The British financial giant Standard Chartered sharply reduced its price outlook for XRP, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency. The company trimmed its end-of-2026 target by 65% following the severe downturn in the broader crypto market in the past month. The revision comes even as the altcoin posted a modest 2% rebound over the past week, trading around $1.47 per token at the time of writing. Despite that short-term recovery, the bank’s digital assets team now believes the token is unlikely to reach a new all-time high this year. New XRP Price Prediction The updated forecast was first reported on Monday by DL News, with Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, outlining the changes in a note to investors. Related Reading: Can XRP Hold Above $1? Token Tumbles 11% as Breakdown Fuels Crash Concerns Kendrick, who leads the bank’s crypto research efforts, acknowledged that recent market conditions have forced a broad reassessment of price expectations across the sector. “Recent price action for digital assets has been challenging, to say the least,” Kendrick wrote. “We expect further declines near-term, and we lower our forecasts across the asset class.” Under the revised outlook, Standard Chartered now expects XRP to reach $2.80 by the end of 2026, a substantial cut from its previous $8 projection. The earlier target had been issued in December, when the bank took a far more optimistic stance. At that time, Kendrick pointed to increasing regulatory clarity surrounding XRP’s status as a financial asset, along with progress toward exchange-traded fund (ETF) products, as key catalysts that could drive significant price appreciation. Broad Forecast Cuts Across Major Tokens The $8 forecast was made roughly two and a half months after the sharp market crash on October 10, when sentiment had begun to stabilize. However, as February draws to a close, the broader crypto market has yet to mount a sustained recovery. That prolonged weakness has prompted Standard Chartered to reassess not only XRP but the wider digital asset landscape. Related Reading: Bitcoin Should Be Flying—Instead, Quantum Risk Keeps It Grounded: Analyst Bitcoin’s (BTC) expected price has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000. Ethereum’s (ETH) forecast has been revised down from $7,000 to $4,000, while Solana’s (SOL) target has been cut from $250 to $135. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Metaplanet reports a $621M net loss after a $668M Bitcoin valuation hit despite 738% revenue growth and strong operating profit.
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XRP may be approaching a significant technical moment after returning to an important level on the XRP/BTC chart. A crypto analyst known as Austin recently highlighted that the last time XRP broke above a specific resistance against Bitcoin, the result was a rapid and powerful price expansion. That same level is now being tested again, and it is worth keeping a close watch on how XRP moves from here. XRP/BTC Breakout Level Returns Technical analysis of XRP’s price action against BTC shows that the important signal lies in XRP’s performance against Bitcoin, specifically the 0.00002168 level on the XRP/BTC chart. This level is interesting because the last time the XRP/BTC broke through this zone, the pair surged by roughly 40% within a single week. Related Reading: XRP Price Could Push Further If It Beats This Resistane – ‘$15 Is On The Radar’ However, that move did not happen because Bitcoin’s price was crashing but because XRP was rallying. As XRP gained strength against Bitcoin, XRP/USD followed with an even larger breakout of over 50% within the following week. The chart accompanying Austin’s post shows a highlighted eight-day move where XRP gained approximately 52.9%, rising from around the low $2 range to above $3.60. Trading volume rose massively during that period, and this ultimately pushed XRP to a new all-time high of $3.65. As it stands, the XRP/BTC pair is now trading around this same level, with the most recent daily candlestick printing green, which means that XRP is outperforming Bitcoin. History shows that when XRP begins to outperform Bitcoin decisively, it often leads to a broader price expansion. Austin noted that breaking through this level again could be a significant sign of a big move to come. Current Structure And What Comes Next As shown in the daily candlestick chart above, XRP has been locked in a broader corrective trend against the US dollar with lower highs and lower lows after reaching $3.65 in July 2025. The recent selloff saw XRP drop below $1.15 in early February before rebounding. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.46 and attempting to print daily candlestick closes above $1.50. Related Reading: Analyst Wans XRP Price Could Crash Below $1 If Bitcoin Reaches This Level If XRP/BTC manages to close convincingly above 0.00002168, it could signal a renewed shift in momentum. That would likely draw attention back to higher resistance zones on the USD chart, including $1.90, and then $2.10 as initial upside targets. A stronger continuation could open the path toward retesting deeper overhead supply levels. If the structure were to repeat the prior breakout, where XRP rallied by 52% in a short window, price projections would place the asset near the $2.30 region from current levels. Featured Image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Bitcoin price is once again trading at a critical juncture as derivatives data begins flashing early signs of pressure building beneath the surface. While price action remains relatively stable within a tight consolidation range, liquidation metrics tell a more dynamic story. Rising short liquidations across exchanges suggest that bearish traders are getting squeezed as BTC …
The scoop: The Netherlands has just moved to tax Bitcoin like a stock, marked to market. Lawmakers in the Dutch House backed a Box 3 overhaul that would tax “actual returns,” including annual price changes in liquid assets like BTC, at a flat 36%, even if you never sell. The plan targets Jan. 1, 2028 (pending […]
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Metaplanet posted a $619 million FY2025 loss on its bitcoin valuation, while its total holdings jumped to 35,102 BTC and revenue surged.
According to on-chain analyst Willy Woo, a long-running rise in Bitcoin’s value versus gold has stalled. He points to a break in a trend that ran for more than a decade. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $8,000? Michael Saylor Says Strategy Still Won’t Break The timing, he argues, lines up with when quantum computing showed up on the radar of Bitcoin developers and when the Quantum Bitcoin Summit took place. That change, he says, has altered how the market thinks about Bitcoin’s future. Quantum Fear And Lost Coins Reports have disclosed that roughly 4 million BTC are effectively out of circulation because their keys are lost. That number matters. Since 2020, corporate buyers and spot ETFs have taken close to 3 million BTC off the market. If some of those lost coins were eventually recovered using powerful quantum machines, supply would expand in a way that markets could not ignore. Woo gives the chance of a network hard fork that freezes any recovered coins at 25%. 12 YR TREND BROKEN. BTC should be a valued a LOT HIGHER relative to gold. Should be. IT’S NOT. The valuation trend broke down once QUANTUM came into awareness. Don’t read this post if you want to stay high on hopium instead of seeing things as they are. pic.twitter.com/Qa2YKDlRMp — Willy Woo (@willywoo) February 16, 2026 He also estimates a socalled Q-Day — the point where quantum machines can threaten today’s cryptography — to be about five to 15 years away. Markets, however, do not always wait for an event to actually happen before they price it in. Macro Money Favors Gold Right Now Reports note that broader financial cycles are pushing big pools of capital toward traditional hard assets. Long-term debt cycles are often followed by moves into things seen as safe havens. Sovereign funds and large investors have been piling into gold while Bitcoin stalls. The result: gold rallies while Bitcoin lags, and that gap is what analysts like Woo are trying to explain. Who Says It’s Not Quantum Panic Quantum fears around Bitcoin are not universally accepted. Blockstream CEO Adam Back has said the threat is distant and often overstated, arguing that if quantum computing advances far enough to challenge current encryption, Bitcoin can upgrade its cryptography through network consensus. In his view, the system has time to adjust before any real damage occurs. Prominent Bitcoin educator and author Andreas Antonopoulos has also pushed back, noting that quantum computers would affect banks, governments, and the entire internet—not just Bitcoin. He argues that global security standards would be strengthened long before Bitcoin faced a unique crisis, making the current concern premature. Yet Woo points to unusual flows, including activity by early-era holders. Reports say some Satoshi-era wallets have seen transfers over the last 12 months, and that behavior can change market sentiment fast. Sometimes a few large moves are enough to tilt prices for weeks. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking Bitcoin And Gold: Diverging Paths Amid Market Volatility At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $68,700, indicating market volatility due to the inability to sustain last year’s peak at around $126,000. Gold, for its part, is trading at around $4,950 per ounce due to safe-haven pressures driven by market uncertainty. Bitcoin is still a speculative asset, while gold is a traditional store of value, some analysts say. The correlation coefficient between Bitcoin and gold is relatively weak, almost to the point of being nil, suggesting that these two assets are not correlated and tend to move independently. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The Bitcoin price is trading at $68,820, and a fresh debate over miner behavior and hashrate strength is now shaping the recovery narrative. With BTC price today hovering near recent lows, a public clash broke out between two of the most renowned analysts, “cryptorand’ and ‘alicharts’ over whether on-chain signals are flashing a bottom or …
Finam's Bitcoin mining fund could boost Russia's crypto market, leveraging local energy resources and potentially attracting global investors.
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The company recorded a non-cash bitcoin valuation loss of 102.2 billion yen ($650 million) due to the cryptocurrency’s price drop.
Japan‑listed Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet reported FY2025 revenue of ¥8.905 billion, a 738% increase year on year, with operating profit jumping 1,694% to ¥6.287 billion. Over the year, the company expanded its Bitcoin holdings from 1,762 BTC to 35,102 BTC. Despite this growth, it recorded an unrealized valuation loss of around ¥102.2 billion, highlighting both the rapid expansion and the …
According to CoinMarketCap, Ethereum changed hands around $2,050 at one point, with a single-session move of about 7%. Reports have disclosed that roughly 30% of the total ETH supply is now locked in staking contracts, a level not seen before. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking That is a big shift in where supply sits, and it matters because locked coins are not available for quick trading. Staking Participation Hits A Record On-chain trackers show a steady climb in staking since early 2023. Back then roughly 15% of the supply was staked; today that figure has roughly doubled. People who lock ETH as validators do it to earn rewards and to help keep the network running. Many of those accounts are built to stay long-term. That matters because long-term holders change how supply and demand play out. Ethereum staking rate just hit a new all-time high. Over 30.5% of all ETH is now staked! Meanwhile ETH is trading at ~$1,950. Since early 2023, the staking rate has gone from ~15% to 30.5% in an almost perfect straight line. Bear market, bull market, crashes, rallies. Doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/8dS4xv7bok — Leon Waidmann (@LeonWaidmann) February 13, 2026 Liquid Supply Has Shrunk When a chunk of coins is tied up, it takes some selling pressure off the market. Locked ETH lowers the pool available on exchanges for fast sales. That does not guarantee a price surge, but it does tighten one side of the market. Traders watching supply flows often weigh that factor alongside macro moves and liquidity conditions. Some traders see this as a slow-burning bullish signal. Others remain cautious because other forces can push prices down even when supply is tighter. Ether Shows Volatility Around $1,900–$2,000 Prices have been bouncy. One day sees gains; the next day shows pullbacks. Reports note that ETH slipped below $2,000 at times as broader crypto momentum cooled. Some sessions point to strength, and some to weakness. Over the last week movement has been uneven. This is a market where headlines and flows still swing prices more than network fundamentals sometimes do. Validator Growth May Support Confidence The rising staking rate also points to growing validator infrastructure and investor patience. More validators means the consensus mechanism has more hands on deck. That has implications beyond price: it affects network security and how rewards are distributed. For many long-horizon investors, that steady build of validators is a reason to remain involved. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $8,000? Michael Saylor Says Strategy Still Won’t Break Timing of withdrawal unlocks is on watch lists. So is how quickly new staked ETH can return to exchanges when withdrawals are permitted at scale. Another big item is macro moves—rates, liquidity, and major market shifts. Those will likely control the next big price swings more than staking alone. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin has fallen more than 50% from its recent cycle high, and market sentiment remains cautious. Several analysts believe BTC is still in a broader downtrend, while others see early signs of a possible bottom formation. Below is a clear breakdown of what analysts are saying, how low Bitcoin could go, and what signals matter …
Bitcoin is sitting at a “critical point,” with traders split between two familiar scripts: a full capitulation event, or the early innings of a durable bottoming process. In a Feb. 15 video explainer, CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn argued the data is starting to line up for the latter, but with a clear caveat that any bottom is more likely to be a grind than a snapback. Is The Bitcoin Bottom In? Bitcoin is currently trading roughly 50% below its all-time high, a drawdown that looks severe in isolation but still smaller than the 70%+ declines seen in prior bear markets, Maartunn said. The more actionable question, in his framing, is not whether the market can go lower but whether the ingredients that usually precede a turn are appearing. Maartunn points first to what he describes as “structural selling pressure” tied to spot ETFs. According to his figures, the new spot ETFs have posted an $8.2 billion drawdown from peak holdings, “the largest on record”, creating persistent sell pressure. He adds that the current price is around 17% below the average buying price for ETF holders, putting a meaningful slice of that cohort underwater and potentially incentivized to cut exposure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sees Largest Shorts Liquidation Event Since 2024 — What Happened? He then pairs that flow story with a mechanical reset in derivatives. Open interest has been “sliced by more than half,” falling from $45.5 billion to $21.7 billion, with a 27% drop in open interest in the last week alone. Maartunn describes this as a broad deleveraging event, painful in real time, but historically consistent with conditions that allow a bottom to form. “Look, it’s definitely painful for anyone who is overleveraged, but getting rid of all that speculation is an absolutely necessary step to form a real sustainable market bottom,” he said. “This is a signal of a major wash out of speculative excess.” To gauge whether the drawdown is translating into capitulation-like stress, Maartunn focuses on short-term holders. He cites the short-term holder MVRV ratio at 0.72, implying the average short-term holder is down about 28%, “deep underwater” as a group. In his telling, that’s not a routine reading: it’s the lowest level since the July 2022 bottom, and a band that has historically aligned with periods of maximum financial pain. “This level of financial stress is pretty rare historically, and it usually happens during periods of major capitulation,” Maartunn said. “Now, sure, could this ratio go even lower? Absolutely. But what history shows us is that when we get down into these levels, the risk-to-reward profile for Bitcoin starts to look a lot better.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Flirts With ‘Undervalued’ As MVRV Slides Toward 1 Maartunn also frames the current structure as a retest of a major support cluster — where the previous cycle’s all-time high intersects the upper boundary of an older trading range — a zone that has often mattered in past cycle transitions. From there, he moves to time-based analogs, suggesting prior bear-market durations imply a broad window between June and December 2026, with the last two cycles clustering most tightly between September and November. His closing point is that bottoms are rarely single-day events. In his view, ETF-driven structural selling, the leverage flush, stress among short-term holders, and the retest of key levels can all coexist inside a longer bottoming process — with sentiment as the final tell. “A real market bottom… that’s usually marked by just apathy,” he said. “When engagement on social media is totally dead, your timeline is quiet, and honestly, nobody seems to care anymore. That period of total disinterest is often the point of maximum financial opportunity.” Overall, the implication of Maartunn’s framework is straightforward: the data may be shifting toward early bottom formation signals, but the confirming evidence, particularly around flows and sentiment, could still arrive in stages, with volatility and further stress tests along the way. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $68,710. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
According to Strategy founder Michael Saylor, the company believes it could meet its obligations even if Bitcoin fell sharply, as low as $8,000. That claim is simple to state. The reality behind it is more complex. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking Debt Cushion And What It Means Reports say the firm currently shows about $6 billion in net debt against its crypto holdings. On paper, a steep drop in BTC’s market value could leave reserves roughly in line with that liability. But balance-sheet math is not the whole story. Timing matters. Liquidity windows, market access, and investor reactions can change the practical options available to a firm under pressure. What management calls a “cushion” could be thin in a stressed market. Strategy can withstand a drawdown in $BTC price to $8K and still have sufficient assets to fully cover our debt. pic.twitter.com/vrw4z4Ex9q — Strategy (@Strategy) February 15, 2026 Conversion Plan And Shareholder Tradeoffs The company has a plan to equitize certain convertible notes over the next three to six years. That means debt would be swapped for shares rather than rolled into new senior loans. Reports note this moves some risk to shareholders through dilution, and it stretches out deadlines for cash paydowns. Interest remains payable while the notes exist, so the firm is not free of near-term costs. If markets choke up or the share price weakens dramatically, the terms and outcomes of conversion could change. What looks manageable now can be reshaped by turbulent markets. Our plan is to equitize our convertible debt over the next 3–6 years. https://t.co/yRsCuCRNHl — Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 15, 2026 Buying Into Decline Buying continued. One recent purchase added 1,142 BTC at a time when unrealized losses stood in the multiple billions. That pattern shows confidence, yet it also increases exposure. Accumulation while holding large paper losses amplifies the company’s sensitivity to Bitcoin swings. Market moves can turn that bet into prolonged volatility for the stock. Investors who trade the shares as a proxy for crypto risk know this all too well. CEO Comments And The Longer Run Reports have disclosed remarks from Phong Le suggesting that an 80% decline would take years to materially damage the operating side of the business. That timeline depends on steady access to credit markets and predictable cash flow. Both can be disrupted when asset prices tumble and lenders grow cautious. The company’s stance assumes no sudden freeze in funding channels. Political Pitch And Broader Appeals Saylor has also urged that the US adopt a reserve posture toward Bitcoin similar to how gold is treated, and he pushes for laws that would favor Bitcoin adoption. Those advocacy moves are positioned as long-term efforts to shape policy. Related Reading: XRP Spotlighted In German Media With Bold $9 Projection Political winds can shift. US President Donald Trump and other leaders may have different priorities, and legislation is a slow process. Based on reports, the filing and public comments sketch a path that can technically withstand a deep BTC slump. That path, however, asks shareholders to absorb volatility and possible dilution while hoping markets remain open long enough to convert and adjust. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin price failed to stay above $70,000 and started another decline. BTC is now trading below $68,800 and might extend losses in the near term. Bitcoin is slowly moving lower below $69,500 and $69,200. The price is trading near $68,400 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There was a break below a bullish trend line with support at $69,500 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip again if it trades below the $68,400 and $68,000 levels. Bitcoin Price Dips Again Bitcoin price failed to remain stable above the $70,000 zone. BTC started a fresh decline and traded below the $69,200 support zone. There was a push below $69,000. The price dipped below the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. Besides, there was a break below a bullish trend line with support at $69,500 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading near $68,400 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $68,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $68,800 level. The first key resistance is near the $69,500 level. A close above the $69,500 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $70,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $70,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $72,000 and $72,500. More Losses In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $69,500 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $68,200 level. The first major support is near the $68,000 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $65,072 swing low to the $70,935 high. The next support is now near the $67,350 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $67,350 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $66,500, 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 – $68,000, followed by $66,500. Major Resistance Levels – $69,500 and $70,000.
Bitcoin price is heading into the new week sitting right below key psychological levels, but buyers don’t look fully in control yet. Bitcoin has tested the $70,000 mark several times, only to face steady selling each time it tries to push higher. The momentum is there, but the follow-through has been weak, making a clean …
Bitcoin’s February drop to about $60,000 was the kind of single-day panic people will remember as a bottom. But the more accurate reading of this washout is harder and more useful: this cycle quit in stages, and the sellers rotated. A Feb. 10 report from Checkonchain framed the move as a capitulation event that arrived […]
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Bitcoin is showing signs of stabilization after weeks of volatility, raising a major question across the crypto market: Is the recent Bitcoin price crash finally coming to an end? Recent chart patterns suggest that the market may be entering a short-term recovery phase, although longer-term risks still remain. Recent Bounce Points to Short-Term Strength Gareth …
Crypto winter has a branding problem. The phrase makes it sound like the chain goes quiet, wallets stop moving, and the whole machine turns cold. However, the cleanest proof of retail pulling back rarely lives on-chain. The people who vanish first aren’t the power users bridging stables into DeFi or the long-term holders shuffling coins […]
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The Bitcoin price remains in a fragile phase in its broader market structure, alternating between recovery attempts and lingering macro uncertainty. Structurally, the market is in a transitional state, as it leaves euphoric expansion but is not yet fully in capitulation. Ultimately, current price action reflects a tug of war between long-term conviction holders and short-term speculative flows. Nonetheless, on-chain data suggests that the premier cryptocurrency is likely to embark on more trips to the downside. CVDD: Bitcoin’s Compass to Cycle Lows Since 2012 In a recent post on the X platform, market analyst Ali Martinez revealed that the Cumulative Value – Days Destroyed (CVDD) has identified Bitcoin’s bottom since 2012. According to the crypto pundit, the metric is one of the most respected long-term on-chain indicators for identifying structural lows, and its current value is $45,225. Related Reading: BNB Chain Expands With $1B Fund Access While BNB Price Nears Critical Support Launched by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, CVDD is a long-term Bitcoin valuation metric designed to identify major market bottoms by analyzing the behaviour of long-term holders. To understand CVDD, one needs to recognize the Coin Days Destroyed (CDD). CDD is every Bitcoin accumulated that remains unmoved in a wallet. Now, CVDD tracks the cumulative historical value of destroyed coin days and adjusts it into a valuation model to produce a price level that historically aligns with the major Bitcoin cycle bottom. Since 2012, CVDD has consistently marked major Bitcoin price bottoms with remarkable accuracy. The model essentially measures when older, long–held coins are spent. Because long-term holders tend to distribute near cycle tops and accumulate during deep bear phases. Is Bitcoin Sitting On A Hidden Safety Net? Over time, CVDD has acted as a floor beneath price during severe drawdowns. In past cycles, including the 2015 bear market bottom, the 2018 capitulation, and the 2022 sell-off, the Bitcoin price often approached or briefly fell below the CVDD line before staging long-term recoveries. Currently, CVDD sits at $45,225, a level that represents what many would consider a deep value zone within the current market structure. It does not necessarily imply that price must fall to this level, but rather that it serves as a historically significant structural support if broader market conditions further deteriorate. When BTC trades comfortably above CVDD, it typically signals that the market remains in a healthier macro position. Meanwhile, when the Bitcoin price compresses towards it, sentiment often becomes pessimistic, and long-term accumulation tends to intensify. As Bitcoin consolidates within its current range, it might be helpful to monitor whether the price maintains sufficient distance above the $45,225 CVDD level. A decisive move toward it could signal deeper corrective pressure, while sustained strength above it reinforces the argument that the broader cycle remains structurally intact. As of this writing, BTC is valued at around $70,000, reflecting a modest price increase of nearly 2% in the past day. Related Reading: Bitcoin NUPL Back In Hope/Fear Region: What Happens Next? Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin traded mostly flat over the past 24 hours, posting only a small increase after reaching a slightly higher high during the weekend session. The price action shows that the market is currently pausing after its recent climb, with buyers and sellers both waiting for a stronger signal before taking large positions. Consolidation Continues After …
Bitcoin derivative traders are increasingly positioning for further downside rather than a clean bounce as the leading cryptocurrency continues to trade in a tight range below $70,000. According to CryptoSlate's data, BTC price bottomed at $65,092 during the last 24 hours but has since recovered to $66,947 as of press time. This continues a weeklong […]
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XRP has edged back above $1.40 after weeks of uneven trading, but some investors believe the quiet recovery could be the start of a longer story. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking The token was changing hands near $1.43 at last check, still far from past highs. While the broader crypto market remains cautious, fresh comments from a European investment executive have added fuel to longer-term price discussions. Bold Forecasts From A German Investor During a recent segment on Der Aktionär TV, Michel Oliver, head of Tokentus Investment AG, said XRP could reach between $7 and $9 in a future bull cycle. Based on reports, he tied that projection to growing institutional use of the network and what he sees as its expanding role in global payments. He argued that the token could serve as a core settlement asset if adoption continues at the current pace. Oliver pointed to infrastructure rather than short-term hype. According to him, the foundation is being laid through licensing wins and partnerships that could support larger transaction volumes over time. He stressed that such growth is unlikely to be fully realized in the current market phase, suggesting the bigger move may come after another reset in sentiment. ????German news media says #XRP will be the backbone of the new financial system. Targets mentioned: ▫️ $7–$9 in the near term pic.twitter.com/u79obRShDL — BULLRUNNERS (@BullrunnersHQ) February 10, 2026 Licenses And Network Expansion Reports note that Ripple has secured more than 60 financial licenses worldwide, including an electronic money license in the United Kingdom. That approval allows the firm to operate certain regulated payment services in the region. The regulatory footprint has been expanding steadily, and that progress has been highlighted as a reason for long-term optimism. The base blockchain is called XRP Ledger. It was created to facilitate quick and cheap transactions. XRP is used to facilitate this. The assumption is that as more institutions are added to this ledger, this token could increase. The counterpoint to this is that this doesn’t necessarily translate to an increase in value. Currently, to go from this price to $9, it would be an increase of more than 500%. While this is possible, it has been done before. It requires a lot of money to come into this market. European Access Broadens Access to XRP has broadened within Europe. The crypto exchange Safello has increased access to XRP within more European Union countries. It has done this after receiving authorization under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. The exchange has supported XRP trading since December 2025. Related Reading: XRP Set To Dethrone Bitcoin Within 6 Years, Entrepreneur Says Greater availability can improve liquidity. It can also draw new participants into the market. Still, exchange listings alone rarely drive multi-hundred-percent gains. For now, XRP sits in a rebuilding phase. Some investors are watching licensing growth and ETF inflows as early signs of strength. Others remain cautious, noting that infrastructure progress must eventually show up in sustained demand. The coming cycles will determine whether the $7 to $9 range becomes a milestone or remains an ambitious forecast. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
As the Bitcoin price tumbled in the past few weeks, several investors are increasingly building short positions against the premier cryptocurrency. A recent analysis predicted an impending short squeeze, as the funding rates plunged to new lows. According to the latest on-chain data, this short squeeze not only happened; it occurred at a rate not seen in years. $736M In Shorts Wiped Out Across All Exchanges In a recent Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, pseudonymous on-chain analyst Darkfost revealed that the Bitcoin market recently experienced the largest short liquidation event since September 2024. The relevant indicator here is the Short Liquidations USD metric, which tracks the total dollar value of short positions in Bitcoin that were forcibly closed (liquidated) by exchanges over a given period. Related Reading: Solana Funding Rates Hit 17-Day Negative Streak — What This Means For Price According to Darkfost, this liquidation event comes second when compared to the $773 million in positions forcefully closed on September 20, 2024. As was earlier mentioned, this event was preceded by a period where there were significantly high amounts of sell positions (reflected by the deeply negative funding rates) on Binance and other exchanges. Typically, when a disproportionate amount of short positions is forcefully closed, this offsets what is referred to as a short squeeze. During a short squeeze, sell-side liquidity is converted, by liquidation dynamics, to jet fuel for upward price movement. Darkfost further explained that the derivatives market is currently heavy with speculative positioning, while the spot market, on the other hand, continues to struggle with thin liquidity. This imbalance creates a fragile market environment, where aggressive shorts can amplify upside volatility if squeezed. However, it is worth noting that in the scenario where there is sustained scarcity of demand, the current upside rally sponsored by the short squeeze may also not be sustained. Hence, until the spot market starts to see a significant demand that aligns with the present conditions, Bitcoin is best described as being in an uncertain phase. Bitcoin Market Overview At the time of writing, the price of BTC sits at around $69,878, reflecting a 1.5% leap in the past day. On the weekly timeframe, the flagship cryptocurrency seems to have barely moved, recording a slight upward growth of about 0.7%. Meanwhile, the premier cryptocurrency continues to drift further away from its record-high of $126,080, now 45% deep in the red. Related Reading: When Will Bitcoin Bounce Back? Top Analyst Breaks Down Prior Major Corrections Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Memecoins have taken a beating recently, and what looks like a rout may be closer to a turning point than many traders expect. Related Reading: XRP Set To Dethrone Bitcoin Within 6 Years, Entrepreneur Says Santiment said the sector is showing a classic capitulation signal: widespread talk that meme tokens are “dead” can sometimes mark the moment when buyers quietly return. According to Santiment, this “collective acceptance of the ‘end of the meme era’ is a classic capitulation signal,” pointing out that when a sector of the market is deemed worthless, it is often the “contrarian time” to take note of. Sentiment on social channels has tilted heavily toward fear, and when the crowd gives up on a whole category, prices can move the opposite way for a while. Some traders who stepped back early are now watching closely. Capitulation Can Signal A Turn Reports note that the memecoin market’s recent slide has been steep in raw numbers. Total memecoin market capitalization dropped 34% to $31 billion over the past 30 days, CoinMarketCap data shows. Bitcoin’s pullback — which hit near $60,000 on Feb. 3, the lowest since October 2024 — added pressure across the board and left speculative tokens more exposed. Positioning was concentrated in a handful of names, and when large holders moved to take profits the moves were amplified. Losses were not confined to tiny projects; some of the better known meme tokens gave up meaningful ground. Rotation May Not Lift All Boats Some market observers argue that the old pattern — Bitcoin runs first, then money flows into Ethereum, then to riskier altcoins — may not play out the same way this time around. As institutions grow and trading strategies change, capital could flow more selectively. That means a few tokens might rally strongly while many others are left behind. Reports from traders and analysts say selective strength, rather than a broad upswing, is a likely scenario. That raises the bar for anyone hoping to find the next big winner among dozens of speculative coins. Popular Meme Names Facing Pressure A handful of headline tokens led the decline. Dogecoin (DOGE) gave up support levels it had defended earlier, and PEPE showed heightened volatility as big holders trimmed positions. Official Trump (TRUMP), the politically tied token linked to US President Donald Trump, retraced sharply from its launch highs after the initial hype faded. Heavy concentration of supply in a few wallets left these projects vulnerable to rapid swings, and some gains from last year were erased in short order. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking Watch The Crowd’s Turning Point Contrarian traders will point to the admission of defeat across social feeds as a potential signal to start watching for a bottom. That approach is risky. Losses can deepen before the market finds a floor, and sellers may return on any short-lived recovery. Still, history shows that extreme pessimism can preface meaningful rebounds, especially when broader market pressure eases and liquidity returns. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Pseudonymous market analyst CoinNiel has shared potential insights on Bitcoin’s future using inferences from a combination of market cycle signals. The premier cryptocurrency presently trades around $69,000 after successfully retesting the $70,000 resistance for the third time in February. Bitcoin appears to be undergoing consolidation following the aggressive sell-off seen in late January/early February, where prices dipped as low as $60,000. Related Reading: Bitcoin On-Chain Data Indicates High Volatility Ahead Following Post-CPI Reaction Bitcoin Signals Moving, But What Do They Mean? In a QuickTake post on February 14, CoinNiel draws similarities between the present market cycle and the third halving cycle by analyzing metrics such as distribution, capitulation, and accumulation. Notably, the on-chain expert highlights that the Distribution Signal, which measures smart money selling activity, is presently heading downwards. While this may appear as initially bullish behavior due to a reduction in selling pressure, it is also indicative of a fragile market phase marked by diminished participation by large market holders. According to CoinNiel, this gradual decline in the Distribution Signal can also be observed in the third halving cycle following a double top formation. Furthermore, Bitcoin’s price kept falling during this cycle alongside a rise in the Capitulation Signal (which tracks panic-selling behavior) and Accumulation Signal (which tracks buying activity by smart money). Notably, only after Bitcoin hit $15,000, which represented the cycle bottom for this cycle, did the Accumulation Signal meet price and start trending downwards. This suggested that smart money had finished the large-scale absorption from panic sellers, as the market stabilized for a potential reversal. Presently, the Accumulation Signal sits around $54,000 while the price hovers around the $69,000 price point. Going by historical data, the Accumulation Signal is expected to match the price at the cycle low. Therefore, there is still room for growth. CoinNiel predicts that price and Accumulation Signal are likely to cross above $60,000. However, it remains unknown when this intersection will occur. But only after this meeting is Bitcoin market expected to stabilize in preparation for a potential reversal. Related Reading: Bitcoin Funding Rate Falls To Critical Level — Short Squeeze Incoming? Bitcoin Price Overview At press time, Bitcoin is valued at $68,974 following a 5.14% gain in the past day. Meanwhile, daily trading volume is down by 9.6% and valued at $41.68 billion. On the monthly chart, Bitcoin is holding a steep loss of 29.25%, describing its negative price action during this period. Analytics platform CryptoQuant still expects further downside price action, stating the phase target remains around $55,000, a price zone Bitcoin last visited in 2024. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview.com
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Congress should move fast on the Clarity Act to give investors and companies a firmer sense of what counts as allowed activity in crypto markets. He argued that clearer rules would calm the recent swings traders have seen and help restore confidence. Related Reading: XRP Set To Dethrone Bitcoin Within 6 Years, Entrepreneur Says Senators Hit A Wall Over Stablecoin Rules Based on reports, the bill has split committee leaders. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced part of the market-structure plan, while the Senate Banking Committee stopped its planned markup after intense pushback over language that would limit yields on stablecoins. That split helped prompt major industry players to pull back support, reshaping the path forward. A Push For Passage Before Spring Reports say some lawmakers want the measure ready for a presidential signature this spring. Supporters say speed matters; critics say rushing could lock in rules that harm legitimate services. US President Donald Trump’s approval is being discussed as a near-term finish line by some backers, and Republican and Democratic senators alike have been urged to find common ground. White House Tried To Broker A Deal Reports note that the White House convened meetings with bank and crypto executives in an effort to bridge gaps, but the discussions ended without an agreement. White House advisers, including Patrick Witt, have been central to those talks. The big sticking point remains whether stablecoin interest and reward programs should be restricted, and how strict any limits would be. Market Reaction And What It Means Based on market notes, Bitcoin and other digital assets have shown fresh volatility in recent days, and some traders welcomed talk of a clear US framework as a stabilizing signal while others feared the specifics could cut into revenues for exchanges and lenders. Coinbase’s public withdrawal of support altered the political math and sent a ripple through equities and crypto prices. Related Reading: Calm Down: Ethereum Has Survived 8 Major 50% Falls, Lee Reminds Investors Who Wins And Who Loses In The Deal Reports say banks favor strict limits on stablecoin yields to avoid a flight of deposits into crypto platforms. Exchanges, in contrast, argue that rewards help users and that cutting them would reduce competition and innovation. Lawmakers will have to balance consumer protection, systemic risk, and commercial freedom. The final version could look very different from what’s now on the table. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Litecoin has closed the daily session on a bullish note, signaling renewed short-term momentum as price presses against a key resistance level. With $57 now acting as the immediate barrier, a decisive breakout and sustained hold above this zone could open the door for the next leg higher, potentially accelerating upside toward the mid-$60s. Bullish Daily Close Signals Early Strength Providing a daily technical outlook on Litecoin, crypto analyst CryptoWzrd noted that LTC closed the session with a bullish daily candle, largely mirroring Bitcoin’s upward movement. The positive close signals improving short-term momentum, but the expert cautioned that broader continuation will require confirmation from additional market factors, particularly the LTCBTC pair. Related Reading: Litecoin Structure Intact, But $63 Remains The Line Bulls Must Defend Although Litecoin printed a constructive candle, LTCBTC closed indecisively, reflecting hesitation in Litecoin’s relative strength against Bitcoin. Sustained upside for LTC will likely depend on a shift toward clear bullish sentiment in LTCBTC, as that would confirm capital rotation and stronger underlying demand. From a structural perspective, CrytoWzrd emphasized that one more strong bullish daily candle from the current level is needed to validate a breakout above the daily lower-high trendline. If such confirmation occurs, Litecoin could transition into a more established bullish phase, with the $68 resistance level emerging as the next key upside target above the $56 zone. A stable and sustained move beyond resistance would further strengthen the case for trend continuation. Until that higher-timeframe breakout is confirmed, the analyst plans to focus on lower-timeframe setups, particularly over the weekend. His approach remains tactical, looking for quick scalp opportunities while waiting for a more mature chart structure before engaging in larger directional trades. $57: Litecoin Intraday Decision Zone The analyst went on to explain that Litecoin’s intraday structure is currently pressing against the key $57 resistance zone, a level that now acts as a short-term decision point for price. A clean and sustained hold above this area would signal strength and open the path toward $64, with the potential for further extension if momentum accelerates. Related Reading: Litecoin 2M Bollinger Band Width Hits New Lows, CMT-Certified Analyst Reveals What It Means He emphasized that simply wicking above resistance will not be enough. What’s needed is a stable bullish structure, ideally supported by rising volume and constructive follow-through, before considering a long position. Such confirmation would indicate that buyers are in control rather than the move being a temporary liquidity sweep. At the same time, he noted that Bitcoin’s direction will likely dictate whether this breakout gains traction. Litecoin continues to follow broader market sentiment, meaning BTC’s strength could act as a catalyst for further gains. Until a mature and well-defined intraday structure forms, patience remains essential before engaging the next trade. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com