Your Weekend Crypto Roundup | February 2026 (Week 2)

This Week at a Glance

SafeMoon CEO sentenced for multimillion-dollar fraud
Binance invests $1B in Bitcoin reserves
Bitcoin liquidity tightens, raising execution risks
Courts and regulators clamp down on scams and misconduct
Thailand approves crypto as an underlying asset in regulated derivatives

This week in crypto was a reminder of just how many forces are shaping the industry at once—risk, regulation, and real opportunity.

On one end, accountability is catching up. Braden John Karony, the former CEO of digital asset company SafeMoon, has received a 100-month-long prison sentence. Regulators around the world are making it clear that bad actors won’t go unchecked. On the other hand, confidence hasn’t disappeared. Binance moving $1 billion into Bitcoin reserves shows that major players are still positioning for the long term, even as liquidity tightens and trading becomes more expensive.

We’ve pulled together the most important stories from the week so you can catch up quickly, without the noise.

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Shall we?

Lead Story of the Week:

Former SafeMoon CEO Sentenced to 100 Months for Crypto Fraud (More)

Braden John Karony, former CEO of SafeMoon US LLC, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after being convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Prosecutors said he misled investors about locked liquidity pools and diverted over $9 million in crypto funds for luxury homes and cars. The court ordered the forfeiture of $7.5 million and properties, while restitution is pending, highlighting accountability risks in projects marketed as decentralized. Read the full story.

Other News Making Waves

Markets & Trading

Binance Converts $1B SAFU Insurance Fund Entirely Into Bitcoin (More)

Binance completed the full transition of its Secure Asset Fund for Users into Bitcoin, purchasing 15,000 BTC worth over $1 billion at roughly $67,000 average price. The exchange said the move strengthens transparency, liquidity, and long-term reserve reliability, signalling strong confidence in Bitcoin despite extreme market fear.

Low Bitcoin Liquidity Raises Institutional Trading Costs and Slippage Risk (More)

BitGo warned that thin Bitcoin liquidity can sharply increase execution costs for institutions, especially during volatile periods. Large trades may move prices significantly due to shallow order books and fragmented markets, forcing firms to diversify venues, monitor slippage, and rely on stronger custody and infrastructure to manage risk.

Bitcoin ETF Investors Hold Positions Despite Major Price Decline (More)

Bitcoin ETF inflows fell from $61.8B to $54.3B while BTC dropped from above $125K to around $70K, yet redemptions stayed low. Analysts say Wall Street treats ETFs as long-term allocations, potentially delaying market capitulation and leaving room for a larger institutional rebalancing if positions unwind later.

Legal Cases & Court Actions

A U.S. court fined Paxful $4 million for AML failures and facilitating illicit transactions. (More)
Sam Bankman-Fried filed for a new trial, claiming his fraud conviction violated due process. (More)
A former Chicago judge received probation for stealing $250,000 from a veteran to buy Bitcoin. (More)

Crime, Hacks & Security

A Bitcoin wallet linked to a U.S. ransom case recorded its first transaction after the payment deadline passed. (More)
South Korean regulators launched a probe into Bithumb after a $41 billion phantom Bitcoin distribution triggered a flash crash. (More)
Scammers stole millions in January through address poisoning and signature phishing attacks. (More)
French police arrested suspects after a crypto ransom kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother. (More)

Industry Insights & Opinions

Chainlink’s Sergey Nazarov said the current crypto downturn shows industry maturity as real-world asset tokenization grows. (More)
Ray Dalio warned that CBDCs could eliminate financial privacy and expand government control over money. (More)
Vitalik Buterin said yield products based on centralized stablecoins do not qualify as true DeFi. (More)

Regulation & Policy Watch

Thailand approved cryptocurrencies as underlying assets in regulated derivatives markets to boost institutional adoption. (More)
The American Bankers Association urged the OCC to pause crypto trust bank approvals until stablecoin oversight rules are finalized. (More)
White House talks on crypto regulation progressed but stalled over disagreements on stablecoin yield payments. (More)
South Korea proposed ownership caps that could force major shareholders to sell stakes in leading crypto exchanges. (More)
Polymarket sued Massachusetts officials over whether prediction markets fall under federal or state regulation. (More)
South Korea announced tougher investigations targeting crypto market manipulation and unfair trading practices. (More)

Market Movers: Winners and Losers

Top 5 Gainers 📈

Pippin +168.63%, from $0.189886 to $0.510118
Greyhunt +96.10%, from $0.938346 to $1.84
Rei +80.11%, from $0.01274999 to $0.02296425
Singularry +104.88%, from $0.01238618 to $0.02537702
Power Protocol +106.34%, from $0.201685 to $0.416133

Top 5 Losers 📉

MYX Finance -55.73%, from $6.81 to $3.01
我踏马来了 -29.26%, from $0.03551120 to $0.02512524
Zama -38.10%, from $0.02936228 to $0.01817453
Undeads Games -26.17%, from $2.14 to $1.58
Slash Vision Labs -26.20%, from $0.02145784 to $0.01583410
Quantum Resistant Ledger -24.60%, from $2.48 to $1.87

Data source: CoinGecko

Project Spotlight

Stripe Enables AI Agents to Pay Automatically Using Crypto on Base

Stripe has launched a preview payment system that allows AI agents to autonomously pay for online services using USDC on the Base blockchain via the x402 protocol. Businesses create a payment request, agents send funds to a unique wallet, and access unlocks instantly while Stripe manages compliance, refunds, and reporting. The system supports real-time settlement and micro-pricing models, such as per API call or compute time.

Why It Matters:
This introduces true machine-to-machine commerce, letting software pay software without subscriptions or human input. It could reshape APIs, cloud services, and digital infrastructure by enabling autonomous AI economies built on stablecoin payments.

Disclaimer: This roundup is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein should be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading or investing in cryptocurrencies carries a considerable risk of financial loss. Always conduct due diligence.

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