Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bitmine, the crypto treasury led by analyst Tom Lee, bought about $102.05 million of Ethereum (ETH) last week, bringing its ETH holdings to roughly $8.97 billion — about 3.7% of circulating supply. Arkham Research notes Bitmine has staked over 67% of its ETH (≈$6.09 billion), earning staking yield while holding a large position. Despite continued accumulation, Bitmine faces an estimated unrealized loss of roughly $7 billion on its ETH position. The firm’s stated long-term target is to hold 5% of ETH supply. Recent ETH price action shows support near $1,840 and resistance around $2,000, with a brief test of $2,000 followed by a pullback. The report places the move alongside other large treasury activity — Strategy recently added 3,015 BTC — underscoring ongoing sovereign-treasury buying during the market downturn. For traders, the story highlights significant buy-side demand from a major treasury, heavy staking (reducing liquid supply), and substantial unrealized losses that could influence future selling or accumulation behavior.

Crypto investment products recorded about $1.06 billion in net inflows last week, reversing five consecutive weeks of outflows, according to CoinShares. Bitcoin-focused funds dominated the inflows with roughly $881–$881.5 million (about 88% of the total). Ethereum products saw roughly $116–$117 million in inflows, its strongest weekly take since mid-January. Among altcoins, Solana funds attracted $53.8 million and Chainlink products added $3.4 million. Short-Bitcoin products registered a modest $3.7 million inflow, suggesting some hedging amid the broader accumulation. Regionally, U.S. investors drove most flows (~$957 million), with Canada ($34.1M), Germany ($31.7M) and Switzerland ($28.4M) also contributing. Analysts attributed the rebound to price corrections, technical breakouts and renewed accumulation by large holders (whales), who appear to have used recent weakness as a buying opportunity. Despite the weekly inflow, year-to-date flows for Bitcoin and Ethereum remain negative. For traders: the data point to renewed institutional interest—heavy allocation into Bitcoin-linked products could reinforce upward price pressure for BTC, while modest inflows into ETH, SOL and LINK indicate selective diversification into alternative chains. Watch volume, fund flow continuation and short-product dynamics for near-term volatility and potential continuation of the trend.

JPMorgan analysts, led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, say the U.S. CLARITY Act could clear Congress by mid‑2026 and act as a catalyst for crypto markets in H2 2026. The bill would clarify token classifications (which tokens are securities or commodities), assign oversight between agencies, and create registration pathways for issuers and intermediaries (exchanges, brokers). It also addresses stablecoin rules, tokenization of real‑world assets, institutional tokenized deposits, and tax guidance on small transactions and staking. Key unresolved disputes in Senate negotiations include whether stablecoin issuers may offer yields and proposed conflict‑of‑interest limits on senior officials and their families. Banks oppose allowing stablecoin yields over deposit‑flight concerns; crypto firms support offering yields. JPMorgan argues approval would reduce regulatory uncertainty and “regulation by enforcement,” encourage banks and asset managers to expand blockchain services, and improve institutional adoption — likely improving market sentiment after recent weakness. Timing and final provisions remain uncertain; lawmakers and the White House continue negotiations after an expected March vote failed to materialize.

Citi will roll out an institutional‑grade Bitcoin custody service by year‑end, beginning with key management and wallet infrastructure that meet institutional security standards (MPC, HSMs, geographically distributed key shares). The service will integrate Bitcoin reporting, tax and management into Citi’s existing custody, settlement and client platforms so institutions can hold Bitcoin alongside cash and securities in a single safekeeping framework. Citi plans transaction support via SWIFT, APIs and UIs and expects future extensions into prime brokerage, settlement integration, cross‑margining, collateralized lending and structured products. The move responds to strong client demand for bank‑grade custody over self‑custody and follows regulatory developments (OCC guidance, MiCA, UK rule changes) that make bank custody more feasible. Citi’s entry adds the scale, compliance and insured framework of a global systemically important bank to a market previously dominated by crypto‑native and some traditional custodians. Risks include operational, counterparty and regulatory issues, but successful launch could unlock substantial institutional capital, boost Bitcoin liquidity and over time reduce volatility. Traders should watch custody onboarding timelines, proof of insurance and integration with trading/prime services as signals for increased institutional flows into BTC.

The Coinbase Bitcoin premium index has recorded a prolonged negative streak — about 40 consecutive days — marking the longest sub-zero run since 2023. The premium, which measures the price gap between BTC on Coinbase (a proxy for U.S. dollar–denominated and institutional flows) and the global market average, sits near -0.05% after narrowing from roughly -0.22% in early February. Despite Bitcoin’s roughly 15% rebound from the Feb. 5 intraday low and a recovery above $62,000, the Coinbase premium has not turned positive. That suggests recent buying pressure likely originated outside U.S. trading hours or on non-U.S. venues, rather than from U.S. investors. Historical context: the previous comparable negative run lasted roughly 30 days during the October 2025 drawdown and ended when U.S. buyers returned. Additional signals point to weaker U.S. demand — for example, Google searches for “bitcoin zero” reached record highs in the U.S. while global search interest remained flat. For traders, the persistent negative Coinbase premium highlights structurally softer U.S. demand and potential vulnerability to U.S.-centric selling pressure, even as global price action shows recovery.

CoinShares reports that XRP-linked investment products attracted roughly $3.5 million in net inflows last week while the broader crypto investment sector saw about $288 million in net outflows. This marked the fifth consecutive week of withdrawals, taking cumulative outflows to roughly $4 billion. Bitcoin products led redemptions with approximately $215 million of outflows (year-to-date outflows around $1.3 billion). Ethereum, Tron and multi-asset products recorded weekly outflows of about $36.5 million, $18.9 million and $32.5 million respectively. Short-Bitcoin vehicles drew roughly $5.5 million in inflows. XRP’s inflows follow a prior week of roughly $33.4 million, lifting month-to-date and year-to-date inflows to about $105 million and $151 million. Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK) posted modest inflows (~$3.3M and ~$1.2M). Regional flows were mixed: the U.S. was the largest net outflow source (~$347M), while Switzerland, Canada and Germany recorded the largest inflows (~$59M combined). Overall assets under management fell and trading volumes weakened compared with earlier periods, signalling continued investor caution. Analysts cited reallocation within crypto rather than wholesale exits, pointing to XRP’s lower unit price and clearer regulatory outlook as drivers of its institutional demand. Key SEO keywords: XRP inflows, crypto fund outflows, CoinShares report, BTC outflows, SOL inflows.

Crypto investment products recorded $288 million in outflows this week, marking a fifth consecutive week of redemptions and pushing year-to-date withdrawals to roughly $4 billion. ETP trading volumes fell to $17 billion — the weakest since July 2025 — signalling thinner market participation from institutions and retail. Bitcoin was the main drag, with $215 million of outflows and roughly $230 million of long liquidations after a dip below $65,000 amid heightened geopolitical and macro risk; short-Bitcoin products saw their largest inflow (+$5.5 million), indicating increased bearish hedging. Ethereum posted $36.5 million of outflows. Multi-asset products and Tron also saw notable redemptions. Some altcoins recorded small inflows — XRP, Solana and Chainlink each drew between $1.2 million and $3.5 million — but these were insufficient to offset broad outflows. Regionally, the US led net withdrawals (-$347 million) while Switzerland, Canada and Germany posted inflows. Analysts linked the streak to waning investor appetite, macro uncertainty and lower liquidity; prediction markets show elevated odds of further BTC and ETH downside. Near-term catalysts to watch include progress on the Clarity Act, US–Iran talks and Bitcoin reclaiming $74,000 for a more durable recovery. Primary keywords: crypto fund flows, Bitcoin outflows, ETP volumes, long liquidations. Secondary keywords: altcoin flows, short-BTC inflows, geopolitical risk.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies purchased 45,759 ETH for roughly $91 million, raising its total Ethereum holdings to about 4.37 million ETH (roughly 3.6% of circulating supply). The acquisition was announced as a fundamentals-driven buy after ETH fell from 2025 highs above $5,000 to near $2,000. Bitmine has staked approximately 3.04 million ETH to earn yield while waiting for price recovery; its blended cost basis across holdings remains materially higher than current prices. The company cited growing real-world-asset (RWA) tokenization and ongoing DeFi activity on Ethereum as long-term demand drivers and noted a recent undisclosed strategic acquisition. Bitmine also holds other crypto exposure and cash on its balance sheet. Traders should note three market-relevant points: 1) large institutional accumulation reduces available spot supply and can support prices over time; 2) significant staking increases the effective illiquidity of Bitmine’s ETH (staking lockups or unstaking frictions can amplify moves); and 3) near-term technicals show ETH trading in a descending channel with liquidity-driven volatility that could produce sharp moves in either direction. Monitor staking yields, on-chain flows from Bitmine’s wallets, and order-book liquidity for cues on short-term price reaction.

This unified analysis examines Cardano (ADA) price prospects for 2026–2030 and the plausibility of a $2 milestone, combining fundamentals, on‑chain metrics and roadmap assessment. Primary bullish drivers are successful scaling of Ouroboros PoS, completion and adoption of Voltaire (decentralized treasury/voting), broad dApp and DeFi growth, rising staking participation, higher TVL, and favorable regulation that could attract institutional capital. Key risks include competition from faster Layer‑1s, roadmap delays or technical setbacks (security or execution), regulatory headwinds, and prolonged macro liquidity squeezes. Scenario ranges from a conservative 2026 baseline (~$0.80–$1.40) to a bullish 2026–2027 path ($1.60–$2.20) if app adoption accelerates, and optimistic 2029–2030 targets ($2.50–$4.00+) contingent on sustained real‑world integrations and institutional uptake. Traders should monitor Voltaire adoption milestones, TVL, daily active addresses, staking ratio, developer activity, major partnership and upgrade announcements, Bitcoin correlation, and macro liquidity conditions. The piece stresses that reaching and sustaining $2 requires utility‑driven demand and significant market‑cap expansion rather than short‑term speculation. (Main keyword: Cardano price prediction. Secondary keywords: ADA price, Voltaire, Ouroboros, TVL, staking.)

Metaplanet shifted most operations toward Bitcoin in late 2024 and reported a dramatic FY2025 turnaround driven by BTC-related activities. The company said roughly 95% of FY2025 revenue came from Bitcoin products — primarily option-premium income from selling BTC options and fees from BTC trading products — pushing revenue up ~700% to ¥8.9 billion (~$58m) and operating profit to ¥6.287 billion (~$40m). Metaplanet’s BTC holdings rose sharply from ~1,762 BTC at end‑2024 to ~35,102 BTC by 31 Dec 2025 after raising over $3 billion since adopting the treasury model. Fair-value accounting on the enlarged BTC inventory produced a large unrealized valuation loss (a market-value write‑down reported at roughly ¥102.2 billion / >$660m), which turned reported net income negative despite strong operating cash flows. Management reaffirmed a long-term Bitcoin accumulation (treasury) policy and expects continued digital-asset-driven growth in FY2026 (guidance: revenue ¥16.0bn, operating profit ¥11.4bn). Traders should note two trade-relevant points: (1) the firm generates recurring cash via option premium sales and trading fees (supporting operating cash flow); (2) its P&L and equity remain highly sensitive to BTC price swings because holdings are marked to market — strong operating margins can coexist with large unrealized losses that affect reported net income and balance-sheet metrics.

A coordinated phishing campaign is using professionally produced physical mail to impersonate hardware wallet vendors Trezor and Ledger and trick users into surrendering recovery seeds. Mailers include official-looking letterheads, holograms, forged signatures and QR codes that lead to cloned “authentication” or verification websites. The letters claim mandatory security updates or time-limited "Authentication/Transaction Checks," creating urgency to push recipients to scan QR codes and enter 12/18/24-word recovery seeds — data wallet providers never request. Researchers have posted examples on social platforms; attackers likely exploited past data breaches (Ledger’s 2020 incidents and partner leaks, and Trezor’s MailChimp/support-portal exposures) exposing emails, postal addresses, phone numbers and proof of device ownership. This marks an escalation from email-only phishing to high-conviction, multi-channel social engineering (postal mail, SMS, spoofed apps) that bypasses email filters and uses QR codes to obscure malicious URLs. Recommended defences for traders and hardware-wallet holders: never enter your seed phrase into websites or apps; verify any notification via official vendor sites; avoid scanning unsolicited QR codes; enable and use optional passphrases; and follow vendor advisories. Market relevance: the threat is primarily at the user level (wallet drains), not a protocol vulnerability. However, sustained successful social-engineering thefts could erode retail confidence, increase selling pressure from liquidations of stolen assets, and raise short-term volatility for affected tokens. Primary keywords: hardware wallet phishing, Trezor, Ledger, seed phrase, QR code scam. Secondary keywords: hardware wallet security, data breach, recovery seed, crypto phishing, wallet safety.

Chainalysis reports an 85% year‑over‑year rise in cryptocurrency flows to suspected human‑trafficking services in 2025, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The firm tracked four primary categories: Telegram-based international escort services, labor-placement agents tied to Southeast Asian scam compounds, prostitution networks, and vendors of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). New findings show stablecoins are the dominant payment method for escort and prostitution services—favored for price stability and easy fiat conversion—while CSAM vendors historically used Bitcoin but are shifting toward privacy coins (e.g., Monero) and instant exchangers. Transaction-size patterns indicate professionalized operations: nearly 49% of international escort transfers exceed $10,000; prostitution networks typically transact $1,000–$10,000; CSAM payments are often under $100 and moving to subscription models. The report highlights links to Chinese-language money‑laundering networks and the use of U.S.-based infrastructure and guarantee platforms to scale operations. Chainalysis emphasizes blockchain analytics as a key tool: on‑chain patterns, repeated payments to recruitment agents, stablecoin flow clustering, and cross‑border transfer tracing give compliance teams and law enforcement detection vectors. The firm warns that dollar figures understate human impact and flags emerging laundering tactics and privacy tools that complicate enforcement. For traders: monitor regulatory and compliance developments, stablecoin flow scrutiny, and any exchange or infrastructure actions that could affect liquidity or access to stablecoins and privacy‑coin on‑ramps.

Analysts reassess Dogecoin (DOGE) and present Mutuum Finance (MUTM) as an alternative for traders seeking higher upside. DOGE trades near $0.09–$0.10 with a roughly $14 billion market cap and has fallen about 30–35% in a month. Persistent headwinds include an inflationary supply model, heavy reliance on social sentiment and meme momentum, and resistance in the $0.12–$0.15 range — factors that make a sustained move toward $1 improbable absent major new capital or significant network catalysts. By contrast, Mutuum Finance is a utility-focused decentralized lending protocol on Ethereum currently in Phase 7 of its presale at $0.04. Since launching in 2025 at $0.01, MUTM has reportedly risen ~300%, raised about $20.5 million, and counts over 19,000 holders. The project highlights security measures (a manual Halborn review and a 90/100 CertiK score) and has deployed a V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet with working liquidity pools, mtToken minting, debt monitoring and liquidation mechanics. MUTM’s tokenomics include a buyback-and-distribute mechanism using protocol fees to purchase tokens for stakers, which proponents say ties token demand to protocol usage. The presale allocates 45% of a fixed 4 billion supply to early buyers; remaining $0.04 allocations are closing and the next price step is $0.06. Traders should note modeled payoff comparisons: $800 could buy ~10,000 DOGE (requiring DOGE to reach ~$0.80 for 10x) or ~20,000 MUTM at $0.04 (requiring MUTM to reach ~$0.50 for 10x). Potential catalysts cited for MUTM include exchange listings, multi-chain expansion, and lending yields; however, claims are promotional and the piece is a press release — do your own due diligence. Primary keywords: Mutuum Finance, MUTM presale, Dogecoin, DOGE, crypto presale.

Ripple has partnered with Aviva Investors to convert existing traditional fund units into tokenized assets issued and managed on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Announced February 11, 2026 and highlighted at XRP Community Day, the collaboration—presented by Ripple’s Markus Infanger and Aviva’s Alastair Sewell—aims to embed tokenized fund structures into Aviva’s live product lineup rather than run isolated pilots. XRPL was chosen for its native token issuance, fast settlement, low fees, energy-efficient consensus (no mining), and built-in compliance features (permissioned access and asset tracking). Ripple cites XRPL’s production history—over 4 billion transactions, 7+ million wallets and 120+ validators—as supporting readiness for large-scale deployment. The deal is Ripple’s first major institutional tokenization partnership with a Europe-based asset manager and marks Aviva Investors’ formal move into tokenized finance. Expected benefits include faster subscriptions, redemptions and transfers, lower administrative costs and intermediaries, improved transparency and potential liquidity for fund units. For traders, the news signals growing institutional adoption of fund tokenization on XRPL and reinforces XRP’s positioning beyond payments into regulated asset management flows.

ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, increased exposure to crypto-linked equities across its ETFs, buying shares of Bitmine, Bullish and Robinhood in the latest filings. The combined disclosures show purchases of 212,314 Bitmine shares (~$4.2M), 74,323 Bullish shares (~$2.4M) and 174,767 Robinhood shares (~$12.4M). This extends ARK’s sustained accumulation of Bullish (now its ninth-largest holding in ARKF at about 3.4% weighting) and marks continued buying of Robinhood and new/additional exposure to Bitmine. After the filings, Bitmine jumped ~8% to $21.47, Bullish rose ~3.6% to $32.85 and Robinhood gained ~7.4% to $76.40. ARK’s flagship ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) also rose roughly 3.5% but remains well below its 2025 peak. The moves underscore ARK’s long-term conviction in digital-asset infrastructure and fintech platforms despite short-term sector volatility, a detail traders should weigh when sizing positions and managing risk.

Pump.fun’s PUMP is a niche platform token on Solana combining memecoin tooling with broader DeFi features. Launched in 2024 with a bonding-curve mint, fee-sharing, governance, deflationary burns and staking rewards, PUMP has shown meaningful on-chain activity: by Q1 2025 Solana TVL rose notably and Pump.fun captured ~3% of Solana memecoin volume; ~65% of circulating PUMP was staked and March 2025 recorded ~850,000 transactions and ~$2.8M in protocol fees (40% distributed to stakers). Comparative 2025 valuation put PUMP market cap near $420M with a fee/market-cap ratio around 8.1%, comparable to peers. Analysts present multi-method projections and three scenarios for 2026–2030: bear (market-share loss; market cap $250–400M), base (moderate adoption; market cap $1.2–1.8B by 2030, ~185–285% upside) and bull (accelerated adoption; market cap $3–4.5B by 2030, ~600–900% upside). Key valuation drivers are token utility, protocol development (upgrades, cross-chain features), user adoption, fee growth and integration within Solana’s DeFi stack. Principal risks include intense on-chain competition, regulatory uncertainty, network or smart-contract vulnerabilities, and team/funding continuity. For traders, monitor development activity, user growth, transaction and fee trends, staking rates, liquidity and Solana ecosystem metrics (TVL, developer activity, uptime). Projections are wide-ranging; treat them as scenario guidance rather than precise forecasts.

Sky Protocol executed a new round of on-chain buybacks, spending 1.9M USDS to repurchase 31 million SKY last week. This latest operation raises the protocol’s cumulative buyback total to more than 108M USDS. Earlier reporting noted January buybacks of 8.5M USDS for 130M SKY and that the ongoing buyback program has deployed over 106M USDS in total; the latest update supersedes those figures with the higher cumulative total. The project did not disclose a fixed schedule or further operational details for future repurchases. Traders should watch these concrete figures (1.9M USDS this week; 31M SKY repurchased; cumulative >108M USDS) as potential supply-side support that may reduce circulating SKY and apply upward pressure on price. Monitor on-chain movement, treasury addresses, liquidity on major exchanges, and any official cadence announcements to assess short-term price impacts and the sustainability of the buyback program. This is market information and not investment advice.

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.

Tether integrated USDT (Tether) and tokenized gold (Tether Gold, XAUT) into Opera’s MiniPay wallet, which runs on the Celo blockchain and requires only a mobile phone number to use. MiniPay now supports dollar-backed stablecoin USDT and gold-backed XAUT to give users in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia low-friction access to digital dollars and tokenized gold for payments, remittances and inflation-resistant savings. Opera reports MiniPay operates in 60+ countries with over 12 million activated wallets, processed roughly 350 million transactions (50% user growth in the most recent quarter) and handled more than $153 million in transfers in December. Tether framed the move as aligned with its mission to provide stable-value digital assets in regions with weak local currencies or limited banking access. For traders, the integration signals wider retail distribution and utility for USDT and XAUT on mobile-first rails, potentially increasing on-chain usage and stablecoin demand in emerging markets.

India’s Budget 2026 retains the existing crypto tax framework: a flat 30% tax on income from transfers of virtual digital assets (VDAs) and a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on transfers above the threshold. The government rejected industry calls for tax relief, citing fiscal prudence and the need to curb illicit activity. The rules also maintain strict compliance provisions—disallowing set-off or carry-forward of VDA losses and imposing penalties for incorrect reporting—which raise compliance costs for exchanges and traders. Market participants warned the 1% TDS reduces onshore liquidity and may push trading volumes offshore, dampening short-term trading, margin strategies and speculative activity. Analysts view the decision as prioritizing revenue and oversight over incentives for domestic crypto innovation. Traders should expect continued friction for Indian exchanges, higher effective tax burdens, and potential shifts of liquidity to offshore venues. Keywords: India crypto tax, 30% VDA tax, 1% TDS, Budget 2026, crypto regulation.

KRAKacquisition Corp, a SPAC backed by crypto exchange Kraken with support from Tribe Capital and Natural Capital, completed an upsized Nasdaq IPO raising $345 million by selling 34.5 million units at $10 each (including full exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment). Units began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under ticker KRAQU; each unit comprises one Class A common share and a one-quarter redeemable warrant exercisable at $11.50. The SPAC filed originally to raise $250 million and increased size during pricing; the registration statement became effective Jan. 27, 2026. Sponsors include affiliates of Payward Inc. (Kraken’s parent), Natural Capital and Tribe Capital. KRAKacquisition will target companies in the digital-asset ecosystem — payment networks, tokenization platforms, blockchain infrastructure and compliance solutions — but has not yet identified or contacted acquisition candidates. Gross proceeds of $345 million will be held in trust pending a business combination within the SPAC’s prescribed timeframe. The deal reflects renewed appetite for crypto IPOs and SPACs amid a more pro-crypto U.S. policy stance and follows broader 2025–26 momentum of crypto firms exploring public listings (reports cite Ledger, Copper and Securitize among those considering listings). Key stats for traders: $345M raised, 34.5M units, $10 per unit, $11.50 warrant strike, Nasdaq ticker KRAQU. Primary keywords: Kraken, SPAC, Nasdaq IPO, crypto IPOs, digital asset M&A.

Standard Chartered research warns rapid stablecoin adoption could pull up to $500 billion from developed-market bank deposits by end-2028, threatening banks’ net interest margins (NIMs). Geoff Kendrick, global head of digital assets research, estimates deposit outflows could equal roughly one-third of stablecoin market cap if total supply expands toward $2 trillion. Stablecoin supply has risen ~40% year-on-year to just over $300 billion, driven by increased use for settlement and liquidity, yield-bearing stablecoin products (for example, Coinbase offering ~3.5% on USDC), and prospective U.S. legislation such as the Clarity Act that may accelerate adoption. Regional U.S. banks—Huntington, M&T, Truist and Citizens—are identified as most vulnerable due to higher NIM reliance and local lending exposure; large national banks are less exposed. Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC) reportedly keep most reserves in Treasury bills rather than bank deposits (0.02% and 14.5% in bank deposits respectively), limiting immediate redepositing back into banks. Short-term indicators are mixed: regional bank stocks have recently rallied and expected rate cuts may ease deposit costs, but Kendrick warns of a longer-term structural shift. For traders: monitor stablecoin supply growth, yield products, major stablecoin flows (USDT, USDC), regional bank NIM trends and equity/debt performance, and legislative progress on the Clarity Act. Potential impacts include pressure on regional bank equities and yield-sensitive instruments, increased attention to on-chain dollar liquidity, and opportunities in stablecoin market instruments.

Chainalysis reports on‑chain crypto money laundering exceeded $82 billion in 2025, driven by organised Chinese‑language money‑laundering networks (CMLNs) that operate largely via Telegram. CMLNs moved about $16.1 billion in 2025 (~$44 million per day) across roughly 1,799 active wallets and are estimated to have handled ~20% of illicit crypto funds over the past five years. These networks now laundered over 10% of funds stolen in “pig butchering” scams and their inflows grew thousands of times faster than flows to centralized exchanges, DeFi or other illicit on‑chain transfers. Operators use Telegram channels, money‑mule motorcades, running‑point brokers and vendor marketplaces to offer fast, hard‑to‑trace services, sometimes clearing large transfers in under two minutes. Stablecoins dominate illicit volume—USDT alone leads—accounting for roughly 84% of the total, reflecting stablecoins’ cross‑border convenience and low volatility. Chainalysis links the networks’ growth partly to China’s capital controls and persistent demand for cross‑border value movement. The firm urges a shift from reactive platform enforcement to proactive disruption of operators, vendors and advertising channels, and calls for enhanced public–private cooperation, law‑enforcement capacity building and better information‑sharing to dismantle these professional laundering services. Traders should note increased regulatory scrutiny, potential on‑chain tracing improvements and possible exchange compliance changes that could affect stablecoin flows and liquidity.

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has registered USDU, a USD‑backed stablecoin issued by Universal Digital International Limited, as a Foreign Payment Token under the Payment Token Services Regulation. USDU is backed 1:1 by onshore USD reserves held at Emirates NBD and Mashreq, with monthly attestations. The token is targeted at banks, exchanges and large trading desks to enable compliant settlement of digital‑asset trades, aligning with UAE rules that require crypto payments and derivatives to settle in fiat or an approved token. Aquanow is listed as global distribution partner and local rails such as AECoin are supported to allow domestic settlement without routing funds offshore. Compared with existing licensed stablecoins in the UAE (for example, issuers holding ADGM money‑services licences), USDU’s direct registration with the CBUAE gives it official settlement status under UAE settlement rules, positioning it as institutional settlement infrastructure rather than a retail trading product. The registration signals a regulatory shift toward supervised onshore stablecoins, and could affect institutional flow, custody and settlement practices in the UAE market.

Bitcoin (BTC) surged past $90,000, trading around $90,050, marking a key milestone in the 2024–2025 cycle. The breakout followed consolidation in the $70,000–$85,000 range and was driven primarily by sustained spot-Bitcoin ETF inflows, the supply-reducing 2024 halving, above-average volume on the move, and declining exchange reserves indicating increased long-term holding. On-chain metrics show greater accumulation by long-term holders and record-high network hash rate. Market structure appears healthier than prior rallies: funding rates are balanced, spot buying is the dominant driver, and derivatives show no extreme leverage. Analysts note technical confirmations — price well above long-term moving averages (e.g., 200-day) and breaks of multi-year resistance and Fibonacci extensions — but warn volatility remains elevated. Immediate trading considerations: watch volume, order-book depth, funding rates, exchange reserves and ETF flows to gauge sustainability; former resistance near $85,000 may act as immediate support; manage position sizing and be prepared for pullbacks. Broader effects could lift crypto-linked equities, increase miner revenues and accelerate Lightning Network growth, while also drawing renewed regulatory attention.

Bitmine, chaired by Tom Lee, increased its staked Ethereum by 113,280 ETH (≈$341M), bringing total staked holdings to 2,332,051 ETH (~$7B). Staked ETH now represents about 55% of Bitmine’s ~4.2M ETH treasury, roughly 3.5% of total ETH supply. The company’s portfolio is valued at ~$12.8B and includes 193 BTC and $682M in cash. Bitmine — a legacy mining-hardware firm repositioned since Lee’s late‑2025 chairmanship toward managing an ETH treasury — is the world’s largest Ethereum treasury holder and the second-largest crypto treasury overall, with investors such as ARK, Pantera and Kraken. The firm says it has staked more ETH than any other entity and forecasts annual staking revenue of $374M at full deployment under current CESR rates. Bitmine is piloting MAVAN (Made in America Validator Network), a US‑based validator infrastructure scheduled for commercial launch in Q1 2026. Tom Lee frames 2026 as a year of regulatory acceptance for digital assets and highlights growing institutional Ethereum use and a rising ETH/BTC ratio since mid‑October. Key SEO keywords: Bitmine, ETH staking, Ethereum treasury, MAVAN, staking revenue.

Large Shiba Inu (SHIB) holders are reallocating portions of their holdings into Mutuum Finance (MUTM), participating in its Phase 7 presale at $0.04 ahead of a projected $0.06 public listing price. The shift follows SHIB’s extended consolidation and slow recovery outlook, prompting some capital rotation toward DeFi presales. Mutuum markets itself as a revenue-generating DeFi lending protocol with two lending models (peer-to-peer and pooled peer-to-contract), staking dividends funded by a portion of platform fees (buybacks and redistributions), and liquidity-mining rewards that the project claims could produce ~25% APR for providers. The presale began at $0.01 and has appreciated ~300%, raising significant capital and drawing reported whale interest; Phase 7 buyers are positioned for an immediate 20% nominal uplift at the Phase 8 price of $0.045 and potential upside if listing hits $0.06. The article includes illustrative return scenarios (e.g., 7x listing gain examples, estimated liquidity yield, and staking dividends) and community incentives such as giveaways and daily buying rewards. Both pieces are press releases and include standard disclaimers urging due diligence. For traders: the news signals capital flow from memecoins into presale-stage DeFi tokens, which may boost short-term buying pressure on MUTM around the final presale phases and listing events, while SHIB remains under consolidation pressure.

Gemini Trust Co. will shut down its Nifty Gateway NFT marketplace on February 23, 2026, and has placed the platform in withdrawal-only mode immediately so users can move NFTs, USD and ETH balances before closure. Launched in 2020, Nifty Gateway was known for premium drops, fiat on-ramps and mainstream collectors. Gemini says the shutdown is part of a product consolidation to build a “one‑stop super app” and that NFT support will continue via the Gemini Wallet (launched August 2025). The move follows a prolonged downturn in NFT trading volumes and user activity since 2021, and comes as other marketplaces have scaled back or exited the market. Traders should expect migration instructions, deadlines for withdrawals, potential custodial transfers and any forced delists or smart-contract interactions. Key SEO keywords: Nifty Gateway, NFT marketplace shutdown, Gemini Wallet, NFT withdrawals, marketplace liquidity.