This week took the crypto market by surprise.
A month historically marked by declines delivered a positive performance that defied past expectations. Bitcoin gained around 8%, Ethereum reached its monthly peak, and even more volatile coins like Dogecoin surged.
This movement was fueled by the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut, growing institutional inflows through ETFs, and the resilience of crypto assets in a context of persistent inflation.
The broad recovery has paved the way for optimistic projections heading into the final quarter of the year, reinforcing the role of digital assets as a meaningful part of the global financial system.
In this article, we’ll examine the key market signals, the risks involved, and the opportunities that lie ahead in the last quarter of 2025.
Bitcoin Gains 8% in September 2025
Source: Coinmarketcap
Bitcoin (BTC) delivered an unusual performance in September 2025.
Historically, September has been considered one of the worst months for the cryptocurrency, with declines recorded almost every year since 2012. This negative trend has often been linked to profit-taking by international investors and portfolio adjustments by major funds.
In 2025, however, the trajectory was different. By mid-September, Bitcoin had accumulated gains of around 8%, reaching nearly $118,000 after months of intense volatility — making this one of the best Septembers in over a decade.
The rally coincided with the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut, a move that increased market liquidity and benefited risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Another highlight was the growing institutional demand. Investment funds and traditional companies have expanded their exposure to BTC, strengthening the view of the asset as a diversification tool and hedge against inflation. This movement helped keep the price above $110,000, defying expectations of a downturn.
The narrative of Bitcoin as a store of value also gained traction, especially in a global environment of persistent inflation. Analysts now argue that if this trend continues, the market could see a new rally in Q4 2025, a period historically favorable for the cryptocurrency.
With these results, September 2025 goes down in history as a month that broke patterns, reinforcing Bitcoin’s resilience and its increasingly central role in the global financial market.
Dogecoin Jumps 16% as Bitcoin and Ethereum Reach Monthly Highs
Source: Coinmarketcap
Dogecoin (DOGE) posted an impressive 16% gain in just 24 hours, trading above $0.29. The surge came amid optimism in the crypto market, driven by macroeconomic factors and expectations of new financial products tied to the meme coin.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Hit Monthly Peaks
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) also staged a strong recovery, reaching their highest prices in September 2025. The move was fueled by net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, signaling greater institutional confidence.
Other Altcoins Follow the Trend
Alongside Dogecoin, other cryptocurrencies also rallied:
- BNB climbed to nearly $941, setting a new all-time high.
- Solana (SOL) hit its highest level since January 2025.
These gains highlight a broader uptrend across the altcoin market.
Factors Driving the Crypto Rally
Several elements explain the market’s rally:
- Expectation of U.S. rate cuts: With inflation slowing, chances are rising that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will reduce interest rates, favoring risk assets like crypto.
- Bitcoin ETF inflows: Investors are boosting exposure via regulated funds, a sign of growing confidence in BTC.
- Dogecoin ETF suspense: Hype surrounded a potential Dogecoin ETF from Rex-Osprey, but trading was temporarily suspended. Even so, DOGE’s price soared.
What It Means for Crypto Investors
The Dogecoin surge and the monthly peaks of BTC and ETH underscore three key points:
- Market sensitivity to U.S. monetary policy – rate cuts tend to boost liquidity and support digital assets.
- ETF strength – institutional capital inflows provide a solid base for upward moves.
- Altcoin spillover effect – when Bitcoin and Ethereum rise, coins like Dogecoin, Solana, and BNB often follow suit.
Bitcoin Falls to $115,000 After Fed Rate Cut
The Federal Reserve (Fed) announced on September 17, 2025, a 0.25 percentage point cut to its benchmark interest rate, bringing it down to the 4.00%–4.25% range. This was the first rate cut of the year and had an immediate impact on the cryptocurrency market.
Bitcoin (BTC) initially held around $116,000, but after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech, the price weakened and dropped to about $115,059 — a decline of roughly 1.4% over the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin Remains Sensitive to Monetary Policy
Even though rate cuts are generally expected to favor risk assets, Powell’s remarks were interpreted as cautious. He stressed that this reduction does not mark the start of a continuous easing cycle, but rather a preventive risk management measure.
This stance reinforces how strongly Bitcoin’s price remains tied to U.S. monetary policy, as global liquidity and risk appetite are directly linked to Fed decisions.
Fed Projections for 2025
Expectations among members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are divided:
- 9 members project two more rate cuts before the end of 2025.
- 2 members expect just one additional cut.
- 6 members believe there will be no further cuts this year.
This uncertainty adds volatility to markets, particularly for assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH), which tend to react sharply to monetary policy signals.
Impacts for Crypto Investors
- A rate cut lowers the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as BTC, which in theory should attract more investors.
- However, the lack of clarity on the Fed’s next moves fuels caution and leads to immediate profit-taking.
- The roughly $1,000 drop after the announcement shows that expectations and the tone of Powell’s speech matter just as much as the decision itself.
MiCA Under Pressure: Challenges of Crypto Regulation in the European Union in 2025
The MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) was created by the European Union to standardize cryptocurrency market rules across the bloc.
The goal is to establish a unified regulatory environment, offering greater legal certainty for businesses and investor protection, while also enabling passporting — a mechanism that allows a license obtained in one EU country to be valid across all member states.
In practice, however, MiCA’s implementation in 2025 is facing significant hurdles. National regulators have pointed out legal gaps and differences in interpretation that undermine the uniform application of the rules.
Instead of creating an integrated market, there is a risk of additional barriers emerging, leading to a regulatory “patchwork” in which each country maintains its own requirements.
This fragmentation worries crypto companies, especially exchanges and startups that saw European passporting as an opportunity to expand operations in a simpler and more efficient way.
If the promise of unification fails to materialize, the European crypto market may lose competitiveness compared to regions like the United States and Asia, which are advancing with their own regulatory frameworks.
Beyond the pressure from national regulators, the industry itself is demanding clarity and speed. Delays in the uniform application of MiCA increase uncertainty for institutional investors, who are waiting for solid rules before expanding their presence in the EU crypto market.
Thus, instead of becoming a landmark of integration, the regulation risks turning into yet another layer of complexity for the European crypto ecosystem in 2025.
Google Launches Payment System with Stablecoin and AI Integration
Source: eGamers.io
On September 16, 2025, Google announced the launch of a new open-source payment protocol that integrates stablecoins into artificial intelligence (AI) automations. The initiative aims to transform the digital payments market by enabling AI agents to execute transactions using assets such as USDT and USDC, in addition to traditional methods like credit and debit cards.
Developed in partnership with major industry players — including Coinbase, Salesforce, American Express, Etsy, and even the Ethereum Foundation — the protocol ensures compatibility with both the traditional financial system and blockchain-based solutions. The goal is to create a faster, more secure payment infrastructure designed for the future of Web3.
In practice, the system allows AI agents to autonomously perform payments in digital workflows, such as online shopping, supply chains, and automated services. To ensure safety, the protocol includes layers of user consent, auditing, and traceability, reducing risks of misuse.
According to James Tromans, Head of Web3 at Google Cloud, the project was designed from the ground up to support stablecoins, which are now consolidating as the bridge between the crypto market and the traditional financial system. This model could accelerate new use cases in Brazil, especially in sectors already advanced in digitalization, such as PIX, fintechs, and digital wallets.
Despite its potential, the innovation also presents challenges. Integrating stablecoins into AI raises regulatory questions around compliance, security, and privacy, as well as technical risks linked to autonomous transaction execution. Still, experts argue that this initiative places Google at the forefront of global digital payments, pushing crypto adoption forward at scale.
New ModStealer Virus Steals Cryptocurrency Wallets from Browsers
ModStealer is a newly discovered malware identified by the security company Mosyle, capable of draining cryptocurrency wallets installed as browser extensions. Unlike common viruses, it can evade detection by many antivirus programs and works across multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How the Virus Infects Computers
The malware is mainly distributed through fake recruitment ads targeting developers. This group often has programming environments like Node.js installed, which makes it easier for malicious code to run. Once the user downloads the fake work material, ModStealer infiltrates the system.
What ModStealer Steals
The virus is designed to capture highly sensitive information, such as:
- Data from cryptocurrency wallets in browser extensions.
- Login credentials for systems and platforms.
- Digital certificates used for authentication.
- Private keys, seed phrases, and APIs linked to exchanges.
This information is sent to remote servers controlled by hackers, giving them full control over the victim’s digital assets.
Persistence and Disguise Techniques
ModStealer is built to remain active even after system restarts:
- On macOS, it installs itself as a background “helper program.”
- It creates hidden files, such as “.sysupdater.dat,” which may indicate infection.
- It uses code obfuscation and persistence methods, making it harder for traditional antivirus software to detect.
Risks for Crypto Investors
The consequences of infection are severe:
- Immediate loss of funds due to direct access to wallets.
- Exposure of recovery phrases and private keys, granting total control over crypto assets.
- Risk of large-scale attacks if multiple wallets are compromised at once.
How to Protect Against ModStealer
To avoid infection and safeguard your digital assets, it is recommended to:
- Avoid downloading files from unknown sources or suspicious ads.
- Use secure cryptocurrency wallets, preferably hardware wallets.
- Keep your operating system and security software up to date.
- Monitor unusual activity, such as suspicious network connections or hidden files on your computer.
