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Tether Stacks More Bitcoin With Fresh 8,888 BTC Acquisition Worth $1 Billion

by admin October 1, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Leading stablecoin issuer Tether appears to have acquired another 8,888 Bitcoin (BTC), worth approximately $1 billion. On-chain analytics platform Onchain Lens confirmed the purchase in an X post earlier today.

Tether Continues To Stack Bitcoin

Tether, the issuer of the top USD-pegged stablecoin USDT, today purchased another 8,888 BTC, increasing its total Bitcoin reserves to new highs. Onchain Lens said that Tether acquired it on the last day of Q3, 2025.

Following the Bitcoin purchase, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed the acquisition in an X post, saying, “yeah.” With today’s purchase, Tether’s total holdings now stand at almost 10,940 BTC.

Tether’s total BTC holdings have propelled it to second position among private companies with the most BTC reserves. The list is currently led by Block One, which currently holds 164,000 BTC, worth roughly $18.5 billion.

In the overall list, including public companies, Tether is now ranked third, behind Strategy, which leads the list by far, holding 640,031 BTC on its balance sheet, according to data from Coingecko.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that Tether has acquired such a huge amount of BTC. The company purchased a similar amount of BTC and transferred it to its wallet at the end of Q1, 2025.

To recall, Tether started buying BTC as part of its reserves back in September 2022. Subsequently, in May 2023, the firm announced that it would allocate up to 15% of its net profits each quarter to purchase more BTC.

Since announcing its BTC buying strategy, Tether has consistently enhanced its BTC reserves as part of its long-term diversification strategy. It is worth noting that Tether-backed Bitcoin treasury firm Twenty One also holds around 43,514 BTC currently.

Tether’s Bitcoin reserve wallet address, starting with “bc1qj” is also among the top ten single address holders of BTC. The wallet trails several centralized exchange cold wallets, such as those of Binance.

The Rush For Accumulating BTC

Tether’s move to accumulate BTC is not an isolated incident. An increasing number of firms have been actively purchasing BTC over the last few years, seeing the digital asset’s extraordinary price appreciation in a relatively short period.

For instance, Strategy recently added to its already high amount of BTC holdings, purchasing 196 BTC. Similarly, Cyprus-based ship-owning firm Robin Energy recently made its first BTC acquisition, as it bought the flagship cryptocurrency worth $5 million.

The trend of companies buying BTC in large amounts is likely to dry up the asset’s active circulating supply, as confirmed in a recent report by Fidelity. This could put further upside price pressure on BTC. At press time, BTC trades at $113,219, down 0.4% in the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin trades at $113,219 on the daily chart | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com

Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from TradingView.com

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

XLM Surges 3.7% as Final-Hour Breakout Drives Fresh Momentum

by admin September 30, 2025

Stellar’s native token XLM posted a strong rally over the past 24 hours, climbing 3.7% from $0.36 to $0.37 on heavy trading activity. The move was fueled by two distinct breakout phases: an evening surge on September 28 at 22:00 that carried prices to $0.37 on volume nearly double the daily average, followed by a secondary push at 13:00 the next day that reinforced bullish momentum. Both sessions were supported by elevated volumes above 31 million units, signaling broad market participation.

The final hour of trading on September 29 proved particularly explosive, with XLM advancing 1.64% between 13:10 and 14:09. A breakout began at 13:42, marked by a sharp volume spike exceeding 1.9 million units on a single candle. That surge carried the price through resistance at $0.366, establishing a fresh uptrend channel. XLM went on to touch intraday highs near $0.372 before consolidating just below at $0.371 as volumes tapered off.

Momentum for Stellar’s token comes as the project continues expanding its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. Stellar has been strengthening its cross-border payment partnerships with Southeast Asian banks while developing Soroban, its smart-contract platform designed to broaden the network’s capabilities. These moves align with increasing adoption of blockchain-based payment infrastructure within traditional finance, particularly for international transfer systems.

With XLM still trading under the $1.00 threshold, the token has also drawn retail traders who view lower-priced digital assets as accessible entry points into blockchain ecosystems. Combined with the institutional interest highlighted by the high-volume breakouts, Stellar’s recent performance underscores its positioning as both a retail-friendly token and a serious contender in cross-border financial innovation.

XLM/USD (TradingView)

Technical Indicators Signal Continued Strength

XLM climbs from $0.36 to $0.37 with $0.01 range posting 3.70% gains in 24-hour session ending September 29 14:00
Initial breakout hits $0.37 at September 28 22:00 on 31.93 million unit volume, crushing 18.47 million daily average
Secondary surge reaches $0.37 at September 29 13:00 with 31.61 million unit volume spike
Final 60 minutes from 13:10 to 14:09 deliver explosive 1.64% acceleration
Breakout launches at 13:42 with volume erupting past 1.9 million units on 13:43 candle
Price smashes $0.37 resistance, establishing fresh uptrend channel structure
Support base forms at $0.37 with session peak touching $0.37
Consolidation near $0.37 on declining volume in closing minutes

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Gold-Backed Cryptos Near $3B Market as Bullion Blasts to Fresh Record Highs

by admin September 29, 2025

Gold’s historic rally accelerated on Monday, with spot prices punching through $3,800 per ounce to set fresh all-time record, extending a torrid year in which bullion is up roughly almost 47% year-to-date.

That surge is echoing on across crypto rails, with gold-backed tokens climbing to an all-time high market capitalization of $2.88 billion, CoinGecko data shows. Tokenized versions of the metal are backed by physical reserves but settle on blockchain rails, offering round-the-clock trading and near-instant transfers.

XAUT$3,832.20 and Paxos’ PAXG$3,844.14, both tokens issued by firms predominantly known for their stablecoins, are dominating the category. XAUT’s capitalization stood near $1.43 billion and PAXG’s at roughly $1.12 billion, both at their respective all-time highs.

Liquidity has swelled alongside the rally, too. PAXG attracted more than $40 million in net inflows during September and set a fresh trading volume record surpassing $3.2 billion in monthly turnover.

PAXG market cap and token volume (DeFiLlama)

XAUT also posted a record $3.25 billion in monthly volume, per DeFiLlama. Meanwhile, the token’s market cap growth came solely from the underlying metal’s appreciation, as no new token minting happened this month after August’s $437 million jump.

Tether Gold (XAUT) market cap and trading volume (DeFiLlama)

The tokenized gold market could continue gaining as macro conditions remain supportive for the yellow metal. Investors expectations mount for more Federal Reserve rate cuts and a softer U.S. dollar, while anxiety builds over a possible government shutdown in the U.S. Meanwhile, BTC$114,421.03, often dubbed as “digital gold,” is lagging behind gold with a 22% year-to-date return.

Read more: Bitcoin to Join Gold on Central Bank Reserve Balance Sheets by 2030: Deutsche Bank

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

As Chrono Trigger celebrates 30th anniversary, spiritual successor Threads of Time gets fresh gameplay trailer

by admin September 29, 2025

The Chrono Trigger-inspired retro RPG Threads of Time has received a new gameplay trailer, showing off more of its time-travelling narrative.

From Canadian developer Riyo Games, Threads of Time was first revealed at last year’s Tokyo Game Show. Now, a year later, this new trailer was shown at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct and it looks to be progressing nicely.

As with Square Enix’s iconic classic, Threads of Time will take place across a number of time periods, from prehistory to a cyberpunk future, and is presented similarly to the Octopath Traveller HD-2D aesthetic.

Threads of Time gameplay trailer – PC Gaming Show Tokyo DirectWatch on YouTube

One minute the adventurers are strolling through a bustling medieval town and battling the sort of fluffy or botanical creatures you’d typically expect in an RPG; the next they’re exploring sci-fi facilities and a rain-soaked futuristic metropolis with flying cars overhead.

There are some beautiful animated scenes chopped in too, though I hope the character designs don’t lean too heavily on Chrono Trigger nostalgia – I’m looking at you, robot.

What’s really struck me, though, is the look of the battles. These are turn-based, but have a strong sense of depth with a perspective sitting between Octopath and Dragon Quest as characters fight across the foreground and background with some evocative environments.

Image credit: Riyo Games

There’s no release date yet, though presumably it’s set for release on PC.

It’s also well-timed, following the critically acclaimed Sea of Stars from fellow Canadian studio Sabotage as another Chrono Trigger-inspired retro RPG. That game’s DLC Throes of the Watchmaker was recently released, if you need an excuse to return.

What’s more, Square Enix is this year celebrating the 30th anniversary of Chrono Trigger and promised various projects would be released, sparking hope for some form of remake or remaster.

It’s still unclear what’s happening there, even as fans cry out for a re-release on current hardware. Until then, Threads of Time could well fill the gap.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy’s Part Three will have some sort of fresh “gameplay experience”, but it’s a big secret for now

by admin September 29, 2025

The Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy finale will have a new gameplay experience, director Naoki Hamaguchi has stated.

Speaking to German outlet NTower, Hamaguchi stated “development is going very well”, and while no specifics were provided, he did compare the gameplay of the third part back to the progression from Remake to Rebirth.

“As you’re very much aware, the first game in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, was a more story driven linear gaming experience and then that evolved and changed into a more open world adventure for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game,” Hamaguchi explained. “And that seems to be very well regarded. People seem to like that change a lot and they like the new gameplay direction. So, we’re very happy with that.”

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE – Release Date Announcement – Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube

“But moving forward to the third game in the series,” he continued, “obviously I can’t say exactly what it is, but I don’t want to deliver just exactly the same style of gameplay experience as we had with Rebirth again. We’re going to evolve it and change it again to give another different and fresh take on the Final Fantasy 7 gameplay. Again, that will be revealed in the not too distant future. I can say we’re working on it and we’re trying to change that because we’ve actually got a build up and running in the development team right now where you can experience that new style of gameplay.”

So what exactly does he mean here?

While “gameplay experience” is a broad term, part three will likely still use the same battle system that’s been developed across Remake and Rebirth, though presumably with some twists for additional characters Cid and Vincent.

Hamaguchi really seems to be discussing structure here. Remake was a more linear affair, owing to the tight focus on a single location (the city of Midgar), while Rebirth was open world as Cloud and friends explore expansive environments in pursuit of Sephiroth – just as players moved to the world map in the original PS1 game.

It’s understandable Square Enix would need a change in structure for the trilogy finale. In part, the presumed inclusion of Cid’s Tiny Bronco to fly over the world would diminish the sense of exploration from Rebirth, but also re-using much of Rebirth’s world would feel like repetition.

I wonder, then, if the trilogy’s multiverse storyline might lend itself to a more unique structure. Square Enix has toyed with narrative changes from the original game with this remake trilogy and, as the scope has gradually (and confusingly) widened, perhaps a conventional linear or open world won’t be the best method to tie up its loose threads. I’d rather the development team went all-in on something new than a half-hearted midway approach in an attempt to appease a vast spectrum of fans.

Still, Hamaguchi added more will be announced “in the near future” and the game “really will be a fitting climax to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series”.

Of course, the other key question is what will the game’s subtitle be, following Remake and Rebirth. Speaking with JPGames.de, Hamaguchi explained “reunion” was the key word for Remake, while “bonds” was the key word for Rebirth (emphasising the relationships between characters).

“And in the same vein, we have got a new key word for the third game in the series,” he said. “Can’t tell you what it is yet. It’s very much there, though, and influencing and informing how the gameplay and the game experience is shaped, in exactly the same way as the first two games were by their key word.”

What are your best guesses for part three?

Until then, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is heading to Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S next year, plus the progression boosts will be retroactively added to the PS5 and PC versions.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Nvidia pours $100 billion into OpenAI and supplies millions of chips, raising fresh questions about competition and market concentration

by admin September 25, 2025

Nvidia commits $100 billion to OpenAI while reinforcing demand for its hardware
Partnership builds massive data centers and fuels concerns over circular investment structures
Analysts warn deal may raise antitrust scrutiny as Nvidia strengthens AI dominance

Following its recent surprise $5 billion Intel deal, Nvidia is spending big again, this time committing up to $100 billion to OpenAI alongside supplying millions of its chips.

The move fits a broader pattern in which Nvidia channels money into businesses that rely on its own hardware, from $6.3 billion in CoreWeave to $700 million in nScale, effectively reinforcing demand for its products while bypassing hyperscalers like Google and Microsoft which are racing to reduce their dependence on Nvidia’s hardware.

This latest investment into the world’s best-known AI firm immediately lifted Nvidia’s market value by more than $220 billion.

Circular structure

The deal involves a circular structure and will see Nvidia will buy non-voting shares in OpenAI, which OpenAI will then spend mostly on Nvidia systems.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Reuters says the partnership will begin with a $10 billion investment and scale as OpenAI deploys more computing power.

“This is the biggest AI infrastructure project in history,” Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said in an interview with CNBC’s Jon Fortt. “This partnership is about building an AI infrastructure that enables AI to go from the labs into the world.”

He said the companies will build data centers capable of running next-generation AI models, powered by Nvidia’s new Vera Rubin platform.

The first data centers are due online in 2026 and require 10 gigawatts of power, roughly equal to the needs of 8 million US households.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the capacity was essential for the company’s ambitions.

“Building this infrastructure is critical to everything we want to do,” Altman said. “This is the fuel that we need to drive improvement, drive better models, drive revenue, drive everything.”

Tether And Circle Print $1.5B In Hours: Fresh Liquidity Incoming

by admin September 24, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

The stablecoin market is once again making headlines as two of the largest issuers, Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC), significantly expanded supply in just hours. According to data shared by Lookonchain, Tether minted another 1 billion USDT, while Circle printed 500 million USDC only seven hours earlier. These issuances highlight how stablecoins continue to play a central role in fueling market liquidity, often acting as precursors to major shifts in crypto price action.

Stablecoins are widely used as dry powder, giving traders and institutions instant exposure to digital assets without relying on traditional banking rails. Large-scale minting events like this are typically interpreted as a sign that capital is flowing into the ecosystem, positioning the market for heightened volatility and potentially a new wave of demand. Historically, such moves have coincided with phases of increased activity across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major altcoins.

As crypto investors brace for the next leg of market action, the timing of this combined $1.5 billion injection into USDT and USDC supply has sparked speculation. Many analysts believe the market is preparing to absorb this liquidity, setting the stage for what could be a decisive period in the weeks ahead.

Tether $1B Mint | Source: Lookonchain

Stablecoin Expansion And Market Implications

According to CryptoQuant, the combined circulating supply of Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) now forms a significant portion of the global stablecoin market, which sits at around $147 billion. This dominance underscores the pivotal role both issuers play in shaping crypto liquidity. With Tether minting another $1 billion and Circle adding $500 million in supply, these issuances are not random — they reflect growing demand for stable trading capital and often precede decisive market moves.

Stablecoins act as a bridge between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem, serving as the backbone for trading activity on centralized and decentralized exchanges. When supply expands rapidly, it typically signals an increase in available liquidity, providing investors with the ability to deploy capital into risk assets quickly. For Bitcoin, which recently faced heavy volatility and a sharp pullback below $115K, this influx could offer support for a continuation trend, particularly if bulls regain momentum.

For altcoins, the impact may be even more pronounced. Historically, stablecoin inflows have fueled periods of explosive growth in non-BTC assets, as traders rotate capital in search of higher returns. With USDT and USDC issuance climbing, analysts suggest that the coming days could define whether altcoins recover strongly or remain under pressure.

Stablecoin Market Cap Dominance Analysis

The chart shows that stablecoin dominance has risen sharply to 7.99%, signaling a renewed demand for safety amid recent volatility. After weeks of consolidation between 7.4% and 7.8%, the breakout above the short-term moving averages (50-day at 7.60% and 100-day at 7.63%) confirms stronger capital rotation into stable assets. This pattern often reflects heightened investor caution, with participants opting to sit in stablecoins while waiting for clearer market direction.

Crypto Stablecoin Dominance | Source: STABLE.C.D chart on TradingView

The move higher coincides with recent liquidations across Bitcoin and altcoins, where leveraged traders were wiped out. Historically, spikes in stablecoin dominance occur when traders de-risk, pulling capital from volatile assets. However, rising stablecoin reserves also indicate available liquidity that could quickly re-enter the market and fuel recovery once sentiment shifts.

If dominance continues to climb toward the 8.2–8.4% range, it may suggest further downside for risk assets in the short term. Conversely, stabilization below this level could mark a base for renewed inflows into Bitcoin and altcoins. The coming sessions will be key in determining whether this rise is a temporary flight to safety or the start of a deeper risk-off trend.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

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September 24, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Perfect Dark reboot leak: fresh info suggests studio saw gap in the market with Metal Gear Solid and Bond absent

by admin September 22, 2025

The now-cancelled Perfect Dark reboot had an “eco sci-fi” aesthetic, an Adrenaline System, and may have been released episodically.

That’s according to internal documentation from a former developer on the project at The Initiative shared with mp1st, revealing new artwork and gameplay details.

The document highlighted an opportunity to capitalise on the secret agent genre, due to the absence of Metal Gear Solid and James Bond 007 during development. Ironically enough, both franchises have since returned.

Perfect Dark – Gameplay Reveal – Xbox Games Showcase 2024Watch on YouTube

This may somewhat point to why Perfect Dark was ultimately cancelled – perhaps this reboot of the N64 classic from Rare wasn’t able to differentiate itself enough.

Still, this newly unearthed documentation – which dates back to a period close to the game’s cancellation this year – hints as to what players could have expected. The creative vision for the reboot aimed to reimagine the franchise while retaining the core DNA of the N64 original, with the HBO series Westworld providing inspiration for giving a classic property fresh themes and concepts.

While several systems are briefly mentioned, only the Adrenaline System is detailed. This would’ve been a resource regenerated over time to provide various abilities like healing and increasing damage dealt, as well as slowing time to aim with precision. Killing multiple enemies in quick succession would have extended this effect.

Until April of this year, the studio was working on a vertical slice (a playable proof-of-concept) that belonged to “Season 1”, suggesting the game would have been released episodically.

Perfect Dark was properly revealed at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, with in-game footage of protagonist Joanna Dark exploring a futuristic Cairo (above). Later, reports suggested this gameplay was fake, though a designer on the game responded it was in-engine despite “some fake stuff in it”.

The new documentation includes further artwork for the game, including an alternate design for Joanna, as well as various futuristic environments to show off its “eco sci-fi” aesthetic.

Perfect Dark was cancelled back in July, following layoffs across Microsoft. Rare’s Everwild was also cancelled.

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September 22, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Bitcoin Sticks To $115,000 as Gold Sets a Fresh Record High

by admin September 16, 2025

Key points:

Bitcoin attempts to liquidate longs at the Wall Street open with $115,000 a focus.
Markets are flipping short ahead of Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting.
Gold hits fresh all-time highs above $3,700 before correcting.

Bitcoin (BTC) wobbled at Tuesday’s Wall Street open as analysis eyed potential liquidations.

BTC/USD one-minute chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin leverage spikes with longs at risk

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD becoming unsettled as the US trading session began.

Price gyrated between $114,800 and $115,300 while surrounded by blocks of liquidity on exchange order books, both up and down.

“There’s a huge cluster of long liquidations below the current price, specifically around the 114724.3 level. That’s a lot of trapped longs,” trading resource TheKingfisher observed in part of its latest commentary on X.

BTC order-book liquidation levels. Source: TheKingfisher/X

An accompanying chart showed relevant “pain” levels for traders above and below spot price.

“This chart doesn’t predict the future, but it tells you where the pain is. And where the pain is, price movements often follow,” TheKingfisher added, noting high levels of leverage active on the market.

The day prior, popular trader Skew identified similar low-timeframe volatility, querying what he implied was manipulative price behavior.

$BTC
The psyops continue https://t.co/yJAKAijXLt pic.twitter.com/JY5tBX49RV

— Skew Δ (@52kskew) September 15, 2025

“Market remains top side heavy with persistent supply & offloading into price,” he summarized in his latest market coverage.

Skew said traders were flipping short into the week’s key macroeconomic event: the US Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) was expected to cut rates for the first time in 2025 by 0.25%.

“Quite large positioning decay already going into FOMC, not surprising although short positioning is starting to pick up as the consensus trade going into FOMC,” he concluded.

BTC price action yet to copy gold

Pre-FOMC nerves were apparent across risk assets.

Related: Bitcoin ‘sharks’ add 65K BTC in a week in key demand rebound

US stocks were modestly down at the open, while gold saw noticeable volatility and a fresh all-time high of $3,703.

⚡️JUST IN: Gold surges to a new ATH above $3,700. pic.twitter.com/tcM3T2Gmtt

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) September 16, 2025

As Cointelegraph reported, analysis argues that both Bitcoin and gold are “pricing in” future US economic conditions.

“Gold leads the way. Bitcoin follows,” popular trader Jelle agreed in part of an X reaction, referencing the tendency for BTC price action to follow gold’s with a several-month delay.

Gold remained firmly in the lead based on year-to-date performance, up 40% since the start of the year against Bitcoin’s 23%.

BTC/USD vs. XAU/USD chart. Source: Jelle/X

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Dogecoin to Rocket 50%? Fresh DOGE Price Prediction Reveals Possible Timeline

by admin September 14, 2025

Dogecoin is back on the radar, with a new price prediction by Ali Martinez suggesting the biggest meme coin is heading as high “up north” as $0.45, which would mean a nearly 50% jump from the price of DOGE right now.

DOGE is at around $0.292, which is already more than 6% up from yesterday. But what really matters is that the meme cryptocurrency finally broke above the $0.27 level that was stopping rallies all summer.

Bottom line

The thing that gives bulls confidence is holding the current floor, because past rallies often collapsed when DOGE failed to keep freshly conquered territory intact.

Fresh

Tether Continues To Stack Bitcoin

The Rush For Accumulating BTC

Circular structure

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Stablecoin Expansion And Market Implications

Stablecoin Market Cap Dominance Analysis

Bitcoin leverage spikes with longs at risk

BTC price action yet to copy gold

Bottom line