[IMPORTANT] Banks and Crypto Firms Clash Over Stablecoin Yield Rules at White House Meeting
On February 10, 2026, a crucial White House meeting between banks and crypto firms focused on stablecoin regulations, particularly stablecoin yield programs. Banks pushed for a total ban on rewards to stablecoin holders, citing risks to traditional deposit models, while crypto companies advocated for competitive fairness and limited exemptions. The CLARITY Act faces delays due to these disputes, with a March 1st deadline set for agreement before legislative momentum could stall further.
Binance Initiated Fund Allocation for GOPAX GoFi Repayments in December
Binance appears to have started setting aside repayment funds for GOPAX's GoFi service victims as early as mid-December. A South Korean crypto news outlet found three wallets holding 10 cryptocurrencies mirroring the exact GoFi deposit amounts announced by GOPAX in January. These funds were transferred from Binance-labeled wallets on December 17.
[IMPORTANT] Fed's Inflation Battle Nears End as Tariff-Driven Inflation to Ease in H2, Strategist...
A senior strategist at Russell Investments indicates the Federal Reserve is approaching the conclusion of its fight against inflation. Key factors include a balancing labor market, easing tariff-driven inflation in the latter half of the year, and sluggish U.S. real estate activity. Inflation is expected to remain manageable through this year and next despite steady economic growth.
South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb mistakenly credited users with $43 billion worth of Bitcoin during a promotional event. Although most funds were recovered and accounts frozen, some users withdrew or sold Bitcoin before the error was fixed, leading to legal complexities around civil recovery versus criminal liability. The incident exposed weaknesses in exchange oversight and is expected to accelerate regulatory tightening in South Korea.
Largest Annual Revision Expected for US Nonfarm Payrolls, Dollar Index Poised for Sideways Moveme...
Malayan Banking reports that the US Dollar Index (DXY) has found support as short positions moderately unwind ahead of the January nonfarm payrolls release. Despite weaker-than-expected December retail sales data, the dollar remains supported, with market focus on the modest expected payroll increase and stable unemployment rate. The key driver weighing on the dollar is the forecasted historic annual downward revision of employment figures by 825,000, leading to expectations of dollar consolidation before Friday's data.
CZ Reflects on Early Career: Departed OKCoin Within 8 Months Due to Cultural and Value Misalignment
CZ shared insights into his early career at Blockchain.info and OKCoin during the All-In podcast. He described joining OKCoin as CTO but leaving after about eight months due to cultural and value differences, notably in marketing practices. His experience at Blockchain.info involved remote work, paying salaries in Bitcoin, and guerrilla marketing that grew users to around 2 million.
South Korea Forms Regulatory Task Force to Strengthen Crypto Exchange Oversight
South Korean financial regulators have established a task force involving key agencies and the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance to improve control measures within crypto exchanges. This initiative responds to a recent incident of mistaken virtual asset payments. The task force aims to develop and implement enhanced self-regulation frameworks across virtual asset trading platforms.
Spark Launches OTC Crypto Lending Solutions for Institutional Investors
DeFi lending protocol Spark has introduced a new institutional OTC crypto lending service connecting off-chain borrowers with on-chain liquidity. The service includes Spark Prime for margin lending with collateral across various platforms and Spark Institutional Lending designed for fully custodial institutional clients. Spark aims to serve hedge funds, trading firms, and fintech companies complying with traditional custody and regulatory standards.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Drops from World's 500 Richest as Crypto Prices Plunge
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has fallen off Bloomberg's list of the world's 500 richest people due to a sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices that cut his net worth from $17.7 billion to $7.5 billion. Other notable crypto figures like the Winklevoss twins, Michael Novogratz, and Michael Saylor were also removed from the list. The decrease reflects the broader impact of falling crypto valuations on the wealth of industry leaders.
[IMPORTANT] Assessing Bitcoin’s Risk of Dropping to 2022’s $15,000 Low Amid Current Market Pressures
Bitcoin has recently dropped close to its 2021 all-time high price levels but faces continued downward pressure with notable weekly and monthly losses. Despite concerns, experts suggest it is unlikely Bitcoin will fall as low as the $15,000 level seen after the 2022 FTX collapse, attributing this cycle’s decline to macroeconomic and geopolitical strains rather than exchange failures. Some forecasts expect Bitcoin to dip below $40,000 this year but predict a new all-time high around 2026, following a possible five-year market cycle.
Malaysia's Central Bank Pilots Ringgit-Backed Stablecoin and Tokenized Deposits for Wholesale Pay...
Bank Negara Malaysia has launched three pilot projects in 2024 focused on a ringgit-backed stablecoin and tokenized deposits through its Digital Asset Innovation Hub. These trials involve major local banks and cover B2B payments, domestic and international wholesale payments, and settlement of tokenized assets. The projects will inform Malaysia's standards for digital currency usage and may pave the way for a future wholesale CBDC.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Spot ETFs See Strong Net Inflows Amid Positive Market Momentum
Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $167 million in net inflows on February 10, marking the third consecutive day of inflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs also experienced positive inflows totaling $13.82 million, driven by Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust ETF with $13.32 million. This trend indicates growing investor interest in crypto ETFs as accessible vehicles for exposure to digital assets.
[IMPORTANT] ZRO Token Surges Nearly 22% Despite Market Decline on Back of LayerZero’s New Blockch...
LayerZero's native token ZRO surged about 22% amid a broader crypto market downturn, reaching a four-month high. The rally was driven by the announcement of LayerZero's new scalable blockchain called Zero and strategic investments from Citadel Securities and ARK Invest. These institutional backings, along with partnerships involving major firms like Google Cloud and the NYSE parent company, have boosted investor confidence in ZRO.