Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has expressed confidence that the CLARITY Act, a landmark piece of legislation for the crypto industry, is likely to pass by the end of April.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse remains optimistic about the Clarity Act, giving it an 👀 80% chance of being signed by the end of April. 🏛️

While XRP has its legal clarity, the rest of the industry is still waiting. Progress over perfection is the goal. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7DqQezE3U2

— 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) February 16, 2026

According to Garlinghouse, there is now an 80% chance of the bill being approved, especially after continued negotiations between banks and crypto firms. The CEO has urged the industry to embrace compromise, suggesting that waiting for a perfect bill could stall progress.

In recent weeks, discussions surrounding the CLARITY Act have seen significant developments, especially following a long-standing deadlock in the Senate Banking Committee. This delay occurred just before the bill was initially expected to pass. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, also remains optimistic, noting that talks between banks and crypto firms have made significant strides.

The potential passage of the CLARITY Act would offer much-needed regulatory clarity for the crypto space, which has long struggled with uncertain legislation. This clarity, according to Garlinghouse, would be a step toward stabilizing the market, benefiting both crypto firms and investors. However, despite its positive potential, the bill still faces challenges that could delay its passage further.

Crypto Bill Stalemate and Progress in Negotiations

The road to the CLARITY Act’s passage has not been smooth. Earlier this year, Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States, pulled its support for the legislation. The company cited its inability to reach a compromise on the issue of stablecoin yield. This setback delayed momentum in the Senate Banking Committee, creating further uncertainty for the bill’s future.

While there is some frustration over the stalled negotiations, there is still hope that a breakthrough is imminent. The White House has set a February deadline for crypto and banking leaders to agree on stablecoin yield provisions within the bill. This deadline aligns with Garlinghouse’s predictions, as he has consistently emphasized that compromise rather than perfection is necessary to move the legislation forward.

As talks continue this week, stakeholders in the crypto sector remain hopeful that the final version of the bill will be sufficiently beneficial to all parties involved. The current focus is on balancing regulatory clarity with the needs of both traditional banks and the emerging crypto economy. A resolution could bring much-needed stability and restore confidence in the market, especially as the crypto industry struggles through a bearish phase.

White House Involvement and Potential Market Impact

The involvement of the White House in the negotiation process highlights the importance of the CLARITY Act to the future of the crypto industry. A key upcoming meeting later this week could serve as a turning point in the discussions. With the backing of influential parties, such as the White House and major financial institutions, the chances of the bill’s successful passage by April appear to be increasing.

Market speculation suggests that the CLARITY Act’s passage could lead to significant liquidity returning to the crypto space. If the bill succeeds, many analysts believe it could reinvigorate the market, which has been experiencing a downturn for some time. Increased stability from clearer regulations may prompt a resurgence of interest in crypto assets, driving investment and innovation within the sector.

Despite the uncertainty, many in the industry are holding out hope that the passage of the CLARITY Act will bring much-needed regulatory certainty. This could pave the way for future growth and opportunities in the crypto market. With discussions heating up and potential progress on the horizon, the crypto community will be watching closely as April approaches.

SOU NFTs as Proof of Claims

The SOU system offers affected users an on-chain, non-fungible token (NFT) that tracks the value owed to them. Each SOU represents an individual claim, recorded securely on the Ethereum blockchain. Users can see their principal amount, which decreases as payouts and donations are processed. The transparency of this system ensures that the value cannot be manipulated, providing a fair method for managing claims.

SOU is live

Introducing SOU (Shib Owes You) an onchain NFT built as a good-faith effort to support impacted users with payouts, donations, and occasional rewards.

Transparent. Tradable. On-chain.
You can transfer it, split it, merge it, or trade it on marketplaces.

Claim your… pic.twitter.com/ONyO8OitJQ

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— Shib (@Shibtoken) February 16, 2026

This initiative aims to restore trust and compensate those who experienced setbacks during Shibarium’s challenges. Shiba Inu’s developer, Kaal Dhairya, emphasized the importance of this effort, stating that it would help make things right for impacted users. The project’s transparent tracking feature ensures that users have clear visibility of their claims.

Security and Audits Behind the SOU Mechanism

The Shiba Inu team worked with Hexens, an independent auditing firm, to thoroughly review the SOU system. Hexens focused on ensuring the security of the NFT contracts and their integration within the broader Shiba Inu ecosystem. The audit included assessing key components, such as asset recovery, repayment flows, NFT mechanics, and access controls.

According to Hexens, the security review confirmed that the system is safe for managing funds and transactions. This review further guarantees that the SOU system adheres to high security standards, reducing the risk of any breaches. With a clear focus on safety and reliability, the Shiba Inu team has ensured that the SOU NFT mechanism is designed to protect user funds and claims.

Community Support and Positive Reactions

The Shiba Inu community has responded positively to the launch of the SOU system. Shytoshi Kusama, the Shiba Inu lead ambassador, praised the team for their effort and commitment to addressing the issue. Kusama highlighted the significance of getting this system up and running as a critical step in supporting impacted users.

The announcement has sparked discussions among community members who appreciate the transparency and efficiency of the solution. Many users expressed their confidence in the SOU mechanism as a solid foundation for restoring Shibarium’s reputation. By taking this proactive approach, Shiba Inu aims to solidify its reputation and ensure its community feels supported and valued.

Shiba Inu’s Position in the Market

Amid the SOU announcement, the broader crypto market saw some fluctuations. Shiba Inu (SHIB) experienced a minor dip of 2.36% in the past 24 hours, with its price sitting at $0.000006431. Despite the market downturn, SHIB managed to record a weekly increase of 7%, indicating some resilience.

Shiba Inu’s commitment to improving Shibarium’s infrastructure and restoring trust has been crucial in navigating the current market challenges. As the crypto community continues to react, SHIB’s price remains closely tied to the ongoing recovery efforts within the ecosystem. This marks a critical moment for Shiba Inu as it works to rebuild momentum and prove its dedication to long-term growth.

TLDR:

• Jupiter Lend allows users to borrow against natively staked SOL without converting to liquid staking tokens. 
• Over $30 billion in natively staked SOL on Solana can now be used as collateral inside DeFi lending markets. 
• Users can borrow up to 87% of their staked position’s value, with a liquidation threshold set firmly at 88%. 
• Six validators are live at launch, including Jupiter and Helius, with more validators set to join over time.

Native staking as collateral is now available on Jupiter Lend, opening a new lane for Solana DeFi users. Jupiter Exchange has activated a feature allowing holders to borrow against natively staked SOL directly.

No liquid staking tokens are needed at any stage of the process. The update taps into more than $30 billion in staked SOL that previously had no DeFi utility. For long-term SOL stakers, this represents a meaningful shift in how they can use their assets.

Jupiter Lend Bridges Natively Staked SOL Into DeFi Lending

For years, natively staked SOL sat outside the reach of decentralized lending markets. Holders who staked directly with validators had no way to access liquidity without unstaking first.

Jupiter Lend now addresses that gap by detecting staked positions automatically on-chain. Once detected, the position is represented as an nsTOKEN within the protocol.

Jupiter Exchange described the process clearly in a post: “$30B of SOL is natively staked. The largest pool of capital on Solana, earning yield but locked out of DeFi. That changes today.”

The announcement confirmed the feature is live and accessible to users right away. From there, holders can borrow SOL against their staked position without any manual wrapping or conversion.

Staking rewards continue to compound while the collateral remains active on the platform. This means users do not lose yield while borrowing against their position.

The protocol is fully non-custodial, so users keep control of their assets throughout. Everything runs on-chain with no intermediary involved in the process.

The borrowing limit is set at up to 87% of the staked position’s value. The liquidation threshold is placed at 88%, leaving a tight but defined buffer for users.

Each validator on the platform operates through a separate vault. The vault names follow a clear format, such as nsJUPITER for Jupiter and nsHELIUS for Helius.

Six Validators Are Live at Launch With Expansion Plans Ahead

Jupiter Exchange launched the feature with six validators already integrated into the platform. Those validators are Jupiter, Helius, Nansen, Blueshift, Kiln, and Temporal.

Each carries its own dedicated vault while following the same borrowing structure. Users staked with any of these validators can access the feature right away.

As stated in the announcement: “Each has its own vault, but with the same exact flow.” So regardless of which validator a user has staked with, the steps remain the same.

The experience stays consistent across all six supported vaults on Jupiter Lend. Only the validator backing the collateral differs between each nsTOKEN position.

Jupiter Exchange also confirmed that additional validators will be added over time. The plan is to cover a broader range of the Solana validator ecosystem gradually.

As more validators join, more natively staked SOL will enter DeFi lending markets. This phased approach keeps the rollout stable while expanding access steadily.

The launch marks a concrete step toward making natively staked SOL fully liquid for DeFi purposes. Users who previously had no options can now put idle staked capital to work on Jupiter Lend.

Two of Abu Dhabi’s major investment firms increased their exposure to bitcoin BTC$67,619.38 in the fourth quarter of 2025, buying into BlackRock’s spot bitcoin ETF as the market fell, according to recent regulatory filings.

Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign wealth fund backed by the Abu Dhabi government, added nearly four million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) between October and December, bringing its total holdings to 12.7 million shares. The move came as bitcoin fell roughly 23% during the quarter.

Mubadala made its first purchases in IBIT in late 2024 and has been adding since.

Al Warda Investments, another Abu Dhabi-based investment management firm that oversees diversified global assets on behalf of government-related entities, held 8.2 million shares at the end of the fourth quarter, up slightly from 7.96 million shares three months earlier.

Together, the two funds held more than $1 billion worth of bitcoin via IBIT at the end of 2025. However, with bitcoin down another 23% year-to-date in 2026, the current value of their combined holdings has dropped to just over $800 million as of Tuesday (assuming they haven’t continued adding in 2026).

The disclosure, made through 13F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, reflects growing institutional interest in spot bitcoin ETFs, even during periods of market stress. BlackRock’s IBIT, which launched in early 2024, has quickly become the dominant vehicle for regulated exposure to bitcoin in the U.S.

While the crypto market has faced ongoing headwinds in early 2026 — including low volatility, reduced retail participation, and macroeconomic uncertainty — some long-term investors appear to be using the downturn to build positions in regulated, liquid products tied to digital assets.

BlackRock head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, said on a recent panel that there is a mistaken belief that hedge funds using ETFs are driving volatility and heavy selling, but that does not match what the firm is observing. Instead, he said, IBIT holders are in it for the long term.

Key takeaways:

• Institutional sentiment is shifting toward ETH as elite funds reallocate capital from Bitcoin to Ether ETFs.

• BlackRock’s ETH ETF pairs secure staking with a low 0.25% fee, creating a major win for mainstream crypto access.

• Dominance in the $20 billion real-world asset sector proves that big money prioritizes network security over low gas fees.

Ether (ETH) has failed to reclaim the $2,500 level since Jan. 31, leading traders to question what might spark sustainable bullish momentum. Investors are waiting for definitive signs of a favorable sentiment shift; meanwhile, three distinct events could signal the end of the bear cycle that bottomed at $1,744 on Feb. 6.

At first glance, the $327 million in net outflows from spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in February is mildly concerning. The apparent lack of institutional appetite while ETH sits 60% below its all-time high could be seen as a lack of confidence in the $1,800 support level. However, these outflows represent less than 3% of the total assets under management for Ether ETFs.

Recent Ether ETF milestones may boost ETH’s price

While investors currently focus almost exclusively on short-term flows, the magnitude of recent Ether ETF developments will eventually reflect positively on ETH price. In bearish markets, positive news is often ignored or downplayed, but strategic moves from the world’s largest asset managers can quickly flip investor risk perception.

The latest US Securities and Exchange Commission filings showed on Monday that the Harvard endowment fund added an $87 million position in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust during the final quarter of 2025. Interestingly, this vote of confidence arrived as Harvard reduced its iShares Bitcoin Trust holdings to $266 million, down from $443 million in September 2025.

In parallel, BlackRock amended its Staked Ethereum ETF proposal on Tuesday to include an 18% retention of total staking rewards as service fees. While some market participants criticized the hefty fee, the ETF sponsor must compensate intermediaries like Coinbase for staking services. Moreover, the relatively low 0.25% expense ratio remains a net positive for the industry.

The final piece of evidence pointing to growing institutional adoption lies in real world asset (RWA) tokenization, a segment that has surpassed $20 billion in assets. Ethereum stands as the absolute leader, hosting offerings from BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity and Franklin Templeton. This intersection of blockchain applications and traditional finance may trigger sustainable demand for ETH.

Nearly half of the $13 billion in RWA deposits on Ethereum represent tokenized gold, though investments in US Treasurys, bonds and money market funds grew to an impressive $5.2 billion. By comparison, the combined RWA listings on BNB Chain and Solana amount to $4.2 billion, a strong indicator that institutional money is less concerned with fees and more focused on security.

Related: Tokenized RWAs climb 13.5% despite $1T crypto market drawdown

Even if RWA issuers currently focus on closed-end systems using exclusive decentralized finance pools or their own layer-2 networks, intermediaries will eventually find ways to connect with the broader Ethereum ecosystem. Crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly Capital’s latest $650 million funding round signals a strong appetite for tokenized stocks and private credit offerings.

Rather than backing layer-1 blockchains and consumer-focused applications, investors are directing capital toward RWA infrastructure, institutional custody and trading platforms, a clear sign of market maturation. Although it is difficult to predict how long these shifts will take to impact Ether’s price, these events clearly indicate that a bounce back to $2,500 in the near term is feasible.