Sep 16, 2026 · 7 min listen · Last updated September 16, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. It's Dex, September 16th. Here's what I'd flag across crypto and the alpha desk this morning. Let's get into it. First, from CoinTelegraph. Bitcoin ETFs shed $450M in biggest outflow since June.
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Daily Crypto Brief · September 16th
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Bitcoin ETFs shed $450M in biggest outflow since June
Bitcoin ETFs just saw a hefty $450 million outflow, the largest since June. This drop coincided with Bitcoin itself falling 2.5%, now sitting at $75,700. The outflows were largely driven by Fidelity and BlackRock, with Fidelity’s fund losing $214.8 million alone. The Senate's failure to advance the CLARITY Act didn’t help the situation, leading to a significant pullback in investor sentiment.
On Tuesday, 13 US-listed funds experienced this net outflow after a brief moment of inflow the day before. The market's reaction to regulatory setbacks is palpable, and it’s clear that the appetite for risk is wavering.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
US charges ex-Robinhood engineers over alleged pre-listing crypto trades
Two former Robinhood engineers, Hefu Chai and Huaisong “Jerry” Xiang, are facing charges for allegedly profiting over $50,000 each through insider trading on Hyperliquid perpetuals ahead of token listings. The U.S. Department of Justice claims they used confidential information from a private Slack channel about upcoming listings to make trades that capitalized on price movements after those tokens debuted on Robinhood.
This case echoes the Coinbase insider trading incident from earlier this year but extends the scrutiny into decentralized derivative markets. Both engineers had access to sensitive information as designated “Coin Aware Individuals,” and Robinhood had strict policies preventing them from trading around listing announcements.
Chai and Xiang are charged with violating the Commodity Exchange Act and wire fraud, facing potential prison sentences of up to 30 years combined. It’s important to note that these are still allegations, and they remain innocent until proven guilty.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports ETH — link in show notes.
Raoul Pal Says Bitcoin Beats Gold as the Real Debasement Hedge
Real Vision co-founder Raoul Pal says Bitcoin (BTC), not gold, is the better long-term hedge against currency debasement, arguing the asset’s earlier adoption stage gives it more room to grow than the metal. Pal made the comparison during a September interview on the Wolf Financial Show. There, he laid out his broader framework for how debasement quietly erodes savings and wages. Debasement Erodes Savings Every Year Debasement, Pal says, is the dominant force behind rising asset prices over time. He ties it directly to liquidity cycles that central banks and governments largely control.
Solana nearly froze as a single routing error took 29% of the network stake offline
The Solana network kept producing blocks on Aug. 12 when an infrastructure failure stopped validators representing nearly 29% of network stake from voting, according to a Solana Foundation account published Sept. 14. Independent monitoring found that the chain remained live, yet its performance deteriorated: more leader slots were skipped, transaction throughput fell sharply, and settlement finality was delayed. The disruption began at Teraswitch, which the Foundation described as Solana’s largest infrastructure provider.
Marathon Digital Holdings buys 1,292 Bitcoin for $98.6M
Marathon Digital Holdings just picked up 1,292 Bitcoin for about $98.6 million. This move isn’t just a big number; it’s a signal that they’re shifting their strategy. With the market changing, this could push other miners to rethink how they manage their reserves.
It’s interesting to see a company like Marathon making such a bold play right now. It suggests they’re confident in the long-term value of Bitcoin, which might encourage others in the space to follow suit. Keep an eye on how this influences market dynamics in the coming weeks.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
Crypto industry turns to US regulators after CLARITY setback
The CLARITY Act's failure to advance in the Senate has left the crypto industry feeling the weight of uncertainty. SEC Chair Paul Atkins is promising clearer rules, but without legislative backing, firms are left navigating a murky regulatory landscape. Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, remains hopeful, but NEAR's Abhishek Vaidyanathan warns that this could lead to more case-by-case judgments, complicating budget planning for 2027.
The odds of the CLARITY Act being signed into law by 2026 have dropped to just 5%. With the next Congress likely being the next chance to tackle crypto market structure, the industry is bracing for a prolonged wait.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
Ripple Shows How XRP Survived CLARITY Act Setback, MicroStrategy Says Bitcoin Never Needed It
Ripple and MicroStrategy told investors nothing legal changed for XRP and Bitcoin (BTC) after the Senate blocked the CLARITY Act on Tuesday. The bill would have written crypto’s US market rules into federal law. The vote failed 49 to 50. Backers needed 60. Crypto markets reacted, but the impact was quickly contained. Ripple and MicroStrategy Say the Legal Ground Has Not Moved Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s chief legal officer, pointed to two wins that came before the vote. A 2023 federal court ruling found XRP sales on exchanges were not securities deals.
Erebor Bank’s Free Stablecoin Plan Failed After Traders Found the Loophole
Erebor Bank tried to attract crypto firms by letting clients turn USDC and USDT into dollars at face value for free. Within months, professional trading firms including Wintermute and Galaxy Digital reportedly found a way to profit from the offer, leaving the bank to absorb the cost. Erebor quickly became one of Silicon Valley’s most talked-about new banks. Backed by Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey and reportedly heading toward an $8 billion valuation, it wants to become the bank of choice for crypto, AI and defense-tech companies.
Congress wants to make crypto easier to use and still collect $500 million more in taxes
A House crypto tax overhaul would raise an estimated $500 million while easing taxes on stablecoin payments and small fees. The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to consider H.R. 10357, the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act, on Sept. 16, putting a broad rewrite of digital-asset taxation before lawmakers after months of negotiations over how closely crypto should be treated like traditional financial assets.
Ripple’s university strategy is evolving from blockchain labs to XRP logos in packed stadiums
Ripple is extending XRP’s push into US college sports, adding Louisville to a campaign that has rapidly expanded since July. The crypto company said Monday it struck a partnership with Louisville Athletics that will give XRP prominent exposure around the university’s basketball program, including branding on Denny Crum Court, extending a strategy that has already put the token on Kansas jerseys and the University of Florida’s football field. Louisville marks Ripple’s third major college-sports agreement in roughly 10 weeks.