During the ongoing ceasefire with the United States, Iran will require ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to pay a cryptocurrency fee equivalent to $1 per barrel of oil carried, according to Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, as reported by the Financial Times. The Strait of Hormuz,[…]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being quickly incorporated into business operations, but worries about possible legal repercussions are mounting. Raj Kapoor, Founder of the India Blockchain Alliance (IBA), spoke exclusively at AIBC Eurasia 2026 in Dubai, cautioned that businesses could suffer large financial losses if AI systems use unreliable data or break copyright and intellectual property[…]

The UK Government will ban cryptocurrency donations to political parties as part of a wider effort to tackle foreign interference in British democracy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed. The move follows a review led by senior civil servant Philip Rycroft, which examined the risks posed by overseas money entering UK politics. As reported by[…]

Vietnam is moving to establish its first licensed cryptocurrency exchanges as authorities seek to regulate trading in one of the world’s most active crypto markets. The government plans to launch a pilot programme for locally operated digital-asset platforms, with five companies—including affiliates of Techcombank, VPBank, LPBank, VIX Securities, and Sun Group. Having passed an initial[…]

Crypto trading and lending firm BlockFills has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States following weeks of financial turmoil and a temporary halt on client withdrawals. Reliz Ltd., the entity that operates BlockFills, submitted a voluntary petition to restructure under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court[…]

South Korea is facing a digital asset custody crisis after several incidents revealed weaknesses in how public institutions handle cryptocurrency. Concerns around security and oversight were raised in early 2026 by issues ranging from police losing access to substantial quantities of Bitcoin to tax officials releasing wallet data. These mistakes have undermined public trust and[…]

Global cryptocurrency adoption reached a major milestone in 2025, with the number of digital asset holders rising to 741 million, according to Crypto.com’s latest Crypto Market Sizing Report. The 12.4 percent increase from the previous year signals crypto’s transition from a niche technology to a firmly established part of mainstream finance, driven by clearer US[…]

Germany’s online entertainment market has grown sharply in recent years, driven by the convenience of streaming, gaming and other digital services. Many people have embraced platforms that are quick to access and easy to use. But for a long time, customers have also been wary of what can go wrong online, from fraud to privacy[…]

Standard Chartered has reduced its end of year price target for XRP by 65 percent following February’s sharp crypto market selloff. The British investment bank now expects XRP to reach $2.80 by the end of 2026, down from its earlier forecast of $8, according to DL News. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital[…]

Thailand is advancing plans to integrate cryptocurrencies into its regulated derivatives market, marking a significant step in the country’s broader digital asset strategy. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Thailand recently announced it will expand the range of permissible underlying assets under its derivatives framework to include digital assets and carbon credits. The move follows Cabinet approval[…]

Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek has acquired AI.com domain for approximately $70 million in cryptocurrency and plans to launch a consumer-facing artificial intelligence platform under the brand. Marszalek confirmed the purchase in a post on X on 6 February, revealing that he bought the domain in April 2025 and has been quietly building a[…]

India’s Union Budget for 2026–27, introduced on 1 February (Sunday), has left the country’s controversial crypto tax regime untouched, while introducing a new penalty framework to tighten reporting compliance and unveiling a broader push to position India as a long-term hub for AI, data centres, and semiconductor manufacturing. Despite sustained lobbying from the domestic crypto[…]