Crypto News Today: BNB Hits $1,111 ATH, SWIFT Picks Linea, Ripple Partners UC Berkeley, Stablecoin Market Tops $300B

Overview

• BNB smashed past $1,111, liquidating $268 million in shorts and gaining legitimacy with Kazakhstan’s Alem Crypto Fund.

• Bitcoin ETFs saw $627 million in daily inflows, while SWIFT confirmed Ethereum’s Linea for blockchain payments.

• Ripple’s UC Berkeley partnership and stablecoins crossing $300 billion highlight the deepening integration of crypto-finance.

On October 3, 2025, the cryptocurrency market continued to sustain its positive momentum due to BNB's rally, inflow of Bitcoin ETFs, and institutional blockchain development announcements.  Whether it's SWIFT integration of Ethereum's Linea or Ripple funding research at UC Berkley, institutional progress across the ecosystem continues to influence the future of digital finance.

BNB Soars to $1,111, Liquidating $268M in Shorts

BNB surged to a new all-time high of $1,111.90, climbing 7.27% in 24 hours, triggering $268 million in short liquidations across the derivatives market. BNB's market cap has surpassed $160 billion.  

BNB Chain processed $3.74 billion in daily DEX volume, according to DeFiLlama, while recording 2.3 million active addresses on the BNB Chain. TVL across BNB-based DeFi protocols reached $8.23 billion, a 2.49% increase in one day.

Kazakhstan's selection of BNB for its Alem Crypto Fund national reserve granted the token institutional legitimacy, consequently breaking $1,000 decisively. Technical charts indicate potential for gains in the $1,200-$1,300 range, with strong resistance at $1,500. 

Bitcoin ETFs Attract $627M in Daily Inflows

Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $627.24 million on October 2, marking the fourth straight day of positive flows, according to SoSoValue.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) dominated, with a $466.55 million inflow, bringing its historical total to $61.84 billion. Fidelity’s FBTC added $89.62 million, while its cumulative net inflows reached $12.55 billion.

Overall, Bitcoin spot ETFs now manage $161.03 billion in assets, equal to 6.7% of Bitcoin’s total market cap. 

Also Read: Bitcoin Surges Past $119,000 as Citi Forecasts $181K Price Target by 2026

SWIFT Confirms Ethereum Layer-2 Linea for Blockchain Payments

SWIFT confirmed it will use Consensys’ Linea network, an Ethereum layer-2 solution, to build its upcoming blockchain payment system.

Speaking at Token2049, Consensys founder Joe Lubin revealed that SWIFT’s CEO Javier Pérez-Tasso avoided naming Linea in the initial rollout to banking partners, but privately confirmed the partnership. Linea leverages zkEVM rollups to reduce Ethereum’s fees while processing transactions at scale.

The decision is significant as SWIFT handles nearly $150 trillion in annual global payments. Early trial participants include Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan, and Toronto-Dominion Bank. 

Linea currently secures $2.27 billion in TVL, ranking as the fourth-largest Ethereum L2. 

Ripple Partners with UC Berkeley on $1.3M Digital Assets Research Hub

Ripple Labs announced a $1.3 million RLUSD-backed grant to fund the Center for Digital Assets (CDA) at UC Berkeley. The new hub will emphasize blockchain, digital twin technology, and defining the worth of digital assets.

Led by the faculty director, Tarek Zohdi, the center will build partnerships between Ripple engineers and the Berkeley research community and create open-source development for the broader ecosystem.

Ripple and UC Berkeley launched the Berkeley Digital Asset Accelerator (BDAX), a program that brings together startups developing products for the XRP Ledger (XRPL). This attracted 46 applications for ten spots, highlighting continued interest in XRPL-based opportunities.

Also Read: Will XRP Soar? Potential Gains from October’s ETF Approval

Stablecoin Market Capitalization Tops $300 Billion

Stablecoins reached a historic record with the total market cap surpassing $300 billion. According to DeFiLlama, the circulating supply has increased by 6.5% in the last 30 days, indicating an inflow of capital into crypto.

Tether's USDT remains the most used stablecoin, with a 58% market share with a market cap of $176.3 billion. Next is USDC with $74 billion, and then Ethena’s USDe with $14.8 billion, followed by DAI with $5 billion.

Stablecoins’ quarterly growth of 20% in Q3 2025 outpaced traditional asset classes, fueled by policy clarity in the US via the GENIUS Act. Analysts indicate that stablecoins now acts as the backbone of the crypto economy, providing liquidity for DeFi, payments, and cross-border settlements.

Crypto.com Expands Lending with Morpho on Cronos

Crypto.com is broadening DeFi solutions by adding Morpho lending markets to its Cronos blockchain later this year. Users will be able to borrow stablecoins against wrapped ETH and BTC deposits while earning market-leading yields on the borrowed stablecoin without leaving the platform. 

Morpho currently secures $7.7 billion in TVL and generally matches borrowers and lenders on Aave and Compound, providing users with improved rates due to its peer-to-peer intermediation layer. 

The move follows Coinbase’s integration of Morpho in September and reflects exchanges’ ambitions to become full-service “crypto super apps.”

FAQs:

1. Why did BNB hit a new all-time high?
BNB surged to $1,111 due to network growth, treasury demand, and Kazakhstan’s adoption of BNB for its national crypto reserve.

2. How much money flowed into Bitcoin ETFs recently?
On October 2, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw $627.24 million net inflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $466 million.

3. What blockchain is SWIFT building its payment system on?
SWIFT has chosen Ethereum layer-2 Linea, developed by Consensys, to power its 24/7 blockchain-based settlement system.

4. What is Ripple doing with UC Berkeley?
Ripple is funding a $1.3 million Center for Digital Assets and launching a startup accelerator with UC Berkeley to support XRPL ventures.

5. Why is the stablecoin market cap milestone important?
Crossing $300 billion signals stronger institutional inflows and stablecoins’ role as the backbone of DeFi, payments, and cross-border finance.