Briefs · Evening brief
Bitcoin was at $82,308.83 at the 4:00 p.m. ET close of the U.S. session, 0.69% above Wednesday at the same time, per CoinGecko, after September PPI printed the largest monthly rise since March 2022; Visa put Visa Direct USDC prefunding into commercial deployment with Inyo Global; and Cross River integrated Ripple's RLUSD into its core banking system.
Bitcoin was at $82,308.83 at the 4:00 p.m. ET close of the U.S. session, 0.69% above Wednesday at the same time, after September PPI printed the largest monthly rise since March 2022. Ether was at $2,451.20 (+0.92%), solana at $105.92 (+1.75%), and XRP at $1.3433 (+1.41%), per CoinGecko. [1][2]
CoinGecko USD prices at 4:00 p.m. ET Thursday vs 4:00 p.m. ET Wednesday. Price data by CoinGecko. [1]
| Asset | 4:00 p.m. ET | vs Wed 4:00 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| BTC | $82,308.83 | +0.69% |
| ETH | $2,451.20 | +0.92% |
| SOL | $105.92 | +1.75% |
| XRP | $1.3433 | +1.41% |
NEAR (+12.67%), INJ (+9.85%) and ARB (+6.91%) rose most among the coins below; OP (−0.80%) and DOGE (−0.66%) slipped. CoinGecko USD prices, 4:00 p.m. ET vs Wednesday 4:00 p.m. ET. Price data by CoinGecko. [1]
| Coin | 4:00 p.m. ET | vs Wed 4:00 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| NEAR | $5.41 | +12.67% |
| INJ | $8.435 | +9.85% |
| ARB | $0.1940 | +6.91% |
| DOGE | $0.08141 | −0.66% |
| OP | $0.1392 | −0.80% |
September PPI final demand rose 1.3% m/m seasonally adjusted (August +0.5%), the largest monthly increase since +1.7% in March 2022, and 6.3% over 12 months (largest since +6.4% in December 2022). Final demand less foods, energy and trade services rose 0.5% m/m and 5.0% y/y. Final demand goods rose 2.6% m/m (energy +10.8%; gasoline +20.3%). [2]
Treasury par yields still fell: 2-year 4.77% (−5 bp vs Wednesday), 10-year 5.10% (−9 bp). [3]
01 · Visa Direct moves USDC prefunding from pilot to production, with Inyo Global first. An Oct. 15 Visa release says Visa Direct's stablecoin capabilities "advance from pilot stage to commercial deployment." Inyo Global, a Visa Direct processor, is "the first enabler." Businesses it serves can prefund cross-border payouts through Visa Direct with USDC in near real time rather than relying solely on traditional funding windows. Inyo sends payouts to more than 180 countries through Visa Direct. Visa gives no volumes or client counts; availability "varies by eligibility and geography." [4]
02 · Cross River Bank integrates Ripple's RLUSD into its core banking system. A joint release says Cross River embedded RLUSD, on the XRP Ledger, into its Core Operating System as an added payment rail. Fintech clients can move between USD and RLUSD through a single API for 24/7 settlement alongside ACH, wires and RTP. Company-stated figures: RLUSD above $2.5 billion market cap, more than $1 billion issued on XRPL, and XRPL "more than $1.3 trillion in value settled to date." The release expands capabilities "already in development" and does not state a full go-live for all clients. [5]
03 · Riksbank asks Swedish lawmakers to start preparing a law for a digital krona, citing dollar stablecoins among the reasons. A letter to the Riksdag Committee on Finance, dated Oct. 7 and published Thursday (ref. 2026-01419), asks for a public inquiry. Building a digital krona would take "at least five years" plus legislation. Reasons named include a worse geopolitical situation, the digital euro, and foreign-currency stablecoins that could put krona use "under pressure even within Sweden's borders." The Riksbank says that scenario "does not pose a significant risk, at least not in the near term" but "cannot be ignored" longer term, and "has not taken a position on whether a digital krona should be issued." Issuance needs the Riksdag's consent. [6][7]
04 · Australia releases draft law putting the OECD crypto reporting framework into domestic law. Treasury opened consultation on an exposure draft and explanatory memorandum, "Crypto asset tax transparency - draft legislation," on Oct. 15. Comments close Oct. 28. The draft brings the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) into Australian law, adds a domestic reporting regime for Australian-resident transactions, and updates the Common Reporting Standard. It is not yet law. [8]
05 · Arbitrum Foundation opens a Stablecoin Growth Program tied to Paxos's USDG. A Foundation blog post says the program is open to protocols with at least $1 million in stablecoin balances (verified on DefiLlama) that make Global Dollar (USDG) their primary stablecoin on Arbitrum. Accepted teams "may be eligible" for performance-based incentives plus support. A 2 million ARB prize pool pays 200,000 ARB each to the first 10 teams to reach $10 million of USDG TVL, measured as a 30-day average. [9]
Holding the Corner.
Not financial advice.