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Inflation Surprises to the Upside as Institutions Accelerate Their Entry, Bringing Crypto Markets and Tokenized U.S. Stocks to a Pivotal Turning Point I. U.S. September CPI Exceeds Expectations, Rate-Hike Fears Sweep Global Markets The latest September CPI data released by the U.S. Department of Labor showed year-over-year inflation reaching 3.7%, above the market forecast of 3.6%. PPI surged to 6.3%. This hotter-than-expected inflation report immediately sparked concerns that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates high or even raise them again. Data showed that the probability of a rate cut in October plunged from its previous highs to around 17%. In response, the crypto market saw sharp volatility. Bitcoin briefly fell below $80,000 before rebounding to around $82,000. An estimated $950 million in crypto positions were liquidated over the past week, while digital asset investment products recorded outflows of approximately $434 million. However, market anxiety did not last long. Continued institutional inflows and positive on-chain signals have renewed confidence in the market. II. Institutional Whales Make Major Purchases, Strengthening Bitcoin’s Long-Term Bullish Case Although short-term market volatility has intensified, on-chain data is sending a very different signal. The number of whale wallet addresses holding between 10 and 10,000 bitcoin hit a record high of 20,338, with these holders accumulating approximately 85,000 bitcoin in total. This indicates that large holders are not selling in a panic; instead, they are adding to their positions against the trend. Binance founder CZ recently said publicly that Bitcoin could reach $1 million faster than most investors expect. He cited continued growth in institutional adoption, expanding financial infrastructure, and structural shifts in demand as the key factors behind this forecast. Meanwhile, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to see inflows, and Chainalysis data shows that the U.S. became a net importer of Bitcoin in 2026, further underscoring strong institutional conviction. III. Visa Launches USDC Cross-Border Payments for Commercial Use, Accelerating Stablecoin Adoption In the payments sector, Visa announced that it is moving its stablecoin prefunding feature from the pilot phase to full commercial deployment. The feature supports USDC-powered cross-border payments through the Visa Direct network, reaching 180 countries and regions. Inyo Global is the first partner to officially integrate the service. Following Mastercard’s launch of its global money platform and Circle’s plans to expand USDC into around 50 new markets, this move signals the accelerating integration of stablecoins into traditional finance. Notably, Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has also gained new banking partners, with Cross River Bank and DriveWealth each announcing plans to incorporate it into their core banking platforms. The parallel efforts of traditional payment giants and crypto-native projects suggest that stablecoins are evolving from tools used within the crypto sphere into an important part of global financial infrastructure. IV. Tokenized U.S. Stocks Post Strong Gains, Ushering in a New Era of On-Chain Asset Allocation Tokenized U.S. stocks are also attracting attention with their strong market performance. Data shows that AGT rose more than 104% in a single day, ICNT gained around 37%, and Q rose about 30%, highlighting investors’ keen interest in on-chain U.S. equities. Tokenized U.S. stocks are now deployed across multiple blockchains, including BSC and Ethereum, and cover sectors ranging from technology to pharmaceuticals. The emergence of tokenized U.S. stocks offers traditional investors a new way to allocate assets. Blockchain technology enables investors to trade U.S. equities around the clock, without being restricted by traditional exchange hours, while also lowering barriers to cross-border investment. As regulatory frameworks become clearer and infrastructure continues to improve, this sector could become an important bridge between traditional finance and crypto finance. V. MSCI Index Changes Draw Attention, Testing Companies Holding Bitcoin MSCI recently confirmed a new rule that will remove non-operating companies from its global investable market indexes. The rule takes effect on November 30. Strategy, which holds approximately 848,000 bitcoin, faces the risk of being removed, potentially affecting around $2.8 billion in passive investment holdings. Following the announcement, the company’s share price fell 4%. This development reflects the pressure on traditional financial systems to adjust their rules for companies holding crypto assets. As more publicly listed companies add Bitcoin to their balance sheets, index providers and passive funds will face the long-term challenge of how to define and classify these companies. The final list of affected companies will be announced on November 11, and the market will be watching closely for further developments. #CrossRiverBankAddsRLUSDToCoreBankingPlatform #BitcoinShortTermHoldersReach4.08MBTC #TokenizedUSStocks