Urea Prices Have Spiked Due to Iran Conflict—And Traders Expect More Pain

Michael Saylor believes ambitious developers pose the biggest risk to Bitcoin, as they may introduce unknown risks by neglecting cybersecurity while focusing on new features. Saylor emphasizes the importance of defending the network rather than making unnecessary protocol changes.

WhiteBIT, a Ukrainian-founded cryptocurrency exchange, has been banned by Russia for allegedly supporting Ukraine's war effort. The exchange, designated as an "undesirable organization," is accused of channeling funds out of Russia and aiding the Ukrainian military since the war began in February 2022.

The Senate Agriculture Committee postponed a vote on a crypto market structure bill by two days due to a snowstorm affecting travel in Washington. The bill, facing challenges, lacks bipartisan support and may not pass the committee on Thursday.

The UK Cryptoasset Business Council found a rise in blocked or limited bank transfers to crypto exchanges, with one exchange experiencing close to £1 billion in declined transactions. The group is urging for clearer regulatory guidance to address the increasing hostility towards crypto in the UK.

BlackRock plans to launch the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, which will generate income by selling call options on IBIT shares and ETP indices. The fund's shares will represent fractional interests in the income, Bitcoin, IBIT shares, and cash.

Bitcoin miners like Cipher Mining, CleanSpark, IREN, and TeraWulf faced declines as Nvidia's investment in CoreWeave highlighted challenges for independent miners transitioning to AI infrastructure providers. The $2 billion investment could limit opportunities for smaller players in the AI market.

Strategy purchased $267 million worth of Bitcoin last week, adding 2,900 BTC to its total of 712,600 BTC. The company primarily funded the purchase through the issuance of common stock, with STRC preferred stock accounting for the rest.

BitMine Immersion Technologies acquired 40,302 ETH worth $116 million, marking its largest purchase in 2026. With a total of 4,243,338 ETH valued at $12.2 billion, the firm continues its ETH accumulation strategy.

Gold has surged to a new all-time high above $5,100 per ounce, surpassing predictions made on the Myriad platform. Meanwhile, Ethereum has fallen more than 10% in the past week, currently trading at $2,883.

Bitcoin mining activity in the U.S. slowed during a winter storm, affecting major mining pools like Foundry USA and Luxor. The storm caused hash rate drops, leading to block time increases and a temporary reduction in overall hash rate.