According to a report by Odaily Planet Daily citing sources cited by the Mainichi Shimbun on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed concerns about further interest rate hikes during a meeting with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda last week. If true, Takaichi's recent refusal to raise interest rates again could complicate the Bank of Japan's plans, as coordination with the newly appointed government will become more challenging. The report caused the yen to weaken against both the dollar and the euro. Ueda stated that the meeting last Monday mainly involved a general exchange on the economic and financial situation, and that the prime minister did not make any specific monetary policy requests. Takaichi herself avoided discussing the specific details of their meeting, only stating that she hoped the central bank would work closely with the government to achieve its 2% inflation target, accompanied by wage growth. This meeting came as market participants speculated that rising living costs due to factors such as a weak yen might prompt the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in March or April. (Jinshi)

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Bitcoin fell more than 19% in February, its worst monthly performance since June 2022, due to concerns about global tariffs. (Cointelegraph)

According to official news, MGBX will list Espresso (ESP) for spot trading on February 24, 2026 at 18:00 (SGT). Deposits will open at 16:00 (SGT) on February 24, 2026. Trading will open at 18:00 (SGT) on February 24, 2026. Withdrawals will open at 19:00 (SGT) on February 27, 2026. Espresso is a decentralized foundational layer designed to improve the performance, interoperability, and security of Layer 2 Rollups.

According to a chart released today by Matrixport, as reported by Odaily Planet Daily, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently mentioned that the market size of dollar-denominated stablecoins is expected to expand to $3 trillion in the next few years. In the long term, the penetration trend of digital dollars continues, and the overall narrative is positive. However, the latest data shows that short-term momentum has weakened: the growth of stablecoins has slowed significantly, showing signs of stagnation. This decline will not only suppress Bitcoin but also bring considerable resistance to the entire crypto ecosystem. Stablecoins are the most important liquidity infrastructure in the crypto market; stagnant supply expansion often means that funds are withdrawing from the blockchain and flowing back into fiat currency, rather than remaining in the crypto market for continued circulation. If stablecoins maintain a high net outflow, Bitcoin's liquidity environment will likely remain tight in the short term, making recovery difficult. Even if the Market Structure Act is successfully passed, if real demand and capital inflows fail to accelerate again, the supply of stablecoins may not immediately return to an expansionary trajectory.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Hong Kong-based stablecoin payment company RedotPay is considering a US IPO, potentially raising over $1 billion. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that RedotPay is working with JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Jefferies Financial Group Inc., planning a listing in New York as early as this year. The company may seek a valuation exceeding $4 billion. (Bloomberg)