Morgan Stanley has officially decided that it’s time to be more than just the financial guru for the rich and powerful. They’ve applied to the OCC for a national trust bank charter in a bid to launch a shiny new federally regulated subsidiary focused entirely on digital asset custody. Who needs a bank account when you can just trust Morgan Stanley with your crypto, huh?
Collins, the darling co-founder of Tether and now chairman of STBL, waxed lyrical about the industry’s penchant for building financial fortresses while neglecting the drawing-room comforts of the everyday user. Tsk, tsk.
Hyperliquid, that insatiable beast of the DeFi jungle, has once again proven its dominance. For the past seven days, it has devoured a staggering $35.4 billion in trades, leaving lesser platforms gasping in its digital wake. A true titan of the blockchain, it commands the market with the precision of a Soviet bureaucrat and the charm of a well-armed robber.
Denelle Dixon is not one to mince words. The Stellar Development Foundation’s CEO, a figure of unwavering resolve, has delivered a manifesto to the banking world: private blockchains are but a fleeting mirage, and only the open networks can grant true interoperability. Her words fall upon ears that are, at best, indifferent, and at worst, stubborn as mules.
After two days of being the belle of the ball, Bitcoin ETFs decided to take a nap, losing $27.5 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led the exodus with a $32.7 million exit, which is roughly the cost of a mid-sized yacht or a really nice divorce settlement. ARK’s ARKB and Franklin’s EZBC tried to pick up the slack with $3.3M and $1.9M respectively, but let’s be honest-that’s like bringing a spoon to a knife fight.
Altcoins were already gasping for air, but Aave? Oh, it was juggling a circus act of drama on the side. One might call it a “romantic entanglement” if the parties involved weren’t codebases and treasuries.
Tinder will pay $60.5 million to resolve claims that it unfairly charged older users in California more for its services, according to an update on the website for the settlement administrator.
During the proceedings of the House Commerce, Finance and Policy Committee on the 26th of February, a most alarming proposal was laid before the assembly: a total prohibition on bitcoin ATMs, which have become a favored instrument of scammers targeting the state’s most vulnerable citizens. The proposal, HF3642, is said to be a necessary measure, given the recent surge in such deceptions, which have left many a heartbroken and destitute.
Of course, this drop in price has made things a little uncomfortable for the Bitcoin miners. Imagine mining Bitcoin and suddenly realizing your electricity bill is shrinking, much like the rapidly decreasing size of your profit margin. The so-called “electrical cost” of mining Bitcoin has dropped from a heart-stopping $71k in Q4 2025 to a much less exciting $53.5k now. Sure, it’s cheaper to mine Bitcoin, but hey, the miners who were inefficient have been ousted, leaving the remaining ones trying to figure out how to stay afloat without drowning in their own electricity bills.
By February 6, the Net Realized P/L was sporting a rather gloomy -$330 million, the kind of loss that might make even the most hardened investors want to curl up in a corner and cry. Around that time, Bitcoin’s price briefly dipped to the $63,000-$65,000 zone. It was like watching a spaceship try to land on a moving platform: shaky, chaotic, and not exactly a smooth process.