Between February 3 and February 5, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argued that the 2020 rollup-centric scaling roadmap is outdated and urged Layer-2 networks to move beyond generic EVM chains with multisig bridges. Shiba Inu's Shibarium and its Shib Alpha Layer, developed with ElderLabs and progressing into 2026, emphasize privacy, app-specific efficiency, and modular RollApps as differentiated infrastructure. These features, including FHE-focused development and multi-token gas support, aim to meet the higher technical and transparency standards Buterin described.

Vitalik Buterin has pledged 16,384 ETH, valued at about $44.5 million, to support a sovereign technical stack focused on privacy-centric infrastructure for Ethereum's long-term roadmap. At the same time, Binance has overhauled its $1 billion SAFU insurance reserve to hold only Bitcoin, prompting debate among traders over alleged price suppression around the $80,000 level. These moves highlight how major crypto entities are tightening spending and reconfiguring reserves to reinforce resilience in a volatile market.

OpenAI is reportedly in the early stages of developing a biometric-based social network that aims to block automated bots by enforcing proof-of-personhood logins. The project plans to use World's iris-scanning Orb devices and tools like Apple Face ID for human verification, while regulatory bans in Hong Kong and Portugal highlight privacy concerns over biometric data. World (WLD) surged about 27% on Thursday as investors reacted to reports linking the token's ecosystem to this experimental platform.

On Tuesday, Zama CEO Rand Hindi said the Shiba Inu "BLT" token suite will adopt Fully Homomorphic Encryption to support private on-chain activity. The implementation spans SHIB, BONE, LEASH (noted once as LEASH2), and TREAT, with a roadmap targeting Q2 2026 for rollout. The collaboration began in early 2024.

Security researchers report that the open-source AI agent Clawdbot left more than 1,000 servers accessible without authentication, exposing shell access and stored API keys on port 18789. The maintainer pushed emergency patches on Monday to restrict network binding and added a diagnostic command, while experts urge administrators to close the exposed port and rotate compromised keys.

Global stablecoin capitalization eased to $309.066 billion as of Monday, down from a $311.332 billion record on January 18. Tether burned 3 billion USDT on January 20 amid heavy redemptions, while flows shifted across chains, with Ethereum supply shrinking by $3.4 billion and Solana taking in $1.3 billion over seven days.

Shiba Inu’s lead ambassador Shytoshi Kusama resurfaced Monday after roughly three months of online silence, introducing an independent artificial intelligence initiative developed outside traditional DeFi. Following his X posts, SHIB traded at $0.000007698, marking a 3.29% 24-hour rise and daily volume of $94.15 million alongside a 5.4% gain over the past 30 days.

Senator Cynthia Lummis urged immediate passage of the CLARITY Act on Thursday as Patrick Witt pressed industry leaders to abandon delay tactics and return to negotiations. The push aims to secure 60 Senate votes before the 2026 midterm window closes, with analysts warning infighting could invite stricter oversight. Shiba Inu traded near $0.000008 on Friday amid attention on Washington.

On Saturday, President Trump used thin weekend liquidity in digital asset markets to unveil new tariff threats against eight European countries, coinciding with the first anniversary of his administration. Since he took office in January 2025, major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have fallen 13% while meme coin Shiba Inu has dropped 65%, with analysts framing the swings as part of an 11-step tariff cycle and a broader “Tariff Playbook” tied to Greenland negotiations. On-chain data shows SHIB volumes spiked 150% during the latest escalation, even as token burns exceeded 5 billion units and active addresses stayed above 1.3 million.