President Trump announced a new temporary 10% tariff on imports from all countries on Friday under Section 122, after the US Supreme Court ruled that he could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs, according to CryptoPotato. Section 122 permits tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days before Congress must act, while the court ruling only covers duties imposed under IEEPA, and existing measures under Section 232 on steel, aluminium, lumber and automotives remain in place. The Supreme Court's 6‑3 decision did not clarify how roughly $130 billion collected under the blocked tariffs will be refunded, and Treasury Secretary Bessent said the issue could take years to resolve. CryptoPotato noted that BTC and altcoins sold off during previous Trump tariff actions, and while bitcoin is currently trading around $68,000 with relative stability, traders remember it also looked steady before dropping once broader financial markets opened during earlier episodes.

Argentina's Securities and Exchange Commission (CNV) issued General Resolution No. 1108 allowing citizens to invest previously undeclared cash through cryptocurrency exchanges and other brokerages under the recently approved Fiscal Innocence Law. The funds can enter the local financial system via cash deposits to brokers or Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), as well as virtual asset transactions to and from accounts at registered VASPs. CNV President Roberto E. Silva and Economy Minister Luis Caputo said the measure aims to channel excluded capital into investment markets and support the real economy, after years of currency controls and high inflation fostered widespread informality.

The White House has set a March 1 deadline to advance the CLARITY Act crypto market structure bill, with a draft agreement confirming that idle stablecoin balances cannot earn yield, participants in this week's meetings said. Lawmakers, regulators, and industry representatives including Coinbase, Ripple, a16z, trade groups, and national banking associations reviewed language that allows activity-based rewards while placing enforcement authority with the SEC, Treasury, and CFTC, which could impose fines of up to $500,000 per day for violations. The talks also covered a potential deposit outflow study for payment stablecoins and broader rules on custody, exchange supervision, token classification, and agency roles, with legal officers from Coinbase and Ripple describing the session as productive. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said he sees a 90% chance the bill will pass by the end of April, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to complete the legislation this spring, with negotiations expected to continue over the next week to finalize a framework by March 1.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Trading and Markets issued an FAQ on Feb. 19 stating staff would not object if broker-dealers apply a 2% haircut to proprietary positions in payment stablecoins when calculating net capital under Exchange Act Rule 15c3-1, the SEC disclosed. The guidance clarifies that existing broker-dealer financial responsibility standards can apply to payment stablecoins, with responses representing staff views only that carry no legal force and create no new obligations. The FAQ also addresses custody, capital treatment, transfer agent registration, national securities exchange and alternative trading system operations, clearing and settlement, and exchange traded products linked to crypto assets, while explaining Rule 15c3-3 application to crypto-asset securities and noting that compliance with the Commission's 2020 special purpose broker-dealer statement is not mandatory. Commissioner Hester M. Peirce supported the 2% haircut approach, called stablecoins essential to transacting on blockchain rails, and said she would like the Commission to consider amending Rule 15c3-1 to account for payment stablecoins.

Trump said existing tariffs will remain in place and announced a new 10% global tariff. He added that further trade investigations will follow, signaling an expansion of his trade measures.

The SEC updated its Broker-Dealer Financial Responsibility FAQ in the week of February 21 to permit regulated broker-dealers to include held stablecoins in regulatory capital calculations, BlockBeats reports. Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber, said the clarification reduces uncertainty for institutions complying with existing securities laws, while Tonya Evans noted on X that stablecoins are now treated on corporate balance sheets similarly to money market funds, after some broker-dealers previously assigned them zero value. Larry Florio of Ethena Labs wrote on LinkedIn that these calculations underpin operations from Robinhood to Goldman Sachs and that stablecoins have effectively become operating capital. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the Crypto Task Force, stated the use of stablecoins will allow broker-dealers to engage in a wider range of tokenized securities and crypto asset activities, and said she is considering adjustments to existing rules for payment stablecoins.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) updated its Broker-Dealer Financial Responsibility FAQ this week to allow broker-dealers to recognize stablecoins in regulatory capital with a 2% haircut, according to the new guidance. Stablecoins, including USDC issued by Circle and USDT issued by Tether, may now be valued at 98% of book value for capital purposes. The market previously applied a 100% haircut to stablecoins, effectively excluding them from capital calculations.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission updated its "Broker Dealer Financial Responsibilities" FAQ this week, allowing SEC-regulated broker-dealers to count 98% of stablecoin holdings as regulatory capital with a 2% haircut, the agency said. The new Question No. 5 covers dollar-linked tokens such as Circle's USDC and Tether's USDT, replacing the previously understood 100% haircut. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said the change will enable broker-dealers to engage in a broader range of activities relating to tokenized securities and other crypto assets, and added that existing SEC rules could be amended to account for payment stablecoins. Tonya Evans wrote on X that the shift means stablecoins are now treated like money market funds on a firm's balance sheet, noting some broker-dealers had been zeroing out stablecoin holdings in capital tallies before this week.

West Virginia is advancing Bill SB1030 to grant legal recognition to Decentralized Autonomous Organizations by classifying them as Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations. The proposal would permit these entities to be governed through smart contracts and define related digital assets. The bill has been referred to the state Senate Judiciary Committee.