XRP spot purchase volume on Singapore-based exchange Bitrue jumped 212% between Feb. 23 and 24, with buy orders more than doubling sell-side activity, the platform said. Bitrue said the spike coincided with institutional accumulation since mid-November, when XRP exchange-traded funds launched and attracted a net $1.1 billion in assets with only five days of net outflows. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $506.51 million in single-day net inflows on Wednesday, Feb. 25, with BlackRock's product capturing over 58% of that total as Bitcoin rallied to $69,150, SosoValue data show. Dogecoin rebounded from a low of $0.09335 to reclaim the $0.10 level, hitting an intraday high of $0.1057 and gaining more than 7% in 24 hours, outpacing Bitcoin's 4.35% increase over the same period, CoinMarketCap data show.

Block Inc. (XYZ) shares jumped 25% in afterhours trading on the NYSE on Feb. 26 after CEO Jack Dorsey announced an AI pivot and the layoff of 4,000 employees, a roughly 40% reduction lowering headcount from about 10,000 to under 6,000, The Market Periodical reports. The company issued stronger-than-expected Q1 2026 guidance, projecting operating profit of $600 million versus an estimated $574 million and gross profit of $2.8 billion against $2.72 billion, and reported Cash App monthly active users above forecasts while raising full-year gross profit guidance. Block has been overhauling its structure and workforce since 2024 and increasing investment in artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency, including work on an in-house AI tool called Goose, according to The Market Periodical. Dorsey outlined severance terms of 20 weeks of salary, six months of health insurance and an additional $5,000 for affected staff, while separate commentary from Bull Theory said the company spent approximately $68 million on a September 2025 corporate event and later cut around 4,000 roles.

PayPal launched PYUSDx in early 2025, enabling developers globally to issue custom stablecoins for applications built on the PayPal USD (PYUSD) ecosystem, the company said. The platform integrates M0 universal stablecoin infrastructure with MoonPay payment rails and provides a modular issuance framework where teams can configure collateralization ratios, redemption mechanisms and compliance features, with native multichain support on Ethereum, Solana and Polygon. PayPal said PYUSDx embeds a regulatory compliance layer with KYC and AML protocols and transaction monitoring, adds brand integration tools for custom token design, and incorporates security measures including multisignature wallet requirements, real-time monitoring, regular third-party audits, insurance coverage for digital asset custody, and emergency pause and upgrade functions. The company highlighted potential use cases across ecommerce, gaming, financial services and social networks within the PYUSD ecosystem, noting alignment with FATF travel rule requirements, integration with national AML reporting systems, securities regulation considerations and consumer protection standards across multiple jurisdictions.

Citigroup will launch institutional bitcoin custody later this year to integrate digital assets, Nisha Surendran said at the World Strategy Forum. Morgan Stanley has filed for bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana ETPs and is rolling out spot crypto trading on E*TRADE.

Gold above $5,227 and silver past $92 an ounce mark a "new normal," Eric Sprott said in a Kitco News interview recorded on February 27, 2026. He discussed a CME Globex technical interruption, Western inventory drains, and Eastern markets dictating global price discovery.

Jack Dorsey's payments company Block plans to reduce its workforce by 40% as part of its artificial intelligence strategy. Separately, Barclays is testing blockchain technology for settlement, while Senate Democrats have called for an investigation into Binance. The developments reflect corporate restructuring, financial infrastructure experimentation, and regulatory scrutiny of major crypto platforms.

USDC Treasury burned 107,273,299 USDC tokens valued at $107,267,399. The burn removed the tokens from circulation, according to reported figures.

MoonPay, M0 and PayPal launched PYUSDx, enabling developers to create application-specific stablecoins backed by PYUSD. PYUSDx supports applications that issue their own tokens while retaining backing in PYUSD.

The United States deployed combat aircraft to Israel for operational use for the first time, with twelve F-22 Raptor stealth fighters landing at Ovda Air Base on Feb. 24 and another dozen staged at RAF Lakenheath expected to follow; retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula told the New York Times this "indicates preparation for a more aggressive stance toward Iran" if Tehran does not comply. Ovda lies beyond the range of Iran's short-range ballistic missiles and is covered by Israel's layered air defenses, effectively providing the U.S. "a third aircraft carrier in the Middle East," security analysts said; the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is off Israel's coast near Haifa, and the USS Abraham Lincoln is positioned near Iran's coastline. As of Feb. 27, the State Department authorized departure of all nonemergency personnel and family members from the U.S. Mission in Israel citing "safety risks," with an email from Ambassador Mike Huckabee directing staff to leave today, while China issued similar warnings, Israeli municipalities opened public bomb shelters, and airlines KLM and Lufthansa adjusted operations. Risk intelligence analysts say current U.S. preparations are "deeper and more sustained" than those preceding last June's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, and the third round of Geneva talks concluded yesterday without a breakthrough, with technical discussions to resume in Vienna next week.