The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

Beating AI News – Third-party evaluation firm Artificial Analysis has released test results for Claude Haiku 5.5. The new model scored 43 points in the General Intelligence Index, a 26-point improvement over the previous generation’s 17 points. It outperformed GPT-6 Luna (38 points) and GLM-5.3 Flash (42 points), and is close to Kimi K3 (44 points). The index integrates 10 tests including programming, professional work, and scientific reasoning. However, the high score comes with substantial token consumption. At maximum inference intensity, Haiku 5.5 outputs an average of ~162,000 tokens per evaluation task, 3.2 times that of GPT-6 Luna. Both models have the same base API unit price, but Haiku 5.5’s estimated per-task cost is ~$0.21, compared to Luna’s $0.07. When adjusted from the second-highest tier to the maximum tier, Haiku 5.5’s overall score only rises by 2 points, while its output volume increases by ~80%. Reducing inference intensity narrows the gap significantly: Haiku 5.5 scores 38 points at the high tier, with an average of ~55,000 tokens per task, matching GPT-6 Luna’s 38 points and 50,000 tokens at the maximum tier. Developers can adjust inference intensity to cut unnecessary token consumption. Haiku 5.5 is not fully superior, though. In the AutomationBench-AA automation task evaluation, it scored only 35%, lagging behind Luna’s 53%. However, the model had an issue of over-refusing tasks during testing; Anthropic is addressing this, and Artificial Analysis plans to retest. Additionally, the currently disclosed task cost for Haiku 5.5 does not include long context surcharges, so actual fees may be higher.

Data from Greeks.live shows that approximately 22,000 BTC options will expire on October 9, with a Put/Call Ratio of 1.12, a max pain point of $84,000, and a nominal value of around $1.84 billion. Meanwhile, 123,000 ETH options are set to expire, carrying a Put/Call Ratio of 0.71, a max pain point of $2,650, and a nominal value of about $320 million. Their combined nominal value totals roughly $2.16 billion. Greeks.live states that this expiration will account for around 6% of BTC’s open interest in options and 9% of ETH’s, respectively. The crypto market has been in a correction for most of this week, with BTC still awaiting a clear directional move. Currently, option implied volatility (IV) remains at a low level, signaling the market’s low expectation of future price swings, and option buyers are cautious, reluctant to pay high premiums for directional bets. Looking at the Gamma Exposure (GEX) structure, there is a notable concentration around three key round levels: $90,000, $95,000, and $100,000, while near-expiration price points of $80,000 and $85,000 have relatively low accumulation. Greeks.live believes that after over a month of rebound in the crypto market, sentiment has improved significantly, and spot positions are still worth holding. Given that the IV of current monthly out-of-the-money options is not high, investors may still consider allocating directional put options for protection.

Bithumb will list the PONS/KRW trading pair.

Binance announced in an official statement that its US stock trading service will be temporarily unavailable from 18:50 to 21:00 UTC+8 on October 10, as its partner broker is conducting a system upgrade. During this window, users will not be able to submit US stock trading orders. Scheduled outside regular US stock market trading hours, the service is expected to automatically resume once the upgrade is complete. Binance noted that the upgrade could finish early or be extended due to additional work, advising users to plan their trading activities in advance.

At the regulatory roundtable of Singapore’s TOKEN2049, multiple industry insiders discussed how crypto industry regulatory rules will advance after the U.S. Clarity Act stalled in the Senate this year. Brian Quintenz, former CFTC commissioner and director of SUI Group Holdings, stated that the market clarity provided by the SEC and CFTC through regulatory actions may reach the level achievable via legislation. Jake Chervinsky, CEO of the Hyperliquid Policy Center, said Hyperliquid can act as infrastructure enabling market participants to build compliant markets on it. Deepa, Vice Chair and Managing Director of Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), noted that regulated derivatives business has driven a seven-fold increase in Dubai’s trading activity. Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, added that top European clients are relocating their operations to Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Coinbase announced that starting from the last week of October 2026, it will designate USDC as the default USD stablecoin for Samsung Wallet users in the U.S., further expanding its partnership with Samsung. At that time, when users top up their stablecoin balances in Samsung Wallet, USDC will automatically appear as the default option. Coinbase stated that the relevant assets will be custodied via Coinbase Prime, using qualified custodial services compliant with the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). The collaboration will also involve Bastion, a U.S.-based stablecoin infrastructure provider. Coinbase added that this move will further expand USDC’s use cases in consumer-facing digital wallets.