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The former MakerDAO becomes the first stablecoin protocol rated by Moody's, but its equity cushion drew a pointed caveat Sky Protocol, the DeFi heavyweight formerly known as MakerDAO, now has a Moody’s credit rating. …

The former MakerDAO becomes the first stablecoin protocol rated by Moody's, but its equity cushion drew a pointed caveat Sky Protocol, the DeFi heavyweight formerly known as MakerDAO, now has a Moody’s credit rating. The grade is B3 with a stable outlook, which places it in speculative-grade territory. The headline number behind that verdict is roughly $90 million in equity and reserves, set against about $10 billion in managed assets. What Moody’s actually said Moody’s Ratings issued the inaugural issuer rating on October 7, 2026. That makes Sky the first stablecoin protocol the agency has rated. The speculative-grade label reflects what Moody’s sees as a vulnerable capital structure. The agency’s research puts managed assets in a range of $10 to $11 billion, depending on the measure. Those assets mostly back Sky’s two stablecoins, USDS and DAI. Do the arithmetic on roughly $90 million against about $10 billion, and the equity cushion comes out under 1% of assets. Advertisement The stable outlook signals that Moody’s does not currently expect the rating to move in either direction. The reserves story Moody’s gave weight to Sky Reserves, the protocol’s capital buffer. That buffer has been growing at a noticeable clip. The news moving money, markets, and the world—before your day starts. Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy. Email address Subscribe free We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. Reserves sat at around $50 million earlier in 2026. By September 17, they had reached an estimated $92 million. Much of that growth reflects deliberate governance choices, including a strategic buyback program aimed at building up reserves. Sky’s governance has also set a target of $150 million in reserves. A second opinion from S&P Moody’s is not the only traditional rater to weigh in. S&P Global Ratings gave Sky a B- rating earlier in October 2026. That leaves Sky as the only stablecoin protocol carrying ratings from both agencies. How Sky got here Sky is the rebranded MakerDAO, one of the longest-running projects in decentralized finance. Its DAI stablecoin became a foundational piece of DeFi infrastructure, and USDS now sits alongside it. The combined supply of USDS and DAI is estimated at approximately $9.5 to $11 billion. A network of Prime Agents helps manage that capital, engaging in over-the-counter lending and other strategies to deploy it. What this means For institutional allocators, the most important part of this news may be the existence of the ratings rather than the grades themselves. Large investors often operate under mandates that require a standardized credit assessment before they can touch an asset. Sky now has two. The ratings explicitly highlight the low equity-to-assets ratio, and any growth in supply without matching growth in reserves would stretch that ratio further. That makes the $150 million reserve target the number to watch. Hitting it would materially improve the buffer relative to where things stood earlier this year.

The Bitcoin price 2027 debate finds itself in unusually wide territory. Depending on whom you believe, BTC▲$77,666.00 could spend next year fighting to stay above $100,000—or race toward $1 million. Read More: He Says …

The Bitcoin price 2027 debate finds itself in unusually wide territory. Depending on whom you believe, BTC▲$77,666.00 could spend next year fighting to stay above $100,000—or race toward $1 million. Read More: He Says His Binary Options Strategy Brings In $2,000 a Week—Watch Him Trade Live So what assumptions feed each BTC price 2027 prediction and what could actually propel Bitcoin toward the wildest targets? Related: Top 5 Crazy Bitcoin Price Predictions 2026: Will BTC Hit $1M? Citi: Bitcoin Price Can Claim Around $113,000 in 2027 Let’s begin with the least spectacular prediction. Citigroup recently increased its 12-month Bitcoin target to approximately $113,000, up from $82,000. Citi’s argument centers on three factors: Stronger crypto market activity Improving macroeconomic conditions Renewed spot Bitcoin ETF inflows A move from roughly $85,000 to $113,000 would represent an increase of about one-third. That sounds modest compared with the predictions below. Bitcoin does not need a buying frenzy to reach $113,000. It mainly needs institutional demand to continue while macro conditions remain supportive. In other words, this is the “normal bull market” scenario. Bernstein: Bitcoin Price $150,000 to $200,000 Bernstein is considerably more optimistic. The research firm expects Bitcoin to reach approximately $150,000 by mid-2027 in its base case. Its more aggressive scenario puts BTC around $200,000 over the same period. Bernstein’s thesis goes beyond ETF inflows. The analysts argue that rising sovereign debt and concerns about currency debasement could drive more capital towards scarce assets. Bitcoin would increasingly compete with gold as investors search for assets that cannot be created by governments. Their model still assumes Bitcoin’s historical four-year cycle remains relevant. Under the base case, Bitcoin reaches around: $125,000 by the end of 2026 $150,000 by mid-2027 $300,000 around the 2029 cycle peak $1 million by 2033 But Bernstein also sees a faster path if institutional investors aggressively front-run currency debasement. That could lift the Bitcoin price 2027 target to $200,000 and eventually produce a $500,000 Bitcoin around 2029. Could Bitcoin Reach $250,000 in 2027? This is where the forecasts begin requiring much stronger demand. Bitcoin would need sustained demand from ETFs, corporations, wealthy investors, and potentially sovereign institutions while existing holders remain reluctant to sell. One model that produces prices around this range is the Bitcoin power law. The model attempts to describe Bitcoin’s long-term price growth as a relationship between price and time. Its central trend currently points towards roughly $200,000 during 2027. I derived a probability distribution for Bitcoin's price using the power law's log-normal residuals. You're buying at the 18th percentile. That means 82.6% of all outcomes consistent with a 15-year, R² = 0.961 scaling model are ABOVE the current price of $67K. Not based on… pic.twitter.com/Q2Ob7IMdI9 — Adam Livingston (@AdamBLiv) April 6, 2026 That does not mean Bitcoin “should” trade there. Power-law models describe historical behavior. They do not guarantee that the same relationship will continue. Related: How to Build a Profitable Crypto Portfolio: Risk-Adjusted Strategies in 2026 The $500,000 BTC Price 2027 Scenario Could Bitcoin reach $500,000 next year? A Bitcoin power-law model technically allows it. Its upper +2 standard-deviation band reaches approximately $500,000 during the second half of 2027. But that is not the model’s central forecast. It represents an extreme deviation above the long-term trend — the kind of move associated with a major speculative overshoot. Such a move would probably require several bullish forces occurring simultaneously: Huge ETF inflows Aggressive corporate accumulation Sovereign or central-bank buying Falling interest rates Currency-debasement fears Limited selling by existing holders Another retail speculative wave The $1 Million Bitcoin Prediction Then there is the prediction that makes $500,000 look conservative. A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management modeled scenarios where Bitcoin reaches $1 million as early as 2027. The study, by Murray Rudd and Dennis Porter, is important because it models Bitcoin as an asset with extremely inelastic supply. Only 21 million BTC can ever exist, and new production cannot suddenly increase when demand rises. The critical variable is therefore how quickly Bitcoin disappears from liquid circulation. Under the study’s more bullish assumptions, withdrawals exceeding approximately 1,000 BTC per day and a demand multiplier of 30 can produce increasingly extreme supply pressure. The model then enters something resembling a hyperbolic price regime. What Would BTC at $1 Million Actually Mean? A $1 million BTC price will bring it market cap to roughly $20 trillion: still substantially below the global gold market valued at $29 trillion. Going from around $100,000 to $1 million would require BTC to rise tenfold. The important point is that Bitcoin would not necessarily require $18 trillion of new cash. Market capitalization does not work that way. Price is set at the margin. If most Bitcoin holders refuse to sell while enormous buyers compete for a small available supply, relatively limited net buying can move the marginal price dramatically. That is exactly what the academic model attempts to capture. But this also exposes its biggest weakness. The higher Bitcoin rises, the more existing holders have an incentive to sell. Any Bitcoin price 2027 model that assumes rapidly disappearing liquid supply therefore depends heavily on holder behavior. Related: Is It Too Late to Buy Bitcoin? Top 5 Trading Tips for Making the Most of the Bull Market ARK and VanEck Put $1 Million into Perspective Seven-figure Bitcoin predictions are no longer confined to fringe commentators. But major asset managers generally give them much longer timelines. ARK Invest’s 2030 model puts Bitcoin at roughly: $300,000 in its bear case $710,000 in its base case $1.5 million in its bull case VanEck’s long-term capital-market model is even more conservative on timing. Its base case projects approximately $2.9 million per BTC by 2050, built around a 15% annualized return assumption. Bernstein expects roughly $1 million by 2033. Those forecasts are still extremely bullish. But they illustrate why the $1 million Bitcoin price 2027 prediction is an outlier. What Could Break the Bullish BTC Price 2027 Predictions? The forecasts above focus heavily on scarcity. But BTC demand can decline much faster. Several developments could derail even the more conservative targets: Persistent ETF outflows Recession or another liquidity shock Higher interest rates Corporate Bitcoin sellers Reduced institutional allocations Regulatory setbacks Large long-term holders taking profits Bitcoin has repeatedly demonstrated that scarcity alone does not prevent drawdowns. The supply is just as limited during a bear market as during a bull market. What changes is how aggressively buyers compete for it. Which Bitcoin Price 2027 Prediction Is Most Realistic? The forecasts form a useful ladder. Around $100,000 requires Bitcoin to continue recovering. A race toward $200,000 requires stronger institutional demand and probably favorable macro conditions. $500,000 requires a historic bull market. $1 million requires something even more extreme: sustained institutional accumulation interacting with a severe shortage of liquid Bitcoin. The middle of the range looks much easier to defend. For Bitcoin price 2027, the most interesting question may be whether institutional adoption is now strong enough to break the old cycle pattern entirely.

Portal Ventures led the round for the platform offering traders company capital and up to 80% of profits. Vest Labs raised $13 million in seed funding to expand its prop trading platform, which lets …

Portal Ventures led the round for the platform offering traders company capital and up to 80% of profits. Vest Labs raised $13 million in seed funding to expand its prop trading platform, which lets qualifying traders use company capital to trade perpetual futures in live markets around the clock. Prop trading, short for proprietary trading, involves trading with a firm’s money rather than personal funds. Portal Ventures led the round, which closed in July and was announced Wednesday. Individual investors included senior executives at Citadel Securities, BlackRock and KKR, according to Fortune. Vest did not disclose its valuation. The New York startup plans to use the funding to build a mobile app, expand its 22 person team and broaden the range of assets available for trading. Advertisement Vest’s model gives traders up to 80% of their profits, with the company retaining the remainder. The founders told Fortune that the arrangement gives Vest a direct interest in traders’ success. That approach differs from a common retail proprietary trading model, in which users pay fees to complete simulated trading evaluations. Firms can generate revenue from those fees regardless of whether applicants eventually receive payouts. AI, tech, and the markets they move—in one daily briefing. Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy. Email address Subscribe free We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. The sector is expanding. Financial software company Track360 estimates retail prop trading revenue will reach $850 million in 2026, roughly 45% above its estimate for the previous year. CMC Markets entered the market last month through a program offering cash rewards based on simulated trading performance. Payouts remain difficult to obtain at some established platforms. Topstep disclosed that roughly 17% of evaluations started in 2025 were successfully completed. Among traders who reached funded status, only about a third received a payout. Vest said roughly 26% of its 27,000 traders had received a cash payout as of late September. It also reported that monthly active traders and trading volume grew more than 300% month over month. Those figures measure different stages of participation from Topstep’s disclosures and are not directly comparable. The company was founded by University of Pennsylvania dropouts Justin Ma, Rikuya Takatsu and Maximilian Tsiang. The trio began studying crypto perpetual trading platforms in 2021 and developing algorithms to improve exchange pricing and execution. Ma, Vest’s CEO, said he used proceeds from the sale of his earlier trading app Berri to begin trading crypto and lay the groundwork for Vest. He later met Portal Ventures general partner Catrina Wang at a university alumni event during the Stanford Blockchain Conference in 2024, starting discussions that led to the seed round.

While Bitcoin dominates the crypto market, there are several altcoins well positioned for growth. Some feature higher network activity than revenue, institutional adoption, or catalysts. Others have fallen short of valuation peaks despite superior …

While Bitcoin dominates the crypto market, there are several altcoins well positioned for growth. Some feature higher network activity than revenue, institutional adoption, or catalysts. Others have fallen short of valuation peaks despite superior fundamentals. Read More: He Says His Binary Options Strategy Brings In $2,000 a Week—Watch Him Trade Live These undervalued cryptocurrencies could beat Bitcoin in Q4 2026 if capital rotates to altcoins. However, valuation does not necessarily equal performance, especially as long as Bitcoin retains dominance. Related: Best Memecoins to Buy in October 2026: 10 Tokens Ready for the Next Rally What Makes a Cryptocurrency Undervalued in Q4 2026? An undervalued cryptocurrency typically has a valuation lower than its utility suggests. Price is not the only metric that defines a discount to intrinsic value. Investors should instead look to valuation versus activity, catalysts, and competitive positioning. Market Cap vs. Network Growth Market capitalization represents the first useful gauge between price and adoption. A network can be undervalued despite increasing adoption if its usage growth outpaces its market cap. Activity such as active addresses, transaction volume, stablecoin liquidity, and developer activity can illustrate one such opportunity. Rising activity not reflected in price can create an appealing entry point. Comparing these metrics across competitive networks reveals relative value. Market valuation is ultimately a function of adoption, not the other way around. Revenue, Fees and On-Chain Activity Revenue and fees demonstrate whether users actually value a network’s utility. Strong on-chain activity also supports a higher valuation. Projects that generate meaningful fees can also build compelling token economics. Some distribute revenues to token holders while others burn fees or spend them on ecosystem development. On-chain activity becomes critical when speculative positioning fades. Sustained network usage creates stronger evidence of value than narratives. For undervalued crypto, improving revenue characteristics can become a crucial catalyst. Upcoming Q4 2026 Catalysts Catalysts can quickly reshape a cryptocurrency’s fundamental outlook. Institutional launches, upgrades, new products, and regulatory shifts can all alter network fundamentals. The fourth quarter sees increased attention as investors rebalance portfolios before year-end. Liquidity tends to rise across markets, supporting price discovery for catalysts. The best crypto to buy in Q4 2026: investors should focus on catalysts that justify a higher valuation. An undervalued asset without one is not necessarily a compelling opportunity. Token Supply and Unlocks Token supply can dramatically impact investing opportunities. A project can appear cheap until investors analyze future dilution. Large unlocks can create significant selling pressure if early investors sell to buy the dip. Particularly dangerous are high fully-diluted valuations that fail to consider future issuance. Healthy token supply characteristics ultimately matter most for demand creation. Same goes for institutional adoption and competitive positioning. Among undervalued altcoins, projects with improving fundamentals and lower dilution risk provide better opportunities. Institutional Adoption and Capital Flows Institutional adoption has become more critical for crypto investors in 2026. Institutions provide greater liquidity and more consistent demand for digital assets. Infrastructure adoption, tokenized assets, custody services, investment vehicles, and partnerships can all boost a project’s appeal. Institutional adoption helps explain why certain undervalued crypto offers better risk/reward characteristics. Sustained capital inflows often matter more than social media hype for long-term performance. Institutional adoption does not guarantee higher prices, but it can create superior valuation opportunities when combined with rising fundamentals. Related: Best Crypto to Buy Before the Next Crash: Top 5 Coins to Watch Through the End of 2026 Top 10 Undervalued Cryptocurrencies That Could Outperform Bitcoin in Q4 2026 This list features ten projects that either lack exposure to institutional adoption or have significantly discounted valuations relative to their fundamentals. Some represent large-cap value while others offer greater upside potential. The ranking considers a mix of valuation, network adoption, catalysts, competition, and token supply risk. Each asset carries distinct risks while offering different upside opportunities. 10. Arbitrum (ARB): Can Ethereum’s Leading Layer-2 Make a Comeback? Arbitrum is one of Ethereum’s largest Layer-2 solutions despite underperforming price action. The network enjoys strong DeFi and application adoption. That dynamic makes it an interesting undervalued crypto coin example. Network utility continues to rise even as the governance token captures little value. ARB▼$0.1362 represents a higher-risk recovery play among cheap crypto coins. Further token utility improvements could boost value significantly. Meanwhile, competition within Ethereum Layer-2s poses a meaningful risk to adoption growth. Still, renewed Ethereum activity could buoy Arbitrum. That makes it one of the altcoins to watch in Q4 2026. 9. NEAR Protocol (NEAR): Is AI Infrastructure Still Undervalued? NEAR▲$2.42 has attached itself to the narrative of chain abstraction and infrastructure for AI applications. The network’s technology stack supports multiple major crypto trends. Its technology is designed to simplify interactions across multiple blockchains. Cross-chain adoption could become a powerful tailwind for NEAR. AI applications represent another major growth area. The protocol has already announced several initiatives to bridge decentralized networks and AI. The challenge lies in turning macro trends into sustainable network utility growth. Investors should watch user and developer adoption closely. If adoption improves despite the cheap valuation, NEAR could prove one of the most interesting crypto gems of 2026. 8. Avalanche (AVAX): Can Institutional Adoption Drive the Next Rally? Avalanche has emphasized institutional adoption as the key to its future success. The network has built specialized infrastructure to appeal to organizations. Its tokenized assets and permissioned blockchains create value for financial companies seeking greater control. AVAX▲$7.40 has struggled to reflect those fundamentals in price action. This creates a compelling setup for one of the best altcoins in 2026. Institutional adoption will need to gather momentum for AVAX to rise. Announcements alone are not enough for a cheap cryptocurrency to gain significant value. A rising institutional tokenization cycle during Q4 could benefit Avalanche. It remains one of the best altcoins to buy before 2027 for institutional exposure. 7. Uniswap (UNI): Can DeFi Activity Reignite UNI? Uniswap represents one of the largest names within the DeFi space. Its brand power and liquidity dominance create a strong foundation for growth. The debate around UNI▲$6.32 revolves around its value capture relative to network utility. Strong protocol adoption does not always translate into demand for the governance token. Protocol changes to its governance model could be critical for future value capture potential. Meanwhile, increasing DeFi activity could boost demand for UNI. If both tailwinds materialize, it could beat Bitcoin in Q4 2026. Without superior token economics, its upside potential likely remains tied to the overall DeFi bull run. Related: Best Altcoins to Buy in October 2026 Before the Next Crypto Rally 6. Sui (SUI): Can the High-Growth Layer-1 Continue Its Recovery? Sui has become one of the fastest-growing Layer-1 blockchains. Its architecture is optimized for on-chain applications that require rapid processing. DeFi and gaming applications represent major growth areas for SUI▲$0.7213. Increasing stablecoin liquidity will also contribute to network utility. SUI faces one major risk in valuation as its fundamental growth accelerates. Token supply and dilutionary pressures must be carefully monitored. Particularly dangerous are large unlocks that fail to coincide with rapidly rising demand. If demand growth outpaces supply growth, the cheap cryptocurrency has significant upside potential. The same fundamental growth could fuel a broader altcoin rotation for Sui. It is among the best altcoins to buy before 2027 for growth investors. 5. Solana (SOL): Is SOL Still Undervalued After Its Strong Recovery? Solana has enjoyed a strong bull run, which has compressed its valuation discount to Bitcoin. However, its fundamentals continue to support higher prices. The network’s ecosystem features some of the highest liquidity in the space. Rising transaction volume indicates strong demand for its capabilities. SOL▲$101.41 represents one of the cheapest crypto gems in 2026, with a compelling mix of DeFi, payment, stablecoin, and tokenized asset adoption. It is worth noting that this undervalued crypto has already seen significant price gains. Higher SOL prices require continued bullish momentum across multiple fronts. In particular, the entire crypto market needs to continue its bull run before a rotation to cheap crypto can occur. 4. Chainlink (LINK): Can CCIP and Tokenization Unlock More Upside? Chainlink has positioned itself as a foundational layer for multiple major trends. Its oracle technology enables smart contracts to access external data. CCIP expands this to cross-chain communication between networks. Blockchain interoperability will become increasingly valuable as tokenized assets gain adoption. Traditional financial institutions require reliable connections to public blockchains. Chainlink has striven to position itself as the go-to solution for this purpose. LINK▼$11.38 can benefit significantly if adoption translates into higher token demand. Investors should watch for evidence of usage beyond partnerships. Among cryptocurrencies that could outperform Bitcoin, LINK offers exposure to tokenization without reliance on a single Layer-1. 3. Aave (AAVE): Is the DeFi Leader Still Undervalued? Aave is one of the strongest DeFi protocols with deep liquidity and broad adoption. Unlike other speculative tokens, Aave has meaningful revenue generation. Lenders and borrowers contribute to AAVE▼$125.97’s value through fees and token staking. These fundamentals make it easier to estimate the fair value of AAVE. AAVE represents one of the best undervalued crypto opportunities for DeFi exposure. Strong adoption growth and rising fees can fuel significant price appreciation. Rising stablecoin supply will likely drive additional borrowing demand and revenue growth. Its position within the DeFi space provides asymmetric upside potential. 2. Hyperliquid (HYPE): Is Crypto’s Fastest-Growing Trading Network Underpriced? Hyperliquid has quickly built one of the most popular decentralized derivatives exchanges. Its rapid rise has disrupted both centralized and decentralized competitors. Trading volume is a crucial metric for exchanges since they monetize it directly through fees. Higher trading volume improves the valuation case for HYPE▲$79.68. At the same time, this cheap cryptocurrency lacks a clear fundamental catalyst. The network’s adoption growth has occurred without one obvious catalyst. Investors must remain mindful of valuation risk as fast growth tends to see sharp reversals. HYPE represents one of the highest upside opportunities for crypto investors in 2026. It has strong fundamentals but faces significant short-term risk. Related: Is It Too Late to Buy Bitcoin? Top 5 Trading Tips for Making the Most of the Bull Market 1. Ethereum (ETH): Can ETH Outperform Bitcoin in Q4 2026? Ethereum is the best example of an undervalued crypto with a compelling long-term bullish case. Its network effects extend well beyond on-chain activity. The ecosystem supports DeFi, stablecoins, tokenization, and Layer-2 blockchains. ETH▲$2,518.27 benefits from the growth of each of these areas. Institutional adoption can also provide a major catalyst for ETH. Network effects will continue to shape the value capture potential for ETH. ETH has significantly underperformed Bitcoin over parts of the current bull run. This creates an attractive entry opportunity ahead of a potential rotation to altcoins. Among the best cryptocurrencies to buy in 2026, Ethereum offers the deepest value and diversification potential. Rank Cryptocurrency Main Undervaluation Case Key Q4 2026 Catalyst Main Risk 1 Ethereum (ETH) Large ecosystem with weaker relative performance against Bitcoin Institutional demand, tokenization, Layer-2 growth Bitcoin dominance stays high 2 Hyperliquid (HYPE) Strong trading growth and meaningful network revenue Continued expansion of on-chain derivatives High expectations and valuation risk 3 Aave (AAVE) Strong DeFi fundamentals and established lending activity Stablecoin growth and rising borrowing demand Weak DeFi activity 4 Chainlink (LINK) Critical infrastructure for oracles and cross-chain communication CCIP adoption and tokenized asset growth Limited token value capture 5 Solana (SOL) Strong network activity despite already significant recovery Payments, stablecoins and tokenized assets High growth already priced in 6 Sui (SUI) Fast ecosystem expansion and growing DeFi activity Stablecoin liquidity and application growth Token unlocks and dilution 7 Uniswap (UNI) Major decentralized exchange with strong protocol usage Higher DeFi volumes and improved token utility Weak UNI value capture 8 Avalanche (AVAX) Institutional infrastructure remains underappreciated Tokenization and customized blockchain adoption Slow conversion of partnerships into usage 9 NEAR Protocol (NEAR) Exposure to AI and chain abstraction at a lower valuation AI infrastructure and cross-chain adoption Narratives may not translate into revenue 10 Arbitrum (ARB) Strong Layer-2 ecosystem despite weak token performance Ethereum activity and stronger ARB utility Heavy Layer-2 competition Лучшее место — сразу после H2 “Top 10 Undervalued Cryptocurrencies That Could Outperform Bitcoin in Q4 2026”, перед H3 “10. Arbitrum (ARB): Can Ethereum’s Leading Layer-2 Make a Comeback?”. Which Undervalued Cryptocurrency Could Outperform Bitcoin in Q4 2026? Each investor faces distinct circumstances that impact their risk/reward preference. Ethereum, Chainlink, and Hyperliquid represent three different approaches to outperforming Bitcoin. The Best Large-Cap Pick Ethereum is clearly the best option among large-cap cheap crypto. Its ecosystem provides the best exposure to on-chain adoption growth. ETH also offers superior diversification relative to other large-cap tokens. Multiple DeFi, stablecoin, and tokenization use cases contribute to its value capture potential. Its relative underperformance against Bitcoin creates another potential catalyst for price appreciation. A rotation to altcoins typically favors large-cap assets. For investors seeking the best crypto to buy in Q4 2026 with lower altcoin exposure, Ethereum is the best option. The Best Mid-Cap Pick Chainlink is the most compelling mid-cap undervalued cryptocurrency. Its infrastructure plays a critical role in multiple major trends. LINK benefits from being a foundational layer without being reliant on a single application category. Institutional adoption represents a major catalyst for price appreciation. The main risk for mid-cap cheap crypto is the ability to capture value from adoption growth. Increasing usage must translate into higher demand for LINK. If tokenized finance sees significant adoption growth, then it could rank among the strongest altcoins that could outperform Bitcoin. The Highest-Upside Pick Hyperliquid offers the highest upside potential among the leading cheap crypto. Its growth trajectory is closely tied to the adoption of trading derivatives. Unlike other speculative projects, HYPE has strong fundamentals that support its network effects. Rising trading volume drives revenues and valuation potential. The main risk for highest upside cheap crypto is the potential for rapid mean reversion. Competitive pressures or lower volume growth could derail the bull case. Investors seeking aggressive crypto gems in 2026 should consider the long-term value capture potential of HYPE. What Could Stop Altcoins From Outperforming Bitcoin? Undervalued assets can remain undervalued for extended periods. There are several scenarios that could prevent altcoins from beating Bitcoin in Q4. Bitcoin Dominance Could Stay Elevated Bitcoin dominance reflects the value of Bitcoin relative to the entire crypto market. Higher dominance indicates greater concentration in BTC▲$77,666.00. Institutional adoption tends to drive this trend as large investors rotate into Bitcoin first. Higher dominance can offset altcoin fundamentals. A rising Bitcoin dominance typically means a smaller rotation to altcoins. Without sufficient institutional adoption, altcoin valuation potential is limited. A broad altcoin rally usually requires capital rotation to the space. Without it, undervalued cryptocurrencies will remain under pressure. Interest Rates and Macro Risks Crypto is still extremely sensitive to macroeconomic conditions. Higher interest rates tend to diminish speculative positioning in crypto. Uncertainty can drive investors towards cash, bonds, or even Bitcoin during risk-off periods. Lower volatility tends to hurt small-cap altcoins disproportionately. Q4 macroeconomic conditions will be crucial for altcoin performance. Cheaper interest rates could buoy cheap crypto while rising rates will hurt valuations. Investors considering crypto to buy before 2027 should carefully analyze the macroeconomic environment. Altcoin Token Unlocks Token unlocks can depress valuations by creating significant selling pressure. Larger unlocks depress prices more severely. Projects with aggressive unlock schedules should see higher capital inflows before these dates. The same goes for increasing demand during these periods. Fully diluted valuation is a useful metric to assess dilutionary risks. A reasonable market cap rarely accounts for future supply increases. Before buying undervalued crypto, investors should always consider upcoming unlocks and emission schedules. Weak On-Chain Activity Price appreciation becomes increasingly difficult when on-chain activity fails to grow. Rising prices without adoption fuel speculation. Strong macro trends can mask weak fundamentals. Eventually, value investors will demand proof of adoption growth. Transaction volume, fees, active users, stablecoin supply, and application revenues are all useful metrics for assessing activity. Weakening fundamentals will hurt the long-term performance of many undervalued cryptocurrencies in 2026. How to Find Undervalued Cryptocurrencies Before They Rally Finding undervalued cryptocurrencies requires more than simply identifying cheap coins. Investors must conduct thorough valuation and activity research. Check Market Cap and Fully Diluted Valuation Market cap reflects the value of a cryptocurrency’s circulating supply. Fully diluted valuation estimates the value if the maximum supply entered circulation. Large discrepancies between the two can be dangerous for cheap crypto projects. This is particularly the case with newer Layer-1 networks. Investors should compare these valuation metrics with competitors. Similar projects can trade at drastically different multiples despite similar fundamentals. Compare Performance With Bitcoin Bitcoin represents the best benchmark for assessing crypto performance. An undervalued crypto that underperforms Bitcoin likely has weak fundamentals. Conversely, an undervalued crypto with improving fundamentals can provide compelling risk/reward. The key is differentiating between structural weakness and cyclical weakness. Stronger adoption growth can offset Bitcoin’s valuation lead. This comparison helps identify cryptocurrencies that could outperform Bitcoin during a rotation. Analyze On-Chain Activity and Revenue On-chain metrics provide proof-of-concept validation for a network’s appeal. Investors should look for improving activity across multiple metrics. Fees and revenue represent another critical layer of validation. Strong economic activity supports higher valuations. Increased stablecoin supply can be a useful indicator for smart-contract networks. More stablecoin liquidity often fuels trading activity and adoption. The best undervalued crypto typically has improving fundamentals that justify a higher valuation. Track Whale and Institutional Activity Whale activity can provide valuable insight into institutional positioning. Institutional accumulation drives liquidity and market structure for cheap crypto. Whale movement should not be used as a buy signal on its own due to their ability to manipulate markets. Same goes for institutional adoption announcements. Institutional adoption typically has a positive impact on valuation potential. It becomes more important for valuation appreciation as adoption grows. However, institutional adoption alone is rarely sufficient for driving valuation changes. Check Token Unlocks and Circulating Supply Supply analysis helps identify dilution risks that could hurt valuation potential. Every project has unique supply characteristics that impact its risks. Upcoming unlocks can become a major risk factor during weak market conditions. Lower liquidity makes new supply more difficult to absorb. Investors should compare future supply increases with demand growth. Strong adoption growth can offset dilution risks, but not permanently. This step will eliminate many cheap crypto projects that have poor supply characteristics. H3: Identify Upcoming Catalysts Catalysts represent reasons for fundamental change within a network. Upgrades, new applications, institutional products, and regulatory changes. Regulatory developments can be particularly impactful as they change the competitive landscape. A catalyst acts as a tailwind for valuation potential when combined with strong fundamentals. Pure speculation cannot drive significant price appreciation. For altcoins to watch Q4 2026, investors should identify catalysts that coincide with improved network adoption. Undervalued Crypto vs. Cheap Crypto: What Is the Difference? Cheap crypto and undervalued crypto represent two very different concepts. A low token price has no bearing on valuation fundamentals. Why a Low Token Price Does Not Mean Low Valuation A token trading below one dollar can easily have a higher valuation than a $100 token. Supply dictates token price and valuation potential. One trillion tokens at $0.10 create a $100 billion valuation equals a $100 token. A $100 token represents a much smaller project. Investors should always avoid relying on cheap token prices when analyzing valuation. Cheap-looking tokens are not automatically crypto gems in 2026. Supply characteristics matter much more than price. Why Market Cap Matters More Than Token Price Market cap reflects the value of a cryptocurrency’s circulating supply. It provides a useful reference point when comparing different assets. A $5 billion project that doubles in price has the same valuation increase as a $100 token. Token price changes have little impact on valuation. Fully diluted valuation provides a better reference for future valuation potential. It estimates value assuming the maximum supply enters circulation. For this reason, market cap should be the reference point when comparing the best altcoins in 2026. Why Fundamentals Matter More Than Recent Price Action Price action can attract attention, but fundamentals dictate valuation potential. A token dropping 70% is not automatically undervalued. Its fundamentals will dictate whether a price decrease translates into a value discount. Same goes for rising tokens with weak fundamentals. Investors should focus on adoption, revenue, supply, competition, and catalysts. Recent price action provides context for valuation potential.

Online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: $HOOD) has added $25 million U.S. of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: $BTC) to its balance sheet. The company, which offers stock and crypto trading through a popular app, said it added …

Online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: $HOOD) has added $25 million U.S. of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: $BTC) to its balance sheet. The company, which offers stock and crypto trading through a popular app, said it added Bitcoin to its corporate balance sheet to dem… Online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: $HOOD) has added $25 million U.S. of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: $BTC) to its balance sheet.The company, which offers stock and crypto trading through a popular app, …

Eligible US clients of BitGo Bank & Trust can now stake ETH through Lido and hold stETH without leaving their existing custody accounts Institutional ETH staking in the US just got one fewer excuse. …

Eligible US clients of BitGo Bank & Trust can now stake ETH through Lido and hold stETH without leaving their existing custody accounts Institutional ETH staking in the US just got one fewer excuse. On October 7, 2026, BitGo Bank & Trust, N.A. announced that eligible US clients can stake Ether through Lido directly inside their existing BitGo accounts. Clients stake ETH, receive stETH, and manage the whole position in one place. How the BitGo and Lido setup works Liquid staking means committing ETH to help secure the Ethereum network in exchange for rewards, while avoiding traditional lock-up periods. Lido issues stETH tokens that represent a staked position and can move around while the underlying ETH remains staked. The new integration means BitGo’s US clients do not need to set up extra operational workflows or bring in additional counterparties. The staking, the stETH receipt, and the ongoing management all live within the BitGo platform they already use. Advertisement BitGo is positioned as the first US-based qualified custodian to offer native ETH staking through Lido. Kean Gilbert, Head of Institutional Relations at the Lido Ecosystem Foundation, framed the move as supplying the custodial backing institutions need to pursue Lido staking strategies. Nathan Stump, Managing Director at BitGo, emphasized that BitGo is keeping its robust controls in place while letting the service plug neatly into clients’ existing asset management infrastructure. The news moving money, markets, and the world—before your day starts. Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy. Email address Subscribe free We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. The numbers behind both players BitGo’s custody platform safeguards over $100 billion in digital assets, of which $48 billion is designated as staked assets. Lido manages over $25 billion in staked ETH, representing more than 25% of all staked ETH, making it the leading liquid staking protocol by market share. Background: Europe and Asia went first The US launch builds on an earlier rollout. BitGo first connected clients in Europe and Asia to Lido’s staking services in July 2025, giving both companies more than a year of operating history before extending the offer to US clients. What this means for institutions and the staking market The most direct impact falls on US institutions that already custody ETH with BitGo. They can now pursue staking yield through Lido without changing custodians or rebuilding their operational stack. For Lido, the integration could help reinforce its position at the top of the liquid staking market. With more than 25% of staked ETH already flowing through the protocol, a regulated US distribution channel may widen that lead further. Competitors in the custody space now have a clear benchmark. Being the first US qualified custodian to offer native ETH staking through Lido gives BitGo a talking point that rivals will likely want to neutralize.

Stove Finance's tokenized U.S. and South Korean equities went live on Uniswap (CRYPTO: $UNI) Wednesday, giving the exchange's users onchain access to stock markets for the first time through its UniswapX trading system. According …

Stove Finance's tokenized U.S. and South Korean equities went live on Uniswap (CRYPTO: $UNI) Wednesday, giving the exchange's users onchain access to stock markets for the first time through its UniswapX trading system. According to the press release, the int… Stove Finance's tokenized U.S. and South Korean equities went live on Uniswap (CRYPTO: $UNI) Wednesday, giving the exchange's users onchain access to stock markets for the first time through its Unis…

The OCC-regulated trust bank keeps growing its asset list, and XRP is the latest token to make the cut Paxos has added XRP to its Crypto Brokerage platform. Financial institutions that partner with the …

The OCC-regulated trust bank keeps growing its asset list, and XRP is the latest token to make the cut Paxos has added XRP to its Crypto Brokerage platform. Financial institutions that partner with the company can now trade and use the token through Paxos’ regulated infrastructure. The integration took effect on October 7, 2026. For a token that has been around since 2012, the institutional on-ramp keeps getting wider, one regulated door at a time. What Paxos is actually offering The move gives Paxos’ financial partners a compliant route into one of the most widely held digital assets on the market. Documentation on the Paxos website confirms XRP will be available for both trading and custody. XRP is no niche token. It carried a market capitalization of nearly $95 billion at the time of the announcement and is held in over 8.1 million wallets. Those figures help explain the choice. Paxos has said it is focused on high-demand assets, and a token with that kind of footprint fits the brief. Advertisement A roster that has more than doubled XRP is one piece of a larger expansion. Paxos started 2026 supporting 12 assets on its brokerage platform. That roster has since grown to somewhere between 25 and 29 assets. The company has framed the growth as selective rather than sprawling. Paxos has been picking high-demand Level 1 assets, and each addition has to clear the compliance bar that comes with its regulatory status. The news moving money, markets, and the world—before your day starts. Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy. Email address Subscribe free We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. That status is the key detail. Paxos operates as a national trust bank under the oversight of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the US regulator that charters and supervises national banks. Why the regulated wrapper is the real product Plenty of platforms list XRP. Retail exchanges have offered it for years. What Paxos sells is something different: the regulatory wrapper around the asset. For a bank, broker, or fintech that wants to offer crypto to its own customers, the hard part is rarely the token itself. The hard part is finding an infrastructure partner that regulators will not frown at. That is the gap Paxos is trying to fill. Its partners plug into the brokerage platform and inherit the compliance work Paxos has already done. Adding XRP extends that arrangement to one more major asset. What this means for institutions and the market The most direct impact lands on Paxos’ financial institution partners. They can now offer XRP exposure without building separate infrastructure or finding a second provider for one token. The research behind the announcement suggests broader effects as well. The addition signals growing acceptance of prominent digital assets like XRP within traditional financial services, and it could potentially improve liquidity and price stability for such assets. There is also a possible retail spillover. XRP’s inclusion may attract retail investors who prefer regulated environments, reaching them indirectly through the institutions that partner with Paxos.

Bitcoin fell below $83,000 to reach month-to-date lows as stocks reversed after all-time highs and bond yields spiked higher. Bitcoin (BTC) fell further at Wednesday’s Wall Street open as oil prices gained on US-Iran …

Bitcoin fell below $83,000 to reach month-to-date lows as stocks reversed after all-time highs and bond yields spiked higher. Bitcoin (BTC) fell further at Wednesday’s Wall Street open as oil prices gained on US-Iran war headlines and stocks came off all-time highs. Key points: Bitcoin fell to $82,734 on Bitstamp, marking its lowest levels so far traded in October. US bond yields spiked to new 24-year highs and Brent crude oil prices rose to $102 per barrel after Iranian comments on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. BTC price analysis warns of lackluster demand on both spot and derivatives markets. Bond yields set new 24-year high on Iran oil clampdown Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD dipping below $83,000, setting new month-to-date lows. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView Mixed signals over oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude oil to $102 per barrel on the day, while WTI crude reached $91. An adviser to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Commander quoted by Reuters on the day warned of a clampdown on traffic that it had “deemed illegal.” “The Strait of Hormuz is ​closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran ​have full control over it. This situation will continue until Iran’s legitimate demands are met,” he said. CFDs on WTI crude oil one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView US bond yields, highly sensitive to concerns about inflation and government debt loads worldwide, reacted with new 24-year highs. The 10-year and 30-year yields reached 5.36% and 5.73%, respectively. US 10-year bond yield one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView At the same time, US stock markets headed lower after hitting fresh all-time highs on Tuesday. The S&P 500 traded down 0.6% on the day to 7,773 points. S&P 500 one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView Muhammad Qubbaj, co-head of North America interest rate product sales and trading at Goldman Sachs FICC and Equities, predicted that yields would “likely be under ongoing pressure amid elevated energy prices and subdued demand from institutional investors,” as reported on Tuesday. He forecast in a webinar that rising oil prices would “likely be the key factor in longer-term interest rates.” Bitcoin demand lacking as upside momentum fades With Bitcoin still unable to break through overhead ask liquidity around $87,000, analysis warned of waning demand on both spot and derivatives markets. Related: Binance BTC outflows hit highest since mid-2023 as whales deposit stablecoins “Since September 22, Bitcoin has remained at a similar price level, while Bitcoin Open Interest has declined by nearly 10%, from approximately $28.8B to $26.0B,” onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant reported on Wednesday. “This suggests that, amid subdued spot demand, futures traders have also shown limited willingness to take on additional risk.” Bitcoin open interest data. Source: CryptoQuant The move to $83,000 invalidated support previously provided by Bitcoin’s 21-day simple moving average (SMA) at $83,850. CryptoQuant added that on higher time frames, $69,500 is worth monitoring as the average cost basis for Bitcoin short-term holders — entities holding a given allocation without selling for up to six months.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices tumbled more than 3% to $83,000 on Wednesday, sending crypto-related stocks lower as forced long liquidations added to a broader market sell-off. The token hovered below $83,000 after a swift crypto …

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices tumbled more than 3% to $83,000 on Wednesday, sending crypto-related stocks lower as forced long liquidations added to a broader market sell-off. The token hovered below $83,000 after a swift crypto sell-off triggered roughly $696 mil… Bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices tumbled more than 3% to $83,000 on Wednesday, sending crypto-related stocks lower as forced long liquidations added to a broader market sell-off.The token hovered below $83,0…