Crypto News – Weekly Recap – February 07, 2026

Overall Takeaway:

This week’s articles underscored a recurring theme: crypto’s maturation is forcing a reckoning with its past behaviors, speculative excesses, and regulatory gaps.

As markets reset and oversight tightens, the industry’s next phase appears increasingly defined by accountability, infrastructure, and endurance rather than hype alone.

Epstein Files Reveal $3M Coinbase Bet and Blockstream Ties

This investigation unpacked newly disclosed U.S. Department of Justice documents detailing Jeffrey Epstein’s previously unconfirmed involvement in early crypto funding. The reporting established that Epstein invested roughly $3 million in Coinbase during its 2014 Series C round and later realized substantial returns as the company’s valuation surged.

The article also traced indirect links to Blockstream, clarifying that Epstein’s exposure occurred through a limited partner role in an affiliated fund rather than a direct operational relationship. Importantly, the piece dispelled social-media speculation by emphasizing the absence of governance influence while placing the revelations in the broader context of early-era crypto fundraising, where due diligence standards were far looser than today.

The story framed the disclosures as both a historical record and a cautionary tale for modern crypto governance.

Don Colossus: The $300,000 Golden Trump Statue Caught in a High-Stakes Crypto Gamble

This feature explored the collapse of a highly symbolic memecoin marketing campaign centered on a 15-foot golden statue of Donald Trump. Commissioned to promote the PATRIOT memecoin, the statue became stranded in an Ohio foundry after the token lost more than 90% of its value and investors allegedly failed to settle remaining payments.

Beyond the spectacle, the article analyzed how political branding, celebrity proximity, and speculative tokens collide in crypto’s attention economy. It detailed the memecoin’s brief surge around Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric and subsequent implosion amid internal disputes, competition from Trump-linked projects, and broader market weakness.

The piece concluded by positioning Don Colossus as a physical monument to crypto excess, illustrating how hype-driven strategies can unravel when fundamentals and funding disappear.

Bitcoin Free Fall: Mayday Signals Flash as Crypto’s $2 Trillion Rout Deepens

This market analysis examined Bitcoin’s sharp plunge below $60,000, marking its steepest single-day drop since the FTX collapse. The article detailed how excessive leverage, mass liquidations exceeding $2 billion, and deteriorating macroeconomic conditions combined to accelerate the selloff.

The report connected crypto’s decline to broader risk-off behavior in traditional markets, rising Treasury yields, and shifting Federal Reserve expectations. It also assessed the impact of ETF outflows, miner stress, and institutional de-risking, reinforcing the view that Bitcoin continues to trade as a high-beta risk asset rather than a geopolitical hedge.

The piece closed by identifying key technical levels and warning that confidence among dip-buyers has largely evaporated.

Crypto Regulation’s Turning Point: Inside the SEC-CFTC Harmonization Push

This regulatory deep dive covered a rare joint appearance by the SEC and CFTC (the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission), signaling a potential shift toward coordinated crypto oversight.

The article traced years of fragmented, enforcement-driven regulation and explained why harmonization has become urgent as crypto platforms blur traditional financial boundaries. It outlined discussions around shared asset classification frameworks, joint supervision, and coordinated rulemaking, while acknowledging the limits of agency action without congressional legislation.

The piece framed the event as a meaningful change in tone that could reduce regulatory uncertainty, even if structural challenges remain unresolved.

Crypto’s Relentless Storm: Hoskinson Braces Through $3 Billion Hit

This profile captured Charles Hoskinson’s candid disclosure that his personal crypto holdings have declined by more than $3 billion during the latest market rout. Reporting from a livestream in Tokyo, the article contextualized the loss within Cardano’s long-term development strategy and Hoskinson’s history of weathering prior crypto winters.

Rather than focusing solely on price action, the piece examined Cardano’s ongoing technical roadmap, including scaling, privacy, and consensus upgrades, while situating the founder’s stance within a broader industry de-risking trend.

By combining market data with builder psychology, the article highlighted the tension between conviction and capital preservation in crypto’s current downturn.