Category: Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is digital money that works online. It lets people send and receive payments directly without banks. It runs on secure networks called blockchains, making it fast and global.

Pectra Hard Fork Set to Double Layer-2 Throughput, Says Vitalik

Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade drops in March, doubling Layer-2 capacity, cutting fees, boosting staking, and making wallets smoother. ETH already pumping!

Ethereum’s next major upgrade, the Pectra hard fork, is dropping in March 2024, and it’s bringing some serious upgrades. Vitalik Buterin just confirmed that this update will double Layer-2 capacity by increasing the blob target from 3 to 6—meaning faster transactions and lower fees.

If you’re wondering, blobs are huge data chunks introduced in the Dencun hard fork last year. They help Layer-2 networks handle more transactions without blowing up gas fees. With Pectra, Ethereum will scale even further, making it more efficient and affordable to use.

Originally, Pectra was packed with 20 upgrades, but devs split it into two parts for a smoother launch. Besides boosting blob space, it’ll also increase validator staking limits and improve wallet experiences.

Meanwhile, Ethereum’s gas limit is back in the spotlight. Some think raising it will lower costs, while others worry about network stability.

Vitalik also floated an idea-let stakers vote on future blob capacity instead of relying on hard forks. That would make Ethereum more flexible, future-proof.

Market’s already reacting-ETH up 10% in a day and swinging back hard. The hype for Pectra is real, and Ethereum’s future is looking lit!

Also Read: Crypto Market Crash: Trump’s Tariffs or Overheated Top Signals?

Crypto Market Crash: Trump’s Tariffs or Overheated Top Signals?

Trump’s tariffs and crypto “top signals” caused a $500B market crash, with overbought conditions and geopolitical tensions fueling the downturn.

The crypto market just took a massive hit, dropping nearly $500 billion, and now everyone’s wondering: was it Trump’s tariffs or the crypto market getting too hyped? Some analysts think Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptos were overdue for a correction. The market had been showing signs of overheating for a while, with “top signals” popping up everywhere. These top signals happen when the market feels way too exposed, like when crypto apps hit new download records or celebrities jump on the crypto hype train.

One big event was Trump launching his own memecoin, TRUMP, on January 18. The launch made major headlines, bringing tons of retail investors into the mix. On top of that, Bitcoin recently hit new all-time highs without any real corrections, and we all know what happens next—sharp pullbacks.

While Trump’s tariffs definitely shook up the markets, many experts believe the crypto sell-off was more about the market being overbought than anything else. When retail adoption spikes and everything seems too good to be true, it’s a sign that things might crash. If geopolitical tensions continue and the trade war worsens, the bearish trend could stick around for a while, with traders now eyeing Bitcoin and Ethereum’s key support levels.

Also Read: February’s Top 5 Cryptos to Watch: XRP, Solana, Trump Coin, Dogecoin, and Pi Network

February’s Top 5 Cryptos to Watch: XRP, Solana, Trump Coin, Dogecoin, and Pi Network

Big developments in February for XRP, Solana, TrumpCoin, Dogecoin, and Pi Network promise to create new opportunities for investors.


Crypto is about to heat up this February, standing tall with five big players for uptick. First is XRP. The ongoing case with the SEC might cause a huge shift in the case of a Ripple win, possibly sparking massive investment that could see XRP boost up the ladder close to Ethereum and Bitcoin. If an ETF approval happens, XRP might lure more institutional investors, and this month of February is quite critical..

Next is Solana (SOL). Known for its speed and low fees, Solana’s been gaining traction, especially after Donald Trump launched his official memecoin on this blockchain. With increasing interest in meme coins and potential ETF approval, Solana’s future looks promising as it continues to lead the charge in the decentralized finance (DeFi) and NFT space.

Then there is TrumpCoin ($TRUMP). Political factors and media hype might spur short-term interest, but meme coins like TrumpCoin are so dependent on buzz that February is anyone’s guess.

Dogecoin is still a fan favorite, thanks in large part to Elon Musk’s tweets. The billionaire has had a huge influence on its price. Dogecoin might just go on another tear as more and more people jump onto the meme coin bandwagon – if social media buzz calls for it.

Last but not least, Pi Network (PI). Known for their mobile mining, Pi is now preparing for mainnet in 2025, and February is expected to be an important milestone as the chain gets closer to full market integrations.

Thus, expect all these changes coming this month to the crypto market!

Also Read: Russia Cracks Down on Crypto Miners – Registration Now Mandatory

WLFI and Crypto Holdings Plunge as Market Crash Hits, Despite Trump’s Backing

Trump-backed WLFI lost $51.77M as crypto crashed, while his memecoin tanked 64%, wiping billions—analysts blame tariffs and market hype.



World Liberty Financial, Inc. (WLFI), the crypto investment firm endorsed by Donald Trump, was among those that suffered most from the market crash. Between January 19 and 31, WLFI had invested $242.77 million in several cryptocurrencies, the value of which decreased by 21%. That means a loss of $51.77 million to the firm, with major holdings such as Ethereum (ETH) and Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) being badly affected.ETH, the company’s largest investment, was down 24.45% and shed $36.67 million, while WBTC suffered a 12.07% decline that took more than $8.07 million off its value. Ethena, with a plunge of 43.72%, was the worst performer and burned more than $2 million. Other big losers were TRON (TRX), AAVE, and Chainlink’s LINK.

Not even Trump’s personal crypto portfolio could avoid the bloodbath of carnage: his very memecoin, once heaping $55 billion onto the net worth he had, fell 64% since January 20, pulling $35 billion off its market value. He gave crypto too, after falling below the $5-million mark-while most of that is made out of memecoins.

Analysts are pointing fingers at the newly imposed tariffs by Trump, which could have contributed to the market downturn and wiped out almost $500 billion in value. According to some, the crash was inevitable due to an overheated market, but the tariffs might have accelerated the collapse.

Also Read: Taiwan Just Banned DeepSeek—Here’s Why

Russia Cracks Down on Crypto Miners – Registration Now Mandatory

Brief Summary: Russia is subjecting crypto miners to the requirement of registering their installations until November 1, 2025, in relation to increased government control. The financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring will monitor mining activities using a centralized database. Mining without registration will be prohibited, and reporting to taxes will be more strictly regulated.

It was until November 1, 2025, when the regulation of crypto mining in Russia finally went all-in and became illegal, without registration. Rosfinmonitoring introduces a database that follows the operation of every mining rig so that every operation is on the government’s radar.This comes months after an earlier ban issued in six regions over concerns of power shortages, including parts of occupied Ukraine. This ban is supposed to be in order for the next 6 years, till the month of March, to make sure that the mining activities get streamlined in a proper way.

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With that in mind, Russia’s Federal Taxation Service, FNS, has set up an online platform where miners will be forced to report proceeds using a qualified electronic signature. Taxes are fixed, too. Miners that earn up to 2.4 million rubles, which is about $23,976, will face a tax rate of 13%, while owners with higher revenues will pay 15% taxes.. Reports on income should now be filed on a monthly basis, and it is impossible to dodge taxes any longer.

What Russia is trying to say with this law is that miners can’t continue acting in the shadow anymore. A miner has either to play according to the law or face some serious legal repercussions.

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Binance Pay Teams Up with xMoney to Bring Crypto Payments to 20K+ European Businesses

Wrap-up: Crypto payments finally catch a big break in Europe. This cooperation between Binance Pay and xMoney will give users the power to splash crypto on everything-from bespoke shopping, travel, even to public services by more than 20,000 different enterprises across diverse industries-make crypto seamless, cheaper, and mainstream.

It basically means that users of Binance Pay can spend their crypto on everything, from high-end brands to online stores, even government services in places such as Lugano and Liechtenstein. Over the last year, xMoney has been scaling up its merchant network, meaning that more and more businesses could receive digital currencies without the usually painful process fraught with high commissions and slow speeds.

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For Jonathan Lim, Global Head of Binance Pay, this will be a game-changer, with crypto payments growing bigger in everyday life. The CEO of xMoney, Greg Siourounis, on his part, said the move bridges traditional finance with blockchain to make crypto payments further approachable-and trusted.

Numbers say it all: from 8,900 two years ago, to more than 12,000 in just last year, the explosive growth of the Binance Pay merchant network will now be over 32,000 companies across the globe. The increased crypto adoption translates into easier-to-use digital assets for everyday spending thanks to such partnerships and ultimately proves that crypto is for living, not just investing.

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Kraken to Drop USDT & 4 More Stablecoins in Europe—Here’s Why

Summary: Kraken is officially pulling the plug on Tether (USDT) and four other stablecoins in Europe, thanks to strict new crypto rules under MiCA. The delisting will happen in phases, with a final deadline of March 31 of this year. Users in the EEA region (which includes Germany, France, and Spain) will have time to swap their assets before they get automatically converted into a compliant alternative.

Kraken isn’t just dropping USDT—it’s also saying goodbye to PayPal USD (PYUSD), Euro Tether (EURT), TrueUSD (TUSD), and TerraClassicUSD (UST). The exchange says it’s all about staying on the right side of European regulations, which are cracking down hard on stablecoins. To help users adjust, Kraken has laid out a clear timeline: margin trading will switch to “reduce-only” mode on February 13, meaning no new positions can be opened. By the end of February, users will only be able to sell, and forced liquidations for margin positions will hit during March.

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By the end of March, spot trading will be fully shut down, and after March 31, any leftover stablecoin balances will be auto-converted into a compliant alternative. Kraken is making it clear—this move only affects users in the EEA. Meanwhile, other big exchanges like Coinbase and Crypto.com are making similar moves, signaling a major shift in how stablecoins will operate in Europe.

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Japan’s Banks Are Adopting Ripple Tech, But Will They Actually Use XRP?

Summary: Japan’s SBI Remit and SBI Shinsei Bank collaborate in upgrading cross-border payments, leaving some elbow room in the process that could be curbed with the help of Ripple’s technology. Even though they have used RippleNet for faster settlement, the million-dollar question is now whether they are integrating XRP or future Stablecoin RLUSD from Ripple.

SBI Remit has, for the last decade, been right at the forefront of Japan’s remittance space, especially where foreign residents seek to send money back home. They have used Ripple’s blockchain already, enabling smoother and less expensive transfers. The most recent deal with SBI Shinsei Bank could see them expand even further-a potential development that might extend Ripple’s ecosystem into more traditional banking services.

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Another key angle would be that SBI Shinsei Bank participates in Project Agorá, dedicated to the exploration of CBDCs and blockchain-based cross-border payments. This directly fits into the plans of Ripple to extend its technology to the mainstream financial world, making XRP or RLUSD one of the most prospective live use cases.

Japan is still catching up when it comes to fintech and banking collaborations, but this move sets a precedent. SBI Remit and SBI Shinsei Bank are paving the way for Ripple-powered solutions in Japan’s financial sector, and if they go all in on XRP or RLUSD, it could be a game-changer for crypto-backed remittances.

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Crypto Tax Crackdown: India Slaps 70% Penalty on Unreported Gains

Overview: The Indian government has begun clamping down on crypto traders by imposing an unbelievable 70% tax penalty for unreported crypto gains. Under the new stringent rule, which is included under Section 158B of the Income Tax Act, comes the 2025 Union Budget aimed at tightening reins over the explosively growing crypto market.Investors who have failed to disclose their gains might well face severe fines, as the government looks back four years for undeclared gains. Crypto, for example, is now classified as a Virtual Digital Asset, or VDA, thereby making it akin to cash, gold, and jewelry for tax purposes in India.

Crypto exchanges and financial platforms are required to report transactions, making it tough to fly under the radar. Last year, the government unearthed $97 million in unpaid Goods and Services Tax from crypto exchanges, putting all major scrutiny on platforms like Binance and Bybit-forcing Bybit to shut down operations in India altogether. It’s not alone in this.

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The U.S. IRS, too, is raising its crypto tax game, imposing more stringent reporting requirements starting in 2025. Some crypto groups even sue the IRS on grounds of unconstitutionality of the new regulations. As governments around the world increase their stranglehold on digital assets, crypto traders will have to keep their wits about them-and be compliant-unless they want to pay the price.

Gang Token Drama: Allegations, Mockery, and a Market Crash

Crypto influencer MrPunk.eth launched $GANG, cashed out $10M, and mocked investors. Allegations of a pump-and-dump scam fuel controversy.



The $GANG token, launched by crypto influencer MrPunk.eth, quickly went from soaring to crashing 98%. It all started with MrPunk.eth using his massive social media reach to hype the coin. However, after a brief surge, the token plummeted, and accusations started flying.

The famous crypto investigator @freakyfawi accused MrPunk.eth of selling $1.3 million in $GANG tokens within two minutes of tweeting about it, cashing out a total of $10 million weeks later. Of course, immediate rumors of a classic “pump and dump” surfaced, with prices suddenly spiking only to fall just as quickly and leaving most investors with extraordinary losses.

GoFundMeme, the company behind $GANG, took to its defense, stating that MrPunk.eth had used special features to avoid snipers and that the team wasn’t involved in buying tokens. Yet some users weren’t buying it, accusing GoFundMeme of being in on the scam.

Meanwhile, MrPunk.eth snubbed his followers’ concerns, even to the point of making fun of those who lost money by calling them “broke losers.” As the drama unfolds, @freakyfawi unveiled MrPunk.eth’s real identity as Rajinder Pathani. In any case, it was either market manipulation or a rug pull; the crypto community was abuzz with debate.

Also Read: Coinbase Bets Big on Solana & Hedera Futures – Here’s What’s Coming

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