February 21, 2026 @ 1:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent appearance on Fox Business’s “Mornings with Maria,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expressed relatively high confidence that landmark U.S. cryptocurrency legislation known as the CLARITY Act could clear Congress as early as April 2026. Garlinghouse placed the probability at approximately 80 percent, underscoring… Read More

February 21, 2026 @ 12:23 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Monark Markets, a New York-based fintech company building the rails connecting brokerage firms and wealth platforms to private markets, has confirmed $8.1 million in strategic financing. The round is led by F-Prime with participation from The Treasury, Commerce Ventures, Grit Capital Partners, and BBAE Holdings…. Read More

February 21, 2026 @ 11:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has imposed a £3,779,300 fine on Bank of Ireland UK (BOIUK), the UK subsidiary of Bank of Ireland, for a significant delay in rolling out Confirmation of Payee (CoP), a key anti-fraud measure in the UK’s payment ecosystem. Confirmation of… Read More

February 21, 2026 @ 10:26 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, Midnight Foundation announced that Blockdaemon and Shielded Technologies have signed on as federated node operators for the Midnight Network, “the fourth-generation blockchain bringing rational privacy to Web3.” The additions bring the network to four, joining previously announced partners Google Cloud and NASDAQ listed… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 6:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Gemini Space Station Inc. (NASDAQ: GEMI), the cryptocurrency exchange founded by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, is navigating a turbulent period marked by strategic retreats, workforce reductions, and significant leadership changes. These developments have contributed to sharp declines in its publicly traded stock, which… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 6:37 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

A global study released this week by BVNK suggests that stablecoins are increasingly mainstream. BVNK’s Stablecoin Utility Report surveyed more than 4,600 early adopters and crypto-natives in 15 countries. The study was carried out by YouGov in partnership with Coinbase and Artemis. Crypto-natives and early… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 6:32 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Web3 minds were focused on tokenized RWAs, stablecoins, Bitcoin and AI this week. Tokenized RWA interest surging “The steady growth that we’ve seen in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), even as the wider crypto market cap has plummeted by $1 trillion, is one of the clearest… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 2:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Global payments processor Visa  (NYSE: V) has announced a definitive agreement to purchase two Argentine payment platforms—Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay—from private equity firm Advent International. The move represents a major step in strengthening Visa’s operations in one of Latin America’s key markets. Although… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 1:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of the ongoing effort focused on integrating digital assets into the traditional banking system, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is advancing rules that would expand the scope of national trust bank charters. This move, highlighted in recent regulatory updates,… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 12:58 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has hit multiple “influencers” (or finfluencers) with financial penalties due to unauthorised promotion of FOREX trading, according to a statement from the regulator. While everyone should understand that you should ignore influencers who seek to provide investing advice, especially… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 12:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

Lithuania leads the Baltic countries in capital formation for early-stage ventures. Lithuania is also host to over 280 active Fintech companies, and is one of the largest Fintech hubs in the European Union. According to an email from Go Vilnius, the official tourism and business… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 12:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mexican drug cartels, long reliant on bulky cash piles from fentanyl and other narcotics sales, are rapidly pivoting to digital assets for cleaning their illicit profits. A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation reveals how a decentralized, gig-economy-powered network has emerged to handle these transactions, leaving US and… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 11:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto lending platform Ledn has completed the inaugural securitization of Bitcoin-collateralized loans into asset-backed securities (ABS). The deal, valued at $188 million, represents a significant step in legitimizing crypto credit products within mainstream debt markets and opens new avenues for liquidity in the digital asset… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 11:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a revelation that underscores the fusion of artificial intelligence with geopolitics, the Pentagon reportedly employed Anthropic’s Claude AI model during its military operation to apprehend former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife last month. According to The Wall Street Journal, the action—codenamed Operation… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 10:34 am By Nick Morgan  |  

In a wide-ranging episode of Investor Choice Advocates Network’s Capital Ideas podcast, Mark Yusko, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Morgan Creek Capital, offered a masterclass on why the most powerful investment opportunities rarely feel comfortable, why innovation deserves to be treated as its own… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 10:16 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Division of Trading and Markets, updated an FAQ on “crypto asset activities.” The SEC is working through changing rules to accommodate digital assets and the ongoing transition to tokenization and more. After four years of active subversion during… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 9:35 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the ecosystem of alternative investments, certain phrases should trigger immediate caution. When a fund announces that redemptions are “permanently” suspended, orchestrates a $1.4 billion bulk asset sale, and operates under an opaque four-letter acronym like OBDC II, experienced observers recognize classic warning signals of… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 8:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The financial services sector is experiencing a significant surge in efforts to obtain U.S. bank charters under President Donald Trump‘s administration. Industry players, particularly fintech companies and other financial firms, are moving quickly to capitalize on what many perceive as a more accommodating regulatory environment… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 8:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The euro area’s property investment sector, which contracted sharply after its post-pandemic peak, now shows tentative signs of stabilisation, according to a new focus piece in the European Central Bank’s Economic Bulletin. Recently authored by ECB economist Johannes Gareis, the report concludes that while investment… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 4:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Lloyds Banking Group has extended a £200 million revolving credit facility to Sovereign Network Group (SNG), reinforcing its role as one of the UK’s most active supporters of affordable housing. The new funding will help the housing association accelerate the construction of thousands of new… Read More