SpendNode Podcast: Crypto News & Analysis

Binance's OTC desk processed roughly a quarter of 2025's entire volume in just January and February 2026, signaling accelerating institutional demand. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/binance-otc-volume-first-two-months-2026-quarter-of-2025-total-institutional-demand/

Bhutan has offloaded $152M in BTC in 2026, shrinking its hydroelectric-mined holdings from 13,000 to 4,453 BTC. The Gelephu Mindfulness City pledge looks unfulfillable. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bhutan-sold-152-million-bitcoin-2026-sovereign-stack-shrinks-66-percent-gelephu-mindfulness-city/

Elizabeth Warren wrote to Commerce Secretary Lutnick demanding documents on Bitmain's national security investigation tied to Trump-backed American Bitcoin. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/elizabeth-warren-bitmain-probe-operation-red-sunset-trump-american-bitcoin-national-security/

The top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee wants to know why the Kansas City Fed approved Kraken's limited purpose account before finishing its own rulemaking. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/maxine-waters-demands-answers-kraken-fed-master-account-kansas-city-limited-purpose/

Intercontinental Exchange invests an additional $600M in Polymarket, bringing its total stake to $1.6 billion and cementing TradFi's largest prediction market bet. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/nyse-parent-ice-600-million-polymarket-investment-1-6-billion-total-prediction-markets/

BTC hit a two-week low as $300M in long positions were liquidated. Oil above $100, Nasdaq down 10% from highs, and crypto Fear at 23. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-drops-below-67000-300-million-longs-liquidated-oil-100-fear-23/

A new ECB staff paper argues that many DeFi DAOs fail the decentralization test required to stay outside the EU's MiCA regulation. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/ecb-staff-paper-challenges-defi-dao-decentralization-mica-regulation-exemption/

Senator Warren sent an 11-question letter to Beast Industries over its Step acquisition, crypto trademarks, and plans to offer DeFi services to 7 million teen users. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/elizabeth-warren-mrbeast-step-teen-banking-app-crypto-defi-beast-industries-senate-probe/

GameStop pledged 4,709 BTC to Coinbase as collateral for covered-call options, booking a $131.6M loss. SEC filing reveals the full strategy. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/gamestop-didnt-sell-bitcoin-368-million-coinbase-collateral-covered-call-options-4709-btc/

Sacks hit the 130-day limit for special government employees and moves to co-chair PCAST. No replacement named, and the GENIUS Act is still unsigned. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/david-sacks-exits-crypto-czar-role-130-day-limit-pcast-co-chair-legislation-unfinished/

Coinbase partners with Better to offer Fannie Mae-backed mortgages using Bitcoin and USDC as down payment collateral, no taxable sale required. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/coinbase-fannie-mae-crypto-backed-mortgages-bitcoin-usdc-down-payment-better/

Michael Saylor's Strategy bought 45,000 BTC in 30 days while other corporate buyers retreated 99% from peak. The concentration risk is real. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/strategy-holds-76-percent-corporate-bitcoin-treasury-demand-collapses-concentration-risk/

Judge Gilliam certified a class of investors alleging Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang concealed over $1B in crypto mining GPU revenue between 2017 and 2018. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/nvidia-class-action-certified-1-billion-hidden-crypto-mining-gpu-revenue-jensen-huang/

Google accelerated its post-quantum cryptography migration from 2035 to 2029, putting pressure on Bitcoin and Ethereum developers racing to replace ECDSA. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/google-moves-post-quantum-deadline-2029-bitcoin-ethereum-ecdsa-blockchain-cryptography/

A federal court tossed a non-custodial developer's bid for legal clarity on money transmitter laws, leaving the industry without an answer. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/us-judge-dismisses-crypto-money-transmitter-case-pharos-developer-liability-non-custodial/

The bipartisan PREDICT Act would bar Congress, the president, and senior officials from political prediction market trading, with 10% fines and profit clawbacks. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/predict-act-bans-congress-president-prediction-market-trading-polymarket-kalshi-insider/

The UK government banned cryptocurrency donations to political parties and capped overseas elector donations at 100,000 pounds annually, citing regulatory gaps. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/uk-bans-crypto-donations-political-parties-overseas-electors-100000-cap-regulation/

Coinbase informed Senate offices it has significant concerns about the CLARITY Act yield language, threatening to derail the crypto market structure bill again. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/coinbase-rejects-clarity-act-stablecoin-yield-compromise-senate-punchbowl-significant-concerns/

Monument Bank plans to tokenize up to £250M in retail deposits on the Midnight network, keeping full FSCS protection and interest payments intact. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/monument-bank-tokenize-250-million-pounds-deposits-midnight-network-fscs-uk-first/

Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau and Europol accessed 500 BTC worth $34 million from a convicted cannabis grower's stash after seven years of trying. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/irish-police-crack-first-bitcoin-wallet-418-million-drug-seizure-clifton-collins-europol/

Gold has fallen for 10 straight days, the longest run in over a century. Meanwhile, one bitcoin now buys nearly 16 ounces of gold, up 30% from recent lows. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/gold-longest-losing-streak-century-10-days-bitcoin-ratio-16-ounces-etf-flows/

A Thane magistrate court ruled there is no prima facie case against CoinDCX co-founders Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal in the Rs 71 lakh impersonation fraud. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/coindcx-founders-cleared-indian-court-no-case-impersonation-fraud-bail-thane/

Deribit's largest quarterly options expiry wipes 40% of open interest Friday. Max pain sits at $75,000, roughly 6% above spot. Here is what that means. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/bitcoin-14-billion-options-expiry-friday-75000-max-pain-deribit-put-call-ratio/

Ripple partners with Unloq in the MAS BLOOM initiative to pilot automated cross-border trade finance using RLUSD on the XRP Ledger. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/ripple-joins-singapore-mas-bloom-rlusd-xrp-ledger-cross-border-trade-settlement-unloq/

Tether engages an unnamed Big Four accounting firm for its first full independent audit, covering reserves, liabilities, and controls. Circle stock drops 20%. Read the full article: https://www.spendnode.io/blog/tether-hires-big-four-audit-usdt-184-billion-reserves-circle-stock-drops-20-percent/