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In this second February edition of crypto regulatory affairs, we will cover:

Layer-2 (L2) refers to secondary protocols built on top of a blockchain’s base layer (layer-1 or L1) that help the network scale more efficiently. Instead of executing every transaction directly on the main chain, L2 solutions handle execution off-chain or in aggregated batches and then periodically anchor results back to the base layer. This design significantly increases throughput, reduces costs, and improves overall performance without weakening the underlying network’s security. Common L2 approaches include state channels, sidechains, optimistic rollups, and zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups, each using different techniques to bundle or validate transactions more efficiently. While L1 blockchains prioritise decentralisation and…

George Town, Cayman Islands, February 17th, 2026, Chainwire Zircuit, a security-first digital asset company backed by YZiLabs, Dragonfly, and Pantera, today announced the launch of Zircuit Finance. Incubated by a team from Quantstamp, Zircuit Finance is a secure platform for institutional-grade strategies, a stablecoin vault designed to generate yield on USDC and USDT, with a stated target range of 8–11% APR, subject to market conditions and variability. Historically, access to professional asset managers and institutional strategies required significant minimum investments and long lockups. Zircuit Finance removes those barriers with a simplified, cross-chain interface that provides access to institutional-grade yield strategies…

Bitmine has 3,040,483 staked ETH, representing $6.1 billion at $1,998 per ETH; MAVAN staking solution on track to launch Q1 2026 Bitmine now owns 3.62% of the ETH token supply, over 72% of the way to the ‘Alchemy of 5%’ in just 7 months Bitmine recently closed on initial $200 million investment into Beast Industries Bitmine Crypto + Total Cash Holdings + “Moonshots” total $9.6 billion, including 4.371 million ETH tokens, total cash of $670 million, and other crypto holdings Bitmine leads crypto treasury peers by both the velocity of raising crypto NAV per share and by the high trading…

Karavas, Cyprus, February 17th, 2026, Chainwire At a time when much of the blockchain industry is still recovering from one of its harshest downturns, a small number of companies are quietly moving in the opposite direction: expanding, building, and positioning themselves for the next era of adoption. Public Masterpiece, a Cyprus-based real-world asset tokenization company, has announced PMT Chain, its own purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain. Alongside the announcement, the company confirmed a strategic repositioning: PMT, once short for Public Masterpiece Token, will now stand for Public Masterpiece Technology. The timing is notable. Crypto did not simply experience a correction, but…

While mainstream American financial media continue to discuss the stickiness of inflation, fluctuating expectations of interest rate cuts, and the high-level fluctuations of BTC and XRP, a more subtle yet realistic consensus is forming: While prices are uncertain, the cash flow of computing power and Proof-of-Work (PoW) is being repriced. Amid this structural shift, Moon Hash is increasingly seen by North American middle-class and high-net-worth individuals as a “solution to the times”—it doesn’t sell returns, but rather assetizes, institutionalizes, and long-termizes PoW computing power, reshaping participants’ cognitive coordinates with an almost exaggerated sense of stability. Moon Hash periodically allocates PoW…

Gold back over $5,000 is a market tell: fear is back. Tether just paid $150 million for the last mile. By taking ~12% of Gold.com and integrating XAU₮, Tether is buying distribution, so a USDT holder can reach for gold without leaving the crypto payment loopGold is trading above $5,000 an ounce again, and the mood that comes with that price level is back with it. When people start getting gold fever, they are paying for a certain feeling: safety, portability, and a hedge against the kind of macro mess that makes every other asset feel risky, according to Reuters.Crypto,…

US-based ETF issuer Roundhill Investments has filed with the US securities regulator to launch six exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to event contracts on the outcome of the 2028 US presidential election.ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said in an X post on Saturday that, if approved, the ETF products would be “potentially groundbreaking.” “Opens up huge door to all kinds of stuff,” Balchunas said, adding that prediction market applications are easy to sign up to, but ETFs are “just that much easier.”Roundhill Investments filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to launch six ETF products that allow investors to…

Every year, around this time, I notice a shift in conversations with barristers.

As the week unfolds, the cryptocurrency market has seen a slight recovery, with Dogecoin, Solana, and Cardano experiencing minor surges. The market capitalization has increased by 3.66% in the last 24 hours to reach 2.36 trillion. Bitcoin price gained momentum throughout the weekend, reaching a high of above $70,000, whereas ETH remains above the $2,000 level following a positive trend. This upward momentum is a good beginning to the week, and altcoins such as Ethereum, among others, are indicating positive growth in the coming days. The U.S. CPI Inflation were lower than anticipated, and this fueled hope in the crypto…