Top News of the Week: Corporate Flows and Strategic Steps Take Center Stage

Explore the latest developments in the cryptocurrency market, spotlighted projects, and potential investment opportunities, all consolidated in a single weekly bulletin. Gain insights through market analyses, significant announcements, and sector-wide summaries that capture the pulse of the crypto world.
Period: 02.02.2026 – 06.02.2026

Summary

The global cryptocurrency markets have recently witnessed significant developments on both the regulatory and institutional investment fronts. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the government will continue to hold seized Bitcoin assets but will not instruct private banks to buy BTC during market downturns, underlining that there will be no direct market intervention using public funds. South Korea announced plans to increase crypto oversight and impose harsher penalties on financial institutions to counter market manipulation and technical malfunction risks. Hundreds of millions of dollars in net inflows into spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in the US demonstrate continued institutional interest, while Tether’s $100 million strategic investment in Anchorage Digital signals a strengthening of infrastructure and custody services in the sector. Meanwhile, White House discussions on regulation of stablecoin yields ended without a consensus, and the European Parliament’s strong support for the digital euro project reveals that central bank digital currency initiatives have gained a geopolitical and strategic dimension. All these developments indicate that the crypto ecosystem is at a critical juncture in terms of both regulation and institutional adoption.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Speaks Before Congress on Bitcoin Holding Policy

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in his testimony before the relevant committee of Congress on Wednesday, stated that the US government will retain its seized Bitcoin assets and clarified its approach to managing these assets. Responding specifically to questions regarding Bitcoin reserves, Bessent emphasized that the government will continue to hold its BTC but will not instruct private banks to “buy more BTC” in situations such as market downturns; this was a clear indication that public funds will not be allowed to directly intervene in the Bitcoin market. In the same session, Bessent reiterated that there is no special “rescue” authority for Bitcoin and that taxpayers’ money cannot be used to buy cryptocurrency, thus reaffirming that the federal government will not directly intervene in the market. He also stated that the Bitcoin currently held by the government is held as a strategic reserve; this reserve can only be expanded through existing asset seizures or budget-neutral strategies, thus indicating that an aggressive purchase policy based on open market purchases is not on the table. These statements offer an important perspective on how Bitcoin is evaluated in terms of security and legal framework within the US digital asset policy.

South Korea Financial Supervisory Authority: Crypto Market Surveillance to Increase

South Korean financial supervisory authorities have decided to significantly increase supervision and market surveillance in the crypto asset market following the emergence of risks and operational irregularities. This step was announced as part of the 2026 plan published by financial regulators in March and specifically aims to detect market manipulation, investigate suspicious trading activities more quickly, and supervise exchange operations with AI-powered surveillance systems. Under the new strategy, regulators will develop tools to instantly identify manipulation risks such as large whale transactions, coordinated price movements, and misinformation spread through social media using AI-powered systems; thus, aiming to provide more effective surveillance against disorderly behavior in the market. The same surveillance plan also includes exchanges and financial institutions facing heavier penalties for serious errors and lack of control in their IT systems; This reflects a stricter approach to mitigating the risks faced by investors following technical failures in the sector. Regulators also plan to develop a comprehensive oversight and penal framework to combat market manipulation, coordinated trading, and illicit activities; this is seen as a significant step towards creating a more robust investment environment in the market.

Strong Inflows into Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in the US Attract Attention

Spot cryptocurrency ETFs traded in the US showed strong performance on February 9th, indicating renewed investor interest. According to market data, a total net inflow of $145 million was recorded in spot Bitcoin ETFs. This development indicates that institutional investors’ interest in Bitcoin continues despite the recent increase in volatility and price fluctuations. Analysts note that these inflows reflect purchases made especially by long-term investors and that Bitcoin maintains its place in institutional portfolios. On the same day, a total net inflow of $57.05 million was also recorded in spot Ethereum ETFs. These inflows into Ethereum indicate that expectations for ETH are strengthening, driven by technical advancements on the network, the staking economy, and the growth of the ecosystem. Experts state that the simultaneous inflows into both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs demonstrate the increasing solidification of crypto assets’ position within the traditional financial system and the growing tendency to invest through regulated products.

Tether Makes $100 Million Strategic Investment in Anchorage Digital

Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, announced a significant step toward strengthening its crypto finance infrastructure by making a $100 million strategic capital investment in Anchorage Digital, a company operating in digital asset custody and financial services. The company stated that this investment is part of its goal to expand its services for institutional clients and build a stronger, more regulation-compliant infrastructure within the digital asset ecosystem. Anchorage Digital stands out as one of the first federally licensed crypto banks in the US, offering custody, staking, and institutional finance solutions for innovators and large investors. Tether believes this partnership will accelerate institutional adoption and play a crucial role in meeting the demand for secure digital asset services, in addition to expanding stablecoin use cases. Analysts say this investment is a strong indication of Tether’s effort to move beyond being just a stablecoin issuer and achieve a deeper and more strategic position in the crypto finance infrastructure.

White House Meeting on Stablecoin Yields Ends Without Agreement

A critical meeting held at the White House, focusing on yield models offered through stablecoin assets, ended without a common understanding between the parties. The discussions aimed to resolve months of uncertainty regarding cryptocurrency regulations in the US and to create a clear framework, particularly for stablecoin-based yield products. Representatives from major US banks, cryptocurrency companies, and regulatory bodies attended the meeting, with the main point of disagreement being the comprehensive restrictions demanded by the banking sector. Banks argued that stablecoin yield products could weaken the traditional deposit structure, pose a risk to financial stability, and therefore should be subject to serious limitations. Crypto companies, on the other hand, stated that this approach would hinder innovation, reduce competition, and cause the US to fall behind in the global digital asset race. Although the parties described the meeting as constructive, the inability to find common ground, particularly on banning or severely restricting yield mechanisms, prevented a concrete outcome. This development shows that it is difficult for regulations regarding the crypto market structure in the US to be clarified in the short term, and that regulatory uncertainty will continue for some time.

Strong Support for Digital Euro from the European Parliament

The European Parliament, influenced by increasing geopolitical tensions and the transformation process in the global financial system, gave strong support to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) digital euro project in a critical vote that treats monetary and payment infrastructures as a strategic asset. The vote positions the digital euro not only as a technological innovation but also as a strategic tool to strengthen Europe’s financial sovereignty and independence in payment systems. While parliamentarians pointed out that the fact that global payment systems are largely controlled by US-based companies poses risks for Europe in the long term, they argued that the digital euro could reduce this dependence. It was also emphasized that the digital euro project is designed as a complement to cash and has the potential to increase financial inclusion. In assessments from the ECB side, it was stated that the digital euro will be developed in line with the principles of privacy, security and financial stability, and this political support given by the European Parliament is considered an important turning point for the implementation of the project. Analysts say this move could put Europe in a more competitive position in the digital currency race and accelerate competition in the global central bank digital currency (CBDC) space.