Binance Founder CZ Recounts Early Life, McDonald's Job, and Bitcoin Investment Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder and former CEO of Binance, recently shared details about his life journey in an in-depth interview. Born in China, CZ immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, with his family in 1989. During his early years in Canada, the family faced financial challenges. CZ began working at McDonald's at the age of 14. He pursued higher education at McGill University, initially studying biology before transitioning to computer science. Although he did not formally graduate, CZ later obtained a degree through online educational programs. His career began with developing a securities trading system in Tokyo. He then joined Bloomberg, where he quickly advanced from programmer to leading a team of 80 individuals. In 2005, CZ co-founded a fintech company in Shanghai, serving clients such as General Motors. > During the interview, CZ also revealed his early investment in Bitcoin, stating that he purchased the cryptocurrency at an average price of approximately $600 when he was 14 years old. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Messari Partners with Warden Protocol to Launch AI-Powered Crypto Market Research Assistant Messari, a leading cryptocurrency data platform, has announced a strategic collaboration with Warden Protocol to introduce the Messari Deep Research Agent. This innovative AI assistant is designed to provide users with real-time insights into the crypto market by integrating on-chain data, market analysis, social sentiment, and fundamental research. Through its integration with Warden Protocol, users can now conduct research, perform analyses, and execute trades directly within the platform, eliminating the need to switch between multiple tools or interfaces. This streamlined approach aims to enhance efficiency and provide a more comprehensive research experience for crypto market participants. Previously, Binance Alpha listed Warden Protocol (WARD) on February 4th. #crypto #blockchain #news

Kraken Replaces CFO Ahead of IPO Plans Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange, has appointed a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as it gears up for a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO). Stephanie Lemmerman, who joined Kraken in November 2024 from Dapper Labs, has transitioned to a strategic advisor role. Robert Moore, formerly a Vice President, has now assumed the position of CFO. The exchange submitted its IPO application to U.S. regulators last November and successfully completed an $800 million funding round, valuing the company at $20 billion. Kraken has also recently made other key leadership changes, promoting Curtis Ting to Chief Operating Officer and Kamo Asatryan to Chief Data Officer. Kraken has declined to comment on the matter. #crypto #blockchain #news

Canaan Reports Strong Q4 2025 with Revenue Surge and Significant Bitcoin Mining Output Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer Canaan (NASDAQ: CAN) announced its fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, revealing a substantial revenue of $196 million. This figure represents a 121% year-over-year increase, marking the highest quarterly sales in three years. The impressive growth was primarily driven by large-scale mining rig orders from North America. In Q4 2025, Canaan delivered computing power equipment totaling 14.6 EH/s. During the same quarter, Canaan's mining operations generated $30.4 million in revenue, successfully mining 300 Bitcoin. This implies an average mining price of approximately $101,000 per Bitcoin for the period. Furthermore, Canaan has been bolstering its Bitcoin reserves through its proprietary mining business. As of the end of 2025, the company held approximately 1,750 Bitcoin and 3,951 Ethereum, with a combined value estimated at $165 million. In January 2026, Canaan expanded its holdings by mining an additional 83 Bitcoin, bringing its total reserves to 1,778 Bitcoin. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

YZi Labs Refutes CEA Industries Board Statement, Demands Clarification on Misleading Information YZi Labs has issued an open letter in response to a statement from the CEA Industries board, asserting that a supposed "secret agreement" does not exist and that the terms of any agreement were known and approved by the board. YZi Labs confirmed the termination of a Strategic Services Agreement (SSA) on December 11, 2025, and its notification to the board on December 13, questioning the board's inaccurate statements and governance practices. YZi Labs is calling for an immediate clarification of the erroneous statements, full disclosure of relevant transaction details, and a commitment to safeguarding shareholder interests. Failure to comply will prompt YZi Labs to take action to replace board members to ensure proper corporate governance. #crypto #blockchain #news

Interactive Brokers Partners with Coinbase to Expand Cryptocurrency Futures Offerings Interactive Brokers has announced a strategic partnership with Coinbase Derivatives to significantly broaden its cryptocurrency futures product suite. This collaboration is set to provide clients with enhanced trading options and cater to the escalating demand for cryptocurrency investments. The move builds upon Interactive Brokers' existing support for a variety of digital asset trades. By integrating products from Coinbase Derivatives, the brokerage aims to strengthen its cryptocurrency portfolio and offer investors more accessible tools for market participation while optimizing their trading experience. #crypto #blockchain #news

Two Major ETH Holders Face Substantial Unrealized Losses Amidst Market Downturn Two significant holders of Ethereum (ETH) have incurred unrealized losses exceeding $4.48 million. On-chain analysis by Ai Yi revealed that these two addresses, which collectively hold 100,000 ETH, are currently experiencing substantial paper losses. One address, holding 60,000 ETH valued at approximately $120 million, entered its position at an average price of $2,059.8. This has resulted in an unrealized loss of $3.078 million. The second address, which possesses 40,000 ETH worth about $80.38 million, initiated its trade at $2,039.43, accumulating an unrealized loss of $1.4 million. #crypto #blockchain #news

Dow Jones Hits New Intraday Record High The Dow Jones Industrial Average has continued its ascent, reaching a new intraday historical high of 50,471.58 points. #crypto #blockchain #news

State Street Strategist Predicts Steep Fed Rate Cuts, Dollar Decline A prominent strategist at State Street Bank has forecasted that the Federal Reserve might implement deeper interest rate cuts than currently anticipated by the market, potentially leading to a significant depreciation of the US dollar throughout 2026. Lee Ferridge, a strategist at State Street Bank, suggested at the TradeTech FX conference in Miami that political pressure from former President Donald Trump could influence the next Fed chair to pursue a more aggressive rate-cutting agenda. This, he believes, could result in a reduction in interest rates in 2026 that exceeds current market expectations, with the US dollar potentially weakening by as much as 10% over the year. The market consensus currently anticipates the Federal Reserve will resume rate cuts in June, with at least two 0.25 percentage point reductions expected by year-end. However, Ferridge posited that the Fed could have room for a third cut, which would further suppress the dollar's value and simultaneously lower the cost of currency hedging for foreign investors looking to invest in the United States. Ferridge specifically pointed to Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor nominated by Trump, as a potential successor to Jerome Powell. He suggested that if Warsh were to take the helm, he might be inclined to satisfy Trump's desire for lower borrowing costs, thereby narrowing the interest rate differential between the US and other economic regions. #crypto #blockchain #news

Bitdeer Reports Strong January Mining Output, Boosting Holdings Bitdeer has released its unaudited production and operational data for January 2026. The company's self-mining hashrate reached 63.2 EH/s, marking a 14% increase from December 2025 and a nearly sevenfold surge compared to the same period last year. In January, Bitdeer mined 668 BTC, a substantial increase of approximately 430% year-over-year. The company's total Bitcoin holdings now stand at 1,530 BTC. Bitdeer continues to enhance its self-mining capabilities by deploying SEALMINER mining machines, while phasing out older third-party models. Furthermore, the company successfully tested its inaugural Litecoin/Doge miner, the SEALMINER-DL1, which exceeded performance expectations. A full commercial release of the SEALMINER-DL1 is anticipated in the first quarter of 2026. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

EU Proposes Comprehensive Ban on Russian Crypto Transactions to Counter Sanctions Evasion The European Commission has put forward a proposal for a sweeping ban on cryptocurrency transactions with Russia, aiming to prevent Moscow from circumventing sanctions by leveraging assets outside the traditional banking system. According to the Financial Times, this measure targets all Russian crypto asset service providers and associated transfer and trading platforms, intended to thwart Russia's attempts to bypass existing sanctions through new channels. The EU also plans to prohibit the export of certain dual-use goods to Kyrgyzstan, alleging its involvement in the resale of sanctioned items to Russia. This prohibition marks the 20th round of EU sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and represents the first use of anti-evasion powers. Data indicates that Kyrgyzstan's imports of key goods from the EU have surged by nearly 800% since the war began, while its exports to Russia have seen a 1200% increase. #crypto #blockchain #news

CertiK Forecasts Fourfold Growth in Prediction Market Trading Volume to $63.5 Billion by 2025 Amidst Security and Regulatory Hurdles A new report from CertiK, "The 2026 Skynet Prediction Market Report," forecasts a significant surge in prediction market trading volume, projecting it to reach $63.5 billion by 2025, a quadrupling of the current volume. The report highlights Kalshi, Polymarket, and Opinion as the leading platforms driving this expansion. However, this rapid growth is accompanied by emerging risks, including vulnerabilities in oracle systems, potential misuse of administrator keys, and issues stemming from the Web2.5 architecture. The regulatory landscape for prediction markets remains complex. While the US has recognized them as legitimate financial products following a CFTC ruling, several European Union countries classify them as unauthorized gambling, leading to bans. Furthermore, differing regulations across US states add layers of compliance challenges. A security incident involving a third-party certification provider for Polymarket in December 2025 underscored the centralized points of failure inherent in hybrid Web2/Web3 architectures. #crypto #blockchain #news

Circle Ventures Invests in edgeX, Bolstering EDGE Chain with Native USDC and CCTP Integration Circle Ventures has announced an investment in edgeX, the team behind the burgeoning EDGE Chain. This strategic investment coincides with the upcoming launch of native USDC and the cross-chain transfer protocol (CCTP) on the EDGE Chain. edgeX is developing a high-performance, perpetual decentralized exchange (DEX) designed to rival centralized exchanges in terms of trading speed and efficiency. The EDGE Chain, as a Layer-3 blockchain, leverages the robust security of Arbitrum's Layer-2 solution, with final settlement on Ethereum's Layer-1. The integration of native USDC and CCTP is expected to significantly enhance the utility and accessibility of the EDGE Chain for users seeking seamless and secure asset transfers across different blockchain networks. This partnership underscores Circle's commitment to expanding the reach of its stablecoin and interoperability solutions within the decentralized finance ecosystem. #crypto #blockchain #news

Kaiko Analysis Suggests Bitcoin at $60,000 Marks Mid-Point of Bear Market, With Potential Bottom Near $40,000-$50,000 According to Kaiko Research, Bitcoin's recent price drop to $59,930, its lowest level since October 2024, may signify the "mid-point" of the current bear market. Kaiko noted that this pullback represents the most significant adjustment since the 2024 Bitcoin halving, indicating the market has transitioned from a post-halving euphoria phase into a typical bear market cycle. This cycle is projected to last approximately 12 months before entering a new accumulation phase. Kaiko's report also highlights a substantial decrease in trading activity. The spot trading volume across the top 10 centralized exchanges fell by 30%, from $1 trillion in October 2025 to $700 billion in November. Concurrently, open interest in Bitcoin and Ethereum futures declined by 14%, from $29 billion to $25 billion, reflecting a market-wide deleveraging. The current market conditions, characterized by declining trading volumes and open interest, suggest a period of consolidation and potential price discovery for Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies. Investors are closely monitoring key support levels between $40,000 and $50,000 as potential areas for market bottoming. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Tether Investments Backs LayerZero Labs to Enhance Blockchain Interoperability Tether Investments has announced a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs, a company developing interoperability protocols crucial for cross-chain value transfers within the global digital asset ecosystem. The investment aims to accelerate LayerZero Labs' development of efficient and secure cross-chain technologies. LayerZero Labs' technology is already instrumental in facilitating cross-chain transfers for assets like USDt and XAU. Notably, USDt has seen over $70 billion in cross-chain value transfers in under a year since its launch, underscoring the global scalability and effectiveness of LayerZero's interoperability solutions. This strategic backing from Tether Investments signifies a significant step forward in bolstering the infrastructure necessary for seamless cross-chain communication and value exchange across the blockchain landscape. #crypto #blockchain #news

Bitcoin's Mayer Multiple Dips to 2022 Lows, Signaling Potential Deep Bear Market Correction On-chain data indicates that Bitcoin's Mayer Multiple has fallen to 0.65 as of February 9th, marking its lowest point since May 2022. This metric, which compares Bitcoin's current price to its 200-day moving average, has dipped below the 0.8 "oversold" threshold. The indicator's creator, Trace Mayer, has historically considered levels below 2.4 as a buying opportunity. The recent decline in the Mayer Multiple suggests that the market may be approaching a significant correction phase, a territory typically associated with deep bear markets. Investors are closely monitoring this indicator for potential shifts in market sentiment and future price action. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

CryptoQuant Analyst Advises Strategy to Pause Purchases Amidst Bear Market Julio Moreno, Head of Research at CryptoQuant, has recommended that Strategy pause its current buying activities, acknowledging the prevailing bear market conditions. Moreno suggests that Strategy should raise cash by utilizing ATMs and hold these funds for several months until market conditions improve before redeploying them. He warns that continuing to buy under current circumstances could lead to consistently purchasing at local highs. Moreno emphasized that even non-traders should adopt a more strategic approach to their purchasing habits. "Otherwise, they may continue to buy at local highs. He stressed that even non-traders should adopt a more strategic approach to purchasing." #crypto #blockchain #news

Blockstream CEO Adam Back Clarifies No Financial Ties to Epstein Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, has taken to Twitter to address allegations of financial connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Back explicitly stated that Blockstream has no direct or indirect financial relationship with Epstein or his estate. The CEO explained that in 2014, during Blockstream's seed funding roadshow, the company met Joi Ito, who was then the director of the MIT Media Lab. Following this, Blockstream encountered Epstein, who was described as a limited partner in the Joi Ito Fund. Subsequently, this fund made a minority investment in Blockstream. However, within months, the Joi Ito Fund divested its Blockstream shares due to potential conflicts of interest and other concerns. Blockstream maintains that it has no ongoing or past financial entanglements with Epstein or his estate. #crypto #blockchain #news

Jeffrey Epstein Linked to Bitcoin's Early Ecosystem, Funded Blockstream Revelations from leaked emails indicate that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein provided funding to early cryptocurrency firm Blockstream. The correspondence also suggests discussions about Bitcoin with prominent figures such as Peter Thiel and Adam Back. According to Beincrypto, Epstein maintained connections with individuals including Michael Saylor, Kevin Warsh, and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito. While no evidence suggests Epstein illicitly utilized cryptocurrency, his involvement in Blockstream's seed funding round confirms a notable connection to the nascent Bitcoin infrastructure. Blockstream co-founder Austin Hill is cited as having corresponded with Epstein and Ito regarding the company's development. Epstein's financial backing of Blockstream places him within the early sphere of Bitcoin's technological development, a period marked by intense innovation and significant investment from various high-profile individuals. #crypto #blockchain #news #BTC #Bitcoin

Whale Moves 54.7 Million W Tokens to Coinbase, Faces Potential $653,800 Loss A significant whale investor has transferred 54.731 million W tokens, valued at approximately $1.36 million, to Coinbase. The tokens were acquired three weeks ago at a cost exceeding $2.01 million. The transaction, monitored by Arkham, indicates that if the whale decides to sell these tokens on the platform, they would incur an unrealized loss of $653,800. This move highlights the volatility experienced by some token holders in the current market conditions. #crypto #blockchain #news