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Play online shooter ARC Raiders free next month in final test weekend before release

by admin September 23, 2025

Embark Studios will launch an ARC Raiders Server Slam ahead of the online shooter’s release, so players can get a taste of what to expect.

While a couple of public network tests have already run, the studio is providing one last weekend from 17th – 19th October for players across the globe to check out the game on all platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam, Epic).

No codes or pre-registration will be required for entry, plus participants will receive an exclusive backpack cosmetic as thanks to unlock with a full game purchase, although progress won’t carry over.

Pre-Order Trailer | ARC RaidersWatch on YouTube

ARC Raiders is a PvPvE sandbox shooter from the studio behind The Finals, which merges extraction and survival gameplay.

The full game will be released on 30th October.

“We’re excited to welcome Raiders to the Server Slam – this is where we’ll really put ARC Raiders through its paces ahead of full launch,” said executive producer Aleksander Grøndal. “Our goal is simple: make sure that on October 30, when the servers go live, every player experiences the game exactly as we’ve intended – polished, balanced, and ready for action. Thanks for joining us – let’s prepare to go topside.”

The game’s most recent test was at the end of April this year, but it’s been a long time coming – ARC Raiders was first revealed at The Game Awards in 2021 and has since received a genre change.

It also won’t be free-to-play when it releases. It’s available to pre-order now.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Arc Raiders is actually coming back for one last test before launch, and this time anyone can join

by admin September 23, 2025

April feels like a lifetime ago, but that’s when Arc Raiders, the extraction shooter from ex-DICE developers at Embark, was last available to play. The game’s second tech testbegan and ended in April, and remained invite-only throughout its runtime.

The test was immensely successful, and almost everyone who played it came away wanting more. Most assumed the developer would open the test up for one final weekend, or host some sort of open beta in the weeks to follow. None of that happened.

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Instead, we got a lot of radio silence, that was briefly broken by the release date news. Then, Embark went dark yet again. Until now, when the developer actually announced that we’ll be able to get our hands on the game one last time ahead of its October 30 launch.

Arc Raiders is hosting a server slam, a limited-time event that runs October 17-19. It’s free for anyone to try across all platforms, and it falls on a weekend to maximise visibility. The game has also gone up for pre-orders on PC, PS5, and Xbox.

The focus of the server slam is to stress-test the game’s server capacity and netcode ahead of launch. In gameplay terms, we’ll be going to the Dam Battlegrounds, which is a map that was also part of the tech test.

Watch on YouTube

Embark said some progression elements will be available, alongside early crafting. You’ll also be able to take on quests, but don’t expect anything massive at this stage. It goes without saying that all progress made during this event will not carry over to the full game.

That said, you will get an exclusive backpack to prove you showed up for it (in the full game), assuming you do buy it.

Arc Raiders is PvPvE extraction shooter from the developers of The Finals. It’s priced $40 ($60 for Deluxe), and will be available on October 30 for PC (Steam/EGS), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S with cross-play.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

SoftBank beams 5G to phones from the sky in successful stratospheric test flight

by admin September 21, 2025

SoftBank successfully delivered end-to-end 5G connectivity to standard smartphones using an airborne base station, in a live field trial conducted in June, above Hachijō Island, Japan. The company used a light aircraft flying at 3,000 meters to simulate a high-altitude platform, linking ground infrastructure to devices via a 26 GHz feeder connection and a 1.7 GHz service link.

Unlike most “direct-to-device” projects that rely on satellites in low Earth orbit, SoftBank’s approach uses High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) that hover in the stratosphere, about 20 kilometers up. That altitude brings big advantages like lower latency and fewer of the power and Doppler challenges that present challenges to orbital links. According to SoftBank, the service link in the trial operated on the 1.7 GHz band, which is already supported by most 5G phones sold around the world.

(Image credit: SoftBank)

The aircraft-mounted payload used beamforming to create six directional cells fixed in place on the ground, even as the aircraft flew a circular holding pattern overhead. The system automatically shifted beam coverage every 60 degrees of rotation, emulating the behavior of a future stratospheric platform while proving that stable cellular coverage is possible with real-world mobility.

Ethereum to $5,500 by Mid-October, XRP ETF Launch to Test Investor Demand, 4.5 Trillion Shiba Inu Lost

by admin September 18, 2025

Nate Geraci: REX-Osprey XRP ETF will be key demand test

The upcoming launch will show whether there will be enough demand for traditional spot XRP ETFs.

ETF launch. REX-Osprey’s XRP ETF (XRPR) set to launch under the ’40 Act structure.

Nate Geraci, president at NovaDius Wealth Management, claims that the upcoming launch of the REX-Osprey XRP ETF (XRPR) is going to be “a good litmus test” for the level of demand. Geraci has noted that futures-based ETF products that track the price of the third-largest cryptocurrency have already topped $1 billion in assets.

Portfolio allocation. About 80% of assets will be invested in XRP or related exposure assets

The fund, which will be operating under the ’40 Act structure, will be primarily investing in XRP. Roughly 80% of the fund’s assets will be allocated to the Ripple-linked token or other assets that provide exposure to the token. The fund does not specify the supplementary assets that will be included in the mix.

Shiba Inu burn rate drops nearly 58%, raising concerns

Shiba Inu sees massive on-chain crash in metric usually considered bearish.

Sharp decline. SHIB burn rate plunged 57.88% in 24 hours, with just 69,420 SHIB burned

Fundstrat analytics expert Tom Lee has doubled down on his ultra-bullish Ethereum stance, sharing a more or less specific ETH price prediction for the next month. However, the figure he named, $5,500, might not be the top, since he expects both Bitcoin and Ethereum to make “a monster move” over the next three months.

Investor concerns. The sharp decline in burn activity has sparked doubts about the sustainability of SHIB’s rally.

A key reason named by Tom Lee during his recent CNBC appearance is the expected Federal Reserve monetary easing. This will ensure an inflow of liquidity to the markets, Lee said; therefore, Ethereum and Bitcoin would be the primary profiteers as they could make “a monster move.” “Like, huge,” Lee specified. The Fed’s decision to lower rates by 25 basis points should be announced this week.

Tom Lee predicts $5,500 Ethereum

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee predicts Bitcoin and Ethereum could make “monster move”.

Bold target. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee forecasts Ethereum hitting $5,500 within a month

Fundstrat analytics expert Tom Lee has doubled down on his ultra-bullish Ethereum stance, sharing a more or less specific ETH price prediction for the next month. ADVERTISEMENT However, the figure he named, $5,500, might not be the top, since he expects both Bitcoin and Ethereum to make “a monster move” over the next three months.

Macro catalyst. Lee cites expected Federal Reserve rate cuts.

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September 18, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Nubank to test dollar-backed stablecoin payments via credit cards

by admin September 17, 2025

Nubank, Latin America’s biggest digital bank, will test dollar stablecoin payments via credit cards, a move Vice Chairman Roberto Campos Neto says shows how fast blockchain is forcing banks to bridge into the crypto world.

Campos Neto: blockchain and stablecoins reshaping finance in emerging markets

At Meridian 2025, Roberto Campos Neto stressed that blockchain will be critical to linking digital assets with traditional banking, enabling tokenized deposits while preserving credit intermediation. He pointed out that central banks are already struggling with the surge of crypto adoption, and stablecoins, particularly dollar-pegged ones, aare spreading fastest in emerging markets.

Their appeal lies in easy access to the dollar, use in economies with non-convertible currencies, and demand in politically unstable regions. Though often used as a store of value today, Campos Neto noted their role is evolving toward broader transactional use.

Nubank pilot ties stablecoin payments to global dollar dominance

Nubank’s pilot will test dollar-backed stablecoin payments through credit cards, with plans to integrate the technology across its broader services. Roberto said the initiative fits the bank’s strategy of building a seamless financial ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence and blockchain, while also highlighting the geopolitical stakes: most stablecoins are dollar-pegged, fueling demand for U.S. Treasuries and raising alarms in Europe.

He warned that euro-backed stablecoins may soon emerge, though the entrenched dominance of the dollar will be difficult to dislodge.

By testing dollar-backed stablecoin payments, Nubank is signaling how quickly traditional banking may converge with blockchain finance. If successful, the move could accelerate stablecoin adoption in Latin America, positioning the dollar-linked assets not only as a store of value but also as an everyday payment tool in emerging markets.

Also read: Crypto Markets Eye Upside As Fed Delivers First Rate Cut

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September 17, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Avalanche, Sui, and Bonk ETFs Test SEC as Issuers Push Into Riskier Territory

by admin September 17, 2025

In brief

Bitwise, Defiance, Tuttle, and T-Rex filed five new crypto ETFs, from Avalanche and Sui to memecoin Bonk and leveraged Orbs.
Analysts say AVAX and tokenization funds have the strongest approval odds, while memecoin and basis-trade ETFs face “more scrutiny.”
The filings add to a queue of over 90 crypto ETF applications infront of the SEC.

A flood of crypto ETF applications hit the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, with five distinct filings spanning everything from Avalanche infrastructure to Bonk (BONK) in what one analyst called “wild” territory.

The lineup includes Bitwise’s spot Avalanche ETF and a Stablecoin & Tokenization ETF, Defiance ETFs built around Bitcoin and Ethereum basis trades, Tuttle’s “Income Blast” funds covering Bonk (BONK), Litecoin (LTC), and Sui (SUI), and T-Rex’s leveraged 2x Orbs ETF, according to ETF Institute co-founder Nate Geraci.

Together, they expand an already swelling roster of more than 90 crypto ETF applications pending before the regulator.

“The spot AVAX ETF should have the highest chance of approval because it’s a simple product relative to others,” Pratik Kala, head of research at Apollo Crypto, told Decrypt.

Bitwise joins VanEck and Grayscale in pursuing institutional-grade exposure to AVAX ETFs.

But Kala expressed skepticism about more exotic products, saying that “Basis Trade ETF will be the first of its kind, to my knowledge, and will have more scrutiny.”

He was referring to Defiance ETFs’ market-neutral Bitcoin and Ethereum funds that execute hedge fund arbitrage strategies by buying spot ETFs while shorting futures contracts.

Sudhakar Lakshmanaraja, founder of Digital South Trust, echoed Kala’s assessment, telling Decrypt that the SEC is “far likelier to greenlight AVAX and stablecoin/tokenization ETFs,” while “meme coin-linked products face a steeper climb” due to concerns over “volatility and liquidity.”

Tuttle Capital Management, managing over $3.6 billion in assets, became the second U.S. fund manager to file for a spot Bonk (BONK) ETF, alongside “Income Blast” products covering Litecoin and Sui.

“Income Blast ones on long-tailed altcoins are also difficult as the options volumes for those are slim,” Kala told Decrypt. “It would be fair for the SEC to draw a harder line for memecoin-based ETFs due to the long-term sustainability of some of these coins, along with a poorer liquidity profile.”

Pav Hundal, lead analyst at Swyftx, told Decrypt that “infrastructure coins like Avax are close enough to Ether” to have strong approval odds, and “the same holds true for Sui.”

He noted the SEC provided “clarity” in February that “meme coins aren’t securities,” suggesting more applications will follow.

But Hundal showed particular enthusiasm for the basis trade ETF, calling it a “standout” since “a market neutral product hasn’t been launched yet” and predicting “these types of yield-bearing funds could be big.”

The filing blitz comes as REX-Osprey’s Dogecoin ETF prepares to debut this week after clearing its SEC review period.

Kala said it’s “wild that ETF applications on long-tailed crypto and memecoin assets are being considered” as issuers position for “the largest wealth transfer” from boomers to younger generations who see “memetics plays a large role in investing.”

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September 17, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

XRP: $5 Next? Massive Test Coming

by admin September 12, 2025

XRP’s next day will determine whether bulls can regain complete control or if bears will rule the upcoming weeks. Right below a long-term descending trendline that has capped rallies since the August peak, the price is currently consolidating around $3.04. XRP is pushing against this descending resistance on the daily chart.

The road to the next significant resistance, which is located around $3.40, will be opened by a successful breakout above $3.10-$3.15, which would validate a bullish continuation. By doing this, the consolidation phase would come to an end, and the upward trend that started in mid-July would resume. A pullback, though, might occur if the upcoming sessions fail to produce any breakthroughs.

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingView

The 50-day EMA, or $2.84, is the key support, and $2.79 is the deeper floor. The bulls’ fate would be sealed if XRP fell below these levels, invalidating the bullish breakout scenario and probably sending the price back toward the $2.55 range, which is where the 200-day EMA is located. Since volume has stayed largely unchanged, it appears that traders are awaiting confirmation before making a commitment.

Crypto Market Prediction: XRP’s Massive $3 Test in 24 Hours, Shiba Inu (SHIB) Destroyed Bears at $0.000013, Bitcoin’s (BTC) Key $150,000 Rally Chances

by admin September 12, 2025

While the market had a decent chance for a solid recovery, which we highlighted in our previous crypto market prediction, we are seeing signs that hint at the problematic state of the current rally. However, in the case where Bitcoin breaks through around $115,000, the acceleration would be imminent even on Sept. 12.

Shiba Inu’s bullish approach

Shiba Inu is stabilizing around $0.000013, and it is starting to exhibit technical dominance. SHIB is now taking back key moving averages after months of sideways consolidation and unsuccessful breakout attempts, setting itself up for possible growth in the near future.

SHIB has successfully broken through its 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) on the daily chart, a technical milestone that frequently denotes a change in momentum from bearish to bullish. Throughout SHIB’s downward trend, the 50 EMA has continuously served as resistance, making this move noteworthy. Traders are starting to see this as a structural shift in market sentiment, now that the token is trading above it.

SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingView

With rising volume and a strengthening Relative Strength Index (RSI), which is currently hovering just below overbought levels, the current price action indicates that SHIB is beginning to form a gradual uptrend. This shows that, although there are no immediate signs of exhaustion, buying interest is growing.

The next resistance levels to keep an eye on, if momentum keeps up, are the 200-day EMA at about $0.000014, and the $0.000015 zone, which has historically been a region with a lot of liquidity.

Looking at it more broadly, SHIB’s dominance is psychological as well as technical. Retaining price stability above the $0.000013 threshold boosts holders’ confidence, which lowers panic-selling and promotes accumulation. Given its ability to withstand market volatility, the token is becoming more and more significant in the meme-coin ecosystem, where it is still vying for market share with Dogecoin.

But caution is still required. Even though the 50 EMA breakthrough is a positive sign, SHIB still has to contend with longer-term resistance lines that might halt its upward trend if market sentiment declines. Investors ought to keep an eye on SHIB’s ability to maintain its position above the 50 EMA and progressively test higher moving averages.

XRP approaches key level

A critical test that could determine XRP’s short-term course is approaching at $3.00. As momentum builds toward a potential breakout attempt within the next day, the asset has been consolidating below a descending trendline. Just below the crucial psychological and technical barrier at $3.00, XRP is currently trading at about $2.99 on the daily chart.

Bullish sentiment has been strengthened by the recent rally, which has been bolstered by robust buying volume and a recovery above the 50-day and 100-day EMAs. The 200-day EMA and the descending resistance trendline, however, are convergent around the $3 area, making it a difficult obstacle to overcome.

Bitcoin’s steady rise

Bitcoin is stabilizing close to the $114,000 mark, laying the groundwork for what may be a rally toward the much-awaited $150,000 mark.

Bitcoin has successfully surpassed its 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which is frequently regarded as a turning point for momentum, following weeks of consolidation and testing lower supports. During corrective phases of recent market cycles, the 50 EMA has proven to be a dependable resistance barrier. Bitcoin’s recovery of this level suggests that there may be a change from short-term pessimism to fresh bullish sentiment. Because the 50 EMA breakout has historically preceded robust price recoveries, traders frequently see this as the first confirmation of a structural rebound.

Can Bitcoin Match Gold’s Historic Rally? Analysts See Key Test Ahead

by admin September 11, 2025

In brief

Gold hit an inflation-adjusted record high of $3,683/oz, surpassing a 45-year-old record.
Bitcoin climbs 6% to $114,286 but analysts watch gold-to-Bitcoin ratio for breakout signals.
Prediction markets now favor gold over Bitcoin through year-end, with 63% betting on precious metal.

If Bitcoin can keep pace with gold as it soars to an inflation-adjusted record high, then it could be poised for a big breakout, analysts told Decrypt.

The spot price for gold just exceeded an inflation-adjusted peak set more than 45 years ago. The price per ounce of gold in U.S. dollars has climbed 8% in September to a high of $3,683.14. That’s enough to edge it past the January 21, 1980 high of $850 per ounce. When those 1980 dollars are adjusted for inflation, they would have been worth $3,539.58 as of August 2025.

Bitcoin has climbed more than 6% over the same period, going from $107,634 to $114,408 at the time of writing, according to crypto price aggregator CoinGecko. The price of BTC currently sits about 8% under a peak above $124,000 set last month.

Analysts at QCP Capital, a digital asset trading firm in Singapore, told Decrypt they’re watching to see how gold and Bitcoin move in tandem to shape their Q4 forecast for BTC.

“We’re watching whether the gold-to-Bitcoin ratio approaches 0.041, a level that has historically coincided with periods where gold rallies while Bitcoin stabilizes,” they said. “With institutional treasury flows picking up, this zone is worth monitoring as a potential marker for shifting market dynamics.”

At the time of this writing, the gold-to-Bitcoin ratio sits at 0.032. Neither asset exists in a vacuum, but generally speaking, Bitcoin would need to fall or gold would need to rise even higher to nudge the ratio towards the sweet spot.

Users on Myriad, a prediction market owned by Decrypt parent company DASTAN, think there’s a slim chance Bitcoin will outperform gold this year. At the start of the day, the odds were as close as they’ve ever been with 54% of predictors saying gold will beat BTC. But since the precious metal set its new all-time high, the goldbugs have grown to 63%.

Bitcoin has been sitting around $114,000 for most of New York trading hours on Thursday after having peaked at $114,696 around midday. After a hotter-than-expected consumer price index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning, BTC is now trading 0.7% higher than it was this time yesterday.

The QCP analysts added that they’re also keeping a close eye on the gold-to-S&P 500 ratio, which they see as a “barometer of risk-off versus risk-on sentiment across traditional assets,” as well as the BTC-to-ETH ratio to gauge rotation within digital assets.

“Together, these cross-asset ratios provide important context for how risk is being priced across both traditional and digital markets,” they said.

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Bitcoin, Ether, XRP Face September Test After Biggest Whale Distribution in Years

by admin September 9, 2025

Bitcoin BTC$112,647.84 held just under $112,000 on Monday as traders weighed the largest whale sell-off in more than two years against signs of long-term accumulation and resilient altcoin performance.

On-chain trackers at CryptoQuant have flagged over 100,000 BTC — worth approximately $12.7 billion — as exiting major wallets in the past 30 days. Analyst caueconomy called it “the largest coin distribution this year,” noting that whale reserves fell by 114,920 BTC, pushing spot prices briefly below $108,000 last week.

The scale mirrors July 2022, when whales last trimmed positions this aggressively.

“The portfolios of major players are still shrinking, which may continue to pressure Bitcoin in the coming weeks,” the analyst said. The sales have coincided with softer ETF inflows and thinner volumes, leaving the market leaning on macro catalysts.

The longer-term picture is more constructive. Bitcoin is down only 13% from its mid-August all-time high, far shallower than historic pullbacks. CryptoQuant analyst Dave the Wave said the one-year moving average, which sat at $52,000 a year ago, has now risen to $94,000 and will likely break through $100,000 in October — indicative of a structural uptrend.

Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget, said supply metrics back that view: “Bitcoin’s illiquid supply has climbed to a record 14.3 million BTC, with more than 70% of coins in wallets with little spending history. Confidence in long-term value remains evident.”

Lee sees price stabilizing and regaining momentum in a $105,000–$118,000 range, supported by ETF flows and bullish MACD signals.

Ethereum traded around $4,307, with Lee projecting a $4,100–$4,600 band if ETF demand holds. He added that upcoming network upgrades and DeFi catalysts could drive independent gains.

Meanwhile, market breadth showed modest improvement. XRP gained 2.3% to $2.96, Solana’s SOL rose 3.2% to $214, and dogecoin extended a 10.5% weekly climb to $0.236. Cardano’s ADA also strengthened, adding 6% over the past seven days to $0.865.

Still, sentiment remains muted. FxPro’s Alex Kuptsikevich noted that total crypto market capitalization rose 2.5% last week to $3.85 trillion but remains below its 50-day average.

“This is a worrying indicator of underlying risk appetite,” he said in an email to CoinDesk. The sentiment index dipped into fear at 44 over the weekend before recovering to 51 on Monday, suggesting traders are in wait-and-see mode.

September’s seasonal weakness adds another layer of caution even as macro pressures continue to loom.

Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE, said in a Telegram message that U.S. inflation prints due midweek will steer the next move. “Higher-than-expected numbers would cause Bitcoin and Ethereum to decline, while lower numbers could cause a rally,” Mei said.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments