Crypto venture firm Framework Ventures has partnered with mortgage provider Better on a $500 million plan to connect its loans to the Sky decentralized finance protocol. The firm has reportedly agreed to buy 10% of Better's stock for about $45 million and will support the launch of mortgage-linked tokens initially aimed at accredited investors.

The US Federal Reserve has requested public comments over a 60-day period on a proposed rule that would remove "reputation risk" from banking supervision. In a Monday press release, the Fed said the change would formalize guidance issued last June, limiting supervisory pressure to financial risk considerations and addressing concerns over crypto debanking.

Taylor Lindman, formerly deputy general counsel at Chainlink Labs, has been appointed chief counsel to the SEC's crypto task force. He takes over from Michael Selig, who later became CFTC chair, while the task force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce continues roundtables on tokenization and decentralized finance.

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.

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.

US mortgage lender Rate introduced RateFi, a nationwide program that lets qualified borrowers count verified cryptocurrency holdings toward mortgage reserve requirements without selling them. The product runs within the lender's non-qualified mortgage framework, applies AML/KYC checks, and still requires cash conversion for down payments or closing costs.

Curve Finance founder Michael Egorov told Cointelegraph that decentralized finance protocols must move away from inflationary token emissions and focus on generating real revenue to sustain yields. He contrasted the 2020 DeFi summer and its triple‑digit APYs with today's environment, where users are more cautious and DeFi's total value locked has dropped from $158 billion on Aug. 23, 2025, to about $98 billion over the last six months. Egorov also argued that tokens should primarily support decentralization and governance, while durable onchain businesses compete on revenue generation and capital efficiency rather than headline yields.