Daily Summary, February 20

News Digest for February 20

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⚖️ REGULATION: US REVERSES, RUSSIA ALLOWS

🔥 U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s global tariffs. The U.S. President stated he has a backup plan regarding tariffs.

*Analysis: The Court dealt a blow to the former president’s trade policy. Trump loses a leverage tool but keeps his powder dry. The backup plan is either an appeal or new sanction mechanisms. Markets breathed a sigh of relief, but it’s too early to relax.*

🇷🇺 First crypto transactions in Russia, if the relevant law is passed, could take place by the end of 2026 — Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

*Analysis: The Central Bank finally set a date. 2026 isn’t tomorrow, but a planning horizon has emerged. The market now has a benchmark: prepare for legal entry, but live in the gray zone for two more years.*

🦅 The Central Bank of the Russian Federation stated that not only banks will be able to handle crypto custody in Russia — custodians will not require a banking license.

*Analysis: A softening of position. Specialized custodians get the right to exist without a banking “credential”. This opens the door for specialized players who don’t want to carry the heavy burden of banking infrastructure.*

⚡️ Foreign crypto exchanges and exchangers will be able to operate on the Russian market through registered subsidiaries in Russia.

*Analysis: “Subsidiaries” instead of blockades. Russia chooses a path of integration, not isolation. Global exchanges gain legal entry, but under supervision. The question: who will be first and on what terms?*

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🏦 INSTITUTIONALS: BANKS LOSE, CRYPTO GAINS

🏦 American banks are losing deposits due to clients transferring funds to Coinbase — over the past year, $78.3 million in net deposits flowed from 92 local banks to the exchange.

*Analysis: Blood is draining from banks into crypto. The amount is modest ($78M across 92 banks is pocket change), but the trend matters: clients are voting with their feet (and money). If the process accelerates, banks will either have to partner with exchanges or lose liquidity.*

🗽 Changpeng Zhao visited the U.S. for the first time since prison and attended the World Liberty Financial crypto summit at Donald Trump’s residence.

*Analysis: The king’s return. CZ is back in the U.S. and immediately in elite circles. A meeting at Trump’s residence is a sign: crypto is penetrating the highest political echelons. Personnel or political decisions may follow.*

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🌍 GLOBAL TRENDS: CROATIA LIBERALIZES, UKRAINE INVESTIGATES

🇭🇷 After tax rule revisions in Croatia, investors holding crypto for over 2 years are exempt from capital gains tax when converting to fiat.

*Analysis: Europe activates “holder mode”. 2 years – and you’re tax-free. This is a powerful incentive to accumulate, not trade. Croatia aims to become a crypto-haven within the EU. Other countries may follow suit.*

🚓 Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau stated it uncovered a $12.9 million money laundering scheme involving a former energy minister — including through cryptocurrency.

*Analysis: Crypto is back in the crime chronicles. The amount isn’t record-breaking, but the context matters: Ukraine is at war, receiving aid, while officials allegedly launder millions through digital assets. A reputational blow for crypto in the region.*

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⛓️ TECHNOLOGY: LIGHTNING GROWS, SOL UNLOCKED

🪙 The Bitcoin Lightning Network is now processing over $1 billion in monthly transactions — noticeable growth began in 2025.

*Analysis: Lightning has hit a billion. It’s no longer a toy, but a serious payment system layered on top of Bitcoin. Growth started in 2025 – meaning adoption is going mainstream. Bitcoin is becoming not just “digital gold”, but a payment network too.*

🪙 Over 1.5 million SOL ($126 million) were unlocked from an unknown wallet.

*Analysis: A whale woke up. 126 million SOL is a significant amount. If it’s for sale, the market could dip. If it’s just a wallet movement, it’s technical. But it needs monitoring: such unlocks often precede price movements.*

🪙 USDT market supply contracted by $1.5 billion in February — in January, the token’s market cap also lost $1.2 billion.

*Analysis: Liquidity is leaving stablecoins. Two consecutive months of decline – a trend. Either people are moving to fiat (fear), or rotating into assets (buying the dip). Likely the latter: retail panics, smart money accumulates.*

💎 Over the last 6 months, XAUT worth the equivalent of 94 tons of gold was transferred on-chain, paying only 0.0016% in fees.

*Analysis: Tokenized gold has found its niche. 94 tons via blockchain is a huge volume. A 0.0016% fee is negligible compared to physical gold logistics. Institutions will take note.*

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🤖 TECH PHILOSOPHY: BUTERIN VS. AI AND ALIENS

🐸 Vitalik Buterin bet $148,000 on Polymarket that the U.S. will not confirm the existence of aliens by 2027.

*Analysis: Vitalik plays on the edge. $148k on a political market is serious money. But the bet isn’t about profit; it’s a public statement: “don’t expect aliens.” Though, if they do announce, Buterin loses money but gains reputation as a prophet.*

🤖 Vitalik Buterin spoke out against fully autonomous AI agents — the further AI moves from human control, the higher the systemic risks and the more “junk content” instead of useful output.

*Analysis: A voice of reason in the hype era. Buterin sounds the alarm: autonomous AI without supervision is a threat. Not just in finance, but in the information space. “Junk content” is a mild term for what could flood the net if AI is given complete freedom.*

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📈 LOCAL SHOCKS: CME CHANGES HOURS

🏛 The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will open 24-hour trading for crypto futures and options on May 29th.

*Analysis: Globalization 24/7. CME breaks the tradition of exchange hours and adapts to the 24/7 crypto market. This is a response to demand from Asia and other time zones. Now institutions can hedge risks in real-time, instead of waiting for the opening bell in Chicago.*

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🔍 SYSTEMIC TRENDS OF THE DAY

– 🇷🇺 Regulated entry trend: Russia opens the door for crypto, but with a sign saying “Entry via registration”. 2026 is the legalization deadline.
– 🏦 Debanking trend: Money flows from traditional banks to crypto exchanges. A trickle now, but could become a stream.
– 💎 Real World Assets (RWA) trend: Tokenized gold XAUT shows the market for real-world assets on blockchain is working and growing.
– 🌍 Tax competition trend: Croatia abolishes tax for long-term holders – the EU starts competing for crypto capital.
– 📉 Stablecoin contraction trend: USDT shrinks for the second straight month. Liquidity is either moving to fiat or flowing into risk assets.
– 🏛 Political crypto-lobbying trend: CZ as a guest of Trump – crypto becomes a topic in high-level U.S. politics.

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🏛 ARCHITECTURAL CONCLUSION

February 20th — the day the old world adapts to the new.

The U.S. Supreme Court dismantles Trump’s tariff policy. CME dismantles exchange hours for crypto. The Central Bank of Russia dismantles the wall between banks and custodians. Old structures are cracking because crypto demands a different rhythm and different rules.

While regulators deliberate (Russia promises legalization by 2026), capital is already voting: banks lose deposits, gold moves onto tokens, and the Lightning Network churns through billions.

Buterin, in this chaos, plays the role of philosopher-provocateur: betting against aliens, warning about an AI apocalypse. His voice is a reminder: behind transaction numbers and coin prices lie fundamental questions about where humanity is heading.

The key divergence of the day: Russia sees crypto as an object of control (registration, custodians, 2026), while the global market sees it as an object of freedom (24/7 CME, Croatian tax holidays, borderless gold).

And those unlocked SOL worth $126 million serve as a reminder: at any moment, a whale can emerge from hibernation and redraw the market map with a single move.