Today's Cryptocurrency News (February 14) | X Timeline or Built-in Crypto Trading; Russian Central Bank Plans to Study Ruble Stablecoin
This article summarizes cryptocurrency news as of February 14, 2026, focusing on the latest Bitcoin updates, Ethereum upgrades, Dogecoin trends, real-time crypto prices, and price forecasts. Major Web3 events today include:
- Ethereum stablecoins shrink by $1.4 billion in 7 days, where is on-chain liquidity quietly shifting?
The supply of stablecoins on the Ethereum network decreased by approximately $1.4 billion in just one week, quickly attracting market attention. Stablecoins are regarded as the “funding buffer pool” in the crypto market; when their size shrinks significantly, it often indicates a directional transfer of funds, possibly moving to other public chains, Layer 2 networks, or being redeemed directly for fiat currency.
Ethereum hosts mainstream stablecoins such as USDT, USDC, and DAI, which are core to DeFi lending, DEX trading, and derivatives margin trading. When stablecoin quantities decline, on-chain available liquidity tightens, borrowing costs increase, leverage is compressed, and trading activity may slow down. The $1.4 billion reduction over seven days signals that the settlement layer’s “water level” is rapidly dropping.
From a capital flow perspective, this does not necessarily mean capital is leaving the market. Some stablecoins may be migrating via cross-chain bridges to networks with lower fees and higher incentives; others might be exchanged for fiat by investors amid rising macro uncertainties. Regardless of the case, this directly impacts the risk appetite within the Ethereum ecosystem.
On-chain data also shows that liquidity pools across multiple DeFi protocols are shrinking in tandem. Reduced stablecoin reserves lead to lower yields, more expensive borrowing, and limited margin supply in derivatives markets, thereby suppressing short-term speculative momentum. Changes in stablecoins are often viewed as leading indicators rather than lagging signals.
Going forward, the market should focus on two directions: first, the flow of funds between exchanges and wallets to gauge whether new buying interest is emerging; second, the scale of cross-chain stablecoin migration to distinguish between “rotation” and “withdrawal.” In crypto markets, liquidity often reveals trends earlier than prices.
This $1.4 billion contraction marks a restructuring of on-chain funds on Ethereum. It does not necessarily signal a long-term downtrend but serves as a reminder that market rhythm has shifted; stablecoin levels remain a key indicator of DeFi health and overall risk appetite.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in the UAE has officially released a FAQ document clarifying its new regulatory framework for crypto tokens, further defining its implementation within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The framework was first announced in December 2025 and took effect in January 2026. The core change is that DFSA-regulated entities can choose which types of crypto tokens to cooperate with, without needing to seek approval from regulators for each.
DFSA states that this move aims to strengthen market integrity and investor protection while providing more operational compliance guidance for firms. Elizabeth Wallace, Deputy Director of Policy and Legal Affairs, told media that shifting token assessment responsibilities to firms aligns with international regulatory trends and market demands. She expects that with the new rules, crypto asset trading volume within DIFC will significantly increase in 2026.
From a legal perspective, Kokila Alagh, founder of KARM Legal Consulting, views this shift as a sign of ecosystem maturity, aligning DIFC with major global financial free zones. She emphasizes that firms will bear higher compliance obligations, requiring robust internal assessment, ongoing monitoring, and disclosure mechanisms.
Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies, notes that the token market changes rapidly, and firms often understand which assets fit their business models better than regulators. Removing the “approval list” system helps avoid restrictions on innovation and competitiveness caused by centralized screening.
This FAQ, based on feedback from over 600 industry participants, clarifies that “crypto tokens” mainly refer to assets used as payment or investment media, excluding NFTs, utility tokens, or security tokens. Stablecoins are limited to use by asset management companies for payments. The document also lists suitability assessment standards, including token purpose, governance, global liquidity, regulatory status, and technical risks.
As this flexible yet strict framework is implemented, the UAE is gradually consolidating its strategic position in the Middle East crypto finance sector.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s Division of Corporation Finance is accelerating a major regulatory reform for crypto assets. Director Moloney stated that the department is building a new classification system for digital assets to clarify under what conditions tokens may no longer be considered “investment contracts,” thus removing their security status and providing clearer compliance pathways for the industry.
This initiative, called “Project Crypto,” was first proposed by SEC Chair Gensler at the end of 2025, aiming to ease the legal gray areas faced by issuers during issuance and disclosure. In the latest announcement, Moloney revealed that the new approach allows tokens to change from securities to “non-securities” if certain conditions are met—for example, when issuers no longer perform key management functions or when networks achieve high decentralization.
To support this reform, the SEC’s three main divisions jointly released a preliminary framework on January 28, dividing digital assets into four categories: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, and tokenized securities. For assets still deemed securities, the agency will design more flexible issuance and sale rules to reduce compliance friction.
Beyond crypto assets, the SEC is also modernizing its disclosure regime. The proposal to replace quarterly reports with semiannual disclosures has sparked widespread debate. Supporters argue it helps companies avoid short-term performance pressures and focus on long-term strategies; opponents worry that longer intervals could amplify market volatility and increase insider trading risks. Moloney has directed teams to draft related rules to offer new options for firms.
Additionally, the SEC is speeding up processing backlog registration applications and reminding foreign private issuers that the “Foreign Internal Affairs Accountability Act” will automatically take effect on March 18, 2026, requiring senior executives to report transactions according to U.S. standards. As the new framework takes shape, the U.S. crypto regulatory environment may undergo a structural shift.
The Central Bank of Russia recently announced it will conduct in-depth research into the feasibility of pegging stablecoins to the ruble, assessing risks and potential benefits. On February 12, First Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistokhvatov revealed at the Alpha Dialogue in Moscow that the study aims to explore how stablecoins can better integrate into Russia’s financial system. This move comes amid Russia’s efforts to find new payment tools under the pressure of Western sanctions and global banking access restrictions.
For years, the Russian central bank has opposed stablecoins, especially those pegged to fiat currencies, citing risks of financial instability and regulatory challenges. However, as cryptocurrencies gradually enter international settlement channels and the digital ruble project advances, the stance is shifting. Russia has already permitted crypto for some international settlements, and the digital ruble is in pilot testing, with plans for full rollout of stablecoins by the end of 2026.
The push for this research is driven mainly by sanctions constraints. Many Russian banks have lost access to global payment networks, complicating cross-border trade. Russia is seeking new solutions through crypto payments, and a ruble-pegged stablecoin could become an important tool for businesses to settle without relying on the dollar, especially in trade with BRICS and other friendly nations.
If implemented, such a stablecoin could reduce transaction costs, accelerate payments, decrease dependence on foreign currencies, and further Russia’s goal of financial independence. The government may support issuing a national stablecoin and allow private companies to issue regulated stablecoins. However, risks remain, particularly regarding security and privacy. The central bank still needs to address regulatory and technical issues to ensure stability and compliance.
Currently, the central bank has not made a final decision on issuing stablecoins but is studying global cases and inviting public discussion. This process could become a key part of Russia’s future digital financial policy. As the global financial environment evolves, Russia appears eager to stay open-minded and explore innovative financial responses.
BlackRock’s two spot crypto ETFs experienced net outflows of $18.64 million on February 13. The Bitcoin ETF IBIT lost $9.36 million, and the Ethereum ETF ETHA lost $9.28 million, making BlackRock the only major US issuer with net outflows that day.
In contrast, overall US spot ETFs continued to see inflows. That day, Bitcoin ETFs attracted $15.2 million in new funds, and Ethereum ETFs saw $10.2 million in net inflows, indicating that mainstream capital has not exited the crypto market but is reallocating among different products.
The impact on BlackRock was limited given its total crypto ETF assets under management exceed $40 billion; the $18.64 million outflow accounts for less than 0.1%. Many market observers see this as more of a portfolio rebalancing or short-term profit-taking rather than a sentiment-driven sell-off.
Recent volatility in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices has prompted some institutions to adjust their positions slightly to manage risk exposure. Capital flows often do not reflect long-term confidence but are short-term tactical moves. During volatile periods, funds tend to rotate among different funds, which is common.
Since the launch of U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, they have attracted billions of dollars from institutional investors. For investors seeking compliant exposure to digital assets, these products remain attractive.
Currently, BlackRock’s single-day outflow appears to be a market rhythm adjustment rather than a trend reversal. As long as overall capital continues to flow in, the role of crypto assets in institutional portfolios remains solid.
According to Arkham’s 2026 report on Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko’s net worth and on-chain holdings, Yakovenko’s personal wealth is estimated between $500 million and $1.2 billion, mainly derived from his holdings of SOL tokens and his equity in Solana Labs, closely tied to Solana’s market price.
At Solana’s launch, 500 million SOL were minted, with 12.5% allocated to the founding team. It is widely suspected that address 9QgXq is linked to Yakovenko; this wallet holds over 136,000 SOL (about $11 million). Between August and November 2024, this account unstaked and transferred over 3 million SOL, with more than 1.5 million re-staked to a new address. If these addresses are also Yakovenko’s, the SOL holdings are worth approximately $122 million. Another address associated with his X username “Toly” and domain toly.sol holds assets worth about $16,500.
Yakovenko owns approximately 5-10% of Solana Labs. The company has received investments from a16z, Polychain Capital, Multicoin Capital, among others, with valuation estimates between $5 billion and $8 billion. His personal stake is roughly $250 million to $800 million. He has also invested as an angel in over 40 Solana ecosystem projects, including Jito Labs, Drift Protocol, and Helius.
The US crypto regulatory environment is accelerating its engagement with top industry technologists. Anatoly Yakovenko, founder of high-performance blockchain Solana, has been appointed to the newly formed Innovation Advisory Committee of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), becoming one of the few blockchain protocol designers directly involved in federal policy discussions. This appointment signals a shift from external oversight to collaborative rule-making with developers.
The committee comprises 35 members focusing on blockchain infrastructure, AI, and digital asset markets, providing technical and market trend advice to regulators. Led by Michael S. Selig, its goal is to help US markets adapt more efficiently to rapidly evolving fintech. Yakovenko’s expertise in low-latency, high-throughput network architecture is seen as valuable for derivatives settlement, on-chain transparency, and system stability assessments.
As blockchain increasingly intersects with commodities and futures markets, regulators recognize that traditional financial logic alone cannot fully understand decentralized network operations. Solana’s high-performance features align well with regulators’ needs for real-time settlement, scalability, and risk management, raising its visibility in policy discussions.
While the committee does not directly draft legislation, its recommendations could influence future regulation of digital asset derivatives, on-chain clearing, and cross-market oversight. For blockchain projects, this is both a platform to showcase technology and a call for higher standards of compliance and transparency.
It is foreseeable that as more protocol developers enter policy discussions, the US crypto regulatory approach may evolve toward “tech co-governance,” balancing risk control with innovation.
Jupiter, a key project in the Solana ecosystem, has submitted a proposal to its DAO to reduce the net token issuance of JUP to “near zero” to address concerns over inflation and selling pressure, and to strengthen the token’s long-term value. The proposal is now in community voting, with token holders deciding the outcome.
The plan involves three main measures to cut new supply. First, all token releases from the team’s reserves will be indefinitely paused; unvested tokens will be absorbed directly into the treasury and not sold on secondary markets. Second, the scheduled “Jupuary” airdrop of about 700 million tokens will be delayed, with snapshots retained for eligible users, and the tokens temporarily returned to a multisig community wallet for future distribution. Third, tokens unlocked via Mercurial will be accelerated but bought back by the treasury to offset potential sell pressure.
Jupiter states that community anxiety over continuous issuance is evident. Despite burning 3 billion tokens, extending team lockups, and using half of on-chain revenue for buybacks, the market still seeks stronger supply control. The team believes that reducing inflation expectations will help boost confidence during market volatility.
The vote offers two options: maintain the original airdrop and issuance schedule, or delay the airdrop and implement a “near-zero issuance” policy. If approved, most new tokens in 2026 will be canceled, reducing short-term sell pressure but also delaying rewards for active users.
Regardless of the outcome, this DAO vote will mark a significant turning point in Jupiter’s tokenomics and influence governance approaches within Solana’s DeFi ecosystem.
Crypto sentiment platform Santiment recently identified a “classic capitulation signal” in the Meme coin sector, indicating that market pessimism is rapidly accumulating and may foreshadow a reversal. Santiment notes a sharp increase in social media discussions claiming “the Meme coin era is over,” and when a sector is collectively denied, contrarian investors often begin to position.
Data shows that over the past 30 days, Meme coin market cap has fallen by 34.04%, down to about $31 billion. Meanwhile, Bitcoin approached $60,000 in early February, increasing selling pressure on high-risk assets. Most Meme coins in the top 100 by market cap are weak, with only a few showing short-term gains—Pippin surged over 240% in a week, while TRUMP and SHIB saw limited increases—indicating cautious sentiment.
Santiment further states that when the public loses confidence in a sector, it often means selling pressure has been largely exhausted, making technical rebounds more likely. The firm recommends monitoring overlooked assets, as “the greatest pain phase” often coincides with a bottom.
At the same time, traditional capital rotation patterns are changing. Historically, after Bitcoin hits new highs, funds flow into Ethereum and altcoins, but with increased institutional participation, this rhythm may no longer hold. Craig Cobb, founder of The Grow Me, predicts future altcoin rallies will be more selective, not a broad market surge.
Social sentiment indicators also show significantly more bearish than bullish comments. Santiment believes persistent skepticism may actually support subsequent recovery. For investors tracking Meme coins and crypto cycles, the current moment may be a critical emotional and price turning point.
As the debate over the CLARITY Act continues, crypto organizations have proposed new principles opposing the draft bill from banks. The Blockchain Association’s Digital Commerce Council released its own guidelines, emphasizing support for a two-year study on stablecoins’ impact on bank deposits but opposing clauses that automatically generate regulatory rules.
Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Commerce Council, said the industry is willing to compromise on stablecoins offering static yields similar to bank savings accounts but insists that crypto firms should still be able to offer rewards to customers for transactions and other activities. He urges banks to return to negotiations to avoid missing the chance to establish fair reward mechanisms.
Earlier, a White House meeting with banks and crypto firms failed to produce a clear plan. Banks argue that any stablecoin yields or rewards could undermine the deposit functions of U.S. banks. The new proposal from the Digital Commerce Council aims to find a balance, encouraging a compromise between the crypto community and banks.
Patrick Vit, executive director of the President’s Digital Asset Advisory Committee, noted that the window for passing the CLARITY Act is closing rapidly as midterm elections approach. He emphasizes that all parties need to stay flexible; the advisory committee has held multiple meetings at the White House to facilitate negotiations between crypto and banking sectors.
Analysts believe this proposal could offer new ideas for stablecoin regulation and highlight the complex position of digital assets within the financial system. With midterms near, the final outcome of the CLARITY Act remains uncertain, but ongoing efforts by the crypto industry to promote fair reward mechanisms may influence legislative details and regulatory frameworks.
Stanford Graduate School of Business professor and a16z & Meta advisor Andy Hall posted on X that his team has developed a new dataset focused on political prediction markets, liquidity, and settlement rules. The research found that most political contracts in prediction markets lack activity—only 1.3% have sufficient liquidity. Kalshi and Polymarket rarely list identical contracts with the same rules, leading to further fragmentation of liquidity.
Hall proposed four improvements: first, listing core contracts and collaborating with independent institutions to define socially relevant markets; second, paying market makers to inject initial liquidity; third, introducing AI agents to trade in areas without human participation, generating societal price references; and fourth, establishing unified definitions and settlement rules across platforms. Hall believes these measures will attract traders seeking to hedge political risks and turn prediction markets into truth machines for society.
Hyperscale Data, a Bitcoin treasury management company, announced the launch of an equity offering plan, raising $35.4 million through the issuance of Series D redeemable perpetual preferred shares. The proceeds will be used to increase Bitcoin holdings, purchase precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, and fund operations, including debt repayment, refinancing, buybacks, or share repurchases.
Bitcoin entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano recently stated that as inflation data declines, Bitcoin investors face the challenge of reassessing their holding motivations. Pompliano told Fox Business that Bitcoin’s value lies in its limited supply; when governments increase money issuance, Bitcoin prices tend to rise. He sees Bitcoin as a long-term investment similar to gold, but during periods of waning inflation, investors may need to reconsider their reasons for holding.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in January fell from 2.7% in December to 2.4%. Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi warned that actual inflation might be higher than reported, implying that demand for inflation-hedging assets like Bitcoin could be temporarily affected. Pompliano said macroeconomic factors will continue to influence Bitcoin’s price volatility, calling it a “currency slingshot”—the dollar’s depreciation trend is masked by short-term deflation, and investors may focus more on Bitcoin’s store-of-value function in the future.
Currently, Bitcoin market sentiment has dropped to multi-year lows since June 2022. Crypto Fear & Greed Index shows an “extreme fear” score of 9. CoinMarketCap reports Bitcoin at approximately $68,850, down nearly 29% over the past 30 days. Pompliano believes the Fed will continue to expand the money supply to combat inflation, further devaluing the dollar, and that Bitcoin’s value as digital gold will become more apparent over time.
His view reminds investors that despite short-term volatility, in the context of macroeconomic trends and dollar devaluation, Bitcoin remains attractive long-term. Monitoring CPI data and the dollar index will help assess the feasibility and potential returns of holding Bitcoin.
Sources indicate that SpaceX is considering adopting a dual-class share structure in its planned IPO this year. This structure would grant certain shareholders, including Elon Musk, higher voting rights, allowing them to maintain control despite lower ownership stakes. The company is also recruiting additional board members to facilitate the IPO and expand Musk’s space ambitions beyond core rocket and satellite businesses. Dual-class structures are common among U.S. tech firms, typically giving founders and insiders 10 or 20 votes per share, while ordinary shares have one vote. Critics argue this weakens accountability. Musk has praised such structures and proposed creating a dual-class share category for Tesla to ensure at least 25% voting control. (Jin10)
According to Watcher.Guru, X (formerly Twitter) plans to launch crypto asset and stock trading features directly from its timeline within “a few weeks.” This means users may soon be able to buy, sell, and transfer assets without leaving the content feed, further blurring the lines between social and financial services.
On February 12, X confirmed that X Money will begin “external testing” in one to two months, gradually opening to global users. The project is still in closed internal testing and is a key part of transforming X into a “super app.” Elon Musk stated that X Money aims to be “the hub for all funds” and will be deeply integrated with platform services to reach a billion daily active users.
Speculation about supporting crypto assets has been rising. In early 2025, X Money announced integration with Visa, offering P2P transfers, debit card payments, instant account top-ups, and bank transfers. Compared to PayPal’s Venmo, Block’s Cash App, and JPMorgan’s Zelle, which already support stablecoins or on-chain settlement, X’s partners like Stripe are also accelerating infrastructure for stablecoins. Industry trends suggest cross-border and international transfers are becoming key use cases for crypto payments.
Musk’s extensive experience in payments and fintech, along with his long-term engagement with digital assets, fuels expectations that X may explore its own tokens or stablecoins.
However, as of now, X has not officially confirmed support for any crypto assets. If the timeline-based trading feature materializes, X will integrate “content, social, payments, and trading” into one platform, making it one of the most promising fintech experiments of 2026.