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Non-farm payrolls in the U.S. increased by 130,000 in January, beating the market forecast of 66,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced. The unemployment rate came in at 4.3%, below the market expectation of 4.4%. The non-farm payrolls report, an official indicator covering both private and government sector employment, is a key dataset the U.S. Federal Reserve considers when making interest rate decisions. Strong employment figures, such as high job growth and low unemployment, may lead the Fed to consider raising or holding interest rates to prevent economic overheating. Conversely, weak data could prompt considerations for a rate cut to stimulate the economy.

Traders are pricing in a 78.3% probability that the U.S. Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its March Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This market sentiment comes ahead of the release of the U.S. unemployment rate and non-farm payroll data for January. The March FOMC meeting is scheduled for March 17-18.

Bitcoin has become more sensitive to changes in actual market liquidity than to potential interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve in recent months, Cointelegraph reported. For years, Fed rate decisions were a key macroeconomic driver for the crypto market, with lower rates typically leading to rallies by reducing borrowing costs and improving risk appetite. However, the analysis suggests BTC is now more directly influenced by the level of liquidity within the financial system. The report notes two main reasons why rate cuts no longer significantly move BTC prices: markets have already priced in the possibility of cuts, and a rate cut could signal economic weakness, prompting risk-aversion and a crypto sell-off. As the crypto market's sensitivity to liquidity grows, investors should also monitor indicators such as the Fed's quantitative tightening (QT) program, increased Treasury bond issuance, and declining bank reserves. BTC is now being evaluated less as a simple bet on interest rates and more as a barometer for liquidity in the global financial environment, the report added.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has sued cryptocurrency exchange HTX in the High Court for conducting illegal financial promotions aimed at British consumers, Decrypt reported. According to the regulator, HTX ignored multiple warnings and continued to run unapproved advertisements on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, all while its ownership and operational structure remained opaque. The FCA has now requested that Google and Apple remove the HTX application from their app stores and has asked major social media networks to block the exchange's accounts. Access to HTX is reportedly already restricted on some platforms within the UK.

Arkham Exchange, the trading platform of blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence (ARKM), has refuted reports of its closure and announced it is preparing to transition into a decentralized platform, Cointelegraph reported. The statement addresses an earlier report from CoinDesk that claimed the exchange was shutting down. In an interview, the exchange said its decision was based on the belief that the future of crypto trading is in decentralization, adding that existing centralized exchanges have become unresponsive to user needs and less efficient than traditional financial systems.

Danske Bank, Denmark's largest bank, has decided to offer its clients access to Bitcoin and Ethereum-based exchange-traded products (ETPs), ending an eight-year ban, Decrypt reported. The move reflects a maturing regulatory environment and growing customer demand. However, the bank will maintain its existing stance of not recognizing cryptocurrencies as a recommended asset class. It also plans to provide suitability tests for clients who invest in crypto without prior investment counseling.

Aviva Investors, the asset management arm of UK insurer Aviva, has announced a partnership with Ripple to tokenize traditional funds on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Under the collaboration, Ripple will support the entire process of issuing and managing the tokenized funds on the XRPL.

Bybit announced that it will list AZTEC for spot trading at 7:00 a.m. UTC on Feb. 12.

South Korean retail investors are leaving the cryptocurrency market in large numbers and shifting to domestic and overseas stocks following a downturn in crypto prices that began last October, Bloomberg reported. The outlet noted that after suffering significant losses, these investors have turned their attention elsewhere. Crypto exchange trading volume, which once surpassed that of the KOSPI, has plummeted by approximately 65% year-over-year. During the same period, KOSPI trading volume surged by 221%. Bloomberg explained that South Korean retail investors had heavily concentrated their investments in volatile altcoins, leading to the highest levels of investor fatigue. These funds are now moving into domestic AI and robotics-themed stocks, pushing credit balances at securities firms past 30 trillion won. The report also cited President Lee Jae-myung's policy, which includes a pledge for the KOSPI to reach 5,000, as another factor drawing capital away from crypto. While investors are leaving the market out of disappointment, Bloomberg suggested that if blockchain technology successfully integrates into mainstream financial services in the future, the market could potentially be reshaped with a focus on utility.

Nasdaq-listed Hyperliquid Strategy (PURR), a company that strategically accumulates Hyperliquid (HYPE), announced it has purchased five million HYPE tokens for $129.5 million at an average price of $25.9 per token. The move is seen as an effort to strengthen the company's influence within the ecosystem and diversify its financial structure. Following the purchase, PURR still holds $125 million in cash reserves.

The European Parliament has officially supported the European Central Bank's (ECB) digital euro project. According to Cointelegraph, a resolution adopting the ECB's annual report passed in Parliament with 443 votes in favor. The resolution stipulates that cash will remain important to the eurozone economy even as the digital euro project moves forward, and that both the digital euro and physical currency will hold legal tender status.

Block's mobile payment app, Cash App, is waiving all fees for large-scale and recurring Bitcoin purchases, Solid Intel reported.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has alleged on X that his conviction should be vacated due to claims of witness intimidation by the Biden administration's Department of Justice. He stated there are claims that the DOJ intimidated multiple witnesses into silence or to change their testimony. If true, Bankman-Fried argued, his conviction must be overturned. He also called for the judge in his case, Lewis Kaplan, to recuse himself, emphasizing that Kaplan has shown bias and presided unfairly over cases involving defendants such as himself, FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame, and U.S. President Donald Trump. SBF was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $11.02 billion.

South Korean exchange Upbit has announced that it will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for Cosmos (ATOM) at 9:00 a.m. UTC on Feb. 18 to support the network's upcoming upgrade.

A White House meeting with representatives from the cryptocurrency and banking industries was productive overall but did not result in any agreement, according to Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America. The meeting was part of the Trump administration's effort to advance the Crypto-Asset Market Structure Act (CLARITY).

Addresses associated with FTX and Alameda unstaked 196,611 SOL, worth $15.97 million, about four hours ago, according to Onchain Lens.

The current cryptocurrency market may not be in a simple correction phase within a bull market but rather at the beginning of a structural bear market, according to a CryptoQuant post by crypto analyst XWIN Research Japan. The analyst explained that while there is downward pressure on BTC, market participants are not accepting this reality. This reluctance is influenced by the experience of the 2022 bear market and a belief that the market's more robust structure—including the introduction of spot ETFs, increased institutional participation, and improved infrastructure—makes a sharp downturn unlikely. However, XWIN Research argued that a bear market is defined by supply and demand, capital flows, and shifts in investor sentiment, not just price. The Fear & Greed Index has entered the "Extreme Fear" zone, indicating a significant contraction in market sentiment. The analyst noted that past cycles have repeatedly shown sentiment weakening before a major price correction. BTC has likely already entered a "crypto winter," but the current price levels and the strengthened market structure have only delayed participants' recognition of this fact, the post added. The outlook could change if ETF inflows stabilize and on-chain selling pressure subsides.

Arkham Exchange, the trading platform from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence (ARKM), is shutting down, CoinDesk reported. The exchange was founded in 2020 and later added support for derivatives in October 2024, U.S. spot trading in early 2025, and a mobile app in December 2025. Despite these updates, the platform reportedly failed to attract sufficient trading volume.

The current downturn in the cryptocurrency market should be seen as a buying opportunity, according to Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine (BMNR). CoinDesk reports that during his keynote address at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, Lee stated that now is not the time to sell crypto but to look for opportunities. He attributed the recent weakness in crypto to volatility in the price of gold. Lee explained that late last month, gold's market capitalization fluctuated by trillions of dollars in a single day, triggering margin calls that put pressure on risk assets across the board. He added that gold has likely already peaked. Regarding Ethereum (ETH), Lee noted that since 2018, corrections of more than 50% have often been followed by strong rebounds. He predicted that ETH will bottom out after a temporary dip below $1,800 before beginning a full-fledged rally.

The holdings of Bitcoin long-term holders (LTHs) are beginning to rise again after several months of decline, suggesting the recent market peak and subsequent drop may have been a mid-cycle correction, Bitfinex said on its official X account. The exchange noted that total LTH holdings have slightly increased to 14.3 million BTC. Historically, LTH accumulation has preceded BTC price rallies by about three to four months during past bull markets. Bitfinex added that if this accumulation trend continues, it would support the view that the current market is undergoing a correction within a broader cycle, rather than declining from a definitive top.

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb has announced the temporary suspension of deposits and withdrawals for ATOM, effective from 9:00 a.m. UTC on Feb. 18.

Lee Jun-haeng, the founder and former CEO of South Korean crypto exchange Gopax, has called on Binance to release a concrete repayment plan for its GoFi service and immediately compensate users. In a post on X, Lee stated that matters such as adjusting the majority shareholder's stake or increasing capital should only be discussed after Binance fulfills its legal obligation to repay GoFi users. Lee's resignation was part of Binance's acquisition of Gopax in February 2023. He accused Binance of making a series of false claims, refuting its May 2023 assertion that it had no legal responsibility for GoFi repayments. Lee also dismissed the company's September 2024 claim that rising crypto prices made full repayment difficult, as well as its October statement that the matter depended on the judgment of South Korean authorities. According to Lee, South Korea's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has confirmed that no additional procedures or approvals are necessary to pay the victims. He also noted that a lawsuit filed against him by a Binance subsidiary was dismissed and that Binance's claim about the first repayment being costly due to foreign exchange was false, as the transactions are recorded on the blockchain. Lee emphasized that it is out of order for Binance to discuss business expansion in South Korea without fulfilling its contractual obligations, urging the exchange to stop making excuses and provide immediate repayment. Late last month, Binance stated its intention to complete the repayment to GoFi users this year and aim to become the top exchange by market share in South Korea.

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party plans to finalize its proposal for the second phase of the Digital Asset Basic Act, which covers stablecoins, on Feb. 24, Edaily reported. Key points of contention in the bill are whether to include a rule requiring banks to hold a 50%+1 share and a 15-20% ownership cap for major shareholders of virtual asset exchanges. Some advisors to the party's digital asset task force have reportedly raised concerns about the ownership regulations. However, Han Jeong-ae, the party's Policy Committee Chairwoman, effectively confirmed yesterday that the party intends to push for decentralizing exchange governance.

Bitcoin could see a correction to $50,000 before turning bullish in the second half of the year and potentially surpassing $200,000, according to Steven McClurg, CEO of crypto asset manager Canary Capital. In an interview with The Korea Economic Daily TV, McClurg explained that BTC peaked last October and is currently in a downward phase of its cycle. He suggested the crypto market will begin to rebound once market leverage decreases and those funds are redeployed, leading to stabilization. McClurg believes this turnaround is likely to occur around September or October.

Status Network (SNT) has announced its own stablecoin protocol, FIRM, to support its Layer 2 ecosystem. Based on the Ethereum (ETH)-based lending protocol Liquity V2, FIRM will issue USF, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin that uses ETH and SNT as collateral. The protocol will also offer benefits such as gas-free transactions depending on usage.