The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

February 9 A U.S. court previously ruled the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) violated the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Now, the FDIC has agreed to pay Coinbase $188,440 in legal fees, fully reform its FOIA policies, and reverse its prior position denying public release of a crypto-related "hold letter"—settling the FOIA lawsuit. Additionally, the FDIC committed to policy reforms, including adding provisions to training materials requiring staff to "broadly interpret" FOIA requests. It also stated it will not adopt a blanket secrecy policy for all bank supervision documents based on FOIA’s Section 8 exemption.

**Arthur Hayes’ On-Chain Trading Losses Top $10.37M (As of Feb 2026) – @0XTiger666** BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has racked up over $10.37 million in on-chain trading losses as of February 2026 (excluding undisclosed positions), per stats from @0XTiger666 (dated February 9). Key transaction breakdown: - Feb 2026: Liquidated LDO, ENA, and 4 other tokens; invested $9.35M, lost $3.48M. - Jan 2026: Entered a BIO position; invested $1.1M, lost $0.64M (58% drawdown). - Dec 2023: Traded LOOKS, ENS, FXS; invested over $10.29M, lost over $6.25M (individual token losses exceeded 50%). This version uses concise, news-friendly language (e.g., "racked up" for accumulated losses, "drawdown" for price drops, abbreviations like "$M" for clarity) and structured bullet points to align with U.S. English news habits—prioritizing readability and quick information scanning.

On February 9th, Coinglass data shows Coinbase’s Bitcoin Premium Index has recently narrowed its negative premium to -0.08%, with U.S. market buying sentiment starting to pick up. BlockBeats Note: The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index measures the gap between Bitcoin’s price on Coinbase (a leading U.S. exchange) and the global market average. It’s a key indicator for tracking U.S. capital flows, institutional investment interest, and shifts in market sentiment. A positive premium means Coinbase’s price is higher than the global average, typically signaling: strong U.S. market buying pressure, active inflows of institutional or compliant capital, ample USD liquidity, and generally optimistic investment sentiment. A negative premium means Coinbase’s price is below the global average, usually reflecting: significant U.S. market selling pressure, reduced investor risk appetite, rising market risk aversion, or capital outflows.

On February 9, CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost noted that Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio — a metric measuring risk-adjusted return — has turned negative, a sign aligning with late-stage bear market characteristics. This does not mean the bear market is over, but rather that the risk-return profile is approaching extreme levels. Currently, Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio stands at -10, its lowest reading since March 2023. Historical data shows Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio hit troughs in late 2022 to early 2023 and late 2018 to early 2019 — both coinciding with prior bear market bottoms. The ratio last fell to zero in November 2025, when Bitcoin’s price touched a local low of $82,000. The analyst added that a negative Sharpe Ratio typically signals an imminent market reversal.

February 9 — French police have arrested six suspects, including a minor, in a cryptocurrency robbery case, per Decrypt. The group is accused of kidnapping a 35-year-old female judge and her 67-year-old mother, demanding a cryptocurrency ransom. The abduction occurred between Wednesday and Thursday night last week. Suspects sent ransom messages and photos to the victims’ partner, threatening harm to the pair if payment was not made promptly. A neighbor intervened after hearing commotion, helping both victims escape safely.

**February 9 –** In 2021, former OpenAI executive Dario Amodei co-founded AI startup Anthropic, directly competing with ChatGPT. The following April (2022), FTX—led by Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)—announced it was leading Anthropic’s $5.8 billion funding round, contributing $5 billion. At the time, Anthropic was valued at roughly $25 billion, giving FTX an ~13.56% equity stake. Later, FTX’s share was diluted to around 8%—a move SBF funded using client money, aligning with his long-termist views on AI risk. The 2022 bear market delivered the final blow to FTX, triggering its November collapse and bankruptcy. SBF was arrested and later sentenced to 25 years in prison. Fast-forward to 2024: FTX’s bankruptcy team secured court approval to sell its Anthropic shares to repay creditors. Initially, two-thirds of the stake sold to buyers including the Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund, netting ~$8.84 billion. After full liquidation, FTX recouped a total of ~$13–14 billion from its Anthropic i