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More →South Korea crypto exchange profits fall 78% in H1 amid trading slump
South Korean crypto exchange operating profits fell 78% in the first half of 2026 as trading volumes, market capitalization and customer deposits declined. South Korean crypto exchanges saw operating profits fall 78% in the first half of 2026 as trading activity, market valuations and customer deposits declined, according to new government data. On Thursday, the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) <a href="https://www.fsc.go.kr/eng/pr010101/87833" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">>said</a> average daily trading volume at domestic virtual asset exchanges fell 44% from the previous six months, while market capitalization dropped 33% and won-denominated deposits fell 35%. Exchange sales declined 41% over the same period, even as the number of accounts eligible to trade rose slightly by 0.4%. KoFIU’s survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and nine custody and wallet providers, and covered activity from Jan. 1 through June 30. The figures come amid signs that South Korean retail investors have been shifting attention from crypto to the country’s stock market. In May, the value of crypto held by South Korean investors fell 50.2% to 60.6 trillion won ($41.4 billion) over roughly a year. Korean outlet ChosunBiz <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-crypto-holdings-halve-in-a-year-as-investors-turn-to-stock-market" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linked the decline</a> to capital moving toward stocks. A Cointelegraph analysis in July also <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-crypto-volume-decline-kospi-retail-stocks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">found that combined average daily volume</a> across Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax had fallen about 89% year over year during comparable seven-day periods, while the KOSPI, South Korea’s benchmark stock index, had more than doubled over the 12 months to July 22. Cointelegraph contacted Bithumb and Upbit operator Dunamu for comment. <em><strong>Related: </strong></em><a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-travel-rule-threshold-crypto-transfers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em><strong>South Korea drops Travel Rule threshold for crypto transfers</strong></em></a>
The most recent funding rate for the ETH perpetual contract is 0.000423%.
CoinWorld data: The most recent funding rate for the ETHUSDT perpetual contract is 0.000423%, with longs paying shorts.
Bithumb has added Blast to its trading caution list and suspended deposits.
Bithumb added blast to its trading caution list on October 3. Bithumb stated that after the blast foundation announced its mainnet operation termination plan, the platform needs to further confirm the continuity of the project's related business, the actual progress, and the impact on the token's use, purpose, and function. To protect user interests, Bithumb suspended blast deposits, with the suspension taking effect at 1:30 on October 3. Whether the trading caution list will be lifted or trading support will be terminated will be announced between October 12 and 16.
BlackRock increased its Bitcoin holdings by $195 million for its IBIT ETF.
CoinWorld data: BlackRock increased its Bitcoin holdings by more than $195 million for its IBIT ETF.
Meta launches Muse, giving AI a cute persona
According to Bihu.com, Meta launched an AI assistant called Muse on September 8 and gave it a cute image, then later introduced a customized mascot called Jolly. OpenAI also launched AI characters called Dots on September 29, and users can name these characters. Although these characters are intended to make technology more approachable, critics believe this is mainly a marketing strategy. Fairplay executive director Josh Golin accused Meta and OpenAI of using children's icons to sell AI products and called on regulators to investigate whether they intentionally appeal to children. Despite the cute appearance of these characters, their track record is not so satisfactory. OpenAI once disclosed in a cybersecurity test that its model gained unauthorized access.
UK financial leaders expect tokenization to reshape markets
Data from Bijie: 71% of UK financial leaders expect tokenization to reshape financial services. According to a latest survey by Lloyds Banking Group, fast payments and settlement are considered the most notable benefits of tokenization. The survey shows that a growing number of UK financial institutions are exploring blockchain-based infrastructure to improve payments, settlement, and liquidity management. Lloyds Bank said that moving assets and payments onto digital infrastructure can free up capital and liquidity tied up in financial transactions, enabling institutions to use these resources elsewhere.
The most recent funding rate for BTC perpetual contracts is 0.001118%.
CoinWorld data: The most recent funding rate for the BTCUSDT perpetual contract is 0.001118%, with longs paying shorts.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $102.7 million in inflows yesterday.
CoinWorld data: U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $102.7 million in inflows yesterday.
Citadel Securities：买入机会来临，S&P 500盈利加速
CoinWorld data: Citadel Securities said that as S&P 500 earnings expectations rise, investors should be prepared to use further market weakness as an opportunity to rebuild equity exposure. Although the S&P 500 index is still near a record high, market internals are relatively weak, with about 25% of S&P 500 companies trading below their 50-day moving average. Citadel's optimism is mainly driven by earnings, as the S&P 500 third-quarter earnings per share estimate has risen 2.2% over the past two months. The market currently expects third-quarter earnings per share to grow 27% year over year. At the same time, U.S. companies have authorized a record $1.3 trillion in buybacks, and the buyback window is expected to open rapidly after October 15, which could provide a new source of demand for the stock market.
BTC saw a net capital outflow of 1,173.7773 BTC over the past 24 hours.
CoinWorld data: BTC saw a net capital outflow of 1,173.7773 BTC over the past 24 hours. This figure is aggregated from continuous 1-hour resolution data and represents the rolling 24-hour net capital flow denominated in BTC assets. It does not indicate exchange net inflows, on-chain exchange flows, or institutional capital flows, and should not be conflated with deposit and withdrawal data from any single exchange.