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Key Senate Democrat wants U.S. crypto bill to move, and SEC chief reveals danger of defeat

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Key Senate Democrat wants U.S. crypto bill to move, and SEC chief reveals danger of defeat

One way or another, the U.S. crypto industry is likely to receive official policy that defines which digital assets get what treatment from which federal agencies. The problem: It might not last.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins is focused on reversing the “head in the sand” approach he accuses his predecessors of having on crypto policy, and he’s ready to issue rules that give the industry the regulatory clarity it craves. The catch, though, is that such rules won’t be locked down and can be erased by the same kind of commission vote that puts them in place. They won’t be backed by a targeted law that makes them unassailable by future administrations.

“We need a firm grounding in statute so we can’t have any backsliding in the future,” Atkins told the Senate Banking Committee in Thursday testimony. No matter how enthusiastic he is in giving the industry innovation-friendly rules, they’re not “future-proof.”

But the legislation in the U.S. Senate that would govern such things is floundering. Crypto executives and bankers haven’t been able to reach a compromise on one of the sticking points in stablecoin rewards programs. And Democratic lawmakers haven’t been offered answers to a number of their core concerns, including the full staffing of regulatory commissions and the danger of conflicts of interest when senior government officials have deep business ties to crypto (most obviously, in their view, President Donald Trump).

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Senator Mark Warner, one of the leading Democratic negotiators on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which still needs a hearing in the banking panel, said there’s still a big, bipartisan group working hard on the bill.

“We want to get this done,” he said, signalling that Democrats haven’t yet abandoned the talks. “It’s got to be done safely.”

His primary concern is decentralized finance (DeFi) and preventing bad actors from using it for illicit purposes. Warner’s views on this have, at times, shaken the industry and been seen as a threat to the future existence of DeFi projects. But the latest talks over the bill’s treatment of illicit finance haven’t yet settled on an approach.

“We’ve got to make sure that we don’t set up a regime that allows bad actors or carves out enforcement,” Warner said.

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A Republican lawmaker, Senator Bernie Moreno, commiserated with the SEC chairman, saying, “Congress has failed miserably to give you laws.”

Atkins reiterated that his agency has “pretty broad authority” to write rules now that put crypto businesses on a clear regulatory foundation, as he’s been trying to execute with his “Project Crypto” agenda. But, he said, the rules would need to have legislation “undergird” them.

“We do need, I believe, a good law coming out of Congress,” Atkins said.

Read More: The big U.S. crypto bill is on the move. Here is what it means for everyday users

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So far, a similar version of the Clarity Act already passed the House of Representatives last year. And just last month, another version cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee in a party-line vote. However, when it comes time for the full Senate to vote on a final market structure bill, the industry will need at least seven Democrats like Warner on board — and potentially more, if the Republicans aren’t unanimous.

While Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sounded a hopeful note on Thursday about the Clarity Act, even industry leaders such as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong have shown a willingness to pull support if the policy doesn’t look right. And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called out crypto-industry “nihilists” who are ready to stand in the way, saying they should move to El Salvador if they don’t want vigorous regulation.

The girding that Atkins needs for the SEC’s pending rules remains uncertain, though the White House has directed negotiators to find common ground before the month is out. The clock is ticking, as House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill put it.

Read More: SEC’s Paul Atkins grilled on crypto enforcement pull-back, including with Justin Sun, Tron

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CertiK awarded the “Best Security and Compliance Solution 2026” at SiGMA AIBC

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CertiK awarded the “Best Security and Compliance Solution 2026” at SiGMA AIBC

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Web3 security firm CertiK honored for its contribution in web3 security and compliance at the 2026 SiGMA AIBC Eurasia Awards.

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Summary

  • CertiK named “Best Security & Compliance Solution 2026” at SiGMA AIBC Eurasia Awards for advancing crypto safety.
  • CertiK has expanded into the Middle East, offering institutional-grade crypto security from its Abu Dhabi branch.
  • CertiK has partnered with ADGM regulators to provide enterprise security solutions via Skynet.

CertiK, the web3 security services provider, received an award for “Best Security & Compliance Solution 2026” at the SiGMA AIBC Eurasia Awards ceremony on February 10, 2026. 

The award is a recognition of the firm’s efforts in driving the crypto industry towards compliance and institutionalization. The SiGMA AIBC Eurasia Awards, jointly created by SiGMA and AIBC, is an award for the digital technology and innovation industries in the Eurasia region. It focuses on areas such as AI, blockchain, web3, and compliance security, and is well-known across the region. 

Other award winners included web3 companies, including Crypto.com, OKX Wallet, Avalanche, and Cointelegraph.

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The award comes at a time when CertiK has been expanding its presence in the Middle East since the launch of its branch in Abu Dhabi in 2025. According to the firm, it has launched a localized team recruitment drive to address the demand for security services in the Middle Eastern markets. 

The company’s focus in the region has shifted to providing “institutional-level” security services. The goal of this service model is to provide banks, sovereign wealth funds, and large multinational corporations with security measures that meet traditional financial security requirements through advanced engineering capabilities and a tight defense matrix.

Since launching the branch in Abu Dhabi, CertiK has partnered with Abu Dhabi regulators, participated in roundtable discussions on the framework for virtual asset regulatory activities in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and offers services to local regulators via its security platform Skynet Enterprise.

According to CertiK, its services assist regulators in assessing the potential impact of abnormal events on corporate entities and the broader financial ecosystem, and promote the development of security compliance and innovation in the digital economy.

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Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.

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ETH ETF Flows, Onchain Volume Signal Recovery To $2.4K

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ETH ETF Flows, Onchain Volume Signal Recovery To $2.4K

Key takeaways:

  • Ether exchange-traded funds saw $71 million in inflows, signaling strong institutional appetite.

  • Weekly decentralized exchange volume doubled to $20 billion, narrowing the revenue gap with Solana.

Ether (ETH) price failed to sustain levels above $2,000 on Thursday, leaving traders to weigh the potential catalysts for a market turnaround. While optimism has waned since the crash to $1,745 on Friday, both exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows and ETH derivatives metrics are showing early signs of a reversal. 

Traders now question if there is enough momentum for a bounce back toward $2,400.

US-listed Ether ETFs’ daily net flows, USD. Source: Farside Investors

US-listed Ether ETFs recently broke a three-day streak of outflows, attracting $71 million in fresh capital between Monday and Tuesday. Crucially, assets under management have stabilized at $13 billion, which is sufficient to maintain institutional interest. Ether ETFs currently average over $1.65 billion in daily trading volume, a level of liquidity that enables participation by the world’s largest hedge funds.

To put Ether ETFs in perspective, the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE US)— the largest in the US energy sector — trades an average of $1.5 billion per day. That instrument tracks a combined $2 trillion market capitalization across companies such as Exxon (XOM US), Chevron (CVX US), ConocoPhillips (COP US), The Williams Companies (WMB), and Kinder Morgan (KMI US).

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ETH metrics and ETF inflows signal potential market recovery

While institutional appetite for Ether ETF trading is a positive indicator, it does not guarantee that demand for ETH derivatives is inherently bullish.

ETH 2-month futures basis rate. Source: Laevitas.ch

On Wednesday, the annualized premium (basis rate) of ETH futures remained below the 5% neutral threshold. This lack of demand for bullish leverage has been a constant theme for the past three months. However, the indicator has stabilized at 3%, even as the ETH price hit its lowest level in nine months. These derivatives markets are displaying moderate resilience, which remains an encouraging sign for Ether investors.

Related: Denmark’s Danske Bank allows clients to buy Bitcoin and Ether ETPs

Ethereum Total Value Locked, USD. Source: DefiLlama

Ether’s price weakness has driven Ethereum’s Total Value Locked (TVL) to $54.2 billion, down from $71.2 billion one month prior, according to DefiLlama data. Reduced deposits in the network’s smart contracts represent a major risk, as lower chain fees diminish the native staking yield. Moreover, Ethereum’s supply burn mechanism remains dependent on excessive demand for blockchain processing. 

Despite these worsening conditions, demand for Ethereum decentralized applications (DApps) has been gradually improving throughout 2026.

Ethereum 7-day DEX volumes (left) vs. DApps revenue (right), USD. Source: DefiLlama

Weekly decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes on the Ethereum network surged to $20 billion, up from $9.8 billion one month prior. This increased activity caused DApps revenue to reach $26.6 million in the seven days ending Feb. 8, providing a healthy indicator of ETH demand. While Solana remained the clear leader with $31.1 million in weekly DApps revenue, the gap between the two networks is narrowing.

Those monitoring Ether price performance exclusively fail to see that ETH onchain metrics and derivatives have displayed resilience, especially as inflows into Ether ETFs resumed. While it might take a couple of weeks for investors to fully regain confidence, there are strong indicators that a near-term rally toward $2,400 is possible.

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