The UK Financial Conduct Authority is developing a new cryptoasset regulatory framework following consultations in December 2025 and new legislation submitted to Parliament. The regime is set to commence on 25 October 2027, with an authorisation gateway expected from around September 2026 to oversee trading platforms, intermediaries, lending, staking, and custody activities. Firms conducting in-scope crypto business in or to the UK will move from AML-focused registration to full authorisation under the Financial Services and Markets Act once the rules take effect.

On January 27 2026, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission warned that gaps in cryptocurrency and digital asset oversight pose growing risks to consumers. A draft Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 would introduce licensing for platforms holding customer assets and is projected to add $24 billion annually to the economy. Industry experts support faster regulatory clarity while urging policymakers to protect space for innovation and education around complex technologies.

On Tuesday, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said the Federal Court ordered Gold Coast-based BPS Financial to pay AU$14 million ($9.6 million) in penalties for unlicensed conduct and misleading statements tied to its Qoin Wallet. The court had found in 2024 that BPS engaged in unlicensed conduct for almost three years while issuing the Qoin token and promoting a linked non-cash payment product.

February 2026 is shaping up to be a high-volatility month for crypto, with an estimated $250–$500M+ in token unlocks across major projects including Hyperliquid (HYPE), Sui (SUI), Berachain (BERA), Ethena (ENA), Aptos (APT), and Linea (LINEA). Several of these releases represent meaningful portions of circulating supply—most notably Berachain’s ~59% unlock—which historically increases the risk of 10–25% short-term price swings, especially during early-Q1’s thinner liquidity. While unlocks often introduce temporary sell pressure, their actual impact will depend on recipient behavior (team vs. ecosystem), market depth, and broader risk sentiment. For traders and investors, February’s dense unlock calendar makes careful positioning, on-chain flow tracking, and disciplined risk management essential as these events are likely to drive both volatility and sector rotation.

Prediction markets operator Kalshi has opened an office in Washington, D.C. and brought in veteran policymakers to expand its work with federal and state regulators. The CFTC-regulated platform reported $6.58 billion in trading volume in December and faces ongoing legal and regulatory challenges over its sports-linked contracts in several U.S. states.

Pi Network’s Core Team released its second update of the year last week and followed with a tutorial video detailing how Pioneers can add no-code “Pi payments” inside Pi App Studio for Test-Pi. The clip walks through creating a custom app in the Pi Browser, linking a Pi wallet, and setting prices in PI. Meanwhile, PI fell to $0.1687 and posted weekly and two-week declines.

Fundstrat managing partner Tom Lee told CNBC's Power Lunch on Monday that Bitcoin and Ethereum may see a strong upside move once the sharp advance in gold and silver cools. He attributed crypto's recent underperformance to industry-wide deleveraging and investor enthusiasm shifting toward precious metals, even as he argued that digital asset fundamentals have improved since October.

Japan's Financial Services Agency is reportedly considering reclassifying XRP as a regulated financial product in 2026, potentially bringing it under the Financial Instruments and Exchanges Act. The change could introduce stricter oversight and "investment‑grade" treatment, while XRP trades at $1.90 with a $115.47 billion market cap, according to CoinMarketCap.