Day: February 17, 2026

Gemini to ‘Part Ways‘ with Three Top Execs

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Gemini Space Station, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, said that three of its C-suite executives would be leaving effective immediately, with co-founder Cameron Winklevoss assuming additional responsibilities. In a Tuesday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gemini said it would be “parting ways” with chief operating officer Marshall Beard, chief financial officer Dan Chen and chief legal officer Tyler Meade. The company said it did not plan to replace Beard, who also resigned from Gemini’s board. Winklevoss is expected to take on revenue-generating responsibilities. Danijela Stojanovic,…

South Korea Ends 9-Year Corporate Crypto Ban Under Strict New Rules

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Key takeaways South Korea is ending a nine-year ban on corporate crypto trading, allowing listed entities and professional investment companies to reenter the market under a regulated framework. Corporate participation will be tightly controlled, with investments capped at 5% of annual equity capital and limited to the top 20 cryptocurrencies traded on regulated domestic exchanges. Institutional entry may gradually improve liquidity and market structure, but strict limits mean large capital inflows from corporate treasuries are unlikely in the short term. Compared with the US, the EU, Japan and Hong Kong,…

Corey Frayer: Crypto loses its identity when mimicking traditional finance, SEC’s independence is crucial for regulation, and compliance can create competitive advantages

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Crypto loses its distinct identity when it begins to mimic traditional financial systems. If crypto projects function like banks or securities exchanges, they must comply with existing laws. The current state of crypto resembles traditional finance but often resists regulation. Key takeaways Crypto loses its distinct identity when it begins to mimic traditional financial systems. If crypto projects function like banks or securities exchanges, they must comply with existing laws. The current state of crypto resembles traditional finance but often resists regulation. The SEC’s enforcement division operates independently from the…

BitMine adds $90 million in ETH, Tom Lee cites sentiment parallels with past crypto lows

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Bitmine Immersion Technologies expanded its Ethereum treasury with a $90 million ETH purchase last week, even as Chairman Tom Lee described investor sentiment toward crypto as rock bottom. The company acquired 45,759 ETH over the past week, bringing total holdings to 4,371,497 ETH. At a reference price of $1,998 per ETH, Bitmine’s Ethereum stack is valued at approximately $8.7 billion and represents 3.62% of total ETH supply. Lee said the buying reflects conviction rather than momentum trading. Speaking after Consensus Hong Kong, he argued that 2026 could be a defining…

Starknet Taps EY’s Nightfall for Institutional Privacy on Ethereum Rails

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Starknet developer StarkWare has integrated EY’s Nightfall privacy protocol to let institutions run private payments and decentralized finance (DeFi) activity on public Ethereum-aligned rails, targeting banks and corporates that need confidentiality without giving up auditability.  In a Tuesday release shared with Cointelegraph, StarkWare positioned the move as a way for enterprises to use a shared, open layer-2 rather than closed, bank-only networks, while working with a Big Four firm that already audits many of the organizations it wants to onboard. The integration brings Nightfall, an open-source zero-knowledge (ZK) privacy layer…

Alex Campbell: Silver’s soaring demand fuels renewable energy

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Silver’s increasing value is tied to its critical role in solar panel production. The supply of silver is largely inelastic, meaning price increases don’t quickly boost supply. Eastern demand for precious metals is driven by concerns over currency stability. Key takeaways Silver’s increasing value is tied to its critical role in solar panel production. The supply of silver is largely inelastic, meaning price increases don’t quickly boost supply. Eastern demand for precious metals is driven by concerns over currency stability. Despite bearish pressures, silver is expected to perform well over…

Monad Foundation Hires Execs from FalconX, BVNK, Optimism

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The Monad Foundation has hired three senior executives from Optimism, FalconX and BVNK as it expands its focus on institutional adoption following its November mainnet launch. Urvit Goel joins as vice president of go-to-market from the Optimism Foundation, Joanita Titan becomes head of institutional growth after leading custody and staking at FalconX, and Sagar Sarbhai joins as head of institutions for Asia-Pacific, most recently at BVNK. The three executives previously held roles at JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Anchorage Digital, Fireblocks and Amazon, bringing backgrounds in traditional finance and institutional crypto…

Stablecoin Flows Slow As Binance Consolidates CEX Liquidity

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Stablecoin outflows from centralized exchanges have slowed sharply even as CryptoQuant’s indicators continue to flag weak market conditions, a sign that investor capital is consolidating rather than leaving the sector, the market data provider said. Flows on centralized exchanges (CEXs) have stabilized somewhat, with outflows totaling just $2 billion over the past month, CryptoQuant said in a statement to Cointelegraph on Tuesday. By contrast, late 2025 saw $8.4 billion in outflows at the start of the bear market, highlighting the moderation in redemptions, CryptoQuant’s marketing head Nick Pitto told Cointelegraph.…

Africrypt Founders Return to South Africa After Years in Hiding: Report

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South Africa’s so-called “Bitcoin Brothers,” Raees and Ameer Cajee, have quietly returned to the country years after the collapse of their crypto investment platform Africrypt, according to a new TV investigation. A segment aired Sunday by investigative program “Carte Blanche” said the pair is residing inside the gated Zimbali Estate in KwaZulu-Natal, MyBroadband reported on Monday. According to the report, journalists attempted to approach the property but were blocked by private security. The team also reportedly traced the brothers to a holiday location in Umhlanga and a recent address in…

Strategy acquires 2,486 Bitcoin at $67,700

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Strategy, the business intelligence firm that holds Bitcoin as its main treasury asset, added 2,486 BTC to its reserves last week for around $168 million, paying $67,710 per coin. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, a prominent corporate advocate for Bitcoin adoption, announced the purchase brings the company’s total holdings to 717,131 BTC. The firm has spent about $54.5 billion accumulating its position at an average price of $76,027 per coin. Strategy has acquired 2,486 BTC for ~$168.4 million at ~$67,710 per bitcoin. As of 2/16/2026, we hodl 717,131 $BTC acquired for…