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ME News message, February 17 (UTC+8), German Central Bank President Joachim Nagel stated that euro-linked stablecoins will provide more independence for Europe to break free from the dollar-linked stablecoins that are about to be approved under the (GENIUS Act). The President of the German Federal Bank (Bundesbank) Joachim Nagel supports the launch of a central bank digital currency linked to the euro, as well as payment stablecoins priced in euros. Nagel said in a preliminary speech at the American Chamber of Commerce's New Year reception held in Frankfurt on Monday that EU officials are 'working hard to advance' the launch of retail central bank digital currencies. He believes that euro-priced stablecoins will also help 'make Europe more independent in payment systems and solutions.' 'It is worth noting that wholesale central bank digital currencies will enable financial institutions to make programmable payments using central bank money,' Nagel said, 'I also see the value of euro-priced stablecoins because they allow individuals and businesses to make cross-border payments at low cost.' As Nagel made these remarks, it has been months since U.S. President Trump signed a bill to establish a regulatory framework for the country's payment stablecoins. The bill could pose a challenge to any potential euro-linked stablecoins due to the dominance of dollar-linked stablecoins. The law is expected to be fully implemented 18 months after signing or 120 days after related regulations are finalized. The German central bank president's comments on stablecoins did not mention the risks he referred to at last week's Euro50 group meeting. Nagel warned that if the market share of dollar-priced stablecoins significantly exceeds that of euro-linked stablecoins, domestic monetary policy 'could be severely damaged, not to mention that Europe's sovereignty could be undermined.' (Source: ME)

Bitcoin Miami 2023: Are Crypto-Backed Mortgages the Future of Real Estate? (10:29)

American households are feeling the squeeze, and Goldman Sachs says the pressure is structural, not temporary.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a new report that shows credit card balances jumped by $44 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, bringing total credit card debt to $1.28 trillion. Mortgage balances rose even faster, climbing $98 billion to reach $13.2 trillion.

Taken together, the figures point to a broader issue that Goldman Sachs chief U.S. economist David Mericle is calling an “affordability problem.”

Related: Goldman issues warning about post-halving bitcoin price projections

Housing costs are straining household finances

In a video on Feb. 10, Mericle said the biggest pressure point is owner-occupied housing.

"It’s really the cost of financing your own single family owner-occupied housing that stands out by historical standards. Prices have risen a lot. Now mortgages have risen as well and both the down payment as a share of income and the mortgage financing cost as a share of income are now both quite high by historical standards.”

But housing is not just another line item in a monthly budget.

Mericle emphasized that for many Americans, especially lower-income households, homeownership is often the primary, and sometimes only, way to build wealth.

Beyond finances, housing also serves as a gateway to social mobility, access to stronger school systems, and better job opportunities.

When homeownership becomes harder to achieve, it doesn’t just change spending habits. It can alter the entire wealth-building journey.

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Standard Chartered slashes 50% price target for Bitcoin

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Bitcoin as an alternative wealth path

As traditional pathways like homeownership grow more expensive, younger Americans are increasingly exploring alternative assets.

Over the past decade, Bitcoin (BTC) has been framed by supporters as a hedge against expanding credit and rising debt levels.

During a recent interview with TheStreet Roundtable, SALT Lending’s chief revenue officer Hunter Albright described Bitcoin less as a speculative technology and more as a practical tool for wealth preservation, calling it “a store of value right now.”

Albright pointed to generational challenges. He noted that Gen Z faces significant barriers to entering the housing market. For previous generations, buying a home was often the first major step toward financial security. Today, that step feels out of reach for many.

Crypto-backed lending has also gained traction among long-term Bitcoin holders. Rather than selling their assets, some investors borrow against their Bitcoin to access liquidity. According to Albright, this allows users to tap fiat currency “for what they need, when they need it,” without liquidating their long-term holdings.

While Bitcoin remains far more volatile than housing or equities, its fixed supply has made it appealing to investors concerned about currency debasement and expanding debt.

A generational divide in financial trust

The shift toward digital assets also reflects a broader trust gap.

A January 2026 OKX survey of 1,000 Americans found that 40% of Gen Z and 41% of Millennials rated their trust in crypto platforms at 7 or higher on a 10-point scale. Among Baby Boomers, just 9% expressed similar confidence.

Traditional finance tells the opposite story. Nearly three-quarters of Boomers reported high trust in banks, while only about one in five younger respondents shared that sentiment.

Even as credit card and mortgage balances continue to rise, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have attracted steady long-term capital over the past year. At press time, the total assets under management, or AUM, for crypto ETFs stood at $108.64 billion, as per CoinMarketCap.

AUM in an ETF represents the total market value of all securities the fund holds on behalf of investors. 

Despite recent volatility and some outflows in late 2025, the total AUM pointed at sustained long-term capital in the space.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.

Related: BlackRock shares 2026 shocking crypto outlook

The United Kingdom's unemployment rate has climbed to its highest level in nearly five years, signaling a continued weakening in the labor market. Bloomberg posted on X that this rise in unemployment is accompanied by a slowdown in wage growth, further highlighting the challenges facing the UK economy. The latest figures suggest that the labor market is under pressure, with fewer job opportunities and reduced wage increases impacting workers across the country. Economists are closely monitoring these developments as they assess the broader implications for the UK's economic recovery.

Ireland's data protection authority has initiated an inquiry into X due to worries about sexualized images produced and disseminated by the Grok AI chatbot. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the investigation's focus on the potential misuse of AI technology in generating inappropriate content. The watchdog aims to assess the compliance of X with data protection regulations and the ethical implications of AI-generated imagery. This move underscores the growing scrutiny of AI applications and their impact on privacy and data security.

BlockBeats News, February 17th. The monthly fund manager survey released by Bank of America on Tuesday showed that market sentiment remains "extremely optimistic," but further asset gains seem increasingly difficult, with global investors growing more concerned about corporate overinvestment.According to the survey covering 162 fund managers overseeing $440 billion in assets, the cash balance proportion rose from January's record low of 3.2% to 3.4%, while investors remain heavily overweight in commodities and equities, and significantly underweight in bonds. Macro optimism has further improved, with the proportion expecting a "boom" in the global economy reaching the highest level since February 2022, and the proportion expecting profit growth of over 10% being the strongest since 2021.However, a record proportion of respondents stated that corporate spending is too aggressive, and chief investment officers are now more inclined to strengthen balance sheets rather than increase capital expenditures. The AI bubble has once again become investors' most concerning tail risk.

Why Bitcoin Treasuries are trading at a discount (7:02)

Harvard has a new crypto preference and it's not Bitcoin (BTC).

New filings show the Ivy League endowment manager is no longer treating Bitcoin as the only preferable cryptocurrency, even after building one of the more closely watched exchange-traded fund (ETF) positions in U.S. academia.

Related: Analyst predicts next big crash for Bitcoin as markets rally

Institutional investors deepen crypto exposure

Big money has been leaning further into crypto ever since ETFs lowered the barrier for traditional players to enter the space. Custody and compliance have also evolved in the last couple of years. 

According to recent fund flow data by Farside Investors, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw sharp outflows at the end of January, including a single-day net withdrawal of $817.8 million on Jan. 29 and another $509.7 million on Jan. 30.

Bitcoin ETF Flow tracker by Farside Investors

Between Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 alone, total net outflows reached $686.5 million before stabilizing. Since launch, however, the products have still accumulated a cumulative net inflow of $54.31 billion.

Even with that volatility, large asset managers have continued building exposure through regulated crypto investment products.

Goldman Sachs has disclosed holdings across multiple crypto-linked ETFs, including Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) funds, and has also participated in products tied to XRP and Solana exposure. 

Meanwhile, on Jan. 6, Morgan Stanley applied with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust and Morgan Stanley Solana Trust.

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Harvard’s evolving crypto portfolio

Harvard Management Company first disclosed a roughly $116 million stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in 2025, gaining exposure to Bitcoin through a regulated spot ETF rather than direct custody. 

In the following quarter, Harvard tripled the exposure to about $443 million, making the Bitcoin ETF its largest publicly disclosed U.S. equity holding at the time. 

Related: Harvard University reveals shocking Bitcoin investment

Harvard trims Bitcoin exposure amid market sell-off

In its Form 13F filing for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025, Harvard Management Company reported holding 5,351,234 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, down 21% from 6,809,091 shares as of Sept. 30, 2025.

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During the same fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Harvard initiated a new position in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust, purchasing 3,873,562 shares valued at $86.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. The filing marked the endowment’s first publicly disclosed exposure to an Ethereum-based ETF. 

The cryptocurrency markets in 2026 are in a bearish cycle.

Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies have endured a prolonged drawdown after peaking in late 2025. After hitting multi-year highs, Bitcoin has fallen sharply into the mid $60,000s this year, leaving prices roughly 22% below the start of 2026 and marking one of the weakest opening quarters since 2018.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $68,473.77, down 1.6% over the past 24 hours. Ethereum was changing hands at $1,968.96, after slipping 2.0% on the day, as per data from CoinGecko.

Related: Another crypto company halts withdrawals as markets slide

Understanding Ripple, XRP and XRPL (3:17)

The crypto market crash has spared no virtual asset and XRP is no exception.

The cryptocurrency has declined more than 30% over the last three months and now, a 172-year-old banking institution has lowered its year-end price target by 65%.

Related: Gold, XRP extend losses on Presidents’ Day

XRP scores regulatory win yet struggles

With a market capitalization of $90 billion, XRP is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether's USDT.

Launched in 2012, XRP is the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger. Some of the members who built the blockchain network, such as Jed McCaleb, David Schwartz, and Arthur Britto, later went on to found Ripple Labs (originally OpenCoin).

XRP faced significant regulatory trouble for a few years after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple Labs in December 2020 for offering unregistered securities via the sale of XRP tokens.

XRP is a digital currency, not a security, Ripple said.

In July 2023, District Judge Analisa Torres issued a landmark ruling that Ripple’s programmatic sales of XRP on crypto exchanges didn't constitute securities transactions, but the sale of these tokens to institutions violated securities laws.

Ripple and the SEC decided to drag the matter further in the courts and it went on for a long time until both parties reached a settlement last year.

The launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by Canary, Franklin Templeton, and Bitwise tied to XRP this year also gave hope.

However, the enthusiasm within the XRP community proved to be rather short-lived as the Oct. 10 liquidation event hit the entire crypto market and XRP is yet to recover.

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Standard Chartered lowers XRP price target

Standard Chartered is a 172-year-old British banking institution that keeps a sharp eye on digital assets.

Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, recently wrote a note to investors in which he slashed the end-of-year price target for XRP by 65%.

In December, Kendrick was rather bullish on the cryptocurrency due to regulatory clarity around XRP as a financial asset and the progress on ETFs and predicted that it would hit $8 by the end of 2026.

Nearly two and a half months after the Oct. 10 crash, it was a highly optimistic prediction. But it's mid-February now and the crypto market is yet to recover, forcing Kendrick to lower XRP's price target.

“Recent price action for digital assets has been challenging, to say the least,” Kendrick wrote. “We expect further declines near-term and we lower our forecasts across the asset class.”

Given the conditions, the analyst has lowered XRP's price target by the end of 2026 to $2.8—a sharp decline of 65%.

Kendrick has also lowered price targets for other leading cryptocurrencies:

Bitcoin (BTC): $150,000 to $100,000

Ethereum (ETH): $7,000 to $4,000

Solana (SOL): $250 to $135

XRP was trading at $1.48 at press time, down 3% over the last seven days.

The report (Stablecoin Utility Report 2026) released by BVNK in collaboration with Coinbase and Artemis shows that the current scale of stablecoins, approximately $300 billion, is accelerating the shift from trading tools to "daily currency." The survey covered 4,658 respondents across 15 countries, revealing that 54% of crypto users held stablecoins in the past year, and 56% plan to increase their holdings in the coming year. Respondents allocated about one-third of their savings to crypto assets and stablecoins on average. Meanwhile, approximately 35% of annual income for freelancers and merchants is settled in stablecoins, with nearly three-quarters indicating that their ability to work cross-border has improved as a result. The report points out that the use of stablecoins in payment, compensation, and savings scenarios is significantly growing, reflecting their role shifting from speculative assets to core financial tools. (The Block)

Users of crypto hardware wallets such as Ledger and Trezor are being targeted in a new phishing campaign that could significantly increase year-on-year scam-related losses. Cybersecurity experts have warned about fraudulent physical letters sent to device owners in an attempt to steal sensitive recovery information.

According to reports shared on X by cybersecurity researcher Dmitry Smilyanets, several users received letters impersonating official security and compliance teams from Ledger and Trezor. The letters included QR codes linking to malicious websites and, in some cases, a forged signature allegedly belonging to Ledger’s CEO to enhance credibility.

The correspondence created a false sense of urgency, instructing recipients to complete mandatory “Authentication Checks” to avoid losing device functionality. Trezor users were reportedly told that failure to complete the verification process could impact the full operation of their hardware wallets. However, the QR codes redirected victims to fraudulent websites that have since been flagged by security firms.

Once on the fake sites, users were prompted to proceed through an authentication flow that ultimately requested their recovery phrases for “verification.” According to expert analysis, these phrases were captured via a backend API endpoint, giving attackers full access to victims’ funds.

Source: Cybersecurity reports and public posts on X

Disclaimer: Crypto Economy Flash News is prepared using official and publicly available sources verified by our editorial team. Its purpose is to provide rapid updates on relevant developments within the crypto and blockchain sector.

This information does not constitute financial advice or an investment recommendation. Readers should verify official channels before making related decisions.

Inside Michael Saylor's Bitcoin Strategy (4:18)

There seems to be no stop for MicroStrategy's Bitcoin (BTC) shopping.

Every week, there is at least one purchase. In fact, at press time, MicroStrategy, now better known as Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), has 714,644 Bitcoin in its coffers.

That is 3.4% of the total 21 million Bitcoin supply.

But with great Bitcoin exposure comes great risks. 

Related: Analyst slashes MicroStrategy price target ahead of Q4 earnings

During its fourth quarter earnings call, the company addressed the ongoing cryptocurrency market downtrends. At that time, Bitcoin prices had crashed to new lows. Crypto-heavy companies like Strategy could see the valuation of their assets drop below their purchase rates.

CEO Phong Le assured that while the current market situation was not a threat to the company, the real risk was a potential scenario in which Bitcoin falls to $8,000. 

Just 11 days after that comment was made, Strategy assures there is no risk at all.

MicroStrategy's balance sheet problem

Last year was all about Strategy's balance sheet.

In 2026, MSCI proposed to exclude companies with more than 50% of their balance sheet filled with digital assets from its indices. One of the first companies that faced the risk of exclusion was Strategy.

In January 2026, Strategy finally breathed a sigh of relief after MSCI decided to temporarily skip deciding on the matter.

However, concerns about Strategy's ability to handle extreme market crashes have not died down.

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MicroStrategy boasts self-sufficiency

In a post on X on Feb 15, Strategy defended its balance sheet.

"Strategy can withstand a drawdown in $BTC price to $8K and still have sufficient assets to fully cover our debt."

The post also showed a graphical representation of their Bitcoin reserves. At current levels, with Bitcoin priced around $69,000, Strategy’s Bitcoin reserves are valued at approximately $49.3 billion, while its net debt stands at about $6.0 billion. 

This means the company’s Bitcoin holdings are worth more than eight times its net debt. 

There was also a graph for an extreme downside scenario when Bitcoin’s price drops by 88% from $69,000 to $8,000. In that situation, the value of Strategy’s Bitcoin reserves would fall to roughly $6.0 billion.This would effectively match its $6.0 billion in net debt. 

Strategy boasts Bitcoin reserves for current and extreme cases (Source: Strategy)

This would result in a 1.0x coverage ratio, meaning that even after such a dramatic crash, the company’s Bitcoin holdings would theoretically still be enough to repay all outstanding debt.

Beyond the raw numbers, Strategy also emphasized the structure of its debt. Its convertible notes have staggered maturities and put dates between 2027 and 2032, which reduces short-term refinancing pressure. This means the company does not face immediate repayment demands or forced liquidation risk in the near term.

Moreover, Strategy states it plans to gradually convert existing convertible debt into equity rather than issue additional senior debt.

Related: Michael Saylor 'reveals' 21 truths of Bitcoin

BlackRock has deposited approximately 1,701 BTC valued at $115 million and 22,661 ETH worth $44.55 million into Coinbase. This on-chain activity was detected by Onchain Lens monitoring tools. The movement of significant amounts from BlackRock may indicate repositioning or preparatory steps for further trading or investment activity.

On-chain analyst Willy Woo has raised a cautionary note for Bitcoin investors, highlighting the quantum risk that could arise from advances in quantum computing. According to Woo, these developments could potentially unlock about 4 million lost Bitcoin. This represents roughly 25–30% of the total supply and could change Bitcoin’s scarcity advantage over gold.

LATEST: Analyst Willy Woo says markets are pricing in quantum computing's risk to Bitcoin, with roughly 4 million lost coins potentially becoming spendable, creating a structural discount vs. gold. pic.twitter.com/dAeQah6s7o

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) February 17, 2026

Woo’s warning comes as investors increasingly assess technological risks that could affect Bitcoin’s long-term value. The possibility of private keys being exposed by quantum computing has sparked discussions about the structural risks to the cryptocurrency.

Quantum Computing and Bitcoin Scarcity

Bitcoin’s value is partially derived from its limited supply of 21 million coins. However, if quantum computers are able to access lost coins, previously inaccessible Bitcoin could become spendable. This would increase supply and potentially create a structural discount compared to traditional safe-haven assets like gold.

Woo’s analysis emphasizes that the market is already accounting for this “Q-Day” risk. Prices may reflect concerns that a sudden increase in accessible Bitcoin could dilute scarcity, which has historically been a key driver of its premium over gold.

Bitcoin vs. Gold: Quantum Risk Perspective

According to Woo’s charts, Bitcoin has outperformed gold over a 12-year period, but that trend appears to have slowed. The market may already be pricing in the impact of quantum computing, leading to a plateau in Bitcoin’s advantage over traditional stores of value.

Investors looking to compare Bitcoin and gold must now consider the potential effect of emerging technologies. Woo’s analysis serves as a reminder that innovation can reshape the fundamentals of even the most established digital assets.

Investor Implications of Quantum Risk

If lost Bitcoin becomes accessible, investors may see increased volatility and a structural discount relative to gold. While the risk is largely theoretical today, the discussion is important for long-term planning in crypto portfolios.

Woo’s warning encourages caution but also highlights the resilience of Bitcoin. Even with technological risks on the horizon, Bitcoin continues to offer unique opportunities for diversification and potential growth, provided investors stay informed and adjust their strategies accordingly.

The post Quantum Risk Is Already Pressuring Bitcoin, Says Woo appeared first on Coinfomania.

The data from the People's Bank of China shows that by the end of 2025, China's broad money (M2) balance will reach 340.29 trillion yuan, a staggering increase of 141.64 trillion compared to the end of 2019, with an average annual increase exceeding 23.6 trillion. Former Deputy Governor of the Bank of China and first mainland director of SWIFT, Wang Yongli, wrote an analysis of where this massive amount of money comes from, bluntly stating: "Cryptocurrency assets like Bitcoin attempting to anchor currency is a regression and is destined to fail." This article is derived from Wang Yongli's article (Where Does the Huge Amount of Money Come From?), compiled and written by BlockTempo. (Background: What is the "currency devaluation trade" that has been hotly discussed in the market since Bitcoin hit a historical high?) (Additional context: Global liquidity cycle interpretation: where are we currently? Summary of 12 core indicators) How much has China's "money printer" actually printed? According to the financial statistics report released by the People's Bank of China, by the end of 2025, China's M2 balance has reached 340.29 trillion yuan (approximately 47 trillion USD), an increase of 141.64 trillion yuan from the end of 2019's 198.65 trillion yuan—an annual average increase of over 23.6 trillion, with more than 28 trillion added in 2022 alone. Recently, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of China and PhD in economics Wang Yongli published an article dissecting the sources of this massive money increase, while also issuing stern criticism of the discourse on the "currency anchoring" of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Where does the 141 trillion come from? Three major drivers reveal the secret. Wang Yongli pointed out that during the same period, the central bank's balance sheet only expanded by 11.05 trillion yuan (from 37.11 trillion to 48.16 trillion), accounting for only 7.8% of the total money supply growth. So, where does the remaining massive increase come from? Driver one: Credit expansion (largest proportion). By the end of 2025, the balance of RMB loans reached 271.91 trillion, an increase of 118.80 trillion compared to the end of 2019's 153.11 trillion, making it the primary driving force behind the surge in M2. Commercial banks directly create deposits through credit issuance, which is also the core mechanism of money creation under the modern credit currency system. Driver two: Monetization of government debt. The government debt held by deposit-taking institutions and the central bank rose from 30.53 trillion to 74.35 trillion, an increase of 43.82 trillion. However, the government's deposits at the central bank also increased by 1.76 trillion, providing some offset. Driver three: Purchase of financial assets and foreign exchange flows. Social entities purchase financial assets such as stocks, insurance, and wealth management products with deposits, estimated to increase by approximately 26 trillion. In addition, from 2020 to 2025, banks' cumulative net foreign exchange settlement and sales injected 3.57 trillion yuan, but the central bank's foreign exchange reserves remained stable, having limited impact on the supply of base currency. Directly criticizing Bitcoin: "Re-anchoring currency is a regression and is destined to fail". Notably, Wang Yongli directly criticized Bitcoin while discussing the essence of modern credit currency. He emphasized that modern currency has completely detached from the metallic standard and is no longer linked to any specific tradable wealth, maintaining a "macro anchor" of the total money supply and the total value of tradable wealth. Wang Yongli candidly stated: "Returning to the metallic standard or seeking to re-anchor currency (such as with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, rare earths, energy, etc.) is a misunderstanding of the essence and development laws of currency, a regression rather than progress, and is destined to fail!" He further stated that under the current governance structure based on sovereign independence, creating a super-sovereign world currency is also "disconnected from reality and difficult to succeed." Another perspective: Six years and 141 trillion's "currency devaluation trade". However, for participants in the cryptocurrency market, Wang Yongli's data precisely corroborates another narrative—global fiat currency systems are accelerating in devaluation. China's M2 has expanded by 71.3% over six years, with an average annual growth rate of about 9.4%. If this growth rate continues, the purchasing power of the RMB is visibly being diluted. This is why the "currency devaluation trade" has become a popular term in the market in recent years, with Bitcoin and gold increasingly viewed by investors as tools to hedge against the erosion of fiat currency purchasing power. Wang Yongli believes that the credit currency system represents "progress," while the Bitcoin anchoring theory represents "regression"; however, Bitcoin supporters argue that it is precisely because central banks can infinitely expand credit that a fixed-supply, politically independent hard asset is needed for value storage. This debate over "what constitutes good money" is unlikely to reach a conclusion in the short term. Related reports: Bitcoin hits a historical high, what is the "currency devaluation trade" that has been hotly discussed in the market? Global liquidity cycle interpretation: where are we currently? Summary of 12 core indicators. Is Bitcoin still the "barometer" of global liquidity? The "economic logic" behind Bitcoin's long-term rise.

Decentralized lending protocol ZeroLend says it is shutting down completely after the blockchains it operates on have suffered from low user numbers and liquidity.

“After three years of building and operating the protocol, we have made the difficult decision to wind down operations,” ZeroLend’s founder, known only as “Ryker,” said in a post the protocol shared to X on Monday.

“Despite the team’s continued efforts, it has become clear that the protocol is no longer sustainable in its current form,” he added.

ZeroLend focused its services on Ethereum layer-2 blockchains, once touted by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin as a central part of the network’s plan to scale and remain competitive.

However, Buterin said earlier this month that his vision for scaling with layer 2s “no longer makes sense,” that many have failed to properly adopt Ethereum’s security, and that scaling should increasingly come from the mainnet and native rollups.

ZeroLend operated at loss due to illiquid chains, says Ryker

ZeroLend’s Ryker said the reason for the shutdown is that several blockchains the protocol supported “have become inactive or significantly less liquid.”

He added that in some cases, oracle providers — services that fetch data and are often crucial to running protocols — have stopped support on some networks, making it “increasingly difficult to operate markets reliably or generate sustainable revenue.”

Source: ZeroLend

“At the same time, as the protocol grew, it attracted greater attention from malicious actors, including hackers and scammers,” Ryker said. “Combined with the inherently thin margins and high risk profile of lending protocols, this resulted in prolonged periods where the protocol operated at a loss.”

He added that the protocol will ensure users can withdraw their assets, adding, “We strongly encourage all users to withdraw any remaining funds from the platform.”

Ryker said some user funds may be locked on blockchains that have seen “significantly deteriorated” liquidity, and ZeroLend will upgrade the protocol’s smart contracts with the aim of redistributing stuck assets.

He added that ZeroLend has also been working to trace and recover funds tied to an exploit in February last year, where protocol users of a Bitcoin (BTC) product on the Base blockchain were exploited after an attacker drained lending pools.

Ryker said that suppliers of the product affected by the incident will receive a partial refund funded by an airdrop allocation received by the ZeroLend team.

At its height in November 2024, ZeroLend commanded a total value locked of nearly $359 million, but that has since sunk to $6.6 million, according to DefiLlama.

The ZeroLend (ZERO) token has fallen by 34% in the last 24 hours in reaction to the protocol’s shutdown and has also lost nearly all its value since hitting a peak of one-tenth of a cent in May 2024, according to CoinGecko.

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Japanese financial group SBI Holdings intends to acquire a controlling interest in Singapore-based centralized exchange Coinhako to expand its crypto market presence. SBI Ventures Asset signed a letter of intent with Coinhako's parent company Holdbuild to invest capital and purchase shares from current investors. The acquisition is pending regulatory approval, and financial terms remain undisclosed, promising SBI a regulated license in Singapore's significant crypto market.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen says Oct. 10 hurt altcoins (3:39)

Bitcoin (BTC), the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency, was launched in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008. The goal was to give financial autonomy to the people and liberate them from the clutches of Wall Street.

But the way Bitcoin has increasingly become integrated into the mainstream financial system, macroeconomic forces now tend to affect King Crypto's price trajectory.

That is exactly what happened when U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threat against China led to a massive liquidation in the crypto market on Oct. 10 last year.

Bitcoin had hit its all-time high (ATH) of $126,080 only a few days earlier on Oct. 6 and it is currently trading 45% lower.

Related: Bitget CEO who predicted $200K Bitcoin says it’s a ‘good time to buy’

Investor identifies 6 factors behind crypto crash

Earlier this month, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan listed six major factors behind the crash in the crypto market.

First, long-term crypto investors have been selling to front-run the four-year cycle. The general thesis is that crypto has historically followed four-year cycles, with down years being 2014, 2018, and 2022 previously. So, traders think 2026 is also going to be a down year and are therefore exiting markets after making gains.

Second, though crypto remained the "most exciting, dynamic, and volatile segment" of the market, investors have now flocked to other exciting segments like artificial intelligence (AI) and precious metals.

Three, the crypto market took the blow of Trump's tariff threat alone, as Oct. 10 was followed by a weekend when Wall Street was closed for trading.

Four, Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh to be the next Federal Reserve chairman, who is seen to hold very hawkish views.

Five, there is a significant section of the Bitcoin community that fears the threat of quantum computing is near and not enough is being done to address the risk.

Six, Bitcoin has suffered from the broader market’s risk-off shift.

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Mike McGlone warns Bitcoin could crash to $10K

On Feb. 16, Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone warned that Bitcoin could even drop to $10,000.

While other analysts may talk of a "healthy correction" soon, a further decline is here, he said. But the buy-the-dip mantra since 2008 may be over, he added.

The U.S. stock market is rallying with low volatility, but the digital assets market has lost faith in Trump. He warned that the crypto bubble is imploding.

But precious metal traders are making huge profits, he underlined the contrast.

McGlone shared a price chart comparing Bitcoin divided by 10 for scaling with the S&P 500.

Collapsing Bitcoin/Cryptos May Guide the Next Recession -

"Healthy Correction" is what we should hear soon from stock market analysts (who risk unemployment if not onboard), following collapsing cryptos. The buy the dips mantra since 2008 may be over, here's why:

- US stock… pic.twitter.com/fPPc2fV3EU

— Mike McGlone (@mikemcglone11) February 15, 2026

The stock market benchmark closed at 6,836.17 points on Feb. 13, and since Bitcoin doesn't sleep even on Presidents' Day, it was trading at $67,952.02 at press time. Both assets are hovering below $7,000 in the chart McGlone shared.

He thinks the initial normal reversion for the S&P 500 is toward 5,600, so it should be $56,000 for Bitcoin. In a base case, he thinks Bitcoin could revert toward $10,000, given the equities market hits a peak.

Standard Chartered's head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, is also bearish but not as much as McGlone. He believes Bitcoin could slide toward $50,000 in the coming months.

JPMorgan analysts led by managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, however, remain bullish and predicted earlier this month that BTC could eventually hit $266,000.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.

Related: JPMorgan turns bullish on crypto in 2026 despite crash

BlockBeats News, February 17th, TRM Labs' latest research shows that despite mainstream cryptocurrency exchanges delisting privacy coins, Monero's activity remains stable.The research data indicates that the transaction volume in 2024 and 2025 remains higher than levels prior to 2022. In analyzing market trends and the underlying infrastructure of networks, TRM Labs noted that even after many major exchanges removed or restricted the token due to traceability issues, the demand did not diminish.In 2024, mainstream exchanges including Binance and Kraken delisted or phased out Monero for compliance reasons. This year, the Dubai financial regulator banned licensed platforms in the Dubai International Financial Centre from listing privacy coins such as Monero and Zcash, further increasing the pressure.The research results also revealed that Bitcoin remains the preferred currency for real-world ransom payments. Ransomware operators typically demand Monero, sometimes even offering discounts, but victims still tend to pay in Bitcoin.However, the dark web markets seem to be evolving in the opposite direction. Researchers found that in markets newly launched in 2025, 48% only support Monero, a "significant increase" compared to earlier years.

OKX relaunches in US (4:43)

On Feb. 12, OKX Ventures announced a strategic investment in STBL, a stablecoin and yield infrastructure provider. 

At the same time, STBL said it is partnering with Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE) and Securitize to launch a real-world-asset-backed stablecoin on X Layer, OKX’s EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain.

Hamilton Lane is a global private markets investment firm. Securitize provides regulated digital securities issuance and tokenization services.

Related: Explained: What is a stablecoin?

The capital from OKX Ventures supports STBL’s mission to build money-as-a-service infrastructure and help ecosystems issue their own branded RWA-backed stablecoins.

“The collaboration strengthens the foundation for highly capital-efficient RWA products across the network,” said OKX Ventures founder Jeff Ren.

“Working with STBL and Hamilton Lane allows us to accelerate that mission and bring users a more mature RWA ecosystem,” he added.

The partnership aims to contribute to the evolution of blockchain-based financial infrastructure and bring together institutional private credit, regulated tokenization and programmable settlement infrastructure to advance regulated onchain financial products.

The asset framework behind the launch incorporates a feeder fund to Hamilton Lane's Senior Credit Opportunities Fund (SCOPE), issued and tokenized via Securitize as an institutional-grade component within the broader collateral architecture.

The structure is designed to support scalable, regulated stablecoin issuance backed by tokenized RWAs, according to the statement.

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STBL will also introduce the first Ecosystem-Specific Stablecoin (ESS) on X Layer, using its dual-token architecture to distinguish liquid settlement from yield generation.

STBL founder and CEO Dr. Avtar Sehra said, “STBL provides a purpose-built architecture for RWA-backed stablecoins combined with compliant yield management. Working with Hamilton Lane and OKX Ventures, we are seeking to unlock deeper liquidity, yield management and efficient utility across onchain ecosystems.”

Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo said, “By embedding institutional private credit directly into onchain money flows, we’re turning tokenized assets into functional building blocks: assets that can be settled, composed and used across financial applications, not just held.”

Related: OKX launches U.S. exchange, a self-custody wallet and names new CEO

BlockBeats News, February 17th, according to Coinglass data, Coinbase's Bitcoin Premium Index has been in a negative premium for 33 consecutive days, currently at -0.0477%, setting a new record for the longest "consecutive negative" period since May 2023, surpassing the around 30 days of consecutive negative premium during the "1011 Crash" period.The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index is used to measure the difference between the Bitcoin price on Coinbase and the global market average price. A negative premium usually reflects selling pressure in the U.S. market, a decrease in investor risk appetite, an increase in market hedging sentiment, or capital outflows.

Charles Schwab, a prominent U.S. brokerage firm, has expanded its investment in MicroStrategy by acquiring an additional 91,859 shares. According to NS3.AI, this acquisition increases Schwab's total holdings in MicroStrategy to approximately 1.27 million shares, valued at $168 million. This strategic move underscores ongoing institutional interest in MicroStrategy, a company renowned for its substantial Bitcoin holdings.

CryptoQuant reports that Bitcoin's Bull-Bear Index has fallen to its lowest level since the 2022 FTX collapse. This index gauges market momentum through the difference between Bitcoin's MVRV ratio and its 365-day moving average. While current readings are low, they have not yet entered the extreme bear market zone historically associated with market bottoms.

Kiyosaki says crashes are chances to get richer, buying Bitcoin while others panic can pay off big.

He paused buying gold, silver, and Bitcoin, planning to re-enter at lower prices for maximum profit.

US debt and economic risks make nontraditional assets like crypto and precious metals attractive to investors.

Financial educator and investor Robert Kiyosaki has sounded a stark warning to global investors. In a recent post on X, he urged followers to prepare for a “giant crash” in the stock market, a scenario he predicted years ago in Rich Dad’s Prophecy. 

According to Kiyosaki, those who followed his advice and invested in assets like real gold, silver, Bitcoin, and Ethereum could see unprecedented gains. Conversely, unprepared investors may face significant losses. He emphasized, “I will be buying more Bitcoin as people panic and sell into the coming crash,” highlighting a contrarian strategy of buying during fear-driven sell-offs.

Apart from warning about the possible crash, Kiyosaki also announced last week that he has already sold some of his Bitcoin and gold. He had stopped buying silver at $60, Bitcoin at $6,000, and gold at $300. According to Kiyosaki, he will be back in the market once the prices go down, as he said, “Your profit is made when you buy… not when you sell.” This announcement of Kiyosaki elicited a strong reaction on X as some of his followers were not pleased with his announcement.

Market Sentiment and Volatility

However, investor sentiment is still weak due to the prevailing uncertainty in the market. Bitcoin, gold, and silver have been highly volatile in the past few weeks. For example, silver jumped to $121 in January 2026 but then corrected by over 45% within a week.

Therefore, Kiyosaki’s strategy is in line with the contrarian principle that has always contributed to a strong recovery in the cryptocurrency market. In addition, his views on scarcity are in line with the fixed supply of Bitcoin, which is almost reaching the 21 million cap.

Moreover, Kiyosaki expressed his concerns about the US economy, pointing out that the country’s debt has already surpassed $38 trillion. Kiyosaki’s views support the idea that some investors are looking for unconventional assets to hold their value in the future.

The post Kiyosaki Warns: Giant Market Crash Could Be Imminent appears on Crypto Front News. Visit our website to read more interesting articles about cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and digital assets.

Logan Paul’s $16.49 million sale of the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card at Goldin in February 2026 set a public auction record, but the transaction has triggered legal threats from fractional investors. Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartzcriticized the deal’s structure, arguing that it concentrated upside with the sponsor while distributing downside risk to retail participants.

Why David Schwartz called deal "awful"

The whole controversy started with Liquid Marketplace, a collectibles platform that Paul cofounded. It lets users buy fractional interests in high-value assets. Investors are now saying that, after the reported $16.5 million sale, they are not getting a fair share of the profits.

The dispute is all about a clause that apparently let Paul buy back shares at their original price before selling them on again.

Supporters of the structure say that the terms of the contract were made clear and that the buyback provision defines the economic limits of participation. Critics counter that this can create imbalance, especially when the valuation goes up a lot after fractionalization.

card

David Schwartz, known for his work onXRP Ledger blockchain architecture andRipple CTO Emeritus, spoke out about it on X. He called the structure "awful" and said there was a mismatch in what the different parties were motivated by.

According to Schwartz, the arrangement shifted the risk of price decline to fractional holders while reserving the benefit of appreciation for the main owner. He did not go into legal conclusions but framed the issue as one of economic design and fairness.

I agree it's awful. He shifted the risk of a drop to others and took all the benefit of a gain to himself.

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) February 16, 2026

Reports online say that a class action lawsuit might be coming against Paul and his associate, Mike Majlak. The plaintiffs are expected to argue that retail investors were misled about the practical impact of the buyback clause.

Russian security forces have arrested a man they accuse of having used crypto to raise funds for armed terrorist groups.

The suspect, from Kaspiysk in Dagestan, allegedly collected about $6,500 worth of unnamed crypto over a year while living in Turkey, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB. State news agency TASS first reported the arrest.

The FSB said it’s charged the man with providing assistance to terrorist organisations and that the investigation remains ongoing.

“While he was living in Turkey between October 2022 and October 2023, the suspect created a group on a social media platform,” the FSB said. “He posted his crypto wallet details in this group and asked followers to send donations.”

The agency did not specify which terror campaign the man is accused of financing.

Crypto adoption is on the rise in Russia, where officials say citizens spend almost $650 million per day on unregistered crypto trading platforms.

Moscow says it uses a proprietary crypto monitoring platform called Transparent Blockchain, developed by its anti-money laundering agency, to hunt crypto-powered crime and terrorism.

Agency’s probe

FSB officials said the man sent the crypto he raised to members of illegal armed groups. These members allegedly used $6,500 in crypto to buy weapons, ammunition, and other equipment.

The officials did not reveal the identity or the political alignment of the terrorist groups.

The FSB says it has remanded the man, whose name was withheld for legal reasons, in custody.

The agency has stepped up its scrutiny of crypto fundraising since 2023, when Transparent Blockchain was launched. The FSB has made multiple arrests on treason charges against individuals who donate crypto to the Ukrainian armed forces or pro-Kyiv Russian militants fighting in what the Kremlin calls the “special military operation in Ukraine.”

The FSB said last year that it arrested a total of around 300 people in the North Caucasus region, of which Dagestan is a part, on terrorism-related charges.

Some of the arrestees were charged with attempts to join foreign terrorist groups and “Ukrainian nationalist units.”

Last month, the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, reported a rise in influencers who use social media campaigns to raise crypto for radical terror groups.

The FATF said investigators are using a range of blockchain analytical protocols to help them freeze terrorism-linked crypto wallets.

Investigators say they had evidence that Islamic State affiliates in Afghanistan were accepting donations made in crypto.

Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him at tdalper@dlnews.com.

Russia’s northwestern Komi Republic wants to reinvent itself as the country’s top Bitcoin mining hotspot by the end of 2026 — but some aren’t prepared to wait that long.

Police have arrested a man who allegedly stole $80,000 worth of power from the region’s grid to power his rigs.

The man, a 39-year-old farm owner, used a series of illegal connections to link his devices to the republic’s power grid in an outbuilding on his property, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Komi Republic branch wrote.

In 2024, Komi Republic officials announced plans to build 15 crypto mining data centres. Construction has already begun on two of these, which are set to cost a combined total of over $28 million.

One of the centres is being built in a major industrial park and will have a capacity of 114 MW, Russian media outlet CNews reported in November. Officials say the first of the mining centres will go online by the end of the year.

Komi’s move could see the Russian Bitcoin mining industry shift away from Southern Siberia, its long-standing heartland, and further north, to parts of the country with richer energy resources and underdeveloped industrial sectors.

Illegal connections

Investigators have accused the miner of operating more than 80 ASIC crypto-mining rigs housed in a warehouse designed to store logging equipment and combine harvesters.

He used a complex connection system to bypass his property’s meters, running a power cable directly from a transformer substation, police say.

The man also failed to register his activities with the Federal Tax Service, investigators say. Under Russian law, private citizens may use only 6,000 kWh per month.

This amount, Russian media outlet RBC reported, is only enough to provide power for two or three of the most modern ASIC rigs.

The ministry said it had worked with the Federal Security Service, or FSB, to help identify and arrest the man. Officers raided the property and discovered that the rigs had been operating since August. Bailiffs have confiscated the mining rigs.

The man will face charges of breach of trust and property damage.

However, if lawmakers get their way, illegal miners will soon face stricter punishments, including possible jail time and hefty fines.

The measures will be bundled with the country’s next batch of crypto laws, which are slated for debate in the State Duma’s upcoming spring session.

Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him at tdalper@dlnews.com.