Crypto market update: Bitcoin dips below $106k, ETH, XRP, SOL risk key levels

  • Bitcoin price has dropped below $106,000 as bearish pressure sends cryptocurrencies plummeting.
  • Ethereum, Solana, XRP and BNB have tanked below key levels.
  • Macro headwinds impacting equities also led to a decline in crypto prices today.

As global markets heave amid selloff pressure, major assets like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) are trading near pivotal support levels.

A similar outlook prevails across the rest of the crypto market, with a few coins experiencing double-digit losses over the past 24 hours.

Why is the crypto market down today?

The cryptocurrency market’s downturn on October 17 stems primarily from escalating US-China trade frictions.

In the past few days, events around the two trading partners have injected significant uncertainty into global risk assets.

President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of 100% tariffs on Chinese technology exports reverberated through financial corridors.

It prompted a broad sell-off that began on October 10 and persists today.

This policy escalation, aimed at curbing China’s dominance in rare earth minerals and semiconductors, has amplified fears of retaliatory measures, inflationary pressures, and supply chain disruption.

Together, these factors have disproportionately impacted high-volatility sectors like crypto.

Adding to the macro headwinds, on top of the market witnessing over $19 billion in liquidations across leveraged positions last Friday, is the continued profit taking.

Low liquidity during Asian trading hours today has exacerbated the rot.

Institutional sentiment souring as US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs record significant net outflows adds to the weakness.

Analysts note that while the Federal Reserve’s anticipated rate cut at the October 28-29 FOMC meeting could provide a counterbalance, short-term volatility remains elevated due to the absence of positive catalysts.

Crypto ETF hype around major altcoins has also cooled.

Overall, the total crypto market capitalisation has contracted by 4.6% to $3.58 trillion.

Nearly all of the top 100 coins are in the red as risk-off sentiment spills over from equities.

Meanwhile, Coinglass data shows that over $1.01 billion has been wiped off the market in terms of 24-hour liquidations.

Bitcoin struggles below $106k

Bitcoin, the bellwether of the crypto ecosystem, has mounted a fierce but futile defence against gravity.

Bitcoin price chart by TradingView

After a brief rebound to above $115k, BTC has dropped to under $106,000.

Bears reached lows of $105,918 in early trades on Friday, and despite bulls’ efforts, the benchmark digital asset is trading at $105,906 at the time of writing.

Bitcoin is thus firmly below the psychological mark of $110,000.

The US-China rhetoric and other factors risk pushing BTC lower. Immediate support is likely in the $103,000-$100,000 zone.

Ethereum, XRP, and SOL dip below key levels

As Bitcoin struggles below $110k, Ethereum has fared no better.

The top altcoin has plummeted 3.5% to $3,780 in the past 24 hours.

That means the Ethereum price is well below the $4,000 support level.

This dip has cascaded across the broader altcoin market.

Weakness in ETH also reflects in Solana, XRP and BNB among other altcoins.

XRP’s price hovers below the critical $3.00 mark as sellers push bulls to lows of $2.24.

Meanwhile,  Solana has cratered to below $200 to trade around $178 as bears target further strengthening.

As the market grapples with the downturn, BNB has retreated to near $1,000, and Dogecoin has slipped 9% to $0.17.

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Daylight Energy raises $75M to expand decentralized energy infrastructure network

  • Daylight Energy secures $75M to grow its decentralized physical energy network.
  • Framework Ventures leads funding; A16z Crypto, Coinbase Ventures join in.
  • New DayFi protocol links energy infrastructure yields to DeFi investors.

Daylight Energy has raised $75 million in new funding to accelerate the growth of its decentralized energy network, marking a major milestone for the startup as it aims to bring blockchain-based innovation to the physical energy infrastructure sector.

The round combines both equity and project finance capital, underscoring growing investor interest in decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN).

Funding structure and investor participation

The $75 million round includes $15 million in equity and $60 million in non-recourse project finance capital, which is secured directly against infrastructure assets, according to CEO Jason Badeaux.

This type of financing structure allows repayment from the project’s own cash flows rather than relying on the company’s balance sheet.

Framework Ventures led the $15 million equity raise, joined by several notable venture backers including A16z Crypto, Lerer Hippeau, M13, Room40 Ventures, EV3, Crucible Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Not Boring Capital.

The project finance portion was led by Turtle Hill Capital, according to a company statement.

Daylight plans to use the new capital to advance its position in the DePIN ecosystem, particularly focusing on decentralized energy distribution.

The company previously raised $9 million in Series A funding in 2023, also led by A16z Crypto, which has remained one of its core supporters.

Expanding the DePIN vision in energy

Founded in 2022, Daylight Energy is developing a decentralized protocol that enables users to connect their energy devices—such as thermostats, batteries, electric vehicles, and solar inverters—to its application.

In return, participants earn rewards for contributing to the network’s distributed infrastructure.

The concept builds on the growing DePIN movement, which seeks to decentralize ownership and control of physical assets like telecommunications, storage, and energy infrastructure through blockchain technology.

“To build the largest decentralized energy network in the world, you need to incentivize behavior change to adopt distributed energy and catalyze a huge amount of capital behind it,” Badeaux said. “Crypto is uniquely good at doing those two things and creates opportunities to align incentives, drive down costs, and rebuild this industry on a foundation of transparency, ownership, and shared economic upside.”

Daylight’s mission aligns with a broader industry push toward democratized access to clean energy generation and participation in its value chain.

By merging blockchain incentives with real-world energy systems, the firm aims to reduce barriers to decentralized adoption.

Introducing DayFi: a bridge between energy and DeFi

Alongside the new funding, Daylight announced DayFi, a yield protocol designed to open the energy infrastructure market to decentralized finance (DeFi) investors.

The protocol will allow users to earn returns directly tied to electricity revenues generated from Daylight’s growing portfolio of solar and storage assets.

This move effectively bridges renewable energy and DeFi, offering investors exposure to real-world energy production within a blockchain-native framework.

Daylight was co-founded by Jason Badeaux, Udit Patel, and Evan Caron, all veterans of the traditional energy sector.

The team’s combined experience and backing from prominent venture firms position Daylight as one of the leading players exploring how blockchain can reshape physical infrastructure markets.

With the new financing secured, Daylight Energy is poised to expand its decentralized network footprint and further integrate energy production, distribution, and financing into a transparent, tokenized ecosystem.

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Jito’s JTO token rises on a16z’s $50 million investment in Solana staking protocol

  • Jito’s native token, JTO, jumped 3% intraday on October 16, 2025, following a16z’s $50 million investment.
  • The $50 million investment by Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm, acquiring locked JTO tokens, signals strong institutional confidence in Jito’s liquid staking and MEV solutions.
  • The funding will fuel Jito’s Block Assembly Marketplace and node expansion.

Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm has  announced a $50 million investment in Jito, acquiring a substantial allotment of the protocol’s native JTO tokens.

Jito, an important infrastructure layer on the Solana blockchain, offers liquid staking and maximum extractable value (MEV) extraction.

a16z investment of $50m in staking protocol

Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) $50 million infusion into Jito marks the venture firm’s largest single commitment to a Solana staking protocol.

It eventually emphasizes strategic token purchases over traditional equity. In exchange for the investment, a16z received non-circulating JTO tokens, locking them for an extended period.

Brian Smith, executive director of the Jito Foundation. highlighted the deal’s novelty:

If you’re accepting long-term alignment where you can’t sell for a while, then there’s traditionally some modest discount associated with that.

This structure, particularly 16z’s prior $55 million LayerZero and $70 million EigenLayer investments, prioritizes ecosystem growth over quick flips.

The capital to accelerate Jito’s roadmap, including BAM node expansion.

Strategically, it aligns a16z with Solana’s high-throughput ethos, where Jito’s MEV tools mitigate front-running risks plaguing other chains.

This infusion arrives amid a16z’s aggressive crypto pivot, following $4.5 billion in new funds raised earlier in 2025.

As institutional inflows swell, the deal could herald a staking renaissance, democratizing yields while fortifying blockchain security.

Jito price outlook

Jito is currently trading at $1.16, up nearly 3% and has touched highs of $1.19 across major exchanges.

The gains came amid news of a16z’s investment and reflected trader optimism around the token as institutional validation takes root. Solana’s price rising in the past few weeks also buoyed traders.

Analysts are linking this rebound to the investment’s timing, coinciding with positive Solana network metrics. This includes a 15% uptick in daily active users and rising decentralized finance volume.

In terms of the technical outlook for JTO, the daily chart price is near the oversold territory with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 35.

The indecisive market nonetheless has Jito poised above $1 after bulls recovered from lows of $0.33 seen on October 10, 2025.

Jito price chart by TradingVew

Other than the technical perspective, regulatory shifts that could impact liquid staking tokens remain a risk.

However, recent SEC exemptions and broader market downturns indicate a long-term bullish outlook.

The surge to near $1.20 suggests bulls could eye the $1.50-$1.70 range, above which lie the key targets of $1.85 and $2.56.

If market conditions align, buyers will target the all-time peak above $5.61 reached in December 2023.

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Lightning Stock Exchange secures EU license to launch Europe’s first tokenized equity platform

  • Lise gains EU license to launch Europe’s first tokenized equity exchange for SMEs.
  • The DLT TSS license enables blockchain-based trading and settlement infrastructure.
  • Lise plans its first tokenized IPO in early 2026, backed by major French banks.

Lightning Stock Exchange (Lise), a new trading platform headquartered in France, has secured a Distributed Ledger Technology Trading and Settlement (DLT TSS) license from the Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR).

The approval marks a major step toward launching what Lise describes as Europe’s first fully tokenized equity exchange dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“This approval authorizes us to operate the first tokenized stock exchange dedicated to equities in Europe,” said Lise’s managing director, Mark Kepeneghian, in a LinkedIn statement announcing the milestone.

Backed by leading French financial institutions including BNP Paribas and Bpifrance, Lise operates as a subsidiary of Kriptown — a company that brands itself as a “neo-exchange for startups and SMEs” focused on digital assets.

The exchange aims to bridge traditional finance with blockchain innovation, offering a regulated venue for SMEs to raise capital through tokenized equity offerings.

Understanding the DLT TSS license and its role

The DLT TSS license falls under the European Union’s DLT Pilot Regime, which provides a regulatory framework for market infrastructures using distributed ledger technology.

Introduced in March 2023, the DLT Pilot Regime governs the trading and settlement of financial instruments that qualify as crypto assets under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II).

According to Lise, the license enables the creation of next-generation market infrastructure by integrating both market and post-trade functions within a single system.

This approach combines the roles of multilateral trading facilities (MTFs) and central securities depositories (CSDs), allowing for a more streamlined and efficient trading environment.

The company described the move as a “profound shift in how financial markets operate,” suggesting that blockchain-based settlement could significantly reduce transaction costs and processing times while improving transparency and security.

Tokenized IPOs set for launch in 2026

Lise’s approval follows its emergence from stealth in April 2025, when the company outlined its mission to “fundamentally rethink” the concept of initial public offerings (IPOs).

By leveraging blockchain technology, Lise plans to create a secure and cost-efficient alternative to traditional public listings.

“The first tokenized IPOs are expected to take place in early 2026, following the completion of issuer onboarding and final operational readiness testing,” Kepeneghian told Cointelegraph.

The company expects its debut tokenized IPO to serve as a proof-of-concept for its model, with plans to tokenize 10 additional IPOs in 2027.

The initiative has attracted attention from several major European banks.

In August, Caceis — the asset servicing arm of French banking group Crédit Agricole — acquired a minority stake in Kriptown to support Lise’s development.

Caceis said the move aligns with its long-term digital asset strategy and commitment to transforming financial market infrastructure.

Lise’s tokenization push comes amid growing momentum for tokenized securities across Europe.

Earlier this year, crypto exchanges such as Gemini and Kraken began offering tokenized securities to EU clients under the bloc’s evolving regulatory framework.

With its regulatory approval and backing from established financial players, Lise’s entry marks a milestone in Europe’s shift toward blockchain-based capital markets — one that could reshape how SMEs access funding in the digital age.

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Solana price forecast: SOL risks bearish flip amid 6% dip

  • Solana (SOL) has dropped by more than 6% in the past 24 hours.
  • The altcoin has broken below $200 as macroeconomic headwinds intensify.
  • This brings the losses for the week to 13%, with Solana now poised near support at $190.

As cryptocurrencies struggle to hold onto gains, Solana’s price has plummeted 6% in the past 24 hours.

The losses mean the altcoin is now below the psychologically significant $200 threshold, with bulls giving up gains from earlier in the month when SOL rose to near $240.

This sharp decline builds on a gruelling week where SOL has shed more than 13% overall.

As the chart below shows, paring gains has Solana price teetering on the edge of a critical support zone.

Risk-off sentiment, catalysed by a fresh escalation in the US-China trade tension, has also impacted all top coins.

Bitcoin has dropped to near $110,000 again, while Ethereum is testing the $4,000 mark.

Is SOL poised for a retest of $150?

SOL mirrors the overall financial markets’ outlook.

A positive resolution of the trade tensions could act as a catalyst, potentially restoring confidence and halting the slide.

For now, SOL’s weakness is evident. The token is testing the $190 support level on the daily chart — a zone that has shown resilience in recent sessions but remains fragile.

A breakdown from here could trigger another leg lower, setting up a retest of $170 — last week’s low when SOL tumbled from $222.

If selling pressure intensifies, even that buffer may fail, exposing the token to a deeper slide toward $150.

Technical indicators such as the daily RSI and MACD currently favour the bears, reinforcing the downside risk.

Solana price chart by TradingView

What could help Solana bulls?

Market sentiment offers a sliver of optimism, however.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has edged up from “extreme fear” to a more tempered “fear” following dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

His remarks hinted at the likelihood of two additional interest rate cuts this year, a development broadly bullish for risk-on assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Lower rates could ease borrowing costs, stimulate economic activity, and funnel fresh liquidity into digital assets.

Historically, the fourth quarter has been crypto’s strongest stretch — a seasonal tailwind that could help cushion SOL’s downside, particularly if global trade tensions ease.

Fueling optimism further is mounting anticipation around a potential spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval.

Expectations are running high that such a move could unlock billions in institutional inflows, validating Solana’s growing maturity and providing a more structural bid for price stability.

A sustained breakout above the $200 level would likely invalidate the prevailing bearish outlook.

If that happens, bullish momentum could drive SOL toward the $280 and $300 resistance zones.

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