Startale and SBI Holdings Launch Strium, a Layer 1 Blockchain for Tokenized Securities
Japanese tech firms Startale and SBI Holdings introduce Strium Network, a blockchain platform designed to revolutionize trading and settlement of tokenized securities and real-world assets across Asia. Strium Network, unveiled on February 5, 2026, aims to create a comprehensive infrastructure for 24/7 trading of tokenized securities and derivatives. Leveraging SBI Holdings’ ecosystem of 80 million […]
XRP Enters a New Yield Era as Modular Lending Goes Live on Flare
XRP holders are gaining new ways to unlock yield and credit as Flare introduces permissionless modular lending, expanding XRPFi with institution-grade DeFi infrastructure that keeps XRP exposure intact while enabling composable onchain strategies. XRP DeFi Accelerates With Morpho-Powered Lending on Flare A new development highlights expanding decentralized finance ( DeFi) options for XRP holders. Flare, […]
Bitcoin Freefall: $70,000 Support Shatters as Bears Take ‘Firm Control’
Bitcoin plunged below $70,000 for the first time since November as the broad selloff dragged total crypto capitalization to $2.47 trillion. Some experts warn of deeper corrections toward $67,000, while others frame the drop as a healthy reset, predicting eventual new highs in 2026 amid volatility. Broad Market Retreat and Reduced Leverage Bitcoin’s ongoing freefall […]
Nic Carter Maps Developer Views on Quantum Threats to Bitcoin Security
Bitcoin developers largely dismiss quantum computing as a near-term threat to network security, according to an index of public statements compiled by Nic Carter. Carter’s Index Shows Bitcoin Developers Largely Unmoved by Quantum Computing Warnings Nic Carter, a general partner at Castle Island Ventures and co-founder of Coin Metrics, assembled comments from Bitcoin developers to […]
South African Firms Launch a Local Currency-Backed Stablecoin
A consortium of South African firms has launched ZAR Universal (ZARU), a blockchain-based stablecoin pegged to the local currency. Transparency and Reserve Management A consortium of South African financial and fintech firms—Luno, Sanlam Specialised Asset Management, Easyequities, and Lesaka—has unveiled ZAR Universal (ZARU), a blockchain-based stablecoin pegged to the South African rand. The partners describe […]
Chinese Money Laundering Networks Funneled $16.1 Billion in Crypto in 2025
In 2025, Chinese-language money laundering networks processed $16.1 billion in illegal crypto, nearly 20% of the global underground economy. Telegram Channels as Laundering Hubs Chinese-language money laundering networks funneled an estimated $16.1 billion in illicit funds through cryptocurrency transactions in 2025, according to a new report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The study found these […]
Are Markets in a Bubble? Top Economists See Strength — With Caveats
Fears of a looming market bubble have returned as stock prices climb and artificial intelligence spending accelerates, but several leading economists argue that the broader economic picture remains more stable than the headlines suggest. From Wall Street valuations to U.S. growth and global resilience, their message is consistent: conditions look stretched in places, but not […]
Wintermute Founder Casts a Cold Eye on Crypto’s Direction
Wintermute founder Evgeny Gaevoy offered a blunt assessment of crypto’s current condition on Wednesday, arguing that the industry has stalled on substance even as speculation continues to dominate attention. Gaevoy Criticizes Stablecoins, Perp Exchanges, and Token Design In a thread published on X on Feb. 4, 2026, Gaevoy, CEO of market-making firm Wintermute, dismissed ongoing […]
Binance Dominates Crypto Reserves With $155 Billion Lead
Coinmarketcap’s latest Proof of Reserves report shows Binance holding an overwhelming lead in exchange reserves, showcasing sharp differences in scale, liquidity, and asset strategies across major crypto platforms. Proof of Reserves Highlights Binance’s Liquidity Advantage Coinmarketcap (CMC) has published its January 2026 Major Crypto Exchange Reserves Ranking, offering a detailed snapshot of how liquidity is […]
FIDD Goes Live — Fidelity Brings Its Digital Dollar Stablecoin to Crypto Markets
On Wednesday, Fidelity Investments’ digital currency arm Fidelity Digital Assets announced it launched its first stablecoin, the Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), marking the firm’s formal entry into the U.S. dollar–pegged digital currency market. Fidelity Launches USD-Pegged Stablecoin on Ethereum Network Fidelity Investments, which oversees more than $12 trillion in assets under administration, introduced the Fidelity […]
Polymarket’s Free Grocery Store Pop-up Aims to One-up Kalshi’s Viral Giveaway
Two rival prediction markets took their competition offline and into the checkout aisle this month, as Polymarket and Kalshi rolled out free-grocery stunts in New York City that blended viral marketing, civic signaling, and a not-so-subtle flex at a moment when food prices — and regulatory pressure — are both uncomfortably high. Free Groceries in […]
Ethereum Sheds $100 Billion in Market Cap During a Relentless Weeklong Slide
Ethereum endured its sharpest decline of the year, losing $100 billion in market value and dropping nearly 27% in a week, with prices hitting $2,107, the lowest since May 2025. Institutional Movement and Macroeconomic Pressures While bitcoin’s steady erosion dominated the news cycle this week, ethereum (ETH) stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, […]
Bitcoin Falls to $72,000 Intraday Low, Market Cap Down $500B Since Mid‑January Peak
Bitcoin fell below $73,000 for the second straight day, extending a volatile week in which it lost nearly 18% of its value and erased about $500 billion from its market cap since mid‑January. Bitcoin Erases Gains as Liquidations Mount For the second consecutive day, bitcoin slid below the $73,000 threshold, extending a volatile week that […]
A decade of data reveals a consistent and accelerating trend of nation-state #Bitcoin adoption.
$BTC holdings have grown from just 2 countries in 2016 to a projected 20 by 2025, a significant shift in how sovereigns are approaching Bitcoin as part of their strategic reserves.
US Stocks Walk a Tightrope: AI Fears Tangle With Earnings Strength
The U.S. stock market is having an identity crisis, torn between the promise of blockbuster earnings and the panic over an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. The Gravity of the Grift Wednesday’s mixed trading session is more than just a squiggle on a chart; it’s a stark Rorschach test for investor sentiment. With the Dow Jones […]
TRON Network Integrated by CoolWallet to Deliver Lower-Cost, High-Speed Transactions With Full Se...
This content is provided by a sponsor. PRESS RELEASE. Taipei, Taiwan, February 4, 2026 — CoolWallet, a leading self-custody hardware wallet provider, today announced the integration of energy rental services in the TRON blockchain ecosystem into its platform. This integration allows CoolWallet users to reduce transaction costs while securely managing TRX, the native utility token […]
XRP Derivatives Paint a Cautious Picture as Price Stalls Under $1.65
On Wednesday, XRP spot values traded in a tight $1.53 to $1.62 range over the past 24 hours and was last seen at $1.56 at press time on Feb. 4, as derivatives data signaled a market growing more selective rather than outright confident. XRP Derivatives Flash Mixed Signals as Volatility Fades Options activity continues to […]
Ethereum’s L2 Scaling Story Gets a Rewrite From Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin is openly challenging long-held assumptions about Ethereum’s layer-two ( L2) strategy, arguing that the original vision for L2s no longer fits a network where the base layer itself is scaling rapidly. Vitalik Buterin Calls for Specialized Appchains Over Generic L2s In a recent X post, Vitalik Buterin argued that two developments have quietly […]
Bitcoin Rebounds Above $75K After Shutdown Relief, But New Risks Loom
Bitcoin rebounded from recent lows after U.S. lawmakers ended the government shutdown, but lingering fiscal deadlines and cautious derivatives positioning suggest crypto markets remain on edge. Crypto Volatility Persists Despite U.S. Shutdown Resolution Crypto markets remain unsettled as short-term political relief gives way to fresh sources of uncertainty. Bitcoin briefly fell to around $72,800, its […]
XRP and Ether ETFs Lead Inflows as Bitcoin Sees $272 Million Exit
Crypto ETF flows diverged sharply as bitcoin products faced heavy redemptions, while ether, XRP, and solana managed to attract fresh capital. The split highlighted selective risk-taking as February’s early momentum cooled. Bitcoin Net Assets Slips Below $100 Billion While Ether and XRP Turn Green The second trading day of February delivered a clear shift in […]