In crypto news, markets are singing over the fact that former Binance chief Changpeng Zhao (CZ) received a crypto pardon, a decision following Arthur Hayes’ earlier reprieve, all while the Bitcoin price surges past $111,500 today. The timing brought questions as to whether Trump’s recent moves are part of a larger effort to lift the crypto sentiment ahead of key economic data.
Following the news, Bitcoin price bumped by more than 1% in the past 24 hours, pushing the total crypto market cap to roughly $3.85 trillion today. Apart from the pardon, analysts think that the rebound may be linked to optimism surrounding the speculation about another rate cut this year, especially with the market that looks bottoming.
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Changpeng Zhao Crypto Pardon Drama and Crypto Sentiment
The crypto pardon for Changpeng Zhao effectively wipes his record after a short sentence tied to Binance’s $4.3 billion settlement. With a clean slate, Changpeng Zhao can run for the US presidency now. CZ, not SBF.
@cz_binance pardoned means he can run for a US president now. Bullish pic.twitter.com/cXlbs6t1dh
— BANJO IN CAPSLOCK (@BANJOINCAPSLOCK) October 24, 2025
Crypto Twitter argues it’s preferential treatment, while supporters claim CZ’s cooperation and leadership have helped legitimize parts of the industry. On the prediction platform Polymarket, bets now show a 2% chance that Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) could receive a similar pardon this month, though many doubt it, given his role in the FTX collapse.
(source – Polymarket)
Compared side by side, Changpeng Zhao regulatory failures differ sharply from SBF’s outright fraud, or even DO Kwon’s. CZ faced compliance violations; SBF misused billions in user funds. Some speculate Trump’s crypto pardon spree might be strategic, aiming to attract crypto voters and reinforce the US as a global blockchain hub. Yet SBF’s crimes may be too heavy for redemption, no matter how bullish the sentiment gets.
Deeply grateful for today’s pardon and to President Trump for upholding America’s commitment to fairness, innovation, and justice.
🙏🙏🙏🙏Will do everything we can to help make America the Capital of Crypto and advance web3 worldwide.
(Still in flight, more posts to come.)…
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) October 23, 2025
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Major Crypto News Today: Bitcoin Price Blasting Post Pardon, But Will It Sustain?
Data from DefiLlama shows total DeFi value locked (TVL) climbing to $152 billion, climbing by almost 4% in a day. There’s also a bullish metric as the stablecoin market cap reaches an all-time high, which means people are ready to re-enter the market.
We are all, unless those shorting, expecting the upcoming CPI report to show under 3.1% inflation yearly. However, Polymarket bettors are giving a 51% chance of inflation surpassing 3%.
🇺🇸 US CPI will be released tomorrow at 8:30am ET.
The market expectations are at 3.1%, while last month's CPI was at 2.9%.
Here are different scenarios:
1⃣ CPI > 3.1%
This will be bearish for markets.
This is because it'll mark the highest CPI print since June 2024.
2⃣ CPI… pic.twitter.com/uEl435PNa2
— Ash Crypto (@Ashcryptoreal) October 23, 2025
As for the charts, the Bitcoin price rebound suggests a possible market bottom. Sentiment remains cautious as the Fear & Greed Index sits at 30, but traders see early signs of reversal. Ethereum rose 2.3% to $3,950, though “ETH season” still feels distant for now.
Crypto Fear and Greed Index
In short, most crypto news headlines today show a torn between drama and optimism. With Changpeng Zhao pardon fueling debate and Bitcoin price defying fear, the next CPI report will decide whether this rally turns real or fades into another fakeout.
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US CPI Data Lands as FOMC Looms: Best New Crypto to Buy if Powell Cuts Rates
September’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in cooler than expected, rising 3.0% year-over-year versus forecasts of 3.1%. The softer reading immediately lifted sentiment across risk assets, with
Bitcoin
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leading the move higher: briefly hitting $112,176 before easing to $111,400. As investors interpret the data as a green light for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts, many are once again looking toward digital assets and searching for the best new crypto to buy ahead of a possible liquidity wave.
Core inflation, excluding food and energy, also slowed to 3%, marking one of the mildest readings this year. The data, collected before the ongoing government shutdown, provides the Fed with its final inflation snapshot before the October 29 FOMC meeting.
US September CPI (unadjusted YoY): 3% (exp. 3.1%, prev. 2.9%).
US September CPI (SA MoM): 0.3% (exp. 0.4%, prev. 0.4%).
US September Core CPI (unadjusted YoY): 3% (exp. 3.1%, prev. 3.1%).
US September Core CPI (SA MoM): 0.2% (exp. 0.3%, prev. 0.3%).White House says no…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) October 24, 2025
Technically, $110,500 and $109,500 remain crucial levels for Bitcoin to hold before another possible leg higher. The report showed that while gasoline prices jumped 4.1%, shelter costs rose just 0.2%, and overall consumer prices advanced only 0.3% in September — reinforcing economists’ view that inflation, though persistent, is no longer accelerating.
Read the full story here.
JP Morgan to Allow Bitcoin and Ethereum as Crypto Collateral: Are We Not Bullish?
The latest JP Morgan move on crypto is super bullish! JP Morgan is getting ready to let its institutional clients post Bitcoin or Ethereum as collateral when borrowing funds.
This means that the bank is becoming part of the real banking world. It builds on earlier crypto ETF exposure but goes further by allowing direct pledging through custodians. Once this rolls out by the end of the year, as reported, it’s another line erased between traditional finance and digital assets.
Right now, even just before the news, Bitcoin climbs to above $111,000, up by more than a percent today, while Ethereum sits at $3,956. While Bitcoin is the king, ETH keeps its place as the queen of crypto.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 JPMorgan to allow Bitcoin as collateral in crypto push. pic.twitter.com/8nIEpsm2J8
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) October 24, 2025
Read the full story here.
LINEA Ignition Program Ends Sunday: LINEA Price Prediction Calls Reversal to $0.025
Could the LINEA price finally reverse after one of the toughest months in its short trading history? As the Linea crypto ecosystem prepares to close its 10-week liquidity campaign (the Linea Ignition Program), traders are watching closely to see if this Sunday’s conclusion could trigger the recovery bulls have been waiting for.
With TVL soaring to over $1.6 billion but token unlocks still weighing on sentiment, can Linea ignite one more rally into the next altcoin season, or is the hype already fading?
Read the full story here.
XPL Price Faces $86M Token Unlock: Next 100X Crypto to Buy Instead of XPL Losses?
Could the next 100x crypto emerge just as XPL price faces a massive unlock? With Plasma (XPL), one of the most hyped stablecoin Layer-1 networks, about to release 88M tokens worth roughly $32M, investors are bracing for volatility.
The question is simple: will this unlock spark a recovery or a more resounding crash, and which project might offer better upside during the coming altcoin season? Let’s break down the data and explore whether the Plasma crypto narrative still holds weight, or if it’s time to look elsewhere.
Read the original piece here.
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