Key Insights UK Treasury chose HSBC Orion to test blockchain issuance and settlement for digital gilts in a controlled environment. The DIGIT pilot targets near real-time settlement and lower operational costs across the UK sovereign bond market. Parallel regulatory scrutiny continues as UK authorities monitor crypto-linked ETN access for retail investors. UK Treasury has announced that HSBC is the platform provider to its Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT) pilot. The ruling upholds the proposal of the government to modernize the issue of sovereign debt issuance through distributed-ledger technology. Officials confirmed the appointment on February 12, 2026, following a competitive procurement process launched in late 2025. 🇬🇧 NEW: 2026 is marking the year of "Operationalizing Digital Debt" as the UK Treasury and HSBC move to tokenize Great Britain’s sovereign bonds. Aims to test on-chain settlement and over-the-counter trading capabilities. pic.twitter.com/QReRyBCLss ...

The Netherlands’ lower chamber moved a sweeping capital-gains plan forward on Thursday, proposing a 36% tax on savings and most liquid assets, including cryptocurrencies. The bill cleared the House of Representatives with 93 lawmakers voting in favor, meeting and surpassing the threshold of 75 required to advance the measure. It would apply regardless of whether the assets are sold, extending to savings accounts, crypto holdings, most equity investments and gains from interest-bearing instruments. If the Senate signs off, the policy would take effect in the 2028 tax year. Critics argue the plan risks driving capital out of the Netherlands as investors seek jurisdictions with more favorable tax conditions. The discussion comes amid a broader global conversation about crypto taxation and how unrealized gains should be treated for high-net-worth and retail investors alike. The Dutch tally, published by the House, confirms the legislative momentum behind the proposal. Key takeaways The b...

Anchorage Digital, Kamino, and Solana Company are piloting a structure that could ease a longtime friction between traditional finance and DeFi: the ability to borrow against staked tokens without moving assets out of regulated custody. The collaboration expands Anchorage’s Atlas collateral management platform by integrating Kamino, a Solana-based decentralized lending protocol, with a framework that keeps collateral in custodial control. Solana ( SOL ) ( (CRYPTO: SOL) ) sits at the center of the arrangement, as the Solana Company treasury—an on-chain asset pool backed by Pantera Capital and Summer Capital—provides a tangible anchor for the program. The goal is to give financial institutions liquidity without forcing them to relinquish staking rewards or move assets into smart contracts that may carry higher regulatory or operational risk. Key takeaways Atlas’s collateral management is being extended to support native staking positions, enabling lenders to use staked SOL as collatera...

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) kicked off Friday’s session with a modest smile, boosted by a softer-than-expected January CPI print that renewed appetite for risk assets. Traders priced in cooler inflation while keeping a wary eye on the path of policy, with the largest cryptocurrency carving a path toward notable resistance as the CPI data circulated. At one point, BTC rose by as much as 4% intraday, with the benchmark token trading near the $69,000 region on Bitstamp as traders assessed how the inflation backdrop could shape Federal Reserve expectations in the near term. Key takeaways Bitcoin surged on the back of a January CPI print that cooled beyond expectations, lifting BTC/USD toward the $69,000 level on Bitstamp and signaling renewed momentum in the short run. Core CPI matched estimates at 2.5% while the overall CPI printed 2.4%, both softer than anticipated, fueling a broad risk-on swing across macro assets. Market odds of aggressive Fed easing remained limited, with CME FedWatch...

Three suspects were apprehended in France after a reported home-invasion targeted at a senior Binance France executive, with the parent company confirming that one employee was the victim. The incident unfolded in the Val-de-Marne area around 7:00 am CET, when armed intruders allegedly forced entry into an apartment and sought information leading to the head of Binance France. Police later recovered two mobile devices as the suspects fled. A separate attempt to break into a second residence in Hauts-de-Seine occurred roughly two hours later, culminating in arrests and the recovery of a vehicle linked to the case. Binance said it is cooperating with authorities and has intensified security measures to protect staff and families during an ongoing investigation. Key takeaways In Val-de-Marne, three masked assailants forced entry into a resident’s home around 7:00 am CET, then sought directions to the Binance France head’s address and fled with two mobile phones. Two hours after the fi...

A Virginia federal court handed a 20-year prison sentence to Ramil Ventura Palafox, the chief executive of Praetorian Group International (PGI), for leading a crypto investment scheme that prosecutors say defrauded tens of thousands of investors out of roughly $200 million. Court records describe a carefully orchestrated Ponzi scheme that promised daily returns of up to 3 percent from Bitcoin trading, only to funnel new money to earlier participants while fabricating apparent gains through an online portal. Key takeaways The judge sentenced PGI’s founder, 61-year-old Ramil Ventura Palafox, to 20 years in prison after convictions on wire fraud and money laundering charges tied to a $200 million crypto investment scam. The scheme allegedly attracted more than $201 million from December 2019 to October 2021, including at least 8,198 Bitcoin ( BTC ) valued at about $171.5 million at the time; victims suffered losses of at least $62.7 million. Regulators say PGI claimed to trade Bitco...