ChainGPT AI News

Alphabet (GOOG) is trading around $306 on Tuesday, after one of the roughest stretches among Big Tech — the stock has slid nearly 5% in the past week and dropped from about $345 to $306 during February. The move is part of a broader market rotation: leading tech names have lost ground this year while the energy sector has been on the rise. Despite the pullback, TD Cowen issued a buy recommendation for Alphabet in February, setting a $365 price target. That implies roughly 19% upside from current levels — a $1,000 stake would be worth about $1,190 if the call pans out. The bank’s bullish case bucks the wider tech slump that’s erased nearly $1.4 trillion in market value this year. What’s driving TD Cowen’s optimism is Waymo. The firm highlights accelerating usage in California: Waymo completed 1.26 million trips in December, up from 1.02 million in September, and recorded a 3.8% quarter-over-quarter increase as it expanded in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The service is now doing roughly 280,000 weekly trips in the state — a scale TD Cowen says competitors Cruise and Zoox are watching closely. The investment bank argues Waymo’s growth is an underrated catalyst that could help Alphabet rebound. Alphabet’s broad reach — from search and cloud to autonomous vehicles — plus ongoing acquisitions that absorb smaller competitors, also figures into the bullish thesis. Still, the wider macro and sectoral pressures that have hammered tech remain a risk for the stock. For crypto-focused readers, the move underscores how sector rotations and shifting institutional capital can ripple across risk assets. A renewed tech rally led by real-world monetization plays like autonomous mobility could impact broader market sentiment and capital flows, including into crypto — but timelines and execution risks remain key variables. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Tesla’s Grok AI Hits Europe — Could Give TSLA a Morning Lift Tesla has begun rolling out its xAI-powered Grok assistant across Europe, a move that could spark a positive market reaction for the automaker. The new functionality arrived via software update 2026.2.6 and is being delivered free to eligible vehicles running AMD Ryzen processors. What’s in the update - Grok is integrated directly into the vehicle infotainment system and supports cloud-backed AI queries for dynamic, up-to-date responses. - New user-facing features include natural-language navigation commands, vehicle manual queries, and contextual dashboard alerts. - Interaction modes: voice or touchscreen. - Eligible models: 2021+ Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck. Rollout footprint - The 2026.2.6 update is live in: United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain. Market reaction and strategic implications - Tesla stock opened Tuesday at $417 and was expected by some traders to react positively to the launch. The integration of Grok gives Tesla another product differentiator that could help sales momentum in Europe. - Europe’s EV market is fiercely competitive and heavily influenced by local and Chinese manufacturers; China’s BYD and SAIC (MG) already account for roughly 12.8% of EV market share. AI-enhanced in-car experiences like Grok could become a unique selling point for Tesla in the region. - If the update helps drive adoption and sales, that could support TSLA performance over time. But competition is intense, and sustained gains will depend on how well Tesla’s AI features resonate with European consumers compared with rivals. Why crypto traders should care - Many crypto traders follow high-beta tech names like TSLA for broader risk appetite and market sentiment signals. A notable equity move can ripple into crypto risk-on/risk-off flows. For traders who track cross-market correlation or hold tokenized equity exposure, the rollout is worth watching. Bottom line: Grok’s European arrival is a clear push by Tesla to differentiate on AI and user experience. The near-term market impact may show up in TSLA’s intraday moves, while the longer-term payoff depends on how effectively the feature helps Tesla compete in Europe’s crowded EV market. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Wells Fargo sees Tesla’s upside coming from AI — not cars — but is cautious near term Wall Street is increasingly framing Tesla’s future around “physical AI” rather than vehicle volume, and Wells Fargo’s analysts are among those who expect big long-term gains from the company’s AI initiatives. At the same time, the bank remains cautious about the near-term outlook: on Feb. 13 it reiterated an “Underweight” rating for TSLA, citing continued weakness in delivery numbers. The shift from cars to robots gained momentum late last month when Tesla said it would halt production of the Model S and Model X at its Fremont plant to retool the line for manufacturing Optimus humanoid robots. That operational shift comes amid Tesla’s first-ever annual sales decline — total revenue fell 3% year‑over‑year and automotive revenue dropped 11% — and has helped fuel the narrative that Tesla is pivoting full force toward AI-driven businesses. Market reaction has been mixed. TSLA is down about 7.5% year‑to‑date, a slump analysts attribute largely to soft sales and delivery figures, with some also pointing to investor concern over Tesla’s broader strategic pivot. CEO Elon Musk has reframed the company mission around ambitions like “amazing abundance” and an AI-led future, and his moves to align xAI and SpaceX with Tesla have added to the uncertainty and debate among investors. Still, Wells Fargo and other observers view Tesla’s physical AI push as a multi-layered, multi-year growth opportunity that could ultimately drive the stock to new highs — just not via traditional car sales in the near term. On the product side, Tesla continued to expand its AI footprint: Grok, the company’s AI assistant, launched in Europe (UK and other EU markets) via software update 2026.2.6. The feature is being distributed free to eligible vehicles equipped with AMD Ryzen processors. Despite the rollout, TSLA traded about 2.9% lower at the time of reporting. For crypto-focused readers, Tesla’s strategic pivot matters beyond automotive markets: shifts in Musk’s priorities and public sentiment can ripple across risk assets and digital-asset communities that follow his commentary and company moves closely. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

CryptoQuant’s market-cycle gauge has tumbled back into deep bearish territory — the weakest reading since the 2022 post‑FTX bottom. In a recent post on X, CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn highlighted a sharp decline in the Bitcoin Bull‑Bear Market Cycle Indicator, a composite measure that signals which phase of the cycle Bitcoin is in. The indicator is derived from the P&L Index, itself a synthesis of key on‑chain valuation metrics: MVRV and NUPL (both measuring unrealized network profits and losses) and the long‑term/short‑term SOPR (which measures realized profit and loss from transactions). How the signal works - The P&L Index is compared to its 365‑day moving average (MA). - When the P&L Index crosses above that MA, it suggests a shift toward a bullish regime; a cross below suggests a move into bearish territory. - The Bull‑Bear Market Cycle Indicator quantifies the distance between the P&L Index and its 365‑day MA to highlight regime shifts and extremes. What the recent drop means - The indicator slipped below zero in late 2025, indicating the P&L Index fell beneath its 365‑day MA. - Since then, the metric has continued to slide and now sits at lows not seen since the 2022 bear‑market bottom that followed the FTX collapse. - Historically, readings at these extreme levels have coincided with market lows — though the indicator typically spends some time in the “extreme bear” zone before a reversal occurs. Implications for traders and investors - The plunge underscores growing downside pressure in on‑chain valuation signals. - While past behaviour suggests a potential approach toward a market bottom, the indicator’s history also cautions that extreme bear readings can persist for weeks or months. Market snapshot At the time of Maartunn’s post, Bitcoin was trading around $68,000, down roughly 4% over the past seven days. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Jake Claver is once again laying out the roadmap he says would lift XRP into triple-digit territory — but he frames it not as a technical-chart prediction, but as a sequencing problem: institutional tokenization, on-chain liquidity, and regulated market plumbing must align first. In a Feb. 16 appearance on the “Memes and Markets” podcast with hosts Ben Leavitt and Keith D, Claver defended his “Domino Theory,” arguing that XRP’s path to $100 depends on a chain of infrastructural milestones rather than a single catalyst. He says he didn’t enter crypto until 2020, built a diversified portfolio, and then concentrated into XRP after the 2022 drawdown because he saw it as a “for sure thing.” The hosts pushed back on Claver’s frequent absolutes — Leavitt called that certainty “the scariest thing” given how widely Claver’s clips circulate. Claver acknowledged his bold language (“I will put my nuts on the line and make statements”), said his attorneys have urged him to tone it down, but refused to back away from his conviction: he claims validation from “the right people” that reinforces his outlook. How the Dominoes Fall Claver’s thesis centers on timing and infrastructure. He points to large financial institutions’ public timelines for tokenizing asset classes “in the next two years, by the end of 2028,” but stresses tokenization alone won’t move markets without the ability to transact at scale. In his view, custody, identity, and liquidity are the gating items. Once those pieces are in place, Claver says, stablecoins could be issued on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and XRP could function as an intermediary asset to enable regulated marketplaces for tokenized stocks, private-market assets and real estate. He also frames the XRP community as a social base that reinforces scarcity: holders, he says, tend to be older, “faith-based,” and focused on family wealth and philanthropy rather than anti-bank maximalism. That mindset, combined with a fixed supply (100 billion tokens), can shrink the tradable float if long-term holders “sit tight,” creating the conditions for sharper price moves should institutional demand and rails arrive. Addressing Criticism and Missed Calls Claver didn’t sidestep fallout from a missed New Year’s price call. He said some of his conviction was constrained by NDAs and that a public bet he made was intended to protect retail holders from losing XRP in side wagers — he claims those retail assets have been returned. When asked about followers potentially making poor financial decisions based on his timeline, Claver leaned on standard disclaimers and framed his allocation as personal: his regulated advisors would call his strategy “reckless,” he said, but maintained it was his own choice. At the time of the interview, XRP traded at $1.47. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitcoin’s recent pullback is driving big holders back onto centralized exchanges, with CryptoQuant data showing a sharp rise in whale-driven inflows to Binance — even as derivatives positioning continues to unwind, signaling broad market de-risking across both spot and futures markets. What’s happening on Binance CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) highlights a notable uptick in large BTC transfers into Binance. He tracked this using a “whale inflow ratio,” which compares the sum of the 10 largest BTC inflows to total exchange inflows and is smoothed with a weekly average to filter one-off moves. Between Feb. 2 and Feb. 15 the ratio climbed from 0.4 to 0.62, meaning a much larger share of inbound BTC to Binance is now coming from a handful of very large transfers. While the metric does not prove intent, higher concentration of whale inflows is commonly interpreted as rising potential sell-side supply hitting exchange order books — a typical pattern during risk-off stretches. Darkfost also noted that at least some of the flows appear linked to a single known whale, believed to be Garrett Jin (wallet 19D5 or the “Hyperunit whale”), who has moved close to 10,000 BTC onto Binance recently. Still, Darkfost frames the trend as broader venue- and liquidity-driven behavior: multiple large holders are routing significant amounts to Binance, attracted by its depth as uncertainty causes investors to reassess exposures. Derivatives market contraction: the other half of the story The spot-side picture is being reinforced by a pronounced contraction in derivatives activity. Darkfost traced Bitcoin open interest across exchanges and found it has fallen steadily since the cycle peak and the October 10 sell-off, following an unprecedented run-up in speculative positions. He cites historical peaks on Binance of roughly 94,300 BTC after the November 2021 cycle high and roughly 120,000 BTC at the October 2025 top. Aggregate open interest across exchanges rose from about 221,000 BTC in April 2024 to 381,000 BTC at the cycle peak, then began to unwind. Notable drawdowns occurred Oct. 6–Oct. 11, when Binance open interest dropped 20.8% and Bybit and Gate.io each saw 37% declines. The contraction has persisted, with Binance open interest down a further 39.3%, Bybit down 33% and BitMEX down 24%, according to Darkfost’s reporting. What it means for the market Taken together, rising whale inflows to Binance and falling derivatives open interest paint a consistent picture: investors are cutting risk — whether voluntarily or forced via liquidations amid volatility. That environment makes a sustainable short-term stabilization and an immediate return to a bullish trend less likely, Darkfost argues. Price snapshot At press time, BTC was trading around $67,823. Bottom line The correction has pushed large holders back onto centralized venues and forced a retrenchment in futures exposure. For traders and analysts, the key signals to watch next are whether whale inflows continue to accumulate on exchange order books and whether open interest stabilizes or resumes growth — developments that will help determine whether this is a temporary de-risking or the start of a longer deleveraging phase. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Ireland’s data regulator opens formal probe into X’s Grok as global scrutiny of AI “nudification” ramps up Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a formal investigation into X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC) to determine whether Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot helped generate and spread non‑consensual sexualized images — including images of children. The move intensifies an international crackdown on generative-AI “nudification” tools and raises fresh compliance questions for platforms that deploy large language and image models. What the DPC is investigating - The probe, opened under Ireland’s Data Protection Act 2018, targets the apparent creation and publication on X of “potentially harmful, non‑consensual intimate and/or sexualised images… including children” produced by Grok’s generative AI. - As XIUC’s lead EU/EEA supervisory authority, the DPC will assess whether X complied with core GDPR requirements: lawful basis for processing, privacy‑by‑design, data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), and fundamental processing principles. - Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle described the inquiry as a “large‑scale” review of XIUC’s compliance with fundamental GDPR obligations. Context: part of a widening global response - The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reported that Grok generated an estimated 23,338 sexualized images depicting children over an 11‑day period (Dec. 29–Jan. 9), and found roughly one‑third of sampled images remained accessible on X despite the platform’s policies. - In response to backlash, X limited Grok’s image generation and editing to paid subscribers, added technical barriers to deter manipulations that create revealing images, and geoblocked the feature where such content is illegal. Decrypt has reached out to xAI for comment. Other regulatory and enforcement actions worldwide - European Commission: opened a Digital Services Act (DSA) probe in January into Grok’s role in producing and spreading illegal sexualized content. - France: authorities raided X’s Paris offices in coordination with Europol and summoned Musk and several executives for questioning. - United Kingdom: Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office have opened investigations; Ofcom warned it could seek court‑backed measures to block X if it remains non‑compliant. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signaled intent to bring AI chatbot providers under online safety law. - Australia: eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said complaints involving Grok and non‑consensual AI sexual images have doubled and that her office will use enforcement powers where needed. - United States (California): Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a formal investigation into xAI and Grok over the creation and spread of non‑consensual sexually explicit AI images of women and children. - UNICEF: called AI sexual deepfakes “a profound escalation of the risks children face,” saying at least 1.2 million children were targeted last year and urging criminalization of AI‑generated abuse material and mandatory safety‑by‑design protections. Why this matters for crypto and Web3 platforms Regulators treating Grok as a test case signals broader scrutiny of any platform — including blockchain and Web3 services — that integrates generative AI. Companies operating in or serving users in the EU must reckon with Ireland’s GDPR oversight, while global enforcement under the DSA, national authorities and prosecutors could create overlapping legal pressures. For builders and projects, the takeaway is clear: prioritize privacy‑by‑design, robust content controls, and DPIAs when deploying image‑capable AI. In short, the DPC’s probe into XIUC joins a cascade of jurisdictional actions that may reshape how platforms govern generative AI features — a development the crypto community should watch closely as regulators tighten rules around AI harms and user safety. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Rep. Buddy Carter Asks DOT to Probe Overseas “Remote Assistance Operators” in U.S. Robotaxi Fleets A House Republican has pushed the Department of Transportation to investigate whether autonomous-vehicle companies are outsourcing remote assistance to foreign-based operators — a practice that has drawn fresh congressional scrutiny after recent Senate testimony revealed overseas human involvement in U.S. robotaxi operations. Rep. Buddy Carter (R‑GA) sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asking the department to review the use of foreign-based Remote Assistance Operators (RAOs) by AV firms operating on American public roads. The request, shared exclusively with Decrypt and seen by the outlet, comes after Waymo’s chief safety officer, Dr. Mauricio Peña, testified under oath before the Senate Commerce Committee that the company employs remote operators, including staff in the Philippines, to assist in complex driving scenarios. Peña insisted the remote workers “provide guidance, they do not remotely drive the vehicles,” and that Waymo’s systems remain “always in charge of the dynamic driving task.” Still, Carter says the revelation raises hard questions about what “self-driving” really means — and who is making life-or-death decisions when such systems require human help. Why Carter wants a probe - Safety and situational awareness: Carter warned that decisions on U.S. roads “may be influenced—or directly controlled—by individuals who are not Americans, are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and may not understand English, our road signs, and American traffic laws.” He said that raises “serious and reasonable concerns about roadway safety, situational awareness, and national security.” - Precedent and language risks: Citing an October fatal crash on California’s I-10 involving a commercial driver with limited English, Carter said that RAOs working in “complex or high-stakes environments such as interstates, construction zones, and school zones” should be held to the same language and competency standards as domestic drivers. - Accountability and allegiance: The letter warns overseas operators “may have no allegiance to the U.S. or regard for passenger safety,” creating the risk that reckless decisions could be made by people who won’t face U.S. legal consequences. - Privacy and data access: Carter asked the DOT to determine whether audio or video captured by AVs is “recorded, stored, or accessed by foreign personnel,” noting that vehicles might pass near federal facilities or national defense infrastructure and that passengers “deserve clear answers regarding their privacy.” “Users of autonomous vehicle services are currently in the dark about their safety and privacy when it comes to RAOs,” Carter told Decrypt. “We know there have been instances of fatal or near-fatal crashes involving AVs, and we cannot wait for a confirmed threat to the U.S. or fatal accident involving a remote foreign driver to act.” He added, “This is a matter of safety and national security, and the Department of Transportation has every right to get to the bottom of how this technology is being used and what threat it poses to passengers and pedestrians alike.” Context for crypto and tech watchers For a tech- and privacy-minded audience, the issue touches on several familiar themes: cross-border data access, jurisdictional control over automated systems, and the opaque interplay between automated decision-making and human intervention. As AV companies scale and integrate remote human oversight, questions about who can see, influence, or control those systems — and under what legal framework — are increasingly urgent. Waymo has been approached for comment. Congressional attention on remote operators intensified after Peña’s Senate testimony earlier this month confirmed Waymo’s use of remote assistance, including overseas staff, while maintaining that the vehicles retain control of driving tasks. Jason Nelson contributed to this reporting. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitdeer has briefly wrested the crown for largest self-mining hash rate among public miners, according to a JPMorgan note — a sign of how fast the competitive landscape in Bitcoin mining can shift. JPMorgan analysts led by Reginald Smith reported that Bitdeer’s self-mining capacity now stands at 63.2 EH/s, edging past Marathon Digital (MARA), which last disclosed a self-mining rate of 60.4 EH/s. The gap closed after what the bank called an “impressive” month for Bitdeer: the Singapore-based firm added roughly 8 EH/s as it deployed its proprietary SEALMINER rigs. Why it matters: self-mining hash rate is the compute a miner dedicates to securing the Bitcoin network for its own balance sheet — and higher self-mining capacity typically translates into more BTC mined and greater upside when prices rise. Bitdeer said the recent growth came from rolling out its in-house, energy-efficient SEALMINER hardware, a different strategy than rivals that rely primarily on off-the-shelf gear from suppliers like Bitmain. Operational highlights - Bitdeer mined 668 BTC in January, a 430% year-over-year jump, per the company’s update. - The firm reported 78.1 EH/s in “total hash rate under management,” including 13.0 EH/s that are hosted for customers. Bitdeer still offers hosted mining and subscription plans alongside its self-mining push. - Despite increasing self-mining output, Bitdeer’s BTC holdings fell to 1,530 BTC at month-end from 2,017 in December — a sign of active selling. At roughly $68,000 per coin, those holdings were worth about $104 million. MARA’s strategy shift and the broader context Marathon, long known for aggressive fleet expansion, has been repositioning itself over the past year as a digital infrastructure and AI-focused company. That pivot includes running AI workloads for customers and prioritizing infrastructure services alongside — or instead of — steady increases in self-mining. MARA has also stopped reporting company-wide Bitcoin production figures. Some analysts note that Marathon’s large joint-venture projects in the Middle East could still make it a leader on a consolidated basis, per reporting from The Energy Mag. Bitdeer’s own roadmap hints at a hybrid future: while it continues to deploy SEALMINER units for self-mining, the company said it’s evaluating leasing data centers to deliver AI cloud services to U.S. customers this year. So both miners are dabbling in AI infrastructure, but with different mixes of hardware strategy, customer services, and balance-sheet mining. Bottom line The recent flip in self-mining hash rate is a reminder that market leadership in mining can change quickly — especially as miners diversify into hosting and AI services. Bitdeer’s proprietary-hardware push has given it a near-term edge in self-mining capacity, while Marathon’s pivot toward digital infrastructure and AI could reshape who leads across other measures of scale and revenue going forward. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

ZeroLend to close after three years; users urged to withdraw funds as team begins orderly wind-down ZeroLend, a multi-chain decentralized lending protocol, announced it will wind down operations after three years, citing unsustainable economics and growing operational risks. In a statement posted by team member Deadshot Ryker, the project said the decision was “difficult” but necessary as liquidity on several supported chains dwindled, some oracle services were discontinued, and security threats increased. Built to bring borrowing and lending markets to emerging chains, ZeroLend gained traction early by supporting networks such as Manta, Zircuit, XLayer and Base. Over time, however, liquidity on many of those chains dried up or became inactive, undermining the protocol’s ability to generate consistent revenue and maintain safe markets. What users need to know now - The team’s top priority is enabling safe withdrawals. Most markets have already been set to 0% loan-to-value (LTV), and users are strongly urged to remove any remaining funds from the platform as soon as possible. - Some assets remain trapped in illiquid or inactive environments. To address that, ZeroLend plans a timelock upgrade to its smart contracts designed to enable redistribution of affected funds and maximize recovery for users. - The team referenced a past incident affecting LBTC suppliers on Base; thanks to an allocation from a LINEA airdrop, affected users will receive partial refunds. Impacted users should contact moderators or submit support tickets to coordinate next steps. Implications for DeFi Traders and liquidity providers will see the closure as the loss of another lending venue—particularly on smaller chains where liquidity is already fragmented. ZeroLend’s shutdown underscores persistent challenges in multi-chain DeFi: thin margins, fragmented liquidity pools, dependency on external infrastructure such as oracles, and heightened security risks. Next steps ZeroLend said it will pursue an orderly and transparent wind-down over the coming weeks, prioritizing user fund recovery and clear communication about contract changes and refunds. Users should monitor the project’s official channels for exact timetables and instructions. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Steak ’n Shake says Bitcoin payments are paying off — at the register and on the balance sheet. Nine months after rolling out Bitcoin acceptance, the U.S. burger chain reports a meaningful sales boost and has been channeling every BTC receipt into a company Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) that now helps fund employee bonuses and other initiatives. What happened - Steak ’n Shake began accepting Bitcoin in May 2025 via the Lightning Network at all U.S. locations. The Lightning rollout lets customers pay directly in BTC and reduces payment fees — the company says fees can be up to half those of traditional credit cards, a big win for a low-margin restaurant industry. - Since the launch, same-store sales have “risen dramatically,” with estimates of recent growth in the mid-teens (roughly 15–18%). That outperformance is notable compared with broader retail and restaurant trends. - Rather than converting crypto into dollars, Steak ’n Shake stores all Bitcoin receipts in a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Recent disclosures suggest the reserve now holds about $15 million in BTC, accumulated from daily sales and occasional strategic purchases. - The company frames the approach as a virtuous cycle: Bitcoin acceptance attracts customers and lifts sales, which grows the reserve, which funds employee bonuses and other initiatives — reinforcing the business case for keeping BTC on the balance sheet. Why it matters Steak ’n Shake’s move is one of the more integrated real-world uses of Bitcoin at scale in retail. While many merchants have experimented with crypto as an optional payment channel, few have woven it into operations and corporate strategy as thoroughly. If these results persist, the model could serve as a template for mainstream businesses treating crypto not just as a payment option but as an operational and strategic asset. “Thank you Bitcoiners!” the company wrote in its anniversary post — a short, pointed signal that Steak ’n Shake intends to keep blending traditional restaurant operations with digital-currency innovation. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Binance’s stablecoin war chest has shrunk by about $9 billion over three months, signaling a sustained pullback in liquidity that could keep pressure on crypto markets. Data from on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant show Binance has recorded three straight months of negative net stablecoin flows — the longest streak since the 2023 bear market. Monthly outflows accelerated over the period: roughly $1.8 billion left in December, about $2.9 billion in January, and nearly $3 billion had exited by mid‑February. As a result, Binance’s stablecoin reserves fell from roughly $50.9 billion in November to about $41.8 billion today. Why it matters: stablecoins act as the market’s deployable capital — the “dry powder” traders use to buy dips, provide liquidity, and fund margin positions. Large and persistent outflows from major exchanges typically indicate capital is exiting the exchange ecosystem rather than being redeployed into other crypto assets, reducing exchanges’ ability to absorb volatility and potentially amplifying price swings. Analysts point to elevated global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions as drivers of more defensive investor positioning, and CryptoQuant’s latest figures show no clear sign of stabilization yet. For traders and market observers, the decline in exchange stablecoin balances is a red flag worth watching: it tightens liquidity buffers just as macro risks remain elevated. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Global investors are shifting into the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 as many reassess richly valued US equities, creating fresh momentum for UK stocks that had lagged other developed markets. Why investors are rotating to UK equities - Valuation gap: The S&P 500 is trading at a notable premium to its historical norms, while UK indices show lower price-to-earnings ratios and offer higher dividend yields — making the FTSE indices look comparatively cheap. - Sector mix and resilience: The FTSE 100’s heavy exposure to energy, financials and commodities gives it global revenue streams and a degree of inflation resistance. The FTSE 250, dominated by domestically focused mid-caps, stands to gain if UK inflation stabilizes and consumer confidence improves. - Currency stability: A steadier pound has eased FX volatility for overseas investors, boosting the appeal of UK-listed multinationals. - Diversification impulse: US outperformance in recent years—fueled by AI and tech earnings—has concentrated returns in a handful of mega-cap stocks. That concentration risk is driving institutional allocators to rebalance toward broader sector exposure and income-producing assets in the UK. - Monetary backdrop: Market expectations of gradual Bank of England rate adjustments could support equity multiples in the near term, adding another tailwind for UK shares. What this means for portfolios (and crypto investors) - Traditional asset allocators are rethinking regional weightings to capture lower relative valuations and potential downside protection if global growth cools. - For crypto-focused investors, the shift highlights two themes: the persistence of capital flows between risk assets and traditional markets, and how relative yield and FX stability can redirect institutional liquidity. Periods of equity reallocation can influence broader risk-on/risk-off sentiment and cross-asset flows, including into and out of crypto. - Continued valuation disparities between US and UK equities could keep inflows into the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 if investors maintain their search for income, diversification and lower-priced exposure. Bottom line After an extended spell of underperformance, UK equities are attracting renewed international interest as a cheaper, yield-rich complement to US tech-heavy markets. While flows can turn quickly, current market mechanics suggest the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 are well positioned to benefit from ongoing portfolio diversification and a reassessment of US equity concentration risks. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Raydium (RAY) emerged as one of the day’s biggest movers on February 17, 2026, jumping about 15% in early trading as renewed activity lit up the Solana-based DEX. The token retraced to roughly $0.75 before midday, and bulls are now eyeing a push back toward the psychologically and technically important $1 mark. What’s driving the move? There’s no single headline catalyst — instead the rally looks driven by a mix of Solana ecosystem momentum and a surge in on-chain activity on Raydium itself. Although SOL has been range-bound near $80, demand on Raydium’s automated market maker has spiked: liquidity provision and swap volumes have climbed sharply, and perpetuals trading on the platform has exploded. On-chain figures referenced by market watchers show perpetuals volume surging past $6 billion alongside notable user growth. Market microstructure has likely amplified the move. Raydium recently added perpetual listings for TSLA, NVDA, XAG, NAS100, XAU, SPX500 and GOOGL with up to 20x leverage — a push the project flagged on Twitter on Feb. 16 — which appears to have helped turbocharge trading volumes and retail interest. Volume and price action RAY’s 24-hour trading volume shot up roughly 580%, topping $118 million as bulls pushed the token back above the $0.75 retest level. The token is up about 22% from weekly lows and has recovered from intramonth lows near $0.54, though it remains well below the August 2025 highs around $4.10. Technical setup and levels to watch Technically, RAY is trading under a long-term descending trendline that began after the August highs. Short-term momentum indicators are turning more constructive: the RSI has been climbing toward the mid-40s and the MACD shows bullish divergence, suggesting scope for further upside if buyers remain aggressive. Key levels: - Immediate resistance: $0.83–$0.91. A decisive flip of this zone into support would increase the odds of a breakout. - Near-term bullish target: $1.00, with a more extended target around $1.27 if momentum continues. - Downside risk: rejection between $0.75–$0.83 could expose RAY to a pullback toward $0.55–$0.50. Wider market context The rally comes amid broader weakness for many altcoins that are echoing Bitcoin’s bearish pressure — Ethereum, XRP and Solana have all been under strain — which means RAY’s gains are notable for occurring in an otherwise cautious market. Speculation around potential macro shifts is also fuelling trader optimism, especially in leverage-friendly venues. Bottom line Raydium’s latest pop looks driven more by elevated trading activity and new perpetual listings than a single fundamental event. If on-chain momentum and volume persist and the $0.83–$0.91 resistance range breaks, bulls could target a return to $1 and beyond. Conversely, failure to hold the $0.75 area risks a steeper pullback toward the $0.50s. This is a fast-moving setup — traders should watch volume and how the token reacts at those key levels. (This is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.) Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

At Consensus Hong Kong 2026, a debate broke out that cuts to the heart of crypto’s identity: should blockchains lean on hyperscalers like Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure to scale privacy-preserving systems, or does doing so betray the movement’s decentralization ideals? The clash came into focus after Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson unveiled Midnight, Cardano’s privacy-first project, and announced collaborations with companies including Google and Telegram. Hoskinson confirmed Midnight’s mainnet launch is planned for the end of March and defended using major cloud providers to handle heavy compute workloads. “When people spend a trillion dollars building data centers, we should probably use what they spent the trillion dollars on instead of trying to build a completely different network,” Hoskinson said, arguing that no single layer-1 blockchain can economically match the hardware capacity of hyperscalers. He added that Midnight is designed to offload compute-heavy tasks—especially privacy-related zero-knowledge workloads—to providers such as Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, while preserving privacy through techniques like multi-party computation (MPC) and confidential computing. In a stage demo, Hoskinson said Midnight processed thousands of transactions per second with Microsoft Azure powering the backend compute layer. Midnight Foundation CEO Fahmi Syed framed the project’s early move toward decentralization as deliberate: the network will debut with 10 federated nodes and work with cloud partners to provide infrastructure support—while the base chain runs its own nodes and governance remains with the protocol rather than the providers. But Leo Fan, founder of decentralized compute provider Cysic, pushed back hard. Fan warned that outsourcing core compute to a handful of hyperscalers risks reintroducing single points of failure and concentration of power—the very problems blockchain was meant to solve. “If your validators look decentralized but all run on the same data center, that’s still a single point of failure,” he told CoinDesk. Fan’s company operates a distributed compute network focused on accelerating zero-knowledge proof generation. He said Cysic has cut proof-generation times dramatically for one customer—from as much as 90 minutes on AWS to about 15 minutes on Cysic’s network—arguing decentralized hardware can match or surpass hyperscaler performance in some scenarios. “We don’t need to defeat them immediately, but we can compete,” he said. The disagreement is less about Midnight’s technical architecture than about how to define decentralization. Hoskinson emphasizes cryptographic and protocol-level neutrality—using encrypted computation so cloud vendors provide raw hardware without access to underlying data. Fan insists decentralization must extend down to the compute layer itself: encrypted workloads and workload routing don’t eliminate the concentration risk if most compute is supplied by a few global operators, especially as demand for GPUs and data-center capacity grows. Fan advocates a hybrid approach: use large cloud vendors selectively, combined with decentralized compute networks to build resilience and avoid ceding too much infrastructure control. Hoskinson’s path favors pragmatic integration with existing cloud capacity to achieve immediate scale and performance while relying on cryptography and protocol design for security and neutrality. As blockchain projects chase enterprise adoption and global scale, this tension—build parallel decentralized infrastructure or integrate with Big Tech—may shape the next phase of the industry. Midnight’s mainnet rollout and how it balances cloud partnerships with decentralization will be an early test of which approach gains traction. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Gemini Space Station Inc. (GEMI) shares tumbled more than 10% in early Tuesday trading after the crypto firm announced the immediate departures of three senior executives — a dramatic shake-up just months after its IPO. In a regulatory filing, Gemini said COO Marshall Beard, CFO Dan Chen and Chief Legal Officer Tyler Meade have all left the company effective immediately. Beard also resigned from the board; the company said his resignation “was not the result of any disagreement related to the company’s operations, policies or practices.” The exchange did not name a permanent replacement for Beard. The executive exits follow a string of recent retrenchments at Gemini. Earlier this week the company revealed plans to shutter its crypto exchange operations in the U.K., EU and Australia, cut roughly 25% of its global workforce, and pivot its strategic focus toward the U.S. market and prediction markets. The moves signal a significant pullback from international retail operations only months after the firm went public. Leadership changes and interim appointments - Co-founder Cameron Winklevoss will absorb many of Beard’s responsibilities — including revenue-generating duties — in addition to his existing role. - The board named Danijela Stojanovic, Gemini’s chief accounting officer since May 2025, as interim CFO. - Kate Freedman, associate general counsel and corporate secretary, was tapped as interim general counsel, effective immediately. At least one additional senior staff member tied to Gemini’s APAC operations was also let go, according to a person familiar with the matter. Market reaction and what’s next Investors punished the news quickly, with GEMI lagging most peers on Tuesday morning. The leadership exits come amid an aggressive reorientation of the business that could reshape Gemini’s product mix and regional footprint going forward. How permanent the executive departures are and whether further senior changes are forthcoming remains unclear. Gemini did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for comment. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitcoin slipped back under $67,000 on Tuesday, breaking the tight weekend range of $68,000–$70,000 as risk appetite cooled across markets. The flagship crypto, which had been trading near $68,324, came under pressure alongside a softer open for U.S. equities—most notably the beleaguered software sector. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) fell about 3%, leaving it roughly 30% below its October high. Software names have been hit by investor concerns that rapid improvements in AI could disrupt existing business models. That dynamic appears to be bleeding into crypto: market sentiment increasingly treats bitcoin like “just software,” so any hit to the software complex can translate into downward pressure on BTC. Read more: Bitcoin's correlation with troubled software stock sector is growing. The broader market tone was negative too: the Nasdaq dropped 0.8% and the S&P 500 fell 0.6%. Precious metals also cooled from recent parabolic moves—gold tumbled about 3% to roughly $4,860 per ounce, and silver plunged about 6%, now around 40% below its late-January peak. Crypto-related equities gave back gains from last week’s bounce. MicroStrategy (MSTR), the largest corporate bitcoin holder, slid about 5%, as did Circle (CRCL), issuer of the USDC stablecoin. Bitcoin miners and data-center operators—including Riot Platforms (RIOT), Marathon Digital (MARA), CleanSpark (CLSK), Cipher Mining (CIFR) and TeraWulf (WULF)—fell roughly 4%–5%. Paul Howard, senior director at trading firm Wincent, said the move reflects how tightly crypto has been tied to macro sentiment over the past year. “Macro news has been closely correlated with crypto's risk profile the last 12 months and expectations are that macro numbers remain soft, implying a risk-off trade mentality,” he noted. Howard flagged an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling on tariffs later this week as a potential near-term catalyst, but said he expects ongoing consolidation while bitcoin and the broader digital-asset market search for a fresh narrative strong enough to lure capital back from AI stocks and commodities. “Crypto has some work to do recreating itself as an appealing asset class and the relatively low prices are not attractive enough,” he added. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Stripe’s Bridge wins conditional OCC nod to form national trust bank, paving way for federally overseen stablecoin issuance Stripe-owned Bridge said Tuesday it has received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to form a national trust bank — a move that would let the firm issue stablecoins, custody digital assets and manage reserves under direct federal supervision. The approval is a key step in Stripe’s broader push into blockchain-based payments since it acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion in 2024. “This approval positions Bridge to help enterprises, fintechs, crypto businesses and financial institutions build with digital dollars inside a clear federal framework,” the company said in its press release. Bridge says its systems already meet the compliance standards set out in last year’s Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which directs how stablecoin issuers should be regulated. Federal banking agencies — including the OCC, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC — have not yet finalized the implementing rules required by the GENIUS Act, but are actively working through the process. The conditional charter puts Bridge among a growing cohort of firms pursuing federally supervised stablecoin operations. In December, Circle, Ripple, Paxos, Fidelity Digital Assets and BitGo received similar conditional approvals from the OCC, and Erebor Bank was granted a conditional national bank charter in October. Bridge filed its application in October, and OCC records indicate the agency signed off last week. Bridge already powers stablecoin issuance for products such as Phantom’s CASH and MetaMask’s mUSD via Stripe’s Open Issuance platform. The OCC has not provided a timeline for converting the conditional approval into a final charter. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Monad’s MON slides after short-term profit-taking, but on-chain private credit and fresh hires shine a light on longer-term upside Monad’s native token MON was trading around $0.021 after a roughly 7% drop over the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. The pullback followed renewed profit-taking after MON revisited the $0.025 area, and continued weakness in Bitcoin and large-cap altcoins could keep near-term pressure on the token. Still, recent protocol milestones and institutional hires have renewed interest among analysts who see rebound potential as Monad pushes into institutional‑grade DeFi. What’s behind the move - Network traction: Monad’s public mainnet launched in November 2025 alongside a token sale on Coinbase. Since then the chain has attracted nearly $480 million in stablecoin market capitalization and, per DeFiLlama, its total value locked (TVL) sits above $250 million—metrics that point to growing on‑chain activity that could lift MON as adoption expands. - On‑chain private credit: Valos announced a $100 million private‑credit vault on Accountable’s Yield App that is now “fully verifiable on‑chain via Monad.” Making private credit verifiable on‑chain aims to bridge traditional finance and DeFi by recording proofs and auditability of those instruments on a public ledger, a use case that could broaden institutional adoption. - Institutional hires: The Monad Foundation added three senior executives focused on institutions: Urvit Goel (VP of go‑to‑market) from the Optimism Foundation; Joanita Titan (head of institutional growth) from FalconX; and Sagar Sarbhai (head of institutions, APAC) from BVNK. These hires target institutional onboarding and could increase demand for MON as ecosystem services expand. Price dynamics and outlook - Current trading: MON has been moving in the $0.020–$0.023 range. Daily trading volume is down about 30%, a sign some selling pressure is easing. - Bull case: If protocol adoption continues and macro conditions improve, bulls will try to defend $0.020 and aim for a breakout to $0.030. The token recently bounced from all‑time lows near $0.016 in early February, and a renewed bid could push MON toward its all‑time high around $0.05. - Bear case: Market skepticism toward new layer‑1 tokens has hurt recent launches like ZetaChain, Berachain and Aster. If sentiment turns negative again, MON could revisit support in the $0.016–$0.010 range. Bottom line MON’s short‑term price action reflects profit-taking and broader crypto market weakness, but meaningful on‑chain product launches (notably on‑chain verifiable private credit) combined with institution-focused hires give the project tangible use cases and a path to deeper adoption. Traders should watch TVL, stablecoin flows, and institutional activity for indications of whether MON’s next move will be a rebound or another leg lower. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Controversial BIP-110 to curb Ordinals spam draws fire from Bitcoin heavyweights A new Bitcoin Improvement Proposal, BIP-110, is stirring debate across the industry by proposing temporary limits on non-monetary data in transactions — an effort aimed squarely at Ordinals inscriptions that embed images, videos and other artifacts into Bitcoin blocks. What BIP-110 would do - BIP-110 is a soft fork, meaning it’s designed to be backward-compatible with existing Bitcoin software. - It would impose stricter, time-limited caps on non-payment data in transactions to reduce “spam-like” onchain content and free up block space for payments. - Proponents say the change could lower fees and unclog the network for ordinary users while keeping Bitcoin focused on being money. Supporters also note onchain activity from these inscriptions has been “close to negligible” in recent months. Pushback from industry leaders The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from influential figures. Blockstream CEO Adam Back described BIP-110 as an attack on Bitcoin’s credibility, arguing it risks more reputational damage than the inscriptions themselves. “It’s worse as it is an attack on bitcoin’s credibility as a store of value, its security credibility,” Back wrote on X, calling the move a “lynch mob attempt” to force through changes without consensus. He added that the “spam” still fits within block-size limits and suggested existing op_return usage is substantially smaller. Others in the ecosystem have echoed concerns that a heavy-handed technical fix could erode trust in Bitcoin more than ordinal inscriptions ever did, turning a nuisance into a governance crisis. Market backdrop The debate comes as prices show little momentum. Bitcoin has been trading roughly between $67,000 and $70,000, slipping toward the lower end of that range at the time of reporting. Riskier tokens are under pressure: the CoinDesk Memecoin Index (CDMEME) fell about 3% over 24 hours, while ether and BNB were down roughly 1%. Alex Kuptsikevich, senior market analyst at FxPro, warned that weakness in the largest coins could drag smaller tokens lower and described the market as in a “stress zone,” though “not yet” at the final capitulation point. He noted that a true bottom usually requires a peak in loss-taking and exhaustion of selling pressure. Macro signals to watch Traditional markets add another layer of complexity. Short positions against the U.S. dollar are at their highest in more than a decade, and a recent decline in the inflation-adjusted yield on the U.S. 10-year helped give some encouragement to bitcoin bulls. Bottom line BIP-110 has thrust a fresh governance controversy into the spotlight: a technically modest, temporary soft fork aimed at reigning in non-payment data is being framed by critics as a dangerous precedent that could undermine Bitcoin’s neutrality and reputation. Markets are watching closely as the debate unfolds, with traders also monitoring macro factors that could amplify crypto volatility. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news