ChainCatcher news, Greeks.live macro researcher Adam stated that today 59,000 BTC options will expire, with a put/call ratio of 0.7, and the maximum pain point at $96,000, with a nominal value of $4.66 billion. At the same time, 529,000 ETH options will also expire, with a put/call ratio of 0.52, a maximum pain point of $3,000, and a nominal value of $1.12 billion.Analysis shows that due to the sharp decline in U.S. stocks and multiple security incidents, the crypto market is on the brink of collapse this week, with mainstream coins leading the decline. Market panic is spreading, and implied volatility (IV) has surged significantly, with BTC's short-term volatility once climbing to 90%, and ETH's short-term volatility even exceeding 100%.The report pointed out that large options traders have been continuously selling medium- to short-term call options over the past month, confirming institutions' previous prediction that February would be a "dead time with no market activity," as the market indeed shows signs of lacking hotspots and capital.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, the Sui ecosystem's decentralized perpetual contract protocol Bluefin has announced the acquisition of a partial stake in the Sui ecosystem integrated trading terminal insiDeX, with the specific amount undisclosed.

ChainCatcher news, SEC filings show that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation into Gemini Trust Company, LLC and decided not to take enforcement action. Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss confirmed on social media that the investigation lasted 699 days and that a Wells notice was received 277 days ago.Winklevoss criticized the SEC's regulatory actions for causing significant harm to the crypto industry, accusing the agency of enforcing rules without clear guidelines, leading to high legal costs and economic losses for businesses. He called for regulatory reform from the government, including requiring the SEC to compensate affected companies three times their legal fees, dismissing relevant enforcement personnel, and banning those who abuse regulatory power from holding government positions again.Previously, it was reported that the agency (SEC) had withdrawn its lawsuit against Coinbase and terminated investigations into OpenSea, Robinhood, and Uniswap.

ChainCatcher news, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino posted on the X platform stating that USDT is the most successful tool for dollar hegemony and emerging market distribution. Over the past decade, Tether has built the most extensive physical and digital distribution network, from thousands of self-service terminals in Africa and South America to digital remittance platforms, from payment backbones to institutional tools.Our team and portfolio companies work on the ground every day in countless regions of developing countries, helping communities increase the utilization, trust, and education level of USDT, thereby impacting the U.S. economy. This is how USDT currently helps over 400 million people and grows at a rate of 35 million new wallets per quarter, with a focus on developing countries, while strengthening the dollar and holding over $115 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, making Tether the 18th largest holder of U.S. debt.While competitors' business models should focus on creating better products and larger distribution networks, their true intention is to "eliminate Tether." Every business or political meeting they hold has this goal as the ultimate aim. While this may seem exaggerated, it is the truth.For a competitor trying to use legal means to kill off rivals instead of focusing on better products, Tether will not sit idly by. Tether will not allow these attacks to succeed, nor can it permit such a situation to occur. Tether will steadfastly protect the hundreds of millions globally who have been left behind by the traditional financial system, helping them access dollars through USDT.

ChainCatcher news, the DeFi ecosystem projects Omo & Neko participated in the offline themed event "Synapse 2025: Exploring the Future of AI" hosted by Cipher Dance. At the meeting, Ali Hassan, CEO of Omo & Neko, presented a series of challenges currently facing the Web3 DeFi space, including complex user experiences, high gas fees, fragmented liquidity, and inefficient governance mechanisms.Omo & Neko has significantly reduced transaction costs and optimized user experience through innovative technical architecture and multi-chain integration. By applying proxy workflows, it has enhanced liquidity efficiency, proposed a decentralized autonomous mechanism, simplified decision-making processes, and improved transparency and governance efficiency, thus promoting further growth and optimization of DeFi.Omo & Neko is a project focused on innovative DeFi solutions, providing secure, low-cost, and efficient financial services through a decentralized finance platform. It combines multi-chain technology with smart contracts to offer users better asset management and trading experiences while addressing liquidity and governance issues in the DeFi ecosystem. Omo & Neko aims to create a more transparent, user-friendly, and efficient DeFi ecosystem, promoting the popularization and development of DeFi.

ChainCatcher news, according to Newsroom, the U.S. SEC has terminated its investigation into RobinHood Crypto and has taken no action.

ChainCatcher news, Zhao Changpeng responded to the reasons for the previous on-chain transaction failure, stating that he did not use a private RPC and will encourage builders to eliminate this MEV issue. "I know that saying this may provoke some complaints from snipers, but it will be better for most users."Earlier reports indicated that a certain address front-ran Zhao Changpeng's on-chain transaction but was then caught in a sandwich attack, ultimately leading to the failure of Zhao Changpeng's transaction.

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong listed company Zhu Di Holdings announced that it plans to register a wholly-owned subsidiary, Zhu Di Digital Technology Co., Ltd., to engage in virtual currency mining business, including the construction of virtual currency mining farms and the operation and hosting of virtual currency mining farms, has announced the termination of its virtual currency mining business. The board of directors has decided to terminate the new business activities immediately.

ChainCatcher news, citing TASS, reports that the Supreme Court of Russia is pushing to classify cryptocurrencies as property in criminal cases, aiming to enhance law enforcement's ability to track, freeze, and confiscate illegal digital assets. The Supreme Court is involved in drafting a legislative initiative "aimed at recognizing digital currencies as property in criminal proceedings," which could strengthen law enforcement's capacity to handle crypto-related crimes.This is not the first time the Supreme Court of Russia has dealt with cryptocurrency issues in legal proceedings. In 2019, the court ruled that exchanging Bitcoin for rubles constitutes money laundering if the digital currency was obtained through illegal activities, particularly in cases involving drug trafficking. The court's ruling further indicates that cryptocurrencies may fall under the jurisdiction of existing anti-money laundering laws. Additionally, in 2021, the court ruled that the electronic currency WMZ used in the Webmoney Transfer system is legally recognized as a civil rights object, setting a precedent for Russia's legal treatment of digital assets. These earlier rulings demonstrate that the Supreme Court is working to incorporate cryptocurrencies into the country's judicial framework.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the U.S. February S&P Global Manufacturing PMI preliminary value is 51.6, expected 51.5, previous value 51.2;The U.S. February S&P Global Services PMI preliminary value is 49.7, expected 53, previous value 52.9.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official announcement, Bithumb has announced plans to terminate support for VALOR token trading. The termination time for trading (buy/sell) is scheduled for 15:00 on Monday, March 24, 2025, and the termination time for withdrawal support is scheduled for 15:00 on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. It is reported that when trading support ends, API trading support for this virtual asset will cease, and all open orders (buy/sell) will be canceled.

ChainCatcher news, according to Messari data, BounceBit's TVL (Total Value Locked) is currently $566.1 million. BounceBit will shift its strategic focus towards dollar-denominated yield products in 2025.It is reported that BounceBit's CeDeFi model integrates CeFi and DeFi, aiming to provide institutions with yield, Bitcoin re-staking, and the integration of real-world assets.

ChainCatcher message, according to Scam Sniffer monitoring, about half an hour ago, a victim lost $68,194 due to copying the wrong CEX deposit address from contaminated transfer records.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Australian police recently dismantled a criminal group targeting cryptocurrency ATMs and collectible card shops in Melbourne, seizing a large amount of stolen items, including firearms, car keys, pill presses, and power tools, as well as collectible cards worth tens of thousands of dollars, such as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Magic: The Gathering.Four men were arrested in connection with the criminal activities, one of whom faces 14 charges including theft and possession of prohibited firearms, and is scheduled to appear in court on May 2; another man is charged with five counts of commercial theft and is set to appear in court on February 21. The other two have been released, pending further investigation.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, an Argentine law firm submitted a criminal complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on February 17, accusing the masterminds behind the LIBRA token collapse and calling for an investigation into Argentine President Milei's related role.On another legal front, Civic Coalition ARI also filed a criminal complaint on February 17, requesting the DOJ to investigate allegations of bribery and fraud against Milei.The LIBRA token saw a significant surge on February 14, following a post by President Milei on the X platform regarding the project. The post has since been deleted, emphasizing that the project would be used to fund "small businesses and startups in Argentina," and included a contract address, causing the token's market value to briefly soar to $4.56 billion, before rapidly falling to $257 million within hours.These new legal challenges are based on previous criminal allegations in Argentina, accusing Milei of participating in fraudulent activities by supporting the token.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, based on a report by Galaxy Digital's Vice President of Research Christine Kim, over 50 traditional companies, including financial institutions like Deutsche Bank and Paypal, as well as brands like Louis Vuitton and Adidas, are developing cryptocurrency-specific applications on Ethereum and its L2 networks, focusing on non-speculative use cases such as RWA tokenization, NFTs, Web3 gaming, and scalable infrastructure.The report states that Ethereum is leading in RWA tokenization, with the value of managed assets nearly 10 times that of Stellar. Among 20 financial institutions building crypto infrastructure, 13 are issuing RWA, including BlackRock's BUIDL. Stablecoins are also thriving on Ethereum, with Paypal's PYUSD and Robinhood's USDG driving a 70% supply surge in 2024, while Ethereum holds over 50% of the $400 billion stablecoin market.Investment in scalable infrastructure emphasizes enterprise adoption. Deutsche Bank is developing a compliant financial solution on Ethereum L2 with ZKSync, while Sony's L2 project Soneium targets gaming and entertainment. These projects highlight Ethereum's role as a customizable foundation for enterprise-grade blockchain.Additionally, the centralized roadmap for Ethereum L2 balances scalability and security, attracting institutions seeking effective on-chain solutions. Regulatory tailwinds, including the SEC's focus on tokenization and collaborations like Stripe's $1 billion acquisition of stablecoin platform Bridge, indicate increasing mainstream adoption.Galaxy's report concludes that Ethereum remains the preferred chain for finance-focused crypto services, with RWA and stablecoins expected to expand by 2025. Kim noted, "As the most decentralized, widely covered, and longest-running general-purpose blockchain, Ethereum serves as a gateway for many institutions to incubate and launch finance-focused crypto services and products."

ChainCatcher message, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a new article titled "Reasons to Increase L1 Gas Limit Even in an L2 Dominated Ethereum." The article states that an important recent discussion in the Ethereum roadmap is about how to increase the L1 gas limit.Recently, the L1 gas limit was increased from 30 million to 36 million, a 20% increase in capacity. Many support a further significant increase in the near future. These increases are considered safe due to recent and upcoming technological improvements: enhanced efficiency of Ethereum clients, reduced need for storing old history due to EIP-4444 (see roadmap), and future stateless clients.However, before we go down this path, it is important to ask a question: In the context of a Rollup-centric roadmap, is it the right approach to increase the L1 gas limit in the long term? We do not want to face the centralization risks brought by high L1 usage without truly determining that we will benefit from it.