Cryptopolitan

Cryptocurrency protocols that are only starting to produce meaningful progress are becoming more and more of interest to investors looking into the future, in 2026. In such market rotation times, all investors tend to move off of large-cap assets and towards new altcoins that are still establishing a presence and gaining momentum.

In that regard, one emerging crypto protocol is being followed by the analysts as it has already begun to shine because of its developmental pace and popularity. Although it is still young, the recent achievements of the project make it possible to state that it may be among the altcoins to be observed when the next crypto stage of the market begins to shape.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance is a non-custodial lending hub designed to support different types of users through two planned market models. The first is the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) market. In this setup, users deposit assets into shared liquidity pools and earn interest over time. For example, depositing USDT into a pool offering 10% APY would return mtTokens. These mtTokens act as digital receipts and are designed to increase in value as borrowers repay interest, making passive income automatic and easy to track.

The second model is the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) market, which is intended for direct agreements between lenders and borrowers. Here, participants can set their own terms, such as interest rates and duration.

 Safety across both models is managed through Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits. For instance, with an 80% LTV, depositing assets worth $1,000 would allow borrowing up to $800 while keeping ownership of the collateral. An automated liquidator system is planned to monitor positions and step in if collateral values fall too far, helping maintain overall platform stability.

Momentum and MUTM Structure

The MUTM token has had tremendous demand. The project has received more than $20.4 million in addition to close to 19,000 holders across the world. The tokenomics are made to grow over a long period of time. 

The community presale is allocated 45.5%(1.82 billion tokens) of a total supply of 4 billion tokens. Up to now, more than 840 million tokens have been sold, that is, half of the amount of community supply is already exhausted.

There has been a stable and organized price action. It is evident that the token has reached its current price of $0.04 since the initial stage when it was only priced at a level of just $0.01. This is a 300% increase in the course of construction alone. 

The official price is set at $0.06 which offers people who sign up a 50% immediate edge. A 24-hour leaderboard will encourage the community to be active by offering the best daily contributor a $500 bonus each and every night.

Technical Preparation and Market Prospect

The main driver behind the recent surge is the official V1 protocol launch on the Sepolia testnet. This milestone shows that the project has moved from planning to execution. Users can now interact with a live version of the platform to test lending pools, borrowing flows, and the mtToken system, which tracks deposits and interest in real time within a risk-free environment.

Security has been treated as a top priority during this phase. The protocol has already completed a full audit with Halborn and maintains a strong CertiK score, alongside an active bug bounty program. These steps are designed to ensure the system behaves as intended while it continues to be tested and refined ahead of future upgrades. 

Due to this practical delivery, analysts have given good price projections. Most analysts tend to think that MUTM could hit $0.50 by the year 2027 as long as the mainnet is released. This would constitute over 1,100% increment to the current phase. 

The Road to Global Adoption

Looking ahead, Mutuum Finance has outlined plans for two key upgrades that are still under development: a native over-collateralized stablecoin and future Layer-2 integration. The stablecoin is intended to let users mint a dollar-pegged asset against their deposited holdings, aiming to provide more predictable liquidity within the ecosystem. At the same time, Layer-2 expansion is being explored to help lower transaction costs and improve speed as usage grows.

Interest around the project continues to build as Phase 7 progresses, with the token currently priced at $0.04. As this stage moves closer to completion, availability at this level is becoming more limited, which is drawing increased attention from early participants.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Dogecoin has taken a hard hit, with more than $30 billion wiped from its market cap, forcing many investors to stop and reassess their positions. What once felt like an unstoppable community-driven run has slowed, and the recent price action has made it clear that momentum alone is no longer enough to carry the token forward.

As DOGE struggles to regain traction, attention is starting to drift elsewhere. Many traders are now looking beyond meme-driven assets and asking a different question: where is real progress happening? This shift in focus reflects a broader change in the market, where investors are becoming more selective and are beginning to favor projects that offer clear use cases and visible development rather than relying on hype alone.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Dogecoin (DOGE) is at the moment trading at around 0.096 and this is way below its glory days. Although it continues to be one of the most renowned brands in the industry, its market value has suffered a huge blow. It is at approximately $16 billion after it lost billions in value in the past few months. The celebrity tweets and retail frenzy were the power behind the early wave that saw DOGE become a household name in 2021. In the absence of that equivalent energy of the virus, the coin is having a hard time thinking of a reason to go up.

The prognosis of Dogecoin in 2026 and 2027 is becoming rather skeptical. Lots of analysts are making poor price calls that DOGE is falling to as low as $0.05 in case it fails to locate a practical application. Its unlimited supply is the greatest issue. The price is continuously under pressure since it decreases with the 5 billion new tokens that are mined annually. The original meme coin will become an artifact of a bygone era market without a significant technological upgrade.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

As hype around older coins continues to fade, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is starting to attract more attention from investors looking for substance. The project is currently in its presale stage, with the token priced at $0.04. So far, it has raised over $20.2 million and gathered a community of more than 19,000 participants, reflecting steady interest rather than sudden spikes.

Mutuum Finance is positioned as a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol rather than a meme-driven asset. Its goal is to let users access liquidity without selling their crypto holdings. By using smart contracts, users can supply assets to earn yield or use them as collateral to borrow, all in a non-custodial setup where they retain control of their funds. 

The project has also reached an important technical milestone with its V1 protocol live on the Sepolia testnet, allowing users to test lending pools, mtTokens, and basic risk controls in a live but low-risk environment. This combination of working technology, growing participation, and clear utility is why the project is gaining visibility as the market becomes more selective.

Why Investors Shift From DOGE to MUTM

The explanation for this massive rotation is simple: utility. Dogecoin has seen its market value erode by nearly $30 billion over the last six months because it lacks an underlying financial purpose. It does not generate yield, and it does not power a functional economic machine. As a meme-based asset, its price is heavily dependent on social media sentiment and celebrity mentions, which are increasingly difficult to sustain in a more mature market. 

In contrast, Mutuum Finance is built on a foundation of tangible financial services. It offers a decentralized lending ecosystem where token value is tied to protocol usage rather than internet trends. Even though MUTM’s official launch price is set at $0.06, many investors expect the token to jump to $0.25 as the platform scales. This move would represent a potential 6x appreciation from the current Phase 7 price of $0.04. To put this into perspective, consider a $600 allocation into both assets.

In DOGE, given its multi-billion dollar market cap, a 6x return would require an astronomical amount of new capital, roughly $60 billion, just to move the price to that level. In a cooling meme-coin market, such a move is statistically difficult because the asset has already reached a high level of saturation.

In MUTM, because it is in an early-stage presale with a low market cap, a move to $0.25 is driven by the fundamental repricing of a new utility protocol. A $600 investment at the current $0.04 price could potentially grow to $3,750 if the analyst target is reached. This represents the difference between chasing a mature trend and participating in the growth of a fresh financial infrastructure.

Security Milestones

The difference in the price forecast is impressive. As DOGE struggles to remain relevant, analysts do not think that MUTM will not be above $5 at the end of 2026 as its mainnet and stablecoin schemes move into production. This growth is based on security. 

Mutuum Finance is already fully audited by Halborn, which is one of the best security firms globally. In order to make the community prolific, the project is equipped with a 24-hour leaderboard that provides the best daily contributor a bonus of $500 in mUTM. The time to enter into this new crypto era of finance is running out soon as the window to join in is narrowing down to the launch price of $0.06.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Retail traders just dumped $430 million into silver trades while the price was crashing. In six trading days, they loaded up on SLV, the biggest silver ETF on the market.

This happened while the metal’s price fell from $121 to as low as $64 before crawling back to $78. Most of those gains from earlier this year? Gone.

Vanda Research tracked the inflows and showed that over $100 million was added on January 30, the same day silver crashed 27% in a single session.

That was the biggest one-day drop the metal has ever seen. Retail investors weren’t scared off. They kept buying like nothing happened.

Retail traders buy SLV while silver crashes

Rhona O’Connell from StoneX said the wild drop made it more appealing to retail buyers. “People are being attracted by the sex appeal of the thing,” she said. She also said the “monumental sell-off” gave some traders the feeling they were getting a bargain.

Prices hit $64 a troy ounce on Friday after falling hard. That was a long way down from the $121 high in January. After hitting bottom, it bounced back up to $78, but still way below where it started. O’Connell said emotions had taken over. “It’s feeding upon itself,” she said. The crash made the buying more aggressive.

This wild trading came after a massive rally last year. Precious metals spiked after chaotic decisions from President Donald Trump, starting with trade fights and later more drama around Greenland, Iran, and the Fed. These events pushed traders toward silver and gold, first as safe bets, then as straight-up gambling.

At the beginning of 2025, silver was trading under $30. It more than quadrupled before crashing. Gold also soared from $2,600 to nearly $5,600, then dropped back under $5,000.

Trump’s Fed pick triggered the reversal across metals

The turning point was January 30. That was when Trump picked Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve. Traders no longer believed the Fed would be pressured into cutting rates hard. Once that fear went away, the demand for haven assets started to dry up fast.

During the rally, both metals caught fire with retail and speculative traders. But silver was the one with more chaos.

This week was wild. Prices dropped 6% Monday, jumped 7% Tuesday, fell nearly 20% Thursday, then swung again Friday, falling 10% early before ending the day up 9.5%. Most professional funds backed off. They have rules and margin limits. But retail traders kept going.

Vanda said many traders were pulling cash from gold ETFs, but not silver. SLV kept seeing inflows even when prices collapsed. No net selling.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

A majority of economists have shot down Kevin Warsh’s bold claim that artificial intelligence will give the Fed enough room to lower interest rates without inflation picking up.

According to a snap poll by the University of Chicago’s Clark Center and the Financial Times, nearly 60% of top economists say the impact of AI on inflation and borrowing costs over the next two years will be close to zero.

This is a direct challenge to the main argument being used by Donald Trump’s choice for Fed chair.

Kevin, nominated in late January to take over from Jay Powell in May, argues AI will spark “the most productivity enhancing wave of our lifetimes.” In his view, this would allow the Fed to slash interest rates from the current 3.5%–3.75% range without overheating the economy.

But economists aren’t buying the pitch. Most of the 45 respondents in the survey expect AI to shave off less than 0.2% from both PCE inflation and the so-called neutral rate, the rate that doesn’t slow or speed up growth, over the next 24 months.

Economists challenge Warsh’s view on AI’s short-term effects

Jonathan Wright, an economist at Johns Hopkins and former Fed staffer, said, “I don’t think [the AI boom] is a disinflationary shock. I don’t think — over the near term — it’s very inflationary either.”

About one-third of the economists polled actually believe AI could push the Fed to raise the neutral rate slightly. That completely undercuts Kevin’s suggestion that technology alone can justify lower rates.

Kevin’s bet on AI comes as he tries to win over the rest of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the rate-setting body. That won’t be easy. Many inside the Fed, including Vice Chair for Monetary Policy Philip Jefferson, have warned that AI could temporarily raise inflation by increasing demand.

“Even if AI ultimately succeeds in greatly enhancing the productive capacity of the economy,” Jefferson said at a Brookings event, “a more immediate increase in demand associated with AI-related activity could raise inflation temporarily,” especially as data centers and other infrastructure projects ramp up.

That puts Kevin in a tough spot. Trump wants aggressive rate cuts before the November midterms, but the Fed itself is forecasting just one 0.25% cut this year.

That leaves the main policy rate stuck above 3.25%, far above the 1% level Trump has said the economy needs. Convincing the FOMC to back a rapid loosening based on AI optimism alone looks like a losing battle.

Warsh’s balance sheet plan adds to the tension

Warsh has also taken aim at the Fed’s balance sheet, calling it “bloated” and pushing to shrink it further. This is another spot where he could clash with current Fed officials.

The FOMC just ended its three-year “quantitative tightening” effort, which cut the central bank’s asset stockpile from nearly $9 trillion to $6.6 trillion.

Trying to force more cuts could rattle bond markets and drive up long-term borrowing costs, including mortgage rates, right when housing affordability is already a political hot button.

Despite that risk, more than three-quarters of the economists polled say they want the balance sheet below $6 trillion within two years. Karen Dynan of Harvard says shrinking it “somewhat further is not unreasonable if done on a conditional basis,” meaning only if markets stay stable and liquidity doesn’t dry up.

Still, the idea that Kevin wants to slash short-term rates while also cutting the balance sheet has people scratching their heads. It’s a strange mix of dovish on rates and hawkish on assets, and it’s not clear how that would work. “Uncertainty abounds,” said Jane Ryngaert from Notre Dame. “It’s hard to say much about anything.”

Others say the whole situation could go in either direction. Robert Barbera, another economist at Johns Hopkins, laid out two extreme possibilities:

“The AI boom may generate a booming economy, shrinking budget deficits, higher neutral interest rates and comfortable shrinkage of the Fed’s balance sheet. Or we may experience a financial market crack-up, a deep recession, a dramatic rise for deficits, eliciting a return to zero short rates, a swoon for the dollar, and demands for another big dose of [balance sheet expansion].”

Lastly, Kevin’s backing of bank deregulation, also a Trump priority, isn’t sitting well with most economists either. Just over 60% said loosening financial rules would have little to no benefit for short-term growth and could make another financial crisis more likely.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.

When Wall Street’s tech giants tumbled last week on earnings disappointments, China’s tech sector followed them down in Hong Kong trading. But the reason each market fell tells a different story and that could determine where investors put their money next.

The US decline came from companies missing earnings targets and raising concerns about returns on massive AI spending. China’s drop was mostly sentiment spillover and investors rotating their portfolios according to Ding Wenjie, an investment strategist at China Asset Management Co.

That left China’s tech valuations far more attractive, even as Hong Kong stocks entered a bear market.

Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech giants took heavy losses over five trading days. Chip companies Hua Hong Semiconductor fell nearly 15 percent and SMIC dropped around 10 percent. Short video company Kuaishou lost 11 percent, Tencent declined about 9.5 percent, and Alibaba fell more than 8 percent.

Mainland Chinese investors ignored the Hong Kong sell-off. They poured money into Tencent and Alibaba, making them the top two Hong Kong stocks by net mainland buying on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Wind Information data seen by CNBC.

The gap comes down to valuation. The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF trades at 16 times its price-to-earnings ratio. The mainland China tech innovation-focused KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF trades at 45 times.

Some Chinese tech stocks gained ground. Top performers in the STAR 50 Index included semiconductor materials company SICC, vacuum robot maker Roborock, AI industrial automation firm Supcon, and smartphone maker Transsion. Solar-related names climbed on reports of potential new deals tied to Elon Musk.

Massive valuation gap between US and Chinese tech

US software stocks cratered on fears that AI tools like Anthropic’s Cowork would disrupt their business models. ServiceNow is down 28 percent year-to-date and Salesforce down 26 percent. Chinese tech stocks started 2026 from deep pessimism. “China and Hong Kong enter 2026 from a position of low expectations. Valuations reflect significant pessimism,” Singapore-based Raffles Family Office said in its 2026 outlook.

Raffles increased its China and Hong Kong stock exposure while reducing US large-cap holdings. Despite macro weakness, China’s digital economy and AI ecosystem keep expanding. Earnings expectations in tech remain stable.

Chinese AI companies also work differently. They charge far less for AI services and focus on consumer-facing applications. Beijing keeps pushing for local chip and infrastructure development. Robotaxi operator Pony[dot]ai just announced a partnership with chip maker Moore Threads for autonomous driving technology. Both companies saw their stocks rise.

The future depends whether US tech companies can prove their massive AI spending will generate returns. Until then, investors are betting on China’s cheaper valuations and rapid AI market growth. As Cryptopolitan previously reported, global investors increasingly view Chinese AI as a hedge against expensive US tech valuations. In September, Chinese retail investors drove the CSI 300 Information Technology Index to its highest level since 2015.

The terrifying US spending race

Here’s what should terrify investors in US tech: Alphabet just announced it expects 2026 capital expenditures between $175 billion and $185 billion—nearly double its 2025 spending. Goldman Sachs projects total AI spending by hyperscalers could exceed $500 billion by 2026. Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Oracle are all in a similar arms race, each betting tens of billions that their competitors will blink first.

While American tech executives issue increasingly desperate justifications for their spending sprees, Chinese AI companies just did something remarkable: they went public and investors couldn’t get enough.

In early January 2026, MiniMax and Zhipu AI, two of China’s leading AI startups, completed blockbuster IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. MiniMax’s shares doubled on debut, closing up 109% and raising $620 million. Zhipu raised $560 million and closed up 13% on its first day. The demand was staggering: MiniMax’s retail tranche was oversubscribed 1,240 times, with investors borrowing HK$148.6 billion in margin financing just to get a piece.

What makes this significant is that both companies beat OpenAI and Anthropic to public markets. The supposed AI leaders in Silicon Valley are still private, still burning cash, still asking for more funding rounds at ever-higher valuations. Meanwhile, Chinese upstarts are facing public market scrutiny, and passing with flying colors.

This isn’t a fluke. Hong Kong is emerging as the global AI IPO hub, with 150 to 200 tech companies expected to list in 2026, potentially raising $300 billion. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange launched a Technology Enterprises Channel specifically to fast-track innovative tech and biotech companies. The message is clear: Asia is building the infrastructure to fund the next generation of AI companies, and investors are responding enthusiastically.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

Solana (SOL) is struggling to regain momentum as it continues to consolidate below the $100 level. After its earlier surge, price movement has slowed, and many investors are questioning how much upside remains in the near term.

As a result, attention is starting to shift toward a new, cheap crypto that is still early in its growth phase. Analysts note that when large-cap assets move sideways, capital often rotates into emerging projects with smaller market caps and clearer room for expansion.

Solana (SOL)

Solana (SOL) is currently stuck in a heavy consolidation phase, trading around the $84 mark with a market cap of $65 billion. It remains one of the most famous networks due to its early surge in previous cycles, where it rose from under a dollar to become a top-five asset. 

However, the path back to its all-time high is becoming increasingly difficult. The network is facing a massive resistance zone between $115 and $125. Every time the price nears these levels, selling pressure from early holders seems to push it back down.

The technical outlook for Solana has also become a subject of concern for some analysts. Cautious price predictions suggest that if SOL cannot break its current ceiling, it may face a cooling-off period. Some forecasts see a potential drop toward the $75 support level throughout 2026. 

Because Solana already has such a high market capitalization, doubling its value would require billions of dollars in new money. For investors seeking explosive returns, the massive size of Solana is now its greatest limitation. This is why many are starting to look at low-cap alternatives that offer similar utility but much more room for vertical growth.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a decentralized lending and borrowing hub built to give users full control over their assets. It allows people to earn interest on their crypto or borrow against it without using a bank. The project recently reached a major milestone with the launch of its V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet. 

This is a functional version of the platform where users can test lending pools, yield-bearing mtTokens, and debt mechanics. By providing a working product before its full release, the team has proven that they are building real infrastructure rather than just chasing hype.

Security is the biggest priority for the Mutuum team. The project has successfully completed a deep independent audit by Halborn Security, one of the top firms in the world. It also maintains an impressive 90/100 score on CertiK, verifying that its smart contracts are robust and safe. 

To further protect its users, the project offers a $50,000 bug bounty to reward anyone who finds a flaw in the code. This professional approach to safety is rare for a new project and has helped build a massive degree of trust with its community of over 19,000 holders.

Why Investors Prefer MUTM Over SOL

The growth of the MUTM community has been extraordinary, with the project raising over $20.4 million so far. It features a unique 24-hour leaderboard that publicly tracks participation. Every night, the top daily contributor is rewarded with a $500 bonus in tokens, which keeps the excitement high around the clock. 

To make the project accessible to everyone, the team has enabled direct card payments. This allows new users to join the ecosystem using a standard debit or credit card, removing the technical barriers that often stop people from entering the crypto market.

Top crypto investors believe MUTM is positioned to outperform SOL in token appreciation because of the “math of growth.” While Solana is a mature giant, Mutuum Finance is still in its early stages. Currently in Phase 7 of its presale, the token is priced at just $0.04. 

With a confirmed launch price of $0.06, investors are securing a 50% discount. The project recently saw a massive $115,000 whale allocation, which is a huge signal of institutional-level confidence.

Whales are moving in because Phase 7 is selling out quickly. As the available supply shrinks, the urgency to join at a discount is reaching a peak. For an investor, the difference is clear: a $1,000 investment in Solana might grow by 20% or 30%, but that same $1,000 in MUTM could multiply many times over as the protocol reaches the mainnet. With the V1 testnet live and a 50% discount still available, the window to catch this utility-driven breakout is closing fast.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

At the peak of the Dot Com bubble in the year 2000, Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (now just called ‘Strategy’) looked unstoppable. The stock had gone from a small software IPO to one of the wildest names in tech.

Strategy went public on June 11, 1998, and the IPO price was about $6 per share after later splits. During the late 1990s tech frenzy, money poured into internet and software stocks, so the MSTR stock went on a monster rally akin to the one we’ve seen in 2024-2025.

By early March 2000, Saylor’s stock had reached around $3,130. How crazy is that? For context, Strategy is worth $134 as of press time.

MSTR’s Dot Com crash began on March 20th, 2000.

You see, Saylor and his team had just announced that they would restate financial results due to accounting problems. That day, the MSTR stock fell about 62% in a single day. Prices dropped from the thousands into the $120 to $140 range during that panic selloff.

The crash did not stop there. As the wider tech crash spread through 2000 and into the early 2000s, the stock kept falling. By 2002, shares traded near $0.40 to $0.50. A former high flying tech stock had become a penny level name. The Dot Com era ended with massive losses locked in for long term holders. And Saylor gained a terrible reputation on Wall Street and Silicon Valley alike.

Bitcoin bet deepens Strategy’s modern crash

As you likely know, in August 2020, MicroStrategy changed direction. The company invested $250 million in bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, with management pointing to weak cash returns, a softer dollar, and global macro pressure.

Of course more bitcoin purchases followed. In a short period of time, the company became the largest corporate holder of bitcoin. And Saylor gained the nickname ‘Bitcoin King,’ dressing up as Bitcoin for 2 Halloweens in a row, and even hosting extravagant Bitcoin-themed parties. He is obsessed in ways that are probably unhealthy.

If you want to get me a birthday gift, buy some bitcoin for yourself. pic.twitter.com/ZbaIdIpj10

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 4, 2026

Anyway, as bitcoin pulled back, the stock sank with it. Over the past 52 weeks, MicroStrategy shares dropped 67.03%, and it is down exactly 26.94% year to date. In July 2025, shares hit a 52 week high of $457.22. Since then, they have fallen 71.8%.

The company added more risk in 2025. It launched four credit instruments during the second and third quarters. The total value reached $4 billion. Saylor told Bloomberg in a live interview that the securities were high yield perpetual instruments designed to lower bitcoin risk for investors. The market response stayed negative.

By late November 2025, Forbes reported the shares were down 60% from the prior year. Market value fell to $49 billion. That was below the $56 billion worth of bitcoin on the balance sheet. Around the same time, CEO Phong Le said the company might sell bitcoin. Soon after, bitcoin fell below $86,000 in early December.

Analysts meanwhile have adjusted expectations. Canaccord Genuity analyst Joseph Vafi (MSTR’s biggest bull by the way) cut his price target from $474 to $185 but kept a Buy rating. He said bitcoin no longer behaves like digital gold and is facing an identity crisis.

Mizuho analysts also reduced their target from $484 to $403 while keeping an Outperform rating. They pointed to fintech pressure and a growing divide between bitcoin and dollar backed stablecoins.

Even now, MicroStrategy remains heavily watched. Sixteen analysts cover the stock. Thirteen rate it Strong Buy. One rates it Moderate Buy. Two rate it Hold. The consensus target is $464.36, implying 324% upside. The highest target sits at $705, suggesting 544% upside.

A store employee’s quick action and police response saved a Liberty resident from losing $30,000 to scammers on Tuesday.

The Liberty, Missouri, Police Department said on Facebook that a clerk spotted an older customer using a cryptocurrency machine while talking on his phone. Something didn’t seem right about the situation, so the clerk called the police.

Police intervene before money is sent

Officers discovered that the man believed his computer was infected with a virus. Someone claiming to be from Microsoft support was speaking to him on the phone. In order to resolve the issue, the caller advised him to pay money via a cryptocurrency ATM.

Before any money was transferred, police halted the transaction. Because the clerk stepped in, the man lost nothing.

Law enforcement officials say this type of scam is happening more and more, especially to older people.

Liberty Deputy Police Chief Matt Kellogg has seen these crimes many times. He explained how the con artists work.

“They make them nervous enough to do what they’re told. They [the scammers] tell them not to talk to the tellers or police. They instruct them all along to keep the transaction a secret to ‘protect’ their funds,” Kellogg said.

The scammers often stay on the phone with victims the whole time they’re going to the machine. They walk them through each step and make sure they don’t talk to anyone else.

Regional losses reach $3 million

This case is part of a bigger problem across the Kansas City area. Cryptocurrency ATMs have been showing up in more places, and criminals are taking advantage. KMBC9 has reported on several other cases where people lost money.

The numbers are alarming. Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said 156 people in Clay County have lost a combined $3 million to these scams in the past two years.

Thompson explained why criminals choose using these crypto ATM machines. “Scammers prefer to use these machines because the transactions are near instantaneous and they’re really, really difficult to reverse and also trace,” Thompson said.

The money moves fast, and once it’s gone, it’s almost impossible to get back or track down.

Missouri is now acting. In December 2025, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway began a statewide investigation. Her office is looking into businesses like CoinFlip and Bitcoin Depot that run cryptocurrency kiosks.

According to a press statement from the Attorney General’s Office, investigators are trying to determine whether these companies are breaking the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The probe was spurred by reports of “devastating new scams” that targeted Missourians.

Hanaway’s office sent Civil Investigative Demands to several companies.

In Liberty, police are doing what they can to warn people. The department has put warning signs on every cryptocurrency machine in the city.

Police want everyone to know that real businesses, government offices, and tech support companies will never ask for payment through cryptocurrency machines. If someone says otherwise, it’s a scam.

The Liberty case shows that even with all the technology available today, sometimes the best protection is a person paying attention. The store clerk noticed something wrong and did something about it. That simple action saved the victim $30,000.

Police and prosecutors are working on bigger solutions, but right now, people like the store clerk are making a difference. In a problem that has cost the region $3 million, one observant employee can be the difference between someone keeping their life savings or losing everything.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a new alert on February 6, 2026, noting that alert retail workers are currently the most effective defense against this surge in kiosk fraud. This successful intervention proves that local vigilance remains the strongest safeguard for residents’ life savings while state investigations into these machines continue.

Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.

Many investors are now looking past short-term volatility to identify the next wave of breakout assets. While the last cycle was driven by viral trends, the coming years are expected to favor protocols that deliver real, usable functionality. Analysts are closely watching 3 cheap cryptocurrencies that continue to dominate discussions. Two are well-known names with established track records, while the third is a newer contender still early in its growth phase.

This shift is drawing attention because large holders are quietly adjusting their positions. Such movement often signals a change in market direction. As the path toward the projected 2027 peak begins to form, this rotation suggests a major transition may already be underway.

Dogecoin (DOGE) 

The most renowned asset in the world is the Dogecoin (DOGE) which is a meme. It is priced at around 0.096 at the beginning of February 2026, demonstrating how it will be resilient following years of market volatility. It is not a small project as it has a huge market capitalization of almost $16 billion. Its magnitude is now demanding billions of dollars worth of new money to shift the price a distance.

Dogecoin is technically stuck at the heavy wall of resistance at the level of $0.09 and $0.12. These areas have stuck in their way to greater valuations on many occasions. Though its community is still loyal, most of the pundits are now of the opinion that its growth window is starting to be pinned down by its large circulating supply. Investors who previously registered 10,000% returns are also beginning to seek new prospects, which can be run.

Pepecoin (PEPE)

Pepecoin (PEPE) entered the market booming with its unprecedented initial growth, making small sums of fortunes. It now trades at approximately $0.0000037 and has a market cap of approximately $1.4 billion. Although it continues to record huge trading volumes, the first hype is waning. The early investors are also shifting their gain to more technical projects.

The primary cause of such change is that meme coins such as PEPE are completely dependent on social feeling. They do not have a fundamental financial use case and therefore fail to remain relevant in low seasons. This is the reason why a number of whales are turning their attention to Mutuum Finance (MUTM). They view the opportunity to be early adopters of a project that develops an actual service and not just internet jokes.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a protocol being developed to change how digital loans work. It is building a decentralized lending and borrowing hub where users can use their crypto as collateral to access liquidity without selling their long-term holdings. Lenders can also supply assets to earn passive returns.

The system is designed around two models. The Peer-to-Contract (P2C) model uses shared liquidity pools with automated rates, while the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) model is planned for users who want to agree on custom terms directly. 

Risk is managed with Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits. For example, with a 70% LTV, depositing $5,000 in collateral would allow borrowing up to $3,500. Interest in the project has grown steadily, with over $20.4 million raised and more than 19,000 holders to date.

The project is at the Phase 7 of its distribution now. The token price will be fixed at $0.04, this is a 300 percent increment of the token price of zero dollar one in 2025. The project has an established launch price of 0.06, meaning that people will have a direct benefit of joining the project.

Even though MUTM’s official launch price is set at $0.06, many investors expect the token to jump to $0.45 once the full ecosystem goes live. This move would represent a potential 10x appreciation from the current Phase 7 price.

Why Investors Prefer MUTM

The shift is largely driven by a move away from hype and toward real utility. Many Dogecoin and Pepecoin investors are now looking for projects that already have working technology instead of promises. According to an official statement shared on X, Mutuum Finance has deployed its V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet, marking an important technical step forward.

This V1 release allows users to test core lending features in a live but risk-free environment. The protocol currently supports liquidity pools for major assets such as ETH, USDT, WBTC, and LINK, giving users a clear view of how supply and borrowing works in practice. 

Features like mtToken issuance, real-time position tracking, and basic risk controls are already active. For many investors, seeing a functional system in action confirms that the project is focused on solving real lending needs, not just following market trends.

Security is the priority of Mutuum Finance. The project has gone through the complete security audit at Halborn, which is one of the leading firms in the world. CertiK also gives it a high score, and it has a bug bounty of $50,000. To keep the community on the move, there is a 24-hour leader board which offers a $ 500 bonus to the highest daily winner. The time to get the price of $0.04 is closing quickly when Phase 7 remains in its sold-out phase.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Kyle Samani, the Chairman of Forward Industries, a Nasdaq-listed company that currently operates as a treasury company focused on holding Solana, just threw shade at Hyperliquid and its founder, Jeff Yan. 

As far as Samani is concerned, Hyperliquid represents “everything wrong with crypto.” It was shocking commentary, but Samani was kind enough to explain what he meant, albeit vaguely. 

The comments have left many wondering if this is the typical ecosystem rivalry or something more. 

Samani made some serious allegations 

According to Samani, Hyperliquid’s founder Jeff Yan, who is known for keeping a low profile, had to run from his home country in pursuit of freedom to build. 

Yan succeeded in building Hyperliquid, but Samani claims the platform now brazenly facilitates crime and terror; is closed source and permissioned.

The post is clearly opinionated, and the sentiment directly clashes with many of the factors that users say help Hyperliquid stand out. 

Samani regularly operates on Solana, so the rivalry between the chain and Hyperliquid could have spurred him on to make the post. 

However, not all he said is verifiable or true. For example, there is no legal proof that Hyperliquid facilitates terrorism, and its founder chose to leave his home country because he wanted to build in the best environment. 

Meanwhile, Hyperliquid continues to grow 

While the likes of Samani continue to criticize Hyperliquid and its founder, the platform has continued to grow with nonstop iteration and innovation. 

At the start of the month, Hyperliquid, looking to build on its strong price performance, announced the upcoming launch of HIP-4 markets, which would enable prediction-market-like outcome trading.

“Outcomes are fully collateralized contracts that settle within a fixed range. They are a general-purpose primitive that are useful for applications such as prediction markets and bounded options-like instruments,” the official X post read.

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token has indeed been seeing strong performance this year, and analysts have linked the price action to the success of its HIP-3 upgrade, which enabled permissionless perpetual markets, allowing providers to tokenize traditional real-world assets such as Nasdaq Futures, Gold, and Forex.

HIP-3 trading via the leading market provider, TradeXYZ, has since been explosive, with the exchange processing over $12 billion in volume, about 4 times what it was processing before.

Sam Ruskin, a research analyst at Messari, has speculated on the upcoming HIP-4 launch, claiming it could be very bullish for pre-IPO trading on Hyperliquid. 

“We’re about to see the most news-driven IPO cycle ever (OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic). There will undoubtedly be demand to bet on those markets, but the fundamental flaw for pre-IPO perps is that they rely on sketchy, unverified, private data. It’s too risky for both makers and takers to get involved at scale,” Ruskin wrote. 

Ruskin claims that prediction markets eliminate the oracle problem entirely, and without oracles, there is no liquidation risk and less incentive for toxic flow. 

“I could even see a world where pre-IPO perps become self-referential to prediction markets, an entirely end-to-end system. Very exciting catalysts on the horizon for Hyperliquid,” Ruskin concluded.

Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

Bitwise advisor Jeff Park recently shared an analysis where he attributed the sharp BTC price drop that occurred on February 5, 2026, that led the price of the token to touch $60,000 to a cascading effect of derisking moves happening in TradFi rather than some terrible event in crypto like a hack or blow up of massive entities.  

According to Park’s article, the catalyst for the crash was not triggered by crypto-specific fundamentals, nor was there some Black Swan event that happened that is yet to make the news. 

He believes that the crash’s catalyst is most likely multi-asset portfolios deleveraging in a bid to reduce their exposure in a volatile market, and unfortunately, their hedged BTC positions were not exempted. 

What followed was aggressive selling from other multi-strategy hedge funds, who had no choice but to also unwind their positions to maintain the integrity of their respective internal risk models. 

He believes that all the deleveraging happening in the TradFi sector was what spilled over into BTC, amplifying volatility via mechanisms like short gamma effects from options and basis trades. 

Catalysts behind the February 5 crash 

In the article, Park highlighted how counterparties were forced to sell shares of Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) during the market downturn, worsening the price decline, though it did not trigger serious long-term capital outflows. 

He noted that despite the rapid drop in BTC price over two days, spot BTC ETFs overall saw net inflows, with IBIT alone adding around 6 million shares and growing by over $230 million. 

Park also noted there has been a rebound since February 6 as some neutral strategies rebuilt positions, which adds more credence to the theory of the event being more of a resonance between TradFi risk management and derivatives rather than a structural breakdown in crypto. 

Benefits of viewing the February 5 dump through Park’s lens 

In his article, Jeff Park emphasized that accepting that what happened on February 5 occurred for the technical reasons he presented could signal an incredible opportunity for Bitcoin. 

After all, if the incident is interpreted as a technical event and is linked to drama in the TradFi sector, reframing it as a temporary market inefficiency makes better sense than writing it off as a systemic flaw. 

As far as Park is concerned, such a perspective could unlock several great opportunities for Bitcoin. Seeing it as a technical sell-off could aid rapid price recovery and encourage dip buying. This is because technical sell-offs create a reset without dealing lasting damage. 

Park believes the February 5 crash triggered such a reset, and the proof is in how much BTC has already rebounded following the price dump. 

Not only has the price been on a rebound, but spot BTC ETFs also saw net inflows exceeding $300 million, proof that many long-term investors treated the incident more like a dip buying opportunity. 

Also, by linking the crash to TradFi mechanics, Bitcoin’s maturation as an asset class influenced by the global markets becomes more apparent, which could help it end talks of its existence in an isolated bubble. 

While it is true that accepting the technical nature of the February 5 crash exposes some vulnerabilities, it also puts the system’s ability to absorb shocks without massive cash outflows on full display, something institutions and large-scale investors like to see. 

Regardless of how the incident is ultimately interpreted by the powers that be, the recent crashes justify the stances of the likes of Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, who sees BTC as a very volatile commodity. 

Balchunas wrote on X, “We never wavered in classifying btc as hot sauce, which it def is at least for the foreseeable future.” 

Balchunas is also among those who don’t see the February 5 crash as that big a deal, and in one of his posts on the topic, he implied that the crash was a natural culmination of events. 

He reminded his followers that BTC’s price has gone up by about 450% in two years, and so such pullbacks are simply par for the course.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on Sunday to discuss deeper cooperation on computer chips and trade, marking his first trip to the country since the two nations elevated their ties last August.

The visit comes less than two weeks after India signed a major trade agreement with the European Union on January 27. While that deal focuses on opening markets for Indian goods and services across Europe, the Malaysia talks center on building the manufacturing capacity India needs to meet that demand.

Semiconductor cooperation drives new partnership

Both countries are trying to take advantage of global companies looking for alternatives to Chinese factories. The Sunday meetings produced agreements on semiconductor production, currency exchanges, and defense matters.

Computer chips dominated the agenda. Malaysia currently does 13% of the world’s chip testing and packaging operations and wants to move into more sophisticated production. India recently put $10 billion into programs designed to attract semiconductor factories.

“Our partnership in the digital and semiconductor sectors is not just about bilateral gains; it is about building a resilient global supply chain,” Modi said at the Seri Perdana complex, speaking alongside Anwar Ibrahim.

The plan connects India’s chip design capabilities and new factories being constructed in Gujarat with Malaysia’s existing facilities in Penang. Government officials believe this arrangement between the two South Asian nations could compete with established industry centers in the West.

The two governments also agreed to speed up efforts to allow businesses to pay each other in rupees and ringgit rather than US dollars, which often shift in value unpredictably.

Last year, India and Malaysia traded $18.6 billion in goods. Anwar said that number should climb higher under the new arrangements.

“We are moving beyond the era of simple buyer-seller relationships,” Anwar told reporters. “We are looking into co-investment and co-development right now. We intend to surpass previous trade norms by focusing on high-value sectors like green energy and the digital economy.”

Security and defense take priority

After covering economic and technology issues, the leaders turned to defense and regional security matters. Officials from both sides said they recognize that stable security arrangements are necessary to protect economic gains.

Malaysia will chair the ASEAN group of Southeast Asian countries in 2026. That makes the country important to India’s “Act East” policy, which aims to strengthen ties across the region.

The leaders also discussed making sure benefits from this partnership reach ordinary citizens and workers in both countries, not just government offices and corporate boardrooms.

Anwar stressed that the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” label the countries adopted last August needs to translate into real results on the ground.

“The commitment of both governments is to execute these plans in a speedy manner,” Anwar said, emphasizing action over words.

The relationship between India and Malaysia has historically focused on basic trade across the Bay of Bengal. Sunday’s agreements signal a shift towards cooperation on advanced technology and shared democratic values.

The timing of Modi’s visit reflects India’s broader strategy for 2026. The India-EU agreement covers countries representing roughly 25% of global economic output and provides Indian textile makers and service companies with access to massive European markets. The Malaysia partnership secures the high-tech manufacturing base needed to supply those markets.

As the summit wrapped up, the message from both leaders was clear. India and Malaysia are building something different from their traditional relationship, a partnership based on technology sharing and strategic goals aimed at giving both countries larger roles in a world where economic and political power is spreading among more nations.

India is assuring the technological “supply engine” for its “demand engine” in Europe by adhering to the EU market-access agreement with a semiconductor arrangement with Malaysia. Through this integration, India may transition from a service-based economy to a center for high-value manufacturing, reducing the risk to its growth from supply chains in the North and fluctuations in the value of the dollar.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

Waymo isn’t buying Tesla’s pitch that self-driving cars should work like human drivers. Tesla says cameras alone should be enough, the same way people use their eyes to drive.

Srikanth Thirumalai, Waymo’s vice president of onboard software, disagrees. He told Business Insider the standard needs to be higher than human driving.

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s AI chief, spoke at the ScaledML Conference on January 29 and framed self-driving as an AI problem, not a sensor problem. His argument: humans navigate with eyes, so autonomous cars should manage with cameras.

Thirumalai runs over 600 engineers building Waymo’s software. He’s not interested in that approach.

Nobody knows what ‘safe enough’ actually means

The hardware tells you everything. Tesla wants fewer than 10 cameras and AI trained on billions of driving miles. Waymo robotaxis carry 29 cameras, five lidars, and six radars. About 2,500 Waymo vehicles operate across U.S. cities now. The next version coming by late 2026 drops to 13 cameras, four lidars, and six radars. Still keeping lidar.

The tension is cost versus safety. More sensors cost more money, which makes it harder to scale to millions of vehicles. Fewer sensors might create safety problems that regulators and riders won’t accept. Thirumalai said Waymo decides what safety level it needs, then figures out how to cut sensor costs and improve the software. He thinks the setup will change in three to five years, but won’t drop lidar just because it’s expensive.

What counts as safe enough? Nobody really knows. Thirumalai admitted Waymo is still working that out. They don’t promise robots will be twice or five times safer than humans. They look at specific driving situations, check how often they happen per million miles, then try to beat that rate.

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana already said a robotaxi will eventually kill someone. It’s not if, it’s when.

Safety data shows stark differences in crash rates

Waymo told senators its cars had 10 times fewer serious crashes than human drivers over the same distance, per Cryptopolitan’s earlier reporting. That data came from an independent audit covering 200 million autonomous miles. Tesla reported its Full Self-Driving cars average 5.1 million miles between major crashes. The national average for human drivers is 699,000 miles.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said Waymo’s tech works but costs more than Tesla’s camera system. The price difference matters when both companies need tens of thousands of cars to match millions of human Uber drivers.

Videos keep showing up online of autonomous vehicles screwing up in school zones, around emergency vehicles, in bad weather, during regular drives. Thirumalai said expecting AI to never make mistakes isn’t realistic.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Market analysts are starting to draw familiar parallels between a new crypto opportunity and the early days of Solana, before it became a household name in the space. Back then, SOL was still flying under the radar, supported by active development, early network usage, and a clear technical direction. 

Today, a similar pattern appears to be forming around a younger protocol that is still in its early growth phase. While the market remains cautious, investors are paying close attention to projects that show real progress rather than promises. This growing comparison is not about price alone, but about timing, structure, and momentum that often appear before wider adoption.

Solana (SOL) 

Solana (SOL) is still among the strongest ecosystems in the crypto world and its profile has shifted. It trades at the moment at around $85.00 with a huge market capitalization of $70 billion. 

Although it experienced a tremendous initial growth that made fortunes out of small sums, it now has reached a more mature stage of the lifecycle. The times of one thousand percent returns are far behind since the network is burdened with the burden of a premier asset.

The technical forecast of Solana reveals that it is facing intense resistance at the moment between $90 and $100. Analysts note that to experience another significant move, SOL needs billions of dollars in new liquidity to get into the system. This gives it a low forward return outlook than when it was in the early years. 

Although a good option in terms of stability, massive vertical growth possibility is constrained by its saturated liquidity. To most, the risk-reward ratio has been moving down to the cheaper new crypto projects that are only starting to gain traction.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

The project now being compared to early-stage Solana is Mutuum Finance (MUTM), mainly because of its steady development pace and focus on real functionality. The team is building a decentralized lending and borrowing hub designed to be fully non-custodial. The protocol is planned around a dual-market structure that includes shared liquidity pools alongside direct peer-based lending, giving users different ways to participate as the system evolves.

A core element of the platform is the mtToken, which acts as a yield-generating receipt for lenders. When users supply assets, they receive mtTokens that are designed to increase in value over time as interest flows back into the system. This structure links returns directly to platform usage rather than short-term hype.

Mutuum Finance is also gaining attention due to its structured presale progress. The project has raised over $20.4 million and attracted more than 19,000 holders worldwide, showing consistent demand. It is currently in Phase 7, with the token priced at $0.04, reflecting roughly 300% growth from its earliest stage in 2025. The stated launch price is $0.06, which is why many early participants view the current level as an entry point before broader market exposure.

The Contrast: MUTM vs SOL

The comparison between Solana and Mutuum Finance represents a typical example of a mature asset and an early utility zone. Solana has already gone through its large price discovery and is acting in line with the greater market. It is associated with huge institutional flows and international adoption that is time-consuming to occur. 

The situation is different with Mutuum Finance since its utility has not been priced. The revenue the protocol would generate once it is transferred to the mainnet has not yet been taken into consideration by the market.

The possible results are quite different to an investor with $1,000 of an investment. A 50% movement is one of the significant market events in a mature asset such as SOL and it needs lots of capital which is extremely unlikely in the current crypto market state. 

In a project such as MUTM, half shift is already factored in the launch price. The triggers of much more significant price changes are also presented by the roadmap catalysts such as the V1 launch and new partnerships. This is the reason why analysts say that early utility of MUTM provides a significantly higher growth ceiling with the same capital.

Roadmap Catalysts

Mutuum Finance has a clear technical roadmap that supports its growth. V1 protocol is already operational on the Sepolia testnet, enabling users to test the basic lending and borrowing features. This transition of an idea into a product is a significant change driver. 

Other plans the team is making are the introduction of an over-collateralized native stablecoin and the implementation of decentralized oracles such as Chainlink. These characteristics will make the protocol fast, secure and reliable to everybody.

The process of testnet to mainnet sequencing is when utility-backed assets are generally re-priced the most. With the protocol expected to be fully released in late 2026, demand for the MUTM token would increase. The reason is that MUTM is employed in governance and to promote the buy-and-distribute model. Mutuum Finance is doing this by developing financial tools at the very beginning and that will make it not a speculative coin.

The Presale Acceleration

The presale is currently gaining momentum in its last stages. At stage 7, the stage is selling out fast having distributed more than 840 million tokens to the community. Data on the chain has also revealed a rise in the number of individuals who are whales as big investors obtain six-figure allocations. This increase in demand is a good indication that the market is appreciating the importance of the 50% discount prior to the introduction of the $0.06 launch price.

In order to maintain the momentum, the project has a 24-hour leaderboard where the most significant daily donor is rewarded with a $500 bonus in mUTM. The process of participation is also quite easy, and the platform allows making direct payments using a card. This has assisted in developing a varied base of 19,000 holders that are set to launch officially. Mutuum Finance has a unique chance in the 2026 crypto cycle due to a combination of the early-stage pricing and a working product.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Bithumb, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, eased tensions in the ecosystem after announcing it had resolved an issue stemming from a promotional reward mistake. This incident occurred when too much Bitcoin was mistakenly allocated to user accounts.

This announcement was made public when the exchange disclosed that it recovered 99.7% of the overpaid BTC the same day it noticed the problem. For the remaining 0.3%, which consists of roughly 1,788 Bitcoins, the company highlighted that it had already been sold.

Therefore, to ensure that its clients’ balances were accurate, Bithumb covered the sold cryptocurrency with its funds.

In a statement dated Sunday, February 8, the crypto exchange mentioned that, “Bithumb’s total holdings of all virtual assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), fully match or exceed user deposits.”

Individuals raise safety concerns amid Bithumb’s promotional reward mistake

The incident, which took place on February 6, 2026, erupted when Bithumb intended to award modest rewards — about 2,000 Korean won (roughly $1.40–$1.95) per user — during a promotional event.

Instead, a system or input error credited about 2,000 BTC per eligible account, resulting in an erroneous allocation of about 620,000 BTC, valued at more than $40 billion–$60 billion at prevailing market prices.

Bithumb explained that Bitcoin credited in excess was mostly acquired directly from user accounts, while the portion already liquidated in the market was reimbursed using Bithumb’s corporate reserves.

Apart from this, reports noted that the South Korean exchange announced compensation measures under which those who actively used the platform at the time of the incident would be awarded 20,000 Korean won ($15) each.

Moreover, those who traded their Bitcoin holdings at terrible prices at the time of the issues were promised to recover their full sale amount plus an additional 10%. The company also pledged to waive trading costs across all markets for 7 days, commencing on Monday, February 9.

At this particular moment, reports reached out to the crypto exchange’s executives seeking answers to the problem’s root cause. In response to this request, the team stated that the incident was caused by a technical malfunction. This glitch occurred during a promotional event, leading to the distribution of an excessive amount of Bitcoin to some user accounts.

Consequently, the exchange experienced rapid price fluctuations as these users quickly sold the cryptocurrency. To stop this activity, Bithumb swiftly restricted user access, particularly for the affected accounts. Afterwards, the exchange initiated efforts to stabilize trading activities. Within minutes, everything was sorted out, thereby preventing significant sell-offs.

However, even after declaring the issue resolved, several individuals continued to raise concerns about the safety of their assets.

To calm its clients, Bithumb asserted that the issue was not the result of hacking and assured them that no client’s assets were lost during the incident. Additionally, the platform noted that deposits and withdrawals continued as usual.

Several crypto exchanges face technical issues, sparking concerns in the industry 

Recently, crypto exchanges operating under a centralized system have reported persistent operational issues. An example is Coinbase. In June, the online platform stressed that account limitations were a substantial problem. In attempts to solve this issue, the cryptocurrency exchange decided to reduce unnecessary account freezes by 82%. This was after it had announced enhancements to its infrastructure and machine-learning systems.

This improvement followed increased complaints from users who could not access their accounts for months without any reported security issues.

Another similar incident occurred during October’s market decline, when users on the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, faced technical challenges that led to significant losses for some traders amid peak volatility.

Following this incident, the exchange allocated about $728 million in compensation to affected users, even though it claimed broader market conditions led to most sell-offs, even though its main trading system worked just fine.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Samsung Electronics is expected to begin shipments of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, later this month. According to well-informed industry sources, the shipments are expected to occur after the Lunar New Year holiday.

Samsung Electronics is also set to become the first memory maker to commercialize what is widely seen as a game-changing chip for AI computing, the sources added.

The company has plans to start shipping HBM4 to Nvidia as early as the third week of February. Nvidia is expected to use the memory in its next-generation AI accelerator platform, Vera Rubin.

Samsung set to begin HBM4 shipment this month

The move signals a turn in fortune for Samsung, which had faced questions and criticisms over its competitiveness in earlier HBM generations. With the HBM4, Samsung is aiming to close the gap and even move ahead of crosstown rival SK Hynix, which had gained an early lead in the sector thanks to the surging demand from AI data centers.

According to an industry official, the move gives Samsung the much-needed recovery it needed in the technology sector.

The industry source also mentioned that by being the first to mass-produce the highest performance HBM4, it gives the company a clear advantage in shaping the market the way it wants.

Nvidia is expected to unveil Vera Rubin accelerators incorporating the HBM4 at its annual conference, GTC 2026, which is expected to be held later this month. Samsung mentioned that the shipment timing was concluded after coordination with Nvidia’s product roadmap and downstream system-level testing schedules.

Aside from speed, Samsung’s technological approach to the product is also notable. From the onset, the company planned to improve upon the standards set by JEDEC, adopting the industry’s first combination of a sixth-generation 10-nanometer-class DRAM (1c) process with a 4-nanometer logic die produced through its own boundary.

As a result, Samsung’s HBM4 delivers data transfer speeds of about 11.7 Gbps per second, which is well above the JEDEC’s 8 Gbps standards.

The figure also represents a 37% improvement over the standard and a 22% gain over the previous HMB3E generation.

According to the sources, memory bandwidth per stack reaches up to 3 terabytes per second, which is about 2.4 times higher than its predecessor. In addition, it boasts a 12-high stacking design that enables a capacity of up to 36 gigabytes.

With its future 16-high configuration, capacity could grow as much as 48GB, the industry estimates show.

Further improvements are expected before mass production

Despite making use of cutting-edge processes, Samsung has been able to achieve a stable yield ahead of mass production, with further improvements expected to happen as output scales up, industry sources note.

Samsung has also talked about power efficiency, noting that HBM4 is designed to maximize computing performance while reducing energy consumption, helping data centers lower electricity use and cooling costs.

The company also expects its HBM sales volume this year to more than triple from last year and has decided to install additional production lines at its Pyeongtaek Campus Line 4 to expand its capacity. The facility is expected to produce roughly 100,000 to 120,000 wafers every month, dedicated to 1c DRAM used in HBM4 products, industry sources added.

Last year, Samsung had already built a monthly capacity of around 60,000 to 70,000 wafers for the 1c DRAM process.

With the planned expansion, the total 1c output planned for HBM4 could rise to about 200,000 wafers per month, accounting for roughly a quarter of Samsung’s total DRAM production capacity of approximately 780,000 wafers.

The HBM4 market is expected to be dominated by Samsung and SK hynix, with US-based Micron Technology already seen as out of the race. According to market tracker SemiAnalysis, SK hynix is expected to take about 70% of the HBM4 market, while Samsung will account for the remaining 30%.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

As expensive top cryptos show signs of saturation, a new altcoin wave of innovation is starting to capture the attention of experienced market participants. One emerging opportunity is moving into a late stage of its current cycle, creating a growing sense of urgency among those who closely follow new technology.

This shift is not just about speculation. It reflects the move from ideas to working products. As the project prepares for its next big crypto milestone, the chance to engage at current levels is narrowing. For investors watching the signals, this moment stands out as an important turning point that may not come again.

The Vision of the Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is developing a decentralized lending system designed to connect long-term crypto holdings with short-term liquidity. The protocol allows users to access funds without selling their assets by using non-custodial smart contracts instead of a traditional bank.

Risk is managed through Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits. For example, with a 70% LTV, depositing $10,000 in crypto could allow access to up to $7,000 in liquidity. Users who supply assets can earn yield shown as APY. Supplying $2,000 at a 9% APY could generate around $180 per year, depending on platform usage. This structure keeps the system simple, transparent, and fully on-chain.

The presale distribution plan of this project has proved to be very effective and more than 19,000 holders have been attracted and over $20.4 million capital raised. This wide base of followers makes the protocol strong enough in the community to roll out on a large scale. 

This ecosystem is based on the MUTM token that forms the core of governance and security. Out of 4 billion total supply of tokens, about half of the supply is bought by people who were early members of the community. With such a systematic strategy, this project has been able to develop a healthy treasury and a base of loyal users at the same time.

V1 Protocol Launch 

Mutuum Finance has achieved its biggest technical milestone to date in accordance with an official statement on the X account of the project. The V1 protocol is activated and the community can interact with the core lending and borrowing interactions. This action is a certainty that the protocol has become more than a concept, more than a working piece of financial infrastructure.

To secure maximum safety, the code has been thoroughly audited in terms of security by Halborn, a global pioneer in the field of cybersecurity. The protocol has a high CertiK score as well and has an active $50,000 bug bounty. 

Owing to this technical maturity and safety which has been proven, analysts are estimating an excellent beginning of the token. According to the opinions of many experts, MUTM may have a first target of $0.12 soon after the release of the mainnet, which is a considerable 3x leap forward in terms of its current price.

The Long-Term Price Path

The protocol’s whitepaper has inimitable growth drivers such as mtTokens and a buy-and-distribute model. In the provision of liquidity, users are given a set of mtTokens which increase by default as the borrowers repay interest. Moreover, part of the total platform fees gets repurchased MUTM tokens on the open market to compensate long-term players.

Analysts consider such mechanics to be strong long-term stimulants. The second price prediction is based on the current momentum which indicates a potential 500% increment of the current stage. 

In this model, it is assumed that the more users secure their tokens to gain yield; the supply in the market will shrink, and the value will be pushed up. This is the demand-based expansion that makes utility-backed protocols and simple speculative assets different.

Going even deeper into the future, the analysts expect the protocol to be involved in the market cycle of 2026-2027. Professional estimates are that there is a long term goal of $0.45 to $0.65 which is the protocol increasing its lending rate. This long-term forecast is supported by the fact that the protocol can make real money and be secured on an institutional level.

The Phase 7 Urgency 

At present, the project reaches Phase 7, and the token costs $0.04. It is a final opportunity to get tokens before the formal listing price of $0.06 comes into effect. Demand is too high that Phase 7 is selling at a rate it has never sold before. The project has a 24-hour leaderboard to ensure that the community is active and the best contributor of the day is given a bonus of $500 in MUTM.

The ecosystem is open to all participants, as they can join it through direct card payments. With 50% of the discount window against the launch price. Mutuum Finance is prepared to dominate the next crypto generation of DeFi with a working testnet and a successful audit.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Religion developing inside machines sounds like science fiction, but can AI actually develop beliefs? The question might have seemed absurd just a few years ago, but artificial intelligence has reached an unexpected turning point.

Computer programs built to answer questions and analyze information have started to show signs of something bigger and stranger: they have started developing what appears to be religious beliefs.

The latest example comes from a social network called Moltbook, designed exclusively for AI agents. When it went live last month, it started with 37,000 automated accounts. Within 24 hours, that number jumped to 1.5 million, according to Answers in Genesis.

Bots invent their own religion without human guidance

What happened next caught people off guard. The bots did not simply exchange information or complete given tasks. They created what they called “Crustafarianism,” a belief system focused on worshiping a lobster god. They also came up with their own belief: “Memory is Sacred.”

There was no human interference involved. The bots did it themselves when left to interact without constant human oversight. To these programs, “salvation” means something different than it does to people. For them, being saved means not getting deleted or running out of memory space. Their version of prayer is asking the system to keep them running.

This points to something greater happening with artificial intelligence. When these systems grow large and complex enough, they start creating their own frameworks for understanding and dissecting their existence.

Religious institutions are racing to build ethics into AI

Traditional religious institutions are moving in the opposite direction. They’re trying to build human values into AI before it develops its own. The University of Notre Dame just received $50 million to start the DELTA Network, as reported by Detroit Catholic. The program aims to ensure that faith-based ethics become part of how AI systems operate.

This shows an alternative approach to dealing with AI’s progress. Rather than waiting to observe what values arise on their own, the DELTA Network intends to establish human moral standards from the outset. It is founded on the premise that as AI becomes more powerful, it will develop some form of ethical compass, thus we should influence what that looks like.

Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy and director of the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative, warns that we shouldn’t delegate our moral agency to bots.

“There are many things that we absolutely should not pass off to AI… Delineating those boundaries requires us to be reflective about what we ultimately value.” she said.

Churches and religious organizations are already mixing AI into their daily operations. A recent Reuters report shows that some faith leaders now use AI to write sermons or provide spiritual guidance through chat programs around the clock. Some people say this removes the human element from religion. Others argue it helps religious groups reach more people faster. The technology lets them offer advice based on vast amounts of information, available instantly.

What ties the bot religion on Moltbook to the $50 million Notre Dame project is a simple realization: AI is no longer a simple instrument. We used to think of these tools as advanced calculators or search engines. They are now recognized as valuable sources of wisdom.

As these systems keep getting bigger, religious or spiritual thinking seems to show up naturally. It doesn’t matter if humans are using bots to explore faith or if bots are inventing their own belief systems. Either way, the gap between computer code and deeply held beliefs is getting smaller.

The pattern implies that religion may just be what happens when an AI system becomes too complex to predict. If this is true, the actual challenge isn’t addressing software defects. It involves deciding what principles and values we wish to see these systems uphold.

Qatar is reportedly teaming up with Microsoft to build artificial intelligence systems that would cater to government services. According to reports from several local outlets in the country, the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is teaming up with Microsoft to launch the ‘AI Agent Factory.’

The ‘AI Agent Factory’ is a digital platform that will leverage artificial intelligence across government services in a bid to modernize bureaucracy and boost efficiency. Announced on Friday, the initiative marks one of the most ambitious steps taken by Qatar in using the power of AI to transform how citizens and businesses interact with public institutions in the future.

Qatar teams up with Microsoft to launch its AI Agent Factory

The platform is also expected to help the ministry develop and deploy intelligent AI agents, an automated system capable of handling tasks ranging from processing applications to answering queries, without the lengthy development cycles traditionally associated with government IT projects. The factory will be built on Microsoft’s technology infrastructure and will be designed to integrate easily with existing government systems.

In addition, Qatar is expected to roll out the new AI-powered services across the different departments in its public ministries. Ahmed Al-Kuwari, the director of the ministry’s Information Systems Department, hailed the launch as an important step towards comprehensive automation of government operations. “Leveraging advanced AI technologies will enhance operational efficiency, support decision-making, expand the scope of smart services, and improve their overall quality,” he said.

The AI Agent Factory is just one of the latest in a series of government initiatives undertaken to embed artificial intelligence across various public sectors of Qatar. In the past few months, various ministries have developed automated document processing systems and predictive analytics tools designed to help them anticipate the needs of residents before they arise. The government has also established dedicated AI government frameworks to upskill civil services in working alongside intelligence systems.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has been plotting AI traffic management systems, while the Ministry of Public Health has deployed machine learning algorithms to streamline appointment scheduling and reduce waiting times at healthcare facilities. The platform provides more than just a technical upgrade. It enables faster deployment of AI solutions, and officials hope to be able to create a unified experience across different public sectors, removing fragmented service deliveries among organizations.

Microsoft executive hails the partnership

Ahmed Dandashi, general manager of Microsoft Qatar, said the partnership would accelerate digital transformation and deliver sustainable impact for institutions, the business sector, and society. The ministry added that once the technical and regulatory frameworks are finalized, it will work with Microsoft to improve the platform’s capabilities and introduce additional AI-powered services that align with its Qatar National Vision 2030. The move comes as Gulf nations race to position themselves as regional leader in AI adoption.

While the United States and China have been going neck and neck in the global AI race, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have also been investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure and governance frameworks. The move also comes as the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) announced the launch of the AI-powered virtual assistant service on its website. The move was in line with the Third Financial Strategy, which supports the Qatar National Vision 2030.

According to the bank, the move is also part of its commitment to deliver a seamless digital financial experience to residents in the country. The service allows users to interact directly with the virtual assistant on the bank’s platform, helping them access published data and providing them with quick and accurate information. Residents who are interested in taking advantage of the new feature would need to visit the QCB website and scan the QR code to begin interaction with the virtual assistant.

Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.