President Donald Trump has appointed former SEC chair Jay Clayton to lead the new Super Intelligence Force. The initiative aims to coordinate federal efforts to maintain US leadership in superintelligence. Meanwhile, market analyst Peter Brandt has adjusted his Bitcoin price forecast, suggesting the asset could reach between $300,000 and $600,000 by late 2029.
The Ethereum layer-2 network Blast is shutting down, citing unsustainable operating costs. The project, founded in November 2023, saw its total value locked drop by over 98% from its June 2024 peak. Users have been advised to withdraw their assets to the Ethereum mainnet. Additionally, the network is preparing for the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Sepolia testnet, scheduled for October 6.
September marked a significant period for crypto security, with losses from hacks and exploits estimated between $766 million and $768 million. Notable incidents included the Bitget hack and a breach of the Liquid Network. In other developments, Tether reported freezing nearly $550 million in Iran-linked USDT throughout 2026, following allegations regarding the use of the stablecoin to evade sanctions.
The NEAR ecosystem recently addressed a $3.8 million exploit on its Intents platform, successfully recovering the funds after issuing an ultimatum to the attacker. This action sparked debate regarding the role of centralized intervention in decentralized finance. Separately, Arthur Hayes of Maelstrom fund noted that the AI sector's capital requirements may necessitate increased monetary stimulus.
