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Antonio Sanso of the Ethereum Foundation says the network has a clear multi-year plan to become secure against quantum attacks, with research largely complete and execution underway. A dedicated post-quantum team was formed in January, and biweekly developer calls are coordinating upgrades across Ethereum’s execution, consensus, and data availability layers, all of which require changes. Sanso estimates overall progress at roughly 20 percent, with development networks already running and a public roadmap due soon, aiming for a full transition in the coming years without downtime or loss of funds as part of the broader “Lean Ethereum” effort to make the blockchain faster, simpler, and more decentralized using zero-knowledge technology.
Ethereum’s urgency contrasts with Bitcoin’s slower approach, as most existing ETH and all Solana holdings are currently vulnerable if large-scale quantum computers arrive earlier than expected, possibly in the 2030s. Work is focused on introducing post-quantum signature schemes, account-abstraction-based smart wallets, and methods to manage the much larger size and cost of these signatures using precompiles and cryptographic compression. An emergency hard-fork plan is also being developed that would let users prove ownership of addresses with zero-knowledge proofs and migrate to quantum-safe accounts, potentially forming the basis of the long-term transition. Community approval of the necessary protocol upgrades is expected to take years, with developer coordination continuing through new post-quantum working groups. Source
Ether rebounded above the $3,000 level after spending only six days below the psychological threshold, rising about 2.6% to around $3,028 during Asian trading. Analysts noted that ETH has nearly erased last week’s losses against Bitcoin and is holding a key support zone, which is seen as a constructive signal for further upside, with the next major resistance near $3,100. On-chain data shows price is sitting in a dense cost basis area where many holders break even, suggesting consolidation and base building if support holds, but thinner support and higher selling risk if it fails.
Network activity and long-term indicators also remain strong, with the number of non-empty Ethereum wallets surpassing 175 million, the highest of any cryptocurrency, and exchange balances continuing to decline as staking grows. Demand to become a validator far exceeds exits, with staking deposits facing waits of more than 50 days while withdrawals take roughly one day, pointing to rising participation and network security. Corporate interest is also increasing, as companies bought over 1 million ETH worth about $3.5 billion last quarter and public company holders rose 40%, now accounting for roughly 5% of total ETH supply. Source
Almost four in ten US merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, driven by rising customer demand and growing confidence that crypto payments will become mainstream within five years. A PayPal-backed survey of 619 payment decision-makers found that nearly 90% of merchants have received customer inquiries about paying with crypto, and many see it moving beyond experimentation into everyday commerce because of faster transactions and greater flexibility. PayPal launched its crypto checkout tool in July, enabling US businesses to accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies, and adoption is currently strongest among large enterprises, though roughly a third of midsized and small businesses have also enabled crypto payments. Major companies such as Starbucks, Walmart, and Home Depot are among those offering the option.
Among merchants already accepting crypto, these payments account for about 26% of total sales, suggesting customers are willing to use digital assets when available. Adoption is particularly high in hospitality and travel, digital goods, and gaming, with Millennials and Gen Z leading usage. However, complexity remains a major barrier, as most merchants said they would consider accepting crypto if the process were as simple as card payments. Industry figures argue that interest is already strong, but clearer tools and better understanding are needed to push adoption to the next stage. Source
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has released its final consultation on a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework, bringing a three-year rulemaking process close to completion with an expected conclusion in March and full implementation by October 2027. The framework includes 10 proposals covering areas such as stablecoins, custody, disclosures, and market abuse, and is designed to integrate crypto into existing financial regulation rather than creating a separate system. Industry figures say this consultative and centralized approach has helped the UK avoid the political deadlock affecting the United States, where progress on the CLARITY Act has stalled after Coinbase withdrew its support, creating uncertainty over market structure reform.
Unlike the US, which divides oversight between federal and state authorities and multiple agencies, the UK places responsibility primarily with the FCA, including for stablecoins, reducing regulatory fragmentation but increasing compliance demands. The approach also differs from the EU’s MiCA framework, favouring deeper integration with traditional financial rules, which some legal experts say is heavier and more expensive but better suited for institutional participation. With long-standing ambitions to become a crypto hub revived, industry leaders argue that clear rules will attract businesses back onshore, enable firms to scale operations in the UK, and provide retail users with stronger protections and clarity about how their assets are managed. Source
Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan said the crypto industry faces a critical test as US lawmakers debate a market structure bill designed to clarify how regulators oversee digital assets. He argued that passing the legislation would lock the current pro-crypto regulatory stance into law and reduce the risk of policy reversals under future administrations. If it fails, he warned, a new government could undo recent regulatory support, leaving the industry with only the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term, until 2029, to embed crypto deeply into everyday financial life through widespread use of stablecoins, tokenized assets, and integration with traditional finance.
Hougan said the bill’s outcome could lead markets down two very different paths. Approval of legislation acceptable to the industry would likely trigger a sharp rally, as investors price in long-term growth in stablecoins and tokenization. Failure, however, would mean a slower, more cautious market in which investors demand clear evidence of real-world adoption before rewarding higher valuations, due to ongoing regulatory uncertainty. While he remains optimistic that Congress will pass the bill despite delays over bipartisan negotiations and proposed additions such as ethics rules and limits on stablecoin yields, he said the industry should be ready for a prolonged period of scepticism if lawmakers do not act. Source
Tether has launched a new stablecoin called USAT, issued by Anchorage Digital, marking its first product designed to comply with the US GENIUS Act. The token is aimed specifically at the US market and is overseen by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency because Anchorage operates as a federally chartered digital asset bank. USAT has begun trading on exchanges including Kraken and Crypto.com and must meet strict reserve requirements that prioritize cash and US Treasuries, reflecting new regulatory powers granted to the OCC last year to supervise stablecoin issuers more closely.
The launch comes as questions persist over whether Tether’s main stablecoin, USDT, can meet the same standards, since its reserves include assets such as Bitcoin and gold. Tether said its 168 billion dollar flagship token is moving toward compliance but positioned USAT as an institutional-grade alternative in the meantime, with Cantor Fitzgerald acting as reserve custodian and primary dealer. The company has been building out its US presence by appointing a former White House crypto adviser to lead a dedicated domestic entity and signaling plans to eventually register USDT under the new framework, as competition intensifies with rivals like Circle that already emphasize regulatory alignment in the US market. Source
Markethive positions itself as a decentralized platform combining social networking, marketing, e-commerce, and cryptocurrency to support entrepreneurs and online businesses. At the core of its economy is Markethive Credit, a stablecoin pegged to 1 dollar and used for subscriptions, products, and services across the platform, as well as for staking to earn interest paid in Markethive Tokens that are converted into Hivecoin. Hivecoin functions as the main cryptocurrency of the ecosystem, used for transactions, smart contracts, advertising services, premium features, and gamified rewards for activities such as content creation, referrals, and community engagement. The system is designed to create a circular economy where participation and long-term holding are financially incentivized, encouraging users to remain active contributors to the platform.
Markethive further promotes Hivecoin adoption by offering a 20 percent discount on platform purchases when users convert Hivecoin into Markethive Credits, aiming to increase demand and exchange activity for the token. Bitcoin is supported as a store of value that can be automatically converted into credits through a threshold-based vault feature, while traditional cards and alternative payment systems such as Google Pay and Yandex Pay are maintained to ensure accessibility in regions with limited banking infrastructure. Additional earning mechanisms include faucets, micropayments tied to qualification levels, tipping based on merit, and educational activities, all intended to reward meaningful participation. Together, these elements are presented as a self-sustaining ecosystem that links business tools, social interaction, and digital assets into a single framework focused on user empowerment and long-term platform growth. Source
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on new rules for cryptoasset firms covering consumer protection, conduct standards, oversight, dispute resolution, use of credit to buy crypto, staff training, senior management accountability, regulatory reporting, asset safeguarding, and expectations about where firms should be based. The proposals are part of a broader roadmap to align crypto regulation more closely with traditional financial services while acknowledging that risks cannot be eliminated. This initiative sits alongside plans by HM Treasury to bring cryptoasset activities fully within the UK’s financial regulatory perimeter, expanding the FCA’s role beyond anti-money laundering supervision to include transparency, consumer protection, and market conduct across the sector.
Despite these steps, industry figures warn the UK may be moving too slowly compared with the EU, Singapore, and other jurisdictions that already offer clearer frameworks or more attractive tax environments. Concerns include the risk that strict physical presence requirements could push decentralized projects and development teams offshore, with some calling instead for a focus on data access and monitoring combined with incentives to keep firms in the country. Recent approvals, such as the FCA authorizing Ripple to expand its crypto payments services in the UK, show progress, but critics argue that competitiveness will ultimately depend less on regulatory clarity and more on whether UK tax policy and overall conditions are attractive enough to retain and attract crypto businesses. Source
Social NFT marketplace Rodeo, which launched on iOS in March last year with a focus on creator rewards and community-driven collecting, has announced it will shut down after failing to scale to a sustainable level. CEO and co-founder Kayvon Tehranian said the platform resonated with a dedicated user base but did not reach the size needed to operate long term. Rodeo will allow users to migrate media and metadata to Arweave and will provide an asset migration assistant to help transfer NFTs from its smart contract. The platform will operate normally until Feb. 10, switch to read-only mode afterward, and fully shut down by March 10.
Tehranian also revealed that ownership of the NFT artist platform and gallery Foundation is being transferred to digital art platform Blackdove, noting that Foundation has processed about $230 million in primary sales since launch and will continue operating under new leadership. The closure comes amid a prolonged downturn in the NFT market, which peaked in January 2022 with nearly $5 billion in Ethereum-based trading volume but had fallen to about $159.2 million by January 2026. Meanwhile, Nifty Gateway, another major NFT marketplace, confirmed its own shutdown plans, offering users asset migration via Arweave, extending its withdrawal deadline to April 23, and developing a bulk withdrawal tool following community feedback. Source
Standard Chartered estimates that about $500 billion could shift from traditional bank deposits into stablecoins by 2028, potentially undermining a key revenue stream for U.S. banks. The forecast, shared by the bank’s global head of digital assets research Geoff Kendrick, is lower than his earlier projection of $1 trillion but still significant. The analysis comes as U.S. lawmakers debate the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which would establish a federal framework for digital assets and could determine whether stablecoin holders are allowed to earn yield. Kendrick expects the bill to reach President Donald Trump for approval by the end of the first quarter, despite recent legislative delays, and warned that deposit outflows would directly reduce banks’ net interest margin income, the spread between what banks earn on loans and what they pay depositors.
Regional banks are seen as the most vulnerable because more than 60% of their revenue typically comes from net interest margin, compared with less than 20% for major investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Institutions including Huntington Bancshares, M&T Bank, Truist Financial, and Regions Financial were highlighted as especially exposed. Kendrick noted, however, that widespread damage is not inevitable, arguing that if stablecoin issuers keep most of their reserves as deposits within the banking system, overall deposit levels may not fall materially even if customers move funds into stablecoins. Source
The ERC-8004 Ethereum smart contract standard is expected to deploy on mainnet this Thursday, enabling AI agents to discover and trust each other across platforms without relying on centralized authorities. The protocol allows developers to register and validate AI agents within smart contracts, creating a framework for cross-organizational interactions and open agent economies. ERC-8004 addresses discovery and trustworthiness, letting agents interact credibly even in untrusted environments, which previous protocols like MCP and Agent2Agent did not fully solve.
The standard also extends to Ethereum’s layer-2 network, Base, where AI agents can autonomously pay for services using the x402 payment protocol. By enabling discovery, portable reputation, and economic interactions, ERC-8004 transforms AI agents from isolated tools into interoperable economic actors. This launch is expected to facilitate a global market for AI services operating without gatekeepers, promoting more open and decentralized AI-to-AI interactions. Source
U.S. Bitcoin ETFs saw a net inflow of $6.8 million on Monday, ending a five-day losing streak that had drained nearly $1.72 billion from these investment products. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF led the gains with $15.9 million and $7.7 million in inflows, while Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF, Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, and ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF experienced outflows totaling roughly $19.6 million. The reversal coincided with Bitcoin trading slightly lower at around $87,815, following declines of 2.5% over the past week and nearly 12% over the year.
Analysts view the inflows as a potentially positive signal for Bitcoin, suggesting that further gains depend on continued positive ETF flows. Bitcoin’s price movements are increasingly influenced by the U.S. dollar, which has recently approached multi-year lows, and a rebound in the dollar could help lift Bitcoin above its mid-January highs. While the recent ETF inflow is modest compared with recent outflows, it highlights a potential stabilization in crypto investment products and may mark the start of a consolidation period before a sustained rally. Source
Arthur Hayes, founder of BitMEX, suggests that weakening of the yen alongside rising Japanese government bond yields could push Japanese investors to sell US Treasuries in favor of higher-yielding domestic bonds. He theorizes that the Federal Reserve could intervene to stabilize Japan’s financial markets by printing money, creating dollar reserves with banks, and exchanging dollars for yen to purchase Japanese bonds. Such actions would expand the Fed’s balance sheet and could act as a catalyst for Bitcoin to break out of its current sideways trend, as Hayes believes money printing is a key driver for cryptocurrency movement.
Hayes is monitoring central bank actions closely, particularly the Fed’s balance sheet, before increasing risk exposure in Bitcoin. The US Dollar Index has fallen to a four-year low, highlighting currency fluctuations, while the dollar has slid 10% over the past year. Despite this, former President Trump publicly maintained that the dollar is performing well, criticizing other countries for devaluing their currencies. Hayes argues that intervention by the Fed in foreign exchange and Japanese bond markets could not only stabilize Japan’s economy but also provide favorable conditions for Bitcoin’s next rally. Source
Coinbase is testing Flipcash’s USDF stablecoin as part of a new feature that will allow businesses to create branded, dollar-backed tokens. The “Coinbase Custom Stablecoins” program, first announced in December, is designed to let businesses earn rewards on activity and move funds seamlessly across Coinbase-supported blockchains, with the tokens backed by Circle’s USDC. Currently, USDF is only in backend testing on Coinbase Exchange, with trading, deposits, and withdrawals not yet available. Custom stablecoins are expected to give businesses more flexibility in payroll, cross-border transactions, treasury management, and business-to-business payments.
The USDF stablecoin is being developed by crypto infrastructure company Flipcash and is projected to launch in early 2026 as the main stablecoin on the Flipcash app. Coinbase is also collaborating with Solana-focused wallet Solflare and DeFi platform R2 to enable their own custom stablecoin solutions. Stablecoins already play a key role in Coinbase’s business, generating nearly $247 million in revenue in the fourth quarter, and the company has been lobbying to preserve stablecoin rewards under upcoming crypto market regulations. The broader stablecoin market is valued at $312.6 billion and is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2028, with payment flows projected to grow substantially in the coming decade. Source
Bitwise has established a Delaware statutory trust under the name “Bitwise Uniswap ETF” as a preparatory step toward a potential exchange-traded fund linked to the Uniswap protocol. This registration is a routine legal measure that preserves flexibility for a future SEC filing but does not indicate an active review or set launch timeline. The move comes after the SEC closed its investigation into Uniswap Labs in February 2025, signaling a broader pullback in crypto enforcement. Analysts note that any ETF approval would now hinge on market structure, liquidity, and custody considerations rather than legal questions about the protocol itself.
Attention has shifted toward practical considerations such as verifying decentralization, ensuring sufficient liquidity, and managing custody through smart contracts, which heighten operational risks. Mechanisms like Uniswap’s Fee Switch, which redirects a portion of trading fees to the protocol, are seen as important for value accrual and revenue stability. Despite on-chain liquidity being strong, fragmented volumes and decentralized governance pose challenges for pricing and oversight. Should Bitwise advance with the ETF, SEC review would focus on market integrity, manipulation risks, and depth of liquidity across the protocol, all critical factors for any ETF exposure. Source
The UK Advertising Standards Authority has banned a series of Coinbase advertisements for being “irresponsible” and for trivializing the risks of cryptocurrency. The ads, which included a satirical musical-style video and three posters, depicted the UK in a state of decline and suggested crypto as a solution to cost-of-living challenges without presenting the associated financial risks. The ASA criticized the use of humor alongside serious economic concerns, saying it could mislead viewers into seeing complex, high-risk financial products as simple solutions. Even after the TV ad was rejected, the video was circulated online and the posters were displayed in high-traffic areas such as the London Underground.
The advertisements contained no information about crypto risks, which the Financial Conduct Authority requires to be prominently labeled. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong defended the campaign, arguing that the ad highlighted flaws in the traditional financial system and promoted crypto as a way to improve it. The musical video featured scenes of crumbling homes, rising food costs, job losses, and trash-strewn streets, ending with the message “If everything’s fine, don’t change anything” alongside Coinbase’s logo. The ASA concluded that the ads irresponsibly presented crypto as a straightforward solution to economic problems without adequate risk disclosure. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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