BlockFills, a Chicago-based crypto lender serving institutional clients, has paused deposits and withdrawals due to challenging market conditions. Despite the freeze, trading on the platform continues, and there is no evidence indicating insolvency. The halt raises concerns of market instability reminiscent of past crypto failures, amid a broader crypto market downturn with Bitcoin dropping to its lowest since late 2024.
Stronger US Jobs Data Dulls Rate Cut Hopes, Pressuring Gold Prices Ahead of Chinese New Year
Gold prices declined slightly, staying below $5,100 in early trading as stronger US non-farm payrolls and lower unemployment data reduced expectations for an imminent Federal Reserve rate cut. Market volatility is normalizing after recent fluctuations, with risk appetite likely to be further restrained by the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. Analysts suggest this combination is weighing on gold as traders adjust to less accommodative monetary policy prospects.
[IMPORTANT] Ripple Hits $50 Billion Valuation, Securing Spot Among Top 10 Private Firms Globally
Ripple's valuation has surged to approximately $50 billion, placing it among the world's top 10 most valuable private companies. CEO Brad Garlinghouse reaffirmed XRP's central role in Ripple's future strategy amidst aggressive acquisitions and institutional expansion. Despite IPO speculation, Ripple’s leadership plans to remain private while continuing growth funded by recent investments.
Binance SAFU Acquired 15,000 BTC at Average Price of $66.7K
Binance's Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) purchased approximately 15,000 BTC at an average price of around $66,667. The acquisitions took place between February 4 and the present, with prices ranging from $64,824 to $76,580. The total investment amount was roughly $1 billion, and an analyst noted the symbolic significance of the number six in Chinese culture.
[IMPORTANT] BlackRock Highlights Potential $2 Trillion Inflows from 1% Crypto Allocation in Asian...
Nicholas Peach of BlackRock revealed that allocating just 1% of traditional Asian investment portfolios to crypto could attract nearly $2 trillion in capital. Asian institutions are increasingly accepting crypto ETFs, with some models advocating small crypto allocations. Considering Asia's $108 trillion household wealth, even conservative crypto investment could significantly impact the market.
Gate Founder Highlights Web3's Transformation Through AI, TradFi, and Enhanced Digital Asset Infr...
Dr. Han, founder and CEO of Gate, delivered a keynote at Consensus HK discussing the convergence of traditional finance, Web3, and AI. He explained how these three elements are integrating to evolve digital assets from mere trading tools into intelligent infrastructure. Gate is advancing its platform with AI capabilities and TradFi products to support broader asset allocation scenarios and industry growth.
Publicly traded companies holding substantial crypto assets are experiencing significant unrealized losses as Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have dropped notably. Strategy reports a $6 billion unrealized loss on Bitcoin holdings, while Bitmine faces an $8 billion loss on Ethereum. Several other firms, including Evernos, Forward Industry, Ton Strategy, and Alt Sigma, also report multimillion-dollar losses tied to XRP, SOL, TON, and WLFI respectively.
[IMPORTANT] Ethereum Report Reveals Over 60% of ETH Staked, Top Holder's Private Key Lost
Arkham's January report reveals that over 60% of the total Ethereum supply is locked in the ETH2 Beacon Deposit Contract, reflecting widespread staking activity. The largest individual ETH holder, Rain Lohmus, possesses 250,000 ETH, but the private key for this address is lost and inaccessible. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin holds the largest accessible personal ETH balance with 240,000 ETH.
[IMPORTANT] Ark Invest Boosts Holdings in Bullish for 10 Consecutive Days and Adds to Circle Posi...
Ark Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has continuously increased its stake in the crypto exchange Bullish for ten straight trading days, purchasing a total of 364,044 shares worth approximately $11.6 million on this day alone. Simultaneously, Ark Invest bought 75,559 shares of Circle, valued at $4.4 million, despite Circle's recent 3.2% daily price decline and a 30% drop over the past month. Meanwhile, US stock indices saw slight declines, and major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum showed minor gains within the last 24 hours.
Dubai Launches Secondary Market for 7.8 Million Real Estate Tokens on February 20, 2026
The Dubai Land Department will activate trading for approximately 7.8 million real estate tokens on February 20, 2026. These tokens represent fractional ownership of properties, enabling secondary market transactions. This move marks a significant step towards the adoption of tokenized real estate in Dubai.
Meta Commits $10 Billion to Build U.S. Data Center Amid AI Push, Diverging from Amazon & Microsof...
Meta announced a $10 billion investment to build a data center in Indiana, designed to deliver 1 gigawatt of electrical capacity to support its AI initiatives. Unlike Amazon and Microsoft, which are investing $53 billion collectively in data centers in India, Meta is focusing on powering its infrastructure domestically, aligning with the U.S. 'Make in America' policy. While the project promises economic and grid benefits, it faces opposition from environmental activists concerned about local power supply and environmental impacts.
OKX Ventures Partners with Hamilton Lane and Securitize to Launch RWA-Backed Stablecoin on X Layer
OKX Ventures is collaborating with Hamilton Lane and Securitize to introduce a real-world asset (RWA)-backed stablecoin on the Ethereum-compatible X Layer blockchain. This partnership aims to leverage the strengths of each company to enhance stablecoin offerings with real-world asset backing. The initiative reflects growing interest in integrating traditional finance assets with blockchain technology.
Binance will delist 13 spot trading pairs starting from 8:00 a.m. UTC on February 13. The affected pairs include AT/BNB, AVAX/BNB, BANANA/BTC, and others. This move reflects Binance's ongoing efforts to optimize its trading offerings.
OKX Ventures Invests Strategically in STBL for Real-World Asset Stablecoin Development
OKX Ventures has strategically invested in STBL, a provider specializing in stablecoin and yield infrastructure. STBL plans to develop a real-world asset-backed stablecoin on OKX's Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 blockchain, X Layer. This investment highlights growing interest in RWA-backed stablecoins on scalable blockchain networks.