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More than half of the organized kidnappings in France from 2023 to 2025 have been related to cryptocurrency, DL News reported, citing local media. According to France's Organized Crime Information and Strategic Analysis Service (SIRASCO), over half of the 40 organized kidnapping cases that occurred between July 2023 and the end of 2025 targeted cryptocurrency holders or industry professionals. The report explained that a significant number of the victims had flaunted luxurious lifestyles from their crypto investments on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, which made it possible for their personal information to be inferred.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) stated that a coordinated attack targeting its stablecoin, USD1, has failed. According to WLFI, the attackers hacked the accounts of several co-founders and paid influencers to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). They also took large short positions on WLFI, attempting to profit from the manufactured chaos. WLFI explained that the attack was unsuccessful due to USD1's robust mint-and-redeem mechanism and its 1:1 fully collateralized assets, which have kept its price stable at $1. The company added that no "fraudster" could shake the long-term commitment of its team and co-founders to USD1.

A whale address that had been dormant for three years has deposited 650.76 BTC, worth $43.05 million, into Gemini, according to Onchain Lens.

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic stated in a recent report that numerous cryptocurrency exchanges are helping sanctioned Russian entities move funds outside of the traditional banking system. The report identified platforms such as Bitpapa, ABCeX, Rapira, and Aifory Pro as key examples. Elliptic noted that despite international efforts freezing approximately $285 billion in Russian assets across the EU and the UK, crypto infrastructure continues to serve as a bypass for cross-border financial activities. The report also highlighted that large-scale fund flows through ruble-pegged stablecoins are further complicating sanctions enforcement.

A former employee of the London-based neobank Revolut allegedly demanded cryptocurrency while threatening to leak customer Know Your Customer (KYC) data, Cointelegraph reported. A Revolut user claimed on X that a former employee of the bank threatened to expose their personal information in exchange for crypto. In response, Revolut stated that it is cooperating with law enforcement to investigate the incident and affirmed that its security systems and data protection protocols are functioning normally.

Lookonchain reported on X that a specific wallet, 0x5041, received 26.6 million WLFI ($3.2 million) from an address associated with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) two days ago. Approximately 40 minutes ago, the same wallet deposited 6 million WLFI ($664,000) to Binance.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that any country attempting to "play games" with a Supreme Court ruling will face much higher retaliatory tariffs and further measures.

U.S.-listed stocks related to Bitcoin are trading lower, tracking a decline in the cryptocurrency's price. Coinbase is down 3%, Bitfarms has fallen 4.4%, MicroStrategy is down 2.7%, Riot Platforms has dropped 3.1%, Hut 8 is down 2.4%, and MARA Holdings has declined 3%.

The European Parliament has agreed to postpone a vote on a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU), a media outlet reported, citing sources.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is pursuing an expansion of Binance.US's business within the United States, Bloomberg reported. He mentioned that this could involve building partnerships with U.S. banks and obtaining relevant licenses. Zhao also emphasized that this U.S. expansion applies exclusively to Binance.US.

The three major U.S. stock indices opened lower today. - S&P 500: -0.04% - Nasdaq: -0.12% - Dow Jones: -0.13%

According to on-chain data platform CryptoQuant, the key issue now is not just price direction but whether the Coinbase premium can recover and sustain an upward trend. In a post on its official X account, the firm noted that a sustained rise would signal a revival of confidence among institutional investors. As of Feb. 20, the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index has been negative for 36 consecutive days, standing at -0.0467%. This streak surpasses the roughly 30-day negative spell seen during the market downturn on Oct. 11 of last year and is the longest such period since May 2023.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) announced that its stablecoin, USD1, is now operating normally following a temporary depegging event. The company stated it is investigating a technical issue with the related mechanism. In response, the crypto community has speculated on several potential causes for the incident, including: - A large-scale sell-off by a whale. - The deletion of a social media post by President Donald Trump's youngest son. - An anticipated exposé from a crypto whistleblower account regarding alleged insider trading at a prominent crypto firm.

Bitmine purchased an additional 51,162 ETH, worth $95.36 million, last week, according to a post on X by Onchain Lens. The company now holds a total of 4,422,659 ETH, valued at approximately $8.65 billion, of which 3,040,483 ETH has been staked.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller stated that January's employment data surpassed market expectations, Walter Bloomberg reported. He added that if this trend of employment improvement continues in February, it may be appropriate to keep the benchmark interest rate on hold for the time being.

MicroStrategy (MSTR) announced it purchased an additional 592 BTC for $39.8 million last week at an average price of approximately $67,286. The company now holds a total of 717,722 BTC, worth $54.56 billion, at an average purchase price of $76,020.

Based, a Web3 super-app built on Hyperliquid (HYPE), has raised $11.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Pantera Capital, The Block reported. Coinbase Ventures and Wintermute Ventures also participated in the round. The funds will be used to expand its AI-based, agent-driven commerce business.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that a Supreme Court ruling on tariffs has unintentionally expanded his tariff and trade powers. He explained that while the court restricted the imposition of separate trade-related fees, it has opened the door to a broader and more aggressive use of tariffs and licenses against foreign countries. Trump added that further rulings could favor other nations and that the decision has strengthened the momentum for his trade policies.

South Korean crypto exchange Upbit announced that it is temporarily suspending deposits and withdrawals for Pocket Network (POKT).

BlackRock has deposited 1134 BTC, worth $75 million, and 7553 ETH, valued at $14.46 million, into Coinbase Prime, Onchain Lens reported. Coinbase Prime is a prime brokerage platform that facilitates large-scale trading and custody for institutional investors.

Bithumb has announced the temporary suspension of deposits and withdrawals for Pocket Network (POKT).

Companies with a Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) strategy have been net-selling their Bitcoin holdings for three consecutive weeks, Cointelegraph reported. Nic Puckrin, founder of Coin Bureau, said that according to data from Capriole Investments, this continued net-selling by DAT companies is increasing short-term downward pressure. He added that if the selling persists, the price of BTC could head toward bear market lows.

Standard Chartered (SC) has projected that stablecoin issuers could become key buyers of U.S. short-term Treasury bills (T-bills), The Block reported. According to the bank, the stablecoin market capitalization is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2028, which could generate between $0.8 trillion and $1 trillion in new demand for T-bills. This is because regulatory frameworks require issuers to hold highly liquid assets, such as short-term government bonds, as reserves. SC also analyzed that if this demand materializes, the U.S. Treasury might adjust its issuance structure to focus on short-term debt and could potentially halt 30-year bond auctions for up to three years.

Digital asset investment products saw total net outflows of $288 million last week, marking the fifth consecutive week of outflows, CoinShares reported in its weekly fund flows report. The United States saw outflows of $347 million, while Europe and Canada recorded inflows of $59 million. By asset, Bitcoin products experienced $215 million in net outflows and Ethereum products saw $36.5 million in outflows. However, products for shorting BTC attracted inflows of $5.5 million. Total trading volume for these products was $17 billion, the lowest level since July of last year.

Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA) has ordered cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin's European entity to halt all new business operations and customer sign-ups, CoinDesk reported. The move comes just months after the firm received its license under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and follows the departure of key compliance personnel. According to the FMA, KuCoin EU currently has vacancies for key roles in its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing departments. The regulator stated that the restrictions will remain in place until these compliance and reporting positions are filled.