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A Virginia federal judge sentenced the 61-year-old CEO of Praetorian Group International to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a $200 million Bitcoin Ponzi scheme that ran from late 2019 through 2021. He lured investors with phony daily returns of 0.5%-3% via a fake online trading portal, but no real trading ever occurred. Prosecutors detailed how he spent millions on luxury homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, high-end cars, designer goods, and family transfers. The court also ordered $62.7 million in restitution and forfeiture of $12.2 million in cash and properties as victims pursue compensation.

Seoul authorities disclosed that about $1.5 million in Bitcoin seized in a 2021 fraud case was transferred out of a secure wallet without detection and only uncovered during a nationwide audit. Although the device itself remained physically intact, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency has opened an investigation into possible internal involvement. The case follows a separate incident in which the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office lost 320 BTC in a phishing attack, raising fresh concerns over how confiscated crypto assets are protected in South Korea.

South Korea’s leading exchanges Upbit and Bithumb announced they will remove Loopring ($LRC) from trading on March 16, 2026, at 1500 KST. The decision comes after ongoing concerns over disclosure transparency, project operations, and development progress. Withdrawals will remain available until April 16, but deposits and services such as airdrops will no longer be supported. The announcement caused $LRC to drop about 10%, reflecting growing regulatory oversight and stronger protections for crypto users in South Korea.

A social media post claimed Binance earned 60,000 BTC by shorting Bitcoin on BitMEX ahead of the March 2020 Black Thursday crash. Binance co‑founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao dismissed it as fake news, stating Binance never traded on BitMEX and there’s no proof or official record of such activity. He also noted BitMEX’s withdrawal system wouldn’t support a huge single exit. Most in the crypto community called the rumor baseless FUD, with no evidence offered to back it.

The Royal Government of Bhutan has been steadily selling Bitcoin, including another $6.7 million this week, as part of ongoing periodic liquidations that follow heavier sales in September and beyond. After expanding mining plans with Bitdeer Technologies to boost capacity toward 600 MW, on-chain data shows Bhutan’s mining output dropped after the April 2024 halving, making mining less efficient. Despite these sales, identified government wallets still hold roughly $372 million worth of BTC, reflecting a gradual shift from mining accumulation toward strategic reserve management amid market challenges.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino shared a demo of QVAC, the company’s new AI assistant designed to run entirely on users’ own devices, not in the cloud. QVAC utilizes the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to support multiple skills and can complete tasks such as creating assignments in apps, all through local inference and reasoning, even on a modest laptop GPU. The design emphasizes privacy by keeping data on the device, and Tether plans to release QVAC as an open-source project for developers soon.

Strategy has announced the purchase of 1,142 Bitcoin for roughly $90 million, at an average price of about $78,815 per BTC. This latest acquisition brings the company’s total Bitcoin holdings to 714,644 BTC, bought for around $54.35 billion at an average cost of $76,056 each. The move reinforces Strategy’s long-term commitment to accumulating Bitcoin, even as prices fluctuate, highlighting its continued confidence in the world’s largest cryptocurrency as a store of value.

Chinese regulators have privately instructed major commercial banks to limit new U.S. Treasury purchases and gradually reduce large holdings due to market volatility and concentration risks. Sovereign reserves are unaffected, but China’s Treasury holdings are near multi‑year lows after years of diversification. Analysts suggest this cautious approach reflects broader interest in alternative assets, including Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as China seeks to manage risk while exploring non‑dollar stores of value.

Binance’s Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), created after the 2019 hack to protect customers, bought an additional 4,225 BTC worth about $300 million, bringing total holdings to 10,455 BTC valued at around $734 million. This purchase is part of a plan announced on January 30, 2026, to convert $1 billion in stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin within 30 days. The move highlights Binance’s confidence in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value despite recent market dips from over $76,000.

Global Google searches for “Bitcoin” soared to a one-year high during the week of February 1 as the price plunged toward $60,000 before rebounding near $70,000, erasing post-election gains. On X, opinions are divided: some see rising retail interest as a bullish signal, while others call it FOMO. Volatility was fueled by deleveraging, Fed signals, and Epstein-related FUD. On-chain data showed record losses, suggesting either capitulation or a fresh buying opportunity for investors.