1. Trump and Russia Reach Prisoner Exchange Agreement

A government official confirmed to The Washington Post that U.S. President Trump exchanged Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik for the release of American teacher Marc Fogel. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the U.S., where he was accused of operating the cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e and laundering money through the site. Marc Fogel returned to the U.S. on Tuesday night after being imprisoned in Russia for three and a half years on marijuana charges. -Original

2. U.S. January CPI Data Exceeds Expectations

The U.S. released the January unadjusted CPI year-on-year rate, recording 3.0%, higher than the expected 2.9%, with the previous value also at 2.9%. -Original

3. Possibility of Fed Rate Cuts This Year Decreases

Regan Capital analyst Skyler Weinand stated that the stronger-than-expected CPI report in January may prompt the Federal Reserve to hit the pause button on rate cuts for the remainder of the year. He said, "The Fed can only wait and see, hoping for changes in economic indicators that show more progress on inflation." "If consumer prices or inflation expectations rise further, the Fed's next move is likely to be an increase in short-term rates." Weinand also mentioned that the "extreme uncertainty" surrounding President Trump's fiscal policy and its impact on consumer prices is causing "extreme anxiety" for the Fed, making it more difficult for policymakers to cut rates in the short term. (Jin Shi Data APP) -Original

4. Japan's Financial Services Agency Proposes Reform Plan for Crypto Assets

Japan's Financial Services Agency's Planning and Market Bureau Director, Yuji Yamamoto, today proposed a comprehensive institutional reform plan regarding crypto assets and stablecoins based on discussions from last month's Financial Review Council working group. Notably, a "domestic asset holding order" for crypto asset exchanges will be introduced, requiring them to hold certain assets domestically. This move aims to learn from the lessons of the 2022 bankruptcy of major exchange FTX and further strengthen user asset protection. Additionally, as part of the new institutional reform, the intermediary business for crypto asset trading will be established as an independent business type. Under the current system, even those only engaged in intermediary business must register as a crypto asset exchange, but this reform will allow operations under a more efficient regulatory framework. Companies with a broad customer base, such as gaming and telecommunications companies, are expected to enter this field. For example, new businesses such as NFT trading within gaming applications and payment services using crypto assets will be developed. Regarding stablecoins, flexibility adjustments for trust-type supporting assets will also be promoted. Specifically, research is underway to allow the use of high-security short-term government bonds and certain term deposits as supporting assets. Finance Minister Kato stated, "We hope to create an environment where users can safely use convenient remittance and payment services through institutional reform." He emphasized that the goal is to balance user protection with promoting innovation. The Financial Services Agency plans to further specify these reform proposals and develop separate "Trust Business Law Partial Amendment Bill" and "Funds Settlement Law Related Partial Amendment Bill." Previously, on February 10, it was reported that the Financial Services Agency intends to position crypto assets as financial products. -Original

5. SEC Commissioner Peirce Says Memecoins May Not Be Under Regulatory Scope

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce stated in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday that the SEC may not have jurisdiction over the influx of memecoins into the cryptocurrency market. "We always have to look at the facts and circumstances, but under our current regulatory framework, many existing memecoins may not fall under the SEC's jurisdiction," Peirce said. "If Congress wants to address this issue, they can do so. Perhaps this is a problem the [Commodity Futures Trading Commission] wants to address. But I think many of them may not be within our jurisdiction." Unlike cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, memecoins lack intrinsic value. For years, many industry insiders have opposed regulating cryptocurrencies like securities, arguing that cryptocurrencies are more like digital collectibles or baseball cards rather than investment contracts. Peirce's non-interference stance is notably different from the SEC's approach to crypto regulation under former Chairman Gary Gensler, who frequently claimed that all crypto tokens except Bitcoin are securities. Just one day after Gensler stepped down, acting Chairman Mark Uyeda announced the establishment of a new crypto special working group led by Peirce, promising to provide regulatory clarity for the crypto industry and indicating a departure from Gensler's so-called "enforcement-based regulation." Last week, Peirce outlined a roadmap for the special working group's top priorities, including addressing the long-standing question of what makes crypto assets securities rather than commodities and creating a more viable registration pathway by amending the SEC's existing framework. In the same statement, Peirce previewed her stance on memecoins, writing, "If people want to buy a token or product that lacks a clear long-term value proposition, they should feel free to do so, but they should not be surprised if the price drops one day. In this country, people generally have the right to make decisions for themselves, but alongside this wonderful American freedom is the equally wonderful American expectation that people must make their own decisions and not rely on 'mommy government' to tell them what to do or not do, nor expect 'mommy government' to bail them out when they do something foolish." SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has listed 10 priorities for the new cryptocurrency working group. -Original

6. New York State Proposes Establishing Cryptocurrency Research Working Group

New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. has proposed the establishment of a New York State Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Research Working Group to provide the governor and legislature with information on the widespread use of cryptocurrencies and other forms of digital currency and their supporting systems, including but not limited to blockchain technology. -Original

7. Robinhood's Crypto Trading Revenue Grows Over 700%

Robinhood Markets Inc. reported that its revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 reached $1.01 billion, far exceeding the market expectation of $941 million, primarily driven by growth in crypto trading. Among this, cryptocurrency revenue increased by over 700% year-on-year, reaching $358 million, becoming the main growth driver. The company has achieved profitability for five consecutive quarters, with a net profit of $916 million this quarter, equivalent to earnings per share of $1.01. -Original

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