering data.　　Elon Musks xAI released Grok 4.7 on Monday afternoon, its best model to date, calling it “a notable improvement over Grok 4.6 at the same price and speed.”　　The release comes after several apparent delays. Musk had walked the timeline back at least five times since late July: “four weeks out,” then “a few weeks,” then “3 to 4 weeks,” then “10 days” on September 1, then “needs a few more days to cook” on September 11.　　Myriad: How much will Elon Musk be worth？ Click to make your prediction.　　xAI says the model spends longer working through hard problems and double-checks its own answers more often than Grok 4.6 did, alongside what the company calls its strongest safety guardrails yet.　　Musk followed up on X, calling Grok 4.7 “a strong combination of intelligence, speed s no waitlist this time—its live now

09-22Industry

Solana's 5-Year Cup and Handle Coils for Potential 106% Run to Rim: Peter Brandt

Technical analyst Peter Brandt has published a weekly Solana (SOL/USD) chart, pointing to the final stage of compression in a rare macrostructure known as the “Cup and Handle” pattern.　　According to the veteran trader, the current consolidation represents a “very significant long-term view of SOL.” The coin is currently trading at $116.29, showing potential for a local 106% surge toward the upper boundary of the pattern, which could serve as a springboard for a much larger macro breakout.　　Weekly SOL/USD chart showing a multi-year cup-and-handle pattern, Source: Peter Brandt / TradingView　　The chart presented by Brandt covers Solanas five-year development cycle. The left side of the “cup” begins at the peak of the 2021 all-time high, after which the asset went through the deep bottom of the late-2022 crypto winter near $9. The recovery toward the 2024 highs completed the outline of the cup and transitioned into a two-year sideways trading range, forming the “handle” of the pattern.　　The charts technical indicators confirm that the price is “coiling like a spring” within the final stage of capital accumulation:ATR (17.51): Indicates a cyclical decline in volatility. The amplitude of price fluctuations has narrowed, which is characteristic of healthy position holding.ADX (20.10): Remains below 25, confirming

09-22Industry

Near Protocol: What‘s Behind NEAR’s 80% Weekly Price Breakout？

Key Insights:NEAR Protocol price has surged as new perpetual futures trading and strong market momentum draw fresh attention to the token.NEAR Intents activity is accelerating, with weekly volume surpassing $1 billion, strengthening the network-usage narrative.Technical breakout and broader altcoin demand are adding to the rally, although recent gains have also triggered profit-taking.　　NEAR, the native token of Near Protocol, is one of the best-performing major altcoins this month. Its trading and cross-chain products have gained traction.　　NEAR/USDT data on TradingView showed NEAR trading at $4.42. It witnessed an 84% increase over the last seven days and a 115% rise during the past month.　　NEAR‘s latest price increase followed the protocol’s launch of confidential perpetual futures on Hyperliquid and the receipt of over $1 billion in weekly volume on NEAR Intents.　　Whats Driving Near Protocol Price？　　One of the clearest catalysts was the expansion of confidential derivatives trading on near.com. The platform now offers more than 50 perpetual markets through an integration with Hyperliquid, with up to 40x leverage. Funding can be routed from assets held across more than 35 blockchains.　　Discover more　　Deploy Cloud Servers　　Bitcoin price tracker　　Enterprise blockchain solutions　　Near Protocol Confidential Perps Go Live | Source: X　　The privacy layer is designed to keep details such as position

09-22Industry

Ethereum Crosses $2,700: Bull Trap or the Start of a Major Rally？

Despite the surge, some expect ETH to plunge below $1,500 in the short term.　　The cryptocurrency market has been on fire over the last few days despite negative news such as the CLARITY Act failure, rising interest rates in the United States, and escalating global geopolitical tensions.　　The past 24 hours have delivered even more gains, with Bitcoin (BTC) climbing past $85,000 for the first time since January, while Ethereum (ETH) hit a nine-month high of roughly $2,750. Many analysts believe the second-largest cryptocurrency is poised for a further rally in the near future, but some describe the current setup as a classic bull trap.　　Dont Pop the Champagne Yet？　　At first glance, it seems like ETHs cycle bottom is behind us and might be gearing up for a shift toward a bull run. X user DANNY, though, doesnt support that thesis, claiming that the asset is setting up “a huge trap.”　　The analyst argued that if ETH pumps to $2,670 (as it happened), sentiment will flip fast, and then people will start projecting further pumps to $4,000 and $5,000. For the X user, that level is the area where the market can trap late buyers before the real flush starts.　　DANNY envisioned a slip toward

09-22Industry

WTI Oil extends losing streak as Saudi exports ease supply fears

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil extends its decline for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, trading around $91.90 per barrel at the time of writing, down 3.54% on the day. Crude prices remain under selling pressure as signs of resilient Saudi Arabian supply ease fears of major disruptions, outweighing the geopolitical risk premium linked to the prolonged conflict in the Middle East.　　Reports of stronger Saudi Arabian Oil exports are helping calm concerns that regional tensions could significantly restrict global supply. CNBC, citing JPMorgan, reported on Saturday that Saudi crude flows remain “surprisingly strong” despite disruptions to the East-West pipeline.　　Saudi Arabia also expects the East-West pipeline to recover around half of its capacity within days after a drone attack forced its shutdown. The prospect of a relatively rapid recovery in infrastructure, combined with stronger shipments, reduces immediate concerns about the availability of Saudi crude and weighs on WTI Oil prices.　　Discover more　　financial　　Bitcoin investment guide　　Secure crypto storage　　Supply concerns are also easing around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global energy markets. United States (US) Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Sunday that Oil shipments through the waterway reached their highest level in six months during the past

09-22Industry

Solana Price Hits Highest Level Since January Amid $18M Liquidations: is $130 Next？

Solana price surged to $117.23 on September 21 as Bitcoin moved above $86,000 for the first time since January.　　SOL increased by 7.37% in 24 hours to $116.68, compared to a stronger recovery in the wider market. The crypto market rose by 4.82% to $2.88 trillion in the session. Ether was above 2700, and XRP was close to $1.47, having increased by 10%.　　Ad　　Ad　　Solana Tops $116 as Short Liquidations Exceed $18 Million　　Solana price rose to its highest point in the year since January, as crypto markets expanded their overall recovery.　　Over the last 24 hours, the rally sold over 18 million SOL short positions.　　$SOL LIQUIDATIONS: Over $18 million in short positions have been liquidated in the last 24 hours as $SOL surged past $116, reaching its highest level since January. 　　Bitcoin price further soared above $86,000, and increased its rebound since the two-month low by 50%.　　Discover more　　Choose POS Systems　　financial　　Finance　　Overall, there was a 900 million liquidation of leveraged crypto holdings and a short liquidation of 260 million in less than an hour.　　XRP and Ethereum were up by 8 and 6% respectively, as optimistic markets accelerated in key digital assets.　　Ad　　Ad　　Solana Price Surges Toward $120 as Momentum Strengthens　　The SOL price surged to $118.00 after gaining 10%

09-22Industry

Ethereum Quick Slots: Faster Markets, Validator Test

Ethereum developers are weighing Ethereum Quick Slots for Hegotá, a proposed faster block rhythm that would reduce waiting without expanding the networks per-second capacity. EIP-8198, or Quick Slots, remains Proposed for Inclusion rather than scheduled, and neither its eight-second draft parameter nor the 10-second alternative has been adopted.　　That makes validator performance the deciding issue. Shorter slots could refresh onchain prices sooner and accelerate confirmations and finality, but validators would have less time to receive, check and attest to each block. The proposals market benefits are modeled; its effect on the slowest operators remains the evidence Ethereum still needs.　　The Hegotá meta-EIP lists Quick Slots as Proposed for Inclusion, while Ethereum‘s official roadmap says most of the upgrade’s scope remains undecided. Developers are choosing whether to spend performance headroom on lower latency while preserving the broad participation that gives Ethereum its decentralization.　　Related Reading　　Ethereums next major upgrade just slipped to late 2026, forcing a two-week scramble to save its 2027 roadmap　　Ethereum Quick Slots: a faster clock with the same per-second capacity　　The canonical EIP-8198 draft uses eight seconds as a placeholder, down from Ethereums current 12-second slot. It also says the exact target should follow performance characterization and may change before deployment.　　Ethlabs favors a

09-22Industry

Binance Wallet Opens $4.7T Pre-IPO Market Access Through PancakeSwap Tokenized Deals

Key Takeaways:Binance Wallet now provides eligible users a chance to participate in PancakeSwap Pre-Access campaigns for tokenized exposure to private companies.Pre-Access Tokens are not company shares, voting rights or direct equity.According to Binance Research, nearly $4.7 trillion is contributed by approximately 1,300 private companies that have worth more than $1 billion.　　Binance Wallet is pushing deeper into tokenized finance with a new Pre-Access program hosted by PancakeSwap. The product gives eligible crypto users a way to obtain indirect on-chain exposure to private companies before a potential public listing, although the first target has not yet been revealed.　　Binance Wallet Brings Pre-IPO Exposure Onchain　　PancakeSwap classifies Pre-Access campaigns as subscription events which last for a specific period. The specific tokenized exposure is provided by third parties and the campaign is presented by PancakeSwap, additionally, Binance Wallet offers the technical gateway.　　That distinction is important. Binance Wallet is not selling pre-IPO tokens directly to users.　　Discover more　　Currencies & Foreign Exchange　　Secure crypto storage　　Distributed & Cloud Computing　　Binances FAQ states that a Pre-Access Token can give contractual, synthetic or indirect economic exposure to the private company or the underlying asset. No voting rights, no dividends, no shareholder rights and no direct claim against the target company.　　Details regarding the first campaign

09-22Industry

Strategy Resumes Bitcoin Buying With 950 BTC After 2-Week Pause

Key highlights:Strategy resumed Bitcoin buying after a 2-week pause, acquiring 950 BTC for $75.7M, bringing total holdings to 846,000 BTCCapital allocation is shifting as Strategy spent $174M on STRC preferred share repurchases in September vs. $75.7M on Bitcoin, with $1B+ spent on STRC buybacks since JulyStrategy holds $6.09B in combined USD assets, with the latest BTC purchase funded from cash rather than new MSTR equity issuance　　Strategy has resumed its Bitcoin accumulation after a two-week pause, purchasing another 950 BTC for $75.7 million as the company continues to balance its long-term Bitcoin strategy with a separate push to repurchase its preferred shares.　　In a Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 21, Strategy said it acquired the 950 BTC between September 14 and September 20 at an average price of $79,670 per Bitcoin, including fees and expenses.　　The purchase brings the companys Bitcoin holdings to 846,000 BTC, with an aggregate acquisition cost of approximately $63.8 billion and an average purchase price of $75,416 per Bitcoin, including fees and expenses.　　Strategys Bitcoin buying spree is slowing; what changed in 2026？　　Strategys Bitcoin strategy has also undergone several changes this year. The company began 2026 with 673,783 BTC and significantly increased its

09-22Industry

Will proposed faster block times really fix Ethereum’s biggest market losses？

Ethereum developers are weighing Ethereum Quick Slots for Hegotá, a proposed faster block rhythm that would reduce waiting without expanding the networks per-second capacity. EIP-8198, or Quick Slots, remains Proposed for Inclusion rather than scheduled, and neither its eight-second draft parameter nor the 10-second alternative has been adopted.　　Related Asset Ethereum #2 ETH · $2,759.84 24-hour change: up 4.96% Loading price history… 24H Up 4.96% 7D Up 9.49% 30D Up 13.87%　　That makes validator performance the deciding issue. Shorter slots could refresh onchain prices sooner and accelerate confirmations and finality, but validators would have less time to receive, check and attest to each block. The proposals market benefits are modeled; its effect on the slowest operators remains the evidence Ethereum still needs.　　The Hegotá meta-EIP lists Quick Slots as Proposed for Inclusion, while Ethereums official roadmap says most of the upgrades scope remains undecided. Developers are choosing whether to spend performance headroom on lower latency while preserving the broad participation that gives Ethereum its decentralization.　　Ethereum Quick Slots: a faster clock with the same per-second capacity　　The canonical EIP-8198 draft uses eight seconds as a placeholder, down from Ethereums current 12-second slot. It also says the exact target should follow performance characterization and may change

09-22Industry

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