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Vitalik Buterin posted on the X platform, stating that there is an important synergy between the FOCIL mechanism and the account abstraction proposal Ethereum's EIP-8141 (based on 7701). EIP-8141 elevates smart accounts (including multi-signature, quantum-resistant signatures, key changes, Gas sponsorship, etc.) to "first-class citizens," meaning that operations from these accounts can be directly packaged as on-chain transactions without additional encapsulation.At the same time, privacy protocols can achieve a multi-tenant account model through the paymaster or 2D nonce mechanism, thereby gaining the same level of native support. FOCIL provides a censorship-resistant fast transaction inclusion mechanism. With the combination of both, various transactions, including smart wallet transactions, Gas sponsorship transactions, and privacy protocol transactions, can be included in blocks by one of the 17 roles (proposers or inclusions) randomly selected for each time slot.Vitalik stated that this design can ensure that transactions are almost guaranteed to be completed on-chain within 1-2 time slots in adversarial environments. In the current version, each FOCIL volume is approximately 8kB, which is relatively small, but there is a path for future expansion that could support most transactions in a block entering through the FOCIL channel. This architecture is similar in characteristics to the multi-parallel proposer (MCP) design, but differs in that FOCIL does not control the "last look" related to MEV, which is still allocated through the ePBS auction mechanism.Vitalik emphasized that even if 100% of block time slots are monopolized by adversarial parties through the proposer-builder separation (PBS) mechanism, refusing to connect to the public mempool or discriminating against specific applications, FOCIL can still ensure that all transactions receive fast inclusion. Although this design does not eliminate the centralization risk of the proposer role, it significantly weakens its power. Under the EIP-8141 framework, transactions from smart wallets or privacy protocols can be directly received by FOCIL inclusions through the public mempool without additional intermediaries or encapsulation processes.Vitalik concluded that Ethereum is accelerating the advancement of core architecture upgrades.

According to Fortune magazine, the decentralized derivatives trading platform Hyperliquid has officially established the Hyperliquid Policy Center in Washington, D.C., with veteran crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky serving as the first CEO.The center aims to create legal pathways for the widespread adoption of DeFi in the United States, helping Congress and federal agencies understand the underlying technology of DeFi and providing professional support for regulatory rule-making. Chervinsky stated that the current regulatory framework was formed in the analog era and cannot cover new trading forms such as decentralized protocols. One of the center's primary tasks is to develop a legal framework for perpetual contracts.The Hyperliquid affiliated foundation has donated 1 million platform native tokens HYPE (currently valued at approximately $28 million) to support the center's operations. The founding team also includes policy advisor Brad Bourque (former lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP) and policy director Salah Ghazzal (former policy head at Variant). The center is currently hiring for positions such as Chief of Staff, Director of Communications, and Director of Government Relations.

According to CoinDesk, at the Consensus Hong Kong conference, Sui executives Stephen Mackintosh and Evan Cheng stated that 2025 will be a "watershed year" for institutional crypto adoption, as the introduction of the "Genius Act" has significantly increased institutions' understanding and demand for crypto assets.Mackintosh pointed out that the surge in Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) tools, the successful issuance of spot Bitcoin ETFs, and the entry of large trading firms like Citadel and Jane Street all indicate that institutions are accelerating their investments in crypto infrastructure and talent. He noted that even though market sentiment may weaken temporarily, options trading volume has reached record levels, and the structural growth trend remains unchanged, stating that "institutional demand has never been stronger."Cheng emphasized that traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) will move towards integration rather than competition in the future. He pointed out that traditional products often have a "T+1" or longer settlement period, while DeFi offers "T+0" instant settlement, providing a clear efficiency advantage. Through asset tokenization, investors can immediately engage in collateralized lending after acquiring assets, thereby layering DeFi strategies on top of traditional exposures.Both executives also stated that tokenization and "agentic commerce" (AI-driven on-chain transactions) will become key focus areas in the next phase.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released its 2025 work review and 2026 work priorities, which highlighted that in 2025, consumer protection in digital assets will be provided, a consultation with the industry will be conducted on the proposed framework for handling customer authorization payment fraud loss claims, and the prudent regulatory framework for crypto assets will officially take effect on January 1, 2026.The HKMA's 2026 work priorities will support the sustainable and responsible development of the digital asset industry and promote "FinTech 2030," including: data and payments (comprehensive risk data strategy), artificial intelligence (generative AI sandbox++, financial industry-specific models), and tokenization (regulatory incubator for distributed ledger technology), among others.

Ella Zhang, the head of YZi Labs, stated at the Consensus 2026 conference that YZi Labs, in collaboration with Zhao Changpeng, currently manages over $10 billion in funds, focusing on investments in AI, biotechnology, and the Web3 space. Their investment logic adheres to first principles, concentrating on real needs rather than trends. AI is an inevitable trend, biotechnology presents an exponential opportunity to enhance human capabilities, while the cryptocurrency industry has cyclical characteristics.In addition to providing financial support, YZi Labs emphasizes cultivating resilient founders through a mentorship system. Furthermore, it was mentioned that stablecoins are the first key application for cryptocurrencies to go mainstream, and Zhao Changpeng is currently serving as a mentor with an "intern" mindset.

According to CoinDesk, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson announced at the Consensus Hong Kong conference that the long-developed privacy blockchain Midnight will officially launch in the last week of March, operating as a partner chain of Cardano.Midnight is based on zero-knowledge proof technology and employs a "selective disclosure" privacy model: user transaction data is kept private by default and only specific information is disclosed to authorized parties when necessary. This design aims to balance the privacy protection of the blockchain with compliance requirements, supporting different levels of data access views for public, audit, and regulatory purposes. Hoskinson revealed that Google and Telegram have already participated in the collaboration.The concurrently launched Midnight City Simulation testing platform will be open to the public on February 26, simulating a real trading environment through AI agents to validate the network's proof generation and processing capabilities in large-scale scenarios.

According to The Block, Barry Silbert, founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group, stated at the Bitcoin Investor Summit that 5% to 10% of Bitcoin's total supply will flow into privacy-focused cryptocurrencies in the coming years, and he believes that privacy coins are currently the most asymmetric return potential investment in the industry.Silbert expressed that he remains optimistic about Bitcoin as a core asset, but under the premise that the dollar does not fully collapse, Bitcoin no longer has the potential for 500x growth. He believes that projects like Zcash and the zero-knowledge proof-based privacy blockchain Bittensor have such potential and has allocated assets accordingly.He pointed out that the early narrative of Bitcoin as "anonymous cash" has become difficult to sustain after the widespread adoption of chain analysis technology, and it is also unlikely that the network will integrate native privacy features in the future. Silbert also mentioned that Zcash serves as a hedging tool against the potential technological risks that quantum computing may pose to Bitcoin.

Digital Currency Group (DCG) founder and CEO Barry Silbert stated that as the market's demand for financial privacy rises, it is expected that 5% to 10% of Bitcoin funds will flow into privacy-focused cryptocurrencies represented by Zcash in the coming years.Silbert pointed out at the Bitcoin Investor Week event in New York that financial privacy is not only a fundamental right but could also become the next direction in the crypto industry with asymmetric return potential. He believes that Bitcoin remains a core component of asset allocation, but under the current market size, privacy projects may have greater growth potential. He also mentioned that with the development of on-chain analysis tools like Chainalysis and Elliptic, the narrative of Bitcoin as "anonymous cash" is no longer valid, while the market still has a demand for using digital currencies with privacy protection. Silbert's current portfolio has also correspondingly increased its allocation to privacy and related emerging sectors.

At a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, several Democratic lawmakers questioned SEC Chairman Paul Atkins regarding the recent reduction in enforcement actions against the cryptocurrency industry by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), expressing concerns about whether these decisions are linked to Trump and his connections to the crypto industry.Lawmakers specifically mentioned the SEC's suspension of the case against Tron founder Justin Sun and the withdrawal of the lawsuit against Binance. Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch stated during the hearing that the decline in SEC enforcement has impacted the agency's reputation and demanded an explanation for why the related cases were not pursued further. The SEC had previously sued Justin Sun in 2023 for allegedly issuing unregistered securities and manipulating trading volumes, but later in 2025, it applied to pause the case to explore settlement possibilities; in May of the same year, the SEC withdrew its lawsuit against Binance under Atkins's leadership.Data shows that in 2025, the SEC's overall enforcement actions decreased by about 30% compared to the previous year, with crypto-related cases dropping by approximately 60%, which is viewed by outsiders as a signal of a shift in regulatory focus. In response, Atkins stated that the SEC still maintains a "strong enforcement presence" and noted that some changes are part of the normal adjustments following a change in regulatory leadership.

According to Jin Ten, U.S. Treasury yields fell during the European trading session as the market focused on the U.S. labor market data for January, which has been postponed to Wednesday. Prior to that, the weekly ADP private sector employment data is set to be released. DHF Capital S.A. analyst Bas Kuijman stated that this data could further strengthen market expectations for a U.S. rate cut, and any data that falls short of expectations could intensify market caution, putting pressure on the dollar and Treasury yields.

The "Build and Scale in 2026" themed forum, co-hosted by ChainCatcher, RootData, and Alibaba Cloud, will officially take place today from 13:30 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong. This forum is sponsored by Rich Fortune Securities and supported by partners including Sei Labs, Tron, Brevis, Kite AI, Jarsy, Spark Protocol, Billions Network, Ju.com, SunPump, Vana, Photon Pay, Psy Protocol, UXLINK, Perle Labs, Phoenix, and Huazhi Education RWA.As one of the important peripheral activities of "Consensus HongKong," this forum will gather multiple high-quality global project parties, investment institutions, and developers, focusing on the trends of industry integration, growth paths, and market opportunities in the new cycle, and will engage in in-depth discussions around key tracks such as RWA, stablecoins, AI, payments, and DeFi.Event link: https://luma.com/md5v6b5z

Base App announces a shift in product direction, focusing on creating an on-chain trading experience. The information feed will only display tradable assets and on-chain activities, and the Talk discussion section will be removed.At the same time, Base App will gradually terminate the Creator Rewards program. In the past 6 months, over $450,000 has been distributed to approximately 17,000 creators. This program will end on February 15, with the final distribution occurring on February 18. The official statement indicates that new community incentive methods will be explored in the future.

Beast Industries announced that it has acquired the mobile banking app Step, aimed at teenagers and young adults, to enhance its presence in the financial services sector. Step currently has over 7 million users and has raised approximately $500 million from investors such as Stephen Curry and Justin Timberlake.Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold stated that this acquisition will leverage technology-driven solutions to improve the financial health of its audience. Previously, Ethereum warehouse company BitMine Immersion Technologies invested $200 million in Beast Industries in January, and both parties are exploring the integration of DeFi features into the financial platform. Additionally, Beast Holdings filed a trademark application for MrBeast Financial in October, covering businesses such as cryptocurrency trading and payment processing.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Becerra recently stated that Hong Kong is currently exploring a new financial system based on digital assets as a "sandbox" for financial innovation, raising market concerns about potential impacts on the pricing systems of Bitcoin and gold.Becerra added that there is currently no conclusive evidence to prove this, but related rumors continue to circulate in the market, and the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation. Analysts point out that if a sovereign digital asset system linked to gold emerges in the future, it could have a long-term impact on the existing U.S. dollar-dominated financial system and the pricing logic of crypto assets. However, at present, discussions are still more about policy and market speculation, with short-term impacts on the crypto market primarily driven by sentiment and expected trading.

According to Jinshi News, despite weak U.S. employment data, the dollar remained stable after hitting a two-week high on Thursday. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that job vacancies in December fell to the lowest level in over five years.Market focus has shifted to the non-farm payroll data, which was delayed due to the government shutdown and will be released next Wednesday. Additionally, Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve Chairman boosted the dollar, with market expectations that he will adopt restrictive policies. The dollar index remained flat at 97.819.

The "Build and Scale in 2026" themed forum, jointly organized by ChainCatcher, RootData, and Alibaba Cloud, is now in the final 5 days of countdown. This forum has received joint support from partners such as Sei Labs, Tron, Brevis, Kite AI, Jarsy, Spark Protocol, Billions Network, Ju.com, SunPump, Vana, Photon Pay, Psy Protocol, UXLINK, Perle Labs, Phoenix, and Huazhi Education RWA, and is scheduled to be held on February 10th from 13:30 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong.As one of the important peripheral events of "Consensus HongKong," this forum will gather multiple high-quality global project parties, investment institutions, and developers, focusing on the trends of industry integration, growth paths, and market opportunities in the new cycle, with in-depth discussions around key tracks such as RWA, stablecoins, AI, payments, and DeFi.Event registration: https://luma.com/md5v6b5z

The U.S. House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial related to Trump, focusing on whether it involves foreign sovereign capital and potential national security and policy compliance issues.The investigation stems from a report previously disclosed by The Wall Street Journal: an entity linked to Abu Dhabi had secretly agreed to acquire approximately 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million shortly before Trump's inauguration in early 2025. In response, U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna has sent a letter to the company requesting information on its equity structure, payment details, and internal communications, as well as verification of the relevant investment situation. The letter specifically asks World Liberty Financial to confirm whether $187 million has flowed into entities related to the Trump family and whether there are additional payments made to affiliates of the company's co-founder.

According to Jinshi News, Federal Reserve Governor Cook stated that the labor market has stabilized and is roughly in balance, but will closely monitor any potential rapid changes.