Cboe wants to turn VIX into a never-ending trade
Your day-ahead look for Oct. 2, 2026

Your day-ahead look for Oct. 2, 2026

Bitcoin trades above $86,000 as gold and tech futures rise, with investors expecting 90,000 new U.S. jobs and unemployment to hold at 4.1%.

Bitcoin dominance is closing in on 60% while USDT's has slipped to 6.3%, pointing to a market growing more comfortable with risk.

Rising open interest and funding rates signal renewed demand for bullish bitcoin exposure.

A Tether-backed project, Utexo, plans to support private USDT transfers, direct swaps between BTC and USDT and loans backed by BTC, while keeping most transaction data off Bitcoin’s public ledger.

Bitcoin is up roughly 3% in October as traders await September’s jobs data, while rising bond yields, a stronger dollar weigh on broader markets.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a proposed rule concerning the custody of digital assets. This move advances the regulator's agenda for overseeing the crypto sector. The proposal was finalized as Commissioner Hester Peirce, who led the SEC's inaugural Crypto Task Force, prepares to depart this week. The rule outlines requirements for how registered investment advisers must safeguard crypto assets held for clients.

The company behind a Trump-themed memecoin is promoting a dinner event scheduled for November. The organizers have described the gathering as the "most exclusive dinner in the world." The dinner is being advertised specifically for the token's top investors. The event appears to be a promotional effort aimed at the coin's key backers.

The U.S. cryptocurrency industry is now subject to new regulatory rules from the SEC and other agencies. This development follows the recent failure of the CLARITY Act, a congressional bill designed to provide clearer guidelines. The regulations were established through existing agency powers rather than new legislation. Industry advisors must now navigate these rules, which address issues like custody and compliance.

A bug in the NEAR Intents cross-chain trading system was exploited, resulting in losses of $3.8 million. The platform facilitates deposits and withdrawals across multiple blockchain networks. The company behind the system has stated it will reimburse the affected users. This incident continues a trend of significant security breaches within the cryptocurrency sector this year.

Bitcoin's price remained steady at approximately $84,000. This follows the cryptocurrency's strongest quarterly performance of the year. The market is currently in a holding pattern. Investors are awaiting the release of a key U.S. jobs report, which could influence future price movements.
The state of Illinois and the cryptocurrency industry have jointly agreed to a six-month delay of a new tax. This 0.2% levy on digital asset exchanges will be postponed until July 1, pending court approval. The pause allows both parties to concentrate on an ongoing legal dispute over the tax's validity. The agreement was reported by CoinDesk.

The cryptocurrency sector suffered approximately $1.26 billion in losses from hacks and exploits during the third quarter of 2026. This substantial loss occurred despite a period of significant price gains for major assets like bitcoin. The data, reported by CoinDesk, highlights a continuing security vulnerability within the ecosystem. The figure underscores how criminal activity can persist even during strong market performance.

Aaron Kaplan, founder of Promethum, argues that U.S. markets are globally admired for ensuring investors fully own their shares. He contends synthetic tokenized stock models undermine this foundational trust. According to Kaplan, these models disadvantage American investors. They also harm the traditional issuer-led capital markets structure.

Bitcoin began the new quarter trading within its previous range of $82,000 to $85,000. The price briefly exceeded $85,000 on Wednesday following subdued U.S. inflation data. This data reduced market expectations for further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. However, the upward momentum was not sustained, and spot ETF activity failed to provide additional support.

Citigroup has updated its 12-month price predictions for two major cryptocurrencies. The bank increased its Bitcoin target to $113,000, citing renewed inflows into spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It also raised its Ether forecast from $2,240 to $3,028. These revised estimates reflect the firm's analysis of current market dynamics and investor demand.

A security incident involving MetaMask has prompted withdrawals from Ethereum staking services. An Ethereum security researcher estimated that approximately 0.36 ETH in rewards was diverted. As a precaution, withdrawals were initiated for validators holding roughly 523,000 ETH. No user funds were reported at risk from the incident.

DogeOS has introduced a testnet for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on the Dogecoin blockchain. The project aims to move Dogecoin beyond its current use for payments and speculation. However, its applications are currently secured by selected operators, not the Dogecoin mining network. The team anticipates Dogecoin miners will eventually take over this security role in the future.

The price of Bitcoin surged past $85,000 on Wednesday following a cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation report. This rally proved to be short-lived as the cryptocurrency quickly gave up its gains. The retreat coincided with U.S. Treasury yields remaining near their highest levels in over two decades. Analysts attributed the reversal to the persistent high bond yields, which dampened investor enthusiasm.

The cryptocurrency industry spent $8 million on lobbying efforts in the first half of 2025, with the bulk of spending directed toward advancing the Clarity Act, a U.S. market structure bill. Despite the significant financial investment, lobbyists were unable to push the legislation across the finish line. The funds were channeled through various lobbying firms hired to influence U.S. lawmakers on crypto market regulation. The failed effort highlights the challenges the crypto sector faces in translating financial muscle into concrete legislative outcomes.
