XRP Defends Emergency Patch, Saylor Teases More Bitcoin Buys: Crypto Recap

XRP Ledger developers have defended an emergency security patch that fixed a critical bug capable of creating unlimited XRP tokens beyond the network's fixed 100 billion supply cap. The fix, deployed on Sept. 25 — just three days after a bug bounty report — was the first deliberate bypass of XRPL's standard two-week validator amendment process in more than a decade. XRPL engineers argued that waiting for a normal governance vote would have exposed the flaw to attackers for weeks. The expedited patch has reignited debate over XRPL's decentralization claims, a characterization central to ongoing legal arguments that XRP is not a security under U.S. law.

Strategy chair Michael Saylor signaled potential new Bitcoin acquisitions over the weekend, posting "There's always room for more orange" on X — his signature visual cue for BTC accumulation. The tease came as Strategy wrapped September by spending more than six times its weekly Bitcoin buying budget on STRC preferred stock buybacks. Between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4, the company purchased 334 BTC for $28.7 million, bringing its total holdings to exactly 848,000 BTC. Any official SEC filing confirming new purchases is unlikely before Tuesday due to the Columbus Day federal holiday.

Hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger confirmed that one device involved in an ongoing investigation into crypto losses carried an unauthorized hardware implant, raising the prospect of supply-chain tampering in devices sold through a Southeast Asian reseller. The company has been probing reports of compromised wallets since earlier this year, with cumulative user losses potentially exceeding $86 million. The disclosure marks a significant escalation for Ledger, which markets its devices as the gold standard for self-custody and has long warned consumers against purchasing hardware wallets from unofficial channels. The investigation is ongoing, and Ledger has not yet identified the point of compromise in its distribution chain.