Roman BTC

Companies are converting aircraft engines to gas turbines amid rising energy demand.
The solution should close the capacity shortage and supply queues for traditional turbines.
Demand from the AI industry is stimulating the emergence of new players in the energy market.
As AI infrastructure expands, companies are looking for alternative sources of electricity for their data centers. One solution is converting aircraft jet engines into land-based gas turbines, writes WSJ .

FTAI Aviation, a company specializing in leasing and repairing aircraft engines, plans to start selling a modified version of the Boeing 737 engine. They will be used to create a solution for generating electricity as early as 2026.

The company's shares rose about 42% after announcing the launch of a new power turbine line in December 2025. However, the stock has since suffered a correction, and is trading at $286 in premarket trading on February 23
Jet engines for energy
Other players are also developing similar projects, the authors noted.

For example, ProEnergy sells turbines based on Boeing 747 engines. Similarly, Boom Supersonic plans to supply similar installations for AI data centers, in particular on order from the startup Crusoe.

Jet engines are suitable for land-based generation due to their high power and reliability, according to industry experts.

According to them, there are two main ways to adapt such equipment. The first is to convert it to run on natural gas instead of jet fuel. The second is to replace the large fan with a smaller one optimized for energy generation.
FTAI Aviation President David Moreno said the company needed 30 to 45 days to convert the engine into a power turbine, a solution that took about 18 months to develop.

New turbine market
Major energy equipment manufacturers — GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — already sell aeroderivative turbines, but delivery times are stretched for years, experts say, opening up a niche for new companies offering faster solutions.

Analysts estimate that about 1,600 aircraft engines are retired each year. Their conversion could significantly increase available capacity and partially address the electricity shortage for data centers.
Technology companies that are actively investing in AI are increasing demand for such solutions.

Global industry capital spending on AI infrastructure is expected to exceed $700 billion in 2026. This, in turn, could drive energy innovation and the development of alternative sources of generation, according to the authors of the material.

The US Supreme Court has overturned tariffs imposed by Donald Trump's administration.
The crypto market reacted cautiously: Bitcoin briefly rose above $68,000, while altcoins slightly regained their positions.
The fear and greed index dropped to 8 points, which corresponds to "extreme fear."
On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. The cryptocurrency market did not react strongly to the news. Bitcoin briefly traded above $68,000, but later retreated to previous levels.
Altcoins also did not show much momentum. In particular, the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization showed growth of about 1% per day.
Separately, the mood of market participants is highlighted by the fear and greed index: as of February 21, 2026, it dropped to 8 points, indicating "extreme fear."
It should be noted that this is about the abolition of tariffs that Trump introduced on April 2, 2025. They provided for fees of 10-50% on imports from most countries.

The crypto market reacted differently then. First, the Bitcoin price instantly jumped to $88,500, then fell. Within a week, the asset had dropped to $75,000.

Details of the court decision
The US Supreme Court ruled by a majority of 6 to 3 that Trump had exceeded his authority by using the federal emergency powers law as the legal basis for imposing global “reciprocal” tariffs, as well as individual import duties.

The court did not specify how much importers could claim back the fees. Bloomberg noted that the issue was left to the lower courts. If the compensation is fully granted, the total amount of payments could reach $170 billion, according to estimates.

The court's ruling applies to tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China. The ruling also calls into question some of the targeted tariffs imposed under the Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including on goods from Brazil and India, Bloomberg reported.

What market participants say
21Shares Head of Macroeconomics Steven Coltman suggested in a commentary on The Block that a court ruling negative for tariffs could potentially pressure Treasuries and the dollar, but be favorable for stocks and cryptocurrencies.

Similar logic was voiced by VanEck head of research Matthew Siegel, who linked the potential decline in customs revenues to the risk of “accelerating money printing and currency depreciation.”

Goldman Sachs, for its part, said the Supreme Court's decision does not in itself mean the end of tariff policy. The bank believes the administration may try to use alternative legal mechanisms to impose restrictions.

Trump's reaction
Donald Trump called the Supreme Court's decision absurd. He also announced his intention to sign a new document that would provide for a global tariff of 10%, as well as initiate a series of investigations to protect against unfair trade.

Interest in the potential fall of Bitcoin to zero on Google reached 100 points.
This is a new high since June 2022, when Celsius and 3AC collapsed.
Matrixport experts noted pessimism in the market and signs of a bottom forming.
Google searches for Bitcoin price crashing to zero have hit 100 points, a new high since June 2022, when the market was in a tailspin following the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin, which sparked a wave of bankruptcies.
As you can see, the indicator jumped in November 2025, which is likely a reaction to a prolonged correction after the sell-off in early October . Then, in December, it fell, after which it jumped sharply.

Note that the graph above shows the number of queries for the phrase “Bitcoin going to zero.” Notably, as of February 2026, interest in Bitcoin in particular was higher than in the crypto market in general — 55 versus 41 points, according to Google Trends .

Prior to this, similar interest in the topic of Bitcoin's potential fall to zero was observed in June 2022. This month is called the peak of the previous crypto winter.

Following the collapse of the stablecoin TerraUSD and, as a result, the company Terraform Labs, a number of counterparties in the cryptosphere have faced difficulties. This includes the bankruptcy of the lender Celsius and the fund Three Arrows Capital.

Also, the interest in such a request is a reflection of the general pessimism in the market. Matrixport experts pointed out that sentiment has fallen to a minimum, which may indicate the formation of a bottom.

“Given the cyclical relationship between market sentiment and Bitcoin price dynamics, recent data suggests that the market may be approaching another tipping point,” the statement said.

We previously covered the opinion of Wells Fargo experts. They expect Bitcoin to grow as part of high-risk assets amid tax refunds in the US.

Tax refunds will begin in the US in March.
This will lead to an inflow of liquidity of up to $150 billion, Wells Fargo said.
The company's experts believe that additional capital will lead to an increase in high-risk assets.
In 2026, US taxpayers are expected to receive a larger refund, which could provide an inflow of liquidity into high-risk asset markets of up to $150 billion. This was reported by CNBC , citing an analytical note from Wells Fargo.

Note that in the US, employers withhold income tax in advance. During the subsequent recalculation, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) often returns a portion, for example, if there are benefits.

The withholding tables will remain unchanged in 2025. However, the current administration has introduced a number of reliefs, listed, for example, in the Big Beautiful Bill .

The IRS estimates that the average refund will be $2,290 in 2026, an 11% increase from the previous period. Wells Fargo experts believe that by the end of March 2026, when most taxpayers will receive some of their money back, up to $150 billion in free liquidity will enter the market.

The organization assesses this as a positive factor for high-risk assets, including cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular.

“Speculation intensifies as savings increase. […] We expect YOLO to return,” the note said.

In addition to Bitcoin, some companies will benefit from the additional capital influx into the market. These include Robinhood, Boeing, the technology sector, and AI.

Wells Fargo experts also noted that the first cryptocurrency can be considered an indicator of liquidity. The asset fell by 29% in a month, and during the same period, $105 billion in capital outflows occurred from the US domestic market.

Logan Paul sold a Pikachu Illustrator card at auction for $16.49 million.
It was bought by collector AJ Scaramucci, son of famous businessman Anthony Scaramucci.
Paul himself purchased the card for $5.27 million and planned to tokenize it in the Liquid Marketplace project.
It was shut down after a lawsuit from a Canadian regulator, and Paul was accused of a rug pull.
On February 16, 2026, journalist Ben Burroughs reported that famous blogger Logan Paul had sold his Pokémon card called Pikachu Illustrator for $16.49 million. It later became known that the buyer was the son of SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci.

The bidding was conducted in an auction format. The winning bid was made by AJ Scaramucci, son of Anthony Scaramucci. When asked by the auctioneers how far he was willing to go, the winner said he could not reveal it.

“I love collectibles. I’ve been doing this for five years, but out of the public eye. I remember starting with Pokémon Cards during the pandemic. Then I got interested in manuscripts, fossils. I’m just fascinated by these rare things. […] I think collectibles are a great way to save money,” he said.

According to AJ Scaramucci, the demand for collectibles will only increase as global market volatility increases. The businessman also announced the Treasure Trove project, within the framework of which he plans to organize a “hunt” for antiquities around the world.

Why is this card so valuable?
It was released in 1998. The card was not sold at retail, but was awarded to participants in a contest from CoroCoro magazine. A total of 39 pieces were released (some sources say 41). The artist was Ken Sugimori, who was behind the creation of the first generation of Pokémon.

Logan Paul purchased his copy in 2021 for $5.27 million. The card is in perfect condition. It should also be noted that it belonged to a media personality, which is why it was so expensive.

For example, in February 2022, a similar card was sold for $900,000.

Criticism of Paul and suspicions of fraud
In April 2022, Logan Paul launched the Liquid Marketplace project. This is a platform for tokenization and trading of collectibles. The first lot was the same card. The blogger himself subsequently tried to distance himself from the project, but before that he confirmed that he was its founder.

In 2024, the Ontario Securities Commission filed a lawsuit against the platform and its affiliates, alleging that the project’s founders misappropriated about $3 million of the $10 million raised for the launch. The platform was subsequently shut down.

The criticism against Paul is based on the fact that he allegedly organized a rug pull with the card, selling allegedly fragments of the tokenized asset through the Liquid Marketplace. Paul himself explained this as follows:

"I originally offered up to 51% of the Pikachu Illustrator card for sale on Liquid Marketplace, but ultimately only 5.4% was sold — for approximately $270,000 — in the summer of 2022 to fractional co-owners affiliated with LM. In May 2024, I bought the card back at the same price that this share was sold for, in accordance with LM's terms, and provided users with the ability to withdraw funds."

The platform's administration said the funds would be available within a year, Paul said. The site was later shut down, but the blogger allegedly paid for its relaunch, and the remaining partial owners can withdraw their money.

It should be noted that these are not the first accusations against Paul. He was previously suspected of organizing a Pump and Dump scheme through the promotion of a number of memecoins.

Willy Wu stated that the 12-year trend of Bitcoin's valuation relative to gold was broken due to quantum risk.
According to him, even the transition to quantum-resistant signatures does not eliminate the problem of potentially returning about 4 million lost BTC to circulation.
Bitcoin's 12-year trend of appreciation relative to gold has broken after quantum risk came into focus, said Willy Wu, co-founder of the Bitcoin Vector project and Crest company.

According to him, the first cryptocurrency should have been valued much higher relative to gold, but the market began to price in the risk associated with a potential future hacking of the ECDSA cryptographic signature.

He added that Bitcoin will likely be upgraded with quantum-resistant signatures, but that doesn’t close the issue of the 4 million lost coins that could theoretically return to circulation. Wu estimates there is a 75% chance that these coins will not be frozen due to a hard fork. He believes the market should factor in the risk of selling this much.

For comparison, he cited the example of Strategy: since the firm began accumulating Bitcoin in 2020, all companies and spot ETFs combined, according to his estimate, have only purchased about 2.8 million BTC.

Wu also stated that Q-Day (the day when quantum computers will be able to break old cryptographic signatures) could come in 5–15 years.

An NFT collector under the pseudonym 0xBaron agreed with the importance of quantum risk.

“The quantum risk is so significant that it will require an upgrade from traditional systems. And with virtually the entire financial infrastructure being upgraded, it seems unlikely that Bitcoin will not fork and upgrade,” he added.

TMTG, Yorkville America Equities and Crypto.com are planning to launch two more ETFs.
These are products based on Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as Cronos.
The structure of the latter involves staking.
Yorkville America Equities, a company affiliated with the social network Truth Social, has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) an application for two cryptocurrency ETFs. The products are created in partnership with the Crypto.com exchange.

It should be noted that Yorkville America Equities is the management company for a line of financial products launched under the Truth Social brand. The latter, in turn, is the brainchild of Trump Media & Technology Group, closely linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.

In March 2025, TMTG partnered with Crypto.com to launch various financial products, including ETFs. At the same time, it was reported that one of them would likely be an exchange-traded fund based on Cronos (CRO), which Crypto.com is already behind.

And so it turned out: according to the application, Yorkville America Equities plans to launch two funds:

Truth Social Bitcoin and Ether ETF. The product will invest in both Bitcoin and Ethereum;
Truth Social Cronos Yield Maximizer ETF. In this case, the fund will invest in Cronos and also use assets for staking.
Yorkville America Equities appears in the documents as an investment advisor, while the issuer is Truth Social Funds, already associated with TMTG.

In addition to these ETFs, the partners have applied for two more products, one of which, the Blue Chip Digital Asset ETF, aims to invest in a basket of crypto assets. However, neither has been launched yet.

The disappearance was discovered during an inspection of evidence storage.
The coins were handed over to the police back in 2021.
The incident has heightened concerns about the security of working with digital assets.
A scandal has erupted in South Korea over law enforcement's handling of crypto assets. Bitcoins that were used as evidence in a criminal case have disappeared in Seoul.

Police confirmed the disappearance of 22 BTC, valued at approximately $1.5 million. The assets were stored in a cold wallet at the unit and were to remain under control until the investigation was completed.
The coins were handed over to law enforcement in 2021 as part of one of the cases, but the proceedings dragged on and were effectively frozen. During this time, the crypto assets were considered preserved.

Later, an internal investigation revealed that the funds were transferred to an external address. However, no physical theft of the storage device was recorded, indicating possible access to asset management from within, police believe.

The investigation into the incident has been transferred to another police unit. Law enforcement officers are reviewing the chain of custody, employees with access to the assets, and procedures for recording digital evidence.
Cryptoasset control under question
The case became a sensation after another incident involving the disappearance of 320 BTC that was being processed by the prosecutor's office. After that, audits of cryptocurrency storage systems seized in criminal cases began across the country.

Experts note that the increase in the number of such episodes is due to insufficient development of regulations and technical standards for storing digital assets. Unlike fiat funds, transactions in the blockchain are irreversible, and control over keys becomes a critical security factor.

Authorities intend to tighten procedures for accounting and access to crypto assets to prevent similar situations from recurring. The incident is already being seen as a signal of the need to reform the approach to working with digital evidence in criminal investigations.

Binance has completed the purchase of Bitcoin as part of the $1 billion SAFU reserve conversion initiative.
The exchange made the last tranche on February 12, 2026.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has completed its initiative to convert $1 billion of SAFU’s stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin. It was completed within 30 days of the initial announcement, as planned, the company said .

The exchange made its final tranche of 4,545 BTC on February 12, 2026. In total, Binance bought 15,000 BTC as part of the campaign. At an asset price of around $68,000, their value is approximately $1.02 billion.
It should be noted that the purchase of Bitcoin was carried out in five tranches:

February 2 - 1315 BTC;
February 4 - 1315 BTC;
February 6 - 3600 BTC;
February 9 - 4225 BTC;
February 12 - 4545 BTC.
Binance noted that they view Bitcoin as the underlying asset of the crypto ecosystem and a tool for long-term storage of value.

As part of the strategy, the exchange will regularly rebalance the SAFU fund based on monitoring its market value, the company added. If the value of the reserves drops below $800 million due to fluctuations in the price of the first cryptocurrency, Binance plans to restore the figure to $1 billion.

Recall that earlier, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao denied rumors about large sales of Bitcoin, manipulation of the SAFU fund, and his influence on the market.

CryptoRank noted a bearish signal for Bitcoin, which has not been observed since 2022.
In turn, 50% of Americans have positive sentiment about the stock market in the next six months.
This value was named the second highest by Gallup since 2020.
Bitcoin is sending a bearish signal the market hasn't seen since 2022, while the overall sentiment in traditional markets remains relatively stable. Amid a cooling macro environment, the top cryptocurrency is showing weakness, which is causing increasing debate among analysts.

Bitcoin behavior
According to CryptoRank, the technical picture is getting more complicated.
This is the dynamics of the 200-day moving average, which is “deteriorating at the fastest pace since the last bear market.” The analysts emphasized that historically, “such a collapse in momentum does not occur during healthy corrections,” but appears when markets are “under real stress.”

At the same time, the current situation is different from 2022. Back then, as noted, "everything was falling at the same time. Stocks collapsed, liquidity dried up, and risk appetite disappeared."

Now, “the Nasdaq is slowing but not falling,” and the stock market is “behaving cautiously rather than capitulating.” In fact, the market is seeing “bearish weakness in Bitcoin, while broader risk sentiment is only moderately cooling.”

According to experts, this means two things: “Bitcoin’s weakness is real and should not be ignored,” but at the same time it is occurring “without the dead macro backdrop that defined 2022.”

The result is an “uncomfortable middle ground” where Bitcoin is “ill-equipped to absorb shocks” due to fading momentum and weak participation, making it vulnerable to sharp moves in either direction. This is “not an environment for complacency, but it is also not a time for capitulation,” so in the short term, “turbulence should be expected.”

An optimistic view of the stock market
The macro context also looks mixed. According to The Kobeissi Letter, citing a Gallup poll, “50% of Americans expect the stock market to rise over the next six months” — the second highest figure since 2020.
At the same time, “50% expect unemployment to rise,” the highest level since May 2009. Thus, “the gap between stock market expectations and economic fears has rarely been so wide.”

Meanwhile, the situation on the crypto market was critical on the night of February 5-6, 2026, when the value of Bitcoin instantly dropped to $60,000:
From the historical high of over $125,000 recorded in early October 2025, the decline has been ongoing for over four months, and the asset maintains a downward trend.

After falling more than 10% in one day, analysts are debating whether this is a capitulation or just a pause before a new move. Futures data point to the risk of further decline, although major players are simultaneously increasing their positions:
At the same time, Bernstein expects the current decline to be temporary. The company's analysts predicted the end of the short-term bear cycle in the first half of 2026. According to their estimates, the bottom for Bitcoin was formed near $60,000 - at the levels of historical highs of the previous cycle. Among the possible catalysts for future growth, they name institutional participation, support from the United States and a change in political course.

Binance has accumulated over 87% of the USD1 stablecoin's trading volume.
The issuer of the asset is World Liberty Financial, which is associated with the Trump family.
Binance's participation does not imply ownership of the tokens, but gives the exchange influence over distribution.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance holds about 87% of the total circulation of the USD1 stablecoin, according to data from analytics platform Arkham . According to them, Binance controls 4.69 billion USD1, while the total circulation of the asset is approximately 5.37 billion tokens.

USD1 is a stablecoin of the World Liberty Financial platform, which is associated with US President Donald Trump. The asset has risen to fifth place among stablecoins by market capitalization, according to DefiLlama .

In a comment to DLNews, Binance PR team representative Jessica Jang noted that liquidity is formed in accordance with user demand, and the company is making efforts to meet this demand and provide quality customer service.

“Holding USD1 tokens on Binance does not mean that the crypto exchange owns them. Using external custodian services is common practice in the financial industry. However, no other major stablecoin has such a high share placed on a single third-party exchange, highlighting Binance’s central role in the liquidity, distribution, and custody of the token,” DLNews said.

Comments from company representatives and experts
Independent crypto researcher Molly White, in a commentary for Forbes, noted that such concentration is atypical, but not particularly surprising. She added that there is at least a theoretical risk when a token is heavily concentrated on a single exchange, such as in the event of assets being frozen as part of a bankruptcy proceeding.

According to her, controlling 87% of USD1 stablecoins gives Binance some leverage over World Liberty Financial, especially considering that some of the tokens are presumably owned by the exchange itself, rather than held on behalf of customers.

World Liberty Financial representative David Waxman denied any possibility of Binance controlling or influencing the company. Binance noted that their participation in the USD1 project is limited to standard listing, infrastructure, and market access services.

Recall, earlier the media reported that Pakistan plans to integrate the USD1 stablecoin from World Liberty Financial.

Last week was a real crash test: the closing of the quarter and the cascade of liquidations "threw off the train" all the insecure. But if you put aside emotions and look at the data, the panic subsides.

The inflow of funds into ETFs on Friday is a clear signal: a big player is buying into the fear of the crowd. We have entered a phase of thin market and uncertainty, and this is the perfect environment for a market maker to manipulate hard.

Three movement vectors for the coming days are below.

Scenario A - Bull Trap
The most technical scenario. The top layer of liquidity and the imbalance zone (FVG) remain untouched.

The market maker's logic: give an upward impulse, remove the stops of the "late bears", make the crowd believe in growth - and turn down on this liquidity. We consider a short position only after removing the highs and breaking the structure on the lower timeframe.
Scenario B - Slipping Under Weight
Weakness scenario. If the buyer does not show activity at the opening (especially in the US), the price will continue its inertial decline.

Target: "magnet" from below - the $70,000 zone and historical support levels. In this option, we do not expect rebounds - the chart will simply be "heavy."
Scenario C — full redemption (V-shape)
Optimistic option. Complete absorption of last week's decline, return above the problematic levels of $80,000-$82,000 and formation of a new bullish structure.

The probability is lower than the first two scenarios, but if budget news from the US adds positivity, this scenario could be activated instantly.
Mood and tactics
February loves "swings." Now it is harmful to blindly believe in neither the native nor the cryptozyma. This week will give the answer: have we found a solid bottom or was it just a prelude to a correction.

We work from level to level
Focus: swing trading. It is dangerous during the day - "helicopters" knock out the stops in both directions;
filter: volumes. Approaching a level without volumes = false movement.

Kiyosaki responded to accusations of lying about the price of buying Bitcoin.
He confirmed that he bought the asset at $6,000.
The CEO of Coinbase said he doesn't understand how anyone can not be a long-term optimist about cryptocurrencies.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, has responded to criticism about the date he bought Bitcoin. He has been accused of lying, saying that at the time he stated the price of Bitcoin was already much higher.

In response, Kiyosaki stated that he accurately remembers his entry price — about $6,000 — and does not consider the date of purchase to be important.

He also noted that if the first cryptocurrency falls to these levels, he will purchase more and emphasized his willingness to increase the amount of investments in gold.

“My advice to those reading this: stay away from people who are more interested in the date of acquisition than the value and price of the asset,” the expert added.

Previously, Robert Kiyosaki called the market collapse a "sellout" and stated his willingness to buy Bitcoin, gold, and silver.

What does the CEO of Coinbase say?
It should be noted that the CEO of crypto exchange Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, is also positive about the future of the crypto market. According to him, the last few days have been volatile, but this is nothing new, because the crypto industry has already gone through many market cycles.

He stressed that he personally does not understand how one can not be a long-term optimist about cryptocurrencies, which are rapidly changing financial services. Armstrong also assured that Coinbase will continue to operate and launch products in any market conditions, emphasizing the importance of updating the financial system.

This is not the first time that the Coinbase CEO has expressed optimism about the crypto market. In particular, in September 2025, he named three arguments in favor of Bitcoin's growth to $1 million by 2030.

Interest in the query "bitcoin" has reached its highest level in a year, according to Google Trends.
Experts attribute the surge to the asset's price falling to $60,000.
Analysts believe that retail investors are returning to the market.
The cryptocurrency market is experiencing increased volatility, against the backdrop of which user interest in Bitcoin in search engines has sharply increased.

Google searches for the word “bitcoin” have increased significantly in recent times. This happened after the price of the asset fell to $60,000, the lowest level in several months. According to Google Trends, the interest indicator reached 100 points in the week starting February 1, 2026.

The previous peak in search activity was recorded in November, when Bitcoin fell below the psychological $100,000 mark for the first time in a long period.

The current surge in interest comes after the price fell from $81,500 in early February to $60,000 within a few days. The asset has since partially recovered and is trading around $68,000 at press time.
Crypto analysts traditionally view Google Trends data as an indicator of retail investor activity. Sharp increases in search queries often accompany strong price movements, both during periods of rapid growth and during large-scale market sell-offs.

Andre Dragos, head of Bitwise Europe, said that the dynamics of search queries could indicate the return of retail participants. According to him, the current fluctuations in the rate have attracted the attention of a wide audience, who have started to follow the market again.

Additional signs of investor activity were noted by Julio Moreno, head of research at CryptoQuant. He reported that American market participants began actively buying bitcoin after it fell to $60,000.
At the same time, a number of indicators indicate that investors remain cautious.

The Fear and Greed Index has fallen back into the “extreme fear” zone, approaching its lowest levels in recent years. Some analysts believe that such levels could signal a potential entry point for long-term buyers and reflect high uncertainty in the market.

Recall, we wrote that a JPMorgan analyst estimated the long-term potential of Bitcoin above gold.

The platform has recorded a short-term price divergence with other exchanges.
Lookonchain pointed out a possible error in the distribution of a significant amount of Bitcoin.
The exchange did not confirm the incident, and the reasons for the anomaly have not been officially disclosed.
On February 6, 2026, analysts recorded an anomalous situation with the exchange rate of the first cryptocurrency on the Bithumb exchange. The price of Bitcoin briefly dropped more than 10% below the levels of other major platforms.

Social media attributed the incident to a mistake by the company's staff. As some users of the X platform (formerly Twitter) stated, due to the inattention of one of the employees, the exchange's clients received thousands of bitcoins in their accounts.
Lookonchain experts emphasized that the asset was indeed trading at a significant discount to the global market. This is atypical for an asset with high liquidity and developed arbitrage between exchanges.

According to unconfirmed information, during an internal operation, platform employees may have mistakenly distributed bitcoins instead of Korean won rewards.

The network claims that it may be about 2,000 BTC distributed to hundreds of users. Immediately after receiving the airdrop, some of the recipients allegedly immediately sold the asset, increasing the pressure on the price inside the exchange.
There was no confirmation from the platform itself at the time of publication. Bithumb did not disclose the reason for the price discrepancy or indicate whether any transfer errors were recorded.

Such price deviations for Bitcoin occur rarely and are usually associated with local liquidity disruptions, operational issues, or sharp demand imbalances.
Bithumb is one of the largest crypto exchanges in South Korea. The company has previously faced criticism over its operational processes and risk controls.

As a reminder, we wrote that the collapse of the Bitcoin price to $60,000 led to liquidations of $2.6 billion.

Peter Schiff criticized Trump's idea to make the US the "bitcoin capital of the world . "
He believes that the US is wasting resources on Bitcoin, while China has focused on industry and gold.
Users of X (formerly Twitter) responded that the US is not investing in the first cryptocurrency, but only regulating the infrastructure.
Prominent crypto skeptic Peter Schiff believes that the Chinese leadership is too smart to be concerned about Bitcoin like the US does. He said:

“Trump said he believes in cryptocurrencies and wants to make the US the “bitcoin capital of the world,” because, according to him, if the United States doesn’t do it, China will. […] While we waste capital and resources, they build factories and buy up gold.”

After one of the X users pointed out that the US government is not buying Bitcoin at all, Schiff clarified his position, adding that America is misdirecting capital and resources into Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies — it is harming the country's economy.
Several users of the platform responded to Schiff, criticizing his logic. One of them wrote :

“This formulation distorts reality. China does not really interact with Bitcoin directly, instead focusing on goods and production. But crypto mining was banned in China not out of “wisdom”, but to prevent capital outflows from the yuan.”

As a reminder, Peter Schiff is known for his negative statements about the crypto market. For example, in April 2025, he predicted the collapse of the cryptocurrency sector. He also criticized cryptocurrency bills in the United States.

Jim Cramer cast doubt on Bitcoin's bullishness amid its fall below $76,000.
He called the $73,000 and $77,000 levels important for the asset.
However, Cramer considers the first cryptocurrency "unreliable" in the short term after the collapse.
CNBC's Mad Money host Jim Cramer commented on Bitcoin's sharp drop below $76,000 over the weekend — the lowest level since April 2025 — and questioned where the asset's main supporters went as it tested key levels.

In his opinion, the situation once again emphasizes the high volatility of cryptocurrency.

Cramer drew attention to technical benchmarks: he called the support zone around $73,000, citing strategist Jessica Inskeep, and the $77,000 level a "launch pad" for a return to the range below $80,000.

He also mentioned Strategy (MSTR) head Michael Saylor, asking if he had enough resources for new purchases. Saylor himself hinted at the acquisition, writing on social media "even more orange."

Assessing the asset's behavior, Cramer emphasized :

"The demonstration of what can happen to Bitcoin over the weekend shows its unreliability in the short term as a currency."

At the same time, he noted that he personally owns Bitcoin.

According to him, the sell-off in the crypto market has begun to "leak" into other risk asset segments. Cramer believes that leveraged traders in metals and speculative stocks may close positions to cover losses in crypto assets.

He also warned investors not to give in to “cries of doom” and to focus on opportunities in the stock market and corporate reports, not just macro factors or Bitcoin’s movements.

The TV host suggested that short sellers could also be putting pressure on the price ahead of Strategy's report, adding that narratives from Bitcoin's "usual defenders" may not be enough if the decline accelerates.

Recall that the drop in the price of Bitcoin below $76,000 caused mass liquidations in the crypto futures market worth $2.58 billion, with most of the losses falling on traders with long positions.

As of February 2, 2026, the capitalization of the entire crypto market decreased by 2.5% per day - to $2.57 trillion. The daily volume of liquidations approached $800 million.

Tether's profit for 2025 was $10 billion, according to the company's report.
The volume of total reserve assets reached a historical maximum of almost $193 billion.
In addition, the company is one of the largest holders of US government bonds in the world.
Tether International has released its Q4 2025 report , prepared by auditing firm BDO, which confirms the reliability of its financial performance and reserves (FFRR) and information about the assets backing the USDT stablecoin as of December 31, 2025.

Last year, Tether generated over $10 billion in net profit, and excess reserves reached $6.3 billion.

The company emphasized that it has maintained high financial stability due to conservative reserve management and asset allocation in US government bonds, digital assets, and its own investment structures.

The USDT ecosystem, according to Tether, encompasses over 530 million users worldwide.

Nearly $50 billion in new USDT tokens were issued during 2025, the second largest annual figure in the company's history.

In the second half of the year, the pace of issuance accelerated sharply: about $30 billion appeared against the backdrop of growing demand for dollar liquidity in developing countries, in payments and digital asset trading.

As a result, USDT in circulation exceeded $186 billion, and total reserve assets increased to almost $193 billion — both historical highs. Reserves continue to exceed liabilities.
Separately, the report highlights record exposure to U.S. government bonds. Tether’s direct holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds have exceeded $122 billion, and its combined direct and indirect exposure, including reverse repurchase agreements, is over $141 billion. This makes the company one of the largest holders of U.S. government debt in the world and underscores its role as a conduit for global demand for the dollar.

As of the end of the year, the company's management declared total assets at over $192.88 billion with liabilities of $186.54 billion, of which $186.45 billion is accounted for by issued digital tokens.

Recall that the reserves of Tether's gold-backed stablecoin — XAUT — exceeded $2.2 billion.

However, Tether’s investments in AI, energy, media, fintech, precious metals, agriculture, digital treasury companies, land, and P2P communications through the Tether Global Investment Fund SICAF SA are not included in the USDT collateral reserves. This portfolio, funded by earnings and excess capital, exceeds $20 billion.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated:

“It’s not just the scale of growth that matters in 2025, but also the structure behind it. USDT has expanded as global demand for dollars increasingly extends beyond traditional banking systems, especially in regions where financial systems are slow, fragmented, or inaccessible. USDT, through network effects and rapid growth, has become the most massive monetary social network in human history.”

According to him, this opportunity arose due to trust in the company's risk management system, "unprecedented in the financial sector."

He added:

“Decisions regarding asset quality, asset allocation, and liquidity are aimed at ensuring that USDT remains reliable and usable on a global scale, even during periods of extreme demand.”

The company notes that it enters 2026 with one of the strongest balance sheets among global companies amid growing demand for digital dollars, inflation hedges, and programmable financial solutions.

Tether previously announced the launch of a new stablecoin for the United States called USAT. The asset is fully compliant with the GENIUS Act and will be issued by the regulated institution Anchorage Digital Bank.

Binance will rebalance the SAFU fund, created to protect users' assets.
Funds held in stablecoins will be converted to Bitcoin to support the market.
Crypto exchange Binance plans to convert $1 billion from its SAFU stablecoin fund into bitcoin within a month, the company told Incrypted.

Also, according to the release, the platform will regularly rebalance SAFU. If the value of the reserve drops to $800 million due to fluctuations in the Bitcoin exchange rate, the exchange will take the necessary measures to restore it.

This move demonstrates Binance’s long-term commitment to the industry, the company said. In a statement, the exchange noted that market fluctuations that affect the industry also affect the platform.

Binance said that as the crypto industry matures, the industry faces increasing demands for governance, risk control, and accountability. The company emphasized that as a global leader, it applies higher standards to itself and actively invests in compliance, user protection, and ecosystem development.

In 2025, Binance:

helped recover 38,648 erroneous deposits worth $48 million, and the total amount of recovered funds exceeded $1.09 billion;
protected 5.4 million users, preventing fraudulent losses of $6.69 billion;
cooperated with law enforcement, which led to the confiscation of $131 million in illicit funds;
expanded token listings on 21 blockchains, including ETH, BSC, and Solana, with 13 networks being new;
confirmed full provisioning of user assets worth $162.8 billion under the Proof of Reserves system, covering 45 cryptoassets.
Binance said it will continue to respond to market questions and concerns with practical actions aimed at the long-term and sustainable development of the crypto industry.

The US government has approved a decision to transfer over $400 million in assets related to Helix to the state.
This concerns cryptocurrencies, cash, and real estate seized in the Helix mixer case.
In 2021, the service operator pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The US government has approved the transfer of over $400 million in cryptocurrencies, cash, and real estate to the country. The assets were seized as part of a case involving the darknet cryptocurrency mixer Helix. The assets were previously seized from Helix operator Larry Harmon.

The statement says that the Helix service operated on the darknet from 2014 to 2017 and was designed to anonymize transactions. It processed at least 354,468 BTC (equivalent to about $300 million at the time), mostly coming from illegal marketplaces.

According to the investigation, Helix integrated with the largest darknet markets of the time via APIs, allowing users to withdraw cryptocurrencies directly through the mixer.

Harmon, who created Helix and the Grams darknet search engine, and processed hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions, pleaded guilty to money laundering in August 2021. In November 2024, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and asset forfeiture.
The operator faced up to 20 years in prison for violating US law . However, Harmon provided the investigation with important testimony in the case of Bitcoin Fog mixer founder Roman Sterlingov. This, along with his guilty plea, helped significantly reduce his sentence.