EU proposes ban on crypto transactions with Russia

Top news and prices for the major cryptocurrencies.

EU proposes ban on crypto transactions with Russia. The European Union is advancing a proposal to prohibit all cryptocurrency transactions with Russia, a move explicitly designed to sever a key financial channel Moscow is believed to use for evading international sanctions. A confidential document acquired by the Financial Times outlines the new measures, which target digital asset flows that could support Russia's military operations in Ukraine. Specifically, the bloc aims to block what it terms "copycat Russian crypto entities spun out of already sanctioned platforms," alleging these structures facilitate prohibited trading. The proposed restrictions extend beyond Russia, with Kyrgyzstan also identified for potential action.

South Korea launches formal probe into Bithumb. South Korea's primary financial regulator has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the domestic cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb. This action follows an incident last week in which the platform erroneously distributed Bitcoin valued at approximately $43 billion to user accounts. The Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday that the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) elevated its engagement from a standard review to a formal, full-scale investigation in the wake of the operational failure. An FSS official conveyed to Yonhap that the agency is pursuing the probe with what was described as the "utmost seriousness." The official further stated that regulatory authorities are prepared to enforce stringent measures against any activities found to disrupt market integrity.

Outflows from digital asset investment products decelerated significantly last week. Outflows from digital asset investment products slowed down sharply last week, totaling $187 million, according to CoinShares’ latest report. While flows typically move with prices, changes in the pace of outflows have historically signaled turning points in sentiment. This deceleration suggests a potential market nadir may have been reached. The latest price correction pushed total assets under management (AuM) down to $129.8 billion, the lowest level since March 2025. Regionally, several markets saw strength, with inflows into Germany ($87.1 million), Switzerland ($30.1 million), Canada ($21.4 million), and Brazil ($16.7 million). Bitcoin was the sole asset with significant negative sentiment, experiencing outflows of $264 million.

Thailand gives green light to crypto as underlying assets. Thailand’s government on Tuesday approved a Finance Ministry proposal that officially permits digital assets to serve as underlying assets in the country’s derivatives and capital markets. The decision is designed to modernise local derivatives trading, aligning the regulatory framework with international standards while sharpening investor protections. According to the Bangkok Post, authorities are aiming to position Thailand as a regional heavyweight for institutional crypto trading. The nation’s Securities and Exchange Commission will now revise the Derivatives Act to allow for new asset classes, including Bitcoin and carbon credits, to be integrated into the market structure.

Fed researchers urge separate crypto category for derivative margin rules. Fresh analysis released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve makes the case that cryptocurrencies should be treated as their own distinct asset class when determining initial margin requirements for uncleared derivatives. The authors argue that current risk models are unsuitable for digital assets. The working paper, authored by Anna Amirdjanova, David Lynch and Anni Zheng, highlights that crypto does not align neatly with the established categories in the Standardized Initial Margin Model. That framework currently groups risk by asset types such as interest rates, equities, foreign exchange, and commodities. Because crypto markets exhibit significantly higher volatility, the researchers propose that "floating" cryptos (e.g., Bitcoin, BNB, Ether, Cardano, Dogecoin, XRP) and "pegged tokens like stablecoins carry distinct risk weights.

Best performing crypto in the top 10 over the last week: Bitcoin Cash (+9.35%)

Best performing crypto in the top 100 over the last week: Humanity Protocol (+57.62%)

As of February 13, 2026, 07:45 CET

The market's volume has reached $111.023 billion over the past 24 hours.

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