Cardano & Crypto News.

CIP-0156 now states a 1024-index cap and quadratic CPU cost for `multiIndexArray`

An amendment to CIP-0156 (#1245) writes two behaviours of the existing implementation into the Specification: a `multiIndexArray` call with more than 1024 indices fails, and CPU is charged quadratically rather than linearly in the index count. The Rationale now explains the cap, the conformance test plan must pin the 1024-index boundary, and the first acceptance criterion is ticked.

Builders who call `multiIndexArray` with long index lists now have it in writing that there is a hard ceiling: 1,025 indices is a failed call, not just a slow one. Cost also grows with the square of the index count, so budgets estimated on a linear assumption will come in low for large calls. Anyone writing another implementation or conformance tests now has a stated boundary to match.

Limit: This is spec text in the CIPs repo, not a new release, hard fork or cost-model change. The commit describes what "the implementation" already does, but it doesn't name that implementation, say where it's deployed or say whether it's on mainnet. Only the first acceptance criterion is ticked, and the item doesn't give CIP-0156's status. The Rationale's reasoning for the cap isn't quoted in the item, and nor is the content of the Implementors field. An "argument-order amendment" is listed under Discussions, but the item doesn't say what it changes. Nothing here frames the quadratic charging as a bug or a vulnerability; it is documented behaviour.

SEC proposes a crypto custody framework that would let advisers and funds use state trust companies and, in some cases, self-custody

The SEC proposed a tailored custody framework for registered investment advisers and regulated funds; Decrypt and The Block say it would accept state trust companies as custodians and permit self-custody under certain conditions. Cointelegraph says custody requirements have kept some advisers from offering certain crypto to clients, a hurdle this proposal — not yet a final rule — could remove.

Q3 hack losses reach $1.26 billion, and CertiK puts 2026's total near $2.7 billion

Cointelegraph counts $1.26 billion lost across 247 incidents in Q3, about $769 million of it in September, and says Bitget's $388 million breach pushed the quarter past $1 billion; a CoinDesk headline gives the same Q3 figure. CryptoSlate, citing CertiK, says 658 incidents through September cost nearly $2.7 billion — more than $1 billion of it in North Korea-linked thefts — with about $420.4 million frozen or returned.

NEAR Intents is drained of about $3.8 million, days after NEAR's US ETF launch

A bug affecting deposits and withdrawals let an attacker take about $3.8 million; NEAR Intents froze cross-chain swaps, patched the flaw and promised to compensate users, but The Block says deposits and withdrawals on 11 networks remain disrupted. CryptoSlate says NEAR fell about 10% to $4.86 less than two days after Bitwise's NEAR ETF opened, and general manager Alex Shevchenko says the team has identified the attacker and set a 48-hour ultimatum — the protocol's own claim, not independently confirmed.

Evernorth's XRP treasury clears its shareholder vote and heads for Nasdaq as XRPN

Armada Acquisition Corp. II shareholders approved the merger, and the Ripple-backed firm expects to hold about 473 million XRP; Decrypt says trading should begin Oct. 8. Cointelegraph values the XRP at roughly $710 million at current prices, while The Block's headline calls it a $1 billion deal.

Stablecoin rewards, reserve rules and perps become fights in the EU's MiCA review

Cointelegraph reports a 50,000-letter campaign pressing Brussels to ease limits on stablecoin rewards, while EU central banks seek broader changes to MiCA's stablecoin rules. The Block says Circle's filing targets MiCA's bank deposit floor and Hyperliquid's policy group wants perpetual futures placed under MiFID II.

Banks run live stablecoin settlement: a Lloyds–Visa USDC pilot and Solana's Roughrider in North Dakota

The Block says Lloyds used USDC to settle $750,000 of payment obligations with Visa during a seven-day live cross-border pilot. CryptoSlate says Roughrider has entered production with 90 North Dakota banks, VersaBank USA issuance and institutional access on Solana, though actual payment volume is undisclosed.

Update — bitcoin tops $86,000 as bond yields ease from 24-year highs, with Friday's jobs report next

Bitcoin opened Q4 in its old $82,000–$85,000 range and gave back post-PCE gains as analysts flagged methodology changes in the inflation data, then topped $86,000 as US yields fell from new 24-year highs (CoinDesk, Cointelegraph). CryptoSlate says rising factory input prices add to the rates debate before payrolls, and The Block says spot bitcoin ETFs took $2.65 billion in September before a nine-day, $3 billion inflow streak ended with $149 million of outflows.

Illinois agrees to push back its 0.2% crypto tax six months while the industry's lawsuit continues

Decrypt says state officials and crypto groups jointly asked a state court to move the Digital Asset Tax start from Jan. 1 to July 1, 2027, while the legal challenge proceeds. Cointelegraph says the lawsuits and industry pushback argued the bill was rushed through the legislature.

Ethereum Foundation puts zkAPI on mainnet for private, prepaid API payments

Users deposit funds into an Ethereum vault and authorize spending with zero-knowledge proofs, so the API provider can't link requests to a payer; The Block frames it as a way to pay for AI models without revealing identity. Cointelegraph says it turns an earlier proposal into a working mainnet implementation.