Hong Kong Set to Issue First Stablecoin Licenses by End of March; HSBC and Standard Chartered Poised for Approval Sources indicate that Hong Kong is on the verge of releasing its inaugural batch of compliant stablecoin licenses, with an anticipated issuance date at the close of March 2026. Major financial institutions, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, are reportedly among the frontrunners expected to receive approval in this first wave. Following the allocation of these initial licenses, the regulatory body is set to accelerate the process for subsequent applications, with further approvals anticipated in the near future. #crypto #blockchain #news

Whale Deposits Millions in Hyperliquid, Initiates ETH Short Position A prominent whale investor, identified as 0x15a4, has reportedly deposited 3.85 million USDC into the Hyperliquid exchange. This move follows a period of significant losses exceeding $1.3 million for the whale. Concurrently, the investor has placed a substantial short order for 3,000 ETH, a position currently valued at approximately $6.09 million. The transaction was monitored by Lookonchain. #crypto #blockchain #news

Whale Increases ETH Short Position, Adds $26.3 Million in USDC A significant whale investor, identified by the on-chain address "0x6c8," has further augmented its Ethereum short position by depositing an additional 26.3 million USDC. The whale's current unrealized loss on this position stands at $1.15 million, with the total size of the ETH short trade now approximating $78.41 million. #crypto #blockchain #news

xAI Co-Founder Fred Wu Departs to Pursue New Ventures Fred Wu, a co-founder of the artificial intelligence company xAI, announced his departure from the organization today via a post on the X platform. Wu stated that he is embarking on the next chapter of his life and believes that "small teams can have a disruptive impact with AI in the AI era." #crypto #blockchain #news

Binance Futures to Launch ESPUSDT Perpetual Contract Pre-Trading Binance Futures announced that it will introduce pre-trading for the ESPUSDT Perpetual Contract on February 10, 2026, at 16:10 (UTC+8). The contract will support leverage of up to 5x. The launch of the ESPUSDT perpetual contract on Binance Futures marks a significant development for traders looking to gain exposure to this particular asset. The availability of pre-trading allows market participants to position themselves ahead of the official listing, potentially capitalizing on early market movements. The maximum leverage of 5x offers a considerable degree of flexibility for traders, enabling them to amplify their positions. However, as with all leveraged trading, it also introduces increased risk, requiring careful risk management strategies from participants. Further details regarding the contract specifications and trading parameters are expected to be released by Binance Futures in due course. #crypto #blockchain #news

Binance Co-Founder He Yi Links Market Rallies to Easing FUD He Yi, co-founder of Binance, recently shared her perspective on market dynamics via the X platform, stating that "when FUD subsides, it's time for growth." According to her analysis, new entrants to the cryptocurrency space are often deterred by Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) and hesitate to invest. Meanwhile, existing participants may secure profits or exit positions due to unclear market conditions. Veteran investors, or "OGs," who have achieved financial independence, are reportedly desensitized to what they perceive as "intelligence-lowering FUD and AI-generated attacks," leading them to question their engagement with the market. He Yi suggested this sentiment contributed to the cryptocurrency market's fear index on CoinMarketCap falling to 5. He Yi emphasized that periods of diminishing FUD typically precede market uptrends. #crypto #blockchain #news

Huobi HTX Launches GPS Perpetual Futures Contract Huobi HTX has announced the listing of the GPS/USDT perpetual futures contract, offering users the ability to engage in both long and short positions with leverage ranging from 1x to 20x. The new contract became available on February 10th. #crypto #blockchain #news

Huobi HTX to Launch UP (Superform) Token Tomorrow Huobi HTX will commence deposit services for UP (Superform) on February 10th at 16:00 (GMT+8). Spot trading for UP/USDT will open on February 11th at 10:00 (GMT+8), followed by withdrawal services on February 12th at 10:00 (GMT+8). Superform is described as the first stablecoin native token bank, allowing users to perform on-chain savings, exchanges, transfers, and earn yields while retaining full control over their assets. The platform offers SuperVaults for automated yield optimization and custom portfolio building across over 1,000 earning opportunities. #crypto #blockchain #news

Ethereum's MVRV Z-Score Signals Capitulation, Analysts Divided on Future Outlook Ethereum's MVRV Z-Score has dipped to -0.42, a level typically indicative of market capitulation. However, market analysts are split on whether this signifies a near-term bottom for the cryptocurrency's price. The MVRV Z-Score metric compares a cryptocurrency's market capitalization to its realized value to assess whether it is overvalued or undervalued. According to CryptoQuant analyst Joao Wedson, the current reading suggests Ethereum is undergoing a clear capitulation phase. He noted, however, that the intensity of this phase is significantly less severe than historical extremes observed in December 2018 (MVRV Z-Score of -0.76) and at the bottom of the 2022 bear market. Wedson cautioned that further downside potential may still exist before a structural bottom is established. #crypto #blockchain #news

21Shares Submits Amended S-1 Filing for ONDO ETF to SEC 21Shares announced today that it has filed an amended S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its ONDO ETF. This submission marks a significant step forward in the company's efforts to expand the exchange-traded vehicle for ONDO. #crypto #blockchain #news

Tether Burns 3.5 Billion USDT on Ethereum Mainnet Tether has burned 3.5 billion USDT on the Ethereum mainnet approximately one and a half hours ago, according to data from Whale Alert. #crypto #blockchain #news

CryptoQuant CEO: Bitcoin Faces Overwhelming Selling Pressure, Disrupting DAT Strategy Ki Young Ju, the CEO of CryptoQuant, stated that despite an anticipated $308 billion in Bitcoin inflows by 2025, the cryptocurrency's market capitalization has not seen a significant increase. This indicates substantial selling pressure, rendering the Digital Asset Reserve (DAT) strategy ineffective in the current market environment. The inability of a substantial influx of funds to positively impact Bitcoin's valuation suggests a market dynamic where selling volume is overwhelming buying demand. This situation poses challenges for investment strategies that rely on predictable inflows driving price appreciation. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

New Wallet Bets Big on ETH with 20x Leverage on Hyperliquid A newly established cryptocurrency wallet has made a substantial deposit of 12.88 million USDC to the Hyperliquid exchange, positioning itself with a 20x leverage long position on Ethereum (ETH). According to data tracked by Lookonchain, this wallet, identified as 0x6C85, has initiated a significant bullish bet on ETH. The current open long position comprises 16,270 ETH, a stake valued at approximately $33.38 million at the time of reporting. This move indicates a high-conviction strategy by the new market participant, leveraging a substantial amount of capital for potential gains in the ETH market. #crypto #blockchain #news

South Korean Regulators Elevate Bithumb Probe Over Bitcoin Glitch South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has escalated its investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, moving from a site inspection to a full-fledged formal audit. The intensified scrutiny follows a massive Bitcoin misdelivery incident that has raised serious concerns within the financial sector. The FSS stated that the gravity of the situation necessitated the deployment of additional personnel for a high-intensity audit. The investigation will focus on whether Bithumb violated its "actual holding obligations," if there were instances of "phantom currency," and any internal control deficiencies. A key area of inquiry will be understanding how Bithumb could erroneously disburse 620,000 Bitcoin when its actual holdings were approximately 46,000 Bitcoin, as well as examining asset custody and account consistency within its "ledger transaction" model. Financial authorities have emphasized that this incident could undermine overall confidence in the virtual asset market. They will be assessing the practical structural risks associated with the possibility of such a large volume of erroneously delivered Bitcoin being withdrawn simultaneously. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

SEC Commissioner Urges Against Unnecessary Obstacles for Tokenization Technology Mark T. Uyeda, a Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has articulated that the commission's regulations should not impede the evolution of tokenization technology. Speaking at the Asset Management Derivatives Forum, Uyeda noted that tokenization has progressed from theoretical exploration to early-stage practical application, with market participants actively testing the issuance, holding, and transfer of traditional securities on-chain. He underscored that tokenized securities remain within the purview of existing securities regulations, emphasizing that technological advancements do not alter fundamental legal obligations concerning disclosure, custody, and investor protection. Uyeda clarified that the SEC's role is not to establish a parallel regulatory framework for crypto-native assets but rather to adapt current securities laws to the on-chain environment without creating undue friction. Uyeda stressed that the SEC's objective is to apply established securities laws to blockchain-based environments, rather than creating a separate set of rules for crypto-native assets. This approach aims to ensure that technological innovation in tokenization can proceed without encountering unnecessary regulatory hurdles. #crypto #blockchain #news

Chainlink Co-Founder Highlights Key Differences in Current Crypto Downturn Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, has identified two significant distinctions between the current cryptocurrency market slump and previous bear markets. According to Cointelegraph, Nazarov pointed out that unlike past cycles, the present period has not witnessed a large-scale institutional risk event like the FTX collapse, indicating an improved industry resilience to volatility. Furthermore, Nazarov noted the continued growth in the tokenization of real-world assets and the on-chain perpetual futures market for traditional commodities. He suggested this sustained development points to an intrinsic value in these innovations that is independent of cryptocurrency price fluctuations. This demonstrates that the value of on-chain real-world assets is not entirely tied to cryptocurrency prices, but can grow based on their unique inherent value. #crypto #blockchain #news

Ethereum Foundation Member Details Shift to zkEVM Proofs for Execution Verification An Ethereum Foundation member, ladislaus.eth, has announced a significant, though relatively low-profile, architectural shift within the Ethereum network. The network is transitioning from a model where nodes redundantly execute all transactions within a block to one that verifies execution correctness via zkEVM proofs. This change, facilitated by the EIP-80825 proposal, will remain an optional feature, allowing nodes to continue with the existing re-execution method. For nodes adopting the zkEVM verification, this means they will no longer need to store the full execution layer state or synchronize complete chain data. This significantly lowers the hardware requirements for participation in consensus, which is expected to benefit independent stakers and home validators by enabling them to perform self-validation on consumer-grade hardware. The design also preserves client diversity, requiring validators to verify three out of five independent proofs before accepting a block. #crypto #blockchain #news

Trader Realizes $157,000 Profit on BTC and ETH Price Movements Within 12 Hours A trader, identified by the handle "655555," has reportedly secured a substantial profit of $157,000 by making strategic bets on the price fluctuations of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) in under a 12-hour period. According to data from Lookonchain, the trader has reinvested $292,600, placing a new bet on Bitcoin's price increasing before 2:00 AM EST on February 10. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

OSL Group Launches Stablecoin USDGO with $20 Million Ecosystem Incentive Fund Hong Kong-listed OSL Group (863.HK) has officially launched its enterprise-grade, compliant US dollar stablecoin, USDGO. This initiative is positioned as a cornerstone of OSL Group's global payment infrastructure, aiming to facilitate institutional settlement and corporate payments, particularly for Asian enterprises engaged in cross-border transactions. The initial issuance of USDGO stablecoins, valued at $50 million, has been minted and deployed on the Solana public blockchain. The group plans to expand its presence to additional blockchains in the future. In parallel with the USDGO launch, OSL Group is establishing the GO Alliance, a stablecoin ecosystem consortium. The group will allocate $20 million in ecosystem incentives for the first cohort of corporate and institutional partners joining the alliance, with the goal of fostering the adoption of USDGO in enterprise settlement and cross-border payments. #crypto #blockchain #news

Whale Deploys 1.22M USDC to Hyperliquid, Opens BTC, INTC Longs A significant whale, identified as "0x960," deposited 1.22 million USDC into the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange approximately 10 hours ago. The whale subsequently established long positions in Bitcoin (BTC) with 5x leverage, Intel (INTC) with 2x leverage, and AMD with 2x leverage. On-chain data indicates that the whale has been actively increasing these positions. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin