Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Polymarket filed a federal lawsuit on Feb. 10 against Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and state gaming regulators to block enforcement actions that would restrict its prediction markets. Citing a recent Massachusetts state-court move against rival Kalshi and other state enforcement threats, Polymarket says those actions create an immediate risk to its national operations, user base and business model. The company argues that event contracts and prediction markets fall under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) authority over derivatives and related products, so federal jurisdiction should preempt state gambling laws. The complaint references increased CFTC involvement and public signals from CFTC Chair Michael Selig. Recent related rulings include a Massachusetts order requiring Kalshi to block Massachusetts users from sports markets and a Nevada judge’s refusal to grant Coinbase similar protections, highlighting regulatory uncertainty. Polymarket, backed by institutional investors and valued at roughly $9 billion, says it is suing to protect users and national market development. The case will determine whether prediction markets are governed federally (supporting national access and liquidity for event-based derivatives) or can be restricted by state sports-betting rules (risking market fragmentation, reduced product availability and liquidity).

Beast Industries, the media and consumer company founded by YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, has acquired Step, a mobile-first banking app for teenagers and young adults. Step serves millions of users and offers spending accounts, rewards, and credit‑building features with FDIC‑insured deposits through Evolve Bank & Trust. Beast Industries said the acquisition will combine Step’s fintech technology and engineering team with Beast’s large global audience and philanthropic efforts to expand financial‑wellness tools and financial‑literacy education for Gen Z. The deal follows recent corporate moves tied to MrBeast: a reported $200 million investment from BitMine Immersion Technologies and a prior trademark filing for “MrBeast Financial” that referenced potential crypto services such as exchange and payment processing. Executives framed the acquisition as part of a broader push into regulated financial services and technology‑driven credit and literacy products, which could open the door to future digital‑asset offerings alongside traditional banking services. Primary keywords: MrBeast, Step, Beast Industries, Gen Z banking, crypto services. Secondary keywords: mobile banking app, FDIC‑insured, credit building, BitMine investment.

The Ethereum Foundation has funded nonprofit Security Alliance (SEAL) to launch the “Trillion Dollar Security” initiative targeting wallet drainers, phishing and social‑engineering attacks on Ethereum users. The sponsorship pays for a dedicated security engineer embedded with SEAL’s intelligence team and supports an ETH Security Dashboard that tracks six risk domains — user experience, smart contracts, infrastructure & cloud, consensus, monitoring & incident response, and social/governance — with multiple prioritized controls per domain. SEAL offers threat intelligence, incident response and legal protections for white‑hat researchers and coordinates cross‑ecosystem investigations. Citing ScamSniffer data, the reporting notes cumulative drainer/phishing losses historically near $1 billion but falling to about $84 million in 2025, a decline SEAL attributes partly to collaborative investigative efforts. SEAL and the Foundation called the arrangement a first step and invited other ecosystems and foundations to adopt similar sponsorships. For traders: the move improves on‑chain and off‑chain security hygiene for ETH users and smart contracts, may reduce large loss incidents and reputational risk over time, and could lower downside tail risk for ETH. Monitor the ETH Security Dashboard, phishing/approval scams, and major incident reports — these are potential short‑term volatility drivers for ETH.

Binance completed a $299.6 million purchase of 4,225 BTC on Feb 9, 2026, bringing its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) to 10,455 BTC (about $734 million). The exchange is converting its $1 billion SAFU — previously held mostly in stablecoins — into Bitcoin and has completed roughly 73.4% of the planned migration. Binance says it is executing staged buys to limit market impact and pledged to top up SAFU back to $1 billion if the fund’s value falls below $800 million, providing explicit downside support. The move is more concentrated in Bitcoin than prior 2023 reallocations that used a multi-asset approach. Market context at the time: BTC trading near $68,972 (down ~2.7%) and BNB near $625. Traders should note this increases institutional-backed BTC reserve demand and may reduce stablecoin sell pressure; however, it also raises SAFU’s exposure to BTC volatility, which could compress the fund’s dollar value during sharp drawdowns. For traders, the staged accumulation may reduce immediate sell-side liquidity and offer episodic price support, while the downside top-up pledge acts as a backstop that could limit severe downside during stress events.

CoinShares reported a sharp slowdown in crypto fund outflows last week: total digital asset fund outflows narrowed to $187 million from $1.695 billion the prior week. Bitcoin investment products recorded $264.4 million in net outflows for a third consecutive week, though at a much slower pace, as BTC rebounded from a roughly 16‑month low near $62,822 to about $70,500. By contrast, altcoin funds reversed three weeks of outflows and posted net inflows led by XRP ($63.1M), Solana ($8.2M) and Ethereum ($5.3M). Total assets under management across crypto funds fell to $129.8 billion — the lowest since March 2025 — while ETP trading volumes hit a record $63.1 billion for the week. Analysts are divided: CoinShares suggests decelerating outflows may signal an inflection but not a confirmed turnaround; 10x Research flags structural weakness across many altcoins and remains bearish on altcoin strength; Bloomberg Intelligence reiterates deeper bear-case risk; long-term bulls still maintain aggressive targets. Market indicators cited include eased whale selling, an oversold RSI (~16) during the sell-off, and thinner liquidity driven by derivatives. For traders: the mixed signals—slowing BTC outflows and renewed altcoin demand—could indicate a short-term floor or buying opportunity, but low AUM, structural weaknesses in altcoins and cautious research counsel prudence before assuming a durable bullish reversal.

Jump Trading will acquire minority equity positions in prediction-market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket in return for providing trading liquidity, Bloomberg reports. Under the Kalshi arrangement Jump receives a fixed stake; its Polymarket stake will scale over time tied to the trading capacity and liquidity it supplies in U.S. markets. Polymarket is valued at roughly $9 billion and Kalshi at about $11 billion. The deals resemble venture-style market-making agreements: Jump becomes a principal counterparty and institutional liquidity provider for CFTC-regulated event contracts while expanding beyond traditional asset classes. The firm has assigned more than 20 staff to build technology and operations for event-contract trading. Market implications include deeper liquidity, tighter spreads, and improved execution for prediction-market contracts, potentially raising volumes and market depth—especially in U.S.-regulated products—though regulatory and state-level legal risks for prediction markets persist. This summary is for market information only and not investment advice.

Publicly traded Bitcoin miner Cango (CANG) sold 4,451 BTC (about $305 million) over the weekend to repay part of a Bitcoin‑collateralized loan, reduce leverage and strengthen its balance sheet as it shifts capital toward AI computing services. The company said it will continue mining but will reallocate some resources and deploy modular GPU units across its 40+ global sites to offer on‑demand AI inference capacity to small and mid‑sized businesses. Cango named Jack Jin (formerly at Zoom) as CTO to lead the AI initiative. Management plans to selectively sell newly mined BTC to fund the AI expansion while retaining a multi‑thousand BTC reserve; Cango reported mining ~500 BTC in January and selling 550 BTC (~$39M), leaving about 7,474.6 BTC at month‑end. Shares fell nearly 3% on the news and are down roughly 62% over six months. Market implications for traders: large miner BTC sales can increase short‑term supply pressure on BTC (primary keyword: BTC sale; secondary: bitcoin miner, AI compute, balance sheet), while using proceeds to repay collateralized debt lowers liquidation risk. The strategic pivot follows an industry trend of miners reallocating capital toward AI/high‑performance compute, but analysts warn of execution and monetization risks. Traders should monitor miner selling cadence, on‑chain flows, custody reserves, and company guidance on future sales for short‑term liquidity effects and longer‑term shifts in capital allocation.

A U.S. federal judge sentenced fugitive dual national Daren Li to 20 years in prison (in absentia) plus three years supervised release for orchestrating an international crypto investment scam that stole more than $73 million from U.S. victims. Li pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted moving proceeds from scam compounds operating primarily out of Cambodia. Prosecutors say the operation used social‑engineering tactics—fake romantic or professional relationships on social media and dating apps, impersonation of tech support, unsolicited contact, and spoofed crypto trading platforms—to build trust and induce wire transfers or crypto deposits. Co-conspirators laundered at least $59.8 million through U.S. bank accounts and shell companies before converting funds into cryptocurrency. Eight co-defendants have pleaded guilty. The Department of Justice called Li the first recipient of stolen proceeds to be sentenced and is coordinating with international partners to locate and return him. The case highlights ongoing risks from “pig‑butchering” social‑engineering scams and large crypto flows linked to Cambodia-based fraud hubs; industry reports estimate very large volumes of illicit crypto inflows to Cambodia since 2021. For traders: the ruling signals intensified U.S. enforcement and cross‑border cooperation against crypto-enabled fraud, continued scrutiny of on‑ramps and privacy tools used to launder proceeds, and a reminder to tighten counterparty and deposit hygiene to avoid exposure to tainted funds.

Forbes and Arkham Intelligence data show Binance holds roughly $4.7 billion — about 87% — of the USD1 stablecoin’s $5.4 billion circulating supply. USD1 is issued by World Liberty Financial, a venture linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump; affiliated entities hold large WLFI stakes and Trump reportedly earned $57.4 million from the project. Binance’s holdings span exchange-controlled wallets and user balances and increased since late 2025 through promotions, token airdrops (including a $40m WLFI distribution), a $2bn MGX investment that channelled USD1 into Binance custody, and conversion of former BUSD reserves into USD1. Analysts and security researchers warn that such heavy concentration on a single exchange creates custody, counterparty, governance and transparency risks — especially if wallets are frozen during legal action, technical outages, or platform stress. Regulatory context: Binance limited U.S. customer access after a 2023 settlement; the SEC withdrew a 2025 suit shortly after USD1 was listed. Binance and World Liberty deny improper ties; World Liberty says promotions were standard practice. Key trader takeaways: the USD1 concentration heightens counterparty and custody risk, could amplify liquidity shocks or sudden freezes, may raise volatility tied to political connections, and could attract greater regulatory scrutiny. Traders should reassess exposure to USD1, review counterparty risk controls, and monitor on-chain flows and exchange custody actions.

Ripple has expanded its institutional custody platform by integrating Securosys hardware security modules (HSMs) for on‑premises or cloud key management and Figment’s staking services to enable custodians and banks to offer staking without running validators. The upgrades include embedded compliance checks—building on Ripple’s prior Palisade acquisition and Chainalysis tooling—and aim to accelerate deployment of custody, key‑management and staking services for regulated firms. Supported networks include Ethereum and Solana; services promise faster rollout, stronger compliance, and optional on‑premises key control. The move aligns with Ripple’s broader push into institutional infrastructure (custody, treasury and post‑trade) and follows its RLUSD stablecoin launch. For traders: the integrations may strengthen institutional adoption of Ripple’s services and related demand for XRP over the medium to long term, though near‑term XRP price action will still depend on broader market conditions and technical indicators.

Bernstein Research reiterated a $150,000 Bitcoin (BTC) price target for end-2026, describing the recent roughly 50% decline from the all-time high to the low-$60k/around $70k area as a confidence-driven, liquidity-sensitive correction rather than a structural failure. The firm noted no systemic triggers (hidden leverage or major insolvencies) and flagged only modest net outflows from spot-BTC ETFs (~7%). Bernstein warned miners could sell if price falls below production costs but said major corporate holders with long-dated preferred equity face manageable refinancing risk. The note dismissed narratives that AI or near-term quantum risks will make Bitcoin obsolete and argued institutional alignment — pro-Bitcoin U.S. policy, accelerating spot ETF adoption, growing corporate treasury exposure and asset-manager engagement — could resume upward momentum once liquidity improves. Market reactions varied: Bitwise’s CEO called sub-$70k levels a renewed institutional entry point, while some technical traders warn the “real bottom” may be under $50k. From current levels near $69k, Bernstein’s $150k target implies roughly +117% upside (about a $3 trillion market cap). Key SEO keywords: Bitcoin, BTC price, spot Bitcoin ETF, liquidity, institutional demand.

Cardano (ADA) price has fallen over 10% in the past week, sliding from roughly $0.30 to lows near $0.23 and now consolidating around $0.26. ADA derivatives open interest (OI) plunged from about $1.6 billion to $334 million as large leveraged positions were closed. Crucially, exchange-level OI concentration shifted markedly: Binance’s share of ADA OI dropped from more than 80% in 2023 to roughly 22% in 2026, while Gate.io now accounts for about 31% of OI. Analyst Joao Wedson warns that this fragmentation of open interest—leverage spreading across multiple venues rather than concentrated on Binance—historically correlates with weaker altcoin rallies (Solana was cited as a precedent). Technicals remain bearish: price trading in a recent $0.25–$0.40 range, RSI near ~33 (approaching oversold), MACD below signal though histogram is narrowing, and heavy volume on the sell-off. Pseudonymous analyst ‘Crypto Patel’ outlines a conditional long-term bullish case if weekly closes hold above $0.13 and a reclaim of $0.44 occurs, targeting $1.20 to beyond $10, but near-term risk is elevated. For traders: sharply lower ADA open interest and a migration of leverage away from Binance reduce the likelihood of exchange-driven explosive rallies, increasing downside pressure until technical confirmations (RSI recovery or MACD crossover) or a restoration of concentrated OI emerge.

The Ethereum Foundation has sponsored Security Alliance (SEAL) under a new Trillion Dollar Security initiative to fund a full‑time security engineer embedded with SEAL’s intelligence team. The engineer’s remit is to monitor drainer toolkits and attacker infrastructure, analyze phishing and social‑engineering campaigns that trick wallet users into approving malicious transactions, and help disrupt large‑scale drainer operations. SEAL — launched by researcher samczsun in 2023 — operates rapid‑response infrastructure and a real‑time dashboard tracking six security dimensions: user experience, smart contracts, infrastructure, consensus, incident response and governance. Industry intelligence cited by SEAL shows cumulative drainer‑related losses near $1 billion historically, but reported thefts fell to about $84 million in 2025 after coordinated defenses. Major wallet and tooling providers including MetaMask, Phantom, WalletConnect and Backpack have joined SEAL’s real‑time phishing defense network. The Ethereum Foundation said this sponsorship is the first of several planned partnerships to scale protections across ecosystems and invited other foundations to adopt similar models. Separately, Vitalik Buterin outlined potential AI integrations with Ethereum — using on‑device models, zero‑knowledge proofs and on‑chain agents to audit transactions, verify activity, act as trusted intermediaries for users, preserve privacy and enable economic interactions by AI agents. For traders: the moves aim to reduce social‑engineering and drainer risk, strengthen incident response, and accelerate privacy‑preserving verification and on‑chain automation. Expect a gradual decline in exploit incidents if adoption broadens, evolving threat‑defense dynamics for wallets and third‑party tooling, and longer‑term operational changes as AI verification tools and coordinated defenses mature.

South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has launched a formal investigation into major exchange Bithumb after a February 6 operational ‘fat-finger’ error. During a promotional “Random Box” payout an employee entered rewards in BTC units instead of Korean won, momentarily crediting roughly 620,000 BTC (about $40–$44 billion) to user accounts — far exceeding Bithumb’s disclosed reserves of about 42,000–46,000 BTC. Bithumb froze affected accounts and halted trading and withdrawals within roughly 35 minutes and recovered most of the miscredited coins, but some BTC — reportedly worth millions — were traded or withdrawn before controls took effect. Regulators upgraded an earlier inspection into a high-intensity probe after on-site findings raised red flags about internal controls, ledger-management systems and reserves accuracy. The FSS is examining potential breaches of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, single-operator transfer authorizations, liquidity and withdrawal risks, and the exchange’s custody practices. FSS Governor Lee Chan-jin warned the incident exposed systemic weaknesses; potential outcomes include fines, sanctions, corrective mandates or temporary suspension. Under Korean law, users who sold mistakenly credited BTC may be required to return proceeds as unjust enrichment. Traders should monitor regulatory announcements, account freezes or forced reversals, potential withdrawal or liquidity restrictions on Bithumb, and short-term volatility in BTC and Korea-listed crypto assets as market sentiment and trust in exchange reserves may shift.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies has expanded its Ethereum treasury to roughly 4.326 million ETH (~3.6% of circulating supply) after buying 40,000 ETH (~$83.4M) in a single day, per on-chain data flagged by Lookonchain. The single-day buys comprised two 20,000-ETH purchases from custody provider BitGo. Bitmine has staked about two-thirds of its holdings (roughly 2.9 million ETH), signalling a long-term staking-and-yield strategy tied to its Ethereum infrastructure buildout. Executive chairman Tom Lee described the accumulation as opportunistic, citing improving fundamentals and attractive staking returns despite recent market weakness. With Bitcoin and cash reserves included, Bitmine’s total crypto and cash assets are around $10 billion. On-chain metrics show the market-cap-weighted staking rate near ~2.7%; CoinGecko treasury data indicate the next-largest public corporate ETH holder controls under 1% of supply, highlighting a concentration gap. For traders: the large, concentrated corporate accumulation and heavy staking reduce immediate sell pressure and could tighten circulating supply and liquidity, but weak macro momentum and poor demand mean the purchases have not yet triggered a sustained price recovery. Key keywords: Bitmine, Ethereum, ETH buy, staking, institutional accumulation.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies bought about 40,600 ETH during a recent market sell-off, lifting total holdings to roughly 4.326 million ETH (≈3.6% of circulating supply) and placing its combined crypto, cash and strategic investments at about $10.0 billion (cash reserves ~$595 million as of Feb 8, 2026). The firm reports approximately 2.87 million ETH is staked, generating an annualized staking revenue near $202 million at a composite yield slightly above 3%. The aggressive accumulation produced large paper losses when ETH briefly fell to ~$1,700, but holdings were valued nearer $2,100–$2,125 in subsequent quotes. Bitmine named institutional backers including ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Pantera Capital and Galaxy Digital, and reaffirmed a long-term treasury strategy targeting up to 5% of ETH supply. The company also highlighted rising on-chain activity (daily transactions ~2.5M; daily active addresses ~1M) and plans to launch the MAVAN validator network to expand staking operations. For traders: the disclosure signals significant corporate demand for ETH, a sizable staking program that can lock up supply, and substantial balance-sheet exposure that may amplify volatility — all factors relevant to short-term liquidity and longer-term supply dynamics.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a four‑part vision to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with Ethereum to boost privacy, on‑chain verification, economic interactions among AI agents, and governance/market efficiency. Key proposals: run large language models (LLMs) locally to avoid data leaks; use zero‑knowledge proofs and cryptographic tools to enable anonymous API calls and verifiable AI outputs; deploy AI agents that audit transactions, detect scams (e.g., address‑poisoning), and mediate user–chain interactions; and apply AI to expand human attention for prediction markets and decentralized governance. Buterin emphasized tooling needs — local model deployment, anonymous APIs, and cryptographic verification — to preserve privacy and prevent LLM‑related data leaks. For traders, this signals growing infrastructure for automated on‑chain agents, better verification/security primitives, and a potential rise in institutional and retail on‑chain activity as friction and fraud risk fall. Primary keywords: Ethereum, AI, privacy, on‑chain verification, LLMs, zero‑knowledge proofs. Secondary/semantic keywords: address poisoning, automated agents, decentralized governance, transaction audits. The main keyword ’Ethereum’ appears multiple times to aid SEO while keeping concise, short sentences and paragraphs for readability.

Billionaire Ray Dalio told Tucker Carlson that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are likely inevitable and will concentrate government control over financial activity by removing transaction privacy and enabling tools such as direct taxation, capital controls and politically driven account freezes. Dalio expects CBDCs will probably not pay interest and warned they could weaken the dollar’s purchasing power. The report cites Atlantic Council data: Nigeria, Jamaica and the Bahamas have fully launched CBDCs; 49 countries (including China, Russia, India and Brazil) are piloting; 20 are developing; 36 researching. It also notes the Reserve Bank of India has proposed BRICS CBDC integration and cites a U.S. executive order (January 2025) banning a U.S. CBDC issuance and use, making near-term U.S. rollout unlikely. Paired market commentary examines Raydium (RAY): price near $0.61, 24h volume about $1.43M, bearish trend with RSI ~27–28 (oversold). Key technical levels: supports $0.50–$0.58, resistances $0.62–$0.79, pivot $0.6113, EMA20 ~$0.7632. Analysts suggest CBDC debate could increase interest in privacy-focused DeFi tokens like RAY. Short-term bounces are possible from nearby supports, but the overall downtrend and low-volume conditions indicate continued downside risk. This is market commentary and not investment advice.

French police detained six suspects, including a minor, after the abduction of a 35-year-old judge and her 67-year-old mother in Drôme. The kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, targeting the judge’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur, and used images and threats to force a digital payment. The victims were held about 30 hours in a garage before escaping and alerting authorities; no ransom was paid. Around 160 officers later executed coordinated arrests. Authorities note this case fits a rising wave of violent “wrench attacks” in France that coerce self-custody holders to hand over private keys or seed phrases. French prosecutors in 2025 charged 25 suspects (including minors) over related kidnappings and attempted kidnappings for digital-asset payments. Past high-profile incidents referenced include attacks on hardware-wallet users and the kidnapping of Ledger co‑founder David Balland. Security experts warn the growing frequency and brutality of these attacks increases physical custody risk for on-chain asset holders and may accelerate adoption of stronger custody practices (time-locked vaults, decoy wallets, multi‑party custody, delayed withdrawals). For traders: no direct market-moving transfers were reported in this case, but a surge in coercive physical attacks could prompt regulatory scrutiny, raise investors’ perceived custody risk, and boost demand for institutional custody and safer self-custody solutions.

White House adviser Patrick Witt and former House Financial Services chair Patrick McHenry said at the Ondo summit that a comprehensive U.S. crypto market-structure bill is accelerating and could reach the president within months. Drafting teams, brokered by the White House, are converting high-level principles into statutory text on a compressed timeline. Key negotiable issues center on stablecoin rules — notably whether centralized platforms may pay passive yield on users’ idle stablecoin balances — and banning deceptive marketing (for example implying FDIC insurance), where broad agreement exists. Banks oppose platform-paid stablecoin yields over concerns about deposit funding migration; crypto firms argue yields drive user engagement. McHenry warned that excluding DeFi and tokenized lending would undermine the framework, noting tokenized lending is cheaper than securities lending and reflecting strong market demand. Ethics provisions (such as restrictions affecting officials’ spouses) remain politically sensitive, but negotiators hope narrower compromises can win bipartisan support. For traders: watch provisions on stablecoin yield, the statutory treatment of DeFi and tokenized lending, and the bill’s timetable — each could materially affect liquidity, funding rates and stablecoin flows if enacted.

Bitcoin market sentiment has plunged to historic lows as the Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to single digits, signalling “extreme fear.” Contrarian traders, including MN Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe, point to deep oversold readings—daily RSI near 15 and sentiment comparable to 2018 and March 2020—that may set conditions for a rebound. Derivatives heatmaps (CoinGlass) show a pronounced asymmetry: a roughly $10,000 upside move could liquidate about $5.45 billion in shorts, while a drop to $60,000 would trigger only about $2.4 billion in long liquidations. That creates a realistic risk of short-covering squeezes on rallies. Offsetting that, on-chain and derivatives metrics (CryptoQuant, Binance flows) reveal structural weakness: BTC trades well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages, a Price Z-Score around -1.6, and negative net taker volume—indicating futures selling currently outweighs spot demand. Monthly net taker volume and Binance taker buy-sell ratios under 1 point to persistent selling pressure in derivatives. Technical analysis highlights a key 0.618 Fibonacci level near $57,000; if historical retracements replay, deeper downside toward ~$42,000 remains possible. For traders: anticipate volatile price action driven by forced liquidations and short-covering on sharp rallies, but require confirmation from improving spot flows and trend recovery (price back above key moving averages) for a durable bull resumption. This is market information, not investment advice.

Backpack Exchange, led by Solana developer Armani Ferrante and ex-FTX executive Tristan Yver, is in talks to raise roughly $50 million at a $1 billion pre-money valuation, with the final amount potentially higher depending on investor demand. The Singapore-headquartered platform combines centralized trading with a non-custodial wallet and has previously raised $17 million in a February 2024 Series A at a $120 million valuation. Backpack has focused on regulatory credentials — securing a VARA VASP license in Dubai (Nov 2023) and MiFID II authorization to offer EU derivatives — and claims to be the first centralized exchange to natively issue SEC-registered equities on-chain. Proceeds are earmarked for global expansion, licensing (VASP/MiCA-style and selective U.S. state permissions), banking and payments relationships, infrastructure upgrades (matching engine, custody, proof-of-reserves) and new regulated products such as custody, staking and institutional trading services. Parallel to the equity round, Backpack disclosed a Token Generation Event where 25% of the token supply (250 million tokens) will be released at TGE — mainly to point holders and a small allocation to NFT holders — designed to boost initial liquidity and align community ownership while restricting founder/early investor exits ahead of a planned U.S. IPO. For traders: the raise and regulatory progress position Backpack as a growing, compliance-focused mid-tier exchange that could attract institutional flow and on-chain securities demand. Key risks include execution (delivering secure custody and proofs), regulatory uncertainty in major markets and competition from entrenched exchanges — factors that will determine whether the valuation and expansion translate into sustained user growth and tradable volume.

OpenAI has begun a limited US pilot to insert clearly labeled ads into ChatGPT for free users and the new $8/month ChatGPT Go tier while keeping Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans ad-free. Ads are contextual, privacy-focused and meant not to alter model responses; advertisers receive only aggregated metrics. OpenAI will exclude ads for under-18 users and around sensitive topics, provide user controls for ad settings, and use on-device processing where possible. The rollout follows public jabs from competitor Anthropic — which ran Super Bowl spots criticizing ads in AI assistants — and a public spat with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The company frames advertising as a necessary revenue stream to offset rapidly rising compute costs, low paid-conversion rates (~5% of ~800M weekly users), and mounting losses, and has been reported to seek additional funding from partners. For crypto traders the key points are: this monetization move may improve OpenAI’s cash flow and slow aggressive cost-cutting that could affect partner integrations and token-linked services; advertiser acceptance will determine whether ad-funded access becomes standard or pushes users toward subscription-only, privacy-focused rivals. Primary keywords: ChatGPT ads, OpenAI advertising, AI monetization. Secondary keywords: contextual ads, privacy safeguards, subscription tiers, Anthropic, ad-free plans.

On-chain data shows Bitcoin miners moved about 90,000 BTC to Binance in February 2025, the largest monthly miner-to-exchange flow since early 2024. A single 24‑hour peak reached roughly 24,000 BTC. Analysts say miners were likely securing fiat for operating costs and taking profits amid recent volatility. Given Bitcoin’s daily issuance of ~900 BTC, a one‑day transfer of 24,000 BTC equals more than 26 days of new supply hitting an exchange order book, materially increasing short-term sell-side liquidity. The flows coincided with a sharp price correction that briefly pushed BTC below $60,000 and a wider drawdown from the prior all-time high; roughly 241,000 BTC entered exchanges during that period. Retail selling (holders <1 BTC) spiked on exchanges but eased as prices recovered, while large holders (whales) continued accumulating into long-term addresses. Market implications for traders: elevated miner outflows are a clear, quantifiable source of near-term selling pressure that can amplify volatility if buy-side demand is insufficient. However, miner transfers often reflect operational risk management rather than a shift in long-term fundamentals. Traders should monitor exchange reserves, miner revenue and payout patterns, hash rate stability, whale accumulation, and order-book depth to assess whether the market can absorb the added supply. Key figures: 90,000 BTC monthly total (~$5.85B at $65,000/BTC), 24,000 BTC daily peak. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, miner outflows, Binance, sell pressure, on-chain data.

TRM Labs found wallets linked to Xinbi, a Chinese-language crypto guarantee marketplace, moved about $17.9 billion on-chain (incoming, outgoing and internal transfers). After Telegram removed many Chinese guarantee groups in 2025, Xinbi migrated users to alternative messaging platforms and launched a native wallet, XinbiPay, which enabled more internal circulation and complicated traceability. On-chain activity for XinbiPay rose in early 2026 following a brief slowdown in late 2025. TRM alleges Xinbi has been used as a conduit for laundering by scam networks and cybercrime groups (including pig-butchering schemes) but notes the $17.9 billion figure is total on-chain volume, not confirmed criminal profit. For traders: the disclosure highlights sustained on-chain flows tied to guarantee marketplaces, growing use of native wallets (XinbiPay), and increased regulatory and law-enforcement scrutiny — factors that could affect market sentiment, increase compliance risk for counterparties, and prompt targeted enforcement actions that may create short-term volatility in related token markets.

MicroStrategy purchased 1,142 BTC between Feb 2–8, 2026, spending about $90 million at an average price near $78,815 per BTC. The acquisition raises the company’s bitcoin treasury to 714,644 BTC, acquired at an average cost of roughly $76,056 per BTC (≈$54.35 billion total, excluding fees). The position equals more than 3.4% of Bitcoin’s fixed supply, keeping MicroStrategy as the largest corporate BTC holder. The latest purchase was financed via an at‑the‑market equity program: MicroStrategy sold 616,715 common shares and raised about $89.5 million in net proceeds. Recent BTC price declines have pushed the company into estimated unrealized losses of about $5.0–$5.2 billion. After disclosure, MSTR shares fell roughly 4.2% in pre‑market trading to about $129, reflecting investor caution. Management, led by Michael Saylor, reiterated a long‑term accumulation strategy despite short‑term volatility. For traders: the trade confirms ongoing corporate demand, further concentrates BTC on MicroStrategy’s balance sheet, and increases MSTR’s sensitivity to bitcoin price swings. Expect elevated volatility around MSTR and potentially BTC when share‑financed purchases occur or if BTC endures further markdowns.

BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Tom Lee, purchased about 40,613 ETH (~$83.2M) during last week’s sell-off, increasing its treasury to 4,325,738 ETH (~$8.8B), roughly 3.6% of circulating supply. SEC filings and DropStab data show BitMine’s earlier purchases average above $4,000 per ETH for roughly 3.7M tokens, leaving the company with estimated unrealized losses near $7.5–7.8 billion. Around 2.9M ETH are reported staked, producing a modest staking yield. Tom Lee called the pullback a buying opportunity, citing ETH’s utility and historical V-shaped recoveries after sharp drawdowns. ETH fell from its August high (~$4,946) to as low as ~$1,824 last week before recovering toward ~$2,100. BitMine’s stock (BMNR) showed intraday gains but remains materially down over recent months. For traders: the purchase signals a large, long-term institutional conviction in ETH demand, but the sizeable unrealized loss and concentrated exposure increase downside risk if prices stay depressed. Primary keywords: BitMine, ETH, Tom Lee, ETH treasury, unrealized losses. Secondary keywords: crypto crash, staking yield, DropStab, treasury buying.

xMoney (XMN) has expanded its merchant payments integration with Domino’s, deploying its embeddable checkout to Domino’s Greece after an earlier rollout in Cyprus. The integration allows Domino’s Greece to accept card payments and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) on web and mobile without redirecting users; sensitive payment data is processed on xMoney’s compliant infrastructure. The launch was announced at SuiHub Athens and highlights xMoney’s collaboration within the Sui ecosystem as part of a broader European expansion. Current implementation focuses on fiat rails, while xMoney and partners are exploring future digital-asset payment options where network speed and UX meet commerce requirements. xMoney positions XMN as a token to support ecosystem incentives and potential on-chain capabilities alongside licensed payment rails. Executives quoted include Daufood CTO Manos Tsouloufris and xMoney CEO Gregorious Siourounis. XMN is listed on exchanges such as Kraken, KuCoin, MEXC, Bitvavo and Bluefin.

Sanae Takaichi won a decisive internal victory in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, consolidating influence and increasing the likelihood of policy continuity favorable to cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation. Known for supporting regulatory clarity and pro-business measures, Takaichi’s ascent reduces near-term political uncertainty around crypto rules and raises prospects for faster rulemaking, clearer guidance from the Financial Services Agency, and closer government–industry dialogue. Key trader implications: (1) regulatory clarity — faster issuance of exchange licensing guidance, token rules, and compliance standards that could lower operational friction for onshore exchanges and projects; (2) fiscal and tax policy — potential reviews of crypto taxation or corporate incentives that may affect after-tax returns and trading flows; (3) market sentiment — improved confidence among institutional and retail participants that could support greater onshore liquidity and institutional entry. Short-term volatility may spike around regulatory announcements, appointments, or tax guidance; medium-to-long-term effects include higher institutional participation and deeper liquidity if market-friendly measures are implemented. Traders should monitor statements from the Financial Services Agency, Ministry of Finance, major Japanese exchanges, and any legislative timelines for concrete measures. Keywords: Sanae Takaichi, crypto regulation, Japan crypto, regulatory clarity, blockchain policy.