🚀 BC Card and Coinbase: Pioneering USDC Payments in South Korea

📌 BC Card, a leading payment processor in South Korea, has teamed up with Coinbase to test a hybrid crypto-to-fiat payment solution. This initiative involves linking BC Card's popular QR payment system with Coinbase's Base ecosystem, which was launched in 2023.

💱 The pilot aims to allow customers to use USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin, for domestic transactions. Merchants will receive payments in Korean won, ensuring compliance with local regulations.

“This represents an early step in exploring how stablecoins can improve payment efficiency and global interoperability,”

said David Hyuckjae Park, Base’s Regional Lead for East Asia.

🔗 Following the pilot, there is potential for a medium to long-term partnership to enhance the current USDC payment settlement model in Korea. Choi Won-seok, President of BC Card, emphasized the goal of creating a

USDC payment ecosystem optimized for the domestic environment

by leveraging both companies' infrastructures.

🌍 BC Card serves over 36 million customers in South Korea and 3.5 million internationally. This collaboration seeks to introduce global stablecoin payments to these users in a seamless manner.

🛡 Shlomo Kramer Advocates for Limiting the First Amendment to Combat Cyber Warfare

🚨 Shlomo Kramer, CEO of Cato Networks, has sparked controversy by calling for restrictions on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He argues that such measures are necessary to safeguard the nation against cyber warfare and social media manipulation.

🗣 In a recent CNBC interview, Kramer, a former member of Israel's cybersecurity unit 8200, stated,

It’s time to limit the First Amendment to protect it. And quickly, before it’s too late.

He emphasized the need for the government to take control of social media platforms and verify the authenticity of online voices.

⚠️ Kramer's remarks have ignited a backlash on social media, with critics expressing fears about potential infringements on freedom of speech. Former Representative Matt Gaetz firmly opposed Kramer's view, stating,

No. We aren’t going to do this.

Similarly, Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the proposed measures as contrary to the principles upheld during President Trump's election.

🔍 As the debate continues, the intersection of artificial intelligence, social media, and political stability remains a contentious issue. Kramer's call for action highlights the ongoing struggle to balance national security with individual rights in the digital age.

📈 Crypto ETFs Surge as Bitcoin Sees Largest Inflow Since October

💰 The week began with a significant demand for crypto ETFs, particularly for bitcoin, which recorded its largest daily inflow since early October. This positive trend extended to other cryptocurrencies like Ether, XRP, and Solana, resulting in a rare all-green session across major spot crypto funds.

📊 Bitcoin ETFs experienced a net inflow of $697.25 million, marking their strongest single-day performance since October 7. This surge was widespread across nine funds, with Blackrock’s IBIT leading the way with $372.47 million and Fidelity’s FBTC following with $191.19 million. Additional inflows came from Bitwise’s BITB ($38.45 million), Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB ($36.03 million), and Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ($17.92 million).

📈 Ether ETFs also showed a strong rebound with inflows of $168.13 million. Blackrock’s ETHA led this recovery with $102.90 million, indicating renewed institutional interest. Other contributors included Grayscale’s Ether Mini Trust ($22.34 million), Fidelity’s FETH ($21.83 million), and Bitwise’s ETHW ($19.73 million).

📉 XRP ETFs continued their strong performance post-launch with inflows of $46.10 million. Bitwise’s XRP led with $16.61 million, followed by Franklin’s XRPZ ($12.59 million) and Grayscale’s GXRP ($9.89 million).

🌟 Solana ETFs attracted $16.24 million in new capital, with Bitwise’s BSOL dominating this segment with $12.47 million.

📈 Overall, the flows from January 5 indicated a renewed risk appetite among investors. Bitcoin reasserted its leadership, while ether stabilized and both XRP and Solana continued to build momentum, delivering one of the strongest ETF sessions of the year so far.

🏦 Tokenized Deposits: A New Era for Institutional Finance

🚀 Ripple and BNY have achieved a significant milestone in institutional finance with the launch of tokenized deposits. This development allows for the on-chain representation of client deposit balances through BNY's Digital Assets platform. Ripple Prime, an early adopter of this service, expressed enthusiasm about this integration of digital assets into the banking system.

Today, our partners at BNY launched tokenized deposit services for institutional clients – bringing the promise of digital assets directly into the banking system – with Ripple Prime as an early adopter,

Ripple stated. They emphasized their strategic collaboration with BNY, which serves as the primary reserve custodian of RLUSD, highlighting their joint efforts to bridge traditional and digital markets.

🔗 BNY's announcement outlined that this launch supports its goal of providing programmable, on-chain cash for institutional market infrastructure. Operating on a private, permissioned blockchain, these capabilities are governed by BNY's existing risk and compliance frameworks, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.

📈 The initial applications of tokenized deposits focus on collateral and margin workflows, aiming to enhance settlement speed and liquidity efficiency. As the market shifts towards always-on operating models, BNY plans to expand these functionalities to enable near real-time cash movements that reduce friction and improve operational efficiency.

This launch helps to advance BNY’s ambitions to support programmable, on-chain cash for institutional market infrastructure,

the bank noted. This initiative positions tokenized bank money alongside stablecoins and tokenized funds as essential components of a unified digital ecosystem.

🌐 The collaboration between Ripple and BNY illustrates a broader trend of convergence between crypto-native firms and established financial institutions. This partnership seeks to achieve speed, transparency, and programmability while maintaining regulatory compliance. The successful launch of tokenized deposits signifies a growing acceptance of on-chain cash as a vital tool for institutions, reinforcing the idea that programmable bank deposits will be crucial in linking traditional financial markets with digital settlement systems.

🚀 XRP Surges as Bullish Momentum Grows Amid Regulatory Developments

📈 XRP has recently experienced a significant price surge, trading around $2.17 against the U.S. dollar. This follows a strong intraday advance where the price briefly reached $2.18 before settling slightly lower. The bullish pressure is evident after a breakout from the lower $2.10 region, with buyers actively defending higher levels as trading activity remains high.

📊 The short-term outlook for XRP has turned decisively bullish after reclaiming and accelerating above key moving averages. This upward movement followed a period of sideways trading and evolved into a sharp impulse that pushed the price towards the upper Bollinger Bands near $2.18. The volume increased during the breakout and remained active as the price stabilized near the highs, indicating ongoing engagement rather than immediate exhaustion. As long as XRP stays above the $2.14 to $2.15 zone, the broader technical tone favors continuation over a rapid reversal.

🗓 Market participants are positioning themselves ahead of the Senate Banking Committee’s markup of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act scheduled for January 15. The release of a bipartisan manager’s amendment by Chair Tim Scott has fueled optimism for a final legislative framework for assets like XRP. Additionally, the broader cryptocurrency market sentiment has been positive, with strength across major digital assets and discussions around recent inflation data and expectations for more favorable financial conditions.

📉 Momentum indicators highlight the strength of the move while also signaling near-term tension. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is elevated near 72, indicating strong bullish momentum but also an overbought condition that can accompany powerful trends. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains positive, confirming upside momentum. XRP is trading well above its 50-period and 200-period Moving Average (MA) levels, while Bollinger Bands have widened noticeably, highlighting the recent expansion in volatility.

🚨 Why Are Crypto Stocks Dumping Today? Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle

👉 Read more

📌 Trump Celebrates Low Gas Prices with 'Gasolina' Dance on TikTok

🎉 President Trump recently celebrated his administration's achievement of lowering gas prices across the U.S. by sharing a TikTok video of himself dancing to the Latin hit "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee. The video, posted on the official White House account, claims that 43 states now have gas prices below $3 per gallon, with some states like Kansas and Texas reporting prices as low as $2.

promises made, promises kept

states the video, highlighting Trump's focus on reducing fuel costs for Americans. This marks a significant contrast to the average gas prices of $3.45 that President Biden faced during his term from January 2021 to December 2024.

📉 Experts suggest that current market dynamics, particularly OPEC's production decisions, have played a crucial role in achieving these lower prices. Patrick De Haan from Gasbuddy noted that

global supply dynamics

have been the primary force behind the relief drivers are seeing at the pump. High U.S. production levels, combined with a steady flow of OPEC oil, have contributed to this situation.

🌍 Additionally, Trump's actions regarding Venezuela and Iran could impact future oil production. While some experts argue that Venezuelan oil returning to the U.S. market may not significantly affect prices, others warn that

small imbalances in volume can lead to large shifts in prices

This recovery depends on Venezuela's ability to increase its oil output, which currently faces challenges due to aging infrastructure.

📉 XRP Faces Sharp Decline Amid Broader Crypto Market Sell-Off

🚨 XRP has experienced a significant drop, trading around $1.95 against the U.S. dollar, as the overall crypto market weakens. This decline follows a pullback in total crypto market capitalization, which has fallen to approximately $3.12 trillion. The price of XRP broke below a consolidation range of $2.04–$2.06, indicating a shift in control towards sellers.

📉 Prior to this decline, XRP's price action was characterized by sideways trading under falling resistance. However, support around the mid-$2.00 zone failed, leading to a wave of selling that coincided with the broader market retreat. Trading volume surged during this breakdown, highlighting the urgency of the move.

💰 Data from Coinglass reveals that XRP faced significant forced deleveraging in the past 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching about $40.57 million, primarily from long positions. This liquidation wave included a sharp burst of pressure in the most recent hour.

🌍 Geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties have also impacted market sentiment. Tensions between the United States and European allies over tariffs, along with delays in U.S. crypto legislation, have added to macroeconomic unease. Coinbase's withdrawal of support for a crypto market structure proposal and concerns from industry leaders about regulatory clarity further complicate the outlook for digital assets.

📊 Technical indicators reflect the severity of the recent momentum shift. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped to around 19.7, indicating extreme short-term downside momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has turned sharply lower, confirming bearish acceleration. XRP is trading well below key moving averages, with Bollinger Bands expanding rapidly, suggesting a volatility-driven breakdown.

🌐 Ondo Finance Expands to Solana with 200+ Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs

🚀 On January 21, 2026, Ondo Finance announced the launch of Ondo Global Markets on the Solana blockchain. This expansion brings over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to Solana's ecosystem, which boasts 3.2 million daily active users.

📈 With this move, Ondo Global Markets becomes the largest issuer of real-world assets on Solana by asset count. It offers near-zero slippage for million-dollar trades by leveraging liquidity from traditional exchanges like NASDAQ and NYSE. This launch follows Ondo's previous successes on Ethereum and BNB Chain, where it achieved over $460 million in total value locked (TVL) and $6.8 billion in cumulative trading volume.

Over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs are available on Solana.

🗓 The announcement was made via Ondo's official blog. The company ensures liquidity for its tokenized equities by tapping into NASDAQ and NYSE resources, enabling large trades with minimal slippage.

⚠️ More than 3.2 million daily active users on Solana can now access these tokenized assets. However, availability is subject to applicable securities and jurisdictional rules.

📉 Crypto ETFs: A Mixed Bag Amidst Ongoing Pressure

🔄 Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) faced continued pressure on Thursday, with Bitcoin and ether extending their outflow streaks, albeit at a slower pace. XRP and Solana managed to attract some capital, providing small pockets of stability.

📉 The recent selling has lessened but not disappeared. After two days of significant withdrawals, crypto ETFs experienced more moderate movements, yet the overall trend remained unchanged as investors continued to reduce their exposure to bitcoin and ether.

Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $32.11 million net outflow, driven entirely by withdrawals from the two largest products.

The outflows were led by Blackrock’s IBIT with $22.35 million and Fidelity’s FBTC with $9.76 million. Other bitcoin funds did not show significant flows, indicating a persistent risk-off stance.

Ether ETFs fared slightly worse, posting a $41.98 million net outflow as selling pressure remained concentrated in a few funds.

Blackrock’s ETHA saw $44.44 million leave, while Bitwise’s ETHW shed $15.16 million. However, Grayscale’s products experienced inflows, with $9.71 million entering ETHE and $7.92 million flowing into the Ether Mini Trust.

💪 XRP ETFs showed resilience with a $2.09 million inflow for the session, all coming through Franklin’s XRPZ. This reinforced its position as the preferred vehicle during recent volatility.

🪙 Bitcoin's 60-Day Range: Four Macro Catalysts Pointing to a Potential Breakout

🔍 Bitcoin is currently trading within a tight range of $85,000 to $94,000, with increasing pressure suggesting a potential breakout. Wintermute, a digital asset market maker, highlighted this situation in a recent market update, noting that four macro forces are converging that could lead to a decisive market movement.

“$85K keeps holding, every dip there finds buyers. That’s the floor until it isn’t,"

the analysis states. It further explains that Bitcoin's recent consolidation period is unusual, especially after a failed breakout attempt towards $97,000 earlier in January. This initial strength was attributed to strong ETF inflows, which have since reversed.

📉 As momentum waned, weekly outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded products reached record levels, indicating that institutional capital is currently driving market direction. Wintermute also pointed out that pricing on Coinbase has shifted from a premium to a discount, suggesting U.S.-led selling pressure.

“ETF flows and Coinbase premium are the gauges to watch. We need both to flip before the market can break convincingly above mid-$90K levels,”

the firm emphasized.

🌍 Looking ahead, Wintermute identified macro convergence as a key risk to ongoing range trading. It stated:

“Four themes have driven markets the past few months: AI, rates, dollar debasement, and geopolitics. This week has catalysts on all of them, which could finally break BTC out of its 60-day range.”

👀 Bitcoin’s 7% Drop to $77K May Mark Cycle Low

🌐 Bitcoin may have found a floor after sliding roughly 7% to $77,000 over the weekend, according to analyst PlanC, who argues the move could mark the deepest pullback of the current bull cycle.In a post on X on Saturday, PlanC said there is a “decent chance” the latest drop represents a capitulation-style low rather than the start of a prolonged downturn.

‼️ Bitcoin briefly touched the $77,000 level before stabilizing and rebounding modestly to around $78,600, data from CoinMarketCap shows. Despite the bounce, the asset remains down more than 11% over the past month and roughly 38% below its October all-time high of $126,100.

📈 PlanC compared the current price action to several historic drawdowns that ultimately preceded major recoveries. He pointed to the 2018 bear market capitulation near $3,000, the March 2020 COVID-driven crash to around $5,100, and the sharp declines following the FTX and Terra-Luna collapses, when Bitcoin briefly traded in the $15,500–$17,500 range.

🔔 “There is a decent chance we are going through another major capitulation low as we speak,” PlanC wrote, adding that his estimated range for a cycle bottom sits between $75,000 and $80,000.

🔴 In his view, the recent sell-off may represent a final shakeout rather than a structural shift in the broader trend. Others urged caution but echoed the view that weekend moves can exaggerate market sentiment. Bitcoin advocate and financial accountant Rajat Soni noted that the drop occurred during one of crypto’s most volatile trading windows.

☄️ Pepe Price Prediction: Everyone Panic Sold PEPE, But the Chart is Now Flashing a Bullish Signal

‼️ Pepe is flashing a bull signal that most traders panicked and missed, creating a potential buy-the-dip opportunity to get ahead of bullish Pepe price predictions. The broader market is opting to reduce exposure to the meme coin after the tenth-largest crypto liquidation event knocked it to cycle lows. But rather than confirming structural failure, the liquidation event may instead be laying the groundwork for a high-conviction reversal setup, as weak hands are flushed.

🔔 Pepe is now retesting its most important bull market proving ground, with a historical demand zone around $0.000004 that has held for almost two years. Throughout the bullish phase of this market cycle, this level has marked absolute bottoms, with upside in excess of 100% in the weeks or months that followed. The RSI’s breach of the 30 oversold threshold suggests capitulation may be setting in, raising the probability that this level still carries the same historical significance.

💱 The MACD reads similarly. It continues to close in on a golden cross above the signal line, with the liquidation event only acting as a setback. Now, with the breakdown of a year-long ascending triangle fully priced in, Pepe could be in a position to refocus attention to the upside. If a higher and firmer footing can be found along its lower trendline and upper support at $0.000015, a sustained push could see PEPE price all-time highs reclaimed in a 350% move to $0.0000205.

🛍 Stablecoin Inflows Have Doubled to $98B Amid Selling Pressure

🔔 The rise in stablecoin inflows have surpassed the 90-day average of $89 billion. “This suggests that capital deployment has accelerated in recent weeks, and the market clearly needs it,” the analyst wrote in a blog. “Nevertheless, selling pressure remains too strong to be fully absorbed.”

📌 The crypto market is currently experiencing a delicate phase marked by a structural lack of liquidity amid persistently high uncertainty. Bitcoin has plummeted over 10% toward $64,000 on Friday and is slowly approaching a 50% correction from its October all-time high.

👍 Analyst Darkfost described the increase in stablecoin inflows as “a positive signal”, as it shows increasing investor interest to gain exposure to the market. Besides, this shows that capital is beginning to return to the digital asset space. “This dynamic still needs to strengthen, but some participants are already buying this dip.”

💥 Particularly, select mid-cap stablecoins like USDS and USD1 continued to gain share, while total stablecoin market cap declined 1.0% WoW to $305.1 billion, driven by continued supply contraction in USDT and USDC, according to Messari. Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market cap, rose to $0.99 in 24 hours with $257.45 billion in volume, a 60% increase.

🙂 Best Crypto to Buy Now February 10 – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum

📊 A protracted selloff across crypto has pulled Bitcoin down to the sub-$70,000 level today, but there are signs that the industry is rearranging itself for the next explosive bull run.

💭 One of the first targets in the industry’s crosshairs is the US Clarity Act, a piece of legislation that will establish clear guidelines for US crypto businesses. Policymakers are still unable to find a compromise between the industry and the banks, which has delayed the bill for some months.

📌 Against that backdrop, there are signs that crypto is getting ready to integrate with the global financial infrastructure. With global adoption approaching, XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum are the best crypto to buy today. XRP ($XRP) dominates the blockchain payments space, boasting a market capitalization of $85 billion and a wide reputation for rapid, low-cost international transfers.

🔗 Ripple built XRP Ledger (XRPL) to modernize cross-border payments, giving banks and financial institutions a better alternative to the slow and costly SWIFT. Last week, Ripple unveiled its plan to bring TradFi on chain with institutional-grade payments and tokenization infrastructure that’s powered by the XRP token.

📣 Prominent organizations, including the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the White House, have previously highlighted XRP’s efficiency, reinforcing its relevance in global financial conversations. XRP surged to a fresh all-time high (ATH) of $3.65 in mid-2025 after winning a lawsuit filed by the SEC back in 2020 alleging Ripple was selling XRP as an unlicensed security. Since then, risk-off sentiment across markets has driven XRP roughly 62% lower to change hands near $1.43.

⭐️ A significant recent development came when U.S. regulators approved spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), allowing both institutional and retail investors to gain exposure through regulated vehicles. As additional ETF offerings launch, regulatory clarity nears, and Ripple extends its network further, XRP could hit $5 by the end of Q2.

⚖️ Crypto Ponzi Scheme Verdict: A Step Towards Stronger Market Oversight

🔔 A federal jury has ruled against Ismael Sanchez in a significant crypto Ponzi scheme case involving approximately 40,000 investors. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced this decision on February 12, highlighting its commitment to protecting investors and holding wrongdoers accountable.

We are pleased with the jury verdict holding Mr. Sanchez liable for fraud and other violations for his role in soliciting retail investors to put their money into this egregious Ponzi scheme,

said Margaret A. Ryan, Director of the Division of Enforcement.

📈 The evidence presented during the trial revealed that Sanchez was a lead salesperson for CryptoFX, which promised to trade investor funds in crypto assets and foreign exchange markets. However, the scheme used investor money for Ponzi payments, commissions, and personal expenses.

💰 A 2023 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas detailed the cryptocurrency aspects of the case. The court-appointed receiver reported liquidating crypto accounts at Coinbase and Blockchain, generating over $2 million. Ongoing work with Blocktrace Inc. aims to trace thousands of crypto wallet transactions, revealing that the defendants raised more than $300 million from investors while actual gains from cryptocurrency trading were minimal.

Defendant Sanchez was a lead salesperson for CryptoFX, a large-scale Ponzi scheme that targeted approximately 40,000 investors by promising to trade investor funds in the crypto asset and foreign exchange markets,

the trial evidence showed.

🔍 This case underscores the complexity of tracing crypto flows and evaluating potential clawback claims related to digital asset transfers. The verdict signals a decisive step in escalating enforcement efforts and increasing scrutiny of large-scale digital asset fraud in the market.

📉 Brevan Howard's BH Digital Asset Fund Faces Record Losses in 2025

📉 Brevan Howard's BH Digital Asset fund experienced its worst performance since its inception, plunging 29.5% in 2025 due to a severe downturn in the crypto market and pressure on tech stocks from AI-driven disruptions. This decline followed impressive gains of 43% in 2023 and 52% in 2024.

⚠️ At the beginning of 2025, Brevan Howard's digital assets unit managed $2.4 billion, primarily in this fund. The drop was exacerbated by significant losses across crypto markets and a 6% decrease in Bitcoin's value over the year, despite reaching an all-time high of just over $126,000 in October.

➡️ The fund's struggles mirrored a broader trend among crypto hedge funds, many of which faced double-digit drawdowns as risk appetite diminished and liquidity depth collapsed. A report by AIMA highlighted a growing paradox: while over 50% of traditional funds now have digital asset exposure, performance varied significantly. Venture-heavy strategies were particularly vulnerable to the year's systemic volatility.

✨ Leadership changes also contributed to the turbulence at BH Digital Asset. CEO Gautam Sharma left in 2025 and was succeeded by Chris Rayner-Cook, former head of trading at Coinbase. Despite these challenges, the fund continued to invest in ventures like Superstate and TRM Labs.