Monat: Oktober 2025

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Crypto firm Xeltox fined record C$177M by Canadian AML regulator

  • Xeltox/Cryptomus fined C$177M for failing to report 1,000+ suspicious crypto transactions.
  • Violations involved child abuse, fraud, ransomware, and sanctions-related transactions.
  • Firm previously faced BC Securities Commission action over unrecognized exchange operations.

Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (Fintrac) has imposed the largest penalty on record against Xeltox Enterprises Ltd., operating as Cryptomus, after the firm allegedly failed to comply with anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations.

The Vancouver-based cryptocurrency services provider was fined C$177 million ($126 million) for multiple violations involving suspicious transactions, according to a statement released Wednesday.

Widespread reporting failures

Fintrac’s investigation determined that Cryptomus failed to report thousands of transactions in a single month, raising serious compliance concerns.

The agency noted that the company neglected to submit reports on more than 1,000 transactions in July 2024 that raised reasonable suspicion of connections to money laundering, including proceeds linked to child sexual abuse material, fraud, ransomware payments, and sanctions evasion.

Additionally, the regulator found that Cryptomus failed to report over 1,500 transactions in which clients transferred virtual currency of C$10,000 or more in a single transaction during the same period.

These reporting lapses triggered Fintrac to take what it described as “unprecedented enforcement action,” reflecting the severity of the potential financial crime risks involved.

Fintrac CEO Sarah Paquet emphasized that the scale and nature of the violations compelled the agency to act decisively, citing the firm’s repeated failures to meet AML obligations.

Prior regulatory scrutiny on Cryptomus

Cryptomus, formerly known as Certa Payments Ltd., provides a range of cryptocurrency services including trading, payments, wallets, and a peer-to-peer exchange.

The firm has previously drawn regulatory attention in Canada.

In May, the BC Securities Commission accused Cryptomus of potentially operating as an unrecognized exchange.

The provincial regulator issued a temporary order suspending the firm from trading securities or derivatives until June, underscoring ongoing concerns about its compliance with financial regulations.

Cryptomus’s operations in Canada and its previous enforcement history highlight the challenges regulators face in overseeing cryptocurrency platforms, particularly when transactions may intersect with illicit activity.

The latest fine represents a major escalation in enforcement, signaling the Canadian authorities’ intent to hold crypto firms accountable for strict adherence to AML rules.

Implications for the cryptocurrency sector

The record-setting penalty against Xeltox and Cryptomus sends a clear signal to cryptocurrency businesses operating in Canada: compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations is mandatory, and failures carry substantial financial and operational risks.

The firm’s alleged lapses illustrate the risks posed by platforms that handle high volumes of unmonitored digital transactions.

Fintrac’s decision underscores that cryptocurrency platforms must treat regulatory compliance as a central operational priority, not an afterthought, to avoid similar penalties in the future.

The C$177 million fine represents the largest enforcement action in Fintrac’s history and sets a new benchmark for regulatory consequences in Canada’s growing digital asset industry.

The post Crypto firm Xeltox fined record C$177M by Canadian AML regulator appeared first on CoinJournal.

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APT price soars as BlackRock’s BUIDL fund expands to Aptos

  • BlackRock deploys $500M BUIDL fund on the Aptos blockchain.
  • Jump Crypto launches Shelby, boosting Aptos’ enterprise appeal.
  • Aptos price has rebounded, testing the key $3.50 resistance level.

The APT price is showing renewed strength as Aptos gains major institutional backing from global giants like BlackRock and Jump Crypto.

After dipping to a yearly low earlier this month, Aptos has staged an impressive comeback, fueled by real-world asset tokenisation and enterprise-grade innovation across its ecosystem.

Institutional backing revives Aptos’ momentum

Aptos has outperformed a sluggish crypto market, gaining around 5% in the past 24 hours to trade near $3.32.

This sharp rebound follows BlackRock’s expansion of its Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) to the Aptos blockchain, a move that has injected $500 million worth of tokenised Treasuries into the network.

The deployment of BUIDL has pushed Aptos into the top tier of real-world asset (RWA) blockchains, sitting just behind Ethereum and zkSync Era.

Data shows that more than $1.2 billion in RWAs are now tokenised on Aptos, a milestone that marks growing trust from traditional finance.

Notably, BlackRock’s involvement brings not only prestige but also liquidity and credibility to the network.

Jump Crypto’s Shelby adds more fuel

In parallel, Jump Crypto has launched Shelby, a decentralised, high-performance storage layer developed in collaboration with Aptos Labs.

Designed to rival traditional cloud providers such as AWS and Google Cloud, Shelby enables sub-second latency, low-cost reads and writes, and improved scalability.

Its architecture reduces redundancy while maintaining high data durability through erasure coding.

The new system could become a backbone for decentralised applications that require real-time data access and high-speed processing.

By combining Aptos’s parallel execution engine and Move programming language with Shelby’s efficient data design, the two firms aim to create infrastructure suited for enterprise and AI-driven decentralised finance (DeFi).

This blend of performance and programmability is helping Aptos carve a niche in a crowded Layer-1 field.

APT price outlook: eyes on key resistance levels

As institutional adoption accelerates and on-chain liquidity grows, the Aptos price could continue to benefit from renewed investor confidence.

While short-term volatility remains, the network’s long-term fundamentals appear stronger than ever — anchored by innovation, partnerships, and a clear path toward real-world integration.

The Aptos price is currently testing resistance near $3.50 after rebounding from a recent low of $2.22.

Technical indicators show mixed signals, with moving averages flashing multiple sell alerts, although oscillators remain neutral.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers around 34, suggesting mild accumulation.

If APT breaks above $3.50, it could extend gains toward $3.85.

However, failure to maintain current momentum could see the token slip toward $3.00 or even retest its earlier lows.

Analysts like Michaël van de Poppe have noted that APT remains at one of its lowest valuations in years, hinting at potential upside if broader market sentiment improves.

The post APT price soars as BlackRock’s BUIDL fund expands to Aptos appeared first on CoinJournal.

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ASTER price outlook after Solana co-founder unveiled a rival perp DEX

  • The ASTER price is currently struggling near $1 amid heavy selling pressure.
  • A short squeeze above $1.39 could spark a sharp rebound.
  • Solana’s Percolator DEX threatens Aster’s market dominance.

The ASTER price is under pressure as new competition brews in the decentralized perpetual exchange market.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has unveiled “Percolator,” a new L1-native perpetual DEX designed to run directly on the Solana blockchain.

This development introduces a powerful new contender into an already tense market dominated by Aster and Hyperliquid.

Aster, once celebrated for its dominance in the on-chain derivatives space, now faces a critical turning point.

The timing of Solana’s move couldn’t be more disruptive, coming as Aster grapples with a sharp price drop and declining user activity.

Solana’s Percolator shakes up the market

Yakovenko’s new project, Percolator, is still in its early development phase but has already attracted widespread attention.

Built directly on the Solana blockchain, it promises fast, low-cost perpetual trading without relying on external layer-2 networks.

Early GitHub data shows key modules for funding rates, account validation, and position management are already in place, with stress-testing expected soon.

The Solana ecosystem’s reputation for high throughput and low transaction fees gives Percolator a strong foundation to compete with existing players.

If it delivers on performance, the DEX could pull liquidity and traders away from Aster and Hyperliquid.

That potential shift adds pressure to Aster, which is already battling to retain users amid shrinking trading volumes and outflows.

ASTER price fights to stay above $1

At the time of writing, Aster is holding slightly above the $1 psychological support after two days of declines.

Technical indicators suggest the token is on shaky ground.

The MACD has crossed below its signal line, signaling weakening momentum, while the RSI sits near 31 — close to oversold levels.

Aster price analysis
Source: CoinMarketCap

A breakdown below $1 could send the token toward the next key support at $0.94, while a rebound could see a retest of $1.27.

Aster’s market data paints a worrying picture.

The token trades at $1.01, down more than 34% over the past month. Its market cap has slipped to about $2 billion, with daily trading volume at $805 million.

Aster’s Total Value Locked (TVL) has also contracted to $1.805 billion at press time, reflecting waning engagement from traders and liquidity providers.

Aster’s Total Value Locked (TVL)
Source: DefiLlama

Sentiment sours as usage crumbles

Over the past week, Aster has experienced $326 million in TVL outflows and a dramatic collapse in daily trading volume to just $78 million.

That compares poorly with Lighter and Hyperliquid, which still handle over $10 billion in daily trades.

This falloff in activity has raised concerns that traders are fleeing the protocol amid doubts about the sustainability of its incentive-driven growth.

Technical momentum remains bearish, with the formation of a MACD death cross and an Aroon Down reading near 93% reinforcing the downward bias.

Aster now trades in a weak demand zone between $1.03 and $1.14 — an area that historically offers little support.

If selling continues, analysts warn that the token could slide toward $0.70 or even $0.50.

Can a short squeeze save ASTER’s price?

Despite the gloom, some traders see a potential rebound setup forming.

The Money Flow Index (MFI) has dropped sharply from 80 to 38, suggesting retail investors are exiting.

However, derivatives data show that roughly 80% of positions remain short.

If the ASTER price climbs above $1.39, about $34 million in short positions could be liquidated on Binance alone, triggering a short squeeze.

A bullish RSI divergence adds weight to this scenario, showing sellers may be losing control.

If momentum shifts, a break above $1.39 could send prices toward $1.88 and $2.22.

But if the token falls below $1.05 or $0.92, the recovery setup would collapse, deepening the bearish trend.

For now, investors are watching whether Aster can stabilize and regain momentum before Percolator reaches full launch.

If Solana’s new DEX lives up to expectations, it could redefine the competitive balance across the entire decentralized derivatives landscape — and determine where the ASTER price heads next.

The post ASTER price outlook after Solana co-founder unveiled a rival perp DEX appeared first on CoinJournal.