Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Suffers Sharpest Drop Since China Ban as Hashrate Collapses

Bitcoin ETFs Lose $462M as EU Cracks Down on Wallets and Senate Makes Its “Final” Crypto Offer

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US spot Bitcoin ETFs snapped a three-week inflow streak last week, posting $462.7 million in net outflows — a sharp reversal after what had been the strongest run of 2026 for the category. According to Farside Investors, withdrawals hit every trading session from Tuesday through Friday, following a holiday-shortened week that had already seen $166.8 million exit the funds.

The selling intensified midweek. Thursday brought $282.7 million in outflows, the largest single-day withdrawal since July, according to SoSoValue. Friday’s pace slowed to $13.2 million, but the losing streak still stretched to four straight days. ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF took the biggest hit at $234.2 million, followed by Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust ETF at $129.1 million. Even BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund weren’t spared, losing $52.5 million and $50.7 million respectively. Despite the pullback, Bitcoin ETFs are still up roughly $307.3 million for September.

Ether ETFs told a different story. After a choppy start — outflows on Tuesday and Thursday, a small gain on Wednesday — the funds turned sharply positive on Friday with $216.4 million in net inflows, pushing the week’s total to nearly $197 million. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF led the surge with $148.8 million, followed by 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF at $29.1 million.

The EU Gives Crypto Wallet Makers a 24-Hour Reporting Clock

Separately, the European Union has laid out strict new cybersecurity obligations for crypto wallet providers. Under the Cyber Resilience Act, which took effect Friday, hardware and software wallet makers must report actively exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours of becoming aware of them, followed by a full notification within 72 hours. A final report is due within 14 days of a fix becoming available, or within a month for more severe incidents.

The European Commission framed the rules as a consumer and business protection measure, and the requirements apply broadly to any product with digital elements sold in the EU — not just crypto-specific hardware. For wallet providers, it adds a tight compliance window to an already complex regulatory landscape in Europe.

Senate Republicans Make Their “Final” CLARITY Act Offer

Back in Washington, Senate Republicans released revised text of the CLARITY Act on Sunday, aiming to win over Democratic support ahead of Tuesday’s procedural vote. The 635-page proposal, put forward by Senate Banking Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair Cynthia Lummis along with Chairmen John Boozman and Tim Scott, includes notable changes to ethics rules for government officials involved with digital assets, along with updates to the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act and stablecoin yield provisions.

Lummis said the new ethics language had been agreed to directly by President Trump, describing it as holding elected officials, judges, and their spouses to some of the toughest ethics standards in US history. A Republican aide characterized the release as a final offer to Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s 2:15 p.m. ET vote, which will decide whether the bill can advance toward full Senate consideration.

Also Read: Bitcoin’s Next 24 Hours Could Swing Between $55K and $100K — Here’s Why

Revolut Discloses a Breach Tied to a Fake Government Email

Rounding out the day’s news, fintech company Revolut disclosed that customer data — including passport copies, verification selfies, and full transaction histories — was exposed after the company responded to fraudulent information requests. The requests appeared to come from a legitimate government agency email domain and passed Revolut’s authentication checks before the company determined they weren’t genuine.

Revolut notified affected customers on Friday and said it has since blocked the impersonating address, alerted the government agency being spoofed, and informed law enforcement and financial regulators. The incident underscores how sophisticated impersonation scams can slip past even established verification systems.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of Chain Affairs. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. Chain Affairs is not responsible for any financial losses.

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