Strategy Boosts Bitcoin Holdings as Crypto Market Sees Major Developments

Crypto markets opened October 2026 with several major developments. Strategy, a prominent crypto investor, expanded its Bitcoin holdings by 1,665 BTC between September 21 and September 27, spending approximately $142.7 million. This brought its total Bitcoin holdings to 847,666 BTC, valued at around $70.6 billion. The company financed the purchase partly through sales of its Class A common stock, raising $246.2 million in net proceeds.

Bitwise launched the first US spot NEAR ETF, providing direct exposure to NEAR under the ticker NRR. The fund began trading on September 29, 2026, and includes a staking strategy designed to increase the fund’s net asset value. NRR charges a 0.75% management fee and aims to leverage NEAR’s annualized staking reward rate of approximately 5%.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2409 on September 27, introducing restrictions on memecoins connected to public officials. The law prohibits California public officials from issuing memecoins and restricts companies from listing tokens that use the likeness or image of public officials. The measure is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

OKX and ICE filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on October 4 to create a 24/7 tokenized securities venue. The proposed platform would enable trading of blockchain-based securities tied to more than 60 US-listed stocks. The filing starts a regulatory process, with issuers having 30 days to opt out before trading can begin.