The cryptocurrency market saw several major developments on September 18, 2026. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $159.45 million in daily net inflows, Zcash surged to a 10-year high above $1,500, NEAR Protocol jumped nearly 28%, and Solana cut its target slot time from 300ms to 250ms. Meanwhile, JPMorgan analysts predicted Bitcoin could outperform gold in the coming months.
Bitcoin ETFs See $159 Million Inflow
According to SoSoValue, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded total net inflows of $159.45 million on September 17. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $183.66 million in net inflows, bringing its historical total to $64.02 billion. Fidelity’s FBTC saw the largest net outflow at $16.64 million, with a cumulative inflow of $10.05 billion. The total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs now stands at $96.25 billion, representing an ETF net asset ratio of 6.26%. Historical cumulative net inflows have reached $54.73 billion.
Zcash Hits 10-Year High Above $1,500
Zcash (ZEC) surged past $1,500 on September 18, extending a roughly 215% rally from around $470 in mid-August. The token was up more than 10% over 24 hours and 46% over the past week. The rally is driven by institutional demand, short liquidations, and anticipation surrounding the NU7 network upgrade. Grayscale’s spot Zcash ETF (ZCSH), launched on August 25, has attracted over $500 million in assets under management. Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang also disclosed that the firm holds ZEC, calling it a privacy-focused counterpart to Bitcoin.
NEAR Protocol Jumps 28%
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) jumped nearly 28% to around $3.47 on September 18, extending its seven-day gain to over 40%. The surge followed the launch of confidential perpetual futures on near.com on September 17. The product allows traders to open positions without publicly linking them to their accounts. Hyperliquid provides execution and liquidity, while NEAR’s Confidential Intents infrastructure handles privacy. Users can access more than 50 perpetual markets while concealing position size, direction, and entry time.
Solana Cuts Target Slot Time to 250ms
Solana reduced its target slot time from 300 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds, increasing the network’s slot production rate by nearly 17%. The new setting went live on September 18, bringing Solana to four targeted slots per second, up from roughly 3.3 under the previous configuration. This change is the third stage of SIMD-0525, which aims to gradually reduce slot times from the original 400ms to a final target of 200ms. Shorter slot periods provide wallets, exchanges, and trading applications with more frequent network state updates.
JPMorgan Sees Bitcoin Outpacing Gold
In a report published on September 17, JPMorgan analysts predicted that Bitcoin will outperform gold in relative performance if institutional investors begin unwinding their defensive hedges in exchange-traded funds. While gold has led institutional recovery throughout 2026, with inflows erasing all prior capital losses, Bitcoin-backed instruments have only offset half of the redemptions. However, derivatives metrics suggest a different scenario, leading analysts to favor Bitcoin over gold in the near term.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money flowed into Bitcoin spot ETFs?
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded total daily net inflows of approximately $159.45 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $183.66 million in net inflows.
Why is the Zcash price rising?
Zcash climbed above $1,500 amid institutional demand, short liquidations, and anticipation surrounding its NU7 network upgrade. ZEC has risen roughly 215% from its mid-August level near $470.
Why did NEAR Protocol jump nearly 28%?
NEAR surged to around $3.47 as trading activity increased following the launch of confidential-by-default perpetual futures. The product combines Hyperliquid execution and liquidity with NEAR’s Confidential Intents infrastructure.
What does Solana’s 250ms target slot time mean?
Solana reduced its target slot time from 300 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds, targeting four slots per second. The change is part of SIMD-0525, which ultimately aims to reduce target slot times to 200ms.
Why does JPMorgan think Bitcoin could outperform gold?
According to the report, JPMorgan analysts see potential for Bitcoin to outperform gold if institutional investors unwind defensive gold hedges. Their assessment also considers differences in derivatives positioning between the two assets.
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