The group brings together stakeholders from traditional and digital finance to advise on the growing role of technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence in commodity and derivatives markets.
Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, a decentralized oracle network connecting smart contracts to external data sources, has been appointed to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Innovation Advisory Committee.
The panel, established by CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, convenes leaders from traditional finance and the digital asset industry to guide the agency on emerging technologies.
“It’s great to see the CFTC proactively engaging with industry to develop clear rules that strengthen innovation and reinforce America’s leadership in global markets,” Nazarov said.
The oracle network has facilitated more than $25 trillion in transaction value and now targets institutional adoption through data feeds and cross-chain interoperability tools. Its infrastructure enables financial institutions and decentralized applications to operate across multiple blockchains by linking on-chain systems to real-world information.
Nazarov, who co-founded the project in 2017 after earlier work on peer-to-peer marketplaces and venture investing, joins representatives from organizations including Nasdaq, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange, Coinbase, and Robinhood as the Commission seeks to balance innovation with market integrity.
X is preparing to roll out Smart Cashtags, a feature that embeds live market data and trading links for stocks and cryptocurrencies directly into users’ timelines, signaling another step toward its push into financial services. X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier Details Smart Cashtags Rollout on X On Feb. 14, 2026, Nikita Bier, X’s head […]
Admiral Group announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire Flock, a digital commercial fleet insurance provider with an innovative telemetry-based proposition. The transaction values the equity in Flock at £80m and is subject to regulatory approval.
Admiral Pioneer, the Group’s venture building business, initially partnered with Flock to expand the Group’s focus on commercial motor customers in 2024. This acquisition aligns with the Group’s commitment to continuously evolve and futureproof its motor proposition and broaden its product offering, building on its existing strengths in data and technology, distribution, pricing and claims, customer service and risk management.
Flock has built a digital platform that uses proprietary AI-driven risk models trained on hundreds of millions of miles of real-world driving data to reward commercial motor customers demonstrating improved safety throughout the lifetime of a policy. The easy-to-access digital channel has made Flock a partner of choice for commercial fleet owners. It now provides insurance for hundreds of connected vehicle fleets which receive personalised, real-time safety guidance and recommendations based on live driving patterns.
Admiral’s UK Insurance business insures almost 6 million motorists and is known for its innovation and leadership in data. It is one of the market leaders in telematics products, offering discounted premiums for good driving practice, and launched one of the first solutions that enables vehicle owners to share driving data collected directly from their car.
Flock will become Admiral’s telemetry fleet insurance proposition, and its existing technology platform and the team will form an important part of Admiral’s fleet insurance offering. Flock’s CEO, Ed Leon Klinger, will join Admiral Pioneer’s leadership team. The transaction is expected to complete in Q2 2026 and will be funded through existing resources and credit facilities. The estimated impact on the Group’s solvency ratio at completion is less than 10 points and hence the Group will remain well in excess of target levels.
Emma Huntington, CEO of Admiral Pioneer, said: “Thirty years ago, Admiral started life as an entrepreneurial challenger, committed to using data and technology to deliver better prices and service for customers. Having partnered with Flock since 2024, we’ve seen first-hand how successfully they’ve applied a similar approach to the commercial motor insurance market. This acquisition will give us immediate access to a high-growth segment, proven technology and a scalable platform. We are looking forward to working with Ed, Antton and the team to deliver high-quality cover and service to both new and existing fleet customers, and safer roads.”
Ed Leon Klinger, CEO of Flock, said: “Our mission at Flock has always been to make the world quantifiably safer, with a belief that insurance should help reduce accidents, not just pay for claims. Over the last decade, we pioneered a dramatically different approach to the industry, using real-time data and AI to reward safer driving habits, and reduce fleet customers’ costs. I am incredibly proud of the Flock team for what they have achieved. This acquisition by Admiral is a momentous day for us. It brings together Admiral’s scale and expertise with our talented people and technology. I am so excited about what this transaction means for our customers, our employees, and the future of the sector.”
Antton Peña, Founder of Flock, added: “The fleet industry has evolved rapidly in recent years, driven by the adoption of new technology. We have built a product that responds directly to the changing needs of fleet operators, and we have seen strong demand as we have expanded our offering to support a wider range of fleet types. This acquisition by Admiral brings together our technology with Admiral’s best-in-class service, enabling a stronger and broader proposition for fleets and brokers. We are excited about the journey ahead alongside Admiral, our broker partners, and fleet customers.”
The bitcoin price climbed back above $70,000 on Saturday, rebounding from a sharp drawdown earlier this month as cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data helped revive risk appetite across markets. The recovery comes after a brutal stretch that saw billions in realized losses and persistent signs of investor anxiety.
Bitcoin was trading around $70,215 at press time, up roughly 2% over the past 24 hours, with daily volume near $43 billion. The move leaves the bitcoin price sitting just below its seven-day high of $70,434, according to market data, and pushes its global market capitalization back above $1.4 trillion.
The latest upside followed January’s Consumer Price Index report, which showed inflation rising 2.4% year-over-year, slightly under the 2.5% forecast. The softer print strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting rates sooner than previously anticipated, a shift that typically benefits higher-beta assets like cryptocurrencies.
Prediction markets reflected the change in sentiment. Traders on Kalshi increased the implied odds of an April rate cut to 23%, while Polymarket pricing also moved higher over the week.
Bitcoin price analysis and related equities
The rebound in bitcoin price into the weekend also spilled into crypto-linked equities. On Friday, Coinbase (COIN) surged 18% and Strategy (MSTR) jumped 10% as investors rotated back into digital-asset exposure.
The move came even as Coinbase continues to navigate a difficult earnings backdrop, including a $666.7 million Q4 2025 loss tied to weaker trading revenue.
Strategy, meanwhile, remained closely tethered to bitcoin’s volatility, while reaffirming its long-term treasury approach. The company disclosed another bitcoin purchase of more than 1,100 BTC this week and posted a steep quarterly loss driven largely by mark-to-market declines on its holdings, underscoring the balance-sheet risks of its aggressive positioning.
It’s been a rough couple of months for the bitcoin price, with Bitcoin sliding sharply from its October peak above $120,000 into the mid-$60,000 range after an extended multi-month downturn.
The sell-off intensified in early February when BTC broke below the key $70,000 psychological level
Research firm K33 suggested the plunge toward $60,000 may have marked a “local bottom,” pointing to capitulation-like conditions in volume, funding rates, options positioning, and ETF flows.
Still, the rally has not erased the deeper unease lingering beneath the surface. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains stuck in “extreme fear,” levels last associated with the 2022 bear market and the collapse of major industry players.
US-based ETF issuer Roundhill Investments has filed with the US securities regulator to launch six exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to event contracts on the outcome of the 2028 US presidential election.
ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said in an X post on Saturday that, if approved, the ETF products would be “potentially groundbreaking.”
“Opens up huge door to all kinds of stuff,” Balchunas said, adding that prediction market applications are easy to sign up to, but ETFs are “just that much easier.”
Roundhill Investments filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to launch six ETF products that allow investors to speculate on the outcome of the 2028 US presidential election.
“In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund invests in, or seeks exposure to, a unique type of derivative instrument known as an event contract,“ the filing said.
The ETFs include the Roundhill Democratic President ETF, the Roundhill Republican President ETF, the Roundhill Democratic Senate ETF, the Roundhill Republican Senate ETF, the Roundhill Democratic House ETF, and the Roundhill Republican House ETF.
Roundhill Investments warns investors of the risks
The filing said the objective of the ETF tied to the winning election outcome is to deliver “capital appreciation,” but warned the other five ETFs could lose almost all their value.
Source: Eric Balchunas
“This convergence will result in a sudden and substantial increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s NAV, which is highly unique among other investment products,” the filing said.
The filing also warned investors that US regulations on event contracts are “evolving,” and any change in how event contracts are classified or “restricted” may affect the fund.
“Political outcome event contracts have been the subject of heightened regulatory scrutiny and debate, and regulators may conclude that some or all of such contracts should be limited, suspended, modified, or prohibited,” the filing said, adding that investors uncomfortable with regulatory uncertainty should avoid purchasing shares.
CFTC leans towards a favorable stance on prediction markets
On Feb. 5, Cointelegraph reported that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission had withdrawn a Biden administration-era proposal to ban sports and political prediction markets, which are among the most popular event contracts today.
Related: Trump Media files for two new crypto ETFs tied to Bitcoin, Ether, Cronos
Meanwhile, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he is starting to “worry” about the direction of prediction markets and suggested they shift to marketplaces that hedge against price-exposure risk for consumers.
Prediction markets are “over-converging” to “unhealthy” products that are focused on short-term price betting and speculative behavior as opposed to long-term building, Buterin said in an X post.
Magazine: Brandt says Bitcoin yet to bottom, Polymarket sees hope: Trade Secrets
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Trump Media and Technology Group filed for more crypto exchange-traded funds.
One will track CRO’s performance; the other will give Bitcoin and Ethereum exposure.
President Trump has a long-list of crypto ventures.
President Donald Trump isn’t slowing down with his crypto business ventures, with the US leader’s company filing for two new ETFs.
Truth Social Funds, an ETF issuer from Trump Media and Technology Group, of which the president is majority owner, announced Friday that it had filed for a Bitcoin-Ethereum fund and crypto yield ETF.
The crypto yield product, dubbed the “Truth Social Cronos Yield Maximizer ETF”, will give investors exposure to the performance of CRO, the native token of Cronos. The Bitcoin and Ethereum fund, the “Truth Social Bitcoin and Ether ETF”, will track the two biggest cryptocurrencies.
A number of ETFs already give investors exposure to Bitcoin. Source: CoinGecko.
Crypto exchange Crypto.com is working with Trump Media to debut the products, the announcement said.
Last year, the president’s company made a deal with Crypto.com to debut ETFs. Some criticised the move following news that 70 billion previously destroyed CRO tokens would be reissued. Trump Media also last year said it would start a CRO digital asset treasury.
The crypto ETF market is already a crowded one, popular products by top asset managers BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale already on the market. Trump Media last year filed for another Bitcoin ETF and a fund tracking a basket of cryptocurrencies.
“These two digital asset ETFs have a strong value proposition that Crypto.com is supportive of and look forward to providing traders access to,” Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek said in a statement.
Trump Media did not immediately respond to questions from DL News but the filings come as the Trump family continue their push into the crypto world, with a dizzying amount of ventures.
Some have sparked backlash, though, with Democrats criticising the business moves and accusing the president’s family of lining its pockets.
The Wall Street Journal in January reported that the Trump Administration agreed to give the UAE access to American-made AI chips in return for investment in World Liberty Financial, a decentralised finance product backed by Trump and his sons.
Mathew Di Salvo is a news correspondent with DL News. Got a tip? Email at mdisalvo@dlnews.com.
Today, we are announcing a transition in the executive leadership team at the Ethereum Foundation.
After extensive contributions to the Foundation’s mission and operations, Tomasz Stańczak has decided to step down from his role as Co-Executive Director. The Foundation’s Board has appointed Bastian Aue to serve as interim Co-Executive Director, effective immediately.
Tomasz joined the management team during a critical period of growth and maturation for the Foundation. His strategic guidance helped expand our ability to reach out to broad groups of people and teams, and for the EF to understand businesses in the ecosystem more deeply. He also brought a sense of urgency and focus, helped organize EF teams to work more efficiently, and expanded enterprise community development. Through his quick execution, he achieved a remarkable range of milestones within a short period.
Bastian brings deep organizational knowledge of the EF’s unique structure and values, and extensive experience within EF management. For those less familiar with Bastian, he has been a core part of our executive team, having been a part of decision-making alongside co-EDs Hsiao-Wei and Tomasz, with a prior focus on grants, enterprise, and operations. His organizational knowledge is invaluable for keeping the EF in good shape while continuing to move forward.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Tomasz for his service, leadership, and dedication during his tenure as Co-ED, and we welcome Bastian as he steps into this interim role.
Transitional moments are an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come and to refocus on the work ahead, with core development more efficient than ever before, and a larger community. The Ethereum Foundation is fully committed to supporting Ethereum’s development across both technical and social layers by stewarding the values that make Ethereum what it is, and all that we know it will become.
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Speculation around XRP is gaining momentum after reports surfaced of a private, closed-door meeting between executives from SWIFT and Ripple. While no official statements have been released, the idea that leaders from the world’s dominant interbank messaging network and one of blockchain’s most established payments firms may have met discreetly has captured the market’s attention.
Could Institutional Adoption Of XRP Be Accelerating?
Reports suggest that executives from SWIFT and Ripple may have held a private lunch in Miami, reigniting speculation that SWIFT could be preparing to move forward with XRP. An analyst known as Skipper noted on X that the discussion gains additional context from comments last year by Brad Garlinghouse, who stated that the XRP Ledger could capture roughly 14% of the transaction volume currently processed by SWIFT within five years.
Tokenization is no longer a dream; it is becoming a new reality. The ability to unlock and move trillions of dollars in real-world assets onto blockchain rails is accelerating. At the same time, RealFi is reportedly finalizing an agreement with a global Tier-2 exchange processing roughly $580 billion in annual volume to list the REAL Token, signaling that institutional-scale markets are preparing to migrate onto XRPL-based rails.
The next wave of blockchain innovation is quietly taking shape in Sydney. According to Wave Of Innovation on X, on February 28 and March 1, serious builders will converge for a 24-hour sprint at XRP Australia 2026, an event designed for real construction, not surface-level experimentation.
Participants will have direct access to work with core protocol developers and architects, enabling deep technical guidance, real-time problem-solving, and the opportunity to build alongside those actively shaping the XRPL stack. The objective is to deliver working functional MVPs that can live beyond the event.
Builders are encouraged to develop across a wide range of verticals, including RLUSD-powered applications, DeFi protocols, developer tooling, infrastructure, and real-world utility use cases, all natively on the Ledger. Beyond the prize pool, the sprint represents a gateway to the ecosystem. Exceptional teams may be considered for future XRPL funding programs, making this a potential launchpad for builders who are seriously focused on adoption.
How The Altcoin Is Preparing For The Next Directional Move
A bullish scenario is beginning to take shape for the token. Crypto investor and trader Xaif Crypto has highlighted that a breakout in the volume Z-Score above +2 could ignite the next expansion. Currently, Binance volume Z-Score is hovering near zero, indicating a state of pure equilibrium.
However, with the price trading around $1.37 and volume closely aligned with its 30-day average, the data is signaling consolidation rather than exhaustion. Historically, the altcoin’s most powerful moves have followed sharp volume Z-Score expansions. These calm phases often precede strong directional moves.
XRP trading at $1.45 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com
Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
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Bitcoin’s “ultimate bear market bottom” is $55,000, according to a new report from CryptoQuant.
The firm’s market indicator also sits above its “extreme bear” phase, which has typically marked the start of bottoming process.
Bitcoin would need to fall another 21% to reach the “ultimate bear market” mark, per analysts.
Bitcoin traders hoping that the top crypto asset has already marked its bottom for the cycle are likely to be disappointed, according to a new report from CryptoQuant.
The firm’s weekly report insists traders need patience, noting that bear market bottoms “take time to form,” while citing the true bottom for BTC is $55,000.
“Bitcoin’s ultimate bear market bottom is around $55K today,” the report reads. “This level represents the realized price, which historically has been a major price support area in previous bear markets.”
The realized price—a metric that tracks the average price at which investors have purchased a specific cryptocurrency—has been touched during both of the last two bear market bottoms, according to data from the firm.
“Once the price gets to this level, it tends to gravitate around it for 4-6 months,” the firm wrote.
The firm’s report also notes that its bull-bear market cycle indicator is only in the “bear” phase, and has not entered the “extreme bear” segment that has typically marked the beginning of a bottom phase.
CryptoQuant’s analysis mirrors that from others in the last few weeks. Galaxy’s head of research noted the asset’s lack of near-term catalysts and structural weakness as reasons it could head towards its 200-week moving average around $58,000.
Plus, earlier this week, Standard Chartered updated its forecast to indicate that BTC could drop to $50,000 before any sort of rebound towards $100,000.
Predictors on Myriad—a prediction market operated by Decrypt‘s parent company, Dastan—feel similarly, favoring Bitcoin’s drop to $55,000 before a pump to $84,000 at around 54% as of Saturday morning.
Nevertheless, BTC has climbed 1.6% in the last 24 hours, recently changing hands around $69,724. At that mark, it has now dropped around 27% in the last 30 days and has fallen nearly 45% from its October all-time high of $126,080.
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Fidelity’s director of global macro says bitcoin’s drop to $60,000 likely marked the floor of its current cycle, setting the stage for a future bull market and a potential push toward new highs. Fidelity Macro Chief Links $118 Trillion Liquidity Level to Bitcoin’s Maturity Fidelity Director of Global Macro Jurrien Timmer shared on social media […]
