Chainalysis says $75 billion in crypto tied to illicit activity could be recoverable — a figure that may influence nations weighing official crypto reserves. As the United States and other countries weigh the prospect of building national cryptocurrency reserves, new research from Chainalysis suggests governments may already be within reach of tens of billions of dollars in potentially recoverable onchain assets — a development that could intersect with those reserve discussions. In a report published Thursday, Chainalysis estimated that crypto balances linked to illicit activity exceed $75 billion. That total includes roughly $15 billion held directly by illicit entities and more than $60 billion in wallets with downstream exposure to those entities. The blockchain analytics company said darknet market operators and vendors control more than $40 billion in crypto assets on the blockchain. Read more
Bitcoin risked losing $120,000 support as repeat retests caused traders to see much lower BTC price targets coming in the near future. Key points: Bitcoin risks new October lows as sellers regain control and BTC price discovery gets put on hold. Targets include the local range lows at about $108,000 amid bearish divergences. Read more
Precious metals have experienced record highs in 2025, making Bitcoin relatively undervalued, positioning BTC for a strong Q4 rally. Precious metals are soaring in response to the US dollar debasement, with gold hitting $4,000 per ounce and silver reaching a 45-year high of over $50 per ounce. Still, the precious metal rally may be running out of steam, paving the way for investor rotation into alternative store-of-value assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and tokenized real-world assets. Gold’s more than 50% rally so far this year — coupled with Goldman Sachs’ forecast of $4,900 per ounce by the end of 2026 — suggests the metal is “overheated,” according to Nic Puckrin, founder of the Coin Bureau education company. He said: Puckrin added that these assets all serve as hedges against fiat currency inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. Read more
The four-year cycle would usually end about now, but strong ETF demand, “more organic” accumulation and bullish technicals suggest BTC price can go higher for longer. Key takeaways: Strong ETF inflows and accumulation across all BTC investor groups suggest the rally is just getting started. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $2.2 billion in net inflows over one week — the second-largest ever. Read more
Bitcoin consolidated near $123,000 after an 8% leverage flush, signaling a possible new value area and setting up for a potential Q4 rally toward $150,000. Key takeaways: Bitcoin retained range-bound trading above $120,000 after an 8% leverage reset in futures. Spot demand and declining open interest point to renewed buyer confidence. Read more