Day: February 7, 2026

23% of Investors Forecast Rate Cut at March FOMC Meeting

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The number of traders expecting a rate cut at the March Federal Open Market Committee meeting rose following fears of a hawkish Fed nominee. The number of traders expecting an interest rate cut at the March Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting has risen to 23%, following investor fears of a hawkish stance from Kevin Warsh, US President Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve chair nominee. Investors and traders forecasting a rate cut surged by nearly 5% from Friday, when only 18.4% signaled they were expecting an interest rate cut, according to…

CFTC Amends Guidance, Includes National Trust Banks As Stablecoin Issuers

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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a US financial regulator, reissued a staff letter on Friday to expand the criteria for payment stablecoins to include national trust banks, recognizing their eligibility to issue the fiat-pegged tokens. The CFTC amended Staff Letter 25-40, which was issued on December 8, 2025, to include national trust banks, financial institutions allowed to function in all 50 US states. National Trust Banks typically do not provide retail banking services like lending or checking accounts. Instead, they offer custodial services, act as executors on behalf of…

Mike Belshe: Stablecoins are a safer alternative to banks, BitGo’s operational controls are key for crypto market structure, and the future of finance is in asset tokenization

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Stablecoins are set to reshape banking by offering a safer, more efficient alternative for deposits. Key takeaways Stablecoins provide a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional banking. The future of finance will involve the tokenization of all assets, including equities and bonds. BitGo’s operational controls and regulatory frameworks are crucial for building market structure in crypto. BitGo is stronger than most competitors due to its readiness and strategic planning. Going public benefits BitGo by strengthening the business and enhancing transparency. The US capital markets will transition to digital, bringing…

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Drops by 11% Amid Steep Market Downturn

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The Bitcoin network mining difficulty, a metric tracking the relative challenge of adding new blocks to the Bitcoin (BTC) ledger, fell by about 11.16% in the last 24 hours, the worst drop in a single adjustment period since China’s 2021 ban on crypto mining. Bitcoin mining difficulty is at 125.86 T and took effect at block 935,429, data from CoinWarz shows. The average block time is over 11 minutes, overshooting the 10-minute target. Difficulty is projected to fall again in the next adjustment on February 23 by about 10.4% to…

What Crashed Bitcoin? 3 Theories Behind BTC’s 40% Price Dip in a Month

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Bitcoin (BTC) experienced on of the biggest sell-offs over the past month, sliding more than 40% to reach a year-to-date low of $59,930 on Friday. It is now down over 50% from its October 2025 all-time high near $126,200. Key takeaways: Analysts are pointing to Hong Kong hedge funds and ETF-linked U.S. bank products as possible drivers of BTC’s crash. Bitcoin could slip back below $60,000, putting the price closer to miners’ break-even levels. BTC/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView Hong Kong hedge funds behind BTC dump? One popular theory…

Michael Casey: AI lacks true intent, the industry faces both a bubble and rapid advancements, and the emergence of “proof of control” technology

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AI’s rapid growth is reshaping job markets and raising concerns about economic stability. Key takeaways AI agents are not capable of true thinking; they generate language probabilistically without intent. The AI industry is experiencing both a bubble and rapid advancements simultaneously. AI development parallels the composability seen in DeFi, creating new opportunities. Human errors and limitations are often exposed during the rollout of new technologies. Geopolitical shifts are likely to impact global economic stability. AI advancements are significantly affecting job markets and economic structures. A new technology category, “proof of…

Bithumb to reimburse customers after mistakenly distributing $40B in Bitcoin

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South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb announced today it will fully compensate customers affected by an incident in which 620,000 Bitcoin worth over $40 billion was mistakenly distributed to 695 users during an event reward payment. The error occurred on February 6 when an input mistake during the reward process led to the massive overpayment. Bithumb said it detected the issue within 20 minutes and blocked all transactions and withdrawals. Bithumb recovered nearly all of the overpaid Bitcoin, amounting to 618,212 BTC or 99.7% of the total. In addition, 93% of…

Tether Freezes $544M in Crypto Tied to Turkish Illegal Betting Probe

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Tether has frozen more than half a billion dollars in cryptocurrency at the request of Turkish authorities, blocking funds tied to an alleged illegal online betting and money-laundering operation. Last week, prosecutors in Istanbul announced the seizure of approximately €460 million ($544 million) in assets belonging to Veysel Sahin, accused of operating unlawful betting platforms and laundering proceeds. Officials initially declined to identify the crypto firm involved, but the company was Tether Holdings SA, the issuer of the $185 billion USDt (USDT) stablecoin, CEO Paolo Ardoino told Bloomberg. “Law enforcement…

Bitcoin Caught Between CME Gaps and New Macro Lows: Analysis

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Bitcoin (BTC) failed to hold $69,000 as the weekend began amid predictions of fresh macro lows next. Key points: Bitcoin faces a lack of acceptance above $69,000, while traders see new lows to come. Analysis says that the rebound into the weekend was nothing more than a “relief rally.” Two CME futures gaps provide potential targets for BTC price upside. BTC price bottom “not in,” analysis warns Data from TradingView showed BTC price action dropping more than $4,000 versus the daily open. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView With the old…

Ethereum whale Trend Research unwinds ETH position as losses reach $747M

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Liquid Capital–affiliated investment firm Trend Research has nearly exited its Ethereum position after incurring losses of $747 million, according to data tracked by Lookonchain. Trend Research started aggressively accumulating ETH in late 2025 through leveraged borrowing on Aave. Analysts noted that the entity’s ETH holdings exceeded 650,000 units on January 20. The market is falling, but whales and institutions are buying $ETH. Trend Research borrowed 70M $USDT from Aave and bought 24,555 $ETH($75.5M), currently holding 651,310 $ETH($1.92B). OTC whale (0xFB7) bought 20,000 $ETH($58.8M) via #FalconX and #Wintermute.… pic.twitter.com/hGuO3OSs5P — Lookonchain…