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Your weekly roundup of the 🔥hottest news in crypto:

US Crypto Task Force meets with firms, Warren criticizes Musk, & other news

Written by Ciaran Lyons

Feb. 9 - 15

#1

SEC Crypto Task Force met with firms to discuss staking, litigation review

The US Securities and Exchange Commission's Crypto Task Force met with several representatives from the cryptocurrency and traditional finance sectors to discuss regulatory issues impacting digital assets in early February. Key themes included staking, clear guidelines for exchange-traded products (ETPs) and a new framework for policing the emerging asset class.

According to memoranda available on the SEC's website, the Crypto Task Force met with the Blockchain Association, an industry lobby group, on Feb. 4. The lobby group suggested six priority areas the task force should focus on to "tackle issues that impact the digital asset industry."

In addition to establishing regulatory principles and clearer guidelines, the lobby group requested that the SEC adopt a pro-innovation approach to broker-dealers, custodians and exchanges; establish uniform ETP standards; and ensure protocol staking is not classified as a security.

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#2

Elizabeth Warren calls Elon Musk 'bank robber' for dismantling CFPB

US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing back against Elon Musk and President Donald Trump over efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency she helped create in 2007.

The CFPB — a US government agency focused on consumer protection — was hit with another wave of layoffs on Feb. 13, receiving termination notices for up to 100 employees, NPR reported.

The layoffs came shortly after Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget and acting head of the CFPB recently appointed by US President Donald Trump, cut off the agency from new funding in line with the agenda of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency's Workforce Optimization Initiative.

"The CFPB was created by Congress, and Congress — not Elon Musk, not Donald Trump — is the only one that can shut it down," Warren said in an interview with progressive publication Mother Jones on Feb. 12.

#3

CZ's dog's name sparks 'Broccoli' memecoin frenzy

Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance, revealed his dog's name, Broccoli, in an X post on Feb. 13, sparking a wave of memecoins named after the Belgian Malinois canine.

Broccoli memecoins have quickly taken up residence on popular memecoin launching platforms, including Solana's Pump.fun, where there are at least 480 Broccoli-themed coins, and BNB Smart Chain's Four.Meme, with at least 300 coins at the time of writing. Some have gained traction, with one Solana Broccoli memecoin reaching a $1.5 billion market capitalization on Feb. 13.

CZ stressed that he was not launching a memecoin of his own, adding that it's "up to the community to do that (or not)."

#4 Prediction of the week

Cathie Wood stands by $1.5M Bitcoin prediction despite ETF outflows

Bitcoin's chances of reaching $1.5 million are improving as institutional investors increase their exposure to digital assets, according to ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood.

Bitcoin has been trading under the key $100,000 level since Feb. 4, as investor sentiment has been pressured by global trade war concerns following import tariffs announced by the US and China.

Despite the temporary market slump, Bitcoin's odds of surpassing $1.5 million a coin have increased, according to Wood.

"We actually think the odds have gone up that our bull case will be the right number, because of what is becoming the institutionalization of this new asset class," she said.

#5 FUD of the week

Near Protocol ex-manager livestreams nudes, apologizes to girlfriend

A former employee of layer-1 blockchain platform Near Protocol accidentally showed nude images while sharing his screen on a public call, coinciding with a tidy price bump for native token NEAR.

Ex-business development manager Andrew Krynin was on a livestream with Near core contributor Cameron Dennis when two titillating images appeared on the screen, providing viewers with a look at the files saved on his laptop.

"The only thing that I wanted to say next was, uh… God damn it," Krynin said. After two seconds of silence, his screensharing stopped.

#6 FUD of the week

CluCoin founder asks to be spared prison for $1.1M fraud scheme

The founder of the crypto scheme CluCoin, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud last year for stealing $1.1 million in investor funds to gamble in online casinos, has asked a judge to spare him from a prison sentence.

Austin Michael Taylor asked a Miami federal court in a Feb. 11 sentencing memo to sentence him to probation, which would allow him to serve any sentence outside of prison. A memo from prosecutors filed the same day asked for him to be imprisoned for around two-and-a-half years.

"Mr. Taylor understands that he had a lapse in judgment and has accepted responsibility for his actions," his lawyer wrote. The memo added he completed an in-hospital mental health treatment program before his guilty plea and continues to receive treatment while attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings.