Tuesday, February 17

Market News

  • Stablecoins Pose Risks Under Stress: MIT's Neha Narula
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:16 pm

    As GENIUS-compliant stablecoins scale into mainstream use, a new MIT paper evaluates the financial, technological, and regulatory risks that may arise. One of the paper's authors, Neha Narula, says not all blockchains are created equal. She speaks with Scarlet Fu and Tim Stenovec on "Bloomberg Crypto." (Source: Bloomberg)

political news

  • Blue Origin Focused on 'Lunar Permanence' Says CEO Limp
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:25 pm

    David Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, says that the company is focused 'lunar permanence,' aiming to send people to the moon and keep them there for a prolonged period of time. Speaking to Bloomberg's Annmarie Hordern at the Defense Tech Leadership Summit, Limp breaks down the technological advancements necessary to reach that goal and sheds light on Blue Origin's relationship with NASA and the US government. (Source: Bloomberg)

  • Wall Street Wants to Bring Election Bets Into Brokerage Accounts
    by Isabelle Lee, Denitsa Tsekova on February 17, 2026 at 8:08 pm

    Roundhill Investments has asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission for permission to launch six ETFs that would let investors wager on US election outcomes through standard brokerage accounts — the most ambitious attempt yet to bring prediction markets into mainstream finance.

  • US, Iran Hail Progress in Nuclear Talks After Trump Threats
    on February 17, 2026 at 7:46 pm

    Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute, says despite positive talks in Geneva, Iran and the United States remain 'dug in' on positions around nuclear capabilities. However, Iran's willingness to come to the table could complicate President Trump's relationship with his base if he does decide to strike Iran. Farkas also discussed the talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that Russia will continue to disappoint at the negotiating table. (Source: Bloomberg)

  • Peru’s Congress Removes President Jerí After Four Months in Office
    by Marcelo Rochabrun, Matthew Bristow on February 17, 2026 at 7:30 pm

    Peru’s President José Jerí was ousted by congress after just four months in office, as lawmakers forced him out for failing to declare meetings with Chinese businessmen and for allegedly hiring unqualified young women to work with him.

  • Ex-Bondi Aide Says MAGA Prosecutor Pitch Got About 1,000 Resumes
    by Mikella Schuettler on February 17, 2026 at 7:19 pm

    A former top Justice Department official said his social media call encouraging lawyers who “support President Trump” to apply for federal prosecutor jobs drew a big response.

Wealth

Tech & Innovation

  • Stripe’s Bridge Joins Crypto Firms Securing Nod for Bank Charter
    by Emily Mason on February 17, 2026 at 8:14 pm

    Stripe Inc.’s stablecoin arm Bridge received conditional approval from a US regulator to become a national trust bank, the latest in a string of firms getting the green light to offer banking services tied to digital assets.

  • Blockchain Can Mitigate Counterparty Risk: DTCC CEO
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:02 pm

    The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) plays a major role in the plumbing of the US financial system as the central clearing and settlement hub for equities and fixed-income products. In December, the SEC granted permission to allow the firm to custody and recognize tokenized equities and other real-world assets on-chain. The move gives the DTCC the ability to offer tokenization services on pre-approved blockchains for three years. Frank La Salla, president and CEO of DTCC, joins Scarlet Fu and Tim Stenovec on "Bloomberg Crypto" to discuss tokenization. The firm’s ultimate aspiration is to add its entire depository, which represents $100 trillion in securities, to the blockchain, a move that would require further action from the SEC. (Source: Bloomberg)

  • Nuclear Fusion Startup Claims Major Advance in New Zealand Trial
    by Ainsley Thomson on February 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Founder Ratu Mataira is convinced OpenStar can outpace rivals with its cheaper reactor design.

  • Blue Origin Likely Go Back Into Tourism: CEO
    on February 17, 2026 at 7:58 pm

    Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp says the company is likely to get back into the space tourism business, but he’s focused on getting back to the moon for now. He speaks to Bloomberg’s Annmarie Hordern at the Defense Tech Summit.

  • Robinhood’s $1 Billion Fund Pitches Pre-IPO Stock as Next Craze
    by Natalia Kniazhevich, Anthony Hughes on February 17, 2026 at 7:56 pm

    Robinhood Markets Inc. is seeking to raise $1 billion in an initial public offering of a closed-end fund designed to give US retail investors access to private companies, as the brokerage associated with meme stocks chases the latest frenzy.