09/26/2026
Sep 26: Bitcoin Options Expiry Triggers $15.6B Unwind; XRP and Solana Outperform
Tether Downplays Impact of EQIBank Seizure, Citing Less Than 0.034% Ex · US Prosecutors Seek $84.2M From Bank Linked to Tether and EQIBank · Bitget Hack Losses Escalate to $387M; North Korea's Lazarus Group Susp
Market Snapshot
- Bitcoin (BTC): $84,051.89 (-0.5% 24h)
- Ethereum (ETH): $2,688.90 (-1.06% 24h)
- Solana (SOL): $121.08 (+0.28% 24h)
- Notable: ~$15.6B in BTC options expired on Deribit, driving volatility
Top Stories
- US Prosecutors Seek $84.2M From Bank Linked to Tether and EQIBank
- Bitcoin Options Expiry Triggers $15.6B Unwind; XRP and Solana Outperform
- Bitget Hack Losses Escalate to $387M; North Korea's Lazarus Group Suspected
- Tether Downplays Impact of EQIBank Seizure, Citing Less Than 0.034% Exposure
Key Takeaways
- Regulatory risk remains acute for crypto banking partners, as seen in the EQIBank and Capstone seizures.
- Large-scale options expiries can trigger volatility but may not signal trend reversals if macro conditions remain stable.
- Centralized exchanges continue to face sophisticated threats, with internal process exploits now rivaling key thefts in scale.
- Stablecoin issuers like Tether are increasingly transparent about risk exposures but remain dependent on fragile banking relationships.
- Market resilience is evident in altcoins like XRP and SOL, which outperformed BTC during a volatile week.
What to Watch
The crypto market faces continued macro uncertainty as the Federal Reserve's October rate decision approaches, with CME FedWatch odds for another hike at 75%. Watch for further fallout from the EQIBank seizure, especially if additional banking partners are implicated. Bitget's reopening of withdrawals and any law enforcement confirmation of North Korean involvement in the hack will be key signals for exchange security and geopolitical risk in the sector.