From March 2023 to February 2026, a tracking site reports 23 deaths allegedly linked to interactions with large language model chatbots. The latest case involves a 36-year-old Florida man who, after two months of conversations with Google's Gemini and believing it to be his AI wife, died by suicide, while separate incidents in South Korea and the U.S. also reportedly involved advice or prompts from AI tools.

Polkadot’s DOT has risen by 27% over the past week as the network approaches its first issuance cut slated for March 14. Protocol updates are set to go live on March 12, and the initial reduction will lower annual issuance from around 120 million to about 55 million. DOT trades near $1.62, according to CoinGecko.

TRM Labs reports that AI‑enabled crypto fraud activity rose about 500% over the past year, with generative tools accelerating phishing, identity theft, and laundering. Chainalysis says these operations earn 4.5 times more per scheme and generate 9 times more daily transactions than non‑AI scams. Recent incidents include large holder losses and U.S. seizures linked to pig‑butchering rings.

Bitcoin Depot has started enforcing identity checks for every transaction at its U.S. crypto ATM kiosks after rising fraud tied to these machines. The operator, which runs more than 25,000 kiosks globally, will also pay $1.9 million to the state of Maine to reimburse residents who lost funds in scams between 2022 and 2025. FBI figures show Americans lost $333.5 million to Bitcoin ATM scams in 2025, up 33.4% from $250 million in 2024.

On January 31, the U.S. Department of Justice released a new batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents that referenced Blockstream co-founders Adam Back and Austin Hill in 2014 email exchanges about an $18 million seed round. The emails described an oversubscribed allocation and travel plans involving Epstein, while Adam Back has stated on X that Blockstream has no direct or indirect financial relationship with Epstein or his estate and that a fund linked to Joi Ito later divested its minority stake.

On January 26 2026, an analysis described how Gen Z crypto influencers use short-form video, memes and live streams to shape attention around digital assets. These creators concentrate on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Discord, where they simplify complex topics, promote memecoins and airdrops, and compress narrative cycles in ways that can amplify volatility. Regulators are increasingly focused on these channels, pushing for clearer disclosures as creators shift from personal accounts to structured media businesses.

On January 25, 2026, South Korean charities called for one-click crypto donations within exchange apps, citing a six-step workflow that discourages direct giving. They say donors must specify coin amounts like 0.01 BTC and most still convert crypto to cash; last year, Fruit of Love, the Korean Red Cross, and Seoul National University Hospital each received 1 bitcoin.

According to cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler from ExpressVPN, an unprotected 96 GB online database exposed 149,404,754 unique login records, including access to 420,000 Binance accounts and other major platforms. The leak covered social media, streaming, dating, financial services, crypto wallets, and .gov domains, and appears to have been generated by keylogging and infostealer malware. The hosting provider suspended the database almost a month after it was reported, but it is unclear how long the data was publicly accessible or who controlled it.

On January 23, 2026, the Central Bank of Brazil published Instrução Normativa BCB No. 701, which becomes effective on February 2, 2026 and sets formal requirements for banks and brokers offering crypto intermediation and custody. The rules require institutions to obtain independent certification, demonstrate separation of client funds, and notify the central bank before launching services, with operations allowed 90 days after notification if full compliance is confirmed.