Month: February 2026

Tether Freezes $4.2B in USDT Linked to Crime in 3 Years: Report

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Stablecoin issuer Tether has reportedly frozen roughly $4.2 billion worth of its USDt tokens connected to suspected criminal activity over the past three years. Most of the blocked funds were restricted since 2023, as regulators and law enforcement agencies intensified scrutiny of crypto-related fraud and sanctions evasion, the El Salvador-based firm reportedly told Reuters on Friday. Tether’s dollar-pegged USDt (USDT) token is the largest stablecoin in circulation, with more than $180 billion outstanding, up sharply from about $70 billion three years ago. Tether can freeze tokens directly on the blockchain…

Trump confirms launch of operation against Iran

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President Donald Trump on Saturday declared that US military forces had initiated large-scale combat operations against Iran to eliminate imminent threats, respond to long-standing Iranian actions, and protect American national security interests. “The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground,” Trump said in a video address. “We are going to annihilate their navy.” Trump, who ordered…

US, Israel Move on Iran Forces Bitcoin Toward $63,000

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Bitcoin faced geopolitical instability alone as a weekend move on Iran saw traditional markets closed, with key support still holding. Bitcoin (BTC) daily losses neared 4% on Saturday as the US and Israel announced a military operation in Iran. Key points: Bitcoin targets $63,000 as US President Donald Trump confirms a major bombing campaign inside Iran. Trump highlights nuclear infrastructure as a key target of the joint raids with Israel. Crypto markets react alone with TradFi trading suspended until futures return. Trump tells Iranians: “Take over your government” Data from…

OpenAI Wins Defense Contract After US Halts Anthropic Use

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OpenAI has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Defense to deploy its artificial intelligence models on classified military networks, just hours after the White House ordered federal agencies to stop using technology from rival firm Anthropic. In a late Friday post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the deal, saying the company would provide its models inside the Pentagon’s “classified network.” He wrote that the department showed “deep respect for safety” and a willingness to work within the company’s operating limits. The announcement came amid a…

Bitcoin tumbles after Israel launches strike on Iran, triggering $100M in longs liquidated in 15 minutes

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Bitcoin plunged immediately after news of Israel’s preventative strike on Iran spread, rattling global markets and triggering a swift retreat from crypto assets. The leading digital asset fell nearly 4% from about $65,500 to $63,300 amid the sudden flare-up in the Middle East conflict. Within minutes of the headlines breaking, roughly $100 million in long positions were liquidated across major exchanges, according to derivatives data. Following the attack, the Israel Defence Forces warned of possible missile retaliation and imposed a nationwide halt on schools, workplaces, and gatherings, exempting essential sectors.…

Mt. Gox’s Karpeles Floats Hard Fork Recover $5.2B Bitcoin

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Mark Karpelès, the former CEO of Mt. Gox, is calling on community support for a proposal to recover more than $5.2 billion stolen from his Bitcoin exchange more than a decade ago. On Friday, Karpelès submitted a proposal on GitHub to add a consensus rule that would allow the 79,956 Bitcoin hacked from Mt. Gox (currently sitting in a single wallet) to be moved to a recovery address without the original private key.  “These coins have not moved in over 15 years. They are among the most well-known and publicly…

Morgan Stanley Applies US Bank Charter for Crypto Custody

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Morgan Stanley has applied for a de novo national trust bank charter, allowing the bank to hold digital assets on behalf of its clients — a move in rhythm with its recent crypto expansion.  A public filing with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) shows the application for a bank trust charter was received on Feb. 18 under the name “Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association.”  More details of the business plan were released on Friday, according to reports from Bloomberg and Forbes, revealing that the Morgan…

Paradigm Reportedly Expands into AI, Robotics with $1.5B fund

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Crypto investment firm Paradigm is seeking to raise $1.5 billion for a new fund that will invest in companies in AI, robotics and other frontier technologies, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Paradigm will continue to invest in crypto companies, according to sources familiar with the situation, but it will use its existing technical investment team to look at deals in frontier tech companies, they said.  San Francisco–based Paradigm has $12.7 billion in assets under management, according to the latest regulatory filings.  It launched its flagship $2.5 billion fund in…

XRP Daily Liquidity Is Pointing To A Rally To $4, Analyst Explains What’s Going On

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XRP’s liquidity structure on higher timeframes is in a situation where the path of least resistance could extend to the $4 level. The remark came from crypto analyst Bird in response to hourly and daily liquidity heatmaps shared by Cryptoinsightuk, which show a clear contrast between short-term and higher-timeframe liquidity positioning. At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.45, still below the large liquidity clusters visible above the current price. According to Bird, that imbalance may not stay unresolved for long. Hourly Liquidity Cleared, Short-Term Volatility Reduced XRP’s…

Traders’ Move Off Bitcoin, Shift Capital Flows To Gold, AI And Tech Stocks

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Bitcoin (BTC) and gold are showing very different profiles in 2026. Gold has climbed 153% since the start of 2024, while Bitcoin is down roughly 30% over the same stretch.  One analyst said that the gap lines up with steady growth in global money supply, cooling appetite for risky tech stocks, and falling crypto exchange balances. Together, these changes are shaping how both assets are trading in the market.  Rising liquidity and tech stock speculation fail to supercharge Bitcoin In an X post, Fidelity director of global macro, Jurrien Timmer…