WebKey, the Web3 smartphone ecosystem platform, recently completed a strategic upgrade, officially deploying its new ecosystem token wkeyDAO2 and simultaneously migrating all liquidity and treasury pools of the original wkeyDAO to the new contract. Following this upgrade, WebKey will move towards its next phase of development in three core areas: AI-powered intent trading systems, smart hardware upgrades and ecosystem synergy, and financial capitalization.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic leader of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has launched an investigation into Binance's alleged sanctions violations. Blumenthal has written to Binance inquiring about allegations of transferring $1.7 billion to organizations linked to Iran. Blumenthal is requesting transaction records between Binance and the entities suspected of involvement in the alleged fund transfers, as well as records of previous suspensions and dismissals of compliance personnel. U.S. investigators have identified two entities involved in transferring funds to Iran. A Binance spokesperson responded that the New York Times' previous report was inaccurate. Binance has strict KYC and compliance processes and has no Iranian users on its platform. The spokesperson reiterated that the reports in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Fortune regarding the dismissal of the four investigators involved are false. Yesterday, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng posted on social media, stating, "Recent reports regarding Binance's compliance projects are inaccurate. The Wall Street Journal published defamatory statements, and despite our efforts to clarify the facts, the reporter has not responded to any of our corrections. Binance has sent an attached letter demanding an immediate correction and full retraction of these false statements." (CoinDesk)

A significant $112 billion discrepancy in reported trade figures between the United States and China is complicating efforts to assess the extent of economic decoupling between the two nations. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the challenges faced by analysts in understanding the true nature of trade relations. This gap in data raises questions about the accuracy of trade statistics and the impact of geopolitical tensions on economic exchanges. The disparity in trade reporting is attributed to differences in data collection methods and potential misreporting by both countries. Analysts are concerned that these inconsistencies may obscure the real economic dynamics and hinder policy-making decisions. The issue underscores the complexities involved in evaluating the economic relationship between the world's two largest economies. Efforts to decouple the US and Chinese economies have been a focal point of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, with tariffs and trade restrictions being implemented to reduce dependency on Chinese goods. However, the trade data gap suggests that the process may be more complicated than anticipated. The ongoing trade tensions have led to increased scrutiny of trade statistics, as policymakers seek to understand the implications of decoupling on global supply chains and economic stability. Accurate data is crucial for making informed decisions, but the current discrepancies pose a significant challenge. As the US and China continue to navigate their complex economic relationship, resolving these data inconsistencies will be essential for a clearer understanding of trade dynamics and the future of global economic interactions.

Kash, a social-native prediction market platform, announced the completion of a $2 million Pre-Seed funding round. Participants included Big Brain Holdings, Spartan Group, Coinbase Ventures, Kosmos Ventures, Halo Capital, MoonRock Capital, Polaris Fund, and Fabric VC. The new funding will support the company's development of financial tools embedded in social media platforms such as X, enabling users to predict transactions and create predictive events directly from their news feeds. A demo testnet is currently available on the X platform. (Globenewswire)

Finrob, an AI-powered platform specializing in cryptocurrency and financial market research, has successfully raised $3.9 million in a seed funding round. According to NS3.AI, the funding was supported by prominent investors such as Maven 11 and Placeholder VC. Finrob aims to provide real-time on-chain insights and market intelligence by integrating data from sources like Glassnode, CoinGecko, and DefiLlama. The newly acquired funds will be used to accelerate product development, expand data integration, and enhance the platform's research capabilities.

South Africa is set to propose binding guidelines later this year aimed at maintaining sustainable public finances through a principle-based fiscal anchor. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the shift from numerical rules to a more flexible approach. This move is part of the government's efforts to ensure fiscal stability and manage public debt effectively. The new guidelines are expected to provide a framework for fiscal policy that adapts to changing economic conditions while maintaining fiscal discipline. The proposal reflects a strategic shift in South Africa's approach to managing its public finances, focusing on principles rather than fixed numerical targets.

Bloomberg has introduced a new program titled 'Bloomberg This Weekend,' which aims to deliver engaging conversations on business, news, lifestyle, and culture. Bloomberg posted on X, announcing that the show will air live on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The program seeks to provide viewers with insightful discussions and diverse perspectives on various topics, enhancing their understanding of current events and trends.

null source: https://x.com/reutersbiz/status/2026632089022415288

null source: https://x.com/RealAllinCrypto/status/2026632079505543323

Eskom is set to take over the electricity distribution in South African municipalities that collectively owed the state utility $5.4 billion by the end of last year. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the financial challenges faced by these municipalities and the measures being implemented to address the situation. The decision comes as part of efforts to stabilize the utility's financial position and ensure consistent power supply across the affected regions. Eskom's move is seen as a crucial step in managing the debt crisis and improving service delivery in the municipalities involved.

As of February 20, BitDeer's own Bitcoin holdings officially reached zero.

By 2026, the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) will have moved beyond the pilot phase and proof-of-concept stage.

Web 4.0 is not only a technological innovation, but also a profound transformation of social structure and economic model.

AI agents are starting to work for themselves, blockchain is becoming the underlying currency of the machine economy, the boundary between reality and virtuality is becoming increasingly blurred, and the wave of Web 4.0 is gathering.

MoonPay has launched MoonPay Agents, a tool that lets AI systems create wallets, hold funds, and carry out crypto transactions without human intervention once funded. The platform is built on MoonPay CLI and supports trading, swaps, recurring payments, and machine-to-machine transactions while keeping custody under the user’s control.

Stripe is reportedly exploring an acquisition of rival PayPal, as the once-dominant fintech heavyweight grapples with mounting competition, executive turnover and an 85% stock plunge from its 2021 peak.

Goldman Sachs' report, "HALO Impact," points out that in the AI ​​era, the market is shifting from "scalable, asset-light" to "difficult-to-replicate physical assets."

Despite knowing that the funds were "still on the blockchain," it was difficult to get the public security authorities to complete the seizure, freezing, and disposal.

A cryptocurrency investment dispute in South Korea has spiraled into an attempted murder case after prosecutors accused a 39-year-old man of poisoning his business partner over an $811,000 Bitcoin loss.

Bitdeer has sold all of its corporate Bitcoin holdings, reducing its self-owned balance to zero by 20 February 2026. The company says the move frees up cash to fund data centre expansion, AI projects, and new mining hardware.