Dutch regulators have ordered crypto prediction platform Polymarket to stop operating in the Netherlands, warning it could face fines of up to €840,000 if it fails to comply. 

The decision marks the latest escalation in Europe’s widening crackdown on the platform.

Polymarket is Losing the European Market

The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gambling authority, issued a formal enforcement order against Polymarket’s operator, Adventure One QSS Inc., on Friday. The regulator said Polymarket was offering illegal gambling services without a Dutch license.

Authorities imposed a penalty of €420,000 per week if Polymarket continues serving Dutch users. The fines could reach a maximum of €840,000, with additional revenue-based penalties possible later.

“In recent months, Polymarket has been in the news frequently, especially around bets on the Dutch elections. After contact with the company about the illegal activities on the Dutch market, no visible change has occurred and the offer is still available. The Gaming Authority therefore now imposes this order under penalty,” the regulator wrote.

The regulator said prediction markets qualify as gambling under Dutch law, regardless of how the platform classifies them. It also stressed that betting on elections is prohibited entirely, even for licensed operators.

Importantly, regulators highlighted Polymarket’s activity around Dutch elections as a key concern. It warned that election betting could create societal risks, including potential influence over democratic processes.

The Netherlands’ decision follows similar action in Portugal, where regulators recently blocked Polymarket nationwide. 

Portuguese authorities intervened after the platform saw heavy betting tied to the latest presidential election outcomes.

Meanwhile, several other European countries have taken similar measures. Italy, Belgium, and Romania have blocked access to Polymarket, while France restricted betting functionality. 

Hungary also issued a formal ban, citing illegal gambling activity.

Prediction Markets as Financial Infrastructure or Gambling Platform?

These actions reflect a growing consensus among European regulators. Authorities increasingly classify prediction markets as gambling when they operate without licenses.

However, Polymarket’s creator, Shayne Coplan, has consistently rejected that classification. He argues that prediction markets function as financial infrastructure, similar to derivatives markets, rather than gambling platforms.

Coplan maintains that prediction markets help aggregate information and forecast real-world events. Regulators across Europe disagree.

As a result, Europe has become one of the strictest regions globally for prediction market platforms. The Netherlands’ threat of direct financial penalties signals that enforcement is moving beyond access blocks toward sustained legal pressure.

TLDR:

• Pakistan’s PVARA formally launches a live crypto sandbox to test real-world virtual asset use cases under regulatory oversight. 
• The sandbox framework targets stablecoins, tokenization, remittances, and on- and off-ramp infrastructure inside a supervised environment. 
• PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib joined global crypto and finance leaders at the World Liberty Forum in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. 
• Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, Franklin Templeton, and Coinbase participated in forum talks centered on stablecoins and financial innovation.

Pakistan launches crypto sandbox to test digital assets in a live, supervised environment built for real-world virtual asset use cases.

The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority formally approved the framework, marking a concrete step toward structured digital asset oversight.

The sandbox covers tokenization, stablecoins, remittances, and on- and off-ramp infrastructure. All operations run under direct PVARA supervision.

Sandbox Guidelines and the application process will be published on the PVARA website shortly, giving interested firms a clear path forward.

A Controlled Framework for Real-World Digital Asset Testing

The crypto sandbox gives companies a working environment to test virtual asset solutions within defined regulatory boundaries.

PVARA will monitor live operations and review outcomes before building broader compliance rules around them. This approach allows the authority to gather practical market data without reducing its oversight responsibilities.

Rather than regulating from theory alone, Pakistan is now working from observed, real-world results gathered inside a controlled setting.

The sandbox targets several key segments of the virtual asset market. Tokenization, stablecoins, remittance solutions, and on- and off-ramp infrastructure are all within the program’s scope.

Each use case will be tested against Pakistan’s specific financial and regulatory environment. This targeted structure ensures the framework remains focused and produces results that are directly applicable to domestic market conditions.

Firms that qualify for the sandbox can operate in a live market environment while remaining accountable to the authority.

The full Sandbox Guidelines and application details will be released on the PVARA website in the coming days. Companies working in the virtual asset space should watch the official website closely for submission deadlines and participation requirements.

PVARA Chairman Attends World Liberty Forum as Pakistan Moves Toward Global Alignment

Bilal bin Saqib, Chairman of PVARA, attended the World Liberty Forum at Mar-a-Lago in Florida earlier this week. The event brought together financial executives, crypto innovators, and policymakers from across the global financial sector.

Discussions centered on the future of finance and digital technology’s growing role in reshaping traditional systems.

Saqib shared updates from the forum directly on social media, describing it as a gathering focused on stablecoins, tokenization, and financial innovation. 

Representatives from Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, Franklin Templeton, and Coinbase were among the participants in those discussions. The forum reflected a growing global consensus around structured frameworks for digital asset development.

Pakistan’s decision to launch a crypto sandbox to test digital assets aligns with the direction taken by leading financial institutions worldwide.

The domestic framework now gives Pakistani firms a regulated channel to pursue innovations similar to those discussed at the global forum.

As countries move toward structured virtual asset oversight, Pakistan’s sandbox places it among nations actively shaping the next phase of digital finance regulation.

XRP slips ~0.5% in 24h as 200m tokens exit Binance over ten days.

XRP (XRP) exchange reserves on Binance have declined over the past ten days, with approximately 200 million tokens withdrawn from the platform.

The token supply ratio on Binance, which measures the proportion of XRP’s total circulating supply held on the exchange, dropped from 0.027 to 0.025 during the period, the data showed. The metric displayed a steady downward trend rather than a single-day movement, according to the analysis.

Exchange reserve data tracks the movement of digital assets between trading platforms and private wallets. Rising reserves typically indicate holders are transferring assets to exchanges, often in preparation for selling, while declining reserves suggest withdrawals into private custody.

XRP price headwinds

The recent outflow appears to reflect user-driven movement rather than internal exchange reallocation, which cited transparency in Binance’s published custody addresses as enabling distinction between operational adjustments and organic withdrawals.

XRP has declined significantly since the beginning of 2025. Sustained exchange outflows following price corrections have historically indicated renewed investor interest at lower price levels, according to market observers.

When digital assets leave exchanges, the immediately available supply for selling on trading platforms decreases. While reduced exchange supply does not guarantee price increases, it can affect market structure if demand returns, according to market analysts.

The current level of token withdrawal has already exceeded the total accumulation seen throughout 2025, the data indicated.

Market participants continue to monitor whether the shift toward private storage will translate into price momentum or remain a structural change in holding patterns.

Bitcoin and most altcoins, including popular names like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Coin, and XRP, were in the green today, February 20, as investors bought the dip after some key catalysts.

Bitcoin (BTC) jumped to $68,000, while Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu Coin (SHIB), and Ripple (XRP) rose by over 4%. The market capitalization of all tokens rose by 2.2% to over $2.3 trillion.

Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Coin, and XRP rose after the Supreme Court ruling 

The main reason why altcoins like DOGE, SHIB, and XRP rose is that the Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

In theory, the ruling will have a positive impact on the US economy by lowering inflation. Such a move raises the possibility that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates, especially now that the recent data showed that the headline Consumer Price Index dropped in January.

In reality, however, the decision will not have a major impact as Trump has some backup strategies that he will use to implement tariffs on key countries like China, India, and those in the European Union. 

Weak US GDP data and impact on the Federal Reserve 

Bitcoin and other altcoins rose after the US published a weak GDP report. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy expanded by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, badly missing the expected 3%. 

The economic growth was much lower than the 4.4% experienced in the third quarter. This slowdown was mostly because of the prolonged government shutdown that happened during the quarter.

The weak economic report is bullish for cryptocurrencies because it raises the possibility that the Fed will cut interest rates later this year.

Donald Trump gave Iran more time to reach a deal 

Bitcoin and most altcoins also rose after Donald Trump gave Iranian leaders more time to reach a nuclear deal with the United States. He gave them 15 days, meaning that an attack may not happen during the weekend as some analysts were expecting.

Still, most analysts believe that he will ultimately attack the country later this year, a move that will lead to lower crypto prices. As such, there is a risk that the ongoing rebound is a dead-cat bounce, a situation where assets rise briefly and then resume the downtrend.

Key points:

• Bitcoin bulls are struggling to sustain the intraday rallies, indicating that every minor rise is being sold into.

• Select major altcoins are showing weakness, signaling a drop to their strong support levels.

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls pushed the price above $68,300 but are struggling to maintain the higher levels. BTC is likely to record its fifth consecutive red monthly candle in the absence of a major rally in the next few days. That is the longest losing streak since 2018/19 when BTC fell for six successive months. A minor positive for the bulls is that the losing streak in 2018/19 was followed by a 131.6% rally over the following five months, per CoinGlass data.

Another indicator signaling a possible rally to the upside is the Bollinger Bands. According to crypto analyst Dorkchicken, the monthly Bollinger Bands are at their “tightest” level on record. All previous such instances have resulted in a bullish breakout, except the breakdown to $16,000 from $20,000 in 2022.

Although signs point to a possible up move, traders should keep a close watch on BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) flows to gauge institutional activity. US spot BTC ETFs have recorded $403.9 million in net outflows this week, according to SoSoValue data. Unless Friday witnesses sharp inflows, reversing losses of the past three days, the ETFs are on track for a five-week outflow streak. A sustained recovery may be difficult without institutional participation.

Could buyers push BTC and select major altcoins above their overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

Bitcoin price prediction

BTC bulls have maintained the price above the immediate support at $65,118, indicating demand at lower levels.

Buyers will have to push the Bitcoin price above the 20-day exponential moving average ($71,247) to gain the upper hand. If they manage to do that, the BTC/USDT pair may climb to the breakdown level of $74,508. Sellers are expected to aggressively defend the $74,508 level, as a break above it suggests the pair may have formed a short-term bottom. The pair may then ascend to the 50-day simple moving average ($82,258).

Sellers will have to yank the price below the $65,118 level to signal strength. The pair may then retest the Feb. 6 low of $60,000, which is likely to attract solid buying by the bulls.

Ether price prediction

Ether (ETH) has been consolidating between the $1,750 and the $2,111 level, indicating uncertainty about the next directional move.

There is minor support at $1,897, but if the level cracks, the ETH/USDT pair may drop to the $1,750 support. Buyers are expected to fiercely defend the $1,750 level, as a close below it may sink the pair to $1,537.

The bulls will be back in the driver’s seat on a close above the $2,111 resistance. If they can pull it off, the Ether price may rally to the 50-day SMA ($2,665). Sellers may again attempt to halt the recovery at the 50-day SMA, but if the buyers prevail, the pair may surge to $3,045.

XRP price prediction

The failure of the bulls to push XRP (XRP) above the 20-day EMA ($1.50) suggests a lack of demand at higher levels.

The XRP/USDT pair may slide to the support line, which is a crucial level to watch out for. If the XRP price turns up sharply from the support line and breaks above the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the pair may remain inside the descending channel for some more time. Buyers will have to pierce the downtrend line to signal a short-term trend change.

Contrarily, a break and close below the support line indicates that the bears are in command. The pair may then tumble to $1.11 and subsequently to $1.

BNB price prediction

BNB (BNB) has been gradually sliding toward the $587 to $570 support zone, indicating that the bears are in control.

If the BNB price turns down and skids below the support zone, the BNB/USDT pair may start the next leg of the downtrend to the psychological level at $500.

This bearish view will be negated in the near term if the bulls push the price above the $669 resistance. If that happens, the pair may surge to the breakdown level of $730 and then to the 50-day SMA ($797). Such a move suggests that the pair may have bottomed out in the short term.

Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) bulls are attempting to maintain the price above the immediate support at $76, but the bounce lacks strength.

That heightens the risk of a break below the $76 level. If that happens, the SOL/USDT pair may plummet to the Feb. 6 low of $67. Buyers are expected to mount a strong defense at the $67 level, as a close below it may sink the pair to $50.

The first sign of strength will be a break and close above the breakdown level of $95. That indicates the bears are losing their grip. The Solana price may then rally to the 50-day SMA ($114).

Dogecoin price prediction

Buyers are attempting to push Dogecoin (DOGE) above the 20-day EMA ($0.10), but the bears have held their ground.

A minor positive in favor of the bulls is that they have not given up much ground to the bears. That increases the possibility of a break above the 20-day EMA. If that happens, the DOGE/USDT pair may rally to the breakdown level of $0.12.

Contrary to this assumption, if the Dogecoin price turns down and breaks below $0.09, it suggests that the bulls have given up. That might sink the pair to the critical $0.08 support. 

Bitcoin Cash price prediction

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has slipped below the 20-day EMA ($548), indicating that the bears are attempting to take charge.

If the Bitcoin Cash price sustains below the 20-day EMA, the BCH/USDT pair may plummet to the next major support at $500. Buyers are expected to vigorously defend the $500 level, as a close below it may open the doors for a fall to the vital support at $443.

The bulls will have to push and maintain the price above the 50-day SMA ($575) to signal strength. The pair may then jump to $600 and later to $631. Buyers are expected to encounter aggressive selling in the $631 to $670 zone.

Related: Here’s what happened in crypto today

Hyperliquid price prediction

Hyperliquid (HYPE) bounced off the 50-day SMA ($27.89) on Thursday, indicating that the bulls are buying on dips. 

Buyers will have to drive the Hyperliquid price above $32.50 to seize control. The HYPE/USDT pair may then pick up momentum and surge to the $35.50 to $38.42 resistance zone.

On the contrary, if the price turns down from the 20-day EMA ($30.01) and breaks below the 50-day SMA, it suggests that the bulls are losing their grip. The pair may then slump toward the $20.82 support, where buyers are expected to step in. 

Cardano price prediction

Buyers are struggling to push Cardano (ADA) above the 20-day EMA ($0.28), but a minor positive is that they have not ceded much ground to the bears.

The bulls will again attempt to drive the Cardano price above the 20-day EMA. If they succeed, the ADA/USDT pair may march toward the stiff overhead resistance at the downtrend line. Buyers will have to achieve a close above the downtrend line to signal a potential short-term trend change.

Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will strive to tug the price below the support line, indicating the resumption of the downtrend. The next stop on the downside is likely to be $0.15.

Monero price prediction

Monero (XMR) has been consolidating in a downtrend, indicating that the bears have kept up the pressure.

Sellers will attempt to strengthen their position by pulling the Monero price below the $309 level. If they manage to do that, the XMR/USDT pair might drop to the $276 level. Buyers are expected to defend the $276 level with all their might, as a close below it may sink the pair to $247.

On the upside, the bulls will have to drive and maintain the price above the 20-day EMA ($360) to signal strength. The pair may then climb to the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level of $414.