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Macro expectations push Bitcoin forecasts higher

The biggest talking point in the Bitcoin market this week was veteran trader Peter Brandt shifting his outlook back toward a bullish scenario from a more cautious stance. Brandt upgraded the $250,000-$300,000 range he pointed to in July and said the next peak could form between $300,000 and $600,000. The call came after earlier warnings about the risk of a pullback toward the area above $40,000.

Hayes says rising money supply is supportive for crypto

Maelstrom investment chief Arthur Hayes argued that the AI revolution, US debt pressure and financial strain in France could trigger a new wave of monetary expansion. According to Hayes, the trillions of dollars needed to fund data centers could push the system toward more liquidity even as service prices fall. That backdrop is seen as medium-term support for risk assets and cryptocurrencies.

In the US, Donald Trump’s appointment of former SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) chair Jay Clayton to lead the newly created “Super Intelligence Force” also intensified debate around AI and public policy. The market is closely watching how the move could affect funding for technology investment and the regulatory approach.

Market data remains fragile despite the gains

As the weekend approached, pricing stayed mildly positive. According to CoinMarketCap data, Bitcoin rose 1.4% week on week to $85,821, while Ethereum gained 0.6% to $2,701. XRP slipped 0.8% to $1.50, and total crypto market value stood at $2.92 trillion.

  • Bitcoin: up 1.4% to $85,821
  • Ethereum: up 0.6% to $2,701
  • XRP: down 0.8% to $1.50
  • Total market value: $2.92 trillion

Even so, the security picture is continuing to cap risk appetite. The combined cost of attacks and exploits in September climbed above $766 million, according to two blockchain security firms. PeckShield calculated $766.5 million across 55 major incidents, while CertiK put the loss at $768.4 million across 97 incidents. Among the month’s biggest cases were the $388 million Bitget attack and the $320 million Liquid Network exploit; more than $270 million was later returned, according to reports.

Projects diverge as NEAR strengthens and Blast shuts down

New developments on NEAR and Ethereum

The NEAR ecosystem has gained strong momentum in recent weeks. The asset’s price has more than doubled over the past month, while Bitwise’s ETF recorded roughly $60 million in inflows this week. The network’s SHIELD AI system blocked funds stolen from Bitget from moving through the Intents cross-chain swap platform, and also helped stop a separate $3.8 million exploit. But the intervention has reignited debate over decentralization versus platform responsibility.

By contrast, Ethereum layer-2 network Blast said it will shut down because operating costs have exceeded revenue, and asked users to withdraw their assets to Ethereum mainnet. The project, launched in November 2023, had amassed more than $2 billion in deposits before mainnet launch. Ethereum developers also said the next major upgrade, Glamsterdam, will go live on the Sepolia testnet on October 6, with changes expected to improve transaction efficiency and reduce reliance on intermediate layers.

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