Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 10, 2026 @ 1:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the changing landscape of economic policy, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has reportedly navigated a complex path in combating inflation. According to insights from Luke Yeaman, Chief Economist at Commonwealth Bank, the central bank‘s early strategy of measured restraint was a sound choice…. Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 8:41 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC’s Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has taken a chilling turn with ransom demands for millions in Bitcoin. This case underscores a growing and disturbing trend: the increasing involvement of virtual currencies like Bitcoin in violent… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 5:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The European Digital Finance Association (EDFA), a pan-European group representing over 2500 Fintechs, including investment crowdfunding platforms, has issued a letter urging the European Union (EU) to raise the securities crowdfunding threshold from the current €5 million to €12 million (~$14.3 million). The European Crowdfunding… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 12:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent profile by Fortune, Tether, the issuer of the world’s dominant stablecoin USDT, emerges as a fast-growing global entity with around $187 billion in assets under management. The digital assets focused company is eyeing significant expansion into the US market, bolstered by partnerships… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 12:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In early February 2026, Chinese regulators (again) escalated their long-standing opposition to cryptocurrencies by issuing a joint statement from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and seven other agencies. The directive reportedly bans unauthorized offshore issuance of yuan-linked stablecoins and imposes strict vetting on tokens… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 11:43 am By JD Alois  |  

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins is scheduled to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee later this week. As Congress holds oversight on the SEC, these are standard hearings. This will be Chairman Atkins’s first appearance before the two… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 11:26 am By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Market Participants Division has reissued CFTC Staff Letter 25-40 with a slight revision to the definition of “payment stablecoin.” According to the CFTC, the revision affects national trust banks, which may be permitted to issue payment stablecoins. Under the GENIUS… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 11:17 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Technology Association (FTA) and the American Fintech Council (AFC) have submitted an Amicus Brief in Vickery v. Empower Finance, Inc. and Moss v. Cleo AI, Inc., case requesting that Earned Wage Access (EWA) be distinguished from loans. The groups submitted a brief to the Ninth Circuit… Read More

February 9, 2026 @ 9:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has issued a timely reminder to digital asset service providers (DASPs) about the impending end of a key transitional arrangement under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation. This update, released on February 5, 2026, emphasizes the need for prompt… Read More

February 8, 2026 @ 2:30 pm By Nick Morgan  |  

In the latest Capital Ideas episode, hosts Nick Morgan, Dara Albright, and Mark Hiraide of the Investor Choice Advocates Network (ICAN) sat down with Cliff Winston, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, to discuss his recent book, Market Corrections, Not Government Interventions: A… Read More

February 6, 2026 @ 11:19 am By JD Alois  |  

  The European Union is falling behind in the adoption of blockchain technology, most pressingly tokenization or digital securities. Everyone acknowledges that digital securities are the future. A growing number of innovators and established financial services are utilizing or reviewing tokenized securities. Last month, the… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 9:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Recent documents unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice in February 2026 have brought to light a seemingly concerning detail from the early days of the cryptocurrency industry: Jeffrey Epstein‘s $3 million investment in Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) during its 2014 Series C funding round. This infusion… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 3:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Prediction markets, where participants wager on the outcomes of real-world events ranging from elections to sports, have surged in popularity as a innovative segment of the web3 ecosystem. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to buy and sell contracts tied to these events, effectively… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 3:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

A class action lawsuit has been filed against prediction marketplace Polymarket, claiming illegal gambling. The suit was filed in the Southern District of New York, claiming that Polymarket is an unlicensed sports betting firm. The case has been filed with Lorenzo Miro of San Diego… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 2:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a new alert issued on February 2, 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James has highlighted the dangers associated with unregulated prediction markets, particularly as excitement builds for major sporting events like the Super Bowl. These online platforms allow users to wager on the… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent gave a shout-out to the alternative inflation-measurement firm Truflation during a Hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. Truflation is an independent entity that provides an alternative perspective on economic data points. The US government, and importantly, the US Federal… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 9:08 am By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) will gather on February 24, 2026, to discuss two important items related to private markets. One reason the US has the world’s most robust innovation ecosystems is the success of private markets, where early-stage firms can… Read More

February 5, 2026 @ 8:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As we step into February 2026, the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market is once again proving that its infamous 4-year cycle—characterized by euphoric bull runs followed by sharp corrections—hasn’t vanished despite years of proclamations about industry maturation (as well as steady influx of institutional capital). Under… Read More

February 4, 2026 @ 7:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In yet another blow to the prestige of Forbes’ annual list of promising young talents, a 26-year-old fintech innovator has been charged with orchestrating a sophisticated fraud that bilked investors out of millions. Gokce Guven, the CEO of Klader Inc., faces federal indictment for allegedly… Read More

February 4, 2026 @ 4:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has taken the country in a decidedly authoritarian direction, seeking to rein in free speech while claiming to combat disinformation and illegal content. Sánchez is the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, who did not win an outright majority… Read More