Из жизни альткоинов
Виталик Бутерин: «Вам не нужно поддерживать мои взгляды на DeFi»
Кийосаки пообещал не инвестировавшим в нужные активы «худший кошмар»
Kraken Backs Trump Accounts, Points To Shared Crypto Vision
Kraken, the crypto exchange, said it will fund “Trump Accounts” for every baby born in Wyoming in 2026, a pledge that ties a private firm to a new federal savings program named after US President Donald Trump.
The move was announced on the Wyoming floor by Senator Cynthia Lummis and later confirmed by Kraken spokespeople.
Reports say the program will give each eligible child a $1,000 seed from the US Treasury; Kraken’s additional contribution is intended to top up that start. Details on how Kraken will allocate its money remain fuzzy.
“We picked Wyoming as our global HQ because it leads with thoughtful, responsible crypto policy,” Kraken’s co-CEO Dave Ripley said.
“We want to keep investing back in the community we call home. Starting early matters, and innovation should make long-term financial opportunity more accessible and affordable,” he said.
Big news for our home state: @KrakenFX is sponsoring @TrumpAccounts for every baby born in Wyoming in 2026.
We picked Wyoming as our global HQ because it leads with thoughtful, responsible crypto policy. We want to keep investing back in the community we call home. Starting…
— Dave Ripley (@DavidLRipley) February 16, 2026
State Law And Company MotivesReports note Wyoming has passed laws and rules favorable to crypto firms, which helped draw Kraken’s global operations to the state.
Company leaders praised the state’s legal clarity. Some observers view the sponsorship as a vote of confidence in Wyoming’s approach to finance and technology, while other commentators see a political signal as much as a charitable act.
Why This Is UnusualThe arrangement mixes public policy and corporate money in a way few expected. A federal account gets a private backer. That raises basic questions about custody, investment choices, and the path those savings will take over years.
At present, it’s not publicly confirmed whether Kraken’s funds will be held in traditional assets, stablecoins, or other crypto instruments. Families who accept the accounts may later choose how the money is used when children reach maturity.
Market And Regulatory ThreadsReports say the announcement landed amid a wider easing of enforcement and a friendlier tone from federal policymakers this year, which many in the crypto sector welcomed.
Kraken itself has faced enforcement scrutiny in the past, and its new pledge comes at a time when regulators and lawmakers are talking about how to fold crypto into mainstream finance.
Some analysts warn that corporate ties to government programs can invite extra oversight, while supporters argue such partnerships expand access to capital for families.
Voices On Both SidesSupporters call the plan practical and forward-looking. They argue that a small deposit at birth, boosted by private sponsors, can compound into meaningful savings by adulthood.
Critics question motives and transparency. They want clear rules about investment strategy, fee structures, and who controls the accounts. A number of civil groups and local news outlets have asked for formal disclosures from Kraken and the state to settle those uncertainties.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Криптокредитный протокол ZeroLend прекратил работу из-за «нежизнеспособности»
Аналитики Paradigm: Влияние майнинга на электросети понимают неправильно
Гарвард сократил вложения в биткоин-ETF от BlackRock
Опрос: 39% пользователей криптовалют получают доход в стейблкоинах
Крипторынок выходит из циклов хайпа и паники — WisdomTree
Shiba Inu SOU Recovery System Goes Live After Shibarium Hack
Shiba Inu has put its long-trailed SOU recovery framework into production, opening claims for users affected by last year’s Shibarium bridge exploit and turning those claims into transferable, on-chain NFTs on Ethereum. The launch matters because it moves the project’s compensation effort from a promised structure into a live system with visible balances, payout mechanics, and a secondary-market option for anyone who wants liquidity now.
The SOU concept itself isn’t new. In a year-end letter dated Dec. 29, 2025, Shibarium developer Kaal Dhairya introduced “SOU: Shib Owes You” while stressing it was “Not live yet, beware of scammers,” describing it as a system where “every affected user has an SOU NFT — an on-chain, verifiable record of exactly what the ecosystem owes them.”
Shiba Inu ‘Shib Owes You’ Goes LiveThat warning is now being replaced by a go-live announcement. Via X, the official Shiba Inu account wrote:
“SOU is live. Introducing SOU (Shib Owes You) an onchain NFT built as a good-faith effort to support impacted users with payouts, donations, and occasional rewards. Transparent. Tradable. On-chain. You can transfer it, split it, merge it, or trade it on marketplaces. Claim your SOUs: https://shib.io/sou”
In Shib’s documentation, the system is framed as an attempt to make the recovery ledger public, auditable, and mechanically enforced rather than tracked in private databases. “SOU (Shib Owes You) is more than just a name; it is a commitment,” the docs say.“It represents the Shib ecosystem’s dedication to making users whole through a transparent, audited, and on-chain recovery system. Activity Notifications: The system provides a real-time activity feed, notifying the community whenever a new donation is received or a payout is distributed, ensuring complete visibility into the recovery progress.”
The mechanism hinges on two balances: “Original Principal,” the immutable historical record of what a user lost, and “Current Principal,” which declines as payouts are claimed or contributions flow in. The docs also draw a hard distinction between debt repayment and incentives. “Payout” reduces principal as compensation, while a “Reward” is additive and “No Change” to the owed balance, positioning rewards as bonuses on top of repayment rather than substitutes.
SOU is also designed to be a financial instrument, not just a receipt. Claims can be merged or split to manage position sizing, transferred between wallets, or sold on marketplaces, effectively enabling a market in discounted claims for users who don’t want to wait for recovery flows.
Shib’s docs also describe a funding model that routes ecosystem revenues and community donations into a common pool, with donations applied proportionally across affected claims, and optional creator fees on secondary sales directed back to payouts or rewards.
The backdrop is the September 2025 Shibarium bridge incident, where Shib’s own security update said “unauthorized validator signing power” was used to push a malicious exit through the PoS bridge, enabling withdrawals of multiple assets.
At press time, Shiba Inu traded at $0.00000656.
Продажа карты Pikachu Illustrator вызвала спор вокруг дробления токенизированных активов
Рынок биткоина приближается к переломной точке — Matrixport
Wintermute запустила торговлю токенизированным золотом
Crypto And The 2026 Elections: By The Numbers And What Lies Ahead
After emerging as a major political player in the 2024 elections, the cryptocurrency industry is once again preparing to flex its financial muscle—this time ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Two years ago, crypto-focused super political action committees helped shape key races as President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Congress secured victories.
Now, with digital asset prices under pressure and Congress still debating the landmark CLARITY Act, the industry is ramping up spending in an effort to protect and expand its influence in Washington.
Fairshake Enters 2026 With $193MAccording to reporting by The Hill, Fairshake—the leading super Political Action Committee (PAC) network aligned with the crypto sector—entered 2026 with more than $193 million in cash on hand, already identifying priority races for the current cycle.
It is reportedly supporting Republican Representative Barry Moore in Alabama’s Senate race and working to unseat Democratic Representative Al Green in the House.
Leonard Kostovetsky, an associate professor at Baruch College and a vocal skeptic of crypto, said the strategy resembles what the industry deployed two years ago. “It’s going to be similar to the previous cycle where they will kind of flex their muscles to show the political power of the crypto industry,” he said.
The industry’s political footprint expanded significantly during the 2024 election cycle, when crypto-aligned groups poured millions into competitive primaries and closely watched races. Federal filings show that Fairshake and its three affiliated organizations spent nearly $180 million during that cycle alone.
Beyond elections, the industry has secured at least one significant legislative victory. Lawmakers passed the GENIUS Act, which established a regulatory framework for dollar-backed stablecoins.
Yet the more comprehensive market structure legislation—widely viewed as the industry’s top priority—remains unfinished. The proposed bill would provide long-sought clarity for digital asset businesses. Although the House passed its version, the measure has stalled in the Senate.
Crypto Groups Push For Regulatory ClarityAs Congress debates this broader framework, crypto-affiliated political groups have wasted no time engaging in midterm contests. Defend American Jobs, one of Fairshake’s partner PACs, announced this week that it would spend $5 million to support Moore’s Senate campaign in Alabama.
Meanwhile, another affiliated PAC, Protect Progress, revealed plans to invest $1.5 million to oppose Green in the Democratic primary for Texas’s newly redrawn 18th Congressional District.
The group cited Green’s voting history on crypto-related measures, arguing that he has sought to “stop American innovation in its tracks.” Green voted against the GENIUS Act and the House’s CLARITY Act.
Ohio-based Democratic strategist Jeff Rusnak questioned whether crypto groups should be permitted to deploy what he described as essentially “unregulated money” in federal elections.
Yet, industry advocates counter that their political engagement is aimed at fostering responsible regulation rather than avoiding it. A source familiar with the Fairshake network argued that election spending has helped move policymakers toward creating clearer rules.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
В Общественной палате России предупредили о росте нелегальных криптозаймов
Рик Эдельман назвал условие для достижения биткоином $500 000
Crypto Lender Nexo Returns To US Market After Three-Year Hiatus And $45 Million Fine
Crypto lender Nexo has officially reentered the United States market, marking a return three years after it withdrew operations and paid a $45 million fine to settle charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company confirmed on Monday that 2026 represents its formal comeback to the US, positioning the move against a backdrop of more crypto-friendly policies and a notable shift in regulatory tone at the SEC.
New SEC-Compliant Structure, Bakkt PartnershipNexo previously exited the country following regulatory clashes that culminated in a 2023 SEC order over “unregistered offering” of a crypto asset lending product. As part of that settlement, the company agreed to discontinue the product for US investors.
In a statement to Reuters, a Nexo spokesperson emphasized that the firm complied fully with the order. “Nexo discontinued the product covered by the 2023 SEC order for US investors as required,” the spokesperson said.
The company’s renewed US strategy is structured differently from its earlier model. According to Nexo’s Monday disclosure, the relaunch is being carried out through partnerships with regulated entities to ensure compliance with American securities laws.
The firm said its investment and credit products are now delivered within a US-compliant framework, including, where applicable, through an SEC-registered investment adviser for advisory services.
As part of this relaunch, Nexo has also partnered with Bakkt, a publicly traded US-based digital asset platform designed to support institutional-grade risk management and regulatory compliance.
The company’s updated offering includes flexible and fixed-term yield programs that allow clients to earn returns through investment structures. Nexo is also rolling out an integrated exchange, enabling users to buy and sell digital assets.
In addition, the firm is reintroducing crypto-backed credit lines, allowing customers to access liquidity without selling their digital holdings. These credit products feature flexible repayment options and support multiple forms of collateral.
Nexo Denies Trump Family TiesNexo’s return comes amid broader political and regulatory developments in the United States. Reuters reported that the company hosted Donald Trump Jr at a “Trump Business Vision 2025” event held in Sofia, Bulgaria, last April.
The event has drawn attention, given increased scrutiny surrounding crypto-related business dealings connected to the Trump family under the current administration.
When asked by Reuters about the relationship between those interactions and the company’s US relaunch, Nexo denied any connection. The spokesperson stated that the decision to return to the American market was “based on our ability to offer products in a compliant structure” and was unrelated to its contacts with the Trump family.
The company further clarified that its sports sponsorships and event participation have no bearing on its regulatory standing or operational approval in the United States.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Former White House Crypto Adviser Confident CLARITY Act Will Pass As Deadline Nears
A former White House crypto adviser has shared his thoughts on the delay of the long-awaited market structure bill and whether the banking and digital assets industry will resolve their differences soon.
Bo Hines Optimistic About Crypto LegislationOn Monday, Bo Hines, CEO of Tether US and former executive director of the US President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, expressed optimism about the passage of the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act.
In a recent interview with journalist Eleanor Terret at the Digital Assets at Duke Conference, Hines affirmed that he’s “actually confident that CALRITY will get passed” despite the delay.
It’s worth noting that the highly anticipated legislation has been stalled after hitting a roadblock a month ago due to restrictions on the payment of stablecoin yield, meant to address the banking industry’s concerns of deposit flight risk.
The crypto industry heavily criticized the Senate Banking Committee’s policy, leading to the delay of the mid-January markup session and an extended negotiation process between lawmakers and leaders from both industries.
Now, time seems to be running out, Terret noted, as we approach the alleged White House’s end-of-month deadline for the crypto and banking industries to solve the stablecoin yield dispute.
Due to this, Hines affirmed that both sides “are in the pressure cooker right now,” arguing that the two industries understand they must make concessions to reach an agreement and advance the bill.
As reported by Bitcoinist, the digital assets industry has already proposed some compromises to salvage the crypto legislation, such as giving community banks a larger role in the stablecoin system.
The former White House adviser highlighted the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) recent moves. Notably, the OCC has started to issue conditional licenses to more digital assets native companies, which he considers will provide a pathway to “find a resolution that (…) protects banks from deposit flight, but also allows these crypto companies to be innovative and offer different solutions to their customers.”
CLARITY Act’s Window ‘Rapidly Closing’Hines also noted that the crypto industry is aware that they must take advantage of the legislative momentum, “especially under this administration that’s been extremely pro- digital assets.”
As he explained, “this is where you’re going to get the best return on investment in a sense of like what you’ve been doing over the course of (…) the last few years in terms of political activity and engagement.”
Similarly, Patrick Witt, the current executive director of the US President’s Crypto Council, shared a similar perspective on Friday. The advisor affirmed that they are “working hard to address the issues that were raised that led to the postponement of that markup and hopefully get that back on the books soon.”
Nonetheless, he urged lawmakers to keep the momentum going, emphasizing that the window to pass the legislation is still open, but it is “rapidly closing” as the midterm election campaign season approaches, which “takes all the oxygen out of the room.”
The US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent also pressed lawmakers to advance the bill soon, highlighting the importance of getting the legislation on President Donald Trump’s desk before the end of the spring legislative window.
Bessent stressed that the chances of getting a deal done could collapse if Democrats take control in November, recalling the crackdown on the industry during the Biden administration.
“There’s a lot of innovation that goes on adjacent to crypto, the blockchain, and DeFi. So, I think it’s important to get this clarity bill done as soon as possible and on the president’s desk this spring,” he declared on Friday.
Quantum Threat Behind Bitcoin’s Decline? Analyst Points To Google Search Data
The founder of Capriole Investments has pointed out how Google searches related to “Quantum Computing Bitcoin” peaked alongside the price top.
Bitcoin Saw Increased Interest In Quantum Threat During Bull RunIn a new post on X, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards has talked about the trend in the Google search interest around the Quantum Computing threat to Bitcoin.
Below is the NYDIG chart cited by the analyst that lines up the Google search data for “Quantum Computing Bitcoin” against the cryptocurrency’s price trajectory.
As displayed in the graph, the Google search interest in the topic witnessed a sharp surge just as last year’s bull rally reached its peak. This would imply that the price appreciation brought with it risk evaluation around the Quantum Computing threat to the cryptocurrency.
Quantum Computing is an emerging technology that could, in theory, exploit the vulnerabilities present in old BTC wallets to access the tokens stored inside them and dump them on the market.
The timeline related to when Quantum Computing could become advanced enough to do this remains yet uncertain, but it has nonetheless raised concerns among many in the BTC community. Edwards has been one of the loudest voices when it comes to this issue, urging the community to work together on a solution as soon as possible.
Based on the Google search interest chart, the analyst has noted, “Evaluation of the risk was at a maxima when price was, resulting in derisking, a leading indicator to price falling.” Shortly after the peak in the metric, the asset observed a bearish shift that has today taken it below the $70,000 mark. “The Quantum threat drove Bitcoin down,” said Edwards.
From the graph, it’s also visible that a similar trajectory was visible during the price surge that occurred in late 2024. Back then, the topic saw slightly lower peak traction and faded quickly once the cryptocurrency slowed down.
Interest in the topic has gone down this time as well as Bitcoin has declined, but it still remains significantly above the low from early 2025, a potential sign that the floor interest in the risk has gone up. “The good news is, at least this means we are starting to get traction and attention in the right places to solve the problem (Strategy, Eth foundation etc),” noted the Capriole founder.
Analyst Willy Woo has also made an X post discussing the Quantum risk. As the chart shared by Woo illustrates, the Bitcoin vs Gold price has broken a twelve-year trend recently.
The XAUBTC ratio was in a state of downtrend for twelve years, but its value saw a reversal last year and has since been rising. “The valuation trend broke down once QUANTUM came into awareness,” explained the analyst.
BTC PriceAt the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $68,600, down 2.4% over the last week.
Bitcoin Drops to $68K Amid Four-Week Slide, but Bullish Divergence Hints at $71K Test
Bitcoin’s (BTC) latest attempt to stabilize has left traders divided. After briefly reclaiming the $70,000 level over the weekend, the asset slipped back toward $68,000, extending a four-week losing streak that has weighed on broader crypto markets.
Related Reading: Did SBI Holdings Really Buy $10 Billion Worth Of XRP? CEO Reveals The Real Figure
While macro uncertainty and technical resistance continue to cap upside momentum, emerging indicators suggest the market may be preparing for a short-term recovery.
The decline comes after weeks of sustained selling pressure that followed Bitcoin’s earlier rally toward record highs. Market sentiment has weakened alongside concerns over interest rates and reduced inflows into speculative assets, pushing the asset into a corrective phase rather than a confirmed reversal.
Bitcoin (BTC) Market Structure Remains Fragile Below $75KTechnical analysis shows Bitcoin is still trading within a descending channel on higher timeframes, keeping the broader trend cautious. The breakdown below $75,000 earlier accelerated losses toward the $60,000 demand zone, where buyers re-entered the market, triggering the current rebound.
Price action is now compressing between $68,000 and $72,000, an area viewed as key resistance. Analysts note that a sustained move above $72,000 could open the path toward $75,000, while repeated rejection may send Bitcoin back toward $65,000 or even retest the $60,000 support region.
Momentum indicators also reflect this uncertainty. Bitcoin remains below its 50-day moving average, confirming that the short-term trend has not yet shifted bullish despite the recent bounce.
Bullish Divergence and Liquidations Offer Mixed SignalsDespite the downtrend, technical momentum is showing early signs of improvement. The RSI has formed a bullish divergence, meaning momentum is strengthening even as price recently printed lower lows, a pattern often associated with relief rallies.
Similarly, more than $75 million in Bitcoin futures positions were liquidated during recent volatility. Such liquidations can reset market positioning and sometimes precede stronger directional moves. Analysts are now watching the $71,000 resistance closely as the next test for bullish momentum.
On-chain sentiment adds another layer to the outlook. Larger orders appeared near the $60,000–$65,000 range, suggesting accumulation by larger market participants during the sell-off, while recent upward moves appear to be driven more by retail traders.
Macro Events and Seasonal Factors in FocusSeasonal narratives are also attracting attention as markets approach the Chinese New Year, which has historically coincided with mixed performance in crypto markets. Some traders expect short-term liquidity shifts, though analysts caution that global participation has reduced the impact of regional events over time.
Related Reading: Crypto Courtroom Drama: Kevin O’Leary Wins Nearly $3M Against YouTuber ‘Bitboy’
Meanwhile, corporate conviction remains visible. Strategy chairman Michael Saylor recently stated the firm could withstand an extreme Bitcoin decline to $8,000 while continuing to hold and accumulate the asset, underscoring a long-term outlook despite current volatility.
Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSUD chart from Tradingview
Crypto Watchlist: The Key Catalysts To Track This Week
Crypto’s week is stacked: ETHDenver pulls builders into Denver, a major DAO votes on supply, and US macro hits just as liquidity comes back after the holiday. Here’s what to watch:
Ethereum (Feb. 18): ETHDenver Kicks Off
ETHDenver’s main programming and opening ceremony are slated for Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a multi-day run into the weekend and a packed schedule across stages, side events, and builder tracks.
ETHDenver is where the Ethereum stack gets judged in real time: tooling, L2/app UX, account-abstraction product choices and the ecosystem’s current priorities, for better or worse. Don’t trade it like a single catalyst, but it’s still an info dump: partnerships get soft-launched, roadmaps get clarified, and the politics show up in Q&As before anyone writes the post-mortem.
Jupiter (Feb. 17): JUP’s ‘Pause Emissions’ Vote Goes Live
On Feb. 17, Jupiter DAO is expected to put a blunt question to holders: pause emissions and take dilution off the table, or keep incentives running as the default cost of growth.
The proposal goes beyond optics. It targets net emissions, including team-reserve flows and how team liquidity events get handled, which makes it a real token-policy decision: near-term distribution versus tighter supply discipline. If this passes, it’s not just a parameter tweak; it’s a message about what Jupiter thinks the market will reward this cycle.
Hyperliquid (Feb. 18): Second Airdrop Chatter
The real trade here is expectations. X is leaning into “Season 2” airdrop talk for Feb. 18 — but there’s still nothing official from the team.
The reason it keeps coming back is simple: the November 2024 drop was huge (big allocation, bigger mindshare) so traders keep trying to front-run a sequel. Until Hyperliquid pins anything down (team announcement, governance post, or an explicit timeline), this is positioning risk, not a confirmed event.
Macro Events To Watch This Week For Bitcoin And CryptoMonday (Feb. 16): Presidents’ Day Shuts US Markets
With NYSE and Nasdaq shut for Presidents’ Day, macro flows are thinner and that’s when crypto tends to overreact to relatively small pushes. The bigger point is timing: for a lot of US-based participants, the “real” week starts Tuesday, which compresses reaction windows ahead of Wednesday’s Fed minutes and Friday’s inflation print.
Wednesday (Feb. 18): FOMC Minutes Hit
The minutes from the Fed’s late-January meeting land Wednesday, three weeks after the decision. Traders will read them for internal disagreement, how officials framed inflation persistence versus labor-market cooling, and what would actually have to break to move the rate path.
In practice, the market tends to move on nuance. The key is whether “higher for longer” reads like the base case or just one scenario, and how confident the committee sounds that disinflation is still doing the work.
Friday (Feb. 20): PCE Inflation Print
The BEA’s Personal Income and Outlays release hits Friday, Feb. 20, including headline and core PCE, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, right into the close of a holiday-shortened week.
For crypto, it’s rarely about the number in isolation. The trade is the knock-on effects: rate-cut timing, real yields, and whether macro funds re-risk into the weekend. If PCE surprises in either direction, it can dominate the weekly close and set the tone for the next stretch.
Friday (Feb. 20): Supreme Court Tariffs Decision?
Feb. 20 is also on the radar as a potential opinion day in the Supreme Court case tied to President Trump’s signature tariff policy. Markets don’t need a full rewrite to move, they need direction. Any signal that the tariff framework stands, gets narrowed, or gets clipped feeds straight into rates, the dollar, and broader risk pricing.
Crypto won’t trade the ruling directly, but the linkage is real. If tariffs reprice growth and inflation expectations, crypto is likely to move with the broader risk complex, especially in a week where liquidity and macro timing are already doing the heavy lifting.
At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.32 trillion.
Страницы
