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The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Thursday closed down -0.28%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down -0.54%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -0.41%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) fell -0.25%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) fell -0.40%.Stock indexes settled lower on Thursday, led by losses in chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks, amid renewed caution over the outlook for artificial intelligence.  Concerns remain that AI could disrupt entire sectors of the economy and that the huge investments in the technology may not pay off.  Stocks also face some negative carryover from Wednesday, when the minutes of the…

Key Takeaways Crypto is generally treated as zakatable wealth. Zakat on crypto is usually calculated at 2.5%. You must total your holdings across wallets and exchanges. As Muslims around the world enter Ramadan in 2026, many are reviewing their finances ahead of Zakat season — but for a growing number, that includes assets beyond cash or savings accounts. Bitcoin and Ethereum are increasingly becoming mainstream investments, raising a practical question for many Muslims: does crypto count as zakatable wealth — and if so, how do you calculate it? What Is Zakat? Zakat is one of Islam’s five pillars, a compulsory…

Seed round led by blockchain VC firm Blockchange Ventures. The Unicity Protocol enables AI agents to form peer-to-peer trustless marketplaces at machine speed ZUG, Switzerland, Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Unicity Labs, a protocol development company building the agentic autonomous internet, has successfully raised $3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Blockchange Ventures, with participation from Tawasal, a Middle East-based communications super app, and Outlier Ventures, a leading Web3 early-stage investor. The timely raise comes as AI agents (software entities that can independently discover services, negotiate terms, and execute transactions) evolve from conceptual tools into economic actors. The…

By 2026, Web3 advertising will no longer be a test. It has become an important channel for reaching digitally native audiences, thanks to infrastructure that looks and works more like enterprise-grade ad tech than early crypto side projects. After the 2021 hype cycle, the industry now follows standards that prioritize measurable, compliant growth. Web3 ad platforms are assessed by advertisers in the same manner as their well-known programmatic partners. They expect reliable delivery, clear accountability, and consistent performance. A legitimate Web3 ad network in 2026 must exhibit the authenticity, traceability, and independent verifiability of campaign results through the transparency of…

Why Sweeps Coins Get Confused With Crypto Sweeps Coins show up on sweepstakes-style sites that use virtual coins inside an account system rather than on a public blockchain. The shared word ‘coin,’ plus the fact that some sites accept crypto payments, can make it sound like Sweeps Coins are cryptocurrency. In Short: Sweeps Coins are usually closed-loop promotional credits inside one platform’s rules. Cryptocurrency is designed to move between wallets and open markets. What Sweeps Coins Are and What They Are Not Sweeps Coins are in-game entries used on sweepstakes-style sites, and they only work inside that site’s account system.…

APIA, Samoa, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Phemex, a user-first crypto exchange, today announced the launch of its AI-Native Revolution, initiating a company-wide transformation that embeds artificial intelligence into the core of its operating model, product philosophy, and long-term strategic direction. Rather than introducing AI as a standalone feature, Phemex is restructuring itself around intelligent systems. Artificial intelligence will serve as a foundational layer across management, operations, product development, and strategic planning — shaping how decisions are made, how products are built, and how value is delivered to users. The strategy reflects a broader structural shift within the digital asset…

Bitcoin-backed loan platform Ledn sold about $188 million of bonds tied to Bitcoin‑collateralized consumer loans into the mainstream asset‑backed securities (ABS) market, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. In a first-of-its-kind deal, one of the two tranches — the investment‑grade portion — was reportedly priced at a spread of about 335 basis points over a benchmark rate, implying that investors are demanding 3.35 percentage points in extra yield to hold crypto‑linked credit risk rather than conventional consumer ABS.The deal is structured through Ledn Issuer Trust 2026‑1, which securitizes a pool of 5,441 short‑term, fixed‑rate balloon loans extended…

Executive Summary  With Treasury yield spreads compressed versus German Bunds and U.K. Gilts, term premium near historical lows, and inflation expectations firming, questions remain whether markets are embedding enough sovereign or geopolitical risk in Treasuries.  From Risk‑Free to Political Instrument  For decades, U.S. Treasuries functioned as the world’s de facto risk‑free asset: deep, dollar‑denominated and as close to a zero‑default instrument as markets could find. Even today, the 10‑year note trades around 4.10%–4.20%, and the probability of outright non‑payment remains extremely low. What has changed is the tail: in an era of sanctions, reserve freezes and more explicit weaponization of financial channels, investors can no…

The dollar index (DXY00) rallied to a 1-week high on Wednesday and finished up by +0.57%.  The dollar moved higher on Wednesday and found support on better-than-expected US economic reports on Dec capital goods new orders, Dec housing starts and building permits, and Jan manufacturing production.  Also, higher T-note yields on Wednesday have strengthened the dollar’s interest rate differentials.  Gains in the dollar accelerated on Wednesday on the hawkish minutes of the Jan 27-28 FOMC meeting, after “several” officials suggested the Fed may need to raise interest rates if inflation stays above its goal.US MBA mortgage applications rose +2.8% in…

Panama City, Republic of Panama, February 18th, 2026, Chainwire Sai today launched Sai Perps, a perpetuals trading platform built to be as fast and intuitive as a centralized exchange with the transparency and self-custody of onchain settlement. The platform features gasless transactions, removing friction for traders while maintaining full onchain security. Sai also unveiled Let’s Go Saicho, a one-month onchain trading competition running February 18 through March 19, 2026, with $25,000 in total prizes. The campaign is structured in two phases designed to reward both performance and participation: a PNL competition for profitable traders, followed by a first-come, first-serve “Be…