The European Central Bank plans to begin selecting EU-licensed payment service providers in the first quarter of 2026 for a limited digital euro pilot. Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said the 12-month test is slated for the second half of 2027 and will include a small group of PSPs, merchants, and Eurosystem staff.

Global Payments, Insulet, and SolarEdge released their fourth-quarter 2025 figures, highlighting differing trends in revenue, earnings, and profitability. Global Payments and Insulet both topped revenue expectations, while SolarEdge reported a GAAP net loss despite strong year-over-year sales growth. All three companies set targets for 2026, outlining guidance on revenue expansion, margins, and earnings growth.

The European Blockchain Regulatory Sandbox in the EU brings blockchain projects and nearly 125 regulators into confidential conversations to resolve legal questions under frameworks such as MiCA and the GDPR. After three cohorts, a 230-page best practices report highlights how early rulemaking, combined with structured dialogue, can clarify compliance for smart contracts and decentralization rather than stifle innovation.

Ethereum has entered a choppy consolidation phase after an aggressive drop toward the $1.8K area, with price now caught between a key static support and the midline of a descending channel. On lower timeframes, ETH is forming a triangle pattern against descending resistance and rising support, pointing to an imminent breakout that could either reclaim higher resistance near $2.4K or confirm continuation of the broader downside trend. Liquidation heatmaps indicate dense short liquidity above and growing long liquidity below, increasing the odds of a sharp volatility expansion once price escapes the current range.

Shiba Inu faces heavy exchange deposits and a weak technical posture, with buyers showing limited conviction near resistance. The token remains in a broader downtrend, and recent volatility has cooled as it attempts short-term stabilization. Whether inflow pressure persists will likely determine if SHIB retests lows or attempts another recovery.

Peter Thiel has exited ETHZilla, cutting his roughly 7.5% position to 0% by the end of 2025, according to an SEC filing. In December 2025, ETHZilla sold 24,291 ETH for $74.5 million to repay debt and pivot toward real-world asset tokenization, after which its stock fell 8.7% to $6.30 and Pomerantz LLP opened a securities probe.

In January 2026, the XRP Ledger executed an amendment intended to strengthen on‑chain lending. On Feb. 18, 2026, Ripple developer Mayukha Vadari said the newly launched XRPL Sandbox lacks tools to test protocol amendments and does not surface full transaction responses. He was responding to Anodos Finance CTO Kostas' announcement that positioned the environment as plug‑and‑play for "upcoming amendments."

BlackRock's IBIT Spot Bitcoin ETF 13F filing revealed Laurore Ltd. as a new holder with a $436 million Bitcoin position, which Bitwise's Jeff Park links to Chinese investors using an offshore structure. While Hong Kong spot Bitcoin ETFs manage 3,870 BTC worth about $264.9 million, U.S. institutional spot ETF NAV totals 682,830 BTC valued at $54.49 billion, even after a 66.6% drop in AUM since Bitcoin's October 2025 peak. Institutional sentiment remains cautious as large holders continue selling, putting further pressure on Bitcoin's price outlook.