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A new, organized push is under way to shape how crypto prediction markets are treated in the US. A blockchain advocacy group has launched a unit aimed at guiding policy, pressing regulators, and backing industry players through legal fights and public research.

Industry Sets Legal Strategy

According to the group’s announcement, the first move was a letter praising the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and its chair for arguing that federal oversight should cover many event contracts.

The Prediction Markets Working Group, created by the blockchain advocacy group, The Digital Chamber, called for clearer rules and an end to what it described as enforcement-first regulation.

The group plans to meet with regulators, file policy ideas, publish studies and join court fights through friend-of-the-court briefs to press its view that a single federal regulator should be the lead voice on these crypto markets.

The regulator’s recent public comments were framed as support for that approach. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig has said the agency has overseen similar contracts for many years, and industry backers see that as a foundation for wider federal authority.

4/4 Focusing exclusively on shaping durable and responsible policy and regulation, our Prediction Markets working group looks forward to working closely with the CFTC, Congress, and market participants. Full statement: https://t.co/p9T7pP7e6r

— The Digital Chamber (@DigitalChamber) February 17, 2026

Tests On The Ground

Reports note that litigation and enforcement are already testing the theory. A major crypto US platform was hit with state action this week, accused of offering unlicensed wagering.

Kalshi faces a civil case brought by a state gaming regulator seeking to stop certain markets that the regulator calls gambling.

Rival platforms have felt the squeeze too; one has moved to federal court to try to head off state bans. Polymarket sued a state to argue federal oversight takes precedence.

The platforms argue their contracts behave like derivatives and should be treated as such, while state officials keep saying these products look a lot like bets.

States Push Back

That tension is clear along state lines. Nevada Gaming Control Board, which enforces strict gambling rules in its jurisdiction, has been among the most aggressive.

Reports say a governor in another state called these markets gambling that harms people, signaling political heat. Utah Governor Spencer Cox criticized federal arguments and framed the issue as one of public safety.

Meanwhile a platform chose to take its fight to the federal courts in a state that has been moving toward enforcement. Massachusetts figures into that legal push.

What Comes Next

The next stretch will likely be shaped by filings and court rulings as much as by rulemaking. Industry lawyers are preparing to press federal primacy; state officials are planning to press their gambling statutes.

Legal briefs and amicus filings will try to persuade judges about what these crypto contracts really are. Regulators could also respond with formal rule proposals, and those would change the tone of the debate.

Featured image from The Center for Public Justice, chart from TradingView

Американская криптобиржа Kraken объявила о готовности проспонсировать предвыборные «счета Трампа» для каждого ребенка, родившегося в штате Вайоминг в 2026 году.

Венчурный фонд миллиардера и инвестора Питера Тиля (Peter Thiel) Founders Fund полностью распродал свою долю в компании ETHZilla, одном из крупнейших корпоративных держателей эфира. Еще в августе доля Тиля составляла 7,5%.

Bitcoin maximalist and founder of BnkToTheFuture, Simon Dixon, has reignited debate over the role of altcoins, accusing Ripple and XRP of undermining Bitcoin’s original purpose. He described XRP as a “psyop,” arguing that the need to explain the difference between it and Bitcoin has constantly helped sow division within the crypto community. 

Why Ripple and XRP Are A “Psyop”

In a recent YouTube podcast with BTC Sessions, Dixon spoke about several factors, major historical events, and prominent figures in the financial industry that have had a significant impact on Bitcoin’s growth over the years. While he mentioned the rivalry between XRP and BTC as one of the ultimate psyops that fractured the Bitcoin community, he also highlighted the influence of altcoins in general, and how “shitcoinery and gambling” distracted investors from Bitcoin for a significant period. 

During the podcast, Dixon argued that the emergence of XRP contributed to long-standing fractures within the Bitcoin ecosystem by drawing attention away from BTC’s original vision as a decentralized monetary system. He noted that the persistent need to clarify the difference between XRP and Bitcoin had created confusion among investors and internal divisions within the community. 

Beyond XRP, Dixon also highlighted that the failure of Mt. Gox in 2014 was one of the first major shocks that weakened trust and unity among BTC holders. He characterized Mt.Gox as a deliberate war “op,” stating that the combination of hacking incidents and the disappearance of large amounts of BTC from the now-defunct exchange had “destroyed Bitcoin’s reputation” at a critical stage in its early development and nearly brought the crypto project to an end.

Other Historical Events And Controversies That Shaped Bitcoin

In the podcast, Dixon also revisited the contentious block-size war from years ago, which culminated in multiple network splits, including the creation of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and later Bitcoin SV. These hard forks reflected deep disagreements over scalability, governance, and Bitcoin’s future direction. 

According to him, each of these controversial episodes fragmented the Bitcoin community and redirected energy toward competing projects rather than reinforcing a single, cohesive movement. He further alleged that prominent figures such as Brock Pierce, the co-founder of Tether, may have been involved in the hard fork events that indirectly contributed to divisions in BTC’s ecosystem. 

Dixon further referenced potential historical associations involving Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting that controversial networks of influence may have intersected with early crypto developments. 

While his claims remain speculative, Dixon strongly characterized these moments as part of a recurring “divide and conquer” war tactic that weakened Bitcoin’s momentum and the growth of the crypto space. Despite these internal conflicts, Bitcoin has continued to recover, emerging stronger as it expands in adoption, market value, and institutional recognition. It remains the number one cryptocurrency, with a market capitalization of $1.35 trillion.

The President of the German central bank has supported the use of euro-pegged stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) to protect the bloc’s payments independence.

Bundesbank Chief Pushes For Stablecoins, CBDCs

On Monday, Joachim Nagel, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, touted euro-pegged stablecoins and CBDCs as strategic tools for reducing the European Union’s (EU) reliance on the US dollar (USD).

In a speech at the New Year’s Reception of the American Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt, Nagel highlighted that Europe has been affected by geoeconomic fragmentation, which has slowed the bloc’s economic growth and decreased competitiveness over the last couple of years.

As a result, the German Central Bank’s chief affirmed that Europe must take “decisive” measures to boost its economic dynamic, focusing on supporting the international role of the euro and making the EU “more independent in terms of payment systems and solutions.”

He highlighted the bloc’s efforts with CBDCs, noting that “Currently, the Eurosystem is working hard on the introduction of the digital euro – a retail central bank digital currency, or CBDC. This will be the first pan-European retail digital payment solution, based solely on European infrastructures.”

Additionally, Nagel emphasized the role of stablecoins, reaffirming that he sees merit in euro-denominated stablecoins for cross-border payments by both individuals and firms at a lower cost.

Last week, he outlined the benefits of the fiat-pegged tokens at a dinner speech at the Euro50 Group meeting. The Bundesbank president noted that stablecoins open the door for programmable transactions and could facilitate cross-border payments by reducing the transaction costs and duration.

However, he also discussed the potential European monetary policy challenges in the new geopolitical environment, including central bank independence and the rise of US-denominated stablecoins.

European Sovereignty At Risk

According to Nagel, the rise of stablecoins could pose risks for the EU if the digital assets, particularly those denominated in a foreign currency, become widely used as means of payment and store of value in the euro area.

He noted that the US, under the Trump administration, has been promoting the development of the crypto industry by working on establishing a clear regulatory framework that protects customers and fosters innovation.

Notably, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, also known as the GENIUS Act, last July, offering a legal framework for issuers to operate within the US.

Since then, the sector has seen strong growth, with its market capitalization rising nearly 50% last year from $205 billion at the start of the year to over $300 billion in late 2025. Nonetheless, most of the market is dominated by USD-denominated stablecoins, while the share of euro-pegged tokens accounts for less than 1%.

“Thus, if this market composition persists, a hypothetical replacement of a domestic currency with stablecoins would be equivalent to a dollarization of the corresponding economy,” the Bundesbank Chief explained. “In this scenario, the effectiveness of domestic monetary policy could be severely impaired, not to mention that European sovereignty could be weakened.”

Nagel asserted that the risk of this scenario materializing is small, but added that authorities are exploring ways to leverage new technological opportunities to reduce its likelihood.

He advocated for a wholesale CBDC to allow institutional actors on financial markets to execute programmable transactions in central bank money. In addition, they could support DLT-based payment instruments not directly related to central bank money, such as tokenized deposits and euro-denominated stablecoins.

To him, “these measures will allow us to utilise cutting-edge digital technologies to maintain our monetary policy effectiveness in an uncertain geopolitical future. Additionally, they will increase our sovereignty.”

Председатель Банка России Эльвира Набиуллина заявила, что ради борьбы с мошенниками в стране необходимо «ввести ответственность за операции вне официально регулируемого сегмента».

Bitcoin treasury firm Strategy has continued to buy despite the market downturn as it has increased its holdings by another 2,486 BTC.

Strategy Has Added Bitcoin Worth $168 Million To Its Reserves

In a new post on X, Strategy co-founder and chairman Michael Saylor has shared the details related to the latest Bitcoin acquisition completed by the company. With this new purchase, The firm has added 2,486 BTC to its treasury at a price of $67,710 per token or $168 million in total.

According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the buy occurred between February 9th and 16th and was funded using proceeds from the company’s STRC and MSTR at-the-market (ATM) stock offerings.

Usually, Strategy drops its purchases on Mondays, but this time the announcement has come on a Tuesday instead. The reason behind it is likely to be the fact that this Monday was a federal holiday: Presidents’ Day.

Following the new acquisition, the treasury firm’s holdings have risen to 717,131 BTC. Strategy spent a total of $54.52 billion on this stack, but at the current exchange rate of the cryptocurrency, its value is just $48.66 billion, meaning that the company’s tokens are holding a net unrealized loss of more than 10.7%.

Strategy’s holdings have gone underwater as a result of the downturn that Bitcoin and the digital asset sector as a whole have faced in recent months. The collapse since the end of January, in particular, has taken the token’s price below the firm’s cost basis. At present, the company’s acquisition level is sitting at $76,027.

Despite its massive reserve dipping into losses, Saylor’s firm doesn’t appear to have given up on accumulating more Bitcoin. On Sunday, Strategy’s official X handle made an X post explaining that the company can withstand a BTC drawdown to $8,000 and still have assets left to fully cover its debt. “Our plan is to equitize our convertible debt over the next 3–6 years,” noted Saylor in a quote-repost

Strategy’s latest purchase was its 99th overall since the company adopted a Bitcoin treasury model back in 2020. Saylor’s routine Sunday post foreshadowing the acquisition referenced this, with the chairman using the caption “99>98” alongside an image of the company’s BTC portfolio tracker.

In related news, the largest Ethereum treasury company, BitMine, has also announced a new acquisition. The firm has purchased 45,759 ETH, taking its total holdings to 4,371,497 ETH, equivalent to 3.62% of the total Ethereum circulating supply.

BitMine has continued to buy even as the firm’s holdings have been in a significant amount of loss due to the market downturn. “In our view, the price of ETH is not reflective of the high utility of ETH and its role as the future of finance,” noted Tom Lee, BitMine chairman.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $67,700, down nearly 2% in the last seven days.

Около 6,89 млн биткоинов сегодня уязвимы для квантовых атак, считает основатель аналитической платформы CryptoQuant Ки Янг Джу (Ki Young Ju). В том числе речь идет о примерно 1 млн BTC, которые связывают с создателем биткоина Сатоси (Сатоши) Накамото.

Правозащитная группа Coin Center призвала банковский комитет Сената США одобрить законопроект, защищающий от судебного преследования крипторазработчиков, которые не контролируют средства пользователей.

Департамент финансовой защиты и инноваций Калифорнии (DFPI) обязал работающие с цифровыми активами и желающие обслуживать жителей штата организации успеть получить разрешение на работу до 1 июля.

17-18 июня в Москве пройдет пятнадцатая, юбилейная мультиформатная конференция TECH WEEK, посвященная передовым цифровым технологиям, искусственному интеллекту и инновационным решениям, стимулирующим развитие бизнеса.

Crypto exchange Gemini (GEMI) is facing a period of significant upheaval, as three of its top executives exit the company just months after its New York initial public offering (IPO).

Gemini COO, CFO And CLO Leave The Exchange

On Tuesday, the firm — founded and led by billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss — disclosed in a regulatory filing that Chief Operating Officer Marshall Beard, Chief Financial Officer Dan Chen, and Chief Legal Officer Tyler Meade are departing effective immediately. 

Beard has also stepped down from Gemini’s board of directors. The company stated in the filing that Beard’s resignation was not the result of any disagreement with the firm.

In a research note reported by Bloomberg, Truist Securities analyst Matthew Coad warned that the departures “could result in more investors becoming concerned about Gemini’s solvency.” 

Gemini indicated it does not plan to replace Beard at this time. Instead, President Cameron Winklevoss will take on several of the former COO’s responsibilities. The company named Chief Accounting Officer Danijela Stojanovic as interim chief financial officer, while Kate Freedman will step in as interim general counsel.

The executive shake-up follows another major announcement earlier this month, when Gemini revealed plans to reduce its workforce by as much as 25% and to wind down operations in the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia. 

Post-IPO Struggles Deepen 

Financially, the company is also under pressure. Alongside the leadership news, Gemini released preliminary guidance for its 2025 results. It expects to report an adjusted pre-tax loss between $267 million and $257 million. 

Net revenue is projected to come in between $165 million and $175 million, with approximately 600,000 monthly transacting users as of Dec. 31. Operating expenses are forecast to reach between $520 million and $530 million, a substantial increase from $308 million a year earlier. 

Gemini attributed the rise largely to higher personnel-related costs and continued investments in technology, administrative functions, and marketing efforts. The company has not yet announced a definitive date for its full earnings release.

Gemini went public back in mid-September of last year, and its shares surged to a record high of $45.89 the day after trading began. However, the stock has fallen steadily since its debut, mirroring the broader crypto market decline led by Bitcoin (BTC). 

The exchange’s shares trading under the ticker name GEMI fell sharply on Tuesday, dropping nearly 15% to a record intraday low. As of this writing, the stock was down as much as 14% at $6.64, marking its steepest one-day decline since November. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Гендиректор компании CryptoQuant Ки Янг Джу (Ki Young Ju) в интервью южнокорейскому изданию Digital Asset назвал текущую фазу рынка полноценным медвежьим циклом и описал два сценария возможного восстановления биткоина.

Искусственный интеллект уже стал важным инструментом цифровых сервисов — от автоматизации работы до поиска и генерации контента. Однако эти же технологии используются и мошенниками: с их помощью создаются фишинговые сайты, дипфейки и автоматизированные схемы обмана пользователей криптовалют.

Аналитики компании Wintermute заявили, что главная причина снижение активности на крипторынке — ротация капитала инвесторов, забирающих средства из акций технологических компаний, отразившаяся и на цифровых монетах.

American fast food brand Steak ‘n Shake has said same-store sales have dramatically increased since the firm started accepting Bitcoin payments.

Steak ‘n Shake Has Seen A Boost In Sales After Accepting Bitcoin

In a new post on X, Steak ‘n Shake has shared an update on how the burger joint’s Bitcoin strategy has been going. The firm first opened itself to the cryptocurrency back in May 2025, allowing customers to make payments in BTC at all its locations.

Monday marked exactly nine months since Steak ‘n Shake made the move, and according to the company’s official X handle, same-store sales rose “dramatically” during the period.

Steak ‘n Shake’s Bitcoin strategy doesn’t only include accepting BTC payments; the firm has also been maintaining a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) using proceeds from BTC payments.

In January, the company also added to the reserve through purchases, increasing its holdings by a total of $15 million in notional value. In the same month, the firm announced a new scheme for its workers: bonus payments in Bitcoin.

Under the scheme, all hourly employees receive a $0.21 BTC bonus for every hour worked. “Bitcoin payments for Steak n Shake burgers go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which then funds Bitcoin bonus pay for our employees,” noted the firm.

Though, while all hourly employees receive the bonus, not everyone is immediately eligible to collect it. According to the firm, employees need to have cleared a two-year vesting period before they can redeem the BTC.

Overall, it would appear that the cryptocurrency’s adoption has turned out to be successful for Steak ‘n Shake. “We have combined a decentralized, cash-producing operating business with the transformative power of Bitcoin,” said the company.

A BTC reserve like Steak ‘n Shake’s is something that has gained traction among public firms in recent years, led by the aggressive conviction showcased by Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy).

While Steak ‘n Shake’s buys from last month are sizeable on their own, they aren’t much compared to the purchases that treasury companies like Strategy tend to make. Last Monday alone Strategy acquired $90 million worth of the digital asset.

The accumulation from treasury companies as a whole has seen a slowdown recently, however, as Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards has highlighted in an X post.

As displayed in the above chart, the percentage of BTC treasury company buyers has declined to 70% as the cryptocurrency’s price has gone through its bearish price action. “The last time we crossed under this threshold was 2022,” said Edwards. It now remains to be seen whether the trend will continue in the near future or if buying will make a return among these firms.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $68,000, down 1% over the last week.

Председатель компании Strategy, крупнейшего корпоративного держателя биткоина, Майкл Сейлор (Michael Saylor) заявил, что долгосрочный рост первой криптовалюты обеспечивается тремя ключевыми факторами.

Эксперт ончейн-платформы CryptoQuant Аксель Адлер (Axel Adler Jr) заявил, что начавшийся в октябре медвежий цикл биткоина закончится только в 2027 году.

Работающая на блокчейне Solana платформа Pump.fun для запуска мемкоинов изменит модель вознаграждений: выплаты больше не будут автоматически получать все создатели токенов, а часть комиссий может перенаправляться трейдерам.

With the end of the month approaching and negotiations still ongoing, the long-debated crypto market structure legislation known as the CLARITY Act is facing a critical moment in Washington. 

The bill, which aims to establish clear rules for digital asset markets in the United States, has encountered significant obstacles in recent weeks as lawmakers, regulators, banks and crypto industry representatives continue to debate key provisions.

Despite the hurdles, newly appointed Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Mike Selig has expressed strong confidence that the legislation is close to becoming law. 

CFTC Chief Optimistic On CLARITY Act

In an interview with FOX Business on Tuesday, Selig said the bill is “about to” be signed, signaling optimism that Congress will ultimately push it across the finish line.

“We want to ensure that the legal framework for cryptocurrencies is adaptable to future developments. We cannot allow a second Gary Gensler to come in and destroy everything. We’re going to get this thing across the line,” he added.

Selig’s remarks build on statements he made earlier this month. On February 3, he argued that the market structure bill moving through Congress could position the United States as the “gold standard” for crypto regulation. 

According to Selig, the industry has operated for too long without clear guidelines, causing businesses and innovation to migrate offshore. “The goal [of this legislation] is just to get some clarity. 

It’s been too long with these markets just languishing, and they’ve fled offshore,” he said at the time. He also projected that a finalized bill could land on President Donald Trump’s desk “in the next couple of months,” praising the president’s leadership and support for the cryptocurrency sector.

However, as the White House’s end-of-month deadline looms, a major sticking point remains unresolved: whether stablecoins should be permitted to offer yield. 

Crypto, Banks Remain Divided On Stablecoin Rewards

Journalist Eleanor Terrett reported Monday for Crypto In America that discussions between the crypto and banking industries have yet to produce a compromise on the issue, which is widely seen as the linchpin for advancing the CLARITY Act.

Last Tuesday, policy staff from banks and crypto firms met at the White House. The meeting concluded without agreement after banking representatives circulated a one-page document titled “Yield and Interest Prohibition Principles,” which argued that stablecoins should not provide yield or rewards to holders.

In response, the Digital Chamber, a trade group representing more than 130 crypto firms and several traditional banks with digital asset exposure, released its own proposed framework on Friday. 

The organization suggested principles that would allow payment stablecoins to generate yield within decentralized finance (DeFi) systems. 

The group said its recommendations are intended to preserve stablecoins as payment tools, safeguard DeFi liquidity and reinforce US dollar dominance, while introducing a rigorous, data-driven method to assess potential impacts on bank deposits.

Banks have not formally responded to the Digital Chamber’s proposal. However, a source close to the Senate Banking Committee described the document to Crypto In America as “constructive,” though cautioning that some elements may be too broad to gain full support from financial institutions.

The next steps remain uncertain. Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House Crypto Council, told Yahoo Finance on Friday that another meeting could take place as early as this week, though no specific date was provided. 

Featured image from Openart, chart from TradingView.com