Investment Bank MCH Double Downgrades Coinbase Rating to Sell

On February 12, Binance founder CZ shared insights during an AMA, highlighting these key points: This bear market differs sharply from past cycles—he can’t confirm if the four-year cycle will hold. For the first time, the U.S. is strongly backing crypto: the new administration is supportive, and ongoing bill approvals are a positive sign. He expects other countries to follow if U.S. support continues. Stablecoins and real-world assets (RWAs) are growing rapidly. Recent community noise and widespread FUD are weighing on market sentiment. With so many moving parts, no one can clearly predict how each factor impacts the market—so he advises everyone to assess risks carefully when trading. He noted seeing both positive and negative forces now. Long-term, the industry will be fine—but he can’t forecast short-term moves (tomorrow, next month, or even this year). CZ added he’s being “honest but vague”: saying a lot without definitive answers, as the picture isn’t clear to him.

On February 12, Coinbase will list Espresso (ESP) perpetual contracts for trading. The ESP-PERP market will launch if liquidity conditions are met and the trading area is already enabled for trading.

On February 12, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) shared during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session: “I’m not a skilled meme trader myself, and I don’t know what strategies profitable meme traders rely on. However, if you buy every meme coin others push based on my tweets, I can guarantee you’ll lose money—that’s a given. Some might misinterpret this, but my point is clear: if you’re a meme trader, you need to develop your own strategy. I don’t know which strategy works, either. But I believe meme coins that stand the test of time need strong cultural identity. Take Dogecoin and Floki—they’ve lasted because they have fiercely loyal fan bases. Newly launched meme coins carry higher risk. My advice? If you’re not sure what you’re doing, don’t touch them—unless you truly understand the space. I’m not an expert in meme coins, either.”

February 12 — Former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is set for trial in February 2027, one of several suits he filed after returning to the White House. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman — a Trump appointee — signed an order in Miami on Wednesday setting the trial date, and also required the president and BBC to complete a mediation process by November 3. Trump’s lawsuit arises from a misleading edit in a pre-2024 election documentary that falsely implied he directly called for violence in his January 6, 2021, speech ahead of the Capitol riot.

On February 12, Binance founder CZ announced earlier that a bilingual (English and Chinese) live AMA is scheduled for today at 11:00 PM Beijing time—viewers can ask him any questions during the session.

February 12 — Perpetual DEX Lighter has partnered with Circle (USDC stablecoin issuer) to split interest generated from approximately $9.2 billion in USDC deposits held on its platform.