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SEC closes Yuga Labs investigation without penalty or charges.
The decision supports the position that NFTs are not securities.
The SEC’s kinder stance suggests evolving cryptocurrency restrictions.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) closed down its probe against Yuga Labs, owner of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) non-fungible token (NFT) venture and ApeCoin (APE). The SEC will not pursue any enforcement and close the investigation launched in October 2022.
Yuga Labs confirmed the ruling, describing it as a resounding win for the NFT space and digital creators. The company said the ruling supports the notion that NFTs are not securities, an issue debated in regulatory and legal communities for years.
SEC Shuts Down Investigation of Yuga Labs Without Charges
The

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According to Teng, Japan has 11M cryptocurrency accounts in 2024.
The FSA imposes tight requirements for crypto exchanges and AML compliance.
New regulations seek to improve asset protection and stablecoin policies.
Binance CEO Richard Teng appreciated Japan’s open and transparent style of regulating cryptocurrencies in his speech at the Global Financial Technology Network Forum in Japan. He claimed that the country had 11 million cryptocurrency accounts last year and emphasized that the regulations must be established to provide long-term stability and security in the market for cryptocurrencies.
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) regulates Japan’s crypto regulations, enforcing PSA and FIEA regulations. Investor protection, security, and transparency-oriented law is

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Senator Durbin introduces Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act. 
Over 1,233 US crypto ATMs were offline in early March.
New global rules slow the spread of the cryptocurrency ATM network.
The U.S. has seen a dramatic decline in its crypto ATM network just days after Illinois Senator Dick Durbin introduced the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act. The bill aims to combat rising fraud in cryptocurrency ATM transactions by requiring operators to warn users of scams, develop steps to reduce losses, and equip law enforcement with the means to track illicit transactions.
Through March 3, the US housed 79.9% of the world’s crypto ATM network, operating 29,731 machines. Yet between the first weekend in March and March 3, over 1,200 crypto ATMs in the US went dark without explanation,

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STAR10 price declines by 22% after reaching a high of $0.3964. 
Insider wallets win millions from STAR10 token trades.
STAR10 trade volume surpasses $48.43 million, despite losses.
Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho has officially released his digital token, STAR10, on the BNB Chain to connect football and blockchain. The token will provide fans with unique access to special challenges, rewards, and events. Nonetheless, since its release, severe price volatility has hit STAR10. The token has lost more than 22% of its value.
STAR10 was launched with a supply of 1 billion tokens, designed to facilitate liquidity and interaction. One quarter of the total supply was for liquidity, so that trading could be smooth. Ronaldinho retained 20%, and the team set aside another 20% for

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Metaplanet increased its Bitcoin holdings to 2,391 BTC with the recent $13.4M purchase.
 The corporation seeks 10,000 BTC by 2025, and 21,000 BTC by 2026.
 CEO confirms talks with NYSE and Nasdaq regarding worldwide expansion.
Metaplanet, a Japanese investment firm, has doubled down on its Bitcoin plan with a fresh purchase of 156 BTC worth $13.4 million, bringing its holdings to 2,391 BTC. The company purchased the Bitcoin at an average rate of $85,890 per BTC as it continues to ramp up the asset aggressively. Since adopting its Bitcoin strategy in April 2024, Metaplanet has been steadily accumulating digital assets. Today, its portfolio amounts to $196.3 million, with an average cost basis of $82,100 per BTC.
With the latest acquisition, Metaplanet’s 2025 BTC yield has

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Memhash has integrated TONAPI Airdrop for cost-effective token distribution.
The functionality can handle up to 10 million claims and has built-in security measures.
Tonkeeper strengthens its position as a main infrastructure supplier for TON.
Memhash, the most popular Telegram mini-app, is the first to support the TONAPI Airdrop feature, changing token distribution on the TON blockchain. The Tonkeeper developers created TONAPI Airdrop, streamlining bulk, non-custodial airdrops, reducing costs and minting steps from the equation. This product provides a headache-free and efficient vehicle for projects to release and disperse Jettons, the TON native token standard.
Through this aspect, Memhash is enhancing its in-game economy, optimizing user engagement, and offering an

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Orderly merges omnichain liquidity with Berachain to provide smooth DeFi access.
 Berachain projects get quick access to deep cross-chain liquidity.
 Proof-of-Liquidity framework combines network security and DeFi liquidity.
Orderly has announced the integration of its omnichain liquidity infrastructure with Berachain, a Layer 1 blockchain that uses an innovative Proof-of-Liquidity consensus mechanism. This integration provides projects in the Berachain ecosystem with access to deep cross-chain liquidity in real-time. It offers decentralized exchanges and perpetual protocols a smooth trading experience.
Berachain developers are now able to embed Orderly’s advanced software development kit (SDK) and access a single order book that consolidates liquidity from a variety of

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MetaMask will support Bitcoin in Q3 2025, and Solana in May.
Users can pay gas fees with any token, reducing reliance on ETH.
 Smart transactions improve security against MEV attacks.
MetaMask is expanding beyond Ethereum with the addition of Bitcoin and Solana support, a significant shift for the wallet provider. Revealed at ETHDenver, the new features will enable users to hold multiple blockchain assets conveniently in one platform.
Bitcoin support will launch in Q3 2025, allowing users to store, send, and swap BTC without relying on a third-party wallet. Integration with Solana arrives earlier in May, and MetaMask becomes the first non-EVM chain to be integrated. This will enable access to Solana’s decentralized applications and token swaps with a uniform user

XRPL will introduce permissioned DEX, identification tools, and tokenization functionality for institutions.
 The new lending capabilities will interface with Ripple payments, stablecoins, and decentralized exchanges.
Ripple, the company behind the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has come out with its 2025 strategic development plans. The plan focuses on enhanced institutional decentralized finance (DeFi) and lending and includes substantial upgrades to enhance regulatory compliance, programmability, and asset tokenization.
Ripple says, it will allow financial institutions to satisfy compliance needs, grow lending solutions, and provide developers with greater freedom in creating blockchain applications. Future updates will add a Permissioned decentralized exchange (DEX) and Permissioned Domains, which

Metro is now accepting stablecoins, including USDT, USDC, WUSD, and FDUSD.
Singapore’s crypto-friendly rules promote stablecoin adoption.
Singapore’s top department store chain Metro has joined forces with local crypto payments company DTCPAY to launch stablecoin payments in its offline stores and online shopping mall, Metro Mall. Tether’s USDT, Circle’s USDC, Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network’s WUSD, and First Digital Dollar’s FDUSD can be used to make payments. The shift will increase the domain of crypto payments for merchants.
Unlike highly fluctuating cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, stablecoins are pegged to an asset, hence suitable for regular transactions. With the use of stablecoins, Metro aims to offer consumers a smooth and secure payment process. It also hopes to

Traders can earn up to $100K USDT and double GRVT Trader Points.
 Competition encourages large volume traders with incentives and multipliers.
GRVT, the world’s first self-custody CEX and hybrid DEX-licensed, has revealed a high-profile trading occasion with Alertatron. The Alertatron x GRVT Trading Airdrop shall take place between March 1 and March 14. Traders will have the opportunity to collect up to $100,000 USDT as rewards. They will also gain preferential priority over Alertatron’s cutting-edge algorithmic trading functions. Traders shall also receive twice GRVT Trader Points. This will enable them to earn double rewards.
The contest is designed to introduce users to Alertatron’s automated trading platform, which facilitates seamless integration with TradingView alerts. Alertatron

Mimir Upgrade allows for on-chain storing and retrieval of vector data. 
Chromia combines Python and a $20M fund to accelerate AI development.
Chromia will launch one of the world’s first decentralized vector databases on March 25 through its Mimir Upgrade, offering a blockchain-enhanced alternative to traditional centralized offerings. This technology has the potential to revolutionize AI-driven applications by providing an open and decentralized method for storing vector embeddings on-chain. It also enables a decentralized approach to retrieving these embeddings.
AI tools such as GPT and DeepSeek have attracted widespread public attention. However, the underlying vector databases remain out of the spotlight. Vector databases are behind AI capabilities through enhanced text retrieval,

Avalanche Card allows users to spend USDC, USDT, wAVAX, and AVAX anywhere in the globe without having to convert them.
The Visa-backed card simplifies crypto payments for in-person and online shopping.
Avalanche Foundation and Rain launched the Avalanche Card, a digital and physical Visa-accepted payment card that allows users to spend cryptocurrency for payments wherever Visa can be accepted. This is an important step towards the mass adoption of digital assets. It removes the need for conversion and wallet-based transaction flows.
With the Avalanche Card, consumers can spend USDC, USDT, Wrapped AVAX (wAVAX), and AVAX in-store and online. It makes it easy to spend digital assets daily. At the same time, it takes advantage of the safety and stability of Visa’s payment network worldwide.

The corrective wave in XRP is nearing completion, with experts targeting $1.97 as support.
 Analysts believe a breakout above $3 might signify a bullish reversal.
XRP price action has been ranging inside a symmetrical triangle, a sign of market indecision. Whereas investors are pulling funds from exchange-traded cryptocurrency products. And they are actively seeking XRP as one of the few desirable assets. This is indicative of increasing confidence in its long-term prospects even during volatility.
Technical charts indicate a break-or-make point for XRP’s price action. Elliott Wave theory predicts that the asset has reached a break-or-make situation, with Fibonacci retracement levels as the critical signs of potential direction. Currently, the price is behaving against the 0.236 Fibonacci

DFSA approves Circle’s USDC and EURC for usage in DIFC enterprises.
The approval allows stablecoin-backed services, such as payments and treasury management.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has officially cleared Circle’s USDC and EURC stablecoins, the first stablecoin clearance in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This is a follow-up to Circle’s successful applications in the EU and Canada, continuing to broaden its regulatory presence. With DFSA’s go-ahead, companies in DIFC can now use USDC and EURC on a large scale.
A press release confirmed that Circle, the stablecoin issuer, was granted formal regulatory approval following the submission of its application to the DFSA. The move paves the way for cryptocurrency exchanges and businesses in the DIFC region

Aurora’s Cloud Console enables blockchain setup in under a minute.
Future improvements will enhance interoperability, gas management, and fiat-to-crypto conversions.
Aurora Labs has released a major update to the Aurora Cloud Console, which allows developers and enterprises to deploy custom blockchains in under one minute. The innovation overcomes technology hurdles, bringing blockchain development to a level as simple as the rollout of a smart contract. The capability, part of Aurora’s 2025 roadmap, will support 1,000 custom chains by year’s end.
Aurora Cloud Console enables effortless onboarding with parameters such as permissions, base tokens, gas fees, and integrations, which can be customized. Transaction usage can be monitored and deployment can be traced in real-time, without

Metaplanet and El Salvador increased their Bitcoin holdings before prices plummeted below $91K.
 Bitcoin price decreased 5% in 10 hours, reaching $89,663, on weakening market mood.
Metaplanet increased its Bitcoin reserves by buying 135 BTC worth $13 million, bringing its reserves to 2,225 BTC worth more than $205 million. Simon Gerovich-run Japanese company has continued to add to its Bitcoin holdings since taking it on as a treasury investment in April 2024. Even amidst market volatility, its BTC return, defined as a percentage change in Bitcoin balances on diluted shares, has risen 23.3% quarter to date, positioning the company well toward meeting its Q1 target of 35%.
El Salvador also seized the dip, buying 7 BTC on February 24 when Bitcoin was at around $94,050. The acquisition was

Alice in Nodeland combines humor and web3 culture to emphasize decentralization.
 The dRPC film debut at ETHDenver offers an interactive mobile theater experience.
Blockchain infrastructure company dRPC will debut Alice in Nodeland, an AI-powered short film, at ETHDenver 2025. Based on Alice in Wonderland, the 11-minute animated short takes a satirical plunge into web3. It presents a vibrant and humorous interpretation of decentralization.
ETHDenver, the largest Ethereum developer conference globally, will be held from February 23 to March 2 in Colorado. Alice in Nodeland will have its premiere on February 25, with the delegates having an opportunity to see it for seven days. dRPC is making the experience immersive by showing the movie on a mobile theater bus, where spectators can have

Montana lawmakers voted 41-59 against letting Bitcoin into state reserves.
Lawmakers rejected the bill due to concerns about its volatility and taxpayer risk.
Montana’s legislature rejected House Bill 429, seeking to authorize state investment in Bitcoin, stablecoins, and precious metals. The lawmakers voted 41-59 against the bill, with the legislators purporting that the potential dangers of having taxpayers’ funds used to make investments in risky assets are a concern. Although the bill had passed the Business and Labor Committee by a 12-8 vote on February 19, it could not get wider support during the recent House floor session.
The proponents of the bill maintained that investing in Bitcoin and other investments would enable the state to earn better returns on excess funds.

Georgia submitted another bill allowing unrestricted Bitcoin investment by the state treasurer.
 More US states are adopting Bitcoin reserves amid expanding crypto-friendly policies.
Georgia doubled down on Bitcoin plans by adding a second reserve bill on Bitcoin, with an aim to let the state treasurer invest freely in the cryptocurrency. More US states are increasingly investing in Bitcoin, especially as former President Donald Trump, with his pro-crypto agenda, took charge of the nation. Georgia had also earlier presented a Bitcoin reserve bill on February 14, 2024, and now desires to confirm its commitment to embracing digital assets utilizing this latest piece of legislation. 
The latest SA228 proposed bill would provide for the ability of the state treasurer to invest in Bitcoin and

Ethena Labs’ exposure to Bybit decreased from $30 million to zero.
 USDe stablecoin remains completely collateralized in off-exchange custody.
Ethena Labs has assured that its unrealized profit and loss (PNL) exposure to Bybit is zero, after a significant security incident at the crypto exchange. The Ethereum-based synthetic dollar protocol assured users that it fully collateralized its USDe stablecoin and kept no backing funds on exchanges.
The update comes after an initial release where Ethena Labs approximated its unrealized PNL exposure at below $30 million. The team assured users that off-exchange custody arrangements, such as Bybit through Copper ClearLoop, held USDe’s spot assets. These structures aimed to minimize exposure to threats and vulnerabilities on exchanges.
Ethena Labs

The SEC’s 240-day investigation of Grayscale’s XRP ETF is currently underway.
Following regulatory changes, the possibility of XRP ETF approval has increased to 81%.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially approved the Grayscale bid to reclassify its XRP Trust as an ETF based on a spot exchange-traded product. NYSE Arca filed on January 30th, initiating a 240-day review cycle before a decision must be made by October 18, 2025.
The SEC approval was released in the Federal Register on February 13, a 21-day comment period. This will enable investors and industry participants to comment before the regulatory authority moves forward with additional assessments.
Grayscale’s XRP ETF Under SEC Fire During Time of Regulatory Change
The SEC will concentrate on

AltVest Capital intends to raise $10 million to boost its Bitcoin holdings.
 The corporation sees Bitcoin as a currency devaluation hedge.
South African investment company AltVest Capital is adopting Bitcoin as a reserve asset for the treasury, and it is setting the pace in Africa as the first company to do so. The company already owns one Bitcoin and is making a bid for regulatory approval to raise another 200 million rand (about $10 million) to increase its Bitcoin holdings.
AltVest Capital is taking a cue from international companies like Strategy, MARA, and Metaplanet, which have also made Bitcoin a strategic asset. While Strategy and MARA issued 0% convertible notes to fundraise, AltVest Capital will raise capital by selling its shares. The company has not revealed additional

Trader profiles provide insight into portfolio strategy and results.
Users can share trading data while keeping privacy and control.
Binance Square, Binance’s social media platform, has rolled out its newest feature, Trader Profiles, to promote responsible trading and transparency to its growing user base. Traders can activate the new feature to showcase their portfolios, performance statistics, and Trader Badges. This allows them to share verified trading information while engaging with like-minded investors.
With more than 35 million monthly active users, Binance Square is an international platform for cryptocurrency discussion, subject matter expert opinion, and market insight. It connects creators and viewers with highly personalized feeds based on people’s interests. Hosted in 30

Shannon Testnet provides 1M+ TPS and sub-second finality for high-speed blockchain applications.
 Multistream Consensus improves scalability through parallel transaction execution.
Somnia openly launched the Shannon Testnet, a pivotal step in its vision to place the world’s data on chain more quickly and effectively than ever before. The testnet, named after information theory visionary Claude Elwood Shannon, is a high-performance sandbox for developing scalable blockchain applications.
After achieving over 1 million transactions per second, sub-second finality, and nearly free transaction costs on DevNet, Somnia now aims to push blockchain scalability further with the Shannon Testnet. During DevNet testing, the network successfully processed over 3.6 million transactions. It also handled

PRIME Chain is already functioning, with over 130 stake pool operators safeguarding the network. 
NEXUS, VECTOR, and Reactor Bridge will allow for seamless cross-chain activity.
Apex Fusion has introduced its blockchain network and indigenous token, AP3X, which has started developing a decentralized and scalable network. The initial chain in the network is PRIME, which today is running on a strong staking and security framework. Apex Fusion, which has a hybrid architecture that retains the programmability of Ethereum coupled with the Bitcoin UTXO security model, is developing a successful blockchain network for mass use.
PRIME has a decentralized staking model, which is a more secure network and more decentralization. More than 130 SPOs are already securing the chain, thereby making it way

KuCoin EU has applied for a MiCAR license in Austria to expand in Europe.
The Vienna-based hub will oversee compliance and innovation for digital assets.
Top international cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has revealed that its subsidiary, KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH, has applied for a MiCAR license in Austria. This is a key step in KuCoin’s effort to expand its regulatory presence and provide compliant digital asset services within the EU and EEA. After securing authorization, KuCoin EU will enable users to trade securely and in compliance with regulations. This approval will grant access to all 30 member states of the EEA and EU.
The choice of Vienna, Austria, as the location for its headquarters was spurred by the country’s early commitment to MiCAR regulations, stable regulatory environment,

Transak secures MTLs in Illinois and Missouri, expanding US crypto transaction possibilities.
The move improves compliance, accelerates transactions, and promotes financial access in important markets.
Transak, the top payments infrastructure solutions firm for Web3, has advanced its United States regulatory footprint with the acquisition of Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs) in the states of Illinois and Missouri. The newly achieved MTLs allow the company to receive direct cryptocurrency payments from both businesses and customers. This expansion strengthens its suite of services and broadens its regulatory footprint across these strategically crucial states. With these licenses, Transak mitigates its third-party license dependency and, therefore, exercises direct oversight across these

Interpol issued a Red Notice to Richard Schueler for violence and tax fraud.
Schueler is facing an SEC lawsuit for $1B in unregistered token offers.
Interpol has issued a Red Notice for Richard Schueler, the founder of the cryptocurrency project Hex, who is accused of tax fraud and assault. A Red Notice calls for law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest the wanted person, though it is not an international arrest warrant.
Schueler, now in Finland, keeps running until he reaches one of the most wanted persons in Europe. Offenses that were committed by Schueler are such cases wherein he beats up a 16-year-old by dragging him down the stairs and causing him bodily harm.  Additionally, for his failure to file his income and also his failure to present his tax returns from

Brian Brooks adds extensive crypto and financial expertise to the board.
MicroStrategy joined Nasdaq-100, strengthening its Bitcoin-focused approach.
MicroStrategy is a business intelligence company focused on Bitcoin and has now added three new members to its board of directors. On December 20, the company appointed Brian Brooks, former CEO of Binance.US, along with Jane Dietze and Gregg Winiarski, to the board. This move aligns with the company’s efforts to establish a strong crypto-oriented strategy. The company is putting forth significant efforts in this direction.
Brooks has played several very important roles in the crypto world, like acting Comptroller of the Currency. He is known for deep insight into how to control cryptocurrencies and innovations. His experience advising