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On September 22, OpenAI released two new models, GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna, just minutes after Anthropic launched Claude Opus 5.5. Both models are positioned below GPT-6 Astra and are cheaper and faster options aimed at everyday work. OpenAI also reduced the API prices for both models by 50% compared to the promotional price of GPT-5.6, with Sol's input and output prices set at $2 and $10 per million tokens, respectively, while Luna's prices dropped to $0.1 and $0.5.In terms of performance, OpenAI cited Zapier's AutomationBench benchmark, stating that GPT-6 Sol scored 33.2% under the highest inference settings, with a cost of $0.27 per task, while Claude Opus 5 scored 26.9% at its highest settings, with a cost over 11 times higher per task. In the Agents' Last Exam test, GPT-6 Sol achieved a top score of 56.4%. In the OSWorld 2 computer usage test, GPT-6 Sol nearly matched Claude Opus 5's moderate effort score at 60.5% to 60.3%, with costs approximately 80% lower.

On Tuesday, Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5, the first model in its Claude 5.5 series. Anthropic stated that the new model's performance on most tasks has reached the level of its most expensive flagship model, Claude Fable 5.1, but the operating costs are 20% lower than the previous generation Opus 5 and 60% lower than Fable 5.1. In terms of pricing, the input and output token prices for Opus 5.5 are $4 per million and $20 per million, respectively, while the cache read price has dropped to $0.2 per million.In benchmark testing, Opus 5.5 scored 66.4% on Terminal-Bench 4, higher than Fable 5.1's 55.8% and GPT-6 Astra's 57.9%; FrontierCode scored 54.4%, higher than Fable 5.1's 50.3%; GDPval-AA v2.1 scored 1846, higher than Fable 5.1's 1735. However, GPT-6 Astra still leads Opus 5.5 in the AutomationBench and Terminal-Bench-Science 0.1 tests.This is the first model released after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called on the industry to slow down the pace of AI capability enhancement, and it continues to use the same cybersecurity and biosafety measures as Fable 5.1.

The six major banks in Canada announced a joint exploration of a tokenized Canadian dollar deposit system, aimed at accelerating the transfer of funds between financial institutions and ultimately connecting with other digital asset programs. TD Bank announced on Tuesday that the Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, and Toronto-Dominion Bank Group have jointly formed this joint venture project, with the possibility of more banks joining in the future.The first phase of the project will focus on promoting the transfer of tokenized deposits among participating banks. The parties stated in a joint statement that the first phase aims to enable efficient circulation of tokenized deposits among Canadian financial institutions, with the long-term goal of connecting with other emerging digital asset programs. Tokenized deposits are digital representations of funds and assets already held by banks, differing from independent stablecoins issued by crypto companies; this system allows for 24/7 programmable payments within a regulated banking system.Canada's move comes as global banks compete to put deposits on the blockchain. In the United States, regional banks are building a shared tokenized deposit network, while JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo have also launched their own institutional products. Recently, Swift has begun testing cross-border payments for tokenized deposits. Additionally, the Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, and Toronto-Dominion Bank completed the Project Samara test in March this year, issuing, trading, and settling CAD 100 million (approximately USD 71 million) bonds on a distributed ledger; in May, Shopify and National Bank of Canada also supported the launch of a regulated digital Canadian dollar.

On Tuesday, European asset management firm 21Shares launched the first physically-backed ETP tracking Zcash on the Euronext Paris and Euronext Amsterdam exchanges, allowing investors to gain exposure to ZEC through brokerage accounts without directly holding the cryptocurrency. 21Shares also introduced an ETP tracking ETHFI, which is the governance and utility token of the decentralized finance protocol Ether.fi, providing crypto-financial services such as staking. Both ETPs are physically-backed with an annual management fee of 2.5%, higher than most Bitcoin and Ethereum investment products in Europe.The launch of the Zcash ETP closely follows Grayscale's introduction of the Zcash ETF in the United States, which is listed on the NYSE Arca under the ticker ZCSH. Zcash has recently performed strongly, with prices briefly surpassing $1500, and a nearly 1100% increase over the past year, leading to heightened market interest in it as an alternative to Bitcoin. Grayscale's research director Zach Pandl believes that Zcash may benefit from a "latecomer advantage," helping it overcome Bitcoin's entrenched network effects.The popularity of Zcash has also spread to the mining sector. Fortitude Digital Mining told Cointelegraph that the company mined about 28% of the total ZEC in the first half of 2026, with its focus on Zcash based on the network's proof-of-work model, supply cap, and privacy features.

Watcher Guru reported that the Moscow Exchange in Russia has launched perpetual futures for five major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Tron.The Moscow Exchange is the main securities exchange in Russia. This product covers perpetual futures contracts for the five cryptocurrencies mentioned above.

The open financial system will operate on the blockchain, and the starting point for all of this is to ensure there is a global, on-chain held liquidity dollar.

Circle used $100 million in equity to secure a priority position on Binance's shelf—this position requires a renewal fee every month.

According to CoinDesk, Taylor Lindman, the Chief Legal Counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Crypto Working Group, stated at the CoinDesk Policy & Regulation event held in Washington that the SEC is advancing rules for the custody of crypto assets. The relevant proposal has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, covering investment companies and broker-dealers. She indicated that the rule aims to inform the market about how to hold non-securities crypto assets within broker-dealers without special registration and clarifies that investment advisors can store client assets in institutions such as state-chartered trusts.Once the proposal passes the review by the Office of Management and Budget, the SEC will formally present it and seek feedback from the industry and the public. Lindman also mentioned that the SEC will issue an employee statement in December 2025 as a transitional arrangement, guiding broker-dealers on handling crypto custody matters before the rules are implemented, and will allow investment advisors to store client assets in state-chartered trusts as qualified crypto custodians starting in September 2025.Lindman described the SEC's recent work as "laying the groundwork," including previously proposed rules allowing crypto issuance and exemptions for tokenized securities. She stated that the SEC is working to ensure that existing securities intermediaries and market participants can confidently use blockchain to hold and trade crypto assets. Previously, the SEC's attempts at custody rules under Gary Gensler in 2023 were abandoned, and a leadership supportive of crypto was appointed after the Trump administration took office.

On-chain data analysis platform Glassnode posted on X: Bitcoin has flashed momentum signals that have initiated the last two bull markets, and the MVRV has once again crossed above its 365-day moving average.Glassnode stated that this is the same crossover that occurred at the beginning of each bull market in 2019 and 2023.

It enables Ethereum to achieve extremely high scalability while also considering privacy and decentralization, and these three can be realized simultaneously.

According to CoinDesk, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the central banks of EU member states wish to prohibit crypto platforms from providing indirect yields on stablecoins through lending, staking, and other products. The European System of Central Banks (ESCB) stated in response to the European Commission's consultation on the review of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) that electronic money should be used for payments rather than savings, continuing to support the prohibition of crypto asset service providers (CASP) from paying rewards for stablecoins, and that the ban should not be limited to services already regulated by MiCA but should also cover unregulated activities such as crypto lending, borrowing, and staking.Central banks believe that allowing indirect yields could blur the lines between electronic money and bank deposits, distorting the fair competitive environment of the EU financial system. The ESCB stated that maintaining and, when necessary, strengthening this ban, while covering both direct and indirect forms of rewards, should be a clear legislative priority. This position also echoes the controversy in the U.S. surrounding the Clarity Act, where eight U.S. banking groups urged senators to tighten the bill's restrictions on stablecoin rewards, which ultimately failed in a procedural vote of 49 to 50.In addition, central banks also proposed to eliminate the MiCA requirement for stablecoin issuers to hold part of their reserves in the form of bank deposits, replacing it with liquidity rules based on the liquidity of reserve assets. Currently, stablecoin issuers must keep at least 30% of their reserves in credit institutions, and this percentage rises to 60% for those classified as significant stablecoins. The ESCB suggested that significant stablecoins must allocate at least 40% of their reserves to assets maturing within one day and 60% to assets maturing within five working days, while the corresponding thresholds for non-significant stablecoins are 20% and 30%.

According to The Block, Coinbase announced the launch of fixed-rate Bitcoin collateralized loans through Morpho Midnight, allowing users to borrow USDC and determine the interest rate and repayment date at the time of borrowing. This new option is alongside Coinbase's existing floating-rate loans (based on Morpho Blue), which have outstanding loans exceeding $1.4 billion, corresponding to collateral of approximately $3 billion.Morpho launched Midnight on Base in July, introducing fixed rates and clear loan terms for on-chain lending. A Morpho spokesperson stated that Coinbase is the first mainstream consumer platform to offer Midnight loans on a large scale; since Midnight's launch, deposits have reached approximately $30 million. The outstanding loans for Morpho Blue across all integrations amount to $5.2 billion, with deposits reaching $16 billion.A Coinbase spokesperson did not disclose specific interest rates, stating that rates are determined by the supply and demand of both parties on the on-chain order book. Currently, Coinbase offers loans that mature at the end of the month or the end of the following month, and borrowers must repay before the due date; otherwise, lenders have the right to liquidate their collateral. Jacob Frantz, Coinbase's head of revenue and investment products, stated that Coinbase Borrow allows users to obtain liquidity without selling assets, and fixed-rate borrowing gives users greater choice in credit management. Morpho indicated that Midnight could also be used in the future to build structured credit products and loans collateralized by tokenized real-world assets, with more integrations in progress.

According to official news, Pyth Network announced that it has become an external data distributor for Nasdaq Basic, integrating Nasdaq's real-time quotes and trading products for U.S. stocks into the Pyth data marketplace.It is reported that Nasdaq Basic is Nasdaq's real-time best bid and ask product for U.S. stocks. The best buy and sell quotes and order volumes come from the liquidity of the Nasdaq market center.

WTI crude oil fell below 90 USD per barrel, with an intraday decline reaching 2.9%. According to reports, an Iranian official stated that if the United States takes preliminary measures to ease military pressure, including ending the military blockade of Iranian ports and stopping military actions related to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days. However, Iranian sources later denied reports regarding the reopening agreement of the Strait of Hormuz.

The People's Bank of China today reiterated in its financial education campaign that virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether do not have legal tender status and cannot be used for currency circulation; conducting virtual currency-related businesses within the country is considered illegal financial activity and is strictly prohibited.The People's Bank of China stated that without the consent of relevant authorities, domestic entities and their controlled overseas entities are not allowed to issue virtual currencies abroad, and no units or individuals, whether domestic or foreign, are permitted to issue stablecoins pegged to the Renminbi abroad. The People's Bank reminds the public not to participate in virtual currency issuance, trading, investment, or mining activities, to be wary of high-yield investment scams, and to avoid renting out bank cards, payment accounts, or participating in virtual currencies.In addition, the People's Bank advises caution against virtual currency investment products and trading platforms that claim "guaranteed profits" or "high interest"; not to participate in virtual currency issuance, trading, investment, or "mining" activities; not to join communities promoting virtual currency activities, not to click on links containing overseas virtual currency trading platforms, or download related apps; not to lend or rent out bank cards or payment accounts, not to buy or sell virtual currencies "on behalf of others" as instructed, and not to act as "drivers," "currency dealers," or "U merchants"; and to report any clues related to virtual currency business activities to the relevant regulatory authorities in a timely manner.

Global payment and financial infrastructure Infini announced the completion of a $6 million seed round financing, with participation from SNZ, Reforge, Enlight Capital, NDV (NextGen Digital Venture), FORTWEST, Vernal, and others.Infini stated that the funds will be used to further strengthen its global payment and financial infrastructure, making it easier and more efficient for individuals and businesses to manage and use funds globally.

According to official news, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange will launch BCH (Bitcoin Cash) and Uniswap futures to expand its cryptocurrency derivatives portfolio.Market participants can choose the contract size for trading based on demand: BCH futures (250 BCH) and micro Bitcoin Cash futures (25 BCH); UNI futures (10,000 UNI) and micro Uniswap futures (1,000 UNI).

The weekly change in ADP employment in the United States for the week ending September 5 was an increase of 20,000, compared to the previous value of 16,250.

According to the 8-K document submitted by Circle Internet Group to the U.S. SEC, a subsidiary of Circle signed an agreement with Binance on September 17, 2026, to expand their strategic cooperation in promoting USDC. At the same time, Binance subscribed to 1,237,011 shares of Circle Class A common stock at a price of $80.84 per share, totaling an investment of $100 million. This price reflects a discount compared to the market price prior to the signing of the subscription agreement.Under the agreement, Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee, calculated as a percentage of the amount of USDC held through Circle's modular smart contract wallet infrastructure service, while Binance will carry out additional promotional activities for USDC on its platform. The agreement has a term of five years, and either party may unilaterally terminate it upon the occurrence of specific events. The new agreement replaces the previous agreements from November 2024 and August 2025.The subscribed shares are issued through a private placement and are not registered under the Securities Act. Binance agrees not to directly or indirectly sell, transfer, pledge, or hedge such shares from the date of delivery until the second anniversary or before the termination of the commercial arrangement, while retaining voting rights and subject to several customary exceptions.

According to Reuters, citing two informed sources, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek will report on AI risks to the United Nations Security Council this week. The Security Council, composed of 15 member countries, is scheduled to discuss AI and international security on Wednesday, coinciding with the gathering of world leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to report at the meeting, and diplomats expect a senior representative from Anthropic to also participate. DeepSeek and other Chinese AI companies, including Moonshot, have been invited to make statements. DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng does not plan to attend. DeepSeek and Moonshot have not yet responded to requests for comment.The UN Security Council first discussed AI risks in 2023. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned last week that rapidly developing AI poses significant risks that cannot be ignored. Senior officials from China and the United States have agreed to hold further talks on AI safety.