Armed men attempted to break into the home of Binance France President David Prinçay on Thursday morning, marking the latest in a growing wave of crypto-linked attacks across France.

According to French outlet RTL, three hooded individuals entered a residential building in the Val-de-Marne region around 7:00 a.m. on February 12. They were reportedly armed and searching for Prinçay’s apartment.

However, the attackers fled after discovering he was not at home.

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Armed Commando Flees, Then Strikes Again

Local reports suggested the group first forced another resident to help them locate the correct apartment. Police said the suspects searched the Binance executive’s residence before leaving with two stolen phones.

Shortly afterward, at approximately 9:15 a.m., police in Hauts-de-Seine responded to another incident. A resident in Vaucresson reported being struck in the head with rifle butts by hooded men.

Authorities later linked the two events.

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According to RTL, surveillance footage showed the suspects using the same vehicle seen earlier in Val-de-Marne. The stolen phones were also traced to the second location.

Witnesses reportedly overheard the attackers saying the address was incorrect before fleeing again.

Arrested at Lyon Perrache Station

French law enforcement launched a coordinated operation involving the Paris Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB), police units from Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines, and transport police.

Investigators tracked the suspects via public transportation.

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The three men boarded a train to Lyon. Authorities alerted the Lyon BRI unit, which intercepted and arrested them at Lyon Perrache station later that day.

They are now in custody. The investigation remains ongoing.

Binance Co-Founder Yi He addressed the incident on X, confirming that the targeted executive and his family are safe.

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Is France Becoming a Haven for Crypto Crime?

The attempted attack comes amid a surge in crypto-related kidnappings and home invasions across France.

In May 2025, French police arrested more than 20 suspects linked to a series of kidnappings in the greater Paris area and surrounding regions, where criminals targeted affluent crypto investors.

Throughout 2025, French law enforcement continued to dismantle cells linked to crypto-focused extortion. 

Investigations revealed that attackers frequently used private information obtained from dark-web leaks or social-network scraping to profile potential targets.

Methods ranged from staged home invasions — often in the early morning — to coordinated abductions and forced movements between locations to evade detection.

TLDR

• Oracle (ORCL) stock turned positive Wednesday following an $88 million cloud contract award from the U.S. Air Force
• The firm-fixed price deal extends through December 2028 for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services supporting Cloud One
• Shares had declined recently on revenue growth concerns even as Q2 cloud revenue surged 34% to $8 billion
• The agreement reinforces Oracle’s role in Department of Defense cloud modernization programs
• Stock climbed 0.78% to $158.40 in premarket trading after the contract announcement

Oracle stock posted gains Wednesday after landing an $88 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. The deal marks a turnaround for shares that had struggled in recent sessions.

Oracle Corporation, ORCL

The three-year task order runs through December 7, 2028. Oracle will provide Cloud Infrastructure services for Cloud One, the Air Force’s centralized cloud platform.

Investors had sold Oracle shares recently over revenue growth worries. The selling continued despite cloud revenue jumping 34% to $8 billion in the company’s second quarter of fiscal 2026.

The contract enables Department of Defense customers to access Oracle Cloud Infrastructure across various security classification levels. The platform includes advanced security tools like the Secure Cloud Computing Architecture.

Government Cloud Services Expand

Oracle AI Database 26ai forms part of the contract package. Government users can securely combine classified and public information when running agentic AI workflows.

The task order covers Oracle Cloud Infrastructure offerings used by Cloud One and its government customers. Services extend across the Air Force and broader DoD enterprise.

Oracle described the contract as bolstering its position in Department of Defense cloud modernization efforts. The company has built a growing presence in government cloud services over recent years.

Contractor facilities throughout the United States will perform the work. The Air Force issued the task order on Thursday.

Recent Performance and Recovery

Oracle shares only returned to positive territory in the past two days. Revenue growth concerns weighed on the stock despite strong cloud segment results.

The second quarter of fiscal 2026 ended in November with cloud revenue hitting $8 billion. The 34% growth rate failed to alleviate investor worries about overall revenue trends.

Premarket trading showed Oracle at $158.40, up 0.78% from the previous close. The Air Force contract helped lift shares out of recent declines.

The Cloud One program gives DoD customers access to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s security, performance and resiliency features. Users can deploy the platform based on specific classification requirements.

Oracle will deliver services across multiple security classification tiers. This approach provides flexibility for different government agencies with varying security needs.

The deal expands Oracle’s government contract portfolio. The Texas-based company has established itself as a trusted provider for sensitive government cloud operations.

Mission owners can leverage DoD security services through the program. The Secure Cloud Computing Architecture helps meet boundary protection requirements for the Defense Information Systems Network.

Oracle shares had faced downward pressure as investors assessed growth metrics. Cloud revenue growth of 34% in Q2 reached $8 billion but failed to satisfy market expectations.

The stock moved 0.78% higher in premarket sessions to $158.40. The Air Force contract provided the catalyst for the reversal in share price direction.

Government customers gain access to advanced AI capabilities while maintaining security compliance. Oracle AI Database 26ai enables sophisticated agentic AI workflows using both classified and public data.

TLDR

• Moderna reported Q4 revenue of $678 million, beating Wall Street estimates of $626.1 million, driven by COVID-19 vaccine sales
• The company posted a quarterly loss of $2.11 per share, narrower than the $2.54 per share loss analysts expected
• Moderna reiterated its 2026 revenue growth target of 10% and expects 50% of sales from U.S. markets and 50% from international
• FDA refused to review Moderna’s flu vaccine application this week, citing trial design flaws, despite internal staff reviewers supporting the review
• Moderna stock slipped 0.3% in premarket trading Friday despite beating earnings, after rising 36% year-to-date through Thursday

Moderna shares dipped 0.3% in premarket trading Friday even after the biotech company delivered quarterly results that topped Wall Street expectations. The mixed reaction highlights investor concerns about the company’s path forward after a rough week.

The Cambridge-based vaccine maker reported fourth-quarter revenue of $678 million. That beat analyst estimates of $626.1 million.

Full-year 2025 sales reached $1.94 billion, surpassing the $1.89 billion consensus estimate. COVID-19 vaccine sales drove the better-than-expected performance.

Moderna, Inc., MRNA

Moderna posted a quarterly loss of $2.11 per share. Analysts had projected a steeper loss of $2.54 per share. The latest loss was narrower than the $2.91 per share loss recorded in the same quarter last year.

CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company entered the year “with strong momentum despite the continued challenging environment in the U.S.” The company reaffirmed its expectation for 10% revenue growth in 2026 compared to 2025.

Wall Street currently expects revenue growth of about 6% for the year. Moderna forecast research and development expenses of roughly $3 billion for 2026, matching analyst estimates.

FDA Setback Casts Shadow

The earnings beat came days after a setback with regulators. The FDA refused Tuesday to review Moderna’s seasonal flu vaccine application.

FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad said the company should have compared its vaccine to standard high-dose flu shots for older adults. Moderna ran its trial using regular-dose comparisons, which the company says FDA approved 18 months ago.

Internal FDA staff reviewers had supported moving forward with the review. Prasad overruled them, according to a Wednesday report from Stat.

Moderna criticized the decision and said it was awaiting further guidance on refiling. The company has been counting on its flu vaccine and a future COVID-flu combination shot to drive future growth.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The company expects about 50% of 2026 sales to come from U.S. markets. International markets will account for the remaining half.

Bancel said Moderna expects to meet its 2026 targets through expansion of its next-generation COVID vaccine. Strategic partnerships in international markets will also play a role.

Shares had climbed 36% year-to-date through Thursday’s close. Positive Phase 2b trial results for an intismeran autogene vaccine used in melanoma treatment drove much of the rally.

The company continues working on newer products to offset declining COVID vaccine demand. Sales have struggled since the pandemic windfall years when demand for COVID shots collapsed.

Moderna’s full-year 2025 revenue of $1.94 billion came in above the $1.89 billion analyst consensus, while the company maintains its 10% revenue growth target for 2026.

Bitcoin flirted with US$60,000 last week before staging a modest recovery, leaving altcoins to nurse bruised egos and investors to wonder if they’re holding the next “dead token.” Meanwhile, AI stocks are stealing capital and attention like a toddler in a candy store. Welcome to crypto’s latest de-risking phase, where patience is as much an asset as Bitcoin itself.

According to a Binance analysis, markets are caught between two powerful forces: a rotation of capital away from speculative crypto bets toward AI and defensive narratives, and a macro backdrop dominated by hawkish Fed expectations, potential government shutdown jitters, and global trade tensions.

The result is a market that’s temporarily favoring durability over hype, forcing smaller tokens to either prove their worth or quietly fade into obscurity. For Bitcoin, this 50% drawdown from last October’s all-time high is more of a cleansing than a collapse—and it may be laying the groundwork for the next chapter.

Investors are learning a lesson in selective attention. As Bitcoin consolidates around US$60,000–65,000, altcoins continue to lag, dragged down by a flood of 2025 token launches. Roughly 11.6 million of the 20.2 million new tokens released last year—many with little to no users or revenue—have already vanished from active trading.

CoinGecko and Binance report that more than half of these new entrants have endured brutal drawdowns, leaving hype-driven speculators nursing losses while projects with real fundamentals fight for visibility.

Yet the long tail isn’t completely dead. Some smaller assets have shown muted moves recently, reflecting that much of the early deleveraging has already occurred. In other words, the selling pressure is tiring—not that buyers are back in force. Meanwhile, equity markets have also repriced risk, particularly in software, where AI-driven disruption has outperformed Bitcoin in relative terms, creating a liquidity tug-of-war between crypto and tech.

The irony?

The same AI narrative driving stocks higher is one of the most compelling use cases for blockchain: machine-speed payments, programmable money, and cross-border settlements. Short-term, AI is siphoning attention. Medium-term, it may become crypto’s most loyal customer.

Macro factors remain the primary driver. January’s U.S. jobs report showed 130,000 new positions and unemployment at 4.3%, superficially encouraging but revealing a weak underlying trend once benchmark revisions for 2025 are considered. The Fed, under incoming chair Kevin Warsh, is unlikely to loosen policy soon, keeping liquidity tight—a headwind for Bitcoin, historically sensitive to shifts in global cash flows.

Despite the drawdown, structural tailwinds persist. Spot BTC ETF assets under management have only modestly declined, hinting at a sticky investor base focused on strategic allocation rather than momentum chasing. Digital asset treasuries, by contrast, are less aggressive buyers, suggesting balance-sheet strategies are becoming more conservative. Stablecoins have remained plentiful, maintaining the plumbing for future on-chain transactions.

Real-world assets (RWAs) and tokenization have become the new safe harbors. Tokenized treasuries, commodities, and yield-focused structures now total nearly US$25 billion, with tokenized gold surging over 50% since the start of 2026. Tether Gold (XAUT) recently exceeded US$2.6 billion in market cap, a reminder that even in a risk-off phase, crypto can find its bedrock.

DeFi continues to converge with traditional finance. BlackRock’s move to make shares of its tokenized U.S. Treasury fund BUIDL tradable via UniswapX, along with its purchase of UNI governance tokens, signals institutional confidence in decentralized infrastructure. Liquidity exists; it’s just selective, waiting for the right catalyst.

Looking ahead, markets remain poised for volatility while macro signals clarify. Bitcoin’s realized price—roughly US$55,000—marks a psychological pivot point, where holders near breakeven can amplify swings. Yet the difference from prior cycles is clear: this is a deeper, structurally stronger market. Stablecoin rails are solid, RWAs are scaling, DeFi adoption continues, and institutions are quietly embedding digital assets into portfolios.

History suggests that when prices compress but fundamentals advance, conviction builds beneath the surface. Once risk reprices, the winners of this patient phase—projects with real utility, institutional backing, or durable narratives—are often the ones to lead the next leg up. In crypto, as in comedy, timing is everything: the punchline comes after the pause.

Bitcoin (BTC) was once pitched as digital gold — a hedge against monetary instability and market turmoil. But recent price action tells a different story.

As institutional participation has grown, particularly through exchange-traded funds and other traditional vehicles, Bitcoin has increasingly traded in lockstep with risk assets. The latest downturn in software stocks, fueled by renewed uncertainty around AI’s impact on the sector, has been mirrored in crypto markets, raising fresh questions about Bitcoin’s evolving identity.

That changing dynamic sets the tone for this week’s Crypto Biz. New research from Grayscale examines Bitcoin’s growing correlation with growth equities, while one Ether (ETH) treasury company is doubling down despite multibillion-dollar paper losses. Elsewhere, BlackRock is expanding its tokenization push through a Uniswap integration, and Polymarket is taking its fight over state regulation to federal court.

Grayscale: Bitcoin is trading like a growth asset, not digital gold

New research from Grayscale suggests that Bitcoin’s store-of-value narrative has recently taken a back seat, with the digital asset behaving more like a growth stock.

In the report, author Zach Pandl said that while Grayscale continues to view Bitcoin as a long-term store of value due to its fixed supply and independence from central banks, its short-term trading patterns resemble those of high-growth equities.

The analysis found a strong correlation between Bitcoin and software stocks over the past two years. That relationship has become more apparent as software companies face renewed selling pressure amid concerns that artificial intelligence could disrupt parts of the industry.

Against that backdrop, Bitcoin’s recent pullback appears less surprising, as its price has closely tracked the software sector’s movements.

BitMine adds 40,613 ETH during market sell-off

Ether treasury company BitMine Immersion Technologies added 40,613 ETH to its holdings during the recent market sell-off, reinforcing its long-term bet on Ether even as prices plunge and paper losses reach billions of dollars. 

The purchase raised BitMine’s total Ether stash to more than 4.326 million ETH, worth about $8.8 billion at current levels. According to DropsTab data, the company is now sitting on around $8.1 billion in unrealized losses on its ETH position, reflecting a significant gap between its cost basis and today’s market price.

Despite investor criticism and pressure on its stock price, which has fallen sharply over recent months, BitMine chairman Tom Lee said the company’s strategy is designed to track Ether’s long-term trajectory and benefit from future recoveries. The company’s broader crypto and cash portfolio is valued at roughly $10 billion.

BlackRock buys UNI, brings BUIDL to Uniswap

BlackRock is deepening its push into decentralized finance by listing its tokenized money market fund on Uniswap, a significant step for institutional DeFi adoption.

The asset manager’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) is now available on the decentralized exchange, giving whitelisted institutional investors the ability to trade the tokenized Treasury product onchain. As part of the move, BlackRock is also purchasing Uniswap’s governance token, UNI.

BUIDL is the largest tokenized money market fund, with more than $2.1 billion in assets. The fund is issued across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche. In December, it surpassed $100 million in cumulative distributions generated from its US Treasury holdings.

Polymarket sues Massachusetts over state regulation of prediction markets

Decentralized prediction market Polymarket has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Massachusetts, challenging state authorities’ efforts to restrict or shut down its event-based trading products. 

Polymarket’s chief legal officer, Neal Kumar, confirmed the filing on Monday, saying unresolved legal questions around jurisdiction should be settled at the federal level rather than through state enforcement. The lawsuit is preemptive, aimed at blocking any action by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell that Polymarket contends would unlawfully interfere with federally regulated markets.

The company argues that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), not individual states, has exclusive authority over event contracts like those offered on its platform, and that state actions risk fragmenting national markets.

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