Author: driver789

Blockchain technology is an effective medium for administering social benefit programs, but key compliance challenges remain, according to Julie Myers Wood, CEO of compliance and monitoring consulting firm Guidepost Solutions. Guidepost Solutions advised the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ government on a regulatory compliance and sanctions framework for its USDM1 bond, a tokenized debt instrument issued by the government, backed 1:1 by short-term US Treasuries.The Marshall Islands government launched a Universal Basic Income (UBI) program in November 2025 that distributes quarterly benefits to citizens directly through a mobile wallet. Wood told Cointelegraph:“Any benefit that is currently being distributed through analog…

Semilore Faleti is a cryptocurrency writer specialized in the field of journalism and content creation. While he started out writing on several subjects, Semilore soon found a knack for cracking down on the complexities and intricacies in the intriguing world of blockchains and cryptocurrency. Semilore is drawn to the efficiency of digital assets in terms of storing, and transferring value. He is a staunch advocate for the adoption of cryptocurrency as he believes it can improve the digitalization and transparency of the existing financial systems. In two years of active crypto writing, Semilore has covered multiple aspects of the digital…

Bitcoin price is attempting another breakout toward $70,000 after weeks of choppy consolidation. BTC ($69,741.00 · Live) trades at $69,815 at publication, sitting just below the $70,610 resistance level. The largest cryptocurrency is trying to recover recent losses, yet mixed on-chain and derivatives signals present an uncertain short-term outlook. Market participants are closely watching this psychological threshold. A sustained move above $70,000 could shift sentiment decisively. However, persistent bearish positioning suggests that volatility may intensify before a clear trend emerges. Bitcoin Shorts Resemble The Past Aggregated funding rate data across major crypto exchanges shows an extreme surge in short positioning.…

David Prinçay, chief executive of Binance France, was the target of a failed home invasion near Paris on Feb. 12, according to French outlet RTL. Three masked men forced entry into a residential building in Val-de-Marne during the early hours of the morning. The suspects entered the wrong apartment before reaching Prinçay’s residence.  The executive was not home at the time but the group took two mobile phones and left the building. Police believe the same suspects carried out a second break-in attempt later that morning in Vaucresson, west of Paris. Reports said a resident was assaulted during the incident,…

Figure Technology, a blockchain-based lending firm, was reportedly hit by a data breach after attackers manipulated an employee in a social-engineering scheme.The incident allowed hackers to obtain “a limited number of files,” a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. The company said it has begun notifying affected parties and is offering free credit-monitoring services to anyone who receives a breach notice.Details about the scope of the incident, including how many users were affected or when the intrusion was detected, were not disclosed publicly. Cointelegraph reached out to Figure for comment, but had not received a response by publicationThe hacking collective ShinyHunters claimed…

Crypto is no longer just an asset class, it is also an ever-more critical part of financial infrastructure, says Steve Kurz, Galaxy Digital’s (GLXY) global head of asset management and co-head of digital assets In “The Great Convergence,” the company’s 2026 investment outlook, Kurz sets out a plan that’s pragmatic about what can be done now while staying optimistic about the big picture in the long run.The defining story of this cycle, he argues, is the asset-to-infrastructure transformation.”The convergence of traditional financial rails with crypto infrastructure represents a significant and durable market structure evolution for global financial services,” Kurz told…

Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, is backing a Federal Reserve proposal to grant non-bank financial institutions access to specialized payment accounts. The San Francisco-based exchange submitted a letter to the U.S. central bank advocating for special-purpose Reserve Bank payment accounts. It argued that these accounts are vital for modernizing the nation’s domestic financial infrastructure. Coinbase Challenges Fed Over ‘Restrictive’ Terms for Payment Rails Coinbase argues the proposal would grant fintech and crypto-native firms direct access to the Federal Reserve’s payment rails. This change would allow these entities to utilize the global economy’s core “plumbing” without the need for a…

Over the past week, the Bitcoin price kept on putting in consecutive lows, with barely any hopes in sight for a bullish reversal. However, on Friday, February 13th, the flagship cryptocurrency saw an upward momentum boost, where its value subsequently grew by 5.4%.  While this may have been good for short-term traders (specifically scalpers), a troubling future seems to be lying in wait for the premier cryptocurrency. This bearish prognosis is based on a recent technical evaluation of the Bitcoin price. SuperTrend Indicator Flashes Sell Sign On BTC Monthly Timeframe  In a 14 February post on social media platform X,…

Lightning Labs has released a new open-source toolkit designed to allow AI agents to operate directly on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, providing autonomous systems with a native way to make payments and access services.  The company says the tools address a key gap in the emerging AI economy: enabling agents to transact without human intervention. Michael Levin, Lightning Labs’ Head of Product Growth, explained that the toolkit allows AI systems to run a Lightning node, pay for services, and host paid endpoints without needing identity verification, API keys, or traditional registration.  The repository includes seven modular features, covering tasks such…

ARK Invest has returned to buying shares of Coinbase Global after trimming its position, adding roughly $15 million worth of stock across several of its actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Friday.The Cathie Wood-led asset manager purchased 66,545 Coinbase shares through the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), 16,832 shares through Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) and 9,477 shares through Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF), according to the firm’s daily trade disclosures.The buying activity coincided with a sharp surge in Coinbase stock. Shares closed the trading session at $164.32, up about 16.4% on the day, before edging higher in after-hours trading, according to…