Binance, BlackRock, And Ripple Lead Institutional Crypto Push In February’s Second Week

The second week of February delivered a wave of infrastructure-level partnerships shaping how institutions access, secure, and deploy digital assets. From tokenized collateral and onchain fund distribution to embedded banking, custody, and AI-driven payments, these collaborations signal a clear shift toward integrating crypto directly into global financial and operational systems.

Binance and Franklin Templeton Create Institutional Collateral Program

Binance has partnered with global asset manager Franklin Templeton to introduce an institutional off-exchange collateral program, allowing qualified clients to use tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for crypto trading without transferring assets onto the exchange. Announced on February 11, 2026, the initiative targets one of the key friction points for institutional participants: balancing capital efficiency with asset security.

The program is built on Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform, which tokenizes shares of its Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX). This blockchain-native mutual fund, with approximately $420 million in assets under management, issues BENJI tokens representing ownership. These tokenized shares can be pledged as collateral while remaining in regulated custody, with Ceffu serving as the designated institutional custodian. Binance mirrors the collateral value within its trading infrastructure, allowing institutions to deploy capital without relinquishing asset control.

The structure enables firms to use yield-bearing instruments such as U.S. government money market funds to support leveraged crypto positions, reducing the need to hold idle stablecoins or fiat on exchange. By allowing assets to remain off-exchange, the framework also mitigates counterparty risk, a persistent concern among institutional investors since the failures of several centralized platforms in previous cycles.

The launch reflects the accelerating adoption of tokenized real-world assets in institutional crypto markets, positioning tokenized Treasuries and money market funds as foundational collateral in digital asset trading infrastructure.

Standard Chartered and B2C2 Connect Banking Infrastructure With Institutional Crypto Liquidity

Standard Chartered has entered a strategic partnership with digital asset liquidity provider B2C2 to improve institutional access to crypto markets by integrating regulated banking services with institutional-grade trading infrastructure. The collaboration connects Standard Chartered’s global banking and settlement network with B2C2’s deep liquidity across spot and options markets, creating a more seamless framework for institutional participation.

The agreement enables B2C2 to provide its banking services through Standard Chartered to its entire client base, which includes asset managers and hedge funds and corporates and family offices. 

The system allows users to make fiat payments more efficiently while transferring funds between accounts and maintaining dependable operations between traditional financial systems and crypto markets. The partnership solves two main obstacles which have prevented institutions from adopting new technologies by making settlement processes simpler and reducing the number of required counterparties.

The move builds on Standard Chartered’s broader digital asset expansion which includes its establishment of regulated Bitcoin spot trading services through UK operations and its ongoing development of digital asset infrastructure. B2C2 uses the integration to enhance its capacity to deliver regulated banking access to institutional clients together with its existing liquidity solutions. 

The partnership shows how global banks and crypto-native companies are creating integrated financial systems which particularly serve Asian markets where institutional interest in compliant digital asset access is rapidly growing.                        

Ripple Expands Institutional Custody Stack Through Securosys and Figment Partnerships

Ripple has established several strategic partnerships which will help financial institutions to adopt its digital asset custody services at a faster pace. The project aims to simplify the technical requirements and reduce procurement challenges which banks and regulated businesses face when they want to enter the cryptocurrency custody market.

Through a collaboration with Swiss-based hardware security specialist Securosys, Ripple is enabling institutions to deploy hardware security module (HSM)-based custody infrastructure without lengthy integration cycles or high upfront costs. The setup gives banks and custodians direct control over cryptographic key management, a critical requirement for regulated digital asset operations.

Ripple has also established a partnership with Figment which provides staking infrastructure services by adding staking capabilities to Ripple Custody. The new feature enables institutions to provide staking services for major Proof-of-Stake networks which include Ethereum and Solana without needing to manage their own validator nodes. This system enables organizations to generate revenue while ensuring they follow institutional compliance standards and maintain operational control.

The custody expansion project adds to Ripple’s institutional service package which includes Ripple Prime as its multi-asset prime brokerage platform and its XRP and RLUSD U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin integration. 

Ripple has made this move following important regulatory developments which include UK FCA approvals and preliminary EMI authorization in Luxembourg. These developments support Ripple’s development of complete regulated digital asset systems which will serve global financial institutions.

Bybit and Mercuryo Roll Out Limited-Time Zero-Fee Crypto Purchases in Select Markets

Bybit has partnered with payments infrastructure provider Mercuryo to offer zero transaction fees on qualifying crypto purchases in selected markets, as exchanges continue competing on onboarding efficiency and retail incentives. The promotion runs from February 4 to February 18, 2026, and applies to transactions between €100 and €500, or the equivalent in supported fiat currencies. 

Eligible users can access the offer through Bybit’s One-Click Buy feature by selecting Mercuryo as the payment provider and purchasing USDT or USDC. The company allows customers to convert their entire payment amount into stablecoins because it has suspended standard transaction fees throughout the campaign period. 

The integration utilizes Mercuryo’s fiat-to-crypto system which enables users to exchange multiple currencies through different payment methods. Mercuryo already provides on-ramp services for major Web3 players including Ledger, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet, positioning it as a key intermediary between traditional payment systems and blockchain networks. 

Bybit uses this initiative to support its goal of creating smoother fiat onboarding processes through its efforts to boost digital asset accessibility in fast-growing markets. Fee-free promotions tied to stablecoin purchases also align with growing demand for dollar-denominated digital assets, which increasingly serve as entry points for trading, payments, and decentralized finance participation.

BitGo and InvestiFi Bring Embedded Crypto Trading to Community Banks and Credit Unions

The partnership between BitGo and InvestiFi enables community banks and credit unions to offer crypto trading services through their existing banking operations which allows customers to access digital assets. The partnership unites InvestiFi’s digital investment platform with BitGo’s CaaS system which includes custody and trading and settlement functions. 

Through the integration, customers at participating financial institutions will be able to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly from their existing deposit accounts, which removes the requirement to move money to outside exchanges. Smaller institutions can provide crypto services through BitGo’s regulated custody system which includes backend infrastructure because they do not need to handle technical and operational challenges themselves. 

Financial institutions that provide traditional services increasingly incorporate digital asset functions into their systems to keep customers engaged and to compete with cryptocurrency companies. Community banks especially believe that embedded investing tools will help them secure younger customers who use digital platforms while stopping customers from moving deposits to independent cryptocurrency platforms.

For BitGo, the move expands its role as a core infrastructure provider to regulated financial institutions, leveraging its trust bank status to bridge compliance requirements and crypto markets. The integration also signals continued convergence between digital asset infrastructure and traditional retail banking, particularly at the regional and community level.                

Uniswap and Securitize Bring BlackRock’s $2.4B BUIDL Fund to UniswapX

Uniswap has partnered with Securitize Markets to integrate BlackRock’s $2.4 billion USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) into UniswapX, enabling onchain trading of tokenized fund shares through the protocol’s RFQ framework. The move expands access to one of the largest tokenized money market funds and marks a significant step in bringing traditional asset management products into decentralized trading environments.

Through the integration, eligible, whitelisted investors can trade BUIDL shares 24/7 on UniswapX, blending traditional fund structures with decentralized liquidity rails. Securitize, which serves as the tokenization and transfer agent platform for BUIDL, facilitates compliant access while leveraging Uniswap’s execution infrastructure to improve liquidity and settlement efficiency.

The announcement triggered a sharp market reaction, with UNI rising roughly 30% within 24 hours following the news. The partnership arrives amid accelerating growth in tokenized real-world assets, an area BlackRock has actively expanded across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, and others.

By bringing BUIDL onchain within a decentralized trading venue, the collaboration signals growing convergence between asset managers and DeFi infrastructure. It also reinforces Ethereum’s dominant role in tokenization, as institutional funds increasingly adopt blockchain-based rails for issuance, transfer, and secondary market activity.

Danal Fintech and Sahara AI Partner to Build AI-Powered Stablecoins and Payment Infrastructure

Danal Fintech has established a strategic partnership with Sahara AI through their memorandum of understanding. The two organizations will create advanced digital finance solutions which combine payment systems with stablecoins and self-operating artificial intelligence technologies. The partnership unites Danal’s authorized payment system with Sahara’s decentralized artificial intelligence platform and blockchain infrastructure.

The partnership will develop AI technologies for use in financial operations through three main functions: intelligent payment systems, AI-controlled stablecoin operations, and self-sustaining financial solutions. The companies aim to create systems which use AI technologies for payment processing to handle automatic transactions, provide continuous risk assessment, and deliver financial services which function independently of human control.

Danal provides its authorized payment infrastructure together with its financial gateway solutions and its national network of participating businesses. Sahara AI supplies its decentralized artificial intelligence systems together with its forecasting tools and its blockchain-based data security mechanisms. The integration enables organizations to develop financial products which meet their regulations while maintaining operational capacity in both traditional and decentralized financial frameworks.

The initiative reflects broader industry trends toward programmable money and AI-native financial infrastructure, as fintech firms explore how artificial intelligence can enhance payments, fraud detection, and asset management. The partnership enables both companies to create intelligent automated financial services through their combined regulated fintech infrastructure and decentralized artificial intelligence systems.

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