Huoxun Finance reports that the US has sanctioned Russian company Operation Zero in connection with a cryptocurrency theft case. The US Treasury Department's OFAC announced sanctions against the Russian cyber tools company Operation Zero and six individuals, including its head Sergey Zelenyuk, alleging they endangered US national security by selling exploit tools. The case stems from a Justice Department investigation: Australian Peter Williams admitted to stealing software secrets from a US defense contractor between 2022 and 2025 and selling them to Operation Zero for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency assets. Separately, the US Attorney's Office for East Carolina announced the seizure of $61 million in USDT. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern Carolina stated that federal law enforcement seized over $61 million worth of Tether (USDT). Law enforcement agencies indicated these funds flowed to wallet addresses linked to "pigbutchering" cryptocurrency investment scams. Scammers typically gain victims' trust under the guise of romantic relationships, inducing them to deposit funds into fake cryptocurrency trading platforms and encouraging further investment through fake high-yield accounts. When victims attempt to withdraw their funds, the scammers refuse under the pretense of "taxes." After funds were transferred to wallets controlled by the fraudsters, they were quickly transferred in tiers for money laundering. This operation was carried out by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after tracking the flow of funds from multiple victims, with Tether assisting in the asset transfer. Bitwise acquires staking service provider ChorusOne to strengthen its multi-chain staking footprint. According to a Bitwise announcement, the company has acquired institutional-grade staking service provider ChorusOne, which manages over $2.2 billion in staked assets. ChorusOne will be integrated into Bitwise Onchain Solutions (BOS), helping it expand to more than 30 PoS networks, including Solana, Avalanche, Sui, NEAR, Aptos, and TON. This transaction will add 50 technical staff and strengthen its protocol and governance research capabilities. After the transaction, Bitwise's total number of employees will approach 200, managing over $15 billion in client assets. Coinbase's Bitcoin premium has finally turned positive after 40 days of negative readings, currently at 0.0159%. As of 08:00 (UTC+8) on February 25, 2026, the Coinbase Bitcoin premium index was 0.0159%, ending its approximately 40-day negative streak. The BTC price during the same period was $64,130.6. The White House: President Trump will not pardon FTX founder SBF. According to Fortune, Sam Bankman-Fried, sentenced to 25 years in prison for the FTX fraud case, has recently been frequently posting comments on X supporting Trump, attacking the "deep state," and Judge Lewis Kaplan, seen as a social media campaign to secure a pardon from President Trump. A White House spokesperson reiterated that Trump clearly stated in January that he has no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried, Robert Menendez, and Nicolás Maduro, stating that "the president is the final decision-maker for all pardons." MetaPlatforms spokesperson: There is currently no stablecoin from MetaPlatforms (META.O). MetaPlatforms (META.O) spokesperson Andy Stone stated that there is currently no stablecoin from MetaPlatforms. Sources familiar with the matter: Stripe is considering acquiring all or part of PayPal's business. Payment processing company Stripe is considering acquiring all or part of PayPal's (PYPL.O) business. Sources indicate that discussions are in the early stages and a deal is not yet finalized. OpenAI appoints former Roblox executive Arvind KC as Chief Human Resources Officer. OpenAI announced Tuesday the appointment of Arvind KC as Chief Human Resources Officer. The former Roblox executive will be responsible for recruitment, onboarding, and employee development as OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, continues its expansion. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, KC will report to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon. The AI startup is currently raising a new round of funding, expected to exceed $100 billion, and has recently taken steps to advance its IPO plans. Huang Licheng Deposits Another 245,000 USDC into Hyperliquid to Continue Bullish Positions. According to Lookonchain monitoring, Huang Licheng, nicknamed "Brother Machi," deposits more funds into Hyperliquid after each near-zero liquidation to continue bullish positions. He just deposited another 245,000 USDC into Hyperliquid. Stripe Valued at $159 Billion in Employee Stock Buyout Offer. According to Bloomberg, payment processing company Stripe is valued at $159 billion in an employee stock buyout offer, a significant increase from $106.7 billion last year. Co-founder and President John Collison stated that the company currently has no plans to go public. Stripe's annual letter shows that total payment processing volume will reach $1.9 trillion in 2025, a 34% year-on-year increase. Stripe has expanded its business into cryptocurrency-related payments, including acquiring stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge and crypto wallet provider Privy, and launching its own blockchain, Tempo. Stripe reported that the stablecoin payments market doubled to approximately $400 billion last year, with about 60% being inter-business transactions. Bridge's transaction volume more than quadrupled during the same period. Analysts warn that Bitcoin may face a "massive cleansing" and fall towards $55,000 as capital outflows accelerate. According to The Block, Bitcoin continued its decline on Tuesday, briefly falling below $62,900, a daily drop of about 4%. Analysts warn that against the backdrop of continued capital outflows and accumulating macroeconomic risks, the market may face a more significant "cleansing." Samer Hasn, senior market analyst at XS.com, stated that Bitcoin has moved out of its consolidation phase and entered a new downward cycle. Geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainty, and tightening liquidity are accelerating the withdrawal of funds from the crypto market. He believes that if selling pressure continues, the $53,000 to $55,000 range is a potential downside target. Kraken Vice President Matt Howells-Barby pointed out that Bitcoin may see its first six-week losing streak since May 2022, with $60,000 being a key support level; a breach of this level could see a drop to around $55,000. Kraken launches tokenized US stock perpetual contracts, supporting 24/7 trading and 20x leverage. According to CoinDesk, the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has launched its first regulated tokenized stock perpetual futures contract, open to qualified non-US users in over 110 countries. The initial offerings include tokenized versions of the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, and the SPDR Gold ETF. This product is based on xStocks, a tokenized stock service acquired by Kraken last December. The underlying xStocks tokens are fully collateralized and 1:1 backed by the underlying assets, providing a pricing anchor even when US exchanges are closed. The perpetual contracts have no expiration date, are traded 24/7, and support up to 20x leverage, offering users a continuous access and capital-efficient risk management experience. Analysis: Bitcoin Traders' "Excessive Losses" Signals Emerge, Potentially Pushing Prices Below $44,000. According to Cointelegraph, Glassnode data shows that Bitcoin traders' realized profit/loss ratio (90-day moving average) has fallen below 1, indicating that investors are selling their positions at a loss. This is the first time such a signal has appeared since 2022. Historical data shows that when this indicator falls below 1, it is usually accompanied by at least six months of realized losses, foreshadowing further price declines: in the 2022 bear market, Bitcoin fell 25% within six months after the indicator fell below 1, and in 2018, it fell more than 50% within five months. Glassnode points out that if history repeats itself, Bitcoin may "fully transition into the excessive loss realization phase," with the price decline potentially lasting more than five months. Sources: Meta Plans to Re-enter the Stablecoin Sector in the Second Half of This Year. According to CoinDesk, sources revealed that Mark Zuckerberg's tech giant Meta plans to re-enter the stablecoin sector in the second half of this year, integrating third-party providers to support stablecoin payments and launching a new wallet. Sources familiar with the matter said that Meta has extended product request invitations to third-party companies, with long-term partner Stripe being a potential candidate for the pilot program. Stripe acquired stablecoin specialist Bridge last year, and its CEO, Patrick Collison, will join Meta's board of directors in April 2025. Meta, Stripe, and Bridge did not respond to requests for comment. 21Shares Spot SUI ETF Begins Trading on Nasdaq According to the Sui Foundation, the 21Shares Spot SUI ETF (Nasdaq: TSUI) began trading on Nasdaq on February 24, providing US investors with regulated, highly liquid direct SUI exposure through existing brokerage accounts. The ETF recently received approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Binance Re-enters Tokenized Equity Market Through Partnership with OndoFinance According to The Block, Binance has re-entered the tokenized equity market through a partnership with OndoFinance. OndoFinance President Ian DeBode stated that Binance has launched 10 Ondo tokenized US stocks and ETFs on Binance Alpha and Binance Wallet, including AAPLon, GOOGLon, TSLAon, NVDAon, and QQQon. A Binance spokesperson stated that Ondo tokens are digital securities, and Binance offers these products through its regulatory license from the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Authority. Neither Binance nor Ondo's tokenized stocks and ETFs are available to US users. According to Jinshi, a White House official stated that President Trump's plan to impose a 15% tariff rate under Section 122 remains unchanged, and it is unclear when it will be implemented. MoonPay Launches MoonPayAgents, Allowing AI Agents to Autonomously Access Wallets, Funds, and Conduct Transactions. According to PRNewswire, cryptocurrency payment company MoonPay announced the launch of MoonPayAgents, a non-custodial software layer that allows AI agents to autonomously access wallets, funds, and conduct transactions via MoonPayCLI. After users verify and deposit funds into their wallets through MoonPay, the AI agents can perform token transactions, exchanges, and digital asset transfers on behalf of the users. MoonPayAgents is built on the developer-oriented command-line interface MoonPayCLI, enabling AI systems to generate and manage non-custodial wallets, deposit funds through MoonPay's global portal, and execute on-chain transactions programmatically. An Independent Bitcoin Miner Successfully Mines Block 938092, Receives Approximately $200,000 in Block Rewards. According to Mempool data, at 16:04 Beijing time on February 24, an independent Bitcoin miner successfully mined block 938092, receiving a block reward of 3.128 BTC, worth approximately $197,500. Coinbase Partners with Yahoo Finance to Open Stock Trading to All US Users, The Block reports. Coinbase has opened its stock trading feature to all US users, a full expansion following a limited pilot last December. The exchange has also partnered with Yahoo Finance to add a "Trade [Asset] on Coinbase" button to the latter's stock and crypto asset pages. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed. This collaboration will offer Yahoo Finance users a one-month free trial of CoinbaseOneBasic membership, including zero transaction fees and USDC rewards. Coinbase plans to share more details about tokenized stocks in the coming months and intends to offer perpetual US stocks to traders outside the US this spring, pending regulatory approval at its Bermuda subsidiary. "1011 Insider Whale" Agent: This Will Be a Long Winter, Not Just for Crypto. GarrettJin, an agent for "1011 Insider Whale," posted on the X platform: "This will be a long winter, not just for crypto." Huang Licheng's 25x ETH Long Position Suffers Partial Liquidation Again Today. According to OnchainLens monitoring, Huang Licheng's 25x ETH long position, which was fully liquidated just 12 hours ago, suffered partial liquidation again today. Michael Saylor: Bitcoin is Experiencing a "Valley of Despair" Similar to Apple's in 2013. According to CoinDesk, Strategy founder Michael Saylor compared Bitcoin's current 45% retracement to Apple's 2013 decline in a podcast interview. At that time, Apple's stock price fell 45% from its peak, its price-to-earnings ratio dropped below 10, and the market lost confidence in its future. However, it ultimately took seven years, with the support of Carl Icahn and Warren Buffett, to fully recover its valuation. Saylor believes that any successful tech investment must experience a 45% drawdown and a "valley of despair," and while the Bitcoin drawdown has currently lasted 137 days, it could continue for two, three, or even seven years. WisdomTree to Launch 24/7 Trading and Instant Settlement for Tokenized Money Market Fund Shares. According to Businesswire, WisdomTree announced that its WisdomTree Treasury Money Market Digital Fund (WTGXX) now offers 24/7 trading and instant settlement. This marks the first time registered tokenized mutual fund shares have been approved for 24/7 trading and instant settlement under US regulations via a dealer-principal liquidity model. The launch of this feature required coordination of multiple regulatory approvals, and several WisdomTree entities received exemptions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Bhutan Launches Solana-Powered Digital Nomad Visa. Cointelegraph reports that Bhutan has launched a Solana-powered digital nomad visa, allowing a 36-month stay by investing $10,000 in TER tokens and paying $2,800. Glassnode: Over 400,000 Bitcoins Accumulated in the $60,000-$70,000 Range, Forming a Dense Cost Support Zone. According to CoinDesk, Glassnode data shows that during Bitcoin's recent decline, over 400,000 BTC accumulated in the $60,000-$70,000 range. The supply within this price range increased from approximately 997,000 on January 1st to approximately 1.43 million currently, an increase of 43%, representing over 8% of the non-exchange circulating supply, forming a dense cost zone for holding coins. This analysis is based on Glassnode's UTXO implemented price distribution metric, which groups the existing supply according to the price at the time of each Bitcoin's last on-chain movement and excludes internal transfers within the same entity and exchange balances through entity adjustments to more clearly reflect the cost base of genuine investors. The $70,000-$80,000 area was previously described as an "air layer," historically characterized by sparse trading volume. Saxo Bank: Cryptocurrencies Fall Due to Increased Risk Aversion. According to *Walter Bloomberg, Saxo Bank analysts stated that cryptocurrencies fell along with other risk assets as concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence and tariff uncertainty dampened investor sentiment. US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of approximately $203.8 million and $49.5 million respectively, indicating decreased risk appetite. Analysts stated that cryptocurrencies are currently trading in tandem with overall market sentiment rather than following their own fundamentals. Emirates National Bank Opens Up Bitcoin Allocation in Investment Process. An executive at Emirates National Bank (Emirates NBD) stated in an interview with CNBC that the bank has opened up the possibility of allocating Bitcoin in its investment process, viewing it as a store of value and "digital gold," acknowledging its proof-of-work mechanism, limited supply, and low inflation characteristics. The executive stated that Bitcoin's current valuation is more attractive than it was six months ago, when its price was considered too expensive. He revealed that the bank's internal fair value model indicates a reasonable price for Bitcoin within 12 months could approach $100,000, and the bank is still refining the model. He also stated that the bank has not yet finalized its Bitcoin allocation, but if it is included in its portfolio in the future, it will be allocated in a limited proportion. The reason is that Bitcoin is correlated with market risk appetite and is extremely volatile, while the bank pursues portfolio diversification. BlackRock deposited 1814 BTC and 24472 ETH into Coinbase. According to OnchainLens monitoring, BlackRock deposited 1814 BTC ($114 million) and 24472 ETH ($44.57 million) into Coinbase, and may continue to deposit. YZiLabs transferred 13.54 million AI and 11.11 million WOO to Binance. According to on-chain analyst Yu Jin, following the liquidation of its ID tokens half a month ago, YZiLabs transferred 13.54 million AI (approximately $278,000) and 11.11 million WOO (approximately $176,000) to Binance 5 hours ago. These tokens were all obtained by YZiLabs as an investment institution through vesting unlocking. Russia has launched an investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov, accusing him of aiding and abetting terrorism. According to ForkLog, multiple Russian media outlets, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB), reported that Durov is under criminal investigation under Article 205.1, Paragraph 1.1 (aiding and abetting terrorism) of the Russian Criminal Code. The investigation concerns the dissemination of illegal content, alleging that platform administrators ignored the Russian telecommunications regulator's demands to remove banned channels and chats, and that Telegram was used for criminal activities and the dissemination of material from extremist and terrorist organizations. The Russian telecommunications regulator began restricting the service in the summer of 2025 due to increased fraud, and in February 2026, it strengthened its "traffic restriction" measures due to the platform's non-compliance with Russian law. Durov responded at the time by stating that "Telegram defends freedom of expression and privacy." Cathie Wood: Bitcoin is "Undoubtedly" Superior to Gold. According to The CryptoBasic, ArkInvest founder Cathie Wood reiterated her strong confidence in Bitcoin in an interview with Bloomberg, stating that it is "undoubtedly" superior to gold. She believes Bitcoin can hedge against both inflation and deflation, and its digital attributes give it a structural advantage in the modern financial system, while the demand pattern for gold has matured. Wood points out that Bitcoin is still in the early stages of institutional and retail adoption, institutional exposure is still developing, and younger investors are increasingly favoring digital assets over physical gold. She believes Bitcoin represents a generational shift in value storage investment.

Huoxun Finance News, February 25th - According to The Block, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart stated that, based on 13F filings, Bitcoin ETF holders sold approximately 25,098 BTC worth of fund units in the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily from investment advisors and hedge funds. Brevan Howard saw the largest reduction, cutting its exposure by over 17,000 BTC. During the same quarter, the price of Bitcoin fell from a high of over $120,000 to below $85,000, with market sentiment remaining in the "extreme fear" range. Recently, spot Bitcoin ETFs have experienced net outflows for the fifth consecutive week, with 12 products seeing a total outflow of approximately $316 million in the week ending February 20th.

Huoxun Finance News, February 25th - According to DLNews, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law explicitly classifying crypto assets such as Bitcoin as "intangible property" under criminal law, and granting courts the power to confiscate such assets in criminal cases. The new law requires police or prosecutors to specify the type and quantity of tokens and the wallet address when applying for confiscation, and allows law enforcement personnel to transfer crypto assets to government-controlled wallets. Russian Ministry of Justice officials stated that the law provides a legal basis for cooperation with overseas cryptocurrency exchanges.

According to AiYi, on February 25th, on-chain address 0xeABD4A433D9BD08DDbB086503b18BBe2dD51a414 sold approximately $2.63 million worth of WEETH and $3.266 million worth of WBTC in the past four hours, totaling approximately $5.9 million. The WEETH holdings were over a year old, with an average entry price of $3022.31 and a selling price of $2082.62, resulting in a paper loss of approximately $1.188 million.

According to Huoxun Finance on February 25th, foreign media reports indicate that the "Digital Currency and Digital Rights" bill, jointly drafted by the Central Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Finance, is scheduled to take effect in July. The bill will only allow eight licensed domestic securities and commodity exchanges to organize cryptocurrency trading. Off-exchange "crypto exchange brokers" will need to be registered in an official register and meet minimum capital and equity requirements. The bill mandates regulation of exchange institutions with monthly transaction volumes exceeding approximately 3.5 million rubles and introduces the concept of "address identification codes." Transaction data will be shared with the central bank, tax authorities, and law enforcement agencies. For individual investors, trading will only be permitted on crypto assets listed on regulated Russian platforms, and they must pass an annual validity test. The proposed annual purchase limit is 300,000 rubles (the specific amount is subject to adjustment). Investors who illegally use overseas platforms not registered in Russia may face fines in the future.