The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) said the fine was due to a lack of anti-money laundering oversight.

Paxos settles with NYDFS for $48.5M over Binance partnership

The new Investment Bank Law will allow so-called &#8220;sophisticated investors&#8221; to 
take advantage of innovative opportunities, which may include bitcoin or 
crypto-based products issued to seek funding, thereby opening the doors to a 
more dynamic crypto ecosystem in El Salvador. Investment Bank Law Puts Bitcoin 
Front and Center in El Salvador The newly approved Investment […]

New Investment Bank Law in El Salvador Opens Doors to Bitcoin Products

TRM Labs says the Embargo ransomware group has moved over $34 million in 
ransom-linked crypto since April, targeting US hospitals and critical 
infrastructure.

Embargo ransomware group moved $34M in crypto since April: TRM Labs

According to a report issued by Rankings Latam, Argentina hit a milestone of 
nearly 20% crypto ownership, surpassing countries like Brazil and El Salvador. 
The region&#8217;s adoption is highly concentrated, with 6 countries hosting over 
80% of the crypto ownership. Argentina Leads Crypto Adoption in Latam Once 
Again Latin America (Latam) is one of the […]

Report: Argentina Leads in Crypto Ownership in Latam, Outpacing Brazil and El Salvador

Analysts are increasingly calling for the start of altseason as Ethereum posts 
massive gains and a wave of altcoins surges across the market. Over the past 
days, bullish momentum has pushed many digital assets higher, with price 
structures showing clear signs of strength. For many traders, this is the 
moment they’ve been waiting for—the long-anticipated shift where altcoins 
outperform Bitcoin and deliver outsized returns. Related Reading: Bitcoin–S&amp;P 
500 Correlation Hits 80%, Tying Crypto To Stocks Ethereum’s recent breakout 
above key resistance levels has added fuel to the narrative, with large-cap 
and mid-cap altcoins following in its footsteps. The market’s renewed optimism 
has sparked speculation that the altseason cycle, where capital rotates from 
Bitcoin into the broader altcoin market, may already be underway. However, not 
all experts are convinced. Some point to Bitcoin’s continued dominance and the 
fact that most altcoins remain well below their all-time highs as reasons for 
caution. Historical altseasons have typically seen aggressive outperformance 
across the board, something the market has yet to fully confirm. Altseason 
Still Waiting For Its True Breakout According to top analyst Darkfost, the 
much-anticipated altseason hasn’t truly begun. By examining a comparative 
chart of Bitcoin, large caps (top 20), and mid/small caps, Darkfost notes that 
the current cycle is showing the weakest altcoin performance so far. While 
altcoins have made notable moves in recent weeks, their gains still pale in 
comparison to Bitcoin’s dominant run. The last instance that resembled a 
genuine altseason occurred in early 2024, when altcoins—particularly mid- and 
small-cap projects—outpaced Bitcoin over a short but intense period. That 
surge marked a clear capital rotation away from BTC into the broader market, 
delivering outsized returns for altcoin holders. However, the present market 
conditions suggest that kind of broad-based outperformance has yet to 
materialize. Even though Ethereum has broken above multi-year highs and 
several altcoins are posting impressive gains, the rally appears selective 
rather than widespread. Large caps are recovering steadily, but mid- and 
small-cap coins—often the hallmark of an explosive altseason—are still 
lagging. This disparity suggests that institutional and retail capital remains 
concentrated in more established assets. For a confirmed altseason, analysts 
will be watching for a sustained breakout in mid- and small-cap performance 
relative to BTC. Until that shift occurs, the current market may be better 
described as a strong altcoin rally within Bitcoin’s dominant phase rather 
than the start of a full-scale altseason. Related Reading: Ethereum Exchange 
Balances Decline To 18.8M ETH: Smart Money Drains Supply Altcoin Market Nears 
Key Resistance The Total Crypto Market Cap excluding Bitcoin (TOTAL2) is 
showing strong bullish momentum, currently sitting at $1.57 trillion after a 
sharp 13.21% weekly surge. This rally brings the market close to retesting its 
2025 highs around the $1.6 trillion level, a critical resistance zone that has 
capped altcoin gains in previous attempts. The chart reveals that the market 
has been in a sustained uptrend since early 2024, with price action 
consistently holding above the 50-week moving average (blue line) and 
maintaining bullish structure. Both the 100-week (green) and 200-week (red) 
moving averages are trending higher, reinforcing long-term support and 
signaling healthy market conditions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Futures Bias 
Turns Neutral As OI Net Position Hits Zero – Details If the breakout occurs, 
TOTAL2 could target the previous all-time high zone near $1.75–$1.8 trillion, 
marking a potential acceleration in capital rotation from Bitcoin into 
altcoins. Conversely, failure to clear this resistance could lead to a short- 
term pullback toward $1.4 trillion support, which aligns with the 50-week MA. 
The coming weeks will be crucial for determining whether altseason truly 
ignites. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Altseason Still On Hold – Metrics Reveal BTC Outpaces Large, Mid, Small Caps

Bitcoin is holding firm above the $115,000 level after several days of trading 
below it, signaling renewed strength in the market. The bullish tone is 
building as Ethereum posts massive gains and altcoins begin to show strong 
moves over the past few days. For some analysts, this could be the start of 
the long-awaited altseason; for others, it’s simply the rest of the market 
catching up to Bitcoin’s earlier rally. Related Reading: Bitcoin–S&amp;P 500 
Correlation Hits 80%, Tying Crypto To Stocks Top analyst Axel Adler noted that 
Bitcoin’s price is now trading close to its all-time high, with the BTC 
Z-Score (Price, 30/365) sitting around +1.5σ above its one-year norm. This 
reading is well below the +2.5σ level typically associated with overheating, 
suggesting that while momentum is strong, it is not yet at extreme levels. The 
current environment offers a favorable backdrop for potential upside, with 
room for the market to expand further before reaching overheated conditions. 
With altcoins gaining traction and Ethereum’s rally adding fuel to the 
market’s optimism, the coming days could determine whether this is a 
sustainable breakout or just another phase of consolidation before the next 
major move. On-Chain Activity Still Lags Behind Price According to Adler, 
Bitcoin’s current market setup is showing a positive backdrop but with some 
important caveats. Adler points out that the Adjusted Price Divergence (APD) 
remains negative near −1.5 after rebounding from local lows around −2. This 
metric suggests that Bitcoin’s price is still outpacing on-chain activity, 
although the gap between the two is narrowing. In other words, while price 
momentum is firm, the network’s transactional activity and usage haven’t yet 
fully caught up. This discrepancy creates an interesting dynamic for the 
market. Adler explains that the bias still favors price, meaning momentum is 
being driven more by investor positioning and sentiment than by on-chain 
fundamentals. For the rally to gain more structural support, a healthier setup 
would see APD move toward zero. This could happen in one of two ways: either 
network activity increases significantly while price moves sideways or posts 
modest gains, or Bitcoin’s price cools off to better align with current usage 
levels. Importantly, Adler warns against interpreting APD moving toward zero 
as a direct buy or sell signal. Instead, it represents a sign of normalization 
— a point where market price and underlying network fundamentals are better 
aligned. For now, Bitcoin’s technical and macro backdrop remains bullish, but 
sustained long-term growth will likely require the network to catch up with 
price action. Related Reading: Ethereum Exchange Balances Decline To 18.8M 
ETH: Smart Money Drains Supply Bitcoin Price Holds Key Support Near $115K 
Bitcoin is consolidating above the $115,724 support level after a brief dip 
below it earlier this month. The daily chart shows price stabilizing just 
above the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), currently near $113,324, which 
has acted as a strong dynamic support throughout the recent uptrend. The 
short-term structure remains bullish, with BTC trading inside a range between 
$115,724 support and the $122,077 resistance level. Volume has tapered off 
slightly since the early August rebound, suggesting the market is in a wait- 
and-see mode before a potential breakout. A decisive close above $118,000 
could invite another test of the $122,077 resistance, a key level that has 
capped upside attempts multiple times. If broken, this could open the door 
toward new all-time highs. Related Reading: Bitcoin Miners Avoid Forced 
Selling: BTC Sits 7.4% Above Last Difficulty Bottom On the downside, losing 
$115,724 would shift focus to the 100-day SMA at $108,983 as the next major 
support. Until then, the higher-lows pattern suggests buyers are defending the 
mid-$115K zone aggressively. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from 
TradingView