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Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart posted on X platform that institutional investors submitting 13F reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reduced their Bitcoin ETF positions in the fourth quarter of 2025, with investment advisory firms and hedge funds being the two largest categories of institutions by position size, becoming the main sellers in the market.Overall, the reporting institutional investors that submitted 13F reports sold a total equivalent to approximately 25,000 Bitcoin worth of ETF shares in the fourth quarter of 2025.

According to The Block, Taylor Lindman, former Deputy General Counsel of Chainlink Labs, has officially joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this Monday as the Chief Legal Advisor for the agency's cryptocurrency working group.Lindman succeeds former member Michael Selig, who is now the Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Reportedly, during his more than five years at Chainlink, Lindman held several senior legal positions and gained extensive experience in the oracle network and smart contract data infrastructure within the institutional finance sector. The SEC cryptocurrency working group, led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, was established last year to explore various aspects of regulating tokenization and decentralized finance through multiple rounds of roundtable discussions.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that former Chainlink Labs Deputy General Counsel Taylor Lindman has joined the SEC as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Crypto Task Force, succeeding Michael Selig, who was recently promoted to Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).Lindman worked at Chainlink for over five years, primarily responsible for legal matters related to the oracle network and smart contract data infrastructure. The SEC's Crypto Task Force was established last year, focusing on regulatory discussions around tokenization and decentralized finance, aiming to advance the development of a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency in the U.S.

According to market news, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a statement indicating that three Silicon Valley engineers, including Samaneh Ghandali, have been charged with stealing sensitive mobile processor and encryption file secrets from Google and two other companies.According to the indictment, while employed at Google, Samaneh Ghandali allegedly transferred hundreds of files to a third-party communication platform. These stolen materials involved processor security and encryption technology, which were subsequently copied to personal devices and office equipment of other companies where the defendants were employed. Prosecutors allege that the defendants attempted to cover up their actions by deleting files, destroying electronic records, and submitting false affidavits to the victim companies. Currently, all three defendants are charged with conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice, with the obstruction of justice charge carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

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 a report by Businesswire, World Liberty Financial announced a collaboration with DarGlobal and Securitize to tokenize the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives.The collaboration plans to tokenize the loan interest/income sharing rights of Trump International Hotel & Resort, Maldives, as the first project of its WLFI brand RWA token issuance.The project is being developed in partnership with DarGlobal and The Trump Organization, and is expected to be completed by 2030, with plans for approximately 100 ultra-luxury beach and overwater villas.WLFI stated that the tokens will be offered to qualified accredited investors, providing fixed income and cash flow exposure related to loan income; the issuance will be conducted via Reg D 506(c) private placement and Reg S (for verified accredited investors/non-U.S. persons only), with restrictions on token transfer and resale.

According to market news, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is considering stepping down before her term ends in October 2027, so that French President Macron and German Chancellor Merz can reach an agreement on her successor before the French elections in April 2027.A spokesperson for the European Central Bank later responded that Lagarde is "fully focused on her mission and has not made any decisions regarding the end of her term." Lagarde's potential early departure comes at a critical time for the advancement of the digital euro by the European Central Bank. Under her leadership, the European Central Bank has been continuously advancing the preparations for the digital euro and has repeatedly emphasized the need to manage the risks of private digital currencies such as stablecoins within the framework of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.Lagarde herself has long held a critical stance towards cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, describing them as "highly speculative," "worthless," and "not backed by any underlying assets." If there is a change in the leadership of the European Central Bank, it could affect the institution's communication focus and priorities regarding the digital euro, stablecoin regulation, and crypto-related payment arrangements, although the overall regulatory direction has already been established at the EU level.

According to Cointelegraph, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis stated that Kraken will provide funding support for the "Trump Accounts" opened for newborns in the state.Kraken Co-CEO Dave Ripley said that the company chose to establish its headquarters in Wyoming because the state is "prudent and responsible" in cryptocurrency regulation and hopes to give back to the local community.

UPBIT will launch trading support for Bittensor (TAO) on February 16, 2025, at 16:00. Deposits will be opened 1 hour and 30 minutes after the announcement is made. Users are advised to confirm the network before making deposits; the supported network is TAO-Bittensor Network.

The Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Michael S. Selig, announced the establishment of the Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC) and appointed 35 members to provide recommendations on the regulation of breakthrough technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.Committee members include representatives from blockchain projects such as Vivek Raman of Etherealize, Anatoly Yakovenko of Solana Labs, and Brad Garlinghouse of Ripple, as well as executives from major crypto trading platforms like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Gemini. Founders of prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, as well as representatives from well-known venture capital firms like a16z crypto and Framework Ventures, are also included. Selig stated that the committee will assist the CFTC in developing rules that adapt to market realities, paving the way for a "golden age of American financial markets."

According to The Block, Michael S. Selig, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), announced the establishment of an innovation advisory committee consisting of 35 members, with several executives from the cryptocurrency industry appointed.Selig stated that the committee will assist the CFTC in developing a regulatory framework regarding the role of "breakthrough technologies" such as artificial intelligence and blockchain in financial markets, ensuring that its decisions reflect market realities and establishing clear rules for "a golden age of American financial markets." The committee members include representatives from blockchain projects, such as Vivek Raman from Etherealize, Anatoly Yakovenko from Solana Labs, Brad Garlinghouse from Ripple, Sergey Nazarov, CEO of Chainlink Labs, and Hayden Adams, CEO of Uniswap Labs.In terms of centralized exchanges, executives from Bullish, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, and Robinhood are included. Shayne Coplan, founder of the prediction market platform Polymarket, and Tarek Mansour, founder of Kalshi, have also been appointed. Chris Dixon from a16z crypto, Vance Spencer from Framework Ventures, and Alana Palmedo from Paradigm are also on the list. The committee also includes representatives from traditional financial institutions such as Cboe, CME, DTCC, Nasdaq, and options clearing companies.

According to reports from Zhong'an Online, the Hefei Xinzhan Public Security Bureau discovered that a virtual currency exchanger was providing money laundering services for a fraud gang while handling a telecom network fraud case involving 260,000 yuan. On January 15, 2026, the police arrested the suspect Liu in Sichuan.Investigation revealed that Liu had been engaged in virtual currency trading since 2020, contacting upstream buyers through overseas chat software and conducting transactions with fraudsters on illegal trading platforms. In June 2025, after selling virtual currency on an illegal platform, Liu withdrew the illicit funds that were transferred to his account to his personal WeChat account, which is suspected of concealing and disguising criminal proceeds. The case is currently under further investigation.

According to CoinDesk, former Chairman of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee Patrick McHenry and White House advisor Patrick Witt stated at the Ondo Summit in New York that U.S. cryptocurrency legislation is accelerating, with a comprehensive cryptocurrency market structure bill expected to be passed in the coming months.Patrick McHenry predicted that the final version may be submitted to the President for signing around Memorial Day (May 25). Patrick Witt revealed that Trump has prioritized this legislation, and the White House is pushing for negotiations between banks and crypto companies, with drafting teams exchanging drafts. Both parties noted that stablecoin yields are the biggest point of contention, with the industry reaching a consensus on banning fraudulent promotions, but differing on whether centralized exchanges can pay passive yields.Patrick McHenry emphasized that without including DeFi, the market structure legislation would "not hold up." He pointed out that tokenized lending products have lower costs than traditional securities lending, indicating strong market demand. Regarding ethical standards, both believed that overly restricting the scope of proposals for officials' spouses is too broad, but a more precise compromise could still gain bipartisan support.Patrick Witt stated that the White House's goal is to translate high-level principles into specific legal text and reach a final agreement that can withstand scrutiny from both the House and Senate.

According to Newspim, Lee Chan-jin, the head of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of South Korea, stated that the "Bitcoin misdelivery incident" at Bithumb is a serious event that undermines the credibility of cryptocurrency exchanges. He pointed out that Bithumb actually holds only about 42,000 bitcoins, and this misdelivery exposed the severe risks of "bookkeeping transactions" trading fictitious assets without security guarantees.He emphasized that if the investigation confirms illegal negligence, the highest level of sanctions will be imposed, including fines and business suspensions. He also suggested adding provisions for revocable or restricted access licenses in the future "Basic Law on Digital Assets" to strengthen the regulation of internal controls at exchanges.The incident occurred on February 6, when Bithumb mistakenly distributed 2,000 bitcoins to each of 249 customers as rewards (originally intended to be 2,000 Korean won), totaling 620,000 bitcoins, which was valued at approximately 61 trillion won (about 45 billion USD) at the time. Bithumb intercepted the transactions within 20 minutes, but 125 bitcoins were still sold.

According to a report by Reuters, Lee Chan-jin, the head of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of South Korea, stated that the recent incident where Bithumb accidentally issued over $40 billion worth of Bitcoin to customers reveals structural vulnerabilities in the cryptocurrency sector, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced regulation. Lee emphasized that users who sold the mistakenly issued tokens are legally obligated to return the assets.In addition, regarding "ghost tokens" (over-issued assets) and the launch of Bitcoin spot ETF products, the FSS expressed a cautious attitude and plans to further expand the regulatory scope through secondary legislation of the "Digital Asset Basic Act."Last Friday, Bithumb mistakenly issued 620,000 Bitcoins during a promotional reward distribution, triggering a sell-off on the platform. Currently, preliminary investigations by financial authorities show that 99.7% of the mistakenly issued Bitcoins have been recovered; of the 1,786 Bitcoins sold before the trading was suspended, 93% have also been recovered.

Investment firm Variant's Chief Legal Officer Jake Chervinsky posted on the X platform: "Today is my last day working full-time at the company, after which I will transition to an advisory role."

According to official social media news, HTX DAO will appear as a gold sponsor at the 2026 Global Web3 Developer Conference (GWDC) at booth A1. Huobi HTX Global Advisor and core builder of HTX DAO, Sun Yuchen, will be present to deliver a keynote speech. HTX DAO ambassador Molly will also present an in-depth sharing titled "The Path of DAO: Decentralization without Dogma."This Global Web3 Developer Conference is hosted by Web3Labs and will be held from February 8 to 9, 2026, at Cyberport in Hong Kong. The conference will gather industry representatives from public chains, trading platforms, AI × Web3, RWA, infrastructure, investment institutions, and developer communities, aiming to create a Web3 developer event with diverse perspectives.

The Hong Kong "Build and Scale in 2026" themed forum, sponsored by Wealth Securities and organized by ChainCatcher, will be held on February 10 from 13:30 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong. It is reported that Eric Chong, Co-Director of the Research Department at Wealth Securities, will also attend the forum. Wealth Securities was established in 1979 and offers a diverse range of stable and compliant investment and financial services, including securities brokerage, insurance, and wealth management, and has expanded into cryptocurrency trading services.As one of the key side events of "Consensus HongKong," this forum will bring together multiple high-quality global project teams, investment institutions, and developers, focusing on industry integration trends, 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

According to Cointelegraph, the prediction market platform Kalshi announced the establishment of an independent advisory board and partnerships to enhance platform regulation and prevent insider trading and market manipulation. This initiative was announced three days before the Super Bowl in the United States, and the platform has already attracted over $168 million in Super Bowl-related bets.Kalshi stated that the committee will provide quarterly reports to the company's external legal advisors and publish statistics on investigations of suspicious activities. At the same time, Kalshi is collaborating with the cryptocurrency trading monitoring platform Solidus Labs and Daniel Taylor, the director of the Wharton School's forensic analysis lab, to "detect, investigate, and address market abuse."

The Executive Director of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Committee on Digital Assets, Patrick Witt, stated that the White House will not accept provisions in the cryptocurrency market structure legislation that directly target President Trump or his family's digital asset businesses, as such content has been clearly marked as a "red line."Witt mentioned that the anti-corruption or ethical provisions previously proposed by some Democratic lawmakers are "completely unacceptable," emphasizing that the core of the bill is the regulation of the cryptocurrency market, not ethical scrutiny. He expressed hope that the Democratic side could propose a more "reasonable and negotiable" version to advance the legislation.Witt also pointed out that the current primary goal of the White House is to facilitate a bill that can be submitted for the President's signature, while seeking a compromise amid the disagreements between the banking sector and the cryptocurrency industry regarding stablecoin revenues. However, he also admitted that the Democratic demand to restrict government officials and their families from participating in the cryptocurrency industry remains one of the main obstacles to advancing the legislation.