By Colleen Goko JOHANNESBURG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Africa's biggest economies Nigeria and South Africa are driving the strongest growth in demand for stablecoins and are the most optimistic about their potential, ‌a survey found, with many users also wanting them to become more widely accepted. Stablecoins are promising ‌faster and cheaper ways to move money in poorer countries, but as 99% of them, including the dominant Tether and USDC, are ​pegged to the dollar, they also raise worries about economic dol ...

Hyperliquid has officially entered the US policy arena with the launch of the Hyperliquid Policy Center, a lobbying and regulatory advisory group focused on decentralized finance (DeFi). The center will be led by prominent crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky, marking a significant step as the industry increasingly engages with Washington, D.C. Hyperliquid Launches $28 Million DeFi Policy Center, Names Jake Chervinsky CEO Chervinsky, the inaugural CEO, brings extensive experience advocating for the crypto sec ...

In less than three years, Hyperliquid has become one of the dominant players in crypto trading, notching volumes that rival long-established exchanges like Binance and Coinbase. Now, the firm is looking to flex its political muscle, too. On Wednesday, the Hyperliquid Policy Center launched in Washington, D.C., with the goal of creating a legal pathway for widespread decentralized finance, or DeFi, adoption in the United States. The inaugural CEO of the new body is Jake Chervinsky, a longtime cryptocurre ...

Permissioned DEX is now live on the XRP Ledger — Source: CoinGape The XRPL has activated the Permissioned DEX upgrade on the mainnet. This upgrade further enables compliant trading among institutional users. It follows the Permissioned Domain and Credentials upgrades which went live earlier. The XRP Ledger has gotten a new upgrade with the Permissioned DEX feature going live on the network. This feature aligns with Ripple’s institutional DeFi roadmap, which aims to onboard more traditional finance ...

Core Insights - Bitcoin's integration into Wall Street was expected to provide stability but has instead led to increased vulnerability due to reliance on American capital, which is currently retreating [1] Group 1: Market Dynamics - Since October 10, approximately $8.5 billion has exited US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, and futures exposure on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange has decreased by about two-thirds from its late-2024 peak to around $8 billion [2] - Bitcoin prices on Coinbase have consistently traded at a discount compared to offshore exchange Binance, indicating ongoing selling pressure from US investors [2] - The shift in market dynamics has seen Bitcoin's price, which reached a record of $67,500 on October 6, now stalling without a clear catalyst for recovery [4] Group 2: Institutional Investment Trends - The initial institutional investment thesis has faltered, as Bitcoin has not performed as a hedge against inflation or market stress, often declining alongside traditional assets [5] - The unwinding of crypto trades has resulted in a thinner market, with demand for borrowed exposure on the CME at its lowest since mid-2023, leading to fewer forced buyers during price increases and less natural absorption during sell-offs [6] - Hedge funds previously engaged in basis trades, buying spot Bitcoin while selling futures contracts, but this strategy lost its appeal when the spread compressed below Treasury yields after October 10 [7][8]

#BTC is trading inside a falling wedge.The upper boundary of the channel is acting as resistance, while the lower boundary of the channel is acting as support. https://t.co/100EW1cx5v ...

California Begins Enforcing State-Level Crypto Licensing With DFALhttps://t.co/WeiChahdDC ...

California has set a firm licensing clock for digital asset firms that want to keep serving residents of the state. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation issued a formal implementation update for the Digital Financial Assets Law, confirming that any individual or company conducting covered crypto activity for or on behalf of California residents must, by July 1, 2026, hold a DFAL license, have submitted a license application, or qualify for an exemption. Applications will open ...

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin is flashing a severe warning regarding dollar liquidity that stock markets have yet to acknowledge. While the Nasdaq remains flat, Bitcoin has tumbled from its highs, signaling what Hayes describes as an impending AI-driven credit crisis. This divergence suggests traditional equities are mispricing systemic risk. Key Takeaways Market Signal: Bitcoin’s decoupling from a stable Nasdaq indicates a sharp withdrawal of dollar liquidity. Macro Thesis: Hayes predi ...

Group 1 - Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that the company is "misunderstood" on Wall Street, with traditional finance players divided between embracing and resisting cryptocurrency [1][2] - Armstrong compared the skepticism towards cryptocurrency to how taxi companies viewed ridesharing models, suggesting that traditional finance professionals see crypto as a threat to their established careers [1][2] - He emphasized that Coinbase is not yet a consensus view among traditional analysts and encouraged focusing on the company's actions and track record rather than analyst models [2] Group 2 - Coinbase's fourth-quarter revenue for 2025 was reported at $1.78 billion, which missed analyst estimates, while the EPS was strong at $0.66, beating forecasts [3] - The full-year revenue for Coinbase reached $7.2 billion, marking a 9% increase from the previous year [3] - The stock has a consensus price target of $314.94 from 29 analysts, with an average price target of $194, indicating a potential upside of about 17.23% [3] Group 3 - Armstrong accused banks of stifling competition and called for lawmakers to create a "level playing field" through legislation [4] - Coinbase shares experienced a decline of 0.32% in after-hours trading, following a 1.03% increase during the regular trading session, closing at $166.02 [4] - The stock maintains a weaker price trend in the short, medium, and long term, with an average Value ranking according to Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings [4]