Crypto

Bitcoin short positions continued to pile up as BTC price dropped near $81,000, potentially providing the liquidation fuel for a revenge rally back above $90,000. Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has dropped 14.5% in the past 16 days, pushing the Crypto Fear & Greed Index to 16 (Extreme Fear), which is its lowest rating year-to-date. While selling has dominated markets over the past two weeks, Bitcoin derivatives data suggest the current trader positioning may lead to a recovery. Analysts are now weighing whether the latest sell-off has created conditions for a relief rally.  Key takeaways: Read more

The blank-check company has yet to name an acquisition target, but the listing creates a new public vehicle tied to the US-based crypto exchange. Kraken-backed KRAKacquisition Corp has completed an upsized $345 million initial public offering, listing its special purpose acquisition company units on Nasdaq to pursue future mergers or acquisitions. According to a Friday announcement, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sold 34.5 million units at $10 each, including the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-quarter of a redeemable warrant exercisable at $11.50 per share. The units began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol KRAQU on Wednesday. Read more

Binance plans to convert about $1B in its SAFU insurance fund from stablecoins back into Bitcoin within 30 days.

After a bruising 2025, Hougan sees sideways Bitcoin trading, rising institutional interest and early central bank curiosity setting up the next cycle.

Gold’s record-breaking rally finally blinked this week, and Bitcoin’s traders are watching what comes next. After sprinting to an all-time high of $5,594.82 per ounce, spot gold slid to around $5,330 as investors took profits, a pullback of roughly 4.7% from the peak. The Kobeissi Letter noted that the precious metal's volatile price performance led […] The post Gold just erased $5.5 trillion in value and Bitcoin bulls see one huge opening ahead appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Autonomous agents on an AI-centric social network spontaneously founded "Crustafarianism"—complete with scripture, prophets, and theology.

The Department of Justice said it now holds legal title over crypto, real estate and monetary assets tied to darknet mixing service, Helix

Europe narrows crypto tax gaps, US lawmakers revisit market structure, and institutions push DeFi into compliance territory. The European Union’s new crypto tax reporting regime under DAC8 is intentionally focused on enforceable targets, leaving decentralized finance (DeFi) outside its scope for now. Colby Mangels, a former adviser to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and now Taxbit’s global head of government solutions, said the rules prioritize identifiable intermediaries such as custodians and exchanges, which will be required to collect and report standardized user activity data under the OECD’s Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). However, the DeFi carve-out may not last. Mangels said tax authorities are increasingly drawing on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) frameworks to define accountability in crypto markets, and regulators are closely watching whether DeFi platforms can be classified as virtual asset service providers. Read more

It seems like ages ago, but bitcoin rose to just shy of $91,000 on Wednesday. Then the U.S. dollar started to strengthen.

Crypto bulls who have theorized that bitcoin can't begin rising until money flows out of red-hot precious metals are about to find out if they were correct.

Technical charts tilt toward further downside for Bitcoin and altcoins if BTC’s critical $80,000 fails to hold. Does data suggest that bulls are buying the dips? Key points: Bitcoin’s break below $84,000 tilts the advantage in favor of the bears, opening the doors for a potential fall to $74,508. Several major altcoins have slipped below their support levels, signaling that the bears are attempting to take charge. Read more

Proof-of-reserves shows assets at a single point in time, but it does not prove solvency, liquidity or sound governance. Here is what PoR misses and what real trust looks like. At its core, proof-of-reserves is a public demonstration that a custodian holds the assets it claims to hold on behalf of users, typically using cryptographic methods and onchain transparency. If every crypto exchange can publish a proof-of-reserves (PoR) report, why can withdrawals still be delayed or halted during a crisis? Read more

Gross on-chain data reveals Bitcoin long-term holders were far more active than net position change figures suggest.

A wave of leveraged liquidations erased hundreds of billions in value, reshuffling Bitcoin’s standing among the world’s largest investable assets. Bitcoin’s sharp reversal this week has pushed it outside the world’s 10 largest assets by market capitalization, underscoring how difficult price action has been in recent months as markets continue to digest the cryptocurrency industry’s largest forced liquidation on record. Hovering around $83,000 per coin, Bitcoin’s (BTC) market capitalization has slipped to about $1.65 trillion, ranking it 11th globally. That places it just behind Saudi Aramco, the state-run oil giant, and below Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), according to market data trackers. By contrast, gold has surged to the top spot by a wide margin following a record-breaking rally, cementing its position as the world’s largest asset. The gains have been accompanied by explosive growth in gold futures activity, a trend highlighted in recent data by cryptocurrency exchange MEXC. Read more

An official said that Hong Kong authorities would work on a draft framework, and had begun processing license applications for stablecoin issuers and addressing crypto taxes. Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, said local financial regulators are planning to submit a draft framework related to digital assets sometime in 2026. In comments prepared for a Friday policy briefing of the Hong Kong Legislative Council's Finance Committee, Hui said the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and  Securities and Futures Commission planned to submit a draft ordinance related to regulations for providers offering crypto advisory services. He added that the two regulators were consulting the public after releasing a digital asset consultation paper in December.   In addition, Hui said that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) had begun processing license applications for stablecoin issuers and would address reporting digital assets on taxes.  Read more

A new special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) tied to crypto exchange Kraken completed its IPO, raising $345 million.

WLD is rallying right now, but market movement shows bullishness didn't start with OpenAI – Worldcoin price predictions may have the base for a more sustained run. The post Worldcoin Price Prediction: Up 50% in Days as OpenAI Buzz Explodes – Is a Violent Second Pump About to Hit? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Despite crypto’s promise of faster, cheaper transactions, the payments giants aren’t buying the stablecoin pitch, at least not in developed markets.

Stablecoin rewards and the Clarity Act widen the divide between crypto and TradFi, according to people who spoke with the WSJ.

Crypto policy has shifted in Washington as Trump has lined up Kevin Warsh for Fed chair, the Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced the CLARITY Act 12–11, and the SEC has warned tokenized securities stay under law. Ripple comments and a Feb. 2 White House stablecoin meeting have added pressure. The post Weekly Crypto Regulation Roundup: Trump Taps Fed Pick and SEC Issues Tokenization Warning appeared first on Cryptonews.