Gm frens, and welcome to this week’s crypto news report!

From the Premier League to Pi Network, crypto is breaking into new arenas. Bots are flooding stablecoin volumes, Grayscale is reshaping access to DeFi, Ethereum’s core devs are planning what’s next, and pop culture collides with blockchain. Oh, and Zypto App’s multichain swaps are just a tap away.

Let’s get to it.

Newcastle United gets official crypto exchange partner

Global cryptocurrency exchange BYDFi, whose mission is to help users “BUIDL Your Dream Finance,” has entered a multi-year partnership with Premier League football club Newcastle United, becoming its official crypto exchange partner.

BYDFi will work with Newcastle United to connect with its massive global following and create new digital experiences for fans. The partnership provides BYDFi with a powerful platform, as the Magpies have seen remarkable growth in their international reach.

“Since the 21/22 season, our broadcast audience has ranked second among Europe’s top clubs, and in the Asia-Pacific region, we now attract the fifth-highest Premier League TV audience,” said Peter Silverstone, Newcastle United’s chief commercial officer.

He also noted that the club was the fastest-growing in the Premier League on social media last season, making it an ideal partner for a global brand looking to engage a new generation of fans.

Likewise, for BYDFi, the collaboration is also about a shared philosophy of turning ideas into reality through deliberate action. “Lasting success, on the pitch or in finance, comes from doing the right things, repeatedly, over time,” said Michael Hung, co-founder and CEO.

Founded in 2020, BYDFi has grown into a one-stop social trading platform serving over one million users across 190 countries. The exchange is designed to be accessible to a broad audience, from beginners to seasoned investors, which aligns with its goal of reaching Newcastle’s diverse fanbase. 

The platform offers a wide range of services, including spot trading for over 1,000 cryptocurrencies, perpetual futures, and a suite of automated trading tools. A standout feature is its copy trading system, which allows users to follow the strategies of more experienced traders with as little as $10, lowering the barrier to entry for newcomers.

This focus on accessibility is backed by a strong commitment to security and compliance. BYDFi holds a money services business (MSB) license in the United States and a CODE VASP license in South Korea. It also recently launched a co-branded hardware wallet with Ledger.

5 times crypto crossed into pop culture

“Art imitates life” is a popular saying. Few things influence pop culture today like blockchain technology, so unsurprisingly, Bitcoin has become a punchline for satirical TV shows. 

Here are five moments when digital assets crossed into pop culture.

Southpark’s unhinged predictions 

South Park season 27 episode 5 is centered around prediction markets. It features a parody of Fox News reporting on Kalshi and Polymarket bets: Will President Trump and Satan’s baby be a boy or a girl?

Previous episodes featuring Bitcoin include the 2021 post-COVID special aired on November 25, where it’s a mainstream currency – but also a Ponzi scheme. In December 2021, South Park mocked non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a get-rich-quick craze, portraying “Butters,” a character, as one losing his mind over NFTs, with anyone who listened to him becoming infected.

Sheldon explains blockchain on The Simpsons 

In a February 2020 episode titled “Frinkcoin,” The Simpsons ran a segment explaining blockchain technology. It was narrated by Jim Parsons – popular for playing Sheldon on “The Big Bang Theory” – who broke down the basics of how cryptocurrencies work.

It made waves in the crypto community because it was educational and not satirical. Over a year later, Bitcoin was featured in the TV show again. This time, it was predicted that BTC would rise to infinity. 

Fortune didn’t favor Matt Damon’s Crypto.com ad 

Hollywood actor Matt Damon starred in Crypto.com’s October 2021 commercial at the height of Bitcoin’s bull run, just weeks before the asset reached a then-record price. 

He spoke about near-successes, pointing to explorers and innovators as examples of human progress before concluding with “Fortune favors the brave.” The camera then panned away from him, toward a cosmic backdrop with the brand’s logo.

Within weeks, Bitcoin hit a then-all-time high of about $69,000. But the following year brought notorious misfortune: the Terra collapse, cascading bankruptcies, and a brutal bear market. 

Crypto’s Super Bowl takeover 

In 2022, the Super Bowl drew the attention of the entire crypto world, as several digital asset companies spent millions on high-profile commercials. Crypto.com doubled down on its “fortune favors the brave” campaign with basketball legend LeBron James. 

Trading platform eToro promoted itself with both a commercial and a halftime bingo card minigame. Coinbase stole the show with a QR code bouncing around the screen. Viewers who scanned it enjoyed a $15 Bitcoin giveaway and sign-up promotion.

Elon Musk’s DOGE “hustle” on “SNL” 

In 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk repeatedly tweeted about Dogecoin, each post sending the meme token higher. The frenzy peaked with Musk’s “Saturday Night Live” appearance in May 2021, which pushed DOGE to an all-time high of $0.76 ahead of the broadcast.

But the episode backfired for investors as Musk called DOGE a “hustle” during a skit, and by September 2022, the token had lost roughly 75% of its value against Bitcoin.

Bots are behind record stablecoin volume

A new report on stablecoin activity in Q3 2025 shows a ton of bullish figures and rampant bot activity. More than 70% of on-chain transactions were carried out by automated protocols.

These bots continued growing at a steady rate, staying active while human traders cooled down in September. This trend could undermine trader confidence and stablecoins’ stated utility functions. 

Stablecoins are seemingly all the rage right now, between explosive valuations, new regulatory breakthroughs, and stiff competition from new players. However, while some analysts are championing stablecoins as the future, the report has some bold claims.

The report noted, 

“Bot-driven activity continues to dominate the landscape, accounting for 71% of all on-chain stablecoin transactions, up from 68% in Q2. The surge of bot activity and unlabeled high-frequency transfers could raise questions about a potential increase in wash trading and non-economically valuable transfers within the stablecoin space.”

In fairness, these bot allegations are nestled within a set of bullish data points for the stablecoin sector. 

Total token supply jumped by around $43 billion, fueled by huge minting events, and trading activity hit a four-year high. Retail usage, meaning token transfers under $250, also hit an all-time high. 

This guarantees that 2025 will be the most active year for stablecoin transactions, as this market surpassed the entirety of 2024 by Q3. The report also claimed that this figure excludes all stablecoin transactions involving bots.

Despite these bullish figures, we can’t ignore the overwhelming presence of bots in the stablecoin economy. In other words, bot activity on this scale can cause a lot of problems.

Automatic trades can create irrational behavior in token markets, and bot-ridden platforms also damage user confidence with manipulation fears.

Thus, even if bots don’t lead to rampant wash trading with stablecoins, their presence could still impact retail investors’ behavior. That being said, a close eye would need to be kept on this situation as more data keeps coming.

Ethereum leaders outline future at TOKEN 2049 Conference

Prominent figures from Consensys, Ethereum Foundation, and EigenCloud shared insights on Ethereum’s progress and future at TOKEN 2049’s “Ten Years In: Ethereum’s next Frontier” roundtable.

These discussions highlight Ethereum’s ongoing role in bridging anarchism and traditional finance while boosting L1-L2 synergies and preparing for AI’s rising influence within decentralized systems.

Joseph Lubin discussed Ethereum’s transformation from resisting traditional banking to integrating with institutions. The 85% token allocation for Linea, along with burning 20% of transaction fees, highlights a strategic focus on sustainability and enhancing the Ethereum mainnet.

Tomasz Stanczak revealed plans to increase Ethereum’s gas usage to 100 million, tripling computing power. This advancement supports the foundation’s goals of improved finality, privacy, and security, underscoring Layer 1’s and Layer 2’s symbiotic relationship.

Sreeram Kannan labeled Ethereum as the “trust layer” vital in AI’s rise, introducing EigenLayer’s solutions for accountability. The attendees collectively advised developers to focus more on impactful applications than chain selection, which suggests a focus on substantial innovation over network allegiance.

Experts anticipate that Ethereum protocol upgrades will sustain market growth and adoption. Data from past milestones show that Ethereum’s expanding ecosystem could further attract institutional attention and competitive innovations in blockchain systems.

Grayscale adds staking feature to Ethereum & Solana ETFs 

On October 6, Grayscale Investments, one of the world’s largest digital asset investment platforms, introduced staking for its Ethereum and Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF) products—a move that marks a first for the U.S. Crypto ETF market.

The company announced that Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE), Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (ETH), and Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL) have become the first U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) to enable staking.

The update allows investors to gain exposure not only to the spot prices of Ether and Solana, but also to the networks’ staking rewards – traditionally earned by users who lock their tokens directly on-chain.

According to Peter Mintzberg, Grayscale’s CEO,

“Staking in our spot Ethereum and Solana funds is exactly the kind of first-mover innovation Grayscale was built to deliver.”

Grayscale will stake its ETH and SOL ETF holdings through institutional custodians and a diversified network of validator providers. The process will be passive, meaning investors do not need to hold crypto or manage validators themselves.

Instead, the funds will earn staking rewards, which are then expected to remain within the fund, potentially enhancing its net asset value (NAV) over time. 

The ETHE fund is Grayscale’s flagship Ethereum product, designed primarily for institutional and long-term investors. On the contrary, the ETH Mini Trust offers a lower-fee, retail-friendly version.

According to data from Sosovale, ETHE is the second-largest Ethereum ETF, valued at $4.82 billion. ETH Mini Trust ranks fourth, valued at $3.31 billion.

Until now, U.S Spot crypto ETFs have provided exposure only to the underlying asset’s price. By enabling staking, Grayscale has effectively introduced yield-bearing crypto exposure into traditional finance, a feature that could pressure competitors like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Ark to follow suit.

The move will also broaden investor access to on-chain rewards, eliminating the technical risks associated with self-custody, validator management, and slashing penalties. For long-term holders, it would introduce an additional return component that mirrors the yield mechanics found in decentralized finance (DeFi).

The addition of staking is notable given the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s cautious position on yield-generating crypto products. Grayscale’s structure, where staking rewards remain within the fund rather than being distributed, may have been key to regulatory acceptance.

Pi Network adds major DeFi features 

Pi Network is making visible progress on its technology roadmap. The team recently launched several new testnet features, including a decentralized exchange (DEX) and an automated market maker (AMM) integrated directly into the Pi Wallet.

These tools enable users to experiment with token swaps, liquidity pools, and DeFi mechanisms in a controlled test environment without exposing mainnet assets to risk.

According to the development team, the goal is to prepare users for the eventual mainnet transition. The new tools allow direct peer-to-peer trades within the wallet, giving users more control over their assets.

By doing so, Pi aims to reduce reliance on centralized exchanges, which have often proven to be points of failure in the crypto industry. Beyond the DEX, Pi has introduced token creation capabilities on its testnet.

This update allows developers to issue tokens, build applications, and launch marketplaces directly within the Pi ecosystem. It mirrors how Ethereum’s ERC-20 framework spurred that blockchain network’s early growth.

Pioneers are optimistic that such products could mark a turning point for Pi Network’s ecosystem strategy. They argue that the project’s focus on infrastructure, decentralization, and developer participation reflects an attempt to establish lasting value beyond speculative trading.

Zypto unlocks cross-chain swaps on 20+ blockchains

Zypto App now supports true multichain swaps across 20+ blockchains, allowing users to exchange tokens between Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, BNB Chain, Tron, Stellar, Avalanche, Polygon and more, with no bridges, no wrapped assets, and no external tools. Everything happens inside the app, with native routing, wallet integration and full swap visibility.

Users can swap thousands of tokens across these networks in real time, thanks to integrated DEXs and aggregators like Uniswap, Raydium, Shibaswap, Aftermath, and ChangeNow. With best-rate discovery, stablecoin support, and native cold wallet compatibility, Zypto is setting a new benchmark for multichain performance, and redefining what it means to actually use your assets across chains.

Find out more here.

Closing remark

For a crypto exchange to effectively break into the mainstream, there must be a connection to the cultures where potential users live. Strategic partnerships with major brands in sports has been a way to bridge this gap.

The report claimed that unlabeled bot transactions were a constant presence, maintaining high volumes even while markets cooled down in September. Although bots have long been a part of the stablecoin economy, this seems like overkill.

Grayscale’s latest move could redefine how investors interact with crypto, bridging the gap between DeFi and Wall Street. In the long run, Pi’s success will not depend on short-term price action but on whether these innovations translate into sustainable utility.

Finally, true multichain support is fast becoming the benchmark for real utility, and Zypto App is leading the charge, enabling users to swap across 20+ chains and thousands of tokens directly inside the app.

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