U.S. February S&P Global Services and Manufacturing PMI preliminary figures both below expectations

Stripe Warning: AI Agents Will Drive Blockchain Demand to 1 Billion TPS per Second

Stripe's CEO and co-founder stated in the annual open letter that as AI agents become the primary online transaction executors, blockchain needs to handle up to 1 billion transactions per second. The current blockchain throughput falls significantly short of this demand, and it is noted that the five levels of AI agent capabilities will gradually evolve, significantly increasing transaction requirements.

IMF Projects US Inflation to Hit 2% Target by Early 2027, Delaying Fed Rate Cuts Amid Fiscal Risks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its first Article IV review of the Trump administration on February 25, 2026, projecting that U.S. inflation will not return to the Federal Reserve's 2% target until early 2027, delaying meaningful interest rate relief.

Bitunix News: Iran Accelerates Oil Exports, Middle East Risks Rise, Boosting Safe-Haven Sentiment

Iran accelerates crude oil exports, approaching 19.1 million barrels from February 15 to 20, to mitigate the risk of U.S. military actions. The U.S. takes a tough stance on Iran's nuclear issue, and markets are concerned about escalating conflicts, with gold expected to rise by 15%. Risks to oil supply are driving energy price fluctuations, impacting the crypto market, with BTC facing pressure or potential gains. The core risk lies in the geopolitical situation.

Trump's State of the Union Address: No mention of cryptocurrencies, inflation hinders the Federal Reserve's rate cuts

Trump did not mention cryptocurrencies in his State of the Union address, instead emphasizing artificial intelligence and tariff policies, indicating that the government is deprioritizing cryptocurrencies. Additionally, persistent high inflation and unstable tariff policies pose structural obstacles to the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut plans, creating a negative impact on the crypto market.

IMF Warning: U.S. Inflation Unlikely to Reach Target Before 2027, Federal Reserve Rate Cut Delayed

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) report states that U.S. inflation will not reach the 2% target until early 2027, indicating that high interest rates will persist. The fiscal deficit is projected to remain between 7% and 8% of GDP, warning of rising government debt. The IMF recommends fiscal consolidation instead of tariffs to reduce the deficit, which differs from the Trump administration's strategy. The report shows that room for interest rate cuts is structurally constrained, which also impacts the cryptocurrency market.

Schmidt: Inflation remains a key issue for the Federal Reserve, with no clear stance on monetary policy response

ChainCatcher News, according to Jinshi reports, Federal Reserve's Schemidt stated on Wednesday that high inflation remains a key issue the Federal Reserve needs to address, but he did not specify how monetary policy should respond. Schemidt said, "I believe we still have work to do on inflation," while also noting that the employment situation is quite good. He pointed out that the large amount of mortgage-backed securities held from the Fed's past bond-buying actions is still suppressing housing borrowing costs, and mortgage rates are "possibly 75 to 100 basis points lower than their original levels."