Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov estimates that Russia's daily cryptocurrency transaction volume has reached roughly 50 billion rubles, with millions of citizens involved and usage steadily rising. A draft law to regulate this activity is expected to be finalized within weeks and submitted to the State Duma in March, with authorities aiming for adoption during the spring session so market participants can prepare for licensing and compliance.

January 2026 U.S. CPI slowed to 2.4% year-on-year, down from 2.7% in December and below the 2.5% forecast; core was 2.5%, with monthly changes of 0.3% for headline and 0.2% for core. Stocks and crypto rallied, as S&P 500 futures rose 0.8%, Nasdaq 1.2%, 2-year yields fell to 4.1%, and Bitcoin approached $66,000.

On February 13, 2026, ByteDance was reported to be in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology, the studio behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. People familiar with the matter said the deal could be valued at approximately $6 billion to $7 billion, with an agreement possible as soon as this quarter.

On the morning of Feb. 12, Binance France head David Princay was reportedly the target of two failed home invasions in Val-de-Marne and Vaucresson, during which three masked suspects allegedly stole two mobile phones. Police later traced the devices and used surveillance footage to locate the trio on a train to Lyon, where they were arrested at Lyon Perrache station and placed in custody. The incidents come amid a broader rise in France in so-called wrench attacks involving physical coercion to access crypto assets.

In 2025, retail traders reassessed futures risk as perpetual contracts kept positions open without expiry. Losses increasingly reflected prolonged exposure and ongoing structural costs rather than sudden price swings. With contract mechanics and time under leverage taking center stage, entry and exit timing became less decisive than a position's durability over duration.

In 2025, cryptocurrency transfers linked to suspected human trafficking activities increased by 85%, with total flows reaching several hundred million dollars. According to blockchain analytics from Chainalysis, the funds moved through international escort services, scam-related labor recruitment channels, and sellers of child sexual abuse material, raising fresh concerns about illicit crypto use.

Kalshi has entered a sports performance hedging partnership with Game Point Capital after its Super Bowl Sunday trading volume surpassed $1 billion and January activity hit a record $9.6 billion. The collaboration allows teams to hedge performance bonus payouts, with early NBA contracts on Kalshi reportedly pricing significantly below over-the-counter market quotes.

In Virginia, a federal court sentenced Praetorian Group International chief executive Ramil Ventura Palafox, 61, to 20 years in prison for operating a Bitcoin-based Ponzi scheme that raised over $200 million from investors between December 2019 and October 2021. Prosecutors said the operation took in more than 8,198 BTC and over $201 million in total, caused at least $62.7 million in losses, and falsely promised daily returns of up to 3%.