This week’s stories cut to crypto’s foundations. Tom Lee defended ETH treasury drawdowns as structural, not a flaw. The new Epstein file dump reignited scrutiny around Blockstream. Nic Carter showed most Bitcoin devs see quantum risk as distant, but legitimate. Vitalik called time on generic L2s, and Wintermute’s Evgeny Gaevoy argued the industry has stalled …
Monthly archives: February 2026
Bitcoin Compresses at $68K as Technical Signals Set the Stage for a Decisive Break
On Saturday morning, bitcoin’s price sits between $68,090 and $69,162 over the last hour, with a $1.36 trillion market cap, $97.38 billion in 24-hour volume, and a wide $66,131 to $71,604 intraday range, reflecting a market that has stopped panicking but hasn’t found conviction. Bitcoin Chart Outlook On the daily chart, bitcoin continues to respect …
Man Who Sold $105,000,000 of Illegal Narcotics Through Crypto-Based Marketplace Receives 30 Years in Prison: DOJ
The owner of the dark web marketplace Incognito Market has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for running what prosecutors describe as one of the world’s largest online narcotics platforms. Rui-Siang Lin, who operated under the alias “Pharaoh,” pleaded guilty in late 2024 to conspiring to distribute drugs, money laundering and selling adulterated …
What crashed Bitcoin? Three theories behind BTC’s trip below $60K
Bitcoin (BTC) experienced on of the biggest sell-offs over the past month, sliding more than 40% to reach a year-to-date low of $59,930 on Friday. It is now down over 50% from its October 2025 all-time high near $126,200. Key takeaways: Analysts are pointing to Hong Kong hedge funds and ETF-linked U.S. bank products as …
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US Lender Warns 131,070 Americans After Customers’ Personal Data Exposed in Third-Party Hack
A US lender is warning more than 100,000 users that their personal information is at risk after a third-party data breach. New filings with Maine’s Attorney General show members of Illinois-based MidAmerica Credit Union (MACU) are affected by a cyberattack that hit Marquis Software Solutions, a vendor of MACU. In total, 131,070 people are impacted. …
Bitcoin to fill $84K futures gap ‘very soon’ as BTC rejects above 2021 top
Bitcoin (BTC) failed to hold $69,000 as the weekend began amid predictions of fresh macro lows next. Key points: Bitcoin faces a lack of acceptance above $69,000, while traders see new lows to come. Analysis says that the rebound into the weekend was nothing more than a “relief rally.” Two CME futures gaps provide potential …
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CFTC Expands Stablecoin Collateral Rules as National Trust Banks Gain Approval
U.S. regulators moved to legitimize stablecoins at the federal level, expanding approved uses and elevating national trust banks’ role as payment tokens gain momentum across mainstream financial infrastructure. CFTC Expands Eligible Stablecoins for Regulated Collateral Use The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced on Feb. 6 that its Market Participants Division reissued CFTC Staff Letter …
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Playnance Launches Secure Non-Custodial Gaming Platform for 30+ Studios
Playnance, a Web2‑to‑ Web3 gaming infrastructure whose model separates gameplay from value custody, ensuring all balances are secured in audited smart contracts rather than studio servers. Decoupling Gameplay from Value Custody In the rapidly evolving world of Web3 gaming, the term non-custodial is often used as a marketing buzzword. Yet for a platform hosting thousands …
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Russia’s Sberbank to Start Issuing Loans Backed by Crypto Collateral
Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, stated that it was preparing to roll out a program of crypto-backed loans for corporate customers. The institution stressed that it was currently finalizing the infrastructure needed to scale up the rollout of these financial products. Sberbank Prepares To Scale Issuance Of Crypto-backed Loans Russian banks are prepared to take a …
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Google To Hand $135,000,000 To Android Users and Attorneys After Allegedly Transferring Users’ Data Without Permission
Google is preparing to pay $135 million to end a lawsuit claiming its Android software transferred users’ data without permission. The class action lawsuit alleges the Android operating system quietly initiated data transfers over cell networks even when devices were not in use. Plaintiffs say the transfers violated consumer privacy rights and forced users to …
Vietnam to tax crypto like stocks with 0.1% trading levy: Report
Vietnam is preparing to introduce a tax framework for cryptocurrency transactions that would align digital assets with securities trading, according to a draft policy circulated by the Ministry of Finance. Under the proposal, individuals transferring crypto assets through licensed service providers would face a 0.1% personal income tax on the value of each transaction, local …
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$231.6M pours into IBIT following ‘second-worst’ day for ETF price
BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) saw $231.6 million in inflows on Friday, following two days of heavy outflows during a turbulent week for Bitcoin. The iShares Bitcoin (BTC) Trust ETF (IBIT) saw $548.7 million in total outflows on Wednesday and Thursday as crypto market sentiment declined to record-low levels, with Bitcoin’s price briefly dropping …
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Crypto-focused Erebor wins first new US bank charter of Trump’s second term: WSJ
The United States has approved a newly created national bank for the first time during President Donald Trump’s second term, granting a charter to crypto-friendly startup Erebor Bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) confirmed the approval on Friday, allowing the lender to operate nationwide, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people …
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Google search volume for ‘Bitcoin’ skyrockets amid BTC price swings
Google search volume for the term “Bitcoin” surged over the past week as the asset’s price briefly fell to the $60,000 level for the first time since October 2024. Google Trends provisional data shows worldwide searches for “Bitcoin” reached a score of 100 for the week starting Feb. 1, the highest level in the past …
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Bitrue Expands XRP Infrastructure as 10 New RLUSD Pairs Go Live
XRP momentum is accelerating as Bitrue deepens integration, rolls out new RLUSD trading pairs, and doubles down on positioning traders for a potential market recovery, reinforcing XRP’s role as a core growth asset in crypto markets. Bitrue Expands XRP and RLUSD Strategy as Adoption Optimism Builds Growing optimism around XRP adoption gained momentum as crypto …
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