Liquidity is about to get tested: Binance will support a Shentu (CTK) network upgrade and hard fork, pausing CTK deposits and withdrawals while leaving spot trading open. When on-chain rails stop but order books stay live, spreads can widen, slippage can spike, and trapped capital becomes very real. Here’s how to turn this maintenance window into an edge instead of a headache.

What Binance Announced

Binance will temporarily suspend CTK deposits and withdrawals at 20:00 on October 24, 2025, aligned with a network upgrade and hard fork at block height 26,267,300. The process is expected to complete around 21:00 on October 24, 2025, after which services will be restored once network stability is verified. Binance states users don’t need to take additional action, and trading will remain open throughout.

Why It Matters to Traders

When exchanges halt on-chain movement, liquidity fragments. Traders can still buy/sell, but they can’t move CTK on or off the platform, which can: - Tighten available inventory - Increase spreads and slippage - Create short-lived mispricings across venues - Expose you to settlement risk if you need to withdraw quickly

For on-chain users, pending transactions might stall until the upgrade completes. After a hard fork, there is a brief period where finality and reorg risk deserve extra caution.

What’s Changing on Shentu

Shentu (formerly CertiK Chain) focuses on smart contract security. This upgrade targets performance and transaction security improvements—potentially better throughput and more reliable confirmations. While these are long-term positives, the short-term trading environment can be choppy.

Actionable Playbook for CTK Traders

• Pre-position funds: If you must move CTK, do it before 20:00 on Oct 24, 2025. After that, assume delays until services resume.
• Trade with limits, not market orders: Expect wider spreads; place limit orders to control execution.
• Avoid cross-venue arbitrage that needs quick withdrawals/deposits; your capital could get stuck mid-arb.
• Monitor funding and basis: If derivatives exist for CTK, watch funding rates and spot-perp basis for dislocations.
• Set alerts near block height 26,267,300 and around the expected completion window to reassess conditions.
• Size down risk during the freeze window; volatility spikes are common when on-chain pathways are closed.

Post-Fork Checklist

• Wait for official re-enablement and a few stable blocks before sending large on-chain transfers.
• Verify deposit addresses and memos/tags haven’t changed post-upgrade.
• Confirm transaction finality with extra confirmations in the first hours after the fork.
• Re-check slippage settings and spreads as liquidity normalizes.

Bottom Line

Short-term, this upgrade is a liquidity stress event with potential execution traps; mid-term, it’s a constructive step for Shentu’s security-centric roadmap. Plan your flows before the cutoff, control execution with limits, and let the chain settle before moving size.

If you don't want to miss any crypto news, follow my account on X.