Cointelegraph.com
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Cointelegraph.com - 11:03 Feb 17, 2026
American restaurant chain Steak ‘n Shake said its nine‑month burger‑to‑Bitcoin strategy has driven same‑store sales growth and a $15 million Bitcoin reserve. Steak ‘n Shake said its same‑store sales have “risen dramatically” since it launched a burger‑to‑Bitcoin strategy in May 2025 that routes every Bitcoin payment into a corporate treasury reserve. In a Monday post on X, the US fast-food chain said that it had successfully combined a “decentralized, cash-producing operating business with the transformative power of Bitcoin,” and thanked Bitcoiners for making it possible. The chain did not provide figures or define what it meant by “risen dramatically.” Steak ‘n Shake began accepting Bitcoin at participating locations on May 16, 2025, in a phased rollout. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:33 Feb 17, 2026
TRM Labs says Monero usage remains above pre-2022 levels as darknet markets shift toward XMR, while unusual node behavior may offer investigators network-level clues. Monero activity has remained steady even as major cryptocurrency exchanges have pushed the privacy coin off their platforms, according to new research by TRM Labs. Data shows transaction usage in 2024 and 2025 stayed above levels seen before 2022, suggesting demand did not fade even after many big trading platforms removed or restricted the token over traceability concerns, TRM Labs said. In 2024, major exchanges, including Binance and Kraken, moved to delist or phase out Monero (XMR) over compliance concerns. Pressure increased this year when Dubai’s financial regulator banned privacy coins like Monero and Zcash (ZEC) on licensed platforms in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 07:45 Feb 17, 2026
Japan’s SBI Holdings has signed a letter of intent to buy a controlling stake in Singapore-licensed crypto exchange Coinhako. Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings is moving to deepen its presence in the crypto sector, announcing plans to take a controlling position in Singapore-based exchange Coinhako. In a Friday announcement, the Tokyo-listed firm said its wholly owned subsidiary, SBI Ventures Asset, has signed a letter of intent with Coinhako’s parent company, Holdbuild, to inject capital into the business and purchase shares from existing investors. If completed, the transaction would give SBI Holdings a majority stake and make Coinhako a consolidated subsidiary, subject to regulatory approval. “Bringing Coinhako into the SBI Group as a consolidated subsidiary is not merely an investment in a single platform,” chairman and CEO Yoshitaka Kitao said, describing the acquisition as part of a broader effort to build international infrastructure for digital assets, including tokenized securities and sta... -
Cointelegraph.com - 07:00 Feb 17, 2026
A global survey of 4,658 crypto users found 39% receive income in stablecoins and 27% use them for payments, with stronger adoption in emerging markets. A global survey commissioned by BVNK and conducted by YouGov found that 39% of crypto users and prospective users across 15 countries receive income in stablecoins, while 27% use them for everyday payments, citing lower fees and faster cross-border transfers as key drivers. The survey of 4,658 respondents, conducted online in September and October 2025 among adults who currently hold or plan to acquire cryptocurrency, found that stablecoin users hold an average of about $200 in their wallets globally, though holdings in high-income economies average around $1,000. It also found that 77% of respondents would open a stablecoin wallet with their primary bank or fintech provider if offered, and 71% expressed interest in using a linked debit card to spend stablecoins. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 06:45 Feb 17, 2026
Polygon briefly surpassed Ethereum in daily fees as Polymarket activity surged, highlighting shifting user demand toward Layer-2 networks. Polygon has posted higher daily transaction fees than Ethereum over the past three days, with an analyst pointing to robust user activity on prediction market Polymarket. According to the latest data from Token Terminal, Polygon raked in $407,100 worth of transaction fees on Friday, compared to Ethereum’s $211,700, with the data indicating this is the first time Polygon has ever flipped Ethereum in daily transaction fees. The gap has since narrowed, with daily transaction fees on Polygon at $303,000 on Saturday, while Ethereum saw about $285,000. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 06:19 Feb 17, 2026
ZeroLend founder “Ryker” says several blockchains the lending protocol operates on are now “inactive,” leading to periods where it has operated at a loss. Decentralized lending protocol ZeroLend says it is shutting down completely after the blockchains it operates on have suffered from low user numbers and liquidity. “After three years of building and operating the protocol, we have made the difficult decision to wind down operations,” ZeroLend’s founder, known only as “Ryker,” said in a post the protocol shared to X on Monday. “Despite the team’s continued efforts, it has become clear that the protocol is no longer sustainable in its current form,” he added. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:57 Feb 16, 2026
Chinese New Year’s digital yuan red packets now come with extra interest, Asia’s tech and fintech giants get FOMO for crypto. Asia Express -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:57 Feb 16, 2026
Chinese New Year’s digital yuan red packets now come with extra interest, Asia’s tech and fintech giants get FOMO for crypto. Asia Express -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:57 Feb 16, 2026
Chinese New Year’s digital yuan red packets now come with extra interest, Asia’s tech and fintech giants get FOMO for crypto. Asia Express -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:56 Feb 16, 2026
Joachim Nagel said euro-pegged stablecoins would offer the bloc more independence from US dollar-pegged coins soon to be allowed under the GENIUS Act. Joachim Nagel, president of Germany’s central bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank, supported the introduction of a euro-pegged central bank digital currency (CBDC) and euro-denominated stablecoins for payments. In remarks prepared for a speech at the New Year’s Reception of the American Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt on Monday, Nagel said EU officials were “working hard” toward the introduction of a retail CBDC. Euro-denominated stablecoins, according to the central bank president, could also contribute to “making Europe more independent in terms of payment systems and solutions.” “Notably, a wholesale CBDC would allow financial institutions to make programmable payments in central bank money,” said Nagel. “I also see merit in euro-denominated stablecoins, as they can be used for cross-border payments by individuals and firms at low cost.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:30 Feb 16, 2026
Ether is down 20% in February, but a developing bullish setup below $2,000 and growing upside liquidation clusters hint at a quick rebound. Ether (ETH) opened the week with a drop below the psychological $2,000 level, placing the altcoin into a 20% loss for February. Still, onchain data shows long-term investors accumulating ETH and rising network usage. Now, analysts are examining how ETH’s technical outlook and the derivatives data align with its emerging demand to determine if a prolonged rally above $2,000 is possible. Key takeaways: Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:39 Feb 16, 2026
The cryptocurrency investment firm says Bitcoin mining is being unfairly lumped with AI data centers, arguing miners act as flexible grid demand, not constant energy drains. The rapid buildout of AI data centers has revived a long-running debate over energy consumption, with critics arguing that large computing operations, including Bitcoin mining, strain power grids and drive up electricity prices. As Cointelegraph previously reported, the surge in AI data center construction has fueled local resistance in several US regions, with residents and lawmakers raising concerns about power demand and rising electricity costs. Bitcoin (BTC) mining has increasingly been linked to the broader debate over high-density computing infrastructure. In a recent research note, crypto investment firm Paradigm pushed back on that narrative, arguing that Bitcoin mining is frequently misunderstood and often mischaracterized in public energy debates. Rather than treating mining as a static energy drain, Paradigm frames it as a par... -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:20 Feb 16, 2026
The relief rallies in Bitcoin and several major altcoins are stalling near their respective overhead resistance levels, signaling that the bears remain in control. Key points: Bitcoin remains under pressure as bears are selling on rallies near the $74,508 resistance The bears are mounting a solid defense in several major altcoins at higher levels, indicating a negative sentiment. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:07 Feb 16, 2026
The addition is the first crypto company to be licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission since June 2025, when the regulator approved Hong Kong BGE. Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has added another company to its list of formally licensed cryptocurrency trading platforms, according to a Friday announcement. The SFC’s list of licensed virtual asset trading platforms includes Victory Fintech Company Limited as the latest of now 12 cryptocurrency and blockchain entities on the Hong Kong regulator’s website. The addition of Victory marked the first time since June 2025 that the SFC had approved a crypto trading platform in Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong has been known for some time as a particularly strict jurisdiction in for crypto companies to operate in, authorities have been pursuing unlicensed virtual asset trading platforms as a criminal offense since June 2024. Many exchanges that had previously been operating in Hong Kong shut down, while others like OKX and Bybit withdrew thei... -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:20 Feb 16, 2026
Demand from Bitcoin accumulation addresses reached a new high, with analysts citing a futures market CME gap as a prediction point for their higher short-term price targets. Bitcoin (BTC) saw a sharp dip below $67,400 during the Monday session open, after it rallied above $70,000 over the weekend. An immediate recovery may come at the back of BTC order book data, which shows aggressive bid positioning, and onchain data pointing to a rise in long-term accumulation. Analysts now say the move may extend toward the $80,000–$84,000 region, with order book liquidity playing a key role in the next move. Key takeaways: Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 18:20 Feb 16, 2026
Bitcoin round-tripped gains after a spike to $70,000 as liquidity traps began to characterize BTC price action on the US bank holiday. Bitcoin (BTC) took out long and short positions during Monday as low-volume trading sparked short-term volatility. Key points: Bitcoin sees low-time frame manipulation clear both longs and shorts on the US bank holiday. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:37 Feb 16, 2026
The management company behind the university’s $56.9 billion endowment opened a new position in BlackRock's spot Ether ETF, while reducing its Bitcoin ETF stake by 21%. The Harvard Management Company, which manages the eponymous university’s endowment, has reduced its stake in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and opened a new position in the asset management company’s Ether ETF. In a Friday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard’s endowment reported that it had reduced its position in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin (BTC) Trust ETF to $265.8 million as of Dec. 31 from $442.9 million in Q3 2025. The investments marked the company offloading more than 1 million shares of the ETF, to 5.4 million in Q4 from 6.8 million in Q3. In addition to the 21% reduction in its Bitcoin position, the Harvard Management Company reported a new investment with exposure to Ether (ETH). According to the SEC filing, the endowment purchased more than 3.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Ethereu... -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:35 Feb 16, 2026
Tokenized real-world assets added 13.5% in 30 days, led by increasing activity on Ethereum, Arbitrum and Solana, even as the broader crypto market lost $1 trillion in value. Demand for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) continued to grow over the past month, even as broader cryptocurrency markets faced heavy selling pressure, underscoring the sector’s resilience and growing institutional footprint. The total value of onchain RWAs increased 13.5% over the past 30 days, according to data from RWA.xyz. The increase reflects both higher asset issuance, meaning more tokenized securities brought onto public blockchains, and growth in the number of unique wallet addresses holding these assets, signaling expanding participation. As of Feb. 16, all major blockchain networks tracked by RWA.xyz recorded increases in tokenized asset value, led by Ethereum, with roughly $1.7 billion in net growth, followed by Arbitrum at $880 million and Solana at $530 million. The figures refer to the increase in total onchain value of t... -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:18 Feb 16, 2026
South Korea’s regulators are deploying AI systems to monitor crypto trading, flag manipulation and strengthen digital asset enforcement. South Korea is transitioning crypto market surveillance to AI-driven systems, in which algorithms automatically detect suspicious trading activity, replacing manual processes. The new detection model employs a sliding-window grid search technique, scanning overlapping time segments to spot abnormal patterns such as unusual volume surges. Through 2026, the Financial Supervisory Service plans to enhance AI capabilities with tools to detect coordinated trading account networks and trace manipulation funding sources. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:37 Feb 16, 2026
Nexo exited the US in 2022, citing regulatory hostility toward the crypto industry from federal and state financial regulators. Nexo is set to relaunch its digital asset services and crypto exchange platform in the US on Monday, more than three years after it left the market following battles with federal and state regulators. Now, citing improved regulatory clarity for digital assets in the US, the rebooted Nexo platform will offer flexible and fixed-term yield programs, a spot cryptocurrency exchange, crypto-backed credit lines and a loyalty program for US users, Nexo head of communications Eleonor Genova told Cointelegraph. The platform’s trading infrastructure will be provided by Bakkt, a US-based digital asset platform focused on serving institutional clients. Genova said: Read more
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