Samsung Users Get Coinbase Crypto Access as Standard Chartered Sees Bitcoin Hitting $135K

Crypto hack losses drop 37% in Q3 as attackers shift to wallets and operational breaches

Total funds lost to crypto hacks and exploits fell from $803 million in Q2 to $509 million in Q3, a 37% decline, as hackers moved away from smart contract attacks toward wallet-focused and operational compromises. Despite September setting a record with 16 million-dollar-plus incidents, overall losses were down, with code vulnerability losses dropping from $272 million to $78 million. Centralized exchanges remained the top targets with $182 million stolen, followed by DeFi projects at $86 million. Analysts highlighted North Korean cyber units as the largest threat, urging platforms and users to strengthen operational security.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc. Bitcoin Holdings Surge to $77.4 Billion, Exceed Several Major Banks and Match GDP of Small Nations

Strategy Inc., Michael Saylor’s digital asset treasury firm, just hit an all-time high in crypto value, with its Bitcoin holdings now worth $77.4 billion, nearly double their 2024 value. The firm bought 11,085 BTC over the last seven weeks, bringing its total stash to 640,031 BTC, or 3.2% of circulating supply. Strategy’s holdings now exceed the market cap of major banks including BNY Mellon, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank, and are comparable to the GDP of countries like Uruguay, Slovenia, and Sri Lanka. By comparison, El Salvador holds just 6,338 BTC. Strategy alone controls 48% of all BTC held by public and private companies.

Bitcoin Eyes $135,000 as Standard Chartered Sees Strong Institutional Demand

Bitcoin surged above $121,000, following the “Uptober” Q4 pattern, and could reach $135,000 soon, according to Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick. The price rally comes amid the U.S. government shutdown and hopes for Fed rate cuts, with BTC trading around $120,420. Kendrick noted that the post-halving weakness pattern has not materialized and expects continued institutional inflows, including ETF demand, to potentially push Bitcoin toward $200,000 by year-end. Prediction market data shows growing confidence, with 49% of users expecting BTC above $120,000 by mid-October.

BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Inflows Top $1 Billion as ‘Uptober’ Boosts BTC Above $120K

BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF saw a three-day net inflow streak surpassing $1 billion, contributing to $2.25 billion in combined U.S. Bitcoin ETF inflows this week, alongside Fidelity, Ark Invest, and Bitwise funds. IBIT also led Bitcoin options open interest with $38 billion, overtaking Deribit for the first time. The surge coincides with Bitcoin climbing above $120,000, driven by the “Uptober” seasonal momentum, strong ETF demand, and macro factors including the U.S. government shutdown. Ethereum ETFs added over $1 billion in inflows this week, highlighting broad institutional appetite for crypto.

Samsung Expands Coinbase Integration, Offering Galaxy Users In-App Crypto Access and Rewards

Samsung Electronics is enhancing its partnership with Coinbase, enabling U.S. Galaxy users to buy crypto directly in-app via Samsung Pay. Samsung Wallet users now gain a free 3-month Coinbase One subscription with zero trading fees on select assets, boosted staking rewards, and a $25 credit on their first trade. The integration lets users manage crypto alongside IDs, memberships, and digital keys, creating a seamless all-in-one platform for payments and digital assets.