UK financial regulator launches consultation on DeFi guidelines and crypto regulations.

Sonic Labs announced on social media that approximately 13 million S tokens will be transferred over the next 24 to 48 hours under a strategic over-the-counter (OTC) agreement. The transaction counterparty is a long-term partner. The team is disclosing this information in advance to ensure the community clearly understands the rationale behind the on-chain fund transfer when it is observed on the blockchain.

Investment bank and prime broker Rosenblatt Securities analyst Chris Brendler initiated coverage on Robinhood (HOOD) on Oct. 20, assigning a buy rating and $135 price target, which implies roughly 37% upside from the stock’s prior closing price. On the same day, JPMorgan raised its target price from $103 to $115 but maintained a neutral rating. As a result, Robinhood’s shares rose around 4.16% in Oct. 21 trading, closing near $102.29, with market participants focusing on the two firms’ divergence on valuation and growth prospects. Brendler described Robinhood as a “generational growth story” in his report, noting it has evolved from its origins as a commission-free trading app into a comprehensive financial platform covering brokerage, retirement accounts, credit cards, futures, index options and crypto assets, adding the market still underestimates the maturity of this transformation. He cited factors supporting a higher valuation premium than traditional brokerage peers: the core brokerage business continues to gain market share even at scale, the Pattern Day Trading regulatory reform removed key restrictions on high-value active clients, plus accelerated international expansion, deepened product lines, and a relatively fixed operating cost structure. By contrast, JPMorgan’s $115 target price reflects some recognition of recent business momentum, but its neutral rating signals caution on valuation levels and long-term sustainability. Wall Street’s overall consensus rating for Robinhood is “moderate buy” or “buy,” with an average target price in the $130–$135 range. Most analysts are optimistic about its growth potential from platform expansion and product diversification, though some warn of its high volatility and relatively elevated valuation multiples. The rating update comes ahead of Robinhood’s scheduled third-quarter earnings release on Oct. 27.

Pump fun(@Pumpfun) is dumping $SOL again! 8 hours ago, they deposited 129,798 $SOL ($14.07M) into #Kraken. In total, has sold 5,477,722 $SOL($875.5M) at an average price of $159.8.

Mizuho Securities' survey of over 600 active Robinhood users found that 94% of respondents said they were likely or very likely to trade single-stock perpetual futures if the platform launched such products. Another 84% noted they would use new funds primarily or exclusively for these trades, indicating limited cannibalization of existing stock trading by the products. Mizuho Managing Director Dan Dolev said in a Wednesday report that this potential demand is "a strong positive factor". The firm reiterated its "Outperform" rating and $140 price target for Robinhood (HOOD), adding that single-stock perpetual futures could launch in the medium term, though exact timing remains uncertain. Robinhood previously announced on September 29 that it planned to roll out perpetual futures trading to U.S. users in the coming months, alongside all-day trading for some U.S. stocks. However, company executives have recently said there are no single-stock perpetual futures plans to disclose at this time. Coinbase’s recent application to launch perpetual futures linked to large-cap U.S. stocks also signals growing market interest in such products.

According to The Block, decentralized data network for AI agents Dataline has closed a $10.6 million seed funding round, co-led by Lattice and Samsung-backed Dispersion Capital, with participation from Symbolic Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Anagram, and Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev, among others. Multiple unnamed investors also joined, including a former CFTC chief, as well as founders or partners from institutions like Venmo, Anchorage Digital, NEA, General Catalyst, Jump Capital, and FalconX. The round closed in April this year, structured as a SAFE with token warrants; valuation was not disclosed, and investors did not secure board seats, observer positions, or advisory roles. Dataline co-founder Nuo Shi noted that the platform is already live, covering around 50 data sources, with initial partners for its "AI Data Launch" initiative including Hyperliquid, Polymarket, Kalshi, Base, Robinhood Chain, BNB Chain, Sui, and TON. Developers on Base and Robinhood Chain get free access. The company plans to launch its token by the end of this year, with a public token offering set to run on Base via Uniswap’s Continuous Clearing Auction (CCA); details are expected to be announced next week. The funding will be used to expand data sources, strengthen data verification, and expand into use cases such as robotics and AI training data.

Meta announced plans to introduce new non-voting shares, a move signaling the company may heavily rely on new stock issuances to fund its artificial intelligence (AI) buildout. The plan would allow Meta to issue new shares for acquisitions, hiring top AI talent, and covering chip costs, without diluting Mark Zuckerberg’s control. Alphabet took a similar step in 2014, implementing a 1-for-2 stock split that introduced non-voting shares alongside its super-voting stock, keeping combined control of co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at just over 50%. This flexibility enabled Alphabet to easily issue $85 billion in new shares earlier this year to fund AI investments, with half of those shares being non-voting. The decision stems from "heavy capex tied to AI research". Earnings data shows Meta raised its capex guidance from a low of $130 billion to $135 billion, with a high of $145 billion. Third-quarter capex exceeded $40 billion, compared to less than $19 billion in the year-ago period, while free cash flow stood at -$2.12 billion, versus $10.63 billion in the same quarter last year.