Robinhood Markets released its operating data for February 2026. As of the end of February, the platform had 27.4 million users with money accounts, an increase of approximately 140,000 from January and approximately 1.74 million year-over-year; total assets on the platform were $314 billion, a 3% decrease month-over-month and a 68% increase year-over-year. In terms of trading, stock trading volume in February was $194.4 billion, a 14% decrease month-over-month and a 36% increase year-over-year; options trading volume was 180.3 million contracts, a 10% decrease month-over-month and a 9% increase year-over-year. Cryptocurrency trading volume was $25 billion, a 9% increase month-over-month and a 74% increase year-over-year. Of this, Robinhood App cryptocurrency trading volume was $9.4 billion, an 8% increase month-over-month, and Bitstamp trading volume was $15.6 billion, a 10% increase month-over-month. Furthermore, Robinhood's net deposits in February were $5.6 billion, with cumulative net deposits over the past 12 months reaching $67.8 billion. Margin financing balance reached $17.2 billion, a significant year-on-year increase of 98%. Overall data shows that although stock trading activity has declined somewhat, crypto trading volume continues to grow rapidly.

Documents declassified last Friday revealed that lawyers for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell raised the possibility during a January meeting with the Justice Department that Powell might remain on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors after his term expires in May—a decision that would break with precedent. These documents are part of a case in which the Fed sought to block subpoenas from the Justice Department regarding a criminal investigation into Powell's handling of the central bank's Washington headquarters renovations. Last Friday, a district court judge ruled in favor of the Fed, blocking the subpoenas. In the debate against the Fed's motion, a Justice Department lawyer stated that at a meeting on January 29, Powell's lawyer told U.S. District Attorney Jeannine Pirro, "The Chairman (Powell) believes that if he is still under investigation, he will not leave the Board even after his term expires; and while he cannot assert the reverse, the image of the Chairman would be different if he were no longer facing a criminal investigation, at which point the Chairman would be free to make decisions focused on his family." (Reuters)

A potential block on stablecoin yield payments in the United States could lead other countries to offer such options, according to Takatoshi Shibayama, Asia-Pacific lead at crypto wallet company Ledger. According to Cointelegraph, Shibayama suggested that if the U.S. enacts a broader ban on stablecoin yields, it would initiate discussions among institutions, stablecoin issuers, and regulators internationally on how to address the situation. Shibayama noted that countries like Australia have provided regulatory carveouts for stablecoin issuers, yet most stablecoins globally are not offering yields or rewards to users to safeguard banking interests. He emphasized that a change in U.S. policy could spark significant dialogue between stablecoin issuers and regulators about allowing yields or rewards to be distributed to users. The U.S. Senate is currently deliberating a bill to define how market regulators will oversee crypto activities. However, a provision backed by banking lobbyists to prohibit third-party platforms from offering stablecoin yields has stalled the legislation, facing resistance from crypto lobbyists. Meanwhile, Shibayama observed a shift in Asia's financial sector's approach to crypto. Since last year, there has been a separation between crypto and blockchain technology in Asia, with institutions focusing more on blockchain applications rather than cryptocurrency exposure. They are exploring possibilities like tokenizing financial products and issuing stablecoins, rather than engaging in decentralized finance (DeFi) and staking. Asset managers, however, are still interested in launching crypto products to diversify offerings for clients, drawn by the lack of stringent regulations requiring regulated custodians. Shibayama noted that while asset managers prefer regulated custodians, they are becoming more selective in choosing custody providers.

BitMart's "BM Discovery" section launched Universal High Income (INCOME) on March 16th at 11:30 AM (UTC+8), with the INCOME/USDT trading pair available. Universal High Income is a community-driven meme token deployed on Solana and currently primarily traded on PumpSwap.

Leon Waidmann, Head of Research at Lisk, posted on Twitter on the adoption of stablecoins in various countries, stating that in Colombia, South Africa, the United States, Germany, and Brazil, USDC holdings have actually surpassed USDT. USDT currently holds the global lead, but the gap is rapidly narrowing.

New Zealand's inflation is anticipated to surpass the Reserve Bank's 1-3% target range for a significant portion of the year, driven by escalating fuel prices linked to the Iran conflict. Bloomberg posted on X that three out of the four major local banks have projected this inflationary trend. The ongoing geopolitical tensions have led to increased fuel costs, which are expected to impact the country's inflation rates. The Reserve Bank may face challenges in maintaining its target as these external factors continue to influence the economy.

Nomura Securities economist Jeong Woo Park has indicated that if the conflict in Iran extends beyond three months, the likelihood of a rate hike by the Bank of Korea may increase. According to Jin10, rising oil prices have heightened the central bank's sensitivity to inflation, and prolonged tensions in the Middle East could push inflation above the central bank's 2% target, potentially triggering a rate increase. Despite the economic drag from rising oil prices, strong overseas demand for semiconductors and domestic fiscal support appear to limit downside growth risks. Nomura maintains its forecasts for South Korea's GDP growth and inflation in 2026 at 2.3% and 2.4%, respectively, both higher than the Bank of Korea's projections.

In an interview, Strategy founder Michael Saylor systematically elaborated on his long-term Bitcoin strategy, defining Bitcoin as "digital capital" and "digital gold," believing that its core value lies in providing economic empowerment and long-term value storage capabilities.

Takatoshi Shibayama, Ledger's Head of Asia Pacific, stated that if the US implements a broader ban on stablecoin yields, discussions will arise among institutions, stablecoin issuers, and regulators in other countries. He pointed out that countries like Australia have already granted regulatory exemptions to stablecoin issuers, but currently, most stablecoins, even outside the US, do not offer yields or rewards to users to protect banking interests. If US policy changes, discussions between stablecoin issuers and regulators in various countries regarding allowing yields to be passed on to users will increase significantly. Currently, the US Senate is advancing a crypto regulatory bill, but legislation is stalled due to a clause supported by banking lobbying groups prohibiting third-party platforms from offering stablecoin yields, which crypto industry lobbyists oppose. Shibayama also stated that Asian financial institutions' focus on the crypto industry has shifted, with crypto and blockchain technology becoming somewhat decoupled since last year. Institutions are more focused on the tokenization of financial products and the issuance of stablecoins, rather than crypto-native products like DeFi and staking; crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are excluded from discussion. However, asset management companies are still considering launching crypto products to enrich customer choices.

A recent study conducted by Cambridge University has revealed insights into the resilience of Bitcoin's network infrastructure. According to NS3.AI, the research indicates that between 72% and 92% of inter-country submarine cables would need to fail randomly for more than 10% of Bitcoin nodes to disconnect. In scenarios involving targeted attacks, this threshold decreases significantly, requiring only 5% to 20% of cables to fail to achieve a similar level of disconnection. The findings underscore the robustness of Bitcoin's network against widespread disruptions, while also highlighting vulnerabilities in the event of targeted attacks.

Economic tensions are anticipated to escalate as the TACO window approaches closure. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting insights from John Authers regarding the potential for increased volatility in the financial markets. The closing of the TACO window, a critical period for economic adjustments, is expected to bring heightened uncertainty and challenges for investors. Analysts suggest that market participants should prepare for possible fluctuations and shifts in economic dynamics as this period concludes. The implications of the TACO window's closure are likely to impact various sectors, prompting a reassessment of strategies and forecasts. As the window narrows, stakeholders are advised to remain vigilant and responsive to emerging trends and developments.

The SEC has permanently dropped its civil case against BitClout founder Nader Al-Naji, clearing him of alleged fraud and misuse of investor funds. This follows the DOJ’s earlier decision to drop a related criminal charge and comes after a review by the SEC’s crypto task force.

Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sparked backlash from the crypto community after describing Bitcoin as a “Ponzi scheme” and claiming the digital asset has less investment appeal than Pokémon trading cards.

Understanding the operating mechanism, expansion potential, and risks of Strategy's most important preferred stock.

TOKEN2049 Dubai has been postponed to 21–22 April 2027 due to regional tensions affecting safety, international travel and event logistics. Another crypto gathering, TON Gateway Dubai, has been cancelled entirely as security concerns grow across the Middle East.

Traditional capital markets are increasingly integrating blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies into the capital world.

On the evening of March 15, the "315 Gala" exposed the problem of AI large models being "poisoned", pointing the finger at GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) technology.

If Bitcoin continues to fall, where might it find support and a bottom according to the data?

Jinse Finance launches its cryptocurrency and blockchain industry daily news bulletin, "Jinse Morning 8," issue 2997, providing you with the latest and fastest news on the digital currency and blockchain industry.

When a physical industrial company injects physical assets into a Layer 1 project and then calculates a valuation of $950 million using several times the value of the physical assets, isn't this kind of capital game too outrageous?