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Dutch fintech Quantoz Payments has become a principal member of Visa, allowing it to issue Visa-branded virtual debit cards linked to its stablecoins USDQ, EURQ, and EURD. Quantoz can now also act as a BIN sponsor to help other fintech firms in Europe integrate stablecoin-based card issuance into their own platforms. This partnership aims to simplify stablecoin payment service launches for small and medium-sized fintech companies across Europe by bypassing complex licensing requirements.

Crypto analyst Jamie Coutts forecasts a revival of decentralized finance (DeFi) in the next market cycle despite recent token declines. He highlights that top DeFi protocols generating significant blockchain fees, mainly on Ethereum and Solana, suggest resilience. Coutts further expects future cycles to emphasize tokenization of financial assets and AI-driven on-chain transactions, leading to more sustainable growth.

Bitwise has filed an application to launch a new ETF centered on prediction markets, called PredictionShares. The information comes from Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart. This move reflects growing interest in integrating blockchain-based prediction markets into mainstream financial products.

Intel shares have fallen 7% recently due to increased competition in AI from Nvidia and others, as well as ongoing supply chain challenges. The company is investing heavily in AI, including a $100 million stake in SambaNova and progress on AI hardware projects like the Saimemory ZAM prototype. Despite these efforts, Wall Street consensus remains cautious with a 'Reduce' rating overall and concerns about foundry inefficiencies and supply constraints limiting near-term growth.

Bridge, a stablecoin company acquired by Stripe, has received conditional approval from the OCC for a national trust banking charter. This charter will allow Bridge to custody digital assets, issue stablecoins, and manage reserves under federal oversight. The approval follows similar moves by other crypto firms and comes amid regulatory and lobbying debates on crypto banking frameworks.

Elemental Royalty will offer dividends to investors in Tether’s tokenized gold (XAUT), presenting an innovative use case for tokenized assets in corporate finance. XAUT's market cap increased significantly alongside gold’s recent price surge, reaching $2.5 billion. Market makers like Wintermute have started facilitating over-the-counter trades of tokenized gold, predicting the market could grow to $15 billion this year amid de-dollarization trends.

Two major Abu Dhabi wealth funds, Mubadala Investment Company and Al Warda Investments, collectively held more than $1 billion in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin ETF at the end of 2025. This investment reflects continued institutional interest in bitcoin exposure through regulated ETF products. Their significant position highlights growing confidence in Bitcoin as a strategic asset within sovereign wealth portfolios.

Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng stated that CZ, as a major shareholder, continues to have influence over major decisions at Binance after stepping down. Daily operations remain unchanged and are managed by Teng and Yi He, who work closely with a seven-member board including independent directors. Yi He continues to play a crucial role alongside Teng as co-CEOs, emphasizing teamwork and stable leadership.

Bridge, a stablecoin issuance platform acquired by Stripe, has received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to operate as a nationally chartered trust bank. This federal charter would facilitate Bridge’s ability to issue stablecoins and offer related banking services under U.S. regulatory oversight. The approval signals growing regulatory acceptance of fintech firms integrating with traditional banking infrastructures.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong addressed concerns about Bitcoin ETFs being backed by 'paper Bitcoin,' affirming that spot Bitcoin ETFs are fully backed by real assets. Armstrong highlighted Coinbase's dominant 80% market share in U.S. Bitcoin ETF custody and explained the company's secure cold storage infrastructure. Additionally, Coinbase executives discussed regulatory developments surrounding the proposed CLARITY Act and expressed confidence in future regulatory clarity for crypto markets.

Russia’s recent ban on WhatsApp and throttling of Telegram revealed significant gaps in the adoption of decentralized messaging technologies. Despite the censorship pressure, most users avoided switching to decentralized alternatives due to usability trade-offs and network effects. The article explains why decentralized messaging struggles with issues like spam, identity management, instant delivery, and push notification reliance.

The emergence of AI agents like Anthropic's Claude Cowork has disrupted the SaaS industry, erasing nearly $300 billion in market value and threatening traditional software pricing models. This shift from software-as-a-service to AI-as-a-service triggered a broad sell-off in software stocks and prompted capital to flow towards AI infrastructure providers such as Nvidia and Microsoft. Crypto markets are feeling the indirect impact as investor risk appetite shifts, with capital moving away from high-growth sectors like crypto towards AI-related investments.

MYX Finance has experienced severe selling pressure recently, pushing it into oversold territory for the first time in its history. The token's price is closely following Bitcoin's consolidation without recovery, suggesting continued downside risk. Technical indicators and market sentiment point to a possible retest of $1.22 before any substantial rebound may occur.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and Al Warda investment funds collectively owned nearly 21 million shares of the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) by the end of last year, worth over $1 billion at the time. Despite Bitcoin’s price decline causing IBIT’s year-to-date drop of 22.5%, the combined ETF exposure remains substantial at about $803 million based on recent pricing. The article also notes Harvard University's reduced Bitcoin ETF holdings but increased investment in BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF.

Elemental Royalty announced it will pay dividends to investors using Tether's tokenized gold, offering a novel cryptocurrency-backed dividend option. This move is positioned as a pioneering step in the integration of traditional finance dividends with stable, gold-backed crypto assets. The company claims the distinction of being the first to offer this form of crypto dividend payment.

The White House is reportedly planning to reconvene a meeting on February 19th to discuss stablecoin yields with representatives from the banking and crypto industries. This initiative aims to address concerns and regulatory considerations surrounding stablecoin yield products. The engagement reflects ongoing governmental interest in stablecoins amidst evolving financial and regulatory landscapes.

Kraken is integrating its OTC desk with ICE Chat, the communication platform owned by Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange. This integration enables institutional investors to access Kraken's crypto liquidity directly through ICE Chat. Kraken is the pioneer crypto platform to be featured on this institutional messaging system.

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved Bridge’s application to establish a national trust bank for managing stablecoins. This approval aligns Bridge with other major firms such as Circle, BitGo, and Ripple, which received similar endorsements from OCC in late 2025. Unlike commercial banks, national trust banks have strict fiduciary responsibilities and cannot accept general deposits or issue loans.

Bitdeer has overtaken MARA in self-mining hash rate, reaching 63.2 EH/s compared to MARA's 60.4 EH/s. Bitdeer’s growth was driven by its proprietary SEALMINER rigs, leading to a 430% year-over-year increase in Bitcoin mined in January. Meanwhile, MARA is shifting focus toward AI and no longer reports company-wide Bitcoin production.