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Michael Selig, Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said that outdated regulations must not be allowed to hinder innovation. He noted that a new technological revolution is underway, with artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and prediction markets rapidly changing the landscape. Selig emphasized that in the coming years, the CFTC plans to focus on: - Ending jurisdictional disputes and coercive regulation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). - Establishing regulations for cryptocurrency perpetual futures and prediction markets.

Mirae Asset Group's potential acquisition of a majority stake in the cryptocurrency exchange Korbit is likely to face significant difficulties, according to a report from iNews. The report notes that South Korean authorities are considering new rules to limit the stakes of major shareholders in virtual asset service providers. This could create eligibility issues for Mirae Asset Consulting. Furthermore, with the 'Phase 2 virtual asset legislation' containing these shareholder limits still pending in the National Assembly, financial authorities are unlikely to approve the deal until the new framework is finalized. This delay could lead to changes in the deal's structure or even its cancellation. Mirae Asset Group was previously reported to be in discussions to acquire the stakes held by Korbit's largest shareholder, NXC (60.5%), and its second-largest, SK Planet (31.5%).

The Kaia Foundation posted and then quickly deleted a message on its official Japanese social media account stating it was developing a won-based stablecoin infrastructure with Kakao Bank, Chosun Biz reported. Kaia stated that the post was a mistake made by an agency and that it had requested the post's immediate removal. The foundation had previously announced plans to launch a stablecoin last September.

Line Next announced the launch of its stablecoin wallet, Unifi. The wallet supports deposits, storage, payments, and remittances. Initially, it will primarily support USDT and offer a base annual interest rate of 4-5% on deposited assets. Users can create a wallet by logging in with their Line, Google, Naver, or Apple accounts. Additionally, the existing dApp portal and mini dApp services will be integrated with Unifi, enabling users to make payments from the wallet within various applications, including games, social media, and content platforms.

Com2uS Holdings has joined the Open Blockchain & DID Association as a full member and presented a proposal for standardizing the transmission network for won-denominated stablecoins at the association's inaugural general meeting, iNews24 reported. The standard proposed by the company aims to build an infrastructure for the secure circulation of stablecoins, which are expected to be brought into the regulatory fold in the future. The core of the proposal is that the network's standard specifications must incorporate systems for user protection, privacy, and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) monitoring.

Nasdaq-listed Empery Digital (ticker EMPD, formerly Volcon), which has been strategically buying BTC, sold 102 BTC ($7.03 million) last week, Cryptopolitan reported. The proceeds from the sale were used for purposes including share buybacks. Empery stated that it plans to use its existing cash balance for future share buybacks and debt repayment, and will reduce its BTC holdings as needed.

Antalpha, a partner of Tether (USDT), deposited 3,000 XAUT ($15.21 million) into Singapore-based custody firm Cobo about eight hours ago, according to Onchain Lens.

An address presumed to belong to Bitcoin mining firm MARA Holdings (MARA) deposited 298 BTC, worth $20.57 million, to crypto market maker Cumberland about four hours ago, according to Onchain Lens.

An address linked to Bitmine (BNMR) deposited 5,300 ETH, worth $10.75 million, into Coinbase Prime three hours ago, according to EmberCN.

South Korea's Credit Finance Association is launching a three-month proof-of-concept (PoC) with Lambda256, the blockchain technology subsidiary of Dunamu, to develop a stablecoin-based card payment system, The Herald Business reported. The initiative aims to prepare for potential future legislation on won-denominated stablecoins. The goal is for card companies to preemptively establish standards for controlling settlement risk by acting as payment operators, regardless of who issues the stablecoins. This would involve creating an ecosystem in advance that enables seamless stablecoin payments using the existing card network.

The Altcoin Season Index from crypto data provider CoinMarketCap has fallen one point from yesterday to 36. The index is calculated by comparing the price performance of Bitcoin against the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens, over the past 90 days. It is considered an "altcoin season" if 75% of these top coins outperform Bitcoin during that period; the opposite is considered a "Bitcoin season." A score closer to 100 indicates an altcoin season.

The Korea Exchange has activated a buy-side sidecar for the KOSPI.

The Fear & Greed Index from crypto data provider Alternative rose five points from yesterday to 13. The index shifted from the 'Fear' to the 'Extreme Fear' category on Jan. 30 and has remained there since. The index indicates extreme fear in the market as it approaches zero and extreme optimism as it approaches 100. The Fear & Greed Index is calculated based on volatility (25%), trading volume (25%), social media mentions (15%), surveys (15%), Bitcoin's market cap dominance (10%), and Google search volume (10%).

Iran is considering a plan to impose tolls on oil tankers passing through the Persian Gulf, DB News reported.

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart shared 13F filing data on X, revealing the institutional holders of spot Solana ETFs. By investor type, investment advisors hold the largest share at $270.04 million, followed by: - Hedge funds: $186.06 million - Holding companies: $59.54 million - Brokerages: $20.27 million - Banks: $4.51 million Among individual firms, Electric Capital Partners is the top investor with $137.76 million, followed by Goldman Sachs with $107.43 million and Elequin Capital with $87.90 million. Previously, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that the spot Solana ETFs, which launched last July, have attracted approximately $1.5 billion in funds and have seen almost no outflows. He added that about 50% of the total assets came from institutions required to file 13F forms.

Fairshake, a crypto industry Super PAC, has spent approximately $8.6 million in the Illinois election ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, Cointelegraph reported. According to filings with the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), the PAC and its affiliated groups used the funds for advertisements opposing or supporting certain candidates. Fairshake currently holds about $193 million in funds and has stated its intention to support pro-crypto politicians and oppose anti-crypto ones in this year's election.

Moldova's National Anticorruption Center (CNA) has announced the discovery of a scheme that used approximately $107 million in cryptocurrency to influence last year's general election, according to Decrypt. The funds were reportedly transferred through non-custodial wallets, converted to cash, and then used for promoting politicians, buying votes, and organizing rallies. The money is believed to have been funneled through centralized exchanges in Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

Iran has stated that the war could end if it receives a guarantee that it will not be attacked again, Walter Bloomberg reported, citing Iranian state TV.

President Donald Trump stated at a press conference on Iran that while the U.S. could attack the country's power generation facilities, he does not want to do so. He claimed the U.S. military has "virtually annihilated" the Iranian military and that Washington wants to engage with issues related to Iran's leadership. Trump also said that Iran has expressed its desire to continue nuclear development and suggested the country may have already manufactured weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. He added that the U.S. would launch a more powerful attack if Iran disrupts oil supplies, noting that the "Iran operation is almost complete." When asked if the conflict with Iran would end this week, Trump said it would not, but that it would end soon. He also remarked that he had anticipated a rise in oil and natural gas prices due to the conflict, but the increase was smaller than expected.

Nasdaq is partnering with Seturion, the tokenized securities settlement platform from Germany's Boerse Stuttgart Group, to connect European exchange infrastructure, Cointelegraph reported. The collaboration aims to support blockchain-based settlement for tokenized securities, beginning with structured products. The goal is to improve settlement speeds and address infrastructure fragmentation within European capital markets. Previously, Nasdaq announced a partnership with Kraken to support tokenized stock settlement services.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of blockchain and mobile payments firm Block, stated that while he personally dislikes stablecoins, the company's Cash App will support them for payments regardless. He noted that his stance has shifted because customers want to use them, Decrypt reported. Last year, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said Block planned to support USDC starting in early 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a speech to Republican lawmakers, stated that the United States will not stop its military campaign until Iran is completely defeated, adding that the U.S. has not yet won a sufficient victory. He claimed that Iran had been scheduled to attack the entire Middle East and Israel within a week. Trump said the U.S. has destroyed approximately 80% of Iran's missile bases and that Iran should have surrendered two days ago. He added that the administration is determined to completely dismantle the "terrorist regime" and is currently attacking Iran's drone manufacturing bases, warning that Iran will "soon disappear" if military action continues.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed higher today. - S&P 500: +0.83% - Nasdaq: +1.38% - Dow Jones: +0.50%

Whale Alert reported that 350,000,000 USDC has been transferred from USDC Treasury to Coinbase. The transaction is valued at about $350 million.

Whale Alert reported that 350 million USDC has been minted at the USDC Treasury.