Markets

Markets coverage from the StreamSage Markets desk: Stocks, Bonds, Forex, Commodities, Funds, Derivatives, Crypto Assets. Sources on every story. Page 4.

• Stellar activates Protocol 28 as network sets throughput record

  Stellar enabled atomic contract upgrades and consensus changes by Sept. 17, while stablecoin supply reached nearly $884 million over the past year.

• HIP-3 reaches 50% of Hyperliquid perp volume as RWA trading surges

  Dragonfly Capital's Haseeb Qureshi argues that institutional compliance requirements will require multiple specialized blockchains rather than a single winner.

• Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade passes testnet capacity tests

  Nethermind completed 2,302 performance tests and processed 570.7 billion gas in three minutes and 15 seconds.

• Zcash NU7 vote locks 25-second blocks and 2031 fee start

  Zcash holders confirmed 25-second blocks and a February 2031 fee recycling start, resolving the only major disagreement in the upgrade package.

• Fed lifts rates 25bp as Bitcoin holds near $76,600

  Committee projects a median rate of 4.1% for end-2027, implying one final hike, while Zcash hits a record.

• Bitcoin treasuries buy 5,900 BTC in three months

  Corporate holdings stayed at an unrealized loss as Bitcoin dropped below $80,000.

• Solana triples transaction size ahead of 250ms slot upgrade

  The V1 format went live on Sept. 15, and the next slot-time reduction is expected to take effect when epoch 1037 begins on Sept. 18.

• Cboe Data: $6.3B IBIT Options Expiry Follows Fed Decision

  Roughly $6.28 billion in gross IBIT share value expires Friday, two days after the Federal Reserve releases its policy statement.

• Cardano needs 43 TPS to fund staking, but bots outpace real users

  Cardano's staking rewards are 150 times larger than fee revenue, requiring 43 transactions per second to balance, while bots now generate a third of network traffic.

• Payward Plans U.S. Perpetual Futures on Hyperliquid

  Payward will offer U.S. clients onchain perpetual futures on Hyperliquid, starting with HIP-3 markets, subject to regulatory approval.

• Bitcoin Falls Below $76.7K Support After Senate CLARITY Act Rejection

  Spot prices dropped 4.6% on the week to $76K, missing a key technical level following the failed crypto market-structure bill.

• How MSCI Shifted from Objective Benchmark to Defacto Market Regulator

  MSCI’s August 3, 2026 consultation uses a two-step sieve that flags Strategy, Metaplanet, and Yellow Cake without naming digital assets.

• Bitcoin Holds $76K as Analysts Prioritize Fed Decision Over Clarity Act

  Bitcoin traded near $76,140 Wednesday after the Senate blocked the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, with traders watching Wednesday's rate decision.

• Zcash holders approve 25-second blocks in network poll

  A recent poll of ZEC holders showed nearly 99% support for the block time reduction, with the existing issuance and halving schedules left unchanged.

• Bitcoin Correlations Collapse Ahead of Fed Rate Decision

  Short-window links to the S&P 500 and dollar index have faded, complicating hedging strategies before a widely expected 25 basis point hike.

• US Treasury 20-year auction yields 5.42% amid lowest foreign demand

  The US Treasury cleared its 20-year auction at a record 5.42% yield, with indirect bidders taking the lowest share on record and Secretary Bessent’s earlier praise drawing sharp questioning.

• Bitcoin traders price near-certain Fed hike, brace for surprise hold

  Markets show 92.5% odds of a rate increase, while Talos data reveals a 28% tilt into stablecoins and collapsing buying conviction in major assets.

• Bitcoin Coinbase premium hits four-week low on Clarity Act failure

  Discount widens to roughly $50 per coin as the Clarity Act fails and the Fed prepares its first rate hike since July 2023.

• $254M Left in CoinEx Wallets as Five Rivals Take 88% of Market

  Nansen data reveals $253.6 million remains in CoinEx-labeled wallets, while five major exchanges captured 88% of August volume.

• Major Bitcoin Core update changes default wallet protocols, risking temporary disruption across popular apps

  Bitcoin Core tagged v32.0rc1 on Sept.