Bitcoin 8 February 2026 - 14 February 2026

Ramil Ventura Palafox, 61, landed a 20-year prison term Thursday after a U.S. judge in Virginia found him guilty of operating a $200 million bitcoin Ponzi scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The dual U.S.-Philippines national ran Praetorian Group International, which prosecutors labeled a multi-level marketing and bitcoin trading operation.

Scrutiny of cryptocurrency kiosks—commonly known as bitcoin ATMs—is ramping up across U.S. states and cities, with officials and consumer advocates flagging a surge in scams. The warning: fraudsters are pushing victims toward these machines, making it easy for cash to vanish within minutes.

South Korea’s top financial regulator on Monday pointed to Bithumb’s accidental $40 billion bitcoin giveaway as a stark example of why the country needs stricter crypto regulations. “We are particularly worried about the issue of information systems,” said Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/south-korea-watchdog-says-40-billion-giveaway-shows-new-rules-needed-tackle-2026-02-09/