Tether brings tokenized gold dividends to public markets via XAU₮
Tether brings XAU₮ tokenized gold dividends to public markets as gold consolidates near $4,900 and silver retreats to $73.
Dutch House passes 36% tax on unrealized crypto and investment gains
The new tax policy may strain investors' liquidity and deter crypto investments, potentially impacting the Dutch financial market's dynamics.
Justin Bieber’s Bored Ape NFT drops 99% from $1.3M to $12K
The drastic devaluation of celebrity NFTs highlights the volatility of speculative digital assets and underscores a shift towards utility-driven applications.
Standard Chartered slashes XRP year-end target to $2.80
FEBRUARY 16, 2026
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wins $2.8M defamation suit against Ben ‘BitBoy’ Armstrong
The ruling underscores the legal risks of online defamation, highlighting the importance of accountability and the potential financial repercussions.
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TRON DAO advances stablecoin dialogue at digital assets at Duke Conference
How to choose a reliable Solana validator
Whales sell $3.4B worth of Bitcoin as price hits $92K wall
Bitcoin velocity RSI suggests a bottom, but trader positioning urges caution
BC.GAME review: Full-suite crypto casino with slots, roulette, sports, originals, and built-in token staking
JB.com review: Simplified crypto casino with 10K+ titles and 24/7 support
Bitcoin soars past $93K on regulatory optimism, Fed rate cut hopes
Tim Scott’s crypto balancing act
Crypto gaining popularity in all genres of gaming
How does GENIUS Act regulate yield-bearing stablecoins?
Zoomex review: Where derivatives meet privacy and depth
TRON Blockchain Network announces completion of strategic integration with Revolut
All News
Bitcoin
American Bitcoin surpasses 6,000 BTC milestone worth $411M
Strategy acquires 2,486 Bitcoin at $67,700
Metaplanet posts $621M loss after Bitcoin valuation swing
Major Russian broker Finam plans to launch crypto mining fund as soon as this week
Coinbase acquires 841 Bitcoin in Q4, lifting holdings to 15,389 BTC
Ethereum
BitMine adds $90 million in ETH, Tom Lee cites sentiment parallels with past crypto lows
Bitmine adds 40,613 ETH during crash, defends accumulation despite $7.3B in paper losses
Hyperliquid trader opens massive leveraged short on 30,000 Ethereum
BitMine’s ETH stack plunges into $8B loss as Ethereum drops below $2K
BitMine continues ETH accumulation with 41K buy as unrealized losses top $6B
Market
Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund boosts Bitcoin ETF stake by 46%
Figure Technology shares rise 6% after preliminary Q4 revenue tops estimates
ARK Invest expands holdings in Bitmine, Bullish, and Robinhood
Coinbase posts $667M Q4 loss as shares rebound 3% in after-hours trading
Crypto, stocks and metals slide in broad market selloff
AI
Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.6 with 1M token context window
Meta weighs facial recognition rollout for smart glasses
OpenAI selected for $100M Pentagon drone swarm competition
Anthropic doubles valuation in five months to $380B with $30B raise
Anthropic safeguards lead resigns, warns of growing AI safety crisis
Tech
China plans blockchain certification for green energy tracing
Elon Musk says X Money will launch external beta in 1–2 months
MrBeast’s Beast Industries buys Step banking app following $200M BitMine deal
Jack Dorsey’s Block may cut workforce by 10%: Report
Musk’s SpaceX plans Starlink phone and direct-to-device internet as IPO nears: Reuters
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A new wave of player-first poker projects signals a shift in crypto gambling culture
TRON DAO brings TRON Academy to UC Berkeley as campus interest in blockchain accelerates
Relay adds TRON support, delivering seamless USDT swaps via multichain API and flagship app
Decentralised order execution: When Web3 trading interfaces meet traditional brokers
Bitsler Bitcoin Casino review: The crypto casino built for speed, fairness, and real rewards
Regulation
CFTC files brief to defend exclusive authority over US prediction markets
Animoca Brands cleared to operate digital asset services in Dubai
Russia records $647M in daily crypto transactions, says deputy finance minister
Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov appointed to CFTC advisory body
Trump media platform Truth Social expands crypto push with Cronos and Bitcoin-Ether ETF filings
Web3
Elon Musk’s X to enable crypto and stock trading with Smart Cashtags
Trove Markets discreetly refunds influencers via stablecoins after ICO crash
UK Treasury taps HSBC’s Orion blockchain to pilot first G7 digital gilt
LayerZero Labs unveils Zero blockchain with Citadel and ARK backing
Tether invests in LayerZero Labs to power real-world stablecoin use cases
AI Agents
OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI to advance personal AI agents
Coinbase unveils new Agentic Wallets enabling AI agents to hold and send crypto
Goldman Sachs teams up with Anthropic to create autonomous AI agents for internal banking tasks
Crypto.com CEO unveils new AI platform that builds intelligent agents for consumers
Richtech Robotics, Microsoft collaborate to deploy agentic AI in commercial and industrial robots
DeFi
ZeroLend winds down operations, citing revenue collapse and inactive chains
Jupiter launches native staking as collateral, unlocking $30B in staked SOL for DeFi
Trump-backed World Liberty plans to launch World Swap forex platform
BlackRock acquires Uniswap’s UNI tokens as it enters DeFi
Ripple partners with major asset manager Aviva Investors to tokenize traditional funds on XRP Ledger
Press Releases
BYDFi joins Solana Accelerate APAC at Consensus Hong Kong, expanding Solana ecosystem engagement
Flipster FZE secures in-principle approval from VARA, reinforcing commitment to regulated crypto access
Wallet in Telegram launches cross chain deposits in self custodial TON wallet
Ault Capital Group unveils Ault Blockchain public testnet
MEXC surges to third place among global crypto exchanges, doubles trading volume in 2025
NFTs
Gemini to close NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway as it sharpens focus on super app vision
Moonbirds to launch BIRB token in early Q1 2026
Magic Eden to expand $ME buybacks in 2026 using revenue from Swaps, Lucky Buy, and Packs
OpenSea CMO refutes rumors of a $150 million SEA token sale on Coinbase
Conor McGregor accuses Khabib Nurmagomedov of scamming fans with $4.4 million NFT sale
Press Releases
Zircuit Finance launches institutional-grade onchain yield platform targeting 8–11% APR
Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) announces ETH holdings reach 4.371 million tokens, and total crypto and total cash holdings of $9.6 billion
BTCC Exchange launches TradFi, enabling seamless access to global traditional markets with USDT
Public Masterpiece announces PMT Chain, a layer 1 built for the real-world asset economy
MEXC releases February proof of reserve report, BTC coverage rises to 267%
LBank launches 16th BoostHub campaign featuring Ethereum with 30 ETH in rewards
Bybit x Block Scholes report: Crypto derivatives markets hit most extreme positioning since 2022 FTX collapse
MEXC opens GOLD(XAUT) Launchpad with up to 40% discount for new users
Morph integrates USDT0, unlocking access to the world’s largest stablecoin liquidity pool
MEXC concludes Flip Fest event with top winner earning 13,762 USDT
Phemex Astral Trading League (PATL) goes live, building a sustainable seasonal trading progression system
Cango Inc. closed the US$10.5 million equity investment and secured US$65 million additional equity investments
Podcast Notes
John Lilic: Quantum computing threatens cryptography by 2030 | Epicenter
Paul Rosolie: Indigenous tribes possess advanced environmental knowledge, view modern machinery as existential threats, and see significant trees as sacred entities | Lex Fridman Podcast
Jordi Visser: Silver is the key to AI and tech’s future | Raoul Pal
One of the most influential insiders in Bitcoin and global crypto markets: Bitcoin has likely hit its bottom, why diverse perspectives are crucial for investment success, and the barriers of privacy in crypto payments | The Wolf Of All Streets
Montgomery Toms: Lockdowns erode freedoms and burden future generations | The Peter McCormack Show
Peter Schiff: Gold and silver prices will continue to rise, central banks are increasing gold purchases, and investors are shifting from bonds to hard assets | The Pomp Podcast
Richard Berner: Liquidity fragility threatens financial stability | Macro Musings
Craig Tindale: China’s strategic control over critical metals threatens Western electrification, the state versus stateless capitalism conflict reshapes global trade, and historical patterns reveal supply chain vulnerabilities | Macro Voices
Wade Foster: Community feedback drives product success | a16z Live
Michael Selig: Prediction markets are reshaping pop culture engagement, the CFTC’s pivotal role in regulation, and insider trading complexities in commodities | Odd Lots
Corey Frayer: Crypto loses its identity when mimicking traditional finance, SEC’s independence is crucial for regulation, and compliance can create competitive advantages | Bankless
