Ripple is overhauling how it funds development on the XRP Ledger after allocating more than $550 million to around 200 projects since 2017, shifting from a centralized grants program to a network of independent funding bodies coordinated via the XRPL Funding Hub. The roadmap emphasizes institutional use cases, including ZK-proof based confidential transactions, the proposed XLS-66 lending protocol, expansion of RLUSD to Ethereum Layer 2 networks, and growing participation from venture funds, alongside analyst XRP price targets and key technical levels.

On Feb 25, 2026, Amy Oldenburg said Morgan Stanley plans to add Bitcoin trading, lending, yield and custody. The rollout starts with spot trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana via E*Trade, then moves to proprietary custody and crypto‑collateral lending. The bank manages about $8 trillion to $9 trillion and aims to keep more client crypto on‑platform.

In the last reported session, spot ETF demand concentrated in Bitcoin and XRP, with the article citing roughly $254M and $1.22M in net additions as broader prices consolidated. BTC hovered near $67,678.78 on 24‑hour volume of about $41.05B, while ETH, SOL, and XRP posted mixed daily moves but maintained steady liquidity.

On February 26, 2026, Citi's digital asset custody head said the bank will roll out infrastructure later this year to integrate Bitcoin into traditional finance for institutions. The plan centers on direct custody, unified reporting, and 24/7 settlement to make BTC fully "bankable" within existing banking processes.

According to Bitmine, it holds 4 422 659 ETH and added 51 162 ETH in the past week, amounting to about 3.66% of Ethereum's circulating supply near 120.7 million tokens. The firm reports 3 040 483 ETH are staked, with annual staking income currently around $171 million and a potential near $249 million based on a 2.89% 7-day yield.

The Austrian Financial Market Authority has ordered KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH to stop taking on new customers and issuing new products or contracts starting 19 February 2026, while existing activities remain subject to stricter oversight. The regulator's intervention, less than three months after granting MiCA authorization on 27 November 2025, follows identified deficiencies in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions controls, including missing key compliance officers. The restriction is temporary rather than a license revocation and will remain until KuCoin EU appoints qualified personnel and restores full compliance.

qLABS has introduced the qONE ($qONE) token with a fixed, time-limited presale on Hyperliquid starting February 5 at 2:00 PM UTC, aiming to address quantum computing threats to blockchain security. The project offers a public round at a $10 million fully diluted valuation and a community round at an $8 million valuation, while positioning qONE as infrastructure for post-quantum protection across existing Web3 ecosystems. qONE's utility, tokenomics, and governance are designed to link token demand to real security usage rather than purely speculative trading.

On January 29, 2026, Vienna-based fintech Bitpanda will begin a major expansion into traditional equities by adding access to more than 10,000 stocks, ETFs and ETCs alongside its existing crypto and metals offering. As part of the move, the platform is offering a 1% cashback bonus on the net value of transferred or newly built stock and ETF portfolios, with rewards capped at €2,500 per user and participation limited to 25,000 accounts during a campaign that runs until February 14, 2026.

Security has become a central filter for altcoin buyers as networks face long-term risks, including quantum computing. BMIC, Cardano and Ethereum are highlighted for their security designs, with BMIC's multi-phase presale and quantum-safe architecture positioning it as a leading choice for investors prioritizing asset protection.