Qubic halted its blockchain after a wallet security flaw allowed hackers to steal 2.94 trillion QU tokens worth about $1.4 million from more than 1,400 accounts. Around 87.1% of the stolen funds remain frozen on the network, while MEXC froze the rest, as developers fix the flaw and prepare a recovery plan.

A task-scam operator lost more than 60 Bitcoin worth about $4.8 million after criminals drained three Ledger hardware wallets containing malicious implants that stole recovery phrases. The theft is part of a wider supply chain attack linked to CryptoBilis, with estimated losses reaching $102 million across six blockchains.

Solana Foundation postponed the morning programme of Solana Accelerate China 2026 in Shanghai on 16 October after attendees reported being unable to enter the venue, where police officers were present. Binance co-founder CZ questioned whether organisers understood China’s crypto rules, but the cause of the disruption remains unconfirmed and no replacement date has been announced.

Network School has acquired Farcaster from Neynar and will rename it the Network State Protocol, introducing stricter rules, AI moderation and human verification to reduce bots and abusive posts. Users who reject the new social contract will have read-only access to the main app, although they can keep their accounts and move to other clients.

CNN has signed a multiyear deal with Google to license its journalism for experimental AI features, with financial terms undisclosed. The partnership aims to expand audience reach while compensating CNN for its content, as publishers seek to protect their work and recover revenue lost to AI-driven search.

The NBA’s official Instagram account was reportedly hacked on 14 October 2026 to promote a Solana-based memecoin called $NBA Coin, which had a market capitalisation of about $3,500 before the post was deleted. The NBA has yet to confirm the breach, which echoes a similar hack in March 2025, as scammers continue to exploit trusted social media accounts to promote risky cryptocurrencies.

British software engineer Lewis Barber is suing BitMEX operator HDR Global Trading for the return of 324.8 BTC worth about $27.2 million, arguing that the exchange offered derivatives in the UK without FCA authorisation. The claim challenges 1,053 losing trades made between 2018 and 2022 and could open the door to further compensation claims from other UK traders.

Polygon Labs has completed its acquisition of Coinme, giving its Open Money Stack payments platform US regulatory coverage across 48 states through 37 money transmitter licences and 11 exemptions. The platform connects stablecoins with bank accounts and local currency payments, with Tazapay, Mesh, Toku and Kira among its first customers.

Coins.ph faces possible sanctions over alleged links to offshore gambling operators, as Philippine regulators restrict peso deposits. The exchange denies knowingly serving gambling firms, says customer funds are safe and expects affected services to be restored soon.

OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan was arrested for allegedly hiding an encrypted recorder behind a TV in an executive conference room, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port. CCTV footage and a second recording device found in his bag allegedly helped investigators link him to the case, while OpenAI said its AI models also helped identify him.