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12 Feb 2026, 14:11
Russia extends firewall to limits amid censorship of Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube
The full blocking of WhatsApp in Russia is linked to the nation’s firewall running out of capacity amid attempts to slow down Telegram, experts in the field suggest. Besides the two messengers, Russian authorities are also cutting traffic to YouTube, overloading the technology employed by the state to censor internet for its citizens. Russia extends itself to block massive online content and communication The sudden and complete restriction of access to the popular messenger WhatsApp and YouTube in Russia is likely related to efforts to slow down Telegram, local media unveiled, quoting specialists with knowledge of how the system works. Russia’s telecom watchdog, Roskomnadzor, removed the WhatsApp domain from its DNS servers on Wednesday, effectively preventing the use of Meta’s messaging service in the country. It appears it did that also with Google’s video sharing platform a day earlier. The domains have been deleted from the National Domain Name System (NDNS), established after the adoption of the so-called “sovereign internet” law. Under the legislation, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) is responsible for enforcing the Russian equivalent to the Chinese framework for internet control. The strategy is the same in both case, so is the reason which is of technical nature, according to Dzhemali Avalishvili, managing director of the infrastructure integrator Ultimatek, who commented on the latest developments for RBC. Quoted by the Russian business news portal, Avalishvili explained further: “There’s only one reason, and it’s technical – the TSPU equipment is operating at the limit of its capacity.” The TSPU (Technical Means of Counteracting Threats) devices are deployed at internet service providers to allow them to throttle or block internet traffic to targeted platforms. In comparison with China’s “Great Firewall,” which operates on a national level, Russia’s solution allows for more precise, highly targeted and geographically defined restricting. However, the Russian system isn’t built to last, Avalishvili pointed out, and is running out of resources now when it has to deal with multiple and widely used platforms. He elaborated: “The infrastructure simply can’t handle simultaneously squashing YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp. It’s like trying to run three heavy apps on an old laptop.” Targeting Telegram is harder and requires resources that Russia doesn’t have Slowing down Telegram is much harder than in the case of all of the other affected services and websites, the expert emphasized. He highlighted that tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov’s messenger has stronger security and more experience with previous attempts to block it in other countries. Avalishvili added that Telegram’s unique architecture relies on a distributed infrastructure of mirrors and content delivery networks (CDNs). “Its encryption protocol is designed to make deep packet inspection (DPI) as difficult as possible. To slow down Telegram, you need to deploy colossal computing power,” he detailed. The privacy-oriented messenger has tens of millions of users in Russia, and not only among citizens and businesses, but also government institutions and other organizations. Almost everyone in the country has the messenger installed on their smartphones, logging in several times a day to read and write, chimed in Alexey Uchakin, an independent telecom market specialist. “This represents a huge amount of traffic and a huge number of connections from end-user devices to Telegram servers. The messenger has learned to bypass many standard blocking mechanisms.” While WhatsApp used to be more popular in the Russian Federation, it never significantly modernized its infrastructure to successfully circumvent Moscow’s restrictions, he noted, agreeing that blocking Telegram is definitely harder. He is convinced that Roskomnadzor is removing the domains of previously restricted services to “clear up resources to slow down Telegram.” In a broad interview with the official TASS news agency, the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that the messenger must comply with Russia’s laws and ensure protection for its citizens, before the restrictions are removed, although some say Moscow has already made up its mind about its future. President Putin’s press secretary set similar conditions for resuming WhatsApp’s full services in Russia, where its parent company, Facebook’s owner Meta, has been designated as an “extremist” organization. He accused the latter of lacking the willingness to engage in dialogue with Russian authorities on the matter. Roskmonadzor limited voice calls through both apps in August, alleging they were increasingly being used by fraudsters and extremists. The measures against them seem to be part of a campaign to make Russians use a state-approved alternative called Max , which critics say can be used for surveillance and censorship. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
12 Feb 2026, 14:05
Bitcoin Technical Analysis February 12: Reclaim the $69,000 Support – or confirm the Breakdown?
The Bitcoin price is chopping sideways after falling back under the $69,000 major horizontal support. Can the bulls reclaim this level, or will the bears confirm it as resistance? Small breakout for $BTC price Source: TradingView The 4-hour time frame illustrates how the $BTC price is respecting the trendlines that continue out of the falling wedge pattern . Unfortunately, from the bulls’ perspective, the price is still chopping around below the major $69,000 level. This will need to be reclaimed if Bitcoin is not to descend further into a bear market. Currently, the price looks to have broken out beyond a small descending trendline, and is attempting to confirm the breakout. This could augur the next little leg up to that major resistance again. What goes down must come back up Source: TradingView The daily chart gives a great perspective on how vertiginous the fall out of the bear flag was. This was a full-on plunge of 32% down to almost $60,000 . In fact, if one looks back at other bear markets, the fall from the top is never this quick. If the price was going in the opposite direction, chart analysts would be shouting to the rooftops that a correction was imminent. If this is the case going up, it can most certainly also be the case coming down. A 52% fall from the all-time high down to almost $60,000 in the space of only 4 months is quite some reversal. Could the market be due quite a long period of consolidation in order to digest this move? A bottom? Source: TradingView Zooming out into the weekly time frame helps to put more of a calming view on things, at least from the perspective of the bulls. The 200-week simple moving average is a hugely important bull market support, and it can be seen that this certainly provided that support when the price crashed down to $60,000. In addition, for the $BTC price to bounce so strongly from that low gives the idea that perhaps the real bottom at $69,000 was overshot, and buyers stepped in en masse. Finally, the Stochastic RSI and the RSI are screaming bottoms . The indicators still have to turn around and start heading back up, and until they do, there is likely to be more chopping back and forth. That said, a real bottom looks to be in, or at least forming. Could a proper rally back to the upside be the next big move? Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
12 Feb 2026, 13:52
Samsung targets SK Hynix market share with 46% faster speeds HBM4 claims
Samsung Electronics has begun mass production and shipment of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4), claiming significant performance gains that challenge longtime rival SK Hynix’s dominance and intensify competition with other players like Micron. According to Samsung, its HBM4 chips deliver a consistent transfer speed of 11.7 gigabits per second (Gbps), roughly 46% faster than the JEDEC industry standard of 8 Gbps, and can be pushed to 13 Gbps under optimized conditions. In a statement dated Thursday, February 12, Samsung mentioned that it is striving to keep up with the high demand for Nvidia Corp.’s graphics chips. This surging demand stems from the chips’ cutting-edge features, positioning them as the industry-leading choice for AI model training and operationalization. Samsung seeks to solidify its position as a leader in the tech industry For some time, Samsung has observed its competitor, SK Hynix Inc., gaining dominant market share and capturing the majority of Nvidia’s high-bandwidth memory orders. High-bandwidth memory is a key component for AI accelerators. Nonetheless, after years of hard work, Samsung recently narrowed this gap through its latest strategic move . Both tech giants have solidified their positions as the most valuable tech firms in South Korea by market capitalization. Moreover, they have witnessed a significant surge in their stock prices since September last year amid fears of a memory shortage . Responding to these fears, the Corporate President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions Business, Jaihyuk Song, forecast significant supply constraints for both this year and next. Meanwhile, regarding Samsung’s first delivery phase for its new HBM4 memory chips, Song mentioned that they are setting the standard in the high-performance memory industry again, reigniting growth as the definitive leader in memory. Afterwards, the industry executive asserted that the company’s stock prices would rise significantly to high levels. He expressed this unexpected confidence in Seoul during the Semicon Korea conference, where he was the featured speaker. Song made these remarks after another senior executive from Samsung earlier shared a brief message stating that the tech giant is back. This statement sparked hope that Nvidia will soon adopt the firm’s next-generation high-bandwidth memory as its preferred option. “We’re showing Samsung’s true abilities once more,” Song said, further arguing that, “Although we haven’t fully showcased how Samsung meets customer needs with top-notch technology for a while, you can see this as our return to form.” Memory supply shortage remains a primary concern in the industry Regarding shortages in memory chip supply, Samsung’s industry executives said this situation could trigger price hikes across the industry, impacting the firm’s own client products. To further demonstrate the intensity of the situation, reports highlighted that, despite its status as the top memory producer, Samsung is constrained by the escalating costs of these foundational components, which range from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices and self-driving vehicles. During an interview, Wonjin Lee, president and head of global marketing, commented on this matter. He noted that, “There will be challenges with semiconductor supplies, and everyone will feel the impact,” adding that, “Prices are increasing right now. We definitely don’t want to pass that cost onto consumers, but we may reach a point where we have to rethink our product pricing.” Lee made this statement at CES in Las Vegas, where the company was exhibiting its full lineup of electronic products from small wireless earbuds to top-notch 130-inch TVs. Like many event exhibitors, Samsung sought to promote its vision of a more connected, AI-enhanced product lineup amid rising production costs. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
12 Feb 2026, 13:27
FTC sends warning letter to Apple over political bias in news app
Apple just got dragged into a political mess, and Tim Cook is right in the middle of it. The Federal Trade Commission sent him a letter that basically called Apple News biased and warned that the way it curates news might be illegal. This came straight from Andrew Ferguson, the guy Trump put in charge of the FTC. Andrew told Tim that Apple might be breaking the law if its news feed favors one side politically without telling users. He brought up Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bans companies from misleading or screwing over consumers. “The First Amendment protects speech,” Andrew wrote, “but it doesn’t cover lies or unfair practices, even when they involve speech.” He said that if Apple News is hiding or boosting articles based on politics, and that’s not what users signed up for, that’s a serious problem. Ferguson tells Apple to clean up or face trouble Andrew said it’s not about controlling what Apple can or can’t say. “We’re not the speech police,” he wrote. But if users are getting a feed they think is neutral, and instead they’re being fed a steady diet of one-sided content, and Apple doesn’t tell them that, then it’s considered a “material omission.” That kind of trick is exactly what the FTC is supposed to stop. He told Tim to go back and look at Apple’s terms of service and see if their current practices line up. If not, he said the company better fix it fast. “Take corrective action swiftly,” Andrew warned at the end of the letter. And there’s a reason this letter showed up now. A recent study from the Media Research Center looked at every article posted on Apple News in January. The numbers were brutal. Out of 620 stories shared between January 1 and January 31, 440 came from left-leaning outlets, 180 were from centrist sources, and zero came from the right. Not one single right-leaning article in a full month. That’s not exactly subtle. Cook’s Trump ties and crackdown on ICE apps spark backlash This isn’t the only thing making people mad. Tim’s relationship with Trump has raised eyebrows too. He showed up right up front at Trump’s inauguration last year. Since then, he’s been spotted in multiple meetings with Trump, even praising Trump’s “leadership and focus on innovation.” Tim also gave him a flashy gift full of 24 karat gold, clearly meant to impress. Then came the really dark moment. After ICE agents killed Alex Pretti in Minnesota, shooting him ten times in the back while he was lying down, Tim still showed up to the White House for a Melania Trump documentary screening. It happened the same day. Guests were handed popcorn in special boxes and given framed tickets. Tim was all smiles while the internet was on fire over Pretti’s death. Rick Wilson, a well-known conservative strategist, said, “If you’re a CEO willing to sit in the company of this regime, your ‘shareholder value’ excuse feels pretty blood-soaked tonight.” Later, Tim said he was “heartbroken” and had asked Trump for calm. But the damage was already done. Under Tim’s leadership, Apple banned an app called ICEBlock.The app let people warn others when ICE sweeps were happening nearby. The Trump administration didn’t like that. So they asked for the app to be taken down. Apple didn’t waste time. They emailed the developer, Joshua Aaron, and said the app had been removed for containing “objectionable, defamatory, discriminatory, or mean-spirited content.” None of this worked out for Tim. Even with all the public praise, and the shameless expensive gifting, Trump still doesn’t like him. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
12 Feb 2026, 13:06
Ripple Exec Warns Compromise Is Coming – What This Means For XRP
Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Stuart Alderoty, has signaled that a compromise may emerge soon from ongoing discussions among banks, the US Senate, and crypto leaders over stablecoin rewards. The comments followed a smaller White House meeting focused on stablecoin regulations , which highlighted which activities should be allowed under upcoming rules. Depending on the outcome, this could directly affect Ripple’s operations and the broader outlook for XRP. Compromise Puts Ripple In Regulatory Focus Popular Journalist Eleanor Terrett reported on Wednesday, February 11, that both banking and crypto participants had described the Stablecoin yield meeting in the White House as productive, even though no final agreement was reached . The meeting explored deal specifics in more detail than previous sessions, with particular attention on how stablecoin rewards, highlighted in the Clarity Act , could be structured under future rules. During the meeting, Alderoty stated that “compromise is in the air,” signaling potential movement toward shared ground between banks and crypto representatives. For XRP, this matters because Ripple’s role in cross-border payments and the services of its stablecoin RLUSD depend heavily on how regulators define permissible reward-based and transaction-based activities. Notably, Terrett stated that banks and trade groups arrived at the White House meeting with a written set of prohibition principles that outlined what they would not accept regarding stablecoin rewards . These principles were designed to protect traditional banking structures while limiting the extent to which digital assets could compete with deposit products. Under the principles, banks stated that payment stablecoins should not offer yield or rewards to prevent deposit flight and preserve lending in local communities. They also called for strong enforcement measures to close loopholes, restrictions on marketing that could present stablecoins as insured or risk-free, and a regulatory review after two years to assess potential risks. According to Terrett, one source said banks made a key concession by accepting language that included possible exemptions, something that had previously been off the table. This change opens the possibility that transaction-based rewards could be permitted under tightly defined conditions, a development that may influence how Ripple structures its stablecoin services, with potential effects on XRP as well. What Negotiations Could Mean For XRP And Stablecoins A major point of debate during the meeting was the definition of permissible activities, which would determine what crypto firms like Ripple are allowed to do when offering stablecoin rewards. Crypto representatives pushed for broader definitions to provide more clarity for stablecoins, while banks argued for narrower boundaries to reduce risks to the financial system. The White House urged both parties to reach an agreement by March 1, 2026, with further discussions expected in the coming days. Although it’s unclear whether another meeting of the same scale will take place this month, Ripple’s participation puts RLUSD and XRP directly in the spotlight. The outcome of these negotiations could shape how the crypto company and the broader stablecoin market offer rewards and likely influence how they operate under future regulatory frameworks .
12 Feb 2026, 13:05
Binance's Richard Teng says macro shocks drove the October 10 crypto crash
Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng insisted that the crypto market collapse on October 10 was caused by global macroeconomic shocks, not by centralized exchanges like Binance. Speaking Thursday at CoinDesk’s Consensus Hong Kong conference, Teng said the event wiped out $19 billion in leveraged positions across crypto markets. He argued that liquidations occurred simultaneously on both centralized and decentralized platforms. Teng linked the October market selloff to geopolitical tensions, citing US tariffs on China and Beijing’s export restrictions on rare-earth metals. According to the Binance lead, those developments completely flipped the sentiment of a market that had already begun showing signs of weakness. Co-CEO Richard Teng, macroeconomic factors are to blame for 10/10 Teng told the conference attendees and panelists that the first tipover came after US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods. The proposal also included export controls on certain software technologies. China responded to Trump’s threats by introducing tighter controls on rare earth metals, critical components for advanced manufacturing and electronics. According to Teng, the back-and-forth between Beijing and Washington led to declines across several asset classes, including crypto, pointing to steep downturns in US equities. The US equity market plunged $1.5 trillion in value that day. US stocks alone saw $150 billion of liquidation. The crypto market is much smaller. It was about $19 billion. And the liquidation on crypto happened across all the exchanges. Richard Teng. Bitcoin had touched its all-time high of $125,000 earlier that week, before dropping to around $104,000 over the weekend and falling further below six figures later in October. Data from Coinglass showed more than 1.6 million traders were liquidated during the 24-hour period of 10/10. Over $7 billion worth of positions closed within less than one hour, but Coinglass suggested the true liquidation total may have been higher, as exchanges like Binance do not always report real-time data. Teng said 75% of liquidations occurred around 9:00 PM Eastern Time, which coincided with two isolated market disruptions on exchanges. One incident involved a temporary stablecoin de-pegging, while another involved slowed asset transfers on certain platforms. On Binance, the stablecoin USDe dropped to $0.65 during the turmoil, triggering further forced liquidations in liquid staking derivatives, alternative layer-1 tokens, and derivatives markets. Total perpetual futures open interest in major exchanges dropped 43% from $217 billion to $123 billion within the first 24 hours of the liquidation doomsday. However, Teng has bashed claims that Binance caused the liquidation wave, saying there were no abnormal withdrawal patterns from the platform during the event. Binance facilitated $34 trillion in trading volume last year and serves about 300 million users globally, according to Teng. When some users experienced losses during the crash, Binance provided support to affected traders. “The data speaks for itself,” Teng boasted. At the macro level, I think people are still uncertain about interest rate movements going forward, and there’s always the trend of geopolitics, tension, etc. Those weigh on these assets, such as crypto. Richard Teng He also noted that retail demand appeared weaker compared with previous market cycles, but institutional and corporate participation is still heavy. Richard Teng praises the US government for passing the stablecoin law Speaking on how the US government’s push for clarity in digital asset regulation benefited the industry, Teng reiterated that a lot of institutions jumped to try to issue their own stablecoins and partner with issuers once the GENIUS Act was signed into law. Corporates are much more willing. And if you look at corporate treasuries now globally, they are moving from traditional fiat channels to stablecoins and crypto. Market cap of stablecoin after the passing of the Genius Act, it went up by 50% last year. Richard Teng The Binance CEO also mentioned the stalled CLARITY Act, saying he hoped it would have the same impact on developers, innovators, and crypto exchanges. “Innovation can really be pushed forward to take place,” Teng concluded. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
