Bitcoin News Today: Portal's Mainnet Breakthrough vs. Airdrop Trust Crises Define Crypto Week

Portal to Bitcoin's mainnet launch on October 13, 2025, marked a pivotal development in Bitcoin DeFi, enabling trustless atomic swaps between Bitcoin assets and major blockchains Portal to Bitcoin Announces Mainnet Launch: A Game-Changer for …^[5]. The protocol, backed by $92 million in funding, introduced BitScaler, a multi-party channel solution reducing Lightning Network fees by up to 90% and enabling non-custodial delegation for smart contracts Bitcoin News: Portal to Bitcoin Launch, Bitcoin Hyper $23M Raise^[7]. Portal's mainnet transition aimed to address Bitcoin's scalability limitations, positioning it as a key player in cross-chain interoperability Portal to Bitcoin Sets Mainnet Launch for October 13 - Phemex^[8].

Aster's airdrop events dominated market sentiment, with Stage 2 delayed to October 20 due to data inconsistencies in token allocations. The delay followed user backlash over perceived unfairness in reward distribution, with some traders reporting discrepancies between their contributions and airdrop amounts Aster Airdrop Delayed Due to 'Data Inconsistencies' …^[13]. The project allocated 4% of its total supply to the treasury ahead of the airdrop, emphasizing transparency through on-chain transactions Aster DEX allocates 4% of ASTER supply to treasury ahead of …^[3]. ASTER's price surged 18% in 24 hours as the market digested the delay, though technical analysis highlighted critical resistance at $1.60 and support at $1.50 Aster Price Surges 18%, Is This the Start of a Bullish Reversal?^[1]. Postponed airdrop claims also triggered a 10% price drop earlier in October, driven by anticipated sell pressure and concerns over data integrity on Aster's DEX Aster Crypto Crashes 10% Before Phase 2 Airdrop, What’s Going On?^[4].

Monad's airdrop, expected to launch on October 14, remained shrouded in uncertainty as the team withheld allocation details. Despite a 98% completion of its airdrop portal, community members expressed skepticism about distribution timelines, with prediction markets favoring a November release Crypto News Items Coming For Your Portfolio This Week^[6]. The project's native token, MON, traded near $0.12, implying a $12 billion fully diluted valuation Monad Confirms Airdrop Timing, But Allocation Details …^[10].

Lighter's compensation plan for users affected by a two-day outage in October underscored its commitment to transparency. The platform pledged to disclose a detailed compensation framework on October 13, including adjustments for Liquidity Provider (LLP) holders Crypto News Items Coming For Your Portfolio This Week^[6]. This followed a broader industry trend of projects addressing operational risks through direct user engagement.

Portal to Bitcoin's launch coincided with heightened volatility in the broader crypto market, as projects like Aster and Monad navigated airdrop-related challenges. The interplay of technical upgrades, user sentiment, and regulatory scrutiny highlighted the evolving landscape of decentralized infrastructure.