🚨 Breaking: Nasdaq Files with US SEC to Remove Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs Restrictions

👉 Read more

🌍 Circle Foundation Supports UN Digital Hub with Grant for Regulated Stablecoins

📈 Circle Foundation has announced its first international grant to the UNHCR’s Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS) during the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026. This grant aims to integrate regulated stablecoins and advanced digital financial infrastructure across 15 UN agencies to enhance the speed, traceability, and cost-effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivery.

💰 The grant builds on UNHCR’s USDC pilots and focuses on achieving near-instant cross-border transfers, local currency conversion, programmable disbursements, and system-wide transparency. Initial pilots have demonstrated potential cost savings of up to 20%, although implementation will be subject to agency governance, regulatory considerations, and jurisdictional rules.

Circle Foundation announced a grant to UNHCR’s DHoTS to integrate regulated stablecoins across UN systems,

the announcement stated.

🌐 The DHoTS now includes 15 agencies such as UNDP, IOM, and WMO, all of which will benefit from this initiative. The conversion of stablecoins for local use will be facilitated through integrations with banks, mobile-money operators, and fintech partners in local jurisdictions.

💰 ZBD Secures $40 Million Series C for Bitcoin and Blockchain Payment Expansion in Gaming

🚀 ZBD, a bitcoin payments startup based in New Jersey, has successfully secured $40 million in a Series C funding round led by Blockstream Capital, which committed $36 million. This funding will support the company's efforts to expand its video game payment software that facilitates bitcoin and other blockchain transactions.

🎮 In 2025, ZBD served 55 games with a team of 70 people. The newly acquired capital will help accelerate the rollout of a broader payment suite that aims to enable direct financial relationships between players and in-game payouts. However, participation and product availability will depend on platform integrations and applicable jurisdictional payment rules.

Who led ZBD’s $40 million round? Blockstream Capital led the round.

What does ZBD’s product do for game developers? It provides onchain payment rails enabling bitcoin payouts, peer transfers and loyalty rewards in games.

🪙 Peter Schiff Warns: Historic Gold Surge Signals Imminent U.S. Dollar Crisis

⚠️ Economist Peter Schiff recently highlighted a historic surge in gold and silver prices as a warning sign for the U.S. dollar and sovereign debt. On January 27, 2026, he stated on social media that this spike indicates a potential breakdown in confidence in the U.S. monetary system.

Gold closed just under $5,180, up over $170 today—the biggest one-day price increase ever. Gold is sending a clear warning that a U.S. dollar and sovereign debt crisis is imminent. Ignore this warning at your own financial peril,

Schiff emphasized.

📈 Earlier that day, he noted the initial rise in gold and silver prices, saying,

Gold just soared to a new record high. It’s trading above $5,130, up over $125 on the day. Silver is back above $111.

This rapid increase in precious metals prices led him to conclude,

This is a huge deal and what it portends for the U.S. is not good. Buy gold and silver now.

💰 Schiff has consistently advocated for gold and silver as safe investments, viewing their recent price increases as indicative of a broader loss of confidence in the U.S. dollar. He has also shifted his focus towards silver, arguing that its price rise reflects tightening physical supply and demand that the market has not fully recognized.

Silver’s rally signals tightening physical supply and rising demand that markets have not fully priced in, creating asymmetric upside risk,

he explained.

⁉️ US Court Sentences Chinese National to Nearly 4 Years for $37M Crypto Fraud

📌 A Chinese national received a 46-month (Nearly 4 years) federal prison sentence for his role in laundering over $36.9 million stolen from American victims through a sophisticated crypto investment scam operated from Cambodia. According to a DOJ release, Jingliang Su, 45, was also ordered to pay $26,867,242 in restitution following his guilty plea to conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.

🔗 United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner handed down the sentence, marking another victory in the Justice Department’s escalating campaign against international scam center operations. After gaining their targets’ trust, the scammers promoted fraudulent digital asset investments that appeared legitimate.

🔜 Co-conspirators created fake websites that resembled legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms and convinced victims to send funds to these counterfeit sites. The scammers would then falsely inform victims that their investments were appreciating in value, when in fact the money had already been stolen.

🔔 “This defendant and his co-conspirators scammed 174 Americans out of their hard-earned money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the digital age, criminals have found new ways to weaponize the internet for fraud.”

☄️ Base Restores Network Stability After Transaction Delays Triggered by Configuration Change

🚫 Base, the Ethereum Layer-2 network backed by Coinbase, has restored overall network stability following intermittent transaction inclusion delays and elevated transaction drops that affected users at the end of January. The incident began on January 31, when Base experienced periods of increased congestion that resulted in submitted transactions being delayed or in some cases dropped.

🔔 Base developers said blocks continued to be produced throughout the disruption but users saw higher-than-usual latency for transaction confirmation. In an update posted by the Base team the network confirms that the issue stemmed from an infrastructure configuration change related to transaction propagation. According to Base, a configuration adjustment caused the block builder to repeatedly fetch transactions that could not be executed due to rapidly rising base fees. As a result transactions were reprocessed inefficiently, leading to elevated drops and delays in transaction inclusion during peak congestion.

🔥 “On Jan 31, Base experienced elevated transaction drops and inclusion delays,” the team said, adding that the propagation change created a feedback loop in the transaction pipeline under volatile fee conditions. Base later confirms that the issue was mitigated by rolling back the configuration change, restoring normal transaction processing.

⚠️ Base said it has validated that the rollback successfully restored overall network stability. The team also announced plans to conduct a full root cause analysis (RCA) and publish a public postmortem in the coming days. “We have validated the fix restored overall network stability,” Base wrote, noting that intermittent congestion may still occasionally result in delays, but longer-term improvements are underway.

📊 The incident highlights the operational challenges Layer-2 networks face as activity scales rapidly, particularly during periods of heightened demand and fee volatility. To prevent similar disruptions from recurring, Base said it is taking several steps to strengthen its transaction handling infrastructure. Planned upgrades include optimizing the transaction pipeline by removing unnecessary peer-to-peer overhead, as well as tuning mempool queue behavior to improve transaction inclusion under stress.

➡️ Base expects this work to take approximately one month. The team said it is improving alerting systems and change monitoring processes during future infrastructure rollouts, aiming to detect transaction propagation issues earlier and respond more quickly.

🌐 China Bans Unapproved Yuan-Pegged Stablecoins Abroad to Protect Currency Stability

❗️ Chinese regulators have moved to tighten control over digital assets, banning the unauthorized issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins overseas and extending restrictions to tokenized real-world assets linked to the country’s currency. In a joint statement released Friday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and seven government agencies said individuals and companies, domestic or foreign, may not issue renminbi-linked stablecoins without official approval.

🔔 Authorities argued that such tokens mimic key functions of money and could threaten monetary sovereignty. Stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies “perform some of the functions of fiat currencies,” the notice said, warning that circulation outside regulatory oversight could undermine the stability of the yuan. The rules also target services tied to tokenized financial assets, including blockchain-based representations of bonds or equities.

📈 Overseas entities are barred from offering related products to users inside China without permission from regulators. Beijing reaffirmed its longstanding position on crypto payments, stating that assets such as Bitcoin and Ether do not hold legal tender status and that facilitating transactions or related services constitutes illegal activity. The policy builds on a sweeping prohibition introduced by the central bank in 2021 that effectively removed cryptocurrency trading and payments from the domestic financial system.

❓ Legal scholar and former sovereign wealth fund executive Winston Ma said the restrictions apply to both onshore and offshore versions of the renminbi. The offshore yuan, known as CNH, is designed for foreign exchange flexibility while preserving capital controls. The measures appear to fit a broader strategy of limiting privately issued digital currencies while promoting the state-backed digital yuan.

☄️ China has spent several years developing the e-CNY central bank digital currency and recently allowed commercial banks to share interest with users holding digital yuan wallets in an effort to increase adoption.

⚡️ Solana Price Prediction: SOL Bounces 12% Overnight

❗️ The Solana price ($SOL) has pulled off a stunning 12% rally from the bottom, but one critical signal threatens to crash the party. The bounce came fast, pushing SOL away from dangerous levels. Yet, seasoned analysts are still bearish, adding doubts to bullish Solana price predictions.

🔔 Long-term holders are backing away from Solana at the worst possible time. HODLer Net Position Change data shows accumulation is slowing down dramatically after last week’s sharp pullback. These diamond-handed investors usually provide crucial price support during rough patches. But their conviction appears shaken, and that’s a massive red flag for sustainability.

➡️ Solana is still stuck in a descending channel and has now slipped below that structure into the $85 to $90 area, which is acting as short-term support for now. Trend wise, nothing has really changed. This is still a bearish setup with lower highs and lower lows firmly in place.

📌 Brazil's Ambitious Bitcoin Reserve Bill: A Step Towards Becoming a Crypto Powerhouse

‼️ Brazil is making strides to position itself as a leading pro-bitcoin nation. A new bill has been introduced in Congress, significantly expanding a previous proposal for a national strategic bitcoin reserve. This draft aims for the acquisition of up to 1 million BTC over five years.

the planned and gradual acquisition of bitcoins as strategic reserve assets of the Union to accumulate at least 1,000,000 BTC (one million bitcoins) over 5 (five) years

the new document establishes.

💰 Previously, the bill allowed for spending up to 5% of Brazil’s foreign reserves to diversify the National Treasury's assets with an inflation-resistant asset managed by the central bank. The new proposal includes several changes: a ban on selling bitcoin seized by judicial authorities, accepting bitcoin for federal tax payments, and providing incentives for companies that mine and hold bitcoin.

📢 Deputy Luis Gastao highlighted that these modifications adopt

more comprehensive approach, contemplating not only the establishment of the sovereign reserve, but also the guaranteeing fundamental rights related to the use and custody of digital assets.

💸 If approved, the bill would allow Brazil to spend nearly $68 billion to acquire 1 million BTC, potentially making it one of the countries with the strongest BTC reserves, surpassing the U.S. and China. However, the bill faces challenges as it must align with current central bank regulations, which do not recognize BTC as a reserve asset.

⚠️ Animoca Brands Secures VASP License from VARA for Crypto Services in Dubai

🌍 On February 16, 2026, Animoca Brands announced that it has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). This license allows the company to offer virtual asset Broker-Dealer Services and Management and Investment Services from Dubai, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre. With this authorization, Animoca Brands can begin operations for global institutional and qualified investors under VARA’s regulatory framework.

📈 The VASP License is a significant step for Animoca Brands’ expansion in the Middle East and enables the company to provide regulated digital asset services and investment activities from Dubai. This move complements its existing platforms such as Moca Network, Open Campus, Anichess, and The Sandbox, and supports its management of a portfolio comprising over 600 companies and digital assets.

Receiving the VASP license from VARA is an important milestone

said Omar Elassar, managing director for the Middle East and head of Global Strategic Partnerships at Animoca Brands.

📝 The VARA VASP License permits Animoca Brands to perform VA Broker-Dealer Services and VA Management and Investment Services from Dubai. The announcement of the license came on February 16, 2026, and it covers operations in and from the Emirate of Dubai. Under this license, Animoca Brands can serve global institutional and qualified investors from its Dubai operations. The VASP License was granted by VARA, which was established in 2022 under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2022.

🗣 Eric Trump Predicts Bitcoin Will Reach $1 Million

🔔 Eric Trump recently expressed his bullish outlook on Bitcoin, predicting that the cryptocurrency will eventually reach $1 million per coin. In an interview with CNBC on February 18, he stated,

I've never been more bullish on bitcoin in my life.

Despite a recent market pullback, Trump remains optimistic about Bitcoin's future.

💼 The interview, which took place during the World Liberty Forum, also featured Donald Trump Jr. and focused on the brothers' crypto venture, World Liberty Financial (WLFI). Trump linked his $1 million target for Bitcoin to increased institutional participation, regulatory clarity, and Bitcoin's fixed supply. He emphasized that these factors make his prediction inevitable.

📊 Eric Trump is the co-founder and executive at American Bitcoin Corp. (Nasdaq: ABTC), which went public in September 2025. The company currently holds approximately 6,039 BTC, placing it among the top 20 public corporate holders of Bitcoin worldwide. Additionally, he co-founded World Liberty Financial, which focuses on stablecoin infrastructure and digital asset services.

💵 During the CNBC discussion, the Trump brothers described stablecoins as a potential means for channeling global capital into the United States. They argued that U.S. dollar-pegged tokens could attract funds from unstable foreign currencies.

🪙 Robert Kiyosaki Increases Bitcoin Holdings Amid Market Turmoil

📉 Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, is boosting his Bitcoin investments during current market instability, while warning of an impending historic stock market crash. On February 20, he announced on social media that he purchased an additional whole Bitcoin for $67K, despite its declining value. He explained his decision by linking it to the U.S. debt crisis and the Federal Reserve's potential money printing actions, stating,

Because the Big Print will begin when the US debt crashes the dollar and ‘The Marxist Fed’ begins printing trillions in fake dollars.

🔔 Kiyosaki emphasized Bitcoin's limited supply, noting that “The magical 21 millionth bitcoin is getting close to being mined. When the 21st millionth bitcoin is mined, bitcoin becomes better than gold.” This statement comes after he previously claimed to have stopped buying Bitcoin at $6,000, which raised questions due to his recent posts about accumulating it at much higher prices.

📉 He has consistently warned about what he calls the “biggest stock market crash in history,” a prediction he made in his 2013 book Rich Dad’s Prophecy. He reiterated this warning on February 16, stating,

I am warning you: In Rich Dad’s Prophecy, published in 2013, I warned of the biggest stock market crash in history still coming. That giant crash is now imminent.

🚨 CRCL Stock Surges 16% as USDC Issuer Circle Beats Earnings

👉 Read more

💰 Stripe Inc. Considers Acquiring PayPal Holdings Inc.

🔍 Stripe Inc. is reportedly considering a potential acquisition of PayPal Holdings Inc., a move that could significantly impact the digital payments industry. According to a Bloomberg report, discussions are in the early stages, and there is no assurance that they will result in a deal. Both companies have declined to comment on the matter.

📈 On February 24, PayPal shares rose by 6.7% to close at $47.02, giving the company a valuation of $43.3 billion. Once a leader in online payments, PayPal has faced challenges in keeping up with competitors like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its fourth-quarter earnings fell short of analyst expectations, indicating a decline in transaction volumes. Additionally, leadership changes have contributed to the uncertainty: Enrique Lores will become CEO on March 1, replacing Alex Chriss, who was ousted after less than two years.

🚀 In contrast, Stripe is experiencing growth. Founded by brothers Patrick and John Collison, the privately held company recently announced a valuation of $159 billion in an employee tender offer, up from $95 billion in 2021. By late 2023, Stripe surpassed $1 trillion in total payment volume, achieving this milestone much faster than PayPal.

🔗 Stripe has been actively building its platform through acquisitions, including Lemon Squeezy and Bridge, to strengthen its position in stablecoin payments. Commenting on PayPal's challenges, Stripe President John Collison stated:

PayPal has had, obviously, a tough time over the past few years, and the landscape has changed quite a bit with Apple Pay and Google Pay and everything like that.

⚡️ Traders React to U.S.-Israel Airstrikes on Iran: A Market Analysis

💰 Prediction markets are buzzing following significant airstrikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. Traders are currently estimating a 46% chance that the Iranian regime will collapse by June 30. Some market participants successfully predicted the timing of the attack, with one bettor reportedly placing a $60,000 wager three days prior and winning $500,000.

🚀 The operation, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" by the Pentagon, saw U.S. President Trump urging Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps to surrender and calling for civilian uprising against their government. Reports indicate that early insiders in the prediction markets made over $1,000,000 from this outcome.

📉 However, not all traders profited. A Polymarket user known as "anoin123" suffered a significant loss of approximately $6.5 million after the unexpected airstrike reversed their previous gains.

📊 Wagering remains active as traders adjust their expectations regarding the ongoing Middle East conflict. A Kalshi event asking "Will Iran close the Strait of Hormuz this year?" currently shows a 56% probability for that outcome. Another Kalshi event tracks the likelihood of Ali Khamenei leaving office, with odds increasing as the timeframe extends into 2026.

📈 As of February 28, 2026, the probability of Khamenei's departure before March 1, 2026, is at 20%, while the odds for him exiting before July 1, 2026, sit at 67%. Polymarket bettors assign a 75% probability to Khamenei being removed from power by March 31, 2026.

🚨 U.S.-Iran War: U.S. Oil Prices Spike To One-Year High, Bitcoin and Gold Dip

👉 Read more

🛡 Malicious npm Package Impersonates Openclaw Installer to Spread Ghostloader Malware

🔍 A malicious npm package posing as an installer for the Openclaw artificial intelligence (AI) agent framework is being used in a credential-stealing malware campaign targeting developers. Discovered by JFrog Security Research between March 8 and March 9, 2026, the package had been downloaded approximately 178 times before it was reported, yet it remained available on the npm registry.

🛠 The package mimics official Openclaw tools and contains seemingly benign JavaScript files and documentation. However, its malicious behavior is activated during installation. When a user installs the package, hidden scripts create a false impression of a legitimate command-line installer, complete with progress indicators and system messages.

⚠️ A fake system authorization prompt then appears, requesting the user's computer password under the pretense of needing it to configure Openclaw credentials securely. If the user complies, the malware gains elevated access to sensitive system data.

‼️ Behind the scenes, the installer fetches an encrypted payload from a remote server controlled by the attackers. Once decrypted and executed, this payload installs the Ghostloader remote access trojan. Ghostloader establishes persistence on the system while masquerading as a routine software service, periodically contacting its command-and-control infrastructure for instructions.

🔍 The trojan is designed to collect sensitive information such as password databases, browser cookies, saved credentials, and system authentication stores. It poses additional risks to cryptocurrency users by searching for files related to desktop crypto wallets and scanning for seed phrases or recovery information.