Bitcoin price corrected gains and tested the $66,000 support. BTC is now consolidating losses and might decline further below the $65,500 zone. Bitcoin is struggling to recover losses and moving lower below $67,200. The price is trading below $67,200 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There is a declining channel forming with resistance at $68,000 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip again if it trades below the $66,000 and $65,500 levels. Bitcoin Price Dips Again Bitcoin price failed to remain stable above the $68,000 zone. BTC started a fresh decline and traded below the $67,500 support zone. There was a push below $67,000. The price dipped below the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. Finally, the price found some support near the $66,000 zone. It is now consolidating losses and there is a declining channel forming with resistance at $68,000 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $67,200 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $66,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $67,350 level. The first key resistance is near the $68,000 level. A close above the $68,000 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $68,800 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $69,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $70,000 and $70,500. More Losses In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $68,000 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $66,000 level or the 83.2% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. The first major support is near the $65,500 level. The next support is now near the $65,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $64,200 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $63,500, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $66,000, followed by $65,000. Major Resistance Levels – $67,350 and $68,000.
Bitcoin continues to trade within a tight range, but beneath the surface, structural weakness is becoming increasingly evident. With price holding below the key $72,000 level, now acting as resistance, the broader technical outlook remains fragile, and any short-term consolidation may simply be masking underlying downside risk. Bitcoin Enters Clear Corrective Phase Bitcoin has entered a clear corrective phase after peaking in the $120,000–$125,000 region. Crypto analyst Alejandro₿TC notes that the weekly structure has broken to the downside, with the latest leg unfolding impulsively, a sign that momentum currently favors sellers rather than buyers. Related Reading: Bitcoin Ready To Bounce Again? The Major Accumulation Trend You Should Be Aware Of The key level to watch is the $72,000–$74,000 zone. Previously acting as strong support, this area has now been lost and flipped into resistance. As long as Bitcoin continues to close below this range on the weekly timeframe, any upward movement should be viewed as a corrective bounce rather than confirmation of a sustained reversal. On the downside, the $50,000–$52,000 region stands out as the primary magnet. This zone represents a significant weekly demand area and the base of the prior impulsive rally. If bearish pressure persists, it becomes the most logical target for a deeper retracement. The upcoming monthly close in 11 days could be decisive. A close below $72,000 would confirm the breakdown and increase the probability of further downside. Structurally, the market remains weak beneath that level, while a decisive reclaim above $74,000 would mark the first meaningful signal that strength is returning. Compression Intensifies Near $68,000 With volatility compressing as price trades within an increasingly narrow band, Bitcoin continues to coil tightly around the $67,000–$68,000 region. The lack of decisive movement in either direction suggests that the market is building energy for a larger expansion move. Related Reading: Bitcoin Eyes Untapped Liquidity: $64,000 Support Could Be Next Target According to Columbus, liquidity continues to build above the $70,000 level, and notable bids remain layered between $64,000 and $66,000. With liquidity stacked on both sides, the market is effectively squeezed between opposing forces, waiting for a catalyst. The longer Bitcoin remains trapped inside this tightening structure, the more aggressive the eventual breakout tends to be. Compression phases like this typically end with strong displacement, as one side of the market is forced to unwind positions. From here, sustained acceptance above the $69,500–$70,000 area would likely open the door for momentum toward heavier liquidity zones overhead. On the other hand, failure to reclaim that threshold keeps downside probes into the mid-$60,000s firmly in play, especially if bids begin to thin out under pressure. The next decisive move will likely be driven by which side of liquidity gets targeted first. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped 2.2% on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, to trade at about $66,446 at press time. The flagship coin saw its fear-and-greed index drop to 12/100, which CoinMarketCap classifies as extreme fear. Source: CoinMarketCap Eric Trump, Brian Armstrong, and Arthur Hayes Predict Bitcoin Rebound Eric Trump says Bitcoin could reach the $1 million …
The World Liberty Forum held this week at Mar‑a‑Lago featured remarks from President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., who used the event to reaffirm their strong support for Bitcoin (BTC) and repeat their long‑standing $1 million price projection for the cryptocurrency. ‘Never Been More Bullish On Bitcoin’ Speaking on Wednesday, Eric Trump described himself as “a huge proponent of Bitcoin” and said he has never felt more optimistic about the asset’s future. “I’ve never been more bullish on bitcoin in my life,” he said, arguing that the digital currency has the potential to eventually reach $1 million per coin. Related Reading: Macro Wobbles May Send Bitcoin Back To The $50,000s, Industry CEO Claims However, amid falling Bitcoin prices, Eric acknowledged the asset’s volatility and characterized price swings as typical for an emerging technology with significant growth potential. In his view, Bitcoin’s upside contrasts sharply with traditional fixed‑income investments such as municipal bonds or US Treasuries (T-Bills), which generally offer lower yields. At the same time, Donald Trump Jr. offered sharp criticism of the traditional banking system, calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and arguing that the family’s move into crypto was not driven by trend‑chasing but by necessity. Trump Brothers Accuse Banks Of Political ‘Debanking’ During an interview with CNBC at the forum, Donald Trump Jr. said his family turned to digital assets after banks closed “hundreds of accounts” belonging to the Trump Organization in early 2021. “You know, we didn’t get into crypto because we were on the leading edge,” Trump Jr. said. “We got into it out of necessity. They basically forced us into it.” The brothers attributed the account closures to the political fallout following the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, when supporters of their father stormed the building while contesting the 2020 presidential election results. Related Reading: $274 Billion In Potential Bitcoin Selling Could Hit Markets, Expert Says They also claimed that banks had “debanked” other smaller clients over their conservative political views. Eric Trump said their crypto initiative, World Liberty Financial, is part of a broader effort to reshape the financial system. “We’re trying to modernize finance,” he said, adding that the family felt ostracized by mainstream institutions during that period. “We’re the most canceled people in the world in 2020, 2021,” he said. As of this writing, Bitcoin is still consolidating at approximately $66,258. This represents a 50% difference from the current trading prices and the all-time high of $126,000, which was reached last October. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Eligible U.S. users, excluding those in New York, can now borrow up to $100,000 in USDC without selling the four tokens, Coinbase said.
This is the first time Solomon has said he owns the cryptocurrency, something he previusly said could be "a store of value case."
Bitcoin's ongoing price struggles is turning into a market defined less by “bad news” and more by mechanics, the kind that can keep a downtrend alive even when selling looks tired. According to CryptoSlate's data, the BTC price is down approximately 46% from the record high near $126,000 set in early October 2025 and trading […]
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An analyst has highlighted how the Bitcoin Inter-exchange Flow Pulse has continued to be in a bearish phase recently, but its value is starting to flatten out. Bitcoin IFP Could Be Reaching A Low In a new post on X, CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has talked about the latest trend in the Bitcoin Inter-exchange Flow Pulse (IFP), which is an on-chain indicator that tracks the BTC flows occurring between centralized spot and derivatives exchanges. Related Reading: Bitcoin Accumulation Notably Weaker Than Nov 2025 Bounce: Glassnode When the value of this metric rises, it means more of the cryptocurrency is flowing from spot to derivatives platforms. Such a trend implies speculative interest in BTC is going up. On the other hand, the indicator witnessing a decline suggests traders may be taking a lower risk approach as they are reducing their transactions to derivatives exchanges. Now, here is the chart shared by Maartunn that shows the trend in the Bitcoin IFP and its 90-day moving average (MA) over the past decade: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin IFP was on the rise during the last few months of 2024, but in 2025, a reversal occurred in the indicator. Flows to derivatives exchanges started declining and before long, the metric slipped under its 90-day MA. A cross below this MA is considered to signal the start of either a bear market or a correction phase for the cryptocurrency. Over the course of 2025, the signal maintained as the IFP continued to go down and failed to find a break above its 90-day MA. Interestingly, Bitcoin still rallied during the second half of the year to a new all-time high (ATH). Back in 2021, a similar pattern emerged as BTC observed another leg of the bull run in the second half of that year alongside a bearish signal on the IFP. From the chart, it’s visible that this previous IFP bearish transition remained all the way until the bottom of the 2022 bear market, where it flattened out before reversing up. A similar pattern was also observed during the 2018 bear market. As such, given the historical precedence, it’s possible that Bitcoin might find a bottom alongside a reversal in the IFP this time around as well. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bull-Bear Cycle Indicator Drops To Deepest Level Since FTX Bottom The early signs of such a reversal may even potentially be beginning to appear, as the indicator has been switching to a sideways trajectory recently. “The Inter-Exchange Flow Pulse is still in a bearish phase, but it’s starting to flatten out,” noted the analyst. Naturally, it’s still too early to tell whether derivatives flows are witnessing a real trend shift, so it only remains to be seen how the IFP will develop in the near future. “A shift here could signal changing capital flows,” said Maartunn. “Watch this metric closely in the coming weeks.” BTC Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $67,300, up 1.3% over the last week. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Goldman Sachs' CEO owning Bitcoin signals growing institutional acceptance, potentially influencing future regulatory and market dynamics.
The post Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon says he holds Bitcoin appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Arthur Hayes has issued a stark market warning: he sees a growing split between his preferred risk gauge, Bitcoin, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 as a signal that credit stress may be building under the surface. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Rout? Michael Saylor Unfazed, Teases New Accumulation Hayes, a co-founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, calls Bitcoin a “fiat liquidity fire alarm” — an asset that reacts quickly when credit conditions change. A Warning From Market Signals When two assets that often moved together start to pull apart, traders take notice. Hayes believes that a gap like this deserves investigation because it could point to trouble in bank balance sheets or in the flow of lending. He argues the move is not about one stock or one trade; it is about the plumbing of credit and how fast liquidity can dry up when things turn. How AI Job Cuts Could Ripple Through Credit Reports note that companies cited AI as a reason for thousands of layoffs in recent years, with an outplacement firm counting roughly 55,000 cuts in 2025 that were tied to AI. Much of that hit was inside tech. Hayes sketches a rough scenario: a sizable drop in knowledge-worker employment would weaken mortgage and consumer credit repayment, which could then shave bank equity and tighten lending. The numbers he offers are approximate and built on multiple assumptions, but they are intended to show how a shock to white-collar paychecks could cascade into the credit system. Expectations About Central Bank Action Hayes expects a policy response if banks start to fail and credit freezes. He argues the Federal Reserve would step in with fresh liquidity, and that more money creation would follow — a move he says would be favorable for Bitcoin’s price outlook. That scenario has been a recurring theme in his commentary; past essays and posts have linked anticipated Fed liquidity to sharp rallies in crypto markets. Altcoin Bets And Fund Positioning His fund, Maelstrom, is said to plan staking or stablecoin deployments into privacy-focused and exchange-native plays once liquidity policy shifts occur, naming Zcash and Hyperliquid as examples. That kind of tactical stance is meant to profit from a short-term surge in risk assets after a policy pivot. Related Reading: XRP Emerges As The Crypto Everyone’s Talking About, Grayscale Says A Measured View This is a dramatic chain of events: AI job losses lead to credit losses, which cause bank stress, which forces the central bank to expand money supply, which lifts Bitcoin. Each link is plausible, but none is guaranteed. Some of Hayes’ figures are rough estimates meant to illustrate risk rather than to act as a precise forecast. Market history shows that central banks do sometimes step in, and that policy moves can power asset rallies, but outcomes depend on timing, scale and public confidence — factors that are hard to predict in advance. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The price of Bitcoin is currently moving in a consolidation phase, near short-term technical levels that could determine the next major direction. While the broader long-term trend has already been discussed extensively by analysts, recent short-timeframe chart activity shows the market is still forming a corrective structure rather than a full bullish breakout. Support zone …
An obscure Hong Kong firm has disclosed a $436 million position in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, a revelation that is fueling speculation about Chinese capital flowing into crypto through offshore side doors. Laurore Ltd, a previously unknown entity, reported the stake in BlackRock Inc.’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in a filing with the US Securities and […]
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A fraying global order and a renewed bid for gold may be the early setup for the next crypto cycle, even if Bitcoin hasn’t confirmed the signal yet. That’s the argument from Will Taylor (@Cryptoinsightuk), who laid out a macro-to-crypto framework in a Jan. 17 X post. Taylor framed his post as an attempt to timestamp his thinking rather than deliver a clean forecast. “I’m going to try and relate this as much to crypto as possible, because that’s where the majority of my investments reside,” he wrote. Taylor’s starting point is qualitative but clear: “something feels different,” and the shift has accelerated over the last five to six years. He points to a US-led “rules-based order” showing “early signs of fragility,” referencing Trump’s tariffs and the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly the decision to limit Russia’s ability to transact in US dollars. Gold, in his view, is the market’s canary. He argues sanctions pressure may have helped push gold out of a long consolidation, and that gold’s acceleration is less about a simple inflation trade and more about confidence. “When you see an acceleration in gold… what it’s displaying… is a lack of trust in the world’s current economy and structure,” he wrote. “The lack of trust is displayed by the price accelerating higher… because that trust is starting to break.” Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $173M As Outflows Extend To Fourth Week – Report That’s where Taylor turns the lens onto crypto. If the defining macro variable is trust decay — a scenario where decentralisation should be valuable — why isn’t crypto already repricing? Taylor frames it as a fork: either crypto’s value proposition is impaired, or the market is simply in a short-term pullback inside a larger cycle. Taylor highlights a specific narrative pressure point: Bitcoin’s relationship to gold. Since October, he says Bitcoin has deviated from its prior correlation with gold. To realign that relationship, he argues Bitcoin would need to be “currently around $170,000.” He presents that level less as a target and more as a marker for how wide the gap has become between “gold is screaming uncertainty” and “Bitcoin is still negotiating its role.” He also acknowledges the uncomfortable alternative: that the narrative breaks and the correlation doesn’t return. Taylor’s counterweight is a late-cycle liquidity argument. He notes that in end-of-cycle transitions “everything in the market pumps,” pointing to historical episodes where asset prices surged before major resets, and he argues governments will lean on the familiar lever: fiat creation to try to preserve the current system. In that framing, gold’s strength could be a symptom of currency debasement already underway, while Bitcoin’s lag could be exactly that: lag. The Bull Case: Exponential Repricing, Crypto Rotation Taylor ultimately leans toward a sharp upside repricing. He argues Bitcoin is technically coiled and narratively positioned as a borderless asset in a world drifting toward bipolar or multipolar blocs. Even if the system becomes more fractured — and even if there is “rot” in parts of crypto — he argues the market lacks a better digital alternative for portability and speed, especially for machine-driven activity. He then pushes the idea into a mania scenario, writing that Bitcoin could reach $200,000 to $500,000, and potentially “$500,000 plus” if liquidity from larger markets moves meaningfully into Bitcoin. His core mechanism is not just market-cap arithmetic, but supply-demand dynamics: a concentrated wave of demand colliding with limited marginal supply can move price faster than most models expect. Related Reading: After Extreme Pessimism, Crypto Market Conditions Begin To Stabilize: Analysts Taylor’s more distinctive claim is that altcoins could lead the next leg. “If crypto is going to survive as an asset class, it won’t be Bitcoin as leading the market,” he wrote, arguing Bitcoin is largely a store-of-value rail, while a functional financial layer requires faster value transfer, smart contracts, and “a bunch of other financial tools” associated with legacy markets. In his view, if crypto becomes infrastructure — for AI-era payments and global settlement — “an altcoin is going to, or a mixture of altcoins are going to have to come to the center of the stage.” Volatility Compression And Price Targets Taylor also leans on technical signals. He points to a broader bearish structure in Bitcoin dominance and tight Bollinger Band compression as evidence that volatility is “around the corner.” He notes the emergence of a “quantum risk” narrative around Bitcoin’s cryptography, while arguing that negative narratives tend to cluster when sentiment is already depressed. On cycle structure, he argues crypto cycles have compressed in both duration and magnitude: 22,000% over 853 days (2015 to Feb. 2018), then roughly 1,200% over 395 days in the next cycle (starting from the C19 sell-off). Extending that pattern, he suggests the market could add roughly 600% “within 184 days,” sketching a “back of the napkin” path toward a total crypto value around $16 trillion. From there he proposes a scenario where $6 trillion flows into stablecoins and the remainder into liquid crypto exposure, implying downstream effects on DeFi and the networks stablecoins run on. Under that backdrop, he floats aggressive price outcomes: ETH at $30,000–$40,000, XRP at $20–$25, and Solana at $2,000 — while acknowledging how extreme those projections look from today’s vantage point. At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.3 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Defensive sentiment, falling leverage, and declining ETF exposure suggest the market may be near a bottom, K33 said.
Robert Kiyosaki expects a sharp market slide and sees it as a chance to add to his holdings. He has named Bitcoin and Ethereum alongside gold and silver as places to park money when prices tumble. Related Reading: Bitcoin Should Be Flying—Instead, Quantum Risk Keeps It Grounded: Analyst The book author and crypto figure calls scarcity a simple reason to act now. That idea is not new, but he is putting fresh public emphasis on buying during market panic. “I am so excited and bullish on Bitcoin I am buying more and more as Bitcoin’s price goes down,” Kiyosaki said in an X post. Kiyosaki’s Scarcity Argument Kiyosaki’s view rests on one clear point: some assets are limited. Bitcoin’s capped supply is used as the main example. He believes limited supply can protect value when currencies are under pressure. “I will be buying more Bitcoin as people panic and sell into the coming crash,” he said. The strategy he’s talking about is to keep buying during price drops, taking advantage of panic to pick up more at lower levels. I Am Warning You: In Rich Dad’s Prophecy published 2013 I warned of the biggest stock market crash in history still coming. That giant crash is now imminent. The good news is those of you who followed my rich dad’s warning and prepared….the coming crash will make you richer… — Robert Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) February 17, 2026 For people who can handle big swings, that approach may produce strong gains over many years. It is an aggressive stance, and it relies on the buyer staying calm while markets move wildly around them. “This coming crash may make you richer beyond your wildest dreams if you realize crashes are the best of times to get richer,” Kiyosaki said. Market Voices Push Back Not everyone agrees with that approach. Billionaire Warren Buffett has long warned that crypto looks speculative, and financial commentator Peter Schiff argues that digital coins lack a reliable store of value. Their warnings are blunt: prices can fall much further and stay low for a long time. This tension between bullish accumulation and caution is shaping investor debate right now. Price swings in a short span are not uncommon, and those moves can test conviction. What To Watch Next Liquidity and regulatory shifts remain key factors. Large drops have often been amplified when buyers pull back or regulators implement sudden rule changes. Exchange outages, forced selling by major holders, and rapid swings in lending markets have triggered past selloffs. Reports note that macro headlines and shifts in sentiment among big investors can drive prices lower even when long-term fundamentals appear steady. Steady accumulation during such periods has historically depended on the ability to endure these shocks. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Rout? Michael Saylor Unfazed, Teases New Accumulation A Plain Takeaway Kiyosaki is making a choice about how to deal with risk: accept volatility and buy more, or avoid it and likely miss big rebounds. Both approaches have been proven right at different times. Short-term noise will be loud and distracting. Long-term results will be shown by market prices and by who keeps their nerve. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin is trading sideways around $68,000, stuck in a $65K-$72K range since early February. Outflows of $105 million from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs are capping short-term rallies, while low volatility keeps the market in a holding pattern. Bulls highlight strong support near $50K and undervaluation versus gold, but bears warn of potential drops to $48K-$42K …
The Bitcoin price is hovering in a range of $60K to $70K and quietly sketching a structure that feels eerily familiar. If this is a bullish divergence phase like the one after the 2021 crash, then the current Bitcoin price prediction might frustrate impatient bulls more than outright bears ever did. First Top Shock Repeats …
A fresh round of Bitcoin market-manipulation chatter is ricocheting through crypto X after Jane Street added 7,105,206 shares of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, in Q4 2025, bringing its reported position to 20,315,780 shares. Speculators tie this disclosure to a long-running rumor about a daily “10AM” sell program. Is Jane Street Manipulating The Bitcoin Price? The allegation is simple and sticky: the same sophisticated desk “accumulating” IBIT is also supposedly the desk leaning on BTC and BTC-linked vehicles at a predictable time each morning to create better entry prices. The rebuttal, from market structure veterans, is equally blunt: you’re reading a market maker’s inventory like it’s a directional bet. BullTheory framed the 13F as an accumulation story, writing that Jane Street bought 7,105,206 IBIT shares “worth $276 million” in Q4 2025 and “now holds 20,315,780 IBIT shares worth $790 million,” before adding: “This is the same entity rumoured to be behind the daily ‘10 AM’ manipulation to push Bitcoin prices lower.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Accumulation Notably Weaker Than Nov 2025 Bounce: Glassnode The screenshot circulating alongside the claim shows Jane Street Group LLC listed with a 13F source tag, an options indicator marked “Y,” a position of 20,315,780, and a latest change of 7,105,206, filed 12/31/25. That “Y” is the detail critics keep coming back to because it’s the quickest tell that the position may not be what the headline suggests. BREAKING: Jane Street bought 7,105,206 $IBIT shares worth $276 million in Q4 2025. It now holds 20,315,780 IBIT shares worth $790 million. This is the same entity rumoured to be behind the daily “10 AM” manipulation to push Bitcoin prices lower. pic.twitter.com/NFC5r5hHUn — Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) February 17, 2026 Milk Road amplified the “10am theory,” calling it “persistent whispers” about “certain institutional trading desks running a very specific/shady playbook… (Jane Street included.).” The account described an alleged routine: “Around 10 AM ET, right at the US stock market open, large sell volumes hit BTC and related ETF shares. This creates panic → triggers liquidations of leveraged longs → and exploits thin liquidity pockets. Then the same firms allegedly buy back at lower prices.” Milk Road added that the pattern “apparently emerged prominently in early Nov 2025,” showed up in Q2 and Q3, and “has continued into early 2026,” while stressing: “To be clear – these are unverified rumors circulating in the community.” Not everyone bought the internal logic even on its own terms. CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost responded with the question many traders would ask first: “In this rumor, when is Jane Street supposed to have bought large amounts of BTC so as not to be selling at a loss right now”. Milk Road replied that the rumor “suggests they’d accumulated in the lead up,” then used existing holdings to “sell/dump prices → buy in size at a lower price,” adding again: “totally unverified.” Market Makers: Inventory Isn’t A Thesis The strongest pushback focused on mechanics, not vibes. Louis LaValle, CEO and co-founder of Frontier Investments, argued the viral framing misreads what a 13F is showing in the first place: “This isn’t correct. You’re misinterpreting the 13F. Jane Street is a lead market maker and Authorized Participant for IBI. They aren’t ‘holding’ as a bet. The ‘Y’ in the options column next to that $5.7B value confirms this is a delta-hedged position.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Flood Binance As Correction Deepens: On-Chain Data Shows LaValle added that the Q4 increase could be operational rather than directional: “They added 7 million shares in Q4 to manage the record volatility and creation/redemption demand. As a market maker, they hold these shares to balance the risk of the options they write. It has nothing to do with conviction or some mysterious price manipulation.” Former hedge fund manager Michael Green struck a similar note, calling the discourse “painful” and pointing to what isn’t visible in the filing: “Jane Street may be taking a position in IBIT, but that position is almost entirely offset by undisclosed options (on IBIT) and futures positions. They are certainly not ‘accumulating’ a position in Bitcoin. That’s how market making works.” Others put it more sharply. Former prop trader Ryan Scott (“Horse”) warned: “Anyone posting this as bullish is committing a capital offense. This should be ‘You’ll never guess who also has offsetting derivative positioning that does not need to be reported’ Jane Street is not longing Bitcoin.” Nik Bhatia boiled it down to incentives: “Jane Street owns IBIT so that it can write options, arbitrage, and everything else a quantitative trading shop does to make fast money.” Overall, the market-maker explanation appears more consistent with how these positions are typically managed, while the “10AM slam” narrative remains, at this stage, just that, a theory circulating on crypto X rather than a verified claim. At press time, BTC traded at $68,107. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Reports of real-world trials and steady questions from advisers are giving XRP and its network fresh attention, but the story is part optimism and part early-stage testing. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Rout? Michael Saylor Unfazed, Teases New Accumulation Grayscale Investments Reports Growing Advisor Questions According to people familiar with sales desks, the firm’s teams keep hearing the same line from financial advisers: clients want to know about the token. That curiosity, while loud, does not automatically mean money is moving in large sums. Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, who leads Product and Research at Grayscale Investments, said XRP ranks among the most talked-about crypto assets, with many investor discussions placing it just behind Bitcoin. The firm’s role is sales and research, and what gets asked about often leads product teams to track demand. Still, Reports say adviser interest is now a regular part of conversations that once focused almost entirely on Bitcoin. “Advisors are constantly asked by their clients about $XRP, and in some cases, it’s the second most talked about asset in this community behind Bitcoin.” As @Ray_scale shared during @Ripple’s XRP Community Day, advisors across the country consistently hear about $XRP from their… pic.twitter.com/ws3q1fJoZR — Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 16, 2026 Big Players Run Pilots Reports have disclosed that big names in finance and payments are running trials on the network. BlackRock and Mastercard have been linked to exploratory projects testing tokenized instruments and settlement flows. Pilots were set up to see whether on-chain liquidity and programmable money can shave steps from traditional processes. The work is at testing scale. It is not yet routine, and most of what’s public is limited to proof points. Token Demand Vs. Infra Checks XRP remains at the center of the conversation. Reports note that advisers and retail holders mention it often, and that community enthusiasm helps keep it in headlines. But supply, custody arrangements, and regulated product wrappers are the things that actually move investable capital. Meanwhile, the ledger that underpins the token is being vetted for features that large institutions find appealing. The ledger’s pace and fee profile have been looked at closely in these checks. Enterprise Features And Tokenized Funds Reports say the network includes native AMM-like mechanics, an on-ledger exchange, and trust line tools that can be adapted to compliance steps. Those features are part of why conventional firms have been willing to run pilots. Franklin Templeton and DBS took part in tokenized fund work last year, testing how regulated assets might flow on-chain with better liquidity. The results were mixed but instructive: tokenization can shorten settlement windows, yet legal and custody questions take time to solve. Related Reading: Bitcoin Should Be Flying—Instead, Quantum Risk Keeps It Grounded: Analyst Swap And Settlement Tests Gain Traction Reports note collaboration between market infrastructure teams and specialist firms to enable fund-share swaps and stablecoin rails. Securitize helped bridge traditional fund shares to on-chain representations, and Gemini was named in pilots that try converting fund exposure into a liquid on-chain form. Featured image from Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images, chart from TradingView
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said DeFi could help lead the market out of crypto winter, while Michael Saylor declared "spring is coming."
Bitcoin remains stuck below the $70,000 mark, a level that once served as a crucial floor for the cryptocurrency but has now turned into its most significant near-term barrier. After losing that support, the asset has struggled to regain momentum, and analysts warn that a combination of macroeconomic uncertainty and weak buying pressure could push the asset back into the $50,000 range — a level not seen since September 2024. Iran Tensions, Fed Uncertainty And ETF Withdrawals Market sentiment has noticeably deteriorated in recent weeks. “Sentiment is clearly bleak in crypto markets,” said Noelle Acheson, author of the Crypto is Macro Now newsletter. She pointed out that although traditional financial institutions continue to make meaningful strides in adopting digital assets, those developments have not translated into stronger prices, which she noted, is weighing further on investor confidence. Related Reading: Top Expert Projects Bitcoin Bear Market To End In Less Than 365 Days Broader macroeconomic forces are adding to the unease. According to Bloomberg, traders are assessing escalating geopolitical tensions involving Iran, as well as renewed debate over whether the economic impact of artificial intelligence (AI) could extend beyond the technology sector. At the same time, expectations surrounding Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate cuts have shifted back into focus following last week’s inflation data, injecting additional uncertainty into risk markets. Capital flows are not offering much relief. US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded a fourth consecutive week of net outflows, with $360 million pulled last week alone. Bitcoin At Risk Of Drop To $50,000 “Macro news has been closely correlated with crypto’s risk profile over the last 12 months,” said Paul Howard, senior director at market maker Wincent. He expects Bitcoin to remain range-bound as it searches for a new catalyst to revive sentiment. Howard added that a pending US Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, expected Friday, could have a more meaningful market impact than routine Federal Reserve minutes or inflation reports. Related Reading: XRP Outlook Slashed: Standard Chartered Lowers Forecast From $8 To $2 Amid this debate, investors view $60,000 as a pivotal support level for Bitcoin, but that floor could give way if risk appetite weakens further, according to Robin Singh, CEO of crypto tax platform Koinly. Singh cautioned that the market does not yet display the type of deep capitulation typically associated with durable cycle lows. “One macro wobble, another wave of uncertainty, or even just sustained chop in the mid-$60,000s could easily tip this into a sharper flush back into the $50,000s,” Singh said. “This doesn’t have the same full capitulation feel we’ve seen at true cycle bottoms in the past.” At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at around $68,000, marking a 29% decline over the past thirty days. Compared to the all-time high of $126,000 reached last October, CoinGecko data shows a 46% difference between the current trading price and the all-time high. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
In recent weeks, the crypto market has reportedly been consolidating or experiencing a small recovery during Asian trading hours, which is then liquidated with the start of the US trading session. Currently, the top two tokens, Bitcoin and Ethereum, surged beyond their respective resistance at $68,000 and $2,000. While the rally remains stuck within a …
On-chain analyst Willy Woo outlined Bitcoin’s bear cycle in three phases. Phase 1 began with a Q3 2025 liquidity breakdown, while Phase 2 is expected once broader market weakness sets in, leading eventually to capitulation and recovery. Bitcoin has fallen 47% from its $126K peak to $67.3K, with volatility levels not seen since the 2022 FTX crash. …
In the past 24 hours, no major change has been seen in the crypto markets, except for the Bitcoin price, which experienced a minor pullback. The token maintained a tight consolidation until the start of the US trading session and plunged by over $1500 in minutes. With this, the price closed the day’s trade at …
Bitcoin continues to struggle to reclaim the $70,000 level, with persistent selling pressure keeping the market in a defensive posture. Price action has repeatedly failed to establish sustained momentum above this psychological threshold, reflecting cautious sentiment among both institutional and retail participants. While volatility has moderated compared with the sharp declines seen earlier in the cycle, the broader structure still suggests a market searching for direction rather than entering a clear recovery phase. Related Reading: Ethereum Whale Losses Mirror Past Bottoms: Accumulation Continues Despite Pressure Recent on-chain data from a CryptoQuant analyst offers additional context by examining whale positioning. Wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC currently control approximately 4.483 million BTC as of February 16, 2026. Within this cohort, long-term holder whales — those holding coins for more than 155 days — dominate with roughly 3.196 million BTC, or about 71.3% of the total. Short-term whales, defined by holding periods under 155 days, account for around 1.287 million BTC, representing 28.7%. Although newer whales have modestly increased balances in recent months, structural control remains firmly with long-term holders. This imbalance suggests that while newer capital faces ongoing pressure, more established investors continue to anchor the market. Whether this dynamic supports stabilization or precedes further volatility remains an open question. Whale Cost Basis Signals Redistribution Rather Than Capitulation The analyst emphasizes that the most decisive signal comes from comparing realized price — the on-chain average acquisition cost — across different whale cohorts. Short-term holder (STH) whales currently show a realized price near $88,494, while long-term holder (LTH) whales maintain a significantly lower cost basis around $41,626. With Bitcoin trading close to $68,795, the contrast is pronounced. Newer whales are sitting on roughly a 22% unrealized loss, whereas long-term whales retain an estimated 65% profit margin. This asymmetry highlights a familiar market dynamic: recent capital is under pressure, while structurally entrenched holders still operate from a position of strength. When price declines accelerate, short-term whales historically tend to capitulate first, locking in losses. Recent realized profit data suggest this process has already intensified since Bitcoin’s October all-time high, with deeper negative spikes appearing as the correction progressed. Historically, similar configurations observed in 2019 and 2022 corresponded with redistribution phases rather than systemic collapse. Supply gradually shifted from lower-conviction participants toward stronger holders. The key threshold remains the LTH realized price near $41.6K. As long as Bitcoin trades above that level, structural capitulation is not confirmed. Instead, the current phase appears to reflect conviction transfer rather than widespread market destruction. Related Reading: Hyperunit Whale Dumps $500M In Ethereum As Massive Crypto Bet Turns Sour Bitcoin Holds Key Support As Downtrend Structure Remains Intact Bitcoin price action on the 3-day timeframe continues to reflect a structurally weak market following the sharp rejection from the late-2025 highs near $125,000. Since then, BTC has printed a sequence of lower highs and lower lows, confirming a clear intermediate downtrend. The recent drop toward the $65,000–$70,000 zone highlights persistent selling pressure, particularly after repeated failures to reclaim higher moving averages. From a technical perspective, price is currently trading below the 50-, 100-, and 200-period moving averages, all of which are beginning to slope downward. This alignment typically signals bearish momentum and suggests rallies may continue to face resistance. The 200-period average near the mid-$90,000 region now represents a major structural barrier rather than support. Related Reading: Liquidity Or Liability? History’s Hard Lessons For The XRP Momentum Play Volume dynamics reinforce this interpretation. Selling spikes accompanying recent declines appear stronger than buying activity during rebounds, indicating distribution rather than accumulation in the short term. However, the stabilization near the $65,000–$70,000 range suggests a potential consolidation phase rather than immediate continuation lower. Key support sits around the recent local low near $60,000. A sustained breakdown below that level could trigger another volatility expansion, while recovery above $80,000 would be required to neutralize the current bearish structure and shift sentiment toward stabilization. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
On-chain analytics firm Glassnode has highlighted how accumulation during the recent Bitcoin drop has looked weaker than some past crashes. Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score Doesn’t Indicate Strong Accumulation In a new post on X, Glassnode has talked about the latest trend in the Accumulation Trend Score of Bitcoin. This indicator tracks whether the BTC investors are accumulating or distributing right now. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bull-Bear Cycle Indicator Drops To Deepest Level Since FTX Bottom The metric determines this by taking into account for two factors: the balance changes happening in the wallets of the holders and the size of the balances themselves. The latter factor means that larger entities have a higher weightage in the indicator. When the value of the Accumulation Trend Score is greater than 0.5, it means the large holders (or a large number of small entities) are in a phase of accumulation. The closer is the metric to the 1.0 level, the stronger is this behavior. On the other hand, the indicator being under the 0.5 mark suggests distribution is dominant on the network. The selling can be considered the strongest at a value of zero. Now, here is the chart shared by Glassnode that shows the trend in the 7-day moving average (MA) of the Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score over the last few years: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score took a yellow shade as the cryptocurrency’s January recovery rally topped out and a move downward followed. This suggests that the investors were distributing. As the coin has stabilized above $65,000 recently, the indicator’s color has changed to a darker one, implying it has broken back above the 0.5 mark. While this is a sign that there has been some accumulation at the post-crash price levels, the degree of it hasn’t been too high. From the chart, it’s apparent that this behavior is in contrast to how the market reacted to the November crash. Back then, the Accumulation Trend Score took a deep purple shade, indicating an aggressive amount of accumulation from the big-money hands. The LUNA and FTX crashes from the 2022 bear market were also met with a similarly extreme accumulation behavior. It now remains to be seen whether the lack of demand this time around will mean that Bitcoin will take some time to settle into a low. Related Reading: 46% Of Bitcoin Supply Now In Loss—What It Could Take For A Bottom In some other news, Glassnode has shared an update in an X post on how the major Bitcoin on-chain price models are looking. As is visible in the graph, Bitcoin’s decline has meant that its price is now trading under all major on-chain pricing models except for the Realized Price, corresponding to the cost basis of the network participants as a whole. This level is currently located at $54,900. BTC Price Bitcoin has stagnated since its recovery from the $60,000 low as its price is still floating around the $68,000 level. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
While much of the market’s attention remains fixed on the Bitcoin (BTC) short-term price outlook for the remainder of the year, some early industry voices are raising a far longer-term concern — one that could introduce as much as $274 billion in potential selling pressure over the next decade. Quantum Risk Debate Grows In a recent post on social media, market expert Crypto Rover pointed to what he described as a growing conversation among early Bitcoin analysts and long-time participants in the space. According to the analysis, the warning is not coming from retail traders reacting to daily price swings. Instead, it is being discussed by so-called “OG” holders — investors who have been involved with Bitcoin since its earliest years. Related Reading: Top Expert Projects Bitcoin Bear Market To End In Less Than 365 Days The issue at the center of the debate is not macroeconomics or regulatory shifts, but quantum computing. A segment of early adopters believes that advances in quantum technology may no longer be a distant or purely theoretical risk. Within the next five to ten years, they argue, quantum systems could become powerful enough to challenge the cryptographic foundations that secure the Bitcoin network. If quantum machines were able to break or significantly weaken that encryption, older wallets — particularly those using early-generation security standards — could become vulnerable. The concern is not that Bitcoin’s network is currently weak, but that a sufficiently advanced quantum breakthrough could expose dormant coins whose private keys were once thought secure. This is where the potential supply shock comes into focus. Potential Return Of Early-Era Bitcoin An estimated 4 million BTC from Bitcoin’s early years, particularly before 2011, are considered inactive or lost. Markets generally treat those coins as permanently out of circulation, effectively reducing Bitcoin’s usable supply. However, Rover asserts that if quantum computing were ever able to unlock even a portion of those wallets, that supply could theoretically return to the market. To understand the magnitude of such a shift, Rover points to recent history. Since 2020, institutions and corporations have collectively accumulated roughly 3 million BTC, which played a key role in driving BTC from $10,000 to peak levels above $120,000. Related Reading: XRP Outlook Slashed: Standard Chartered Lowers Forecast From $8 To $2 The expert warns that if 4 million Bitcoin were suddenly viewed as potentially liquid supply, it would represent a long-term overhang far exceeding the scale of recent institutional accumulation. However, Rover highlighted that quantum computing does not represent an imminent danger to Bitcoin’s security. The technology is continuously evolving, and there is no confirmed ability to break modern cryptographic standards at scale. BTC was trading at roughly $67,800 at the time of writing, representing a 2.6% decrease over the previous seven days, according to CoinGecko data. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin continues to struggle to reclaim the $70,000 level, with price action increasingly confined to a broad range above $60,000. This consolidation reflects persistent selling pressure near resistance while buyers appear willing to defend lower levels, creating a temporary equilibrium rather than a clear directional trend. Market sentiment remains cautious, with traders closely watching liquidity conditions, macro signals, and on-chain flows for clues about the next decisive move. Related Reading: Ethereum Whale Losses Mirror Past Bottoms: Accumulation Continues Despite Pressure A recent CryptoQuant analysis provides additional context by highlighting a noticeable shift in miner behavior. According to the data, the pace of Bitcoin withdrawals from trading platforms has accelerated significantly in recent weeks. Since the beginning of February, roughly 36,000 BTC have been withdrawn from exchanges — a substantial figure compared to previous months. Such withdrawals are often interpreted as a reduction in immediate selling intent, as miners typically move coins off exchanges when prioritizing long-term holding or alternative liquidity strategies. While this does not guarantee bullish price action, it can reduce short-term supply pressure in spot markets. Miner Withdrawals Signal Potential Shift In Bitcoin Supply Dynamics The analysis further highlights the scale and distribution of recent miner withdrawals from exchanges. More than 12,000 Bitcoin were reportedly withdrawn from Binance alone, while the remaining volume — exceeding 24,000 BTC — was spread across multiple other trading platforms. This broad-based movement suggests coordinated repositioning rather than isolated activity by a single entity, pointing to a wider shift in miner liquidity management strategies. Such behavior is often interpreted as a move toward longer-term storage. Miners typically transfer holdings to cold wallets when they are less inclined to sell immediately, reducing the amount of Bitcoin readily available on exchanges. This can signal increased confidence in future price appreciation or a strategic decision to manage liquidity outside active trading venues. Daily withdrawal intensity has also accelerated notably. At one point, more than 6,000 BTC were withdrawn in a single day, marking the highest daily level since last November. This pace clearly exceeds the activity observed in January, reinforcing the view that miners may be entering a repositioning phase. While not inherently bullish, sustained exchange outflows from miners can contribute to tighter spot supply conditions, potentially influencing price stability and market sentiment over time. Related Reading: Hyperunit Whale Dumps $500M In Ethereum As Massive Crypto Bet Turns Sour Price Consolidates Below Resistance Bitcoin price action continues to reflect structural weakness, with the chart showing a clear downtrend following the rejection from the late-2025 highs. Successive lower highs and lower lows remain intact, confirming that bearish momentum has not yet been invalidated. The recent decline toward the mid-$60K range appears to be stabilizing temporarily, but price has not reclaimed any major technical resistance levels. The moving average structure reinforces this view. Price remains below key trend indicators, which are sloping downward and acting as dynamic resistance. This alignment typically reflects sustained selling pressure rather than a completed correction. Until Bitcoin reclaims these averages convincingly, upside recoveries are likely to face repeated selling interest. Related Reading: Liquidity Or Liability? History’s Hard Lessons For The XRP Momentum Play Volume behavior also deserves attention. The sharp spike accompanying the recent drop suggests forced selling or panic-driven liquidation rather than orderly distribution. However, the subsequent reduction in volume during consolidation indicates that aggressive sellers may be temporarily exhausted, though not necessarily absent. From a technical standpoint, the $60K–$65K zone is emerging as an important short-term support area. A sustained breakdown below it could open the door to deeper downside. Conversely, recovery above the $70K region would be required to weaken the current bearish structure and signal potential stabilization. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price corrected gains and tested the $66,500 support. BTC is now struggling and might decline further below the $65,000 zone. Bitcoin is struggling to recover losses and moving lower below $67,500. The price is trading below $67,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There is a declining channel forming with resistance at $68,850 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip again if it trades below the $66,500 and $66,000 levels. Bitcoin Price Dips Further Bitcoin price failed to remain stable above the $68,500 zone. BTC started a fresh decline and traded below the $67,800 support zone. There was a push below $67,200. The price dipped below the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. However, the bulls remained active near the $66,500 zone. Besides, there is a declining channel forming with resistance at $68,850 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $67,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $66,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $68,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $68,850 level. A close above the $68,850 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $69,200 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $70,000 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $7`,200 and $72,000. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $68,850 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $66,500 level or the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. The first major support is near the $66,000 level. The next support is now near the $65,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $64,200 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $63,500, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $66,500, followed by $66,000. Major Resistance Levels – $68,000 and $68,850.