Coinbase CEO Armstrong to Lead Crypto Industry Dialogue at Senate Democrats’ Critical Market Structure Roundtable

In a pivotal moment for cryptocurrency regulation, Senate Democrats are convening an unprecedented roundtable discussion with ten of the industry's most influential leaders, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty. Scheduled for October 22, 2025, this high-stakes meeting comes at a crucial juncture following the leak of controversial DeFi regulatory proposals that have ignited significant industry opposition and temporarily halted bipartisan progress on comprehensive digital asset legislation. The gathering represents one of the most significant direct engagements between cryptocurrency executives and lawmakers to date, occurring against a backdrop of escalating tensions between regulatory authorities and the rapidly evolving digital asset sector. Armstrong's participation underscores Coinbase's central role in shaping the future regulatory landscape, while Alderoty's involvement brings Ripple's extensive legal experience to the forefront of these critical discussions. The roundtable aims to address fundamental market structure issues that have become increasingly urgent as cryptocurrency adoption continues to accelerate globally. Industry observers are watching closely, as the outcomes from this dialogue could potentially reshape the regulatory framework governing digital assets in the United States for years to come. With the cryptocurrency market at a regulatory crossroads, this meeting represents a rare opportunity for constructive dialogue between industry leaders and policymakers seeking to balance innovation with consumer protection and financial stability concerns.

10 Leading Crypto Figures to Join Senate Democrats’ Roundtable on Market Structure

Senate Democrats are convening a high-profile roundtable with ten prominent cryptocurrency executives amid escalating tensions over proposed DeFi regulations. The meeting, scheduled for October 22, follows a leaked regulatory proposal that sparked industry backlash and stalled bipartisan progress on digital asset legislation.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty will join Chainlink's Sergey Nazarov and solana Policy Institute's Katie Myers Smith, among others, in discussions led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The New York Democrat has been a consistent advocate for regulatory clarity, having co-sponsored both the Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act and the GENIUS Act for stablecoin oversight.

The gathering represents a critical juncture for market structure legislation as policymakers grapple with balancing innovation and consumer protection. With major players from Coinbase to Uniswap at the table, the outcome could shape the regulatory trajectory for XRP, SOL, and other prominent tokens.

Major Online Platforms Face Outages Amid AWS Disruption — Coinbase Among Those Affected

Multiple major online platforms, including Snapchat, Amazon, Coinbase, Reddit, and Hulu, experienced simultaneous outages early Monday. The disruptions were traced to issues with Amazon Web Services (AWS), a critical cloud computing provider supporting a vast portion of global digital infrastructure.

Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, confirmed the outage via its support account on X, assuring users that funds remained secure despite access issues. The incident underscores the fragility of centralized cloud systems and their cascading effects on dependent services.

AWS outages have historically caused widespread digital disruptions, highlighting the internet's reliance on a handful of dominant infrastructure providers. This event serves as a reminder of the systemic risks inherent in centralized architectures, particularly for time-sensitive sectors like cryptocurrency trading.

COTI Network Undergoes 'Hydrogen' Hard Fork to Boost Enterprise Adoption

COTI, a DAG-based blockchain platform, has initiated its first mainnet hard fork—dubbed 'Hydrogen'—targeting enterprise-grade improvements. The upgrade, executed automatically without user intervention, enhances cryptographic security, transaction throughput, and long-term maintainability. The network's Trustchain consensus already processes over 100,000 TPS, per Coinbase data.

The overhaul follows a comprehensive audit, refining COTI's architecture for developers and corporate partners. Unlike traditional blockchains, its DAG structure enables parallel transaction processing—a competitive edge for payment solutions. 'Hydrogen' positions COTI as a contender in the high-stakes enterprise blockchain arena.

Institutional Investors Maintain Bullish Stance on Bitcoin Through 2026: Coinbase Survey

Nearly 67% of institutional investors remain optimistic about Bitcoin's trajectory heading into 2026, according to Coinbase Institutional's latest market survey. The findings highlight a stark contrast in sentiment between professional and retail traders, with 45% of institutions believing the market is in late-stage bull territory compared to just 27% of retail participants.

Digital asset treasury firms like BitMine are actively shaping market dynamics, with notable accumulation of crypto assets including a recent 379,000 ETH purchase. Coinbase researchers point to anticipated rate cuts and global fiscal stimulus as key tailwinds that could sustain Bitcoin's momentum through 2025.

"Most respondents are bullish on Bitcoin," noted David Duong, Coinbase Institutional's head of research. The report underscores Bitcoin's maturation as a Core institutional asset despite ongoing volatility, with major treasury operations continuing to build strategic positions.

Institutional Investors Bullish on Bitcoin Rally Amid Macro Uncertainty

Nearly 70% of institutional investors anticipate a significant Bitcoin price surge in the next three to six months, according to a Coinbase Institutional and Glassnode survey. The research polled 124 respondents, revealing divergent views on market timing—45% of institutions believe we're in late-stage bull market conditions.

David Duong, Coinbase's head of research, notes Bitcoin could outperform expectations due to favorable macro tailwinds, including $7 trillion sidelined in money market funds. However, 38% of institutions cite macroeconomic risks as the primary concern for crypto markets through early 2026.

The report highlights negative bitcoin funding rates as a contrarian indicator, while emphasizing regulatory developments and liquidity conditions as key performance drivers. Retail investors mirror institutional sentiment, with 62% maintaining bullish medium-term outlooks.

Institutional Optimism Meets Caution as Bitcoin's Bull Run Faces Headwinds

Bitcoin's rally shows signs of peaking despite institutional Optimism for Q4 2025, according to a Coinbase report. The analysis cites strong global liquidity, favorable macro conditions, and regulatory clarity as tailwinds, but warns of November liquidity contraction from US government shutdown risks and Fed QT.

Nearly $7 trillion in money market funds could rotate into risk assets if the Fed delivers two expected rate cuts. However, October's $19 billion leverage flush serves as a cautionary marker. Investor surveys reveal 67% of institutions maintain exposure, though macroeconomic headwinds loom.