On Feb. 23, Bitcoin and leading altcoins weakened as U.S. equities digested a 15% global tariff threat tied to U.S. President Donald Trump. BTC slipped below $65,118 on Monday and ETH fell under $1,897, while SPX, DXY, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, BCH and ADA show key support and resistance levels that could define near‑term direction.

In a recent video, analyst Kamilah Stevenson argued that many XRP holders misunderstand the token, which she characterizes as neutral settlement infrastructure rather than a typical speculative asset. She contends XRP is designed for periods of severe liquidity stress, when trust is scarce and markets are disordered, and that common assumptions about constantly available liquidity break down in such crises. According to her, XRP’s value could be in enabling large-scale settlement with fewer units under pressure, making price compression a functional feature instead of mere hype.

The Austrian Financial Market Authority has ordered KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH to stop taking on new customers and issuing new products or contracts starting 19 February 2026, while existing activities remain subject to stricter oversight. The regulator's intervention, less than three months after granting MiCA authorization on 27 November 2025, follows identified deficiencies in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions controls, including missing key compliance officers. The restriction is temporary rather than a license revocation and will remain until KuCoin EU appoints qualified personnel and restores full compliance.

Stablecore has integrated with the Jack Henry Fintech Integration Network, allowing up to roughly 1,670 United States banks and credit unions using Jack Henry systems to add stablecoin and tokenized asset services. Through their existing digital banking platforms, institutions can enable 24/7 payments, tokenized deposits, crypto on- and off-ramps and digital asset–backed lending without relying on separate crypto wallets or external exchanges.

In June 2025, OpenAI’s systems flagged and banned violent chats linked to 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, and staff debated notifying Canadian authorities but did not. After the Tumbler Ridge shooting, the company contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Her online activity also reportedly included a Roblox mass-shooting simulation and firearm posts on Reddit.

On 2026-02-23, ECB President Christine Lagarde was reported to be weighing an early departure ahead of France's April 2027 election, before her term ends in October 2027. The move could slow the digital euro timetable and oversight of stablecoins under MiCA, though analysts expect limited near-term market impact. An ECB spokesperson said she remains focused on her role and has not decided on the timing of her tenure.

On February 15, 2026, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao said on X that inadequate privacy on public blockchains is constraining the use of crypto for payments. He highlighted risks such as revealing company payroll and personal activity, and industry observers argue that adoption will require solutions balancing transparency with confidentiality.

On February 23, 2026, Michael Saylor announced that MicroStrategy had completed its 100th public bitcoin purchase, adding 592 BTC for about $39.8 million. Following this transaction, the company’s total holdings reached 717,722 BTC acquired for roughly $54.56 billion at an average price of about $76,020 per bitcoin. The latest buy, executed at approximately $67,286 per BTC, was noted as the firm’s smallest dollar-value acquisition since October.