
Murtuza Merchant
444 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.
Armed Gang Targeting Binance France Executive Arrested After Failed Raids Across Paris Region
Three masked men accused of attempting to locate a senior Binance France figure carried out violent home invasions in the Paris region before being tracked through public transport and arrested in Lyon.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 13, 2026

Exclusive: DeFi’s Next Phase May Belong To Banks And AI Not Retail, Says Phoenix Labs CEO
Phoenix Labs CEO Sam MacPherson says Spark is positioning itself as the liquidity backbone for bank-issued stablecoins and AI-driven DeFi capital.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 12, 2026

DogeOS Targets Billions In Idle Dogecoin To Build A Culture-Driven DeFi Ecosystem
DogeOS CEO Jordan Jefferson says billions in Dogecoin sit idle on exchanges, and his goal is to unlock on-chain DeFi without changing Dogecoin itself.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 12, 2026

Institutional Arbitrage May Replace Staking As Crypto’s Yield Engine, Says Crypto Exec
Axis COO Jimmy Xue says tokenization and tighter regulation are reshaping crypto liquidity, creating new arbitrage-driven yield opportunities on-chain.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 11, 2026

Exclusive: Aptos Says Institutional Blockchain Adoption Is Decoupling From Bitcoin Price Cycles
Ryan Zega of Aptos Labs says institutional blockchain adoption is advancing despite Bitcoin volatility, as tokenized funds and stablecoins gain traction.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 11, 2026

Exclusive: The Era Of A Pure Crypto Exchange Is Over, Says Bitget’s Gracy Chen
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen says pure crypto exchanges face a growth ceiling, forcing a shift toward “Universal Exchanges” blending stocks, stablecoins, AI and compliance.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 11, 2026

Exclusive: Animoca Co-Founder Yat Siu Says Crypto Will Not Win Stablecoin War Against Banks
Animoca Co-Founder Yat Siu Says Crypto Will Not Win The Stablecoin Battle Against Banks, Predicting Regulatory Compromise On Yield And DeFi Access.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 11, 2026

Why Leading Crypto Wallets Are Building For Inflation And Payments Instead Of Speculation
Crypto wallets are shifting away from speculative trading toward payments, automation, and self-custodial infrastructure, according to Bitget Wallet’s head of growth, as markets remain under pressure.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 10, 2026

Bitcoin's Strangest Bear Market Ever, With No Capitulation & Just Capital Waiting In The Shadows
Bitcoin’s drawdown aligns with historical mid-cycle corrections rather than capitulation, according to Kaiko data. Analysts say leverage resets and capital rotation now define the market, pointing to consolidation ahead rather than an immediate rebound.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 10, 2026

The Data Bitcoin Bulls Are Ignoring Reveals A Market Running On Fumes Not Momentum
Bitcoin rebounded toward $69,000, but Glassnode data shows a late-stage correction as leverage unwinds and spot demand remains weak.
Murtuza MerchantFeb 09, 2026






