Crypto Weekly Roundup: Tether Mints, Trump's SEC Pick, and Bitcoin L2 Projections

Tether has announced a partnership with the Government of Georgia to launch GEL, a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian Lari. **Key Details:** - The stablecoin will represent Georgia's national currency, the Lari - This marks an official government-backed stablecoin initiative - Tether will provide the technical infrastructure for the project This collaboration represents a significant step in national currency digitization, with a sovereign government directly partnering with a major stablecoin issuer to tokenize its fiat currency.

The cryptocurrency market has recovered **$75 billion** following positive developments in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. **Key Points:** - Market rebound comes after previous volatility linked to geopolitical tensions - Earlier in March, Bitcoin had surged above $73K during the height of U.S.-Iran tensions - Peace deal progress appears to be restoring investor confidence in digital assets - The recovery suggests crypto markets remain sensitive to major geopolitical events This marks a significant shift from the tension-driven rally seen two months ago, with diplomatic progress now driving market sentiment in a more stable direction.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has officially approved bitcoin price-based index options for trading on Nasdaq. This regulatory milestone comes nearly two years after Nasdaq initially filed for approval in August 2024. **Key Points:** - Bitcoin index options will now be available for trading on a major U.S. exchange - The approval marks a significant step in mainstream crypto derivatives adoption - Options will be tied to bitcoin's price through an index structure This development provides institutional and retail investors with new regulated instruments to gain exposure to bitcoin price movements without directly holding the cryptocurrency. The approval reflects growing regulatory acceptance of crypto-related financial products in traditional markets.

**ZEDXION Exchange Daily Update** ZEDXION cryptocurrency exchange processed **$1.72B in trading volume** over the past 24 hours on February 1, 2026. **Top Performer:** - ZORA/USDT led gains with a **42.68% increase** **Recent Trading Context:** The exchange has maintained consistent volume between $1.2B-$2.2B daily over the past three weeks. Notable recent gainers include: - SYN/USDT: 72.93% (Jan 31) - PIPPIN/USDT: 66.32% (Jan 28) - PIPE/USDT: 170.31% (Jan 26) ZORA/USDT previously surged 72.82% in October 2025, marking its second significant rally on the platform. [Visit ZEDXION](http://zedxion.io)

An Abu Dhabi-based company has introduced the first US dollar stablecoin officially registered in the United Arab Emirates. This development follows Tether's launch of its federally regulated stablecoin in the United States just two days earlier, marking a significant week for regulated stablecoin expansion. **Key Context:** - The UAE has been working toward stablecoin infrastructure since May 2025, when Abu Dhabi entities first announced plans for a dirham-backed stablecoin - This marks the region's first officially registered dollar-pegged digital asset The launch represents another step in the UAE's broader digital asset strategy and regulatory framework development.