Last week, the blockchain industry opened its doors to witness major crypto adoptions, tokenization booms, a memecoin ETF launch, stablecoin integrations, and much more. As we stepped into a new week, here are the snapshots of the top weekly crypto news stories.
Binance to reintroduce tokenized stock trading
Leading crypto exchange Binance is reportedly exploring bringing back its tokenized stock trading on its platform. Earlier, the exchange offered tokenized equities/stocks, which it had to stop in 2021 due to regulatory scrutiny.
21Shares launches first SEC-backed Dogecoin spot ETF in the US
Dogecoin once again goes to Wall Street as 21Shares launched the first SEC-approved U.S. spot exchange-traded fund backed by the memecoin.
However, REX-Osprey DOGE ETF is considered the first memecoin ETF in the US. This ETF did not have to pass through SEC approval, as it approached a different legal pathway — the 19b-4 rule and the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Kraken enables USDC stablecoin deposits on Algorand
Kraken crypto exchange enabled Circle’s USDC stablecoin deposits and withdrawals on the Algorand network, a Pure Proof-of-Stake (PPoS) blockchain platform. In brief, users can transfer the stablecoin between Kraken accounts and external wallets on the blockchain network.
Crypto market structure bill sees progress
The US Senate Agriculture Committee published an updated crypto market structure draft bill amid the upcoming discussion on the bill. The updated draft prescribes the rules for DeFi infrastructure, authority for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to oversee the spot crypto market, enhance consumer protection, and more.
To note, there are two versions of the crypto market structure draft bill: one launched by the Senate Banking Committee and the other by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Nifty Gateway bids farewell to blockchain industry
Nifty Gateway, one of the oldest NFT marketplaces owned by the Gemini crypto firm, has planned to wind down its operation on February 23, 2026. After an exponential surge in 2021, the NFT niche experienced a major downtrend, making many marketplaces difficult to sustain, including Nifty Gateway.
Now users can withdraw their funds, including NFTs, Ethereum, and USD, from Nifty Gateway.
PayPal acquires Cymbio to bolster AI chatbot commerce
Digital payments platform PayPal agreed to acquire Cymbio, a multi-channel AI-chatbot integrated e-commerce platform. Through the collaboration, PayPal intends to enhance its platform with AI-backed agentic commerce, where merchants using PayPal can sell their products using AI.
Crypto continues to evolve as new regulations and wider adoption move the industry forward. And, so is the news cycle. This week, the industry will be watching trends in the market price, which is currently bearish, further updates on the crypto market structure bill, and other blockchain initiatives.
