Crypto News and Headlines

Aptos Pivots Tokenomics Towards Performance-Driven Deflation
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Aptos Pivots Tokenomics Towards Performance-Driven Deflation

Aptos announced a shift to performance‑driven tokenomics, capping APT at 2.1 billion and locking 210 million tokens permanently. The proposal raises gas fees tenfold while keeping them among the world’s cheapest, and halves the base staking reward to 2.6 %. These changes aim...

By The Defiant
Hack VC-Backed Nillion to Shut Down Its Chain on Cosmos, Shift Focus to Ethereum
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Hack VC-Backed Nillion to Shut Down Its Chain on Cosmos, Shift Focus to Ethereum

Nillion announced that its privacy‑focused NilChain will cease operations on Cosmos on March 23 and migrate to Ethereum. The move follows a brief 10% rally in the NIL token, which now trades around $0.053. NilChain’s shutdown mirrors a wider exodus from...

By The Defiant
Stablecoins Expand in Payments, Yet Most Activity Remains Internal
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Stablecoins Expand in Payments, Yet Most Activity Remains Internal

The episode examines a McKinsey-Artemis Analytics report showing that while stablecoins process roughly $35 trillion a year, only about $390 billion is tied to real‑world payments, with most activity still internal to exchanges, custodians, and protocols. External payment use is growing fast,...

By PaymentsJournal
Exclusive: Eric Trump Calls Maldives Hotel First of Many Real Estate Tokenization Projects
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Exclusive: Eric Trump Calls Maldives Hotel First of Many Real Estate Tokenization Projects

World Liberty Financial announced the tokenization of loan revenue from the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives, marking the first project in a broader on‑chain real‑estate strategy. The initiative is being built with real‑estate developer DarGlobal and tokenization...

By The Defiant
CoinShares Bitcoin ETF Guide Helps Advisors
NewsFeb 19, 2026

CoinShares Bitcoin ETF Guide Helps Advisors

CoinShares introduced a new education series, “Digital Assets: The Advisors’ Brief,” to help financial advisors understand Bitcoin ETFs. The guide highlights that spot Bitcoin ETF assets topped $27 billion in early 2025, underscoring growing client demand. Contributors note reduced volatility—under 50%...

By ETF Trends (VettaFi)
Etherfi, Scroll’s Top Fee-Generator, Leaves for Optimism
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Etherfi, Scroll’s Top Fee-Generator, Leaves for Optimism

Etherfi, a decentralized neobank and crypto‑card issuer, announced it will migrate its Cash accounts, over 70,000 active cards and roughly 300,000 user accounts from Scroll to Optimism’s OP Mainnet. The move will shift about $160 million in total value locked and...

By The Defiant
Anchorage Digital Launches Regulated 'Stablecoin Solutions'
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Anchorage Digital Launches Regulated 'Stablecoin Solutions'

Anchorage Digital has introduced Stablecoin Solutions, a federally regulated service that lets banks settle USD transactions globally in near‑real time via blockchain. The offering bundles minting, redemption, custody, treasury and settlement under Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., overseen by the OCC,...

By The Defiant
Warren Warns Fed, Treasury Against Crypto Bailout
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Warren Warns Fed, Treasury Against Crypto Bailout

Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell demanding a written commitment that the government will not bail out the crypto industry. She cited Bitcoin’s roughly 50%...

By American Banker
PayPal’s PYUSD Supply Crosses $4 Billion
NewsFeb 19, 2026

PayPal’s PYUSD Supply Crosses $4 Billion

PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin surpassed a $4 billion market capitalization, cementing its status among the largest digital dollars. On Arbitrum One, PYUSD’s circulating supply rose to roughly $256 million, making it the fourth‑largest stablecoin on the layer‑2 network. The surge is linked to...

By The Defiant
Solinex Reviews: Who Can Track Down and Recover Stolen Funds in the Era of Digital Risks?
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Solinex Reviews: Who Can Track Down and Recover Stolen Funds in the Era of Digital Risks?

Solinex, a specialist law firm, offers a full‑service model that merges legal counsel, cryptocurrency analytics, and international coordination to track and recover stolen digital assets. The firm reports a 97% case completion rate and has served over 4,800 clients in...

By The European Financial Review
CME Group to Launch 24/7 Crypto Futures and Options Trading
NewsFeb 19, 2026

CME Group to Launch 24/7 Crypto Futures and Options Trading

CME Group announced that its regulated cryptocurrency futures and options will trade continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting May 29, 2026. The move follows a record $3 trillion in notional volume for CME’s crypto products in 2025. Average daily...

By FX News Group
KYA Now
NewsFeb 19, 2026

KYA Now

The episode explores the emerging "Know Your Agent" (KYA) paradigm, arguing that the next bottleneck in the agentic economy is identity rather than intelligence. Drawing on insights from Sean Neville of Circle and recent industry reports, the host explains how...

By 15Mb
TRADE Talks: Prescient Investment Management’s Cheree Dyers
NewsFeb 19, 2026

TRADE Talks: Prescient Investment Management’s Cheree Dyers

Prescient Investment Management’s Cheree Dyers argues that digital assets and tokenised instruments can boost capital efficiency and settlement speed, but only if they dovetail with existing custody, clearing and regulatory frameworks. She highlights that faster, near‑real‑time settlement reduces counter‑party exposure,...

By The TRADE News – Markets/Derivatives Trading
Which Blockchains Are Best for Web3 Crypto Domains?
NewsFeb 19, 2026

Which Blockchains Are Best for Web3 Crypto Domains?

Web3 crypto domains, minted as NFTs, are emerging as portable digital identities that replace long wallet addresses. The choice of blockchain—Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Base, or Handshake—directly influences cost, security, and ecosystem compatibility. Ethereum’s ENS remains the most widely adopted, offering...

By IT News Africa
Okay, So You've Got a Stablecoin…
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Okay, So You've Got a Stablecoin…

In a recent episode of This Week in Fintech, Paxos Labs CEO Bhau Kotecha outlined the firm’s vision for stablecoins and tokenized finance. He noted that enterprises typically enter crypto by integrating stablecoins for payments or enabling crypto trading, then...

By This Week in Fintech
Canadian Fintech Investment Down Nearly 75% Last Year, After Record-High 2024
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Canadian Fintech Investment Down Nearly 75% Last Year, After Record-High 2024

Canadian fintech investment plunged 75% in 2025, falling to US$2.4 billion across 113 deals, down from a record US$9.9 billion in 2024. AI and digital‑asset firms dominated the reduced deal flow, while later‑stage platforms attracted the bulk of capital. The three biggest...

By Financial Post — Finance
🎙️ Ep 19: Why Building a Global Venmo with Stablecoins Is Still Hard W/ Mike Hudack (Sling)
NewsFeb 18, 2026

🎙️ Ep 19: Why Building a Global Venmo with Stablecoins Is Still Hard W/ Mike Hudack (Sling)

The Money Code episode with Sling’s Mike Hudack explains why building a global Venmo‑style app with stablecoins remains challenging. While stablecoins provide a unified ledger that eases cross‑border transfers, the real work lies in local on‑ramps, identity verification, fraud prevention,...

By This Week in Fintech
Cryptojacking Campaign Exploits Driver to Boost Monero Mining
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Cryptojacking Campaign Exploits Driver to Boost Monero Mining

Security firm Trellix uncovered a new cryptojacking operation that spreads through pirated software installers and installs a customized XMRig miner. The malware uses a controller named Explorer.exe for persistence and a signed driver (WinRing0x64.sys, CVE‑2020‑14979) to gain kernel access, boosting...

By Infosecurity Magazine
Stripe’s Bridge Wins OCC Conditional Approval
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Stripe’s Bridge Wins OCC Conditional Approval

Stripe’s Bridge subsidiary received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter, filed in October and approved on Feb. 12. The charter would let Bridge issue stablecoins, custody digital assets, and manage...

By Payments Dive
Zodia Custody and LMAX Group Launch ‘Zodia Switch’ to Streamline Institutional Asset Swaps
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Zodia Custody and LMAX Group Launch ‘Zodia Switch’ to Streamline Institutional Asset Swaps

Zodia Custody and LMAX Group have introduced Zodia Switch, a custody‑native trading feature that lets institutional clients swap ERC‑20 tokens directly from their secure wallets. The solution leverages LMAX’s execution venues, eliminating the need to pre‑fund external trading accounts and...

By The Fintech Times
American Crypto Holders Are Scared and Confused About This Year’s New IRS Tax Rules
NewsFeb 18, 2026

American Crypto Holders Are Scared and Confused About This Year’s New IRS Tax Rules

A poll of 1,000 U.S. crypto investors shows more than half fear IRS penalties as the Treasury rolls out Form 1099‑DA, which forces exchanges to automatically report transaction proceeds. The new rule shifts tax compliance from self‑disclosure to broker‑driven reporting,...

By CoinDesk
From 2016 Hack to $150M Endowment: The DAO’s Second Act Focuses on Ethereum Security
NewsFeb 18, 2026

From 2016 Hack to $150M Endowment: The DAO’s Second Act Focuses on Ethereum Security

A decade after the 2016 DAO hack, the DAO Security Fund will stake roughly 75,000 dormant ETH—now worth about $150 million—to generate yield for Ethereum security initiatives. The fund will keep claims open indefinitely for original token holders and shift from...

By CoinDesk
Milo Tops $100 Million in Crypto-Backed Mortgages, Closes Record $12 Million Deal
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Milo Tops $100 Million in Crypto-Backed Mortgages, Closes Record $12 Million Deal

Milo, a U.S. crypto‑lending firm, has originated more than $100 million in crypto‑backed mortgages, highlighted by a record $12 million loan. The company operates in ten states and offers loans up to $25 million secured by Bitcoin or Ether, with interest starting at...

By CoinDesk
Bitcoin Holds Near $68,000 as Volatility Cools, WLFI Jumps Ahead of Mar-a-Lago Forum
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Bitcoin Holds Near $68,000 as Volatility Cools, WLFI Jumps Ahead of Mar-a-Lago Forum

Bitcoin hovered around $68,000 on Wednesday, trading within a $65,100‑$72,000 band since Feb 6 as volatility and funding rates cooled. Open interest held steady at $15.5 billion, while the options market showed a balanced call‑put split and eased skew. The Trump‑backed WLFI...

By CoinDesk
Wells Fargo Sees ‘YOLO’ Trade Driving $150B Into Bitcoin and Risk Assets
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Wells Fargo Sees ‘YOLO’ Trade Driving $150B Into Bitcoin and Risk Assets

Wells Fargo analyst Ohsung Kwon predicts that a surge in U.S. tax refunds could channel up to $150 billion into risk‑on assets, notably equities and Bitcoin, by the end of March. The influx is tied to a revival of the retail “YOLO”...

By Cointelegraph
BlackRock to Skim 18% of Staked Ethereum ETF Rewards From Investors — and ETHB Exits Could Take Weeks
NewsFeb 18, 2026

BlackRock to Skim 18% of Staked Ethereum ETF Rewards From Investors — and ETHB Exits Could Take Weeks

BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) will aim to keep 70%‑95% of its ether staked, generating yield while maintaining a 5%‑30% unstaked liquidity sleeve for creations, redemptions and expenses. The prospectus reveals an 18% skim of gross staking rewards...

By CryptoSlate
Bitcoin ETFs Log $105M Outflows as Mystery IBIT Buyer Surfaces
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Bitcoin ETFs Log $105M Outflows as Mystery IBIT Buyer Surfaces

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a $104.9 million net outflow on Tuesday, with total trading volume collapsing to just over $3 billion—an 80% drop from the February 5 record. Jane Street emerged as the second‑largest buyer of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), adding...

By Cointelegraph
Lesser-Known Cryptocurrencies: A Guide for UK Traders
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Lesser-Known Cryptocurrencies: A Guide for UK Traders

The article guides UK traders through the world of lesser‑known cryptocurrencies, highlighting assets like Cardano that offer niche technology and sustainability benefits. It explains how these tokens differ from Bitcoin and Ethereum in terms of market adoption, liquidity, and volatility....

By Finance Monthly
SARS Turns Screws on Crypto Tax-Dodgers
NewsFeb 18, 2026

SARS Turns Screws on Crypto Tax-Dodgers

South Africa’s tax authority, SARS, has released its domestic Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), outlining how crypto‑related transactions will be reported and shared with tax authorities. The framework mandates crypto‑asset service providers to gather detailed user and transaction data and...

By ITWeb (South Africa) – Public Sector
LAX Signals Infrastructure Preparation for Adaptive Risk Mitigation in Crypto Payments
NewsFeb 18, 2026

LAX Signals Infrastructure Preparation for Adaptive Risk Mitigation in Crypto Payments

Crypto payment volumes are rising, prompting LAX to launch an infrastructure preparation initiative focused on adaptive risk mitigation. The program will reinforce LAX’s internal payment architecture to dynamically assess transaction flows, adjust processing in real time, and respond to network...

By TechBullion
Crypto Gone? 2026 Blueprint for Blockchain Recovery
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Crypto Gone? 2026 Blueprint for Blockchain Recovery

The guide outlines a step‑by‑step blueprint for recovering lost or stolen crypto, distinguishing between exchange lockouts, scams, and lost seed phrases. It explains practical actions such as identity verification for exchanges, rapid blockchain tracing for theft, and systematic searches for...

By TechBullion
Piero Cipollone: Digital Euro
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Piero Cipollone: Digital Euro

ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone outlined the digital euro roadmap, confirming that the current preparation phase began in November 2025 and a pilot is slated for mid‑2027. The ECB aims for a first issuance in 2029, contingent on EU legislators...

By European Central Bank — Press/Speeches
Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Dumps ETHZilla Stake as ETH Treasuries Face Pressure
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Dumps ETHZilla Stake as ETH Treasuries Face Pressure

Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund has completely divested its 7.5% stake in ETHZilla, the former 180 Life Sciences company that rebranded to run an Ether‑focused treasury. The stake, worth about $40 million when disclosed in August 2025, is now reported as zero...

By Cointelegraph
royalwelt.com Bewertungen Expands Integrated Multi-Asset Trading Infrastructure Amid Rising Cross-Market Participation
NewsFeb 18, 2026

royalwelt.com Bewertungen Expands Integrated Multi-Asset Trading Infrastructure Amid Rising Cross-Market Participation

Royalwelt.com announced a major upgrade to its multi‑asset trading platform, adding modular infrastructure that supports both equities and digital assets within a single interface. The enhancement boosts computational bandwidth, reduces latency, and introduces distributed processing nodes that maintain order sequencing...

By TechBullion
Bitcoin Losing $70,000 Is a Warning Sign for Further Downside
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Bitcoin Losing $70,000 Is a Warning Sign for Further Downside

Bitcoin slipped below $68,000, breaking the short‑term support that held the market steady in early February. The breach opens the path to lower levels near $65,000 and potentially $60,000 if sellers remain aggressive. Major cryptocurrencies fell up to 3 % while...

By CoinDesk
Bitcoin’s Tech Stock Divergence Is a ‘Fire Alarm’ for Fiat: Arthur Hayes
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Bitcoin’s Tech Stock Divergence Is a ‘Fire Alarm’ for Fiat: Arthur Hayes

Arthur Hayes warns that Bitcoin’s recent decoupling from tech‑heavy Nasdaq signals an AI‑driven credit crunch that could force central banks to resume large‑scale money printing. He estimates a 20% cut in U.S. knowledge‑worker jobs could wipe out $557 billion of consumer‑credit...

By Cointelegraph
Standard Chartered Partners with B2C2 to Enhance Institutional Crypto Access
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Standard Chartered Partners with B2C2 to Enhance Institutional Crypto Access

Standard Chartered has teamed up with digital‑asset liquidity provider B2C2 to create a seamless bridge between traditional banking infrastructure and crypto markets. The alliance will give institutional investors—such as asset managers, hedge funds, corporates and family offices—direct access to spot...

By The Fintech Times
Coin Center Urges Senate Not to Axe Crypto Developer Protection Bill
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Coin Center Urges Senate Not to Axe Crypto Developer Protection Bill

Coin Center has written to the Senate Banking Committee urging the advancement of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), a bill that would exempt crypto developers and infrastructure providers who don’t control user funds from money‑transmitter classification. The latest draft,...

By Cointelegraph
Financial Crime and Money Laundering Risks in Digital Assets
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Financial Crime and Money Laundering Risks in Digital Assets

Regulators are increasingly focused on financial‑crime and money‑laundering risks tied to digital assets as cryptocurrency adoption accelerates worldwide. Anonymity, multiple accounts, unauthorized usage, illegal payments and sanctions breaches are identified as core vulnerabilities. Sources such as FATF lists, public legal...

By Financial Crime Academy – Blog
Stripe-Owned Bridge Clears OCC Hurdle for Federal Bank Charter
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Stripe-Owned Bridge Clears OCC Hurdle for Federal Bank Charter

Stripe‑owned Bridge announced it has secured conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to organize a federally chartered national trust bank. The charter, once fully granted, will let Bridge offer digital‑asset custody, stablecoin issuance, and reserve‑management...

By PYMNTS
Smart Contracts Auditing Process
NewsFeb 18, 2026

Smart Contracts Auditing Process

Smart contract auditing is a critical pre‑deployment step that safeguards blockchain applications by uncovering coding errors and security vulnerabilities. The process follows a structured workflow—from specification gathering and automated scanning to manual line‑by‑line analysis, functional testing, and iterative remediation—culminating in...

By Financial Crime Academy – Blog
Erik Voorhees’ Venice AI Leads Altcoin Market
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Erik Voorhees’ Venice AI Leads Altcoin Market

Erik Voorhees’ Venice AI protocol has become the week’s top altcoin performer, with its VVV token climbing 135% to $4.28 and a fully‑diluted valuation of $336 million—a 375% surge from its November trough. The protocol uses a dual‑token architecture that grants...

By The Defiant
Circle Responds to Bank of England’s Consultation on Systemic Sterling Stablecoins
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Circle Responds to Bank of England’s Consultation on Systemic Sterling Stablecoins

Circle has formally responded to the Bank of England’s consultation on a regulatory framework for systemic sterling‑denominated stablecoins. The firm endorses using central‑bank deposits and short‑term UK government bonds as reserve assets but objects to the proposed mandatory 40% allocation...

By Crowdfund Insider
NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams
NewsFeb 17, 2026

NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams

New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning that crypto‑based pig‑butchering scams are targeting New Yorkers through romance and professional ruses. The scams involve coaches who instruct victims to lie to bank staff, making fraud detection difficult....

By American Banker
Saylor Says Strategy Can Survive Bitcoin Crashing to $8,000 – but Can It Escape the Slow Bleed of Dilution?
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Saylor Says Strategy Can Survive Bitcoin Crashing to $8,000 – but Can It Escape the Slow Bleed of Dilution?

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has turned its equity, convertible notes and preferred stock into a public Bitcoin proxy, holding over 717,000 BTC while its share price hovers below $130. The company faces a 2027 put on $1.01 billion of 2028 convertible notes...

By CryptoSlate
Ethereum Staking Breaks New Highs as Price Slumps
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Ethereum Staking Breaks New Highs as Price Slumps

Ethereum’s staking participation surged past the 30% threshold, with roughly 36.9 million ETH—about 30.4% of the circulating supply—locked across 967,000 validators. The price of ETH has retreated from its summer peak near $5,000 to around $2,000, creating a stark contrast between...

By The Defiant
Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody

Anchorage Digital and crypto liquidity provider B2C2 have deepened their collaboration as B2C2 joins Anchorage’s Atlas platform, a two‑way settlement system for institutional crypto trades. Through the partnership, B2C2 will custody assets with Anchorage and settle transactions directly on Atlas,...

By Crowdfund Insider
Gemini Space Station Shares Slide 14% Amid Executive Shake-Up
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Gemini Space Station Shares Slide 14% Amid Executive Shake-Up

Gemini Space Station’s stock slumped about 14% to roughly $6.50 after an 8‑K disclosed that its COO, CFO and CLO all resigned effective immediately. Co‑founder Cameron Winklevoss will absorb the COO duties while an interim CFO has been appointed. The...

By The Defiant
Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits,  Stanchart Stablecoin
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits, Stanchart Stablecoin

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has moved forward with its Digital Asset Innovation Hub, onboarding three stablecoin and tokenized‑deposit projects from more than 30 applicants. The sandbox pilots focus on domestic and cross‑border wholesale payments as well as settlement of tokenized...

By Ledger Insights