According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, Abu Dhabi vehicle Aryam Investment 1, backed by UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signed a $500 million deal to acquire a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial four days before Donald Trump's January 2025 inauguration. Half the consideration was paid upfront, sending $187 million to Trump family entities and at least $31 million to entities linked to co-founder Steve Witkoff's family, while the arrangement later intersected with U.S. decisions on advanced AI chip sales to the UAE.

FTX plans a $1.7 billion cash distribution for creditors with claims above $50,000, scheduled to start on March 31, 2026. A creditor representative stated that the record date for this round is February 14, 2026, as the bankruptcy estate moves to settle roughly $9.6 billion in claims after cutting a disputed reserve by $2.2 billion. This reduction expands available funds and marks a notable step in the exchange's ongoing restructuring and recovery efforts.

On Sunday, Elon Musk said SpaceX has halted unauthorized Russian access to Starlink. He cited measures such as location restrictions and speed-based shutdowns (typically 75–90 km/h), while Ukraine's Mykhailo Fedorov noted initial results and continued coordination. SpaceX also revised its privacy policy in mid‑January 2026, and Starlink serves 155 countries as of February 2026.

On the first trading day of February, XRP's monthly close below its mid-Bollinger Band raises the risk of a drawdown toward $0.37, implying roughly 77% downside from the current level. At the same time, an early-Bitcoin-era wallet moved 99,999 ETH worth $242.7 million to Binance, coinciding with an 8.5% Ethereum price drop to around $2,411. Cardano heads into February with a historical average return of 24.4%, positioning ADA as a potential outperformer while broader crypto markets remain cautious.

On February 1, 2026, Michael Saylor said Strategy lifted the dividend on its Stretch (STRC) preferred stock by 25 bps to 11.25% for February. It is the sixth rise since the product launched in July 2025, and the rate resets monthly to help keep pricing near the $100 par. STRC last closed at $98.99, with $2.25 billion in reserves supporting payout obligations.

In early 2025, Aryam Investment 1, backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, acquired 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million, according to documents cited by The Wall Street Journal. Around $187 million went to Trump family-controlled entities, with additional payments to firms tied to co-founders. Aryam became the largest outside shareholder, and executives linked to G42 joined the board.

On February 1, 2026, India's Union Budget kept the existing crypto tax regime unchanged, including a 30% flat tax on virtual digital asset gains and 1% TDS on each transaction. The budget instead introduced new penalties for non-reporting and inaccurate reporting of crypto statements, set to take effect from April 1, 2026. Industry executives say the lack of broader reforms may continue to weigh on liquidity and participation, even as they welcome clearer compliance enforcement.

India's Union Budget 2026 introduced a penalty regime for crypto-asset transaction reporting under Section 509 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, effective from 1 April 2026. Reporting entities such as exchanges and intermediaries face Rs. 200 per day for delayed filings and a flat Rs. 50,000 for inaccurate or uncorrected data, while the existing 30% VDA tax and 1% TDS rules remain unchanged. The stricter framework comes amid a reported 72.7% shift of India's FY25 crypto trading volume to offshore platforms, alongside rising scrutiny of undisclosed VDA income.