Today’s highlights · 2026-10-18 · UTC
Schwab Opens BTC Trading as Japan Banks Finish Stablecoin Pilot; Machi Liquidated Again
Charles Schwab enables spot BTC and ETH for tens of millions of retail clients, while Japan’s top three banks complete a yen stablecoin cross-border pilot. Bitcoin hovers near $81K with weekly spot ETF outflows, alongside hardware-wallet security incidents and Hyperliquid liquidations.
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Japan’s top banks complete yen stablecoin cross-border pilot
Mizuho, MUFG and SMBC said they finished a proof-of-concept moving a jointly issued yen stablecoin for Mitsubishi Corporation’s offices. The FSA-backed test covered issuance, transfer and redemption, with live use targeted by March 2027.
Why it matters
Bank-issued stablecoins could cut remittance costs if they reach production, but timing still hinges on regulation and operational readiness.
Charles Schwab opens BTC and ETH trading to 40M-plus clients
Charles Schwab, with about $13.4 trillion in client assets, now offers direct bitcoin and ether trading to roughly 40.1 million retail clients via web, app and thinkorswim. Reporting also notes staged deposit and withdrawal rollouts.
Why it matters
Brokerage access may widen compliant inflows, though fees, eligibility and transfer rails will shape near-term market impact.
Bitcoin holds near $81,000 into the weekend
Around Oct. 17, bitcoin traded near $81,400–$81,600 after briefly slipping under $80,000 earlier in the week. Markets are still digesting hot inflation prints and broader risk-asset swings, with intermittent liquidations.
Why it matters
Trading near support can amplify volatility; direction still depends on macro data, liquidity and ETF flows.
U.S. spot bitcoin and ether ETFs post weekly net outflows
Figures cited from Farside show about $228.4 million of net outflows from U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs and about $320.1 million from ether ETFs for Oct. 12–16. Lookonchain’s Oct. 16 update also showed seven-day bitcoin ETF flows still negative.
Why it matters
Persistent redemptions can add spot selling pressure, though single-day inflows can reverse sentiment quickly.
Coldcard says phishing post appeared on its official X account
Hardware wallet maker Coldcard said that on Oct. 11 a phishing link was posted from its official X account despite offline 2FA in place since 2017. The firm deleted the post and is investigating; no verified losses have been tied to that post so far.
Why it matters
Verified social accounts can still be abused; users should rely on official domains for firmware and never enter seeds via social links.
Ledger details reseller hardware implants that stole seed phrases
In reporting dated around mid-October on an early-October incident, CoinDesk cited Ledger saying some CryptoBilis-sold devices hid implants that read 24-word recovery phrases from the screen and exfiltrated them over LTE/eSIM, with losses estimated up to about $93.2 million across 300-plus wallets.
Why it matters
Supply-chain attacks weaken the “cold storage is absolute” assumption and raise the bar for purchase-channel verification.
Machi liquidated again on Hyperliquid
Lookonchain reported Machi turned about $56,000 into $12.25 million over roughly four months before a full liquidation to about $21,800 on Oct. 15, then nearly wiped fresh deposits again around Oct. 18. Positions centered on high-leverage ether longs.
Why it matters
High leverage can erase gains quickly and may cascade into broader altcoin volatility during forced selling.
Bitfinex ether margin longs rise to multi-year highs
Market posts on Oct. 17 put Bitfinex ETH margin longs near about 367,500 ETH, roughly $889 million at about $2,420, among the highest readings since 2022. Similar past buildups have sometimes preceded drawdowns before recovery.
Why it matters
Crowded exchange margin longs can signal both upside conviction and liquidation risk, not a standalone trend confirmation.
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