The cryptocurrency market opens on Wednesday, Oct. 15, under the shadow of both whale wallets and regulators. A LuBian-linked address has moved 9,757 BTC worth $1.1 billion after three years of complete silence, just as the U.S. government seeks forfeiture of 127,271 BTC worth $14 billion connected to the 2020 LuBian theft.
Ripple is putting up $200,000 for white hats to attack its new lending protocol, while Coinbase has announced a direct bet on India’s growing crypto economy via CoinDCX.
Bitcoin battles $112,000 as $1.1 billion LuBian wallet sparks fresh fears
The LuBian-linked wallet shift hit the market at the worst possible time – it is still bleeding from last Friday’s $19 billion liquidation cascade. The address is linked to the LuBian exchange hack, which was one of the biggest crypto heists ever.
Years ago, almost 127,000 BTC – that is $14.4 billion at today’s prices – was stolen, and the U.S. government has just announced plans to confiscate the stash. The next day, 9,757 BTC worth $1.1 billion moved after three years of nothing.
That timing is no coincidence. It seems that either insiders are trying to stop the seizure, or the stolen coins are being moved around to see how much surveillance the system can handle.
Bitcoin is currently trading at $112,703, after swinging between $113,239 and $112,540 today. There is a lot of activity in the $111,800-$112,000 range. Every test of $114,000 has been rejected instantly, showing that sellers still have the short-term upper hand. Drop below $111,000, and it is on to $109,500. Bulls cannot breathe easy until $114,500 is flipped or $116,000 is closed out.
With $124 million of new BTC longs in the last 24 hours, traders know another wave of whale transfers could break the floor below $110,000.
Ripple to give away $200,000 on XRPL “Attackathon”
Ripple has lined up a live-fire test for the XRP Ledger’s upcoming lending protocol, putting $200,000 on the table in a joint “attackathon” with security firm Immunefi. The program runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 29, with the full bounty unlocked if a single critical flaw shows up.
If the system holds up, the participants will split a fallback pool of $30,000.
This is one of the most ambitious updates to XRPL, as it is a fixed-term, uncollateralized loan that is settled directly on the chain, skipping the usual wrapping and smart contract layers. Instead, credit checks are kept off-chain, while repayment and liquidation logic is kept on the ledger.
XRP, in the meantime, attempts a recovery near $2.50 after sliding 12% this week, with $2.30 as the support level and $2.90 as the ceiling going into ETF decision week.
The attackathon kicks off with two weeks of training for researchers, then moves on to trying to break vault solvency, liquidation triggers and admin functions.
Coinbase wants Indian crypto market with CoinDCX investment
Coinbase entered the Indian market with a new investment in CoinDCX, the country’s top crypto exchange. The major U.S. exchange decision to move into Asia and the Middle East signals a bigger focus on these regions, where more than 100 million people already use cryptocurrency.
For CoinDCX, the deal gives them U.S. branding power and direct access to Coinbase’s liquidity pools, which will boost their position after years of building retail scale and navigating India’s shifting regulatory map.
On the equity side, COIN stock finished Tuesday at $341, which was a bit lower than the early-month highs of around $390. The price is a bit fragile right now, and it is holding at $350. There is a chance it could drop to $325 if it breaks that level. Bulls need to bounce back quickly into the $360-$370 range to keep the chart balanced.
Evening outlook
Heading into the evening, the cryptocurrency market remains fragile as liquidation data and tariff headlines set the stage for another volatile week.
- Ethereum: Holding $4,166, but weak under $4,200. Needs to reclaim $4,280-$4,300 to confirm upside with support at $3,900.
- Solana: Trading $206, base forming at $200-$201. Resistance at $210-$215, risk back to $185 if BTC weakens.
- Bitcoin: Watch $111,800-$112,000 as key floor; $114,500 intraday and $116,000 daily close as upside gates.
- Macro risk: U.S.-China tariffs remain a wildcard, while CPI data later this week is the dominant risk trigger.