Murtuza Merchant
389 News
1 Learns
Murtuza is a seasoned finance journalist with extensive experience covering cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. He has contributed to Benzinga and Cointelegraph, among other publications, reporting on emerging trends, the regulatory landscape, and more. Find him at @murtuza_merc on Twitter and mmerchant001 on Telegram.
Disclosure: Murtuza holds ATOM, AKT, TIA, INJ, and OSMO.
Blockchain Data Now Predicts Drug Crises Months Before Official Statistics, Chainalysis Finds
Blockchain analytics is evolving into a predictive intelligence tool, with on-chain drug payments signaling supply shocks and overdose trends months before traditional public health data, according to new Chainalysis research.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 22, 2026
Personal AI Could Replace Delegates In Crypto Governance, Says Ethereum Co-Founder
Vitalik Buterin has proposed using personal AI agents to vote in decentralized governance, a model designed to reduce delegate dominance, scale DAO participation and enable privacy-preserving collective decision-making.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 21, 2026
SCOTUS Strikes Down Sweeping Trump Tariffs In Historic 6-3 Ruling, $150B In Refunds Loom
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Donald Trump’s global tariffs were illegal, exposing the U.S. to over $150 billion in potential refunds and sharply curbing presidential authority over trade policy.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 20, 2026
CME Group Moves Bitcoin And Ether Derivatives To Round-The-Clock Trading From May 29
CME Group will begin 24/7 trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options on May 29, extending regulated crypto derivatives into a continuous market as institutional demand for risk management grows.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 19, 2026
South Korea Recovers $21M In Bitcoin After Hack, Hunt For Hacker Continues
South Korean prosecutors have recovered 320 Bitcoin worth about $21 million that vanished from government custody in 2025, after the funds were unexpectedly returned as authorities continue investigating the theft and broader crypto-storage security.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 19, 2026
Glassnode: Without ETF Inflows, Bitcoin Recovery Faces Structural Headwinds
Bitcoin has dropped into a cost-basis trading range after persistent spot ETF outflows removed a key institutional source of demand, with Glassnode saying renewed inflows and large-holder accumulation are needed for a durable recovery.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 18, 2026
DeFi Derivatives Enter U.S. Regulatory Fight With Hyperliquid Policy Center Debut
Hyperliquid has launched a Washington policy organization to advocate for U.S. rules allowing onchain perpetual futures and decentralized market infrastructure, marking a shift toward direct DeFi participation in federal financial regulation.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 18, 2026
Ki Young Ju Suggests Freezing Satoshi’s Bitcoin To Counter Quantum Threat
CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said a future quantum-resistant upgrade to Bitcoin may require freezing dormant wallets, including Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated 1 million BTC, as exposed public keys could become vulnerable to quantum attacks.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 18, 2026
Michael Saylor Declares New Crypto Winter, Calls Bitcoin Downturn 'Milder' Than Past Cycles
Michael Saylor said Bitcoin has entered a new crypto winter, calling the downturn milder than previous cycles and arguing MicroStrategy’s equity-funded strategy and large reserves position it to withstand prolonged volatility.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 17, 2026
Dragonfly Capital's $650M Fund Targets The Boring Infra That Will Outlive Every Meme Coin
Dragonfly Capital has raised a $650 million fund to invest in stablecoin infrastructure, tokenized real-world assets and blockchain trading platforms, signaling a continued shift toward institutional financial use cases in crypto.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 17, 2026
