Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a civil enforcement action against Coinbase alleging its newly launched event contracts and prediction-market products amount to regulated sports wagering under Nevada law. The complaint says Coinbase’s event contracts (which pay out on real-world sports outcomes) and commission-based “percentage games” meet the statutory definitions of a sports pool and a regulated game. It alleges four violations: operating a game without a Nevada license, allowing under-21s to wager, receiving compensation for facilitating wagers without a license, and knowingly accepting wagers from Nevada residents. The board seeks declaratory relief, a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction, plus potential fines and forfeiture if enforcement succeeds. Coinbase launched U.S. prediction markets in late 2025 via a partnership with Kalshi (a CFTC-regulated DCM) and acquired The Clearing Company in December to expand event contracts as part of its “Everything Exchange” strategy. Coinbase contends these are federally regulated derivatives under CFTC jurisdiction and has filed federal suits in other states arguing federal preemption. Nevada’s action follows similar state moves and could prompt other state gaming regulators to act. For traders: the case increases regulatory risk for Coinbase (COIN) and derivatives-like exchange products, may restrict access for Nevada users, and raises legal uncertainty that can boost COIN volatility and weigh on exchange-related equities and tokenized-derivatives sentiment.

South Korea exchange Bithumb mistakenly credited Bitcoin (BTC) to user accounts during a promotional payout after an employee entered “BTC” instead of “KRW.” Social reports said roughly 2,000 BTC were credited in error (unverified). The error triggered intense selling and a five-minute local flash crash — BTC briefly dropped about 19% on Bithumb — before the exchange froze affected accounts and restored price stability within minutes. Bithumb said the incident was not a hack or external breach; trading, deposits and withdrawals continued to operate. The exchange froze hundreds of accounts within 35 minutes and recovered most of the misplaced funds through account freezes, reversals and settlements; a small remainder will be covered by Bithumb corporate funds. The firm pledged full reimbursement to affected users plus a goodwill payout. Industry peers provided limited assistance behind the scenes. The episode highlights operational risk at centralized exchanges, the need for multi-layer approvals and capped airdrop safeguards, and may prompt traders to monitor order books and exchange-specific liquidity during similar events.

Tether is reassessing a proposed equity fundraising after investor resistance to an implied $500 billion valuation. Advisers who once discussed $15–$20 billion rounds are now considering a much smaller raise, potentially around $5 billion. CEO Paolo Ardoino said the $500 billion figure represented a maximum discussion point, not a firm target, and noted Tether is profitable and not forced to seek capital. Tether reported robust 2025 results — net profit above $10 billion, USDT supply near $185–186 billion, and several billion dollars in excess reserves — reducing short‑term solvency concerns. The company has diversified reserves into Bitcoin and gold (adding roughly 96,000+ BTC overall and about $779 million in BTC in Q4; reported ~27 tonnes of gold purchases) and launched USA₮, a US‑focused dollar‑pegged stablecoin. Some investors questioned the methodology behind a $500 billion valuation and the realism of growth projections in the current market, prompting the downscale. Fundraising remains at an early stage with no final decision; a smaller round would reflect investor pushback and market conditions and could influence future strategic moves (share tokenization, buybacks, or retained ownership).

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin said relying on Layer‑2 (L2) rollups purely for scaling “no longer makes sense” and urged L2s to specialize beyond cheap transactions — for example by supporting creator tokens, DAOs and prediction markets, and adopting native rollup precompiles and improved Stage 2 proofs. His remarks prompted public responses from major rollup teams. Karl Floersch (Optimism Foundation) agreed rollups must broaden features and highlighted operational gaps: long withdrawal times, immature Stage 2 proofs, and weak cross‑chain tooling; he suggested simpler, built‑in Ethereum verification for rollups. Steven Goldfeder (Offchain Labs/Arbitrum) defended rollups’ continued focus on scaling, arguing Ethereum mainnet upgrades cannot match L2 throughput and noting peak combined throughput above 1,000 TPS across Arbitrum and Base during busy periods. Jesse Pollak (Base) said mainnet improvements help the ecosystem and that Base is progressing toward Stage 2 decentralization with account abstraction and privacy features. StarkWare’s Eli Ben‑Sasson indicated Starknet already occupies a specialized, non‑EVM rollup niche. The debate highlights a pivot point for Ethereum infrastructure as mainnet capacity grows and L2 teams must clarify differentiated roles, security models and developer roadmaps — factors that could shift developer attention and short‑term sentiment for Ethereum and L2 tokens. Key keywords: Vitalik Buterin, Layer‑2, rollups, Optimism, Arbitrum.

Spain’s BBVA has joined a 12-bank European consortium that formed Qivalis, an Amsterdam-based joint venture created to issue a MiCAR-compliant euro-pegged stablecoin. The consortium — including ING, UniCredit, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, KBC, Danske Bank, SEB, Raiffeisen, DZ BANK, Banca Sella and DekaBank — launched in September 2025. Qivalis is seeking electronic money institution authorization from the Dutch Central Bank and targets a commercial launch in H2 2026 if approved. The project emphasizes strong solvency, governance and customer-protection standards, aiming to enable near-instant, 24/7 euro payments, faster cross-border settlement and bank-integrated programmable payment use cases (for example, automated trade finance and supplier payments). The initiative is positioned as a regulated European alternative to USD-dominated stablecoins; the article notes that US dollar stablecoins still dominate market caps (e.g., USDC > $70bn) while the largest euro stablecoin (EURC) remains relatively small (~$432m). BBVA brings prior digital-asset experience, including tokenization work and existing custody services, underscoring rising institutional interest in regulated fiat-linked tokens. Traders should watch regulatory approval timing, onboarding plans, and potential on-chain liquidity and custodial arrangements, as these will determine how quickly a euro stablecoin from Qivalis could affect euro-pegged liquidity and euro-denominated trading pairs.

CME Group is exploring a CME-branded digital token and tokenized cash to modernize collateral and margin management across its global derivatives markets. CEO Terry Duffy said the firm is assessing tokenized cash, tokenized collateral and a possible CME Coin that could operate on a decentralized network; the focus is strictly institutional (margin/settlement), not retail. Duffy stressed issuer credibility—tokens from major institutions would likely gain greater acceptance as collateral than those from smaller banks. The initiative remains exploratory with no technical specifications, regulatory filings or launch date; it runs alongside a separate Google Cloud collaboration testing blockchain-based wholesale payments and tokenized assets via Google’s Universal Ledger, expected to produce a tokenized-cash platform later in 2026. The move aligns with CME’s plan to offer 24/7 crypto futures and options expansion in Q2 2026 (subject to approvals) and follows recent product additions (futures for Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar) and rising crypto derivatives volumes. For traders: watch for regulatory signals, custody and clearing integration details, counterparty risk perceptions tied to issuer credibility, and any pilot participants—these will determine adoption speed, liquidity effects and margin-cost implications.

Crypto.com has launched OG, a standalone prediction‑markets app offering CFTC‑regulated, cash‑settled binary outcome contracts for US users. OG lets traders stake crypto via on‑chain wallets and supports fiat and crypto on‑ramps/off‑ramps. Built on technology from Crypto.com Derivatives North America (CDNA), a CFTC‑registered exchange and clearinghouse, OG emphasizes KYC, responsible onboarding and trading limits to meet US regulatory requirements. The move follows rapid growth in Crypto.com’s prediction‑market activity and aims to position OG against established rivals such as Polymarket and Kalshi. For traders, OG’s launch may boost event‑driven liquidity and short‑term trading opportunities in political, economic and sports outcomes; key items to monitor are initial liquidity, fee structure, CFTC compliance/clearance details and any token or incentive mechanics that could affect market depth and arbitrage. Primary keywords: Crypto.com, prediction markets, CFTC‑regulated contracts. Secondary keywords: binary outcome contracts, on‑chain settlement, KYC, fiat ramps, event trading.

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).

CoinShares’ research finds the near-term quantum-computing threat to Bitcoin is limited and concentrated. Analysts estimate roughly 1.6M BTC are in legacy Pay-to-Public-Key (P2PK) or otherwise exposed addresses, but only about 10,200 BTC (≈0.6% of that pool) sit in large, concentrated UTXOs that would be attractive, fast targets if a fault-tolerant quantum computer capable of running Shor’s algorithm emerged. Holdings vulnerable at scale are split across wallets holding 100–1,000 BTC (~7,000 BTC) and 1,000–10,000 BTC (~3,230 BTC), totaling about $719m at current prices. The remainder is dispersed across ~32,000 UTXOs averaging ~50 BTC each, making mass theft slow, noisy and operationally difficult. CoinShares stresses that breaking Bitcoin’s ECDSA signatures or shortening preimage security (via Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms) would require fault-tolerant quantum machines millions of qubits strong—orders of magnitude beyond today’s devices—likely placing meaningful risk at least a decade away. The report recommends measured mitigation: gradual adoption of post-quantum signatures, wallet upgrades and coordination on proposals (e.g., BIP-360) rather than emergency protocol changes. Industry attention is growing — exchanges and custodians are assessing exposure and forming review boards — but for traders the immediate market impact is small. Key takeaways for traders: monitor wallet migrations and institutional post-quantum preparedness, but treat quantum risk as a long-term structural issue rather than a near-term market catalyst.

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek confirmed the April purchase of the premium domain AI.com for $70 million, paid entirely in cryptocurrency and brokered privately — a publicly disclosed record domain sale. The company launched AI.com as a consumer-facing platform for creating autonomous personal AI agents able to run apps, send messages, manage workflows, build projects and trade stocks. The release was amplified with a 30‑second Super Bowl LX ad in February 2026; traffic briefly crashed after the commercial. Brokers corroborated the $70M price; Marszalek said a team had been building the product since the acquisition. The move signals Crypto.com’s strategic expansion from exchange services into mainstream AI products and highlights growing real‑world use of crypto for large transactions. For traders: the deal increases brand exposure for Crypto.com, may drive user growth across its ecosystem and underscores a product pivot that could shift revenue mix — watch CRO (Crypto.com’s native token) flows, marketing-driven user-onboarding metrics, and any token utility tied to AI.com subscriptions or services. Keywords: AI.com acquisition, domain sale record, Crypto.com, Super Bowl launch, crypto payments, consumer AI agents.

Block Inc. plans to cut up to 10% of its workforce (about 1,000 employees) following internal performance reviews, part of a multi-year restructuring to simplify the organisation, integrate teams and reallocate resources to higher-growth, higher-margin areas. Management is shifting focus toward Cash App, Square merchant services and Bitcoin-related initiatives while trimming lower-priority work. The company is also increasing automation and productivity tools, including an internal AI assistant called Goose, to drive efficiency and cost control. The move responds to slowing Square merchant growth, margin pressure in payments and intense competition in digital payments. Investors will watch Block’s upcoming quarterly results for signs of margin improvement, cost discipline and progress toward long-term gross-profit targets. Primary keywords: Block workforce cuts, Jack Dorsey, job cuts, Cash App, Square, Bitcoin initiatives, automation, cost controls.

CoinShares says quantum computing is a credible long-term threat to Bitcoin (BTC) cryptography but not an immediate crisis. The firm’s analysis finds current quantum hardware and algorithms remain far from the scale needed to run Shor’s algorithm or otherwise break Bitcoin signatures at scale. Only about 8% of BTC sits in legacy addresses that already expose public keys on-chain; an even smaller share is immediately exploitable in a destabilising way. Bitcoin’s SHA-256 hashing and mining are considered resilient to near-term quantum advances. Recommended mitigations include: users migrating funds from legacy addresses to modern address formats that keep public keys private, and developers preparing contingencies such as a protocol upgrade to quantum-resistant signatures if/when needed. CoinShares cautions against rushed hard forks or deploying untested post-quantum cryptography that could introduce bugs or centralisation risks. For traders, the takeaway is that quantum risk is a long-term engineering challenge likely a decade or more away, giving markets and developers time to monitor quantum hardware progress, follow cryptanalysis breakthroughs, and plan orderly upgrades rather than panic-driven moves.

ARK Invest trimmed its Coinbase (COIN) holdings, selling roughly $22 million of COIN across its actively managed ETFs as part of routine rebalancing amid crypto-equity volatility. The firm did not exit Coinbase entirely but reduced exposure; COIN had previously been sold and briefly repurchased in earlier filings. Concurrently, ARK increased stakes in other crypto-related and innovation names — including additional shares of Bullish and larger positions in Alphabet, Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Tempus AI — reallocating capital to favoured fintech and AI names while trimming positions in Roku, The Trade Desk and PagerDuty. Bullish purchases (~$10.7M) coincided with a single-day ~10% rise for the stock; Coinbase rallied ~13% on the day despite ARK sales but remains down year-to-date. Implications for traders: expect heightened short-term volatility and liquidity impact around COIN when ARK-related flows hit the market; watch Bullish and other ARK-targeted crypto-equity names for spillover moves. Overall signal: tactical ETF rebalancing rather than a full institutional exit from exchange exposure, implying neutral-to-moderately bullish medium-term sentiment for the sector.

South Korea’s Bithumb accidentally credited 125 BTC (about ₩13 billion) to user accounts after an internal transfer error. Earlier reports overstated the scope; the corrected figure is 125 BTC. The exchange quickly suspended withdrawals and controls, but over 80 users accessed the miscredited funds before mitigation: roughly ₩300 million was withdrawn to personal bank accounts and about ₩1,000 million was used to buy other cryptocurrencies on-platform. Bithumb says there is no evidence of an external hack; the issue stems from an accounting/transfer error that left custody balances overstated. Because Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, Bithumb’s recovery options include negotiating voluntary returns and pursuing civil claims for unjust enrichment under South Korea’s VASP regulations. Regulators including the FIU and FSC are likely to investigate. Market participants and experts warn the incident highlights operational and custodial risk at centralized exchanges and could accelerate stricter custody standards (multi-signature, real-time monitoring) and clearer user liability clauses. For traders, the event is a reminder to manage custodial risk: expect short-term caution in Korean crypto markets, possible temporary policy tightening at exchanges, and heightened regulatory scrutiny — all factors that can influence liquidity and trading behavior around BTC on affected venues.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed a draft tax and licensing framework that would impose a 0.1% personal income/turnover tax on the gross value of every cryptocurrency transfer executed through licensed platforms, treating crypto transfers like stock trades. The levy applies to individual investors (residents and non‑residents) and requires licensed platforms to collect and remit the tax. Crypto transfers and trading remain exempt from VAT, while corporations established in Vietnam pay the standard 20% corporate income tax on net trading profits; foreign corporate investors would also face the 0.1% turnover levy per transfer. The draft formalises a legal definition of crypto assets and sets strict licensing requirements for exchanges, including minimum charter capital of 10 trillion VND (~$408M) and a 49% cap on foreign ownership. These measures form part of a five‑year pilot program launched in September 2025; licensing opened on 20 January 2026 and the circular is now open for public consultation on enforcement and collection mechanisms. For traders: the low per‑trade levy incentivises reporting and could raise on‑platform costs slightly, while high capital and ownership thresholds may limit licensed exchange supply, potentially reducing liquidity and affecting spreads.

Bitcoin’s network difficulty dropped 11.16% to 125.86 trillion at block 935,424 after average block times rose to ~11.4 minutes. The cut — the largest negative adjustment since China’s 2021 mining ban and among the top ten in history — followed about a 20% decline in global hashrate over the past month, with much of the loss concentrated in the last week. Contributing factors include sustained BTC price weakness (down ~45% from October highs to near $69k), large U.S. spot-ETF outflows, operational shutdowns, and U.S. winter storms that temporarily removed as much as ~40% of global hashrate by overloading regional grids and forcing pools and farms to curtail operations. Daily revenue per PH (hash price) hit record lows; only the newest ASICs remain broadly profitable while older rigs run at a loss and miner production costs exceed market price, increasing sell pressure. The difficulty reduction eases short-term competition — improving reward rate per unit of hash if BTC price holds — but meaningful miner relief and sustained network recovery depend on price rising closer to production costs. For traders: monitor BTC price vs. miner breakevens, hashrate and difficulty trends, miner inventory and ASIC lifecycle, ETF flows, and grid/regional outage risks. Short-term, the difficulty drop can amplify upside if price rebounds; however, persistent price weakness and miner capitulation could add downward pressure.

Tether invested about $150 million for roughly a 12% stake in Gold.com, securing the right to appoint a board member. The negotiated purchase was completed below recent trading levels. The agreement will explore a gold-leasing facility of at least $100 million and allow Gold.com to accept Tether stablecoins (USDT and USAt). Part of the capital will support Tether’s gold-backed token XAU₮ to improve liquidity and on‑ramp/off‑ramp flows between physical bullion and tokenized gold. Tether frames the move as a strategic, long-term hedge amid macro and geopolitical volatility. The deal has drawn mixed reaction: proponents expect improved utility, liquidity and credibility for tokenized gold, while critics cite custody, audit transparency and regulatory scrutiny concerns. Market context includes strong recent gold rallies and Tether reporting sizable profits, which underpins its capacity to fund such initiatives. For traders: the partnership could boost demand and liquidity for XAU₮ and related on‑chain gold trading pairs, increase stablecoin use-cases (USDT/USAt) in commodity purchases, and prompt closer regulatory attention to tokenized real-world assets.

TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence firm, closed a $70 million Series C round led by Blockchain Capital with participation from Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Brevan Howard Digital, Thoma Bravo, Citi Ventures and Galaxy Ventures, valuing the company at $1 billion. TRM provides AI-driven blockchain analytics and investigation tools used by exchanges, payment firms and governments to detect financial crime, fraud and AI-enabled scams. The company reported sustained revenue growth (>150% annual growth over five years) and said AI-driven crypto scams surged in recent periods, even as some data (Scam Sniffer) suggested phishing losses fell year‑over‑year in 2025. Proceeds will fund hiring of AI researchers, data scientists, engineers and financial‑crime experts and expand product and investigation capabilities across offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, London and Singapore. Major clients include Coinbase, Circle, PayPal, Robinhood, Stripe and Visa, and TRM’s tools are used by law enforcement. Management emphasized responsible use of AI in compliance and rising demand from traditional financial institutions and governments for automated solutions to counter AI-enhanced phishing and crypto scams.

Rui‑Siang Lin (online alias “Pharaoh”), a 24‑year‑old Taiwanese national, was sentenced in New York to 30 years in prison plus five years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $105,045,109 after operating Incognito Market, a darknet drug marketplace active from October 2020 until its March 2024 shutdown. Prosecutors say the platform processed more than $105 million in narcotics sales across over 640,000 transactions, selling heroin, cocaine, LSD and fentanyl‑laced pills. Incognito used cryptocurrency payments (including Bitcoin and Ethereum) and an internal anonymous “vault”/“Incognito Bank” system to match buyers and sellers and obscure fund flows. Law enforcement infiltrated the site’s backend, recovered full user and transaction data for 250,000+ transactions, completed controlled buys confirming fentanyl‑laced goods, and traced proceeds to Lin’s personal addresses; he was arrested at JFK in May 2024. The judge called Lin a “drug kingpin.” The case is cited among intensified DOJ/FBI efforts targeting crypto‑enabled darknet markets and money‑laundering tools (notably following large crypto forfeitures such as those tied to Helix). For traders: the ruling underscores heightened enforcement risk for darknet services and crypto mixing, potential continued pressure on compliance standards, and persistent regulatory scrutiny of crypto transaction anonymity — factors that can affect liquidity and on‑chain privacy-tool usage but are unlikely to directly move liquid majors like BTC and ETH absent broader systemic seizures.

Former President Donald Trump said he was unaware that Aryam Investment, a vehicle linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, bought roughly 49% of World Liberty Financial (WLFI) in a deal valued at about $500 million that closed four days before his inauguration. The purchase included an initial $250 million payment; about $187 million was routed to companies tied to the Trump family and roughly $31 million went to firms linked to WLFI co‑founders. WLFI lists Trump and several of his sons among its founders. The deal made Aryam the largest shareholder of WLFI and has drawn scrutiny over potential foreign influence on a U.S.-linked digital-asset platform. Reports note WLFI instruments have been used as settlement rails — for example, Abu Dhabi-backed MGX reportedly used a WLFI dollar-pegged stablecoin to settle a $2 billion investment into Binance. The disclosure has renewed interest in whether foreign capital may affect U.S. policy: months after the reported purchase, the Trump administration approved sales of advanced U.S. AI chips to the UAE despite earlier diversion‑risk concerns. WLFI and White House representatives have denied that the investment influenced government actions. Traders should watch WLFI liquidity and on‑chain flows, possible regulatory scrutiny, and reputational risk that could pressure WLFI token/stablecoin prices in the near term.

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.

Circle’s USDC Treasury minted 250 million USDC on March 21, 2025, confirmed by on-chain trackers. Each new USDC is backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar reserves (cash and short-duration U.S. Treasuries), so the mint corresponds to a $250 million deposit to Circle’s reserves. Large stablecoin mints are monitored as leading indicators of incoming capital — often routed to centralized exchanges, OTC desks, institutional trading desks, payment processors, or DeFi treasuries. Analysts at Kaiko and Glassnode describe rising stablecoin supply as “dry powder” that can be deployed into spot markets, derivatives, DeFi lending and yield strategies; an increase in USDC supply can also reduce borrowing costs on lending platforms like Aave and Compound. Compared with USDT, USDC remains preferred by many institutions for regulatory transparency and monthly attestations, and the mint occurs amid clearer stablecoin regulation in the EU (MiCA) and ongoing U.S. oversight. Traders should watch on-chain flow destinations: movement into exchange wallets may presage spot buying or leverage activity, while transfers into DeFi contracts suggest liquidity provisioning or yield strategies. Short-term impact is uncertain — price effects depend on routing — but the event expands available fiat-backed liquidity and is a potentially bullish signal for USDC use in markets and DeFi if deployed into spot or margin. This is informational and not trading advice.

Address‑poisoning and signature‑phishing attacks surged in late 2025 and early 2026, causing large losses and raising risks for crypto users and traders. Attackers use "dust" or full fake addresses that match visible leading and trailing characters so victims who copy from past transactions paste malicious addresses. Scam Sniffer reported two major address‑poisoning incidents that stole $50 million in December 2025 and $12.2 million in January 2026. Blockchain trackers report hundreds of millions of poisoning attempts across chains (notably Ethereum and BSC), with tens of millions of dollars confirmed stolen and many more attempts tracked. Signature‑phishing—tricking users into approving malicious contract calls or overly broad token allowances—also spiked: in January attackers stole $6.27 million from 4,741 users (a 207% month‑on‑month rise), with two attacker wallets receiving about 65% of those funds. Analysts link higher dust activity to lower gas costs after network upgrades (for example, Ethereum’s Fusaka changes), which make tiny spray‑and‑pray transfers cheap; Coin Metrics found a large share of stablecoin balance updates were under $0.01. Illicit proceeds are often routed into noncooperative protocols (notably into DAI) or concentrated attacker wallets, complicating recovery. The report also notes an unrelated treasury exploit at Step Finance that drained roughly $27.2 million in SOL. For traders: heightened scam activity increases on‑chain noise, may temporarily lift transaction counts and stablecoin flows, and can raise short‑term volatility or reduce retail confidence—especially for users handling large transfers. Actionable precautions: always verify full destination addresses (not just visual fragments), avoid signing unknown contract approvals, regularly audit and revoke token allowances, use address whitelists and hardware wallets, and subscribe to on‑chain scam alerts from reputable trackers.

Canada’s self-regulatory investment body, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), has published an interim digital asset custody framework that tightens custody standards for dealer members and their custodians. The framework applies immediately to CIRO-member dealers and covers crypto (eg. BTC) and tokenized assets. Custodians are classified into four tiers based on audit quality, technology and operational resilience, insurance coverage, and minimum capital: Tier 1 (domestic minimum CAD 100 million) through Tier 4 (lower capital, more restrictions). Foreign custodians face higher capital thresholds. Tier obligations vary: higher tiers must maintain comprehensive insurance across storage locations and stronger controls; tiers 2–4 require independent penetration testing; internal dealer custody is capped and subject to stricter limits. Permitted shares of dealer-held customer assets differ by tier (Tier 1 may hold up to 100%, Tier 4 limited to 40%, and internal custody generally capped at 20% in earlier drafts). The regime mandates continuous auditing, monthly reporting of asset movements, independent verification of cold wallets, and adherence to segregation of client assets from firm funds. CIRO cites past failures (implicitly QuadrigaCX) as motivation. The rules are interim and implemented through membership conditions while CIRO develops permanent or harmonized regulation; transition arrangements may be considered case-by-case. For traders: prefer CIRO-approved custodians and CIRO-member venues, monitor custody-tier announcements and platform custody changes, and factor potential short-term liquidity shifts, increased operational costs for custodians, and consolidation among non-compliant platforms into position sizing and exchange selection. This summary emphasizes custody, capital thresholds, tiered asset limits, immediate effect, and likely market impacts on liquidity and counterparty risk. (Not investment advice.)

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes has publicly wagered $100,000 that Hyperliquid’s native token HYPE will outperform any CoinGecko-listed altcoin with market capitalization above $1 billion between 00:00 UTC Feb 10, 2026 and 00:00 UTC Jul 31, 2026. The bet responds to criticism from Multicoin Capital co-founder Kyle Samani and converts a technical and public dispute into a simple market outcome: the loser donates $100,000 to the winner’s chosen charity. On-chain activity shows significant insider-related accumulation of HYPE in late January and early February, with Hayes increasing his holdings and other Multicoin-linked addresses swapping large amounts into HYPE. The contest coincides with bullish discussion around Hyperliquid Improvement Proposal HIP-3, which extends Hyperliquid into non-crypto derivatives (equity and commodity perpetuals). Independent analysis cited shows TradFi instruments now account for roughly 31% of Hyperliquid venue volume with daily notional above $5 billion; HIP-3 silver perpetuals displayed competitive top-of-book spreads (median ~2.4 bps vs COMEX ~3 bps) but materially lower depth (~$230k within ±5 bps on Hyperliquid vs ~$13M on COMEX). During a sharp silver sell-off Hyperliquid showed heavier execution tails and larger dislocations versus COMEX, highlighting capacity and slippage risks. For traders, key takeaways are heightened volatility and potential price impact from concentrated accumulation and public endorsements or disputes; HIP-3’s 24/7 retail-weighted flow could drive demand and revenue diversification for Hyperliquid — supporting HYPE — but depth and execution constraints pose downside risk during stressed markets. At press time HYPE traded near $32.28.

VistaShares launched BitBonds 5 Yr Enhanced Weekly Option Income ETF (BTYB), an actively managed ETF that combines a U.S. 5‑year Treasury core (roughly 80% allocation) with a Bitcoin options overlay (about 20%) to generate weekly distributions. The fund obtains BTC‑linked exposure synthetically by buying and selling options on a Bitcoin trust (using synthetic covered calls and covered‑call spreads) rather than holding spot Bitcoin. BTYB targets roughly twice the yield of 5‑year Treasuries by collecting option premiums and Treasury income. Key risks include NAV declines if Bitcoin falls sharply, potential return of capital if distributions exceed realized income, and monthly rebalancing that can amplify losses during rapid sell‑offs. An analyst assigned a Hold rating given elevated term premia in fixed income and Bitcoin’s recent ~50% drawdown, noting the fund may suit income‑seeking investors willing to accept crypto volatility. For traders: BTYB offers yield‑enhanced, asymmetric exposure to BTC via options with limited upside capture and concentrated downside risk tied to Bitcoin moves; suitability depends on yield needs, risk tolerance for crypto drawdowns, and views on interest‑rate term premia.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell below the technical support near $71,000 on April 10, 2025, trading around $70,930 on Binance USDT perpetual futures. The breach followed a period of consolidation and came with above-average trading volume and leveraged long liquidations. Market drivers cited across reports include macroeconomic announcements affecting interest-rate expectations, volatility in traditional markets (notably U.S. tech), regulatory uncertainty, and mixed on-chain signals such as exchange net flows, miner selling, institutional ETF activity, funding rates and derivatives open interest. Short-term technicals: immediate resistance near $71,000, next support at $68,500, 50-day MA ~ $69,400 and 200-day MA ~ $65,200. On-chain metrics are mixed — exchange reserves have been declining while large addresses show accumulation; long-term fundamentals (hash rate, wallet adoption, custody infrastructure) remain supportive. Trading volume and exchange inflows increased versus prior sessions, and Coinglass-style reports show significant long liquidations, raising short-term volatility risk. For traders this looks like a corrective pullback within a broader bullish trend rather than a structural reversal, but sustained breaks below the $68,500–$65,200 band (especially under $65,200) would increase downside risk. Key monitoring points: funding rates and open interest for leverage shifts, exchange flows and miner behavior for supply pressure, and volume confirmation at support/resistance levels.

Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank, plans to offer crypto-backed loans to corporate clients after a December 2025 pilot that issued Russia’s first Bitcoin-backed loan to miner AO Intelion Data. The bank used its proprietary Rutoken custody solution to hold pledged BTC and is finalising internal methodologies to expand lending beyond miners to any company holding digital assets. Sber says client demand — including from mining firms — and existing exposure via structured bonds and digital products tied to BTC and ETH are driving the move. The bank is coordinating with the Bank of Russia as regulators work toward detailed digital-asset rules by mid-2026 and supports a gradual legalization approach that may include regulated access tiers for investors. Rival Sovcombank has already launched Bitcoin-backed loans for individuals and businesses, and the development mirrors international trends of banks accepting crypto as collateral. For traders: this signals greater institutional acceptance and potential growth in demand for BTC (and ETH-linked products) in Russia, increased onshore custody use, and possible liquidity inflows tied to lending markets — factors that could influence local market depth and volatility.

Bitcoin (BTC) rallied above $69,000 in a move traders see as a technical and psychological breakout. The advance pushed BTC above its 50- and 200-day moving averages and came with rising exchange volumes and elevated—but not extreme—RSI readings. Primary drivers cited are continued net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, softer dollar expectations as the Fed signals a pause in tightening, improved regulatory clarity in major jurisdictions, and a substantial rise in network hash rate since the 2021 cycle peak. On-chain indicators show declining exchange balances and lower transfers to exchanges, suggesting reduced immediate sell pressure as more coins move into self-custody. Derivatives metrics remain relatively benign: funding rates are not extreme and open interest has risen alongside volumes, limiting outright leveraged excess. Analysts note UTXO realized price clustering near the $69k–$70k area as potential support, while warning that crypto’s inherent volatility means corrections remain possible. Traders should monitor ETF flows, exchange inflows/outflows, futures open interest and funding rates, on-chain metrics (exchange balances, active addresses), and macro data (rates, dollar strength). Short-term catalysts include ongoing ETF adoption and macro sentiment; longer-term direction will depend on sustained ETF flows, the upcoming halving-driven supply dynamics, and regulatory developments. Risk management and prudent position sizing are advised given the potential for rapid reversals.