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Aergoettinea, a long-time leadership member at the Ethereum Foundation, will serve as interim co-executive director, continuing the organizational progress led by Tomasz. Aergoettinea emphasized their experience in budgeting, strategy, and management decision support. Future actions will align with Ethereum's core values including censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security.

The Chinese government aims to use blockchain technology for full-chain certification of green electricity production and consumption, enhancing traceability. This initiative seeks to improve transparency and accountability in renewable energy usage. Additionally, China is exploring how to integrate green certificates into carbon emission accounting frameworks.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has introduced an updated regulatory framework effective January 2026, allowing its regulated entities to independently select crypto tokens for their operations without prior DFSA approval. The framework specifies that crypto tokens include those used for payments or investment but excludes NFTs, utility tokens, security tokens, and stablecoins, which have specific usage restrictions. The DFSA also outlined criteria for assessing crypto token suitability, such as governance, regulatory status in other jurisdictions, market liquidity, technology, and law compliance.

The Dutch House of Representatives has approved a bill to impose a 36% capital gains tax on savings, cryptocurrencies, stocks, and interest products. This tax will apply to both realized and unrealized gains, with some exemptions such as qualifying startup shares. The bill awaits Senate approval and royal assent before becoming law.

Wall Street banking groups oppose yield or rewards on stablecoins, citing risks to core deposit activities. The Digital Chamber proposes a regulatory framework allowing non-bank stablecoin issuance and access to the Federal Reserve payment system. Efforts to reach a compromise in talks at the White House remain stalled amid conflicting positions.

Figure, a publicly traded blockchain lending company, confirmed a data breach resulting from a social engineering attack on an employee. The hacker group ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen and published approximately 2.5GB of sensitive customer information including names, addresses, and birthdates. Figure has blocked further access, initiated a forensic investigation, and is offering free credit monitoring to affected customers, with the breach possibly linked to Okta SSO vulnerabilities.

Jupiter COO Kash has proposed a governance initiative to reduce the net release of JUP tokens to zero indefinitely. The plan includes postponing the Jupuary airdrop, suspending team token releases with team allocations converted to Jupiter liabilities, and fully hedging Mercurial token unlock sales through balance sheet purchases. The proposal will be discussed by the community on February 16 and put to a vote on February 17.

Binance co-founder He Yi addressed the recent firing of an employee who uncovered Iran-related transactions, highlighting the company's ongoing compliance efforts. Binance has initiated several investigations into potential crimes and collaborates closely with law enforcement to combat financial crimes. The company aims to continuously upgrade its compliance system by investing in specialized personnel and resources despite operational challenges.

The Dutch House of Representatives passed a bill to impose a 36% capital gains tax on savings, cryptocurrencies, and most liquid investments. The bill requires Senate approval before its scheduled implementation in the 2028 tax year. Exemptions may apply to startup equity and certain physical assets.

The US military is reportedly preparing for a potential multi-week operation against Iran if ordered by President Trump, according to US officials cited by Reuters. The operation could target Iran’s nuclear facilities, state institutions, and security infrastructure, with anticipated retaliatory strikes from Iran potentially causing a protracted conflict. These developments increase the risk of escalation and complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran.

U.S. XRP spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $4.5 million on February 13, led by Bitwise and Franklin funds. Bitwise XRP ETF recorded the highest single-day inflow of $2.52 million, with its total inflow reaching $362 million. The overall assets under management of XRP spot ETFs have surpassed $1 billion, demonstrating growing investor interest.

Apollo Global Management, a major asset manager with $900 billion AUM, has entered a strategic partnership with DeFi lending protocol Morpho. The agreement includes Apollo buying up to 90 million MORPHO tokens over four years, reinforcing collaboration in the on-chain lending space. Following the announcement, MORPHO's price rose by nearly 14%, currently trading at $1.25.

A whale connected to Matrixport invested $215 million in 105,000 ETH and recently shifted from a $10 million loss to over $1 million in floating profits. The data was reported by Lookonchain monitoring. This notable position highlights significant large-scale investor activity in Ethereum.

CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index dropped three points to 30, signaling weaker altcoin performance relative to Bitcoin. The index assesses the strength of the top 100 cryptocurrencies versus Bitcoin over the last 90 days, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens. A reading of 30 indicates the market is currently favoring Bitcoin rather than altcoins.

Binance's former CEO CZ addressed a report by Fortune alleging sanctions violations, stating the claims are inaccurate. He emphasized that Binance processes every transaction through multiple third-party anti-money laundering tools to ensure compliance. CZ also suggested that the report is influenced by anonymous disgruntled sources spreading FUD.

The Central Bank of Russia announced plans to investigate the potential issuance of a domestic stablecoin in 2026. First Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin shared this during the Alfa Talk conference, indicating a reconsideration of the bank's previous stance. This study will assess the practicality and implications of a Russian-issued stablecoin.

The Russian Central Bank announced plans to study the possibility of creating a ruble-backed stablecoin starting in 2026. The research will assess the advantages and disadvantages and the needs of businesses and citizens. No final decision has been made yet regarding issuing the stablecoin.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong expressed opposition to a proposed bill banning cryptocurrency rewards. He highlighted that such a ban would reduce user incentives, especially for those holding USDC, a stablecoin that Coinbase rewards. Armstrong emphasized that sustaining user rewards and the competitiveness of regulated stablecoins benefits customers and the U.S. position globally.

David Tso, Head of Base Ecosystem and Investments, announced that Coinbase now has 12 products each earning more than $100 million annually. One of these products is Base, a project still in its early development stage. This highlights Coinbase's diversified revenue streams and growth potential in crypto services.