THE LATEST CRYPTO NEWS

As the broader crypto market retraces, Solana (SOL) has erased its recent gains despite strong institutional demand for investment products based on the cryptocurrency. Some analysts have now suggested that the altcoin risks a deeper pullback similar to its 2022 correction. Related Reading: Ethereum ETFs Record Best Single-Day Performance Since January With $169M Inflows Solana Loses Mid-Week Gains As Market Wobbles On Friday, Solana dropped 7% intraday to retest the $84 area again, retracing most of its intraweek gains. The cryptocurrency had been trading between $78-$88 since the early February crash, attempting to break out of its local range but ultimately failing. Amid the ongoing market volatility, driven by the US-Israel war with Iran, the altcoin jumped 13% on Wednesday, reaching a multi-week high of $94.05 before stabilizing between the $88-$92 area. Market observer Trader Tardigrade affirmed that Solana could target the $100 barrier if the breakout confirmed. He noted that the cryptocurrency was retesting the consolidation range breakout area as support, which could form a base for a climb to higher levels. Nonetheless, SOL’s price has now fallen back into its one-month accumulation range after failing to hold the breakout level on Friday morning. Rekt Capital observed that broader market conditions resemble early-stage Bear Market behavior, which could suggest Solana may be preparing for a deeper correction. Per the analysis, the altcoin has historically deviated below the $123.28 historical support when it was lost on the monthly timeframe. In 2022, after losing this level, SOL produced a deviation below it and traded below the $99.06 psychological level before rejecting from this area. Therefore, a new monthly close below both $123.28 and $99.06 could signal that these levels have been officially lost as support. However, it also opens the door to a rally back into them to retest them as resistance, similar to 2022. Shallow rebounds could lead to rejection from the $99.06 region quickly, he explained. Meanwhile, a stronger relief rally could allow Solana to revisit the $123.28 level before determining whether additional downside continuation is next. SOL ETFs ‘Defy Physics’ Despite its recent price decline, experts have emphasized the positive sentiment exhibited by traditional investors toward Solana, as evidenced by the performance of investment products that track the altcoin’s price. In an X post, Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior ETF Analyst, stressed that although the cryptocurrency’s price is currently 57% down from when its spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) first launched in July, the category has accumulated $1.5 billion in flows and has “not really given any of it up.” He noted that half of those inflows have come from institutional investors, which he deemed a “serious investor base” and “really good signs” for the category’s future. “In reality/history of ETFs launching into that kind of downturn is near impossible to get inflows. Most wouldn’t even make it to age one or two if they went down 57% in the first six months. Timing is very important. Solana is defying physics here,” he explained. Related Reading: Bitcoin Reclaims $73,000 Amid Iran War Volatility, But Analyst Issues Key Warning Additionally, he offered a broader perspective by adjusting SOL’s $50 billion market capitalization to Bitcoin’s (BTC) $1.4 trillion market cap. As he detailed, Solana ETFs have seen the equivalent of $54 billion in net new flows, approximately double what Bitcoin ETFs experienced at the same stage post-launch, when BTC was in an uptrend. However, it’s worth noting that the category experienced its first negative day in over a month on Thursday, with $5.23 million in outflows, according to SoSoValue data. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Apollo Crypto has made Hyperliquid its largest altcoin position, with head of research Pratik Kala arguing that the protocol stands apart not only because of its product-market fit, but because its token design and expanding market structure give traders something few crypto venues currently offer: usable, revenue-linked infrastructure. In comments shared via X, Kala described Hyperliquid in unusually direct terms. “Hyperliquid is our biggest altcoin position in the fund. Why? Because it is phenomenal. The product works,” he said. For Apollo, the case appears to rest on two pillars: the exchange’s traction as a trading venue, and a token model Kala framed as cleaner and more transparent than much of the industry’s recent experimentation. He contrasted Hyperliquid’s buyback structure with the more convoluted token systems that defined earlier market cycles. “The tokenomics is refreshing. It uses 97 to 99%, depending on how you want to calculate it, of all the revenues to buy back its token in a very transparent manner. No governance mumbo-jumbo. No, you know, a token feeding into some other token and some dynamic inflation, burning, minting stuff that has destroyed many people’s capital and brains, to be frank, over the last few years.” Related Reading: Next “Binance Killer”? Hyperliquid Now Dominates DeFi Derivatives, New Report Shows That framing is central to Apollo’s thesis. Kala’s argument is not simply that Hyperliquid has momentum, but that it has paired a working product with a token accrual model that traders can actually follow. In a sector where valuation stories often hinge on future governance or vague utility, he presented Hyperliquid as comparatively straightforward: trading activity generates revenue, and that revenue feeds token buybacks. He also pointed to adoption trends. According to Kala, “a lot of the volumes are going there,” while market makers and funds are increasingly using the platform. He argued that Hyperliquid has been superior “in many, many ways,” particularly in how it handles new listings, pre-markets and other product extensions. A major part of the bullish case, though, is HIP-3, which Kala said is already opening up tradable opportunities outside the usual crypto schedule. He described a weekend trade tied to news that OpenAI had secured a contract after Anthropic would not allow its AI technology to be used by the Department of Defense. Because the development broke while traditional markets were closed, Kala said most market participants were effectively stuck on the sidelines. “Personally, I made 50%. How? Because HIP3, OpenAI, Anthropic were both trading on HIP3,” he said. “Liquidity is not fantastic, but OpenAI went up 50% on the weekend. Anthropic was static, could have expected that you could have taken a spread trade where you can short Anthropic and long open AI. Do it on HIP3, you can make money, you can generate alpha.” That example gets to the broader point Apollo is making. HIP-3 is not being pitched merely as another product vertical, but as a venue where traders can express event-driven views in assets that are normally inaccessible when news breaks. Kala said the market now includes private-market trading as well as listed equities and commodities such as oil, gold and silver on weekends. Related Reading: Hyperliquid (HYPE) Eyes Native Token Issuance With Latest Upgrade Plan He offered one data point to show early traction: during a recent silver mania, HIP-3 briefly accounted for 1% to 2% of global silver volumes, despite having launched only around a month to six weeks earlier. For Kala, that signals not retail novelty but serious engagement from hedge funds, sophisticated investors and active portfolio managers looking for round-the-clock execution. He added that HIP-3 revenues are split 50-50 between deployed markets and Hyperliquid, with Hyperliquid’s share feeding back into HYPE buybacks. From Apollo’s perspective, that strengthens the flywheel rather than diluting it. Kala also flagged what could come next. He said HIP-4, focused on prediction markets and options, could push the platform further, while regulatory shifts in the US may eventually open a path for a KYC-compliant version there. Competition exists, he acknowledged, including from rival platforms such as Lighter. But in Apollo’s view, Hyperliquid has already done something harder than launching a new venue: it has captured trader attention, liquidity and, increasingly, loyalty. At press time, HYPE traded at $30.485. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Rainberry Inc., the company behind BitTorrent, agreed to pay a $10 million settlement that ends a long-running case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The agreement lets the regulator dismiss its remaining civil claims against Justin Sun and affiliated foundations with prejudice, meaning the SEC cannot refile those specific charges. Related Reading: Solana Stablecoins Hit $650 Billion In Monthly Transactions Sun acquired BitTorrent and integrated it into his Tron blockchain ecosystem, linking Rainberry and the BitTorrent Token (BTT) to his crypto operations. Officials framed the settlement as closure rather than an admission of wrongdoing. Settlement Reduces Regulatory Overhang For Crypto Projects Reports indicate the SEC’s case targeted allegations tied to token sales, trading practices, and unregistered offerings involving TRX and BTT. By resolving the matter through Rainberry’s payment, civil claims against Sun and the Tron Foundation were dismissed. Analysts say the move clears a major legal hurdle and may reassure exchanges, investors, and partners that the immediate regulatory risk has been reduced. Justin Sun’s Role And Statements On The Outcome Justin Sun and spokespeople emphasized that he did not admit wrongdoing. Sun framed the settlement as an opportunity to focus on product development, partnerships, and community engagement within the Tron ecosystem. Public filings now reflect that Rainberry’s payment closes its portion of the case while reinforcing Sun’s ongoing leadership of the integrated BTT and TRX network. The Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun reached a $10 million settlement to resolve a US Securities and Exchange Commission civil fraud case over his trading activity https://t.co/qJoSVO20WC — Reuters (@Reuters) March 6, 2026 Traders Watch For TRX Price Breakout The market wasted no time reacting. Trading volume on TRX spiked on settlement news, though key resistance levels around $0.15 remained untested as of Thursday. This caution is consistent with where TRX has been for the last 18 months. TRX, at the time of writing, was trading at $0.285, meaning that its value is not in line with the record number of transactions being made on chain. At this point, the market is still pricing in the potential risk of an SEC lawsuit and not valuing TRX for being the most used stablecoin network in the world. Traders are viewing this settlement as lowering their legal exposure, and therefore will not consider this to be the “big” catalyst to move TRX up in price. Traders are chasing liquidity, depth of buy/sell orders, and the overall macro conditions of crypto when trading TRX. From a legal perspective, it is important to note that although this particular case has now closed, public accusations of wrongdoing remain on record. As a result, both exchanges and custodians must continue to be vigilant in complying with regulations. Related Reading: XRP To Pass Bitcoin, US Veteran Claims Amid War Forecast Foundations and Ecosystem Outlook The Tron Foundation has been focusing on developing technical solutions and providing support for projects within its ecosystem. The SEC settlement removes one of the obstacles to developing business and joint venture partnerships. However, restoring confidence in the ecosystem will take some time. Featured image from Crosley Law, chart from TradingView

As the crypto market bounces from the latest shakeout, Ethereum (ETH) and investment products based on the King of Altcoins recorded a remarkable single-day performance, potentially setting the stage for further recovery. Related Reading: Bitcoin Surge To $74,000 Fueled By US Institutions, Coinbase Premium Signals Ethereum ETFs Recover Amid Market Bounce Ethereum-based spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) recovered from Tuesday’s weak performance and recorded their best single-day in nearly two months, with $169 million in inflows on Wednesday. According to SoSoValue data, the category saw the highest netflow since January 14, when it drew in $175 million. Notably, the mid-January crypto market correction triggered massive outflows for investment products, with funds based on the two largest crypto assets, Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH, showing the weakest performance. Ethereum ETFs saw a five-week negative streak, bleeding $1.38 billion during this period. However, the funds ended their weekly outflow run last week after posting inflows worth $80.46 million. So far, the products have drawn in $197.35 million this week, potentially setting a base to register their best weekly performance since January 16, when it closed the week with $479.04 million. Alex Kuptsikevich, chief market analyst at FxPro, recently highlighted that the strength of crypto ETFs, despite growing geopolitical tensions and financial markets’ selloff, could be seen as “a victory for cryptocurrencies,” suggesting that some traders may be considering digital assets as a safe haven. Meanwhile, James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, emphasized that “recent client discussions have been almost entirely focused on identifying entry points rather than reducing exposure to the asset class.” ETH At A Structural Decision Point Ethereum’s price climbed 12% on Wednesday, its highest level since February 4. Amid the market recovery, the cryptocurrency reclaimed the $2,100 barrier and reached a one-month high of to $2,199 before retracing. The king of altcoins has been trading between the $1,825-$2,150 levels since the early February breakdown, unable to break past the upper boundary of its local range. Analyst Rekt Capital pointed out that ETH closed the month just below a crucial multi-year ascending trendline, which has served as macro support and a decisive directional point over the years. This places the price in a structurally bearish position, as it enables a monthly retest of this level as resistance instead of support. The analyst emphasized that if this trendline becomes a resistance, it would confirm a breakdown from the macro structure and increase the likelihood of a deeper move into a key horizontal zone and historical demand cluster situated around the $1,600 region. “If Ethereum rejects from the trendline and the current bounce retraces in full, that rejection would signal the trendline dissipating as support and confirm the breakdown scenario,” he stated. Related Reading: Pundit Says XRP Price At $100 Is Not Insane If You Understand This However, he noted that bearish continuation is not confirmed yet, explaining that if ETH manages to reclaim the trendline as support in the monthly timeframe, the horizontal zone and historical supply area around the $2,250-$2,500 levels could act as a relief cluster “where price may rally before the market determines its next directional move.” “For now, Ethereum remains at a structural decision point around the multi-year trendline,” he concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is warning that a “new and powerful” iOS exploit kit, dubbed Coruna by its developers has been deployed on fake finance and crypto websites designed to lure iPhone users into visiting pages that can silently deliver exploits. For crypto holders, the risk is blunt: GTIG’s analysis shows the campaigns ultimately focused on harvesting seed phrases and wallet data from popular mobile apps. Coruna targets Apple devices running iOS 13.0 through iOS 17.2.1, bundling five full exploit chains and 23 exploits. GTIG says it recovered the kit after tracking its evolution across 2025, from early use by a customer of a commercial surveillance company, to “watering hole” attacks on compromised Ukrainian websites, and finally to broad-scale distribution via Chinese-language scam sites tied to a financially motivated actor it tracks as UNC6691. A Crypto Lure Designed For iPhones In the scam-wave phase, GTIG says it observed the JavaScript framework behind Coruna deployed across a “very large set” of fake Chinese websites largely themed around finance. One example cited by GTIG is a fake WEEX-branded crypto exchange page that tried to push visitors onto an iOS device—after which a hidden iFrame would be injected to deliver the exploit kit “regardless of their geolocation.” Related Reading: CFTC Chair Says Crypto Perps Approval Is Close — Why This Is Huge For Hyperliquid? The delivery mechanics matter because they blur the line between traditional phishing and outright device compromise: in GTIG’s telling, simply arriving on the booby-trapped page from a vulnerable iPhone was enough to begin the chain. The framework fingerprints the device to identify model and iOS version, then loads the appropriate WebKit remote code execution exploit and a pointer authentication (PAC) bypass. GTIG tied one WebKit RCE it recovered to CVE-2024-23222, noting it was addressed by Apple in iOS 17.3 on Jan. 22, 2024. At the end of the chain, GTIG says Coruna drops a stager it calls PlasmaLoader (tracked as PLASMAGRID) and describes it as focused less on classic surveillance features and more on stealing financial information. According to GTIG, the payload can decode QR codes from images stored on the device and scan text blobs for BIP39 word sequences, along with keywords such as “backup phrase” and “bank account”, including in Apple Memos, which it can then exfiltrate. Related Reading: Crypto’s Quietest Month In Nearly A Year — But Hackers Haven’t Gone Away The payload is also modular. GTIG says it can pull down and run additional modules remotely, and that many of the identified modules are designed to hook functions and exfiltrate sensitive information from common crypto wallet apps—among them MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Uniswap’s wallet, Phantom, Exodus, and TON ecosystem wallets such as Tonkeeper. The broader arc was also flagged by mobile security firm iVerify, which published its own findings around the same time as GTIG’s report. “And that’s exactly what happened again here, but on mobile devices. Phone OEMs do as good a job as anyone can do…” What Crypto Users Can Do Now Google says Coruna “is not effective against the latest version of iOS,” and urges users to update. If updating isn’t possible, GTIG recommends enabling Apple’s Lockdown Mode. GTIG also says it added the identified websites and domains to Google Safe Browsing to help reduce further exposure. For crypto-native users, the immediate takeaway is practical: mobile wallets sit at the intersection of high-value assets and high-frequency web traffic, which makes “visit-to-compromise” campaigns uniquely dangerous. GTIG’s reporting suggests the scam funnel wasn’t just about getting victims to connect wallets, it was about getting them onto the right device, on the right iOS version, so exploitation could do the rest. At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.45 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Hyperliquid is no longer just the shiny new decentralized exchange for perpetual futures (a perp DEX). Recent data from CoinGecko suggests it even surpassed Coinbase International’s derivatives volume in 2025, putting it forward as arguably the most credible “Binance killer” candidate in the crypto derivatives market. Hyperliquid: The Rise of The Underdog Despite having launched only in 2023, Hyperliquid has climbed mountains that most DEXs can never even get close to, going from just a curious DeFi outlier to a genuine force of nature in the derivatives stack. At peak, the platform cleared around 4–5 billion dollars in daily trading volume, rivaling, and at times surpassing, mid‑tier centralized exchanges in both activity and open interest. In Q2 2025 alone, the perp‑focused venue processed roughly 653 billion dollars in trading volume, marking the first time a decentralized platform has outtraded a legacy player like Coinbase International in derivatives. Related Reading: Hyperliquid Hits $400B Trading Volume and $100M Revenue as HYPE Price Eyes $55 Breakout CEX vs DEX: The Tale Of A Mass Migration Hyperliquid sits at the center of a market seems to finally be starting to move off centralized rails. The capital which used to default to centralized futures platforms, such as Binance, is now comfortable routing size through smart contracts. CEX vs. DEX Spot and Perps Trading Volumes (Source: CoinGecko Crypto Industry Report 2025) On the derivatives front, despite centralized exchanges (CEX) still handling the bulk of the trading, the DEX perp volume climbed from roughly 0.26 trillion dollars in January to around 0.84 trillion by December 2025. In 2025, the top 10 centralized exchanges still dominated spot trading with between 0.95 and 2.21 trillion dollars in monthly volume, but once again DEXs quietly carved out a meaningful slice, ranging from 0.16 to 0.42 trillion on the spot side over the year. Top 10 Perp CEXes & DEXes Trading Volume (Source: CoinGecko Crypto Industry Report 2025) Even after the seasonal cool‑down into December, with CEX perps near 5.3 trillion and DEX perps still above 0.8 trillion, on‑chain derivatives are clearly holding on to a much larger share of the market than they had just a year before. Related Reading: Where Does Hyperliquid (HYPE) Stand Now? A Deep Dive Into Key Metrics Post-2025 Why This Matters For The “Binance Killer” Narrative The fastest growing spot of on-chain venues are perpetual futures, which happens to be one of Binance’s core profit engines. Hyperliquid isn’t just a part of a broader shift: it is capturing an enormous, even disproportionate, share of it, turning itself into the default routing choice for traders who want CEX‑grade execution without surrendering custody. So, even when Binance remains the center of gravity for crypto derivatives today, if the market anoints a true on‑chain challenger over the next cycle, the numbers suggest that challenger is far more likely to be Hyperliquid than anyone else. HYPE's price trends to the upside as seen on the daily chart. Source: HYPEUSD on Tradingview Cover image from ChatGPT, HYPEUSD chart from Tradingview

As February comes to a close, it would be fair to say that the Bitcoin price has had one of its worst monthly performances in over two years. What’s worrisome is that the premier cryptocurrency doesn’t appear to be done, as the bear market roars on. Below are some of the relevant support levels to watch out for over the next few months. MVRV Bands Put BTC Bear Market Bottom At $51,558 In a recent post on the X platform, popular crypto analyst Ali Martinez identified two levels that could be crucial to the future of the Bitcoin price in the coming months. This evaluation revolves around the MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) pricing bands. Related Reading: The Distribution Trap: Why Bitcoin’s Reserve Growth Proves Sellers Still Hold The Tape The MVRV pricing bands are an on-chain analytics tool that shows the different profitability levels of the investors of a cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, in this scenario). Typically, these pricing bands represent dynamic support and resistance levels, as they compare the current market price to the average realized value of all investors. Hence, the MVRV pricing bands can be useful in identifying potential market tops (in overheated conditions) and price bottoms (of undervalued assets). According to Glassnode data shared by Martinez, the potential bottom in the current Bitcoin bear market lies between $51,558 and $54,703. The purple line (which shows a -1 standard deviation of the MVRV ratio) represents a deep capitulation phase for the market and has always been a point of reversal for the Bitcoin price in past bear markets. As shown in the chart below, the price of BTC got rejected twice at this level in 2022, during the thick of the crypto winter. At the time of publishing his post, Martinez revealed that the purple MVRV band stood at around $51,558. While this suggests that the $51,000 level could be the potential bottom of the current bear market, it is worth mentioning that the MVRV band could shift slightly downward as the price steadily falls. In the unlikely scenario that the Bitcoin price witnesses a turnaround at its current price point, it would have to contend with a key resistance level around $73,726. According to Glassnode’s MVRV pricing bands, the -0.5 standard deviation line represents an accumulation zone, where investors might look to offload their tokens once they break even. Ultimately, these MVRV pricing bands hint at the potential turning points for the Bitcoin price over the coming months. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $65,800, reflecting an over 2% dip in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Ethereum’s Market Order Imbalance Hits Record Negatives: $1,850 Is Now The Line In The Sand Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

Hyperliquid (HYPE), one of the largest decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in the crypto sector, is preparing a significant upgrade that could reshape how new projects launch tokens on its platform.  The proposal, known as HIP-6, introduces a framework designed to enable permissionless, on-chain token launches without relying on the off‑chain capital-raising methods that many teams currently use. New Hyperliquid Proposal  Details of the proposal were shared on social media by James Evans of Reciprocal Ventures. According to Evans, HIP-6 establishes a permissionless token launch auction for new HIP-1 assets, specifically tailored for teams seeking to issue tokens directly on Hyperliquid.  The system adapts Uniswap’s continuous clearing auction model to function within Hyperliquid’s central limit order book (CLOB) environment, allowing token launches to occur natively within the exchange’s infrastructure. Related Reading: Jane Street Faces New Lawsuit: Trump Media Calls For Federal Investigation At present, while HIP-1 and HIP-2 already allow permissionless token deployment and automated liquidity provisioning, gaps remain in capital formation and price discovery.  Teams launching tokens on Hyperliquid often need to secure funding off chain, manually provide their own liquidity to seed HIP-2 pools, or release tokens into relatively thin order books.  These limitations have meant that, despite its technical strengths, Hyperliquid has not yet reached feature parity with other high-performance ecosystems and exchanges when it comes to initial token offerings.  HIP-6 is designed to close that gap, though participation will remain optional for projects. By integrating capital raising and liquidity seeding into a single on-chain flow, the proposal aims to simplify the process for founders.  Funds raised during the auction would be split automatically between the token deployer and liquidity provision through HIP-2, reducing operational friction and reliance on external arrangements. Auction Structure And Ecosystem Growth A core component of the proposal is its approach to price discovery. Instead of a one‑time auction vulnerable to timing strategies, HIP-6 uses a continuous clearing auction that unfolds over multiple blocks.  This structure is intended to determine a fair market price while minimizing the “sniping” and last‑minute bidding behavior often seen in traditional token launches. The upgrade also seeks to strengthen the broader ecosystem around Hyperliquid. By creating utility for aligned quote assets, HIP-6 could contribute to higher total value locked (TVL) in those assets and generate yield for the platform’s Assistance Fund.  Related Reading: Circle Tops Q4 Revenue Forecasts, Shares Surge 30% — Key Numbers Inside While HIP-6 addresses how new tokens raise funds and establish initial liquidity, it does not dictate how those tokens create long-term value or how their governance systems operate.  Mechanisms such as revenue sharing, buybacks, staking rewards, treasury oversight, or voting rights would remain up to individual projects.  Similarly, tokenholder protections—such as treasury lockups, on-chain transparency requirements, or vesting schedules affecting both buyers and team allocations—would need to be built on top of the HIP-6 framework. The proposal’s stated objective is to make the initial auction process as efficient and equitable as possible, leaving post-launch design choices to the creativity of the Hyperliquid community. At the time of writing, HYPE, the platform’s native token, was trading at $27.430, representing a 3% drop over the previous 24 hours.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Institutional capital has transformed the cryptocurrency market dynamics, changing who participates and how digital assets are traded. The arrival of spot exchange-traded funds, corporate treasury allocations, and access through major brokerage platforms has pulled Bitcoin and Ethereum deeper into traditional finance. Vanguard, for instance, reversed its long-held anti-crypto stance just a few months ago, allowing trading in funds that hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana. However, talking about bad timing, these cryptocurrencies have struggled in the months following that policy change. Challenging Months For Institutional Investors The entrance of major asset managers such as BlackRock and Fidelity Investments was a structural turning point for Bitcoin. The January 2024 launch of Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States opened the door for pension funds, registered investment advisors, and other conservative capital pools to gain exposure without directly holding Bitcoin. These ETFs have accumulated billions of dollars in inflows, with custodians now holding a meaningful share of Bitcoin’s circulating supply. Related Reading: Here’s All You Need To Know About The Bitcoin Price This Week However, the past few months have been really challenging for investors. Notably, the last month of inflows into Spot Bitcoin ETFs was in October 2025, when it was pushing to new all-time highs above $126,000. Since then, it has been months of net outflows, and this has weighed down on Bitcoin’s price action. Same goes for Spot Ethereum ETFs, which recorded consecutive months of outflows since November 2025. Vanguard clients are likely among those feeling the impact most directly. In December 2025, US-based investment management company Vanguard reversed its anti-crypto stance and started allowing trading of ETFs and mutual funds that hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.  The availability of these crypto products on a major mainstream brokerage like Vanguard was a milestone for crypto investing. Vanguard manages over $12 trillion in assets and serves tens of millions of investors. Unsurprisingly, the price action of Bitcoin and other top cryptocurrencies initially reacted positively to the Vanguard news. However, the timing coincided with a downturn across the entire crypto market, which has been having a red 2026 so far. Since Vanguard’s rollout, Bitcoin’s price has fallen by about 30%, while Ethereum, Solana, and XRP have fallen by about 40% in the same period. Is Institutional Involvement A Threat Or A Sign Of Maturity? It is clear that institutional entry has not erased the volatile nature of crypto markets. Bitcoin and Ethereum are still subject to swings in investor risk appetite, although this is now at a larger scale. Therefore, the question of whether institutions are killing Bitcoin and Ethereum is based on perspective.  Related Reading: Why Investors Are Not Buying Bitcoin And Ethereum Despite ‘Low’ Prices The presence of regulated ETFs means that downturns are now absorbed by a wider set of market participants. Companies like BitMine and Strategy are still in the business of huge purchases. New investor bases like this can help sustain prices over time.  However, one thing is clear: cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana are no longer fringe assets operating outside the traditional investment system; they now sit within it. This integration will even become more clear once the CLARITY Act is passed in the US. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

As the end of the month approaches, Ethereum (ETH) is attempting to end February above the crucial $2,000 barrier. Some analysts have suggested that the upcoming monthly close could determine the fate of the King of Altcoin’s price trajectory. Related Reading: XRP Rally Incoming? Analyst Forecasts March-April Recovery If This Level Breaks Ethereum Trajectory Could Be Defined This Weekend On Thursday, Ethereum briefly fell from its recent highs and retested the $1,980 level before bouncing. Notably, the cryptocurrency surged 11% on Wednesday morning, reaching a ten-day high of $2,148, then stabilized around the crucial $2,000 support. Amid this rebound, market observer Trader Tardigrade highlighted that ETH has momentarily reclaimed a critical monthly level, which had been lost in the shorter timeframes. The King of Altcoins is trading back above its multi-year trendline, suggesting that a potential price recovery rally could be coming if the level holds. Per the post, Ethereum “has a proven pattern: every time price holds above this ascending support trendline, it launches into a parabolic rally.” As the chart shows, the cryptocurrency displayed a similar trendline between 2018 and 2020, when the altcoin bounced from this support and embarked on a massive one-year rally toward its previous all-time high (ATH). Now, ETH shows a similar performance in the monthly timeframe, currently retesting the trendline that began forming in 2022. “If it holds here, history says we’re gearing up for another explosive climb,” the trader affirmed. Similarly, analyst Rekt Capital noted that this multi-year trendline has been “a structural level that has defined the broader macro trajectory for several years.” He stated that if Ethereum ends the month above this trendline, located around the $1,960-$1,970 area, “then price would have scope to rebound into the green region overhead,” between the $2,250-$2,500 levels. However, he warned that this key horizontal region has historically “not been kind to Ethereum across cycles.” Deeper Correction In The Books? Explaining ETH’s previous behavior around this level, Rekt Capital detailed that in 2022, once the price broke below this horizontal region in the monthly timeframe, it continued lower. Meanwhile, Ethereum closed below this level again in early 2025, retested it, turned it into resistance, and resumed its correction toward the April 2025 lows around $1,385. “So structurally, the green region remains a likely candidate for resistance unless Ethereum Monthly Closes above it and successfully turns it into support,” the analyst affirmed, cautioning that it seems less likely given the current bear market conditions. Moreover, he warned that if ETH Monthly Closes below the multi-year support trendline, the $1,570-$1,670 horizontal zone, which was a prior demand cluster, could be revisited. Related Reading: The ‘Next-Generation Trading Chain’: BNB Chain Eyes 2026 Optimization Following Strong Ecosystem Momentum “We have already seen downside wicking toward that orange region, but not a clean, picture-perfect retest. Losing the trendline would likely force price into that orange region more decisively and potentially even result in its loss as support,” he added. As Rekt Capital stressed, if a macro uptrend is lost, there is limited buy-side momentum to support the price against further downside over time. As of this writing, ETH is trading at $2,026, a 4.7% increase in the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

XRP has had a rough stretch. The token is on pace to close its fifth straight month in the red, a run of weakness that has tested the patience of long-time holders and fueled debate about what comes next. Related Reading: Crypto’s Biggest Bull Run Could Come From The Most Unexpected Place: AI Bubble Yet even as the price sits well below its recent peak, a growing number of voices in the XRP community are not backing down from optimistic forecasts. One Analyst Says XRP Will Make People Rich In 2026 A market commentator known as Archie recently posted a chart on X projecting that XRP could climb as high as $83 per token before the end of 2026. At its current price of around $1.44, that would amount to a gain of roughly 5,900% — enough to push XRP’s total market value to an estimated $5 trillion. A holder sitting on 10,000 XRP would be approaching millionaire status at that price. Archie went further, suggesting the token could eventually reach four figures — meaning $1,000 or more per coin. Good morning XRP fam ☀️ Prediction????⬇️ XRP will make a lot of people rich in 2026???????? pic.twitter.com/mat4QMtWjN — Archie ???? (@Archie_XRPL) February 24, 2026 The post drew mixed reactions. Some holders backed the outlook. Others pushed back, with one user arguing that even a three-fold increase would barely move the needle for most people. Reports say some community members also raised concerns that any major price surge would disproportionately reward insiders, pointing to the significant token holdings of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. The 2016 Comparison That Bulls Keep Bringing Up XRP is currently down more than 60% from its recent high. Some analysts are drawing comparisons to a similar flat period the token went through in 2016, before a sharp rally took hold in 2017. The argument is that extended low-price stretches often clear out sellers who have lost conviction, setting the stage for stronger moves ahead. XRPL validator Vet addressed holders directly, saying this is not the time to walk away. Supporters point to greater regulatory clarity in the US, rising institutional interest, and continued activity on the XRP Ledger as factors that could shift momentum. Tokenization Adds A Different Kind Of Fuel The XRP Ledger has seen $1.3 billion in tokenized real-world assets added this year, pushing its total past $2.3 billion. Based on reports, commentator Brad Kimes of Digital Perspectives assembled views from multiple market voices arguing that if institutions tokenized 50% of circulating cash globally and the XRP Ledger captured 10% of that market, the resulting demand could push XRP’s price to triple digits. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red It is an ambitious model, but one tied to a real and growing trend in finance. Where XRP goes from here remains an open question — and the debate around it shows no signs of quieting down. Featured image from Flickr, chart from TradingView

During the Wednesday market recovery, XRP surged 7.9% to hit a one-week high of $1.47. The cryptocurrency has been hovering between $1.35-$1.50 over the past three weeks but has failed to break above the local range’s upper boundary. As the price nears this resistance once again, an analyst has suggested that a short-term rally toward another critical level could be brewing, potentially setting the stage for the altcoin to decide its next market direction by the end of Q2. Related Reading: The ‘Next-Generation Trading Chain’: BNB Chain Eyes 2026 Optimization Following Strong Ecosystem Momentum XRP To See March Breakout On Wednesday, analyst ChartNerd called for a short-term 20%-30% XRP rally in the next month or two, affirming that “relief is overdue” after six months of continuous downside pressure. In a video analysis, the market observer affirmed that the cryptocurrency is attempting to build a base within its local range to retest a crucial resistance level after losing the $1.80-$2.00 area as support in January. As he explained, XRP is attempting to form an ascending triangle or double bottom pattern in the daily timeframe, with the formation’s neckline sitting around the $1.50 mark. Based on this, if the altcoin “coils up inside this triangle and eventually gets a breakout heading into March, this is where the potential lies of rallying back up to $1.80” to retest this previous area of support as resistance. Meanwhile, if the cryptocurrency is forming a double bottom pattern, the analyst noted that “even a retrace to the $1.20 level would still mark a higher low before a short-term bullish reversal.” In both cases, breaking out of the $1.50 resistance would validate a move toward the $1.80-$2.00 area, which he considers “a critical inflection point” as XRP held it as support for 400 days. It would be a critical inflection point. I mean, potentially, we could respect some sort of ascending channel here as well, leading into March, which is what may guide us up to that $1.80 resistance. (…) If XRP does sort of respect these trend lines, it’s resistance. We’re back at support. Is A Critical Retest Ahead? Despite the bullish outlook, ChartNerd warned that XRP still risks a correction of up to 50%. Per the analyst, the $1.80 retest will determine whether this area has turned into resistance and the price will continue to go lower, or if it will be reclaimed and push to higher levels. “If the rally into $1.80/$2 unfolds in March/April, that will be the telltale sign of whether $0.70 is on the cards or not. Breaking cleanly above $2 signals strength and invalidation of that potential. Rejecting it as resistance would then cause a potential $0.70 drop,” he added on X. A reclaim of this key area as support could open the doors for a retest of the golden $2.40-$2.70 range, not visited since the Q4 2025 crash. It could also signal that the corrective period may be over. Related Reading: Bitcoin Positioned For More Pain Following Weekly Close Below This Critical Level However, he recently cautioned that losing the 200-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA) in the weekly timeframe and confirming it as resistance has historically signaled a major drop toward the $0.70 area. In previous cycles, XRP entered a deep corrective move when it failed to hold this level, crashing around 50% to its bear market bottom. Therefore, he emphasized that the cryptocurrency needs a convincing reclaim of its crucial area to invalidate this potential outcome. As of this writing, XRP is trading at $1.46, a 2.7% increase on the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

The crypto markets are sitting in a mood that rarely looks like hope. Fear sits very high, and that kind of fear has traders asking whether the worst is already behind them or still to come. Extreme Fear And Market Signals Reports note the Crypto Fear & Greed Index recently hit a low of 11, one of the weakest readings this year. That kind of reading has shown up near big turns before, but it is not a guarantee of an instant rebound. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red Some pieces of market data point to deeper stress — consumer credit trouble, weak housing figures, and loan strain — while other parts of the market, especially certain tech sectors, have kept rising. One analyst warns that what looks like calm at the surface may be hiding pressure underneath. Jesse Eckel argues the broader economy has been dragged forward by gains in AI-driven stocks, even though many everyday measures show strain. His view: investors who want exposure to AI’s upside may find it easier to chase smaller crypto tokens than to buy into giant tech firms. AI Speculation Spreads To Smaller Tokens That logic is simple. Big tech stocks are expensive. Smaller crypto projects promise bigger upside for retail traders who want a quick win. Analysts say this pattern could push money into crypto rails when mania returns, and that retail buyers often prefer instruments that feel close at hand and cheap. Yet there is a difference between wanting a bet and finding a solid reason to make one, and that difference matters to outcomes. A Paid Model’s Bold Numbers Some forecasts backing the bullish case come from an AI model accessed by market participants. The model gave numbers that look dramatic: roughly $155,000 for Bitcoin by the end of 2026 and about $240,000 by 2027. Those figures are treated as directional estimates, not precise promises, and the analyst using the model stressed they should guide thinking rather than dictate it. How This Might Play Out If money does rotate from expensive tech shares into speculative crypto bets, the flow would likely start small and then build as headlines and social chatter amplify the move. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin The Poor Man’s Hedge Against Inflation? Coinbase CEO Thinks So That could lift small tokens first. Big moves often happen after long stretches where few people expect them. But the timing is hard to pin down. Market sentiment can stay negative for a long time even when conditions for a rebound are present. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Castle Labs is arguing that crypto’s long tail is structurally overbuilt and that most tokens will ultimately be priced toward zero unless they can prove real business traction and tighter token alignment. The thesis, published in a long X post, frames the current market as a selection phase rather than a broad-based recovery story. The core point is not that crypto itself is failing, but that token supply has far outpaced sustainable demand. Castle Labs says the result is a market where a handful of majors dominate while thousands of smaller assets compete for shrinking liquidity. Too Many Crypto Tokens Castle Labs points to concentration data to make the case. According to the post, the top five crypto assets account for 84.4% of total market capitalization, leaving the rest of the market with 15.6%, or roughly $330 billion, spread across thousands of tokens. Related Reading: House Democrats Urge Treasury Probe Into Trump Family’s Crypto Venture It contrasts that with US equities, where the MAG7 represent 31% of the market and the S&P 500 represents 84.7%. In Castle Labs’ framing, crypto has reached roughly the same concentration level as the top 500 US companies, but with only five assets doing the heavy lifting. “Over the years, so many coins have been created that 99% of them need to go to zero for the industry’s good,” the firm wrote. It adds that the mismatch has become harder to ignore for investors who bought into crypto’s institutional adoption narrative but remain deep underwater in alt-heavy portfolios. Castle Labs outlines three broad paths for rebalancing: majors lose share to smaller tokens, external liquidity lifts the broader market, or weaker tokens lose value while majors absorb more of the capital. It argues the third outcome is the most likely, even if the first would be healthier in theory. A major part of the argument is simple market mechanics. Castle Labs says token unlocks will continue to add supply into a market where demand is already selective, citing $8.51 billion in unlock value this year and $17.12 billion over the next five years. That overhang, it argues, is colliding with poor business performance across much of the sector. Out of more than 5,600 protocols listed on DeFiLlama, Castle Labs says only 76 generated more than $1 million in revenue in the last 30 days, and only 237 cleared $100,000. Revenue is concentrated too. The post says the top 10 protocols in 2025 accounted for 80% of total crypto revenue, while the top three accounted for 64%, with Tether alone representing 44%. It also notes that only three of those top 10 revenue generators had launched tokens so far: Hyperliquid, Pumpfun, and Jupiter and says only HYPE materially outperformed. Related Reading: Goldman Sachs CEO Says US Must Codify How Crypto ‘Will Operate’ That backdrop helps explain Castle Labs’ skepticism toward new listings. It says there were about 118 major token launches in 2025, and 84.7% traded below their TGE valuation, which it describes as evidence of inflated launch pricing and weak post-launch structure. The Alignment Problem Castle Labs also argues the market is punishing tokens that are not economically aligned with the products they represent. It cites Circle’s acquisition of Interop Labs, where Axelar’s token AXL was not part of the deal, as an example of product value and token value diverging. “Tokens are not a legal representation of the business and don’t offer any actual rights over the company’s profits, unlike equity,” the firm wrote. “Investors, when they receive tokens, have these rights through the equity they hold. So they are in a better position, but token holders? They are at the project’s mercy when it comes to aligning their product with their token.” In that framework, buybacks are treated as one of the clearest signs of alignment. Castle Labs highlights Hyperliquid and Aave, and says Uniswap is only fully aligned with tokenholders after more than five years of its token’s existence. The firm’s conclusion is blunt but specific: capital should rotate toward protocols with real revenue, tokenholder alignment, and credible mechanisms to offset dilution. Whether that thesis holds in the next cycle may depend less on narrative and more on whether more projects adopt the kind of KPI- and revenue-led launch models Castle Labs says are now starting to emerge. At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.16 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

After a defining year for the ecosystem, the BNB Chain is stepping up its efforts to build on its 2025 momentum and continue scaling its performance, execution capacity, and infrastructure strength amid sustained usage growth. Related Reading: Bitcoin Positioned For More Pain Following Weekly Close Below This Critical Level BNB Chain 2025 Technical Outcomes Pave The Way On Monday, the BNB Chain shared its Tech Roadmap 2026, outlining plans to continue operating at a large scale while supporting sustained growth across trading activity, stablecoins, and real-world assets (RWA). The roadmap noted that 2025 was a “defining year” for the ecosystem, with major milestones achieved without downtime. As they explained, the BNB chain focused on reliability, speed, cost efficiency, and fairness as the four core technical priorities of the year. “These goals translated into tangible network outcomes,” the BNB Chain affirmed, highlighting a 40.5% increase in total value locked (TVL), a 150% year-over-year (YoY) growth in daily transactions, a surge in trading volume and stablecoin market capitalization, and reaching the highest daily active users across blockchains. A recent report by CoinDesk Research pointed out that the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) leads the pack in stablecoin annual growth, soaring 133% YoY. The BSC significantly contributed to the surge in DEX volume, with its annual DEX trading volume surging by over 100% in 2025. The network also overtook Solana and Ethereum in daily volume during peak periods, capturing nearly 30% of the total DEX market share at one point. Meanwhile, the BNB Chain also led in app revenue growth YoY, increasing 48%. At the protocol level, the roadmap emphasized that BNB Chain’s performance improvements were driven by four major hardforks, which reduced block time from 3 seconds to 0.45 seconds and finality from 7.5 seconds to 1.125 seconds, while doubling network bandwidth to 133 million gas per second. Following these changes, the network has “consistently handled up to 5 trillion gas used per day, equivalent to approximately 238 million native transfers.” Meanwhile, gas Price dropped roughly 20 times, from 1Gwei to 0.05Gwei. Building The ‘Next-Generation’ Trading Chain Now, the BNB Chain is working on multiple network optimizations in 2026 to establish the BSC as a “highly optimized EVM trading chain.” It seeks to achieve 20,000 transactions per second (TPS) with sub-second finality, further reduce gas fees through software optimizations, and push finality deeper into sub-second territory with advanced consensus and network latency improvements. The BNB Chain plans to make enhancements for a “performance-optimized” EVM execution engine. These include a new execution engine “focused on best-in-class single-core performance using register-based interpretation and AOT/JIT techniques,” and “conflict-less parallel execution during block chasing using EIP-7928 (BAL).” The network is also planning to redesign storage systems for parallel-friendly access and continue developing middleware to reduce complexity for advanced applications, such as a privacy framework and an AI agent framework. In addition, the BNB Chain shared a long-term plan to design the “next-generation trading chain to support extreme performance requirements” between 2026 and 2028. Related Reading: Investors In Trump Family Memecoins Record $4.3 Billion In Losses As Tokens Sink The main goals include targeting approximately 1 million TPS, requiring sustained execution capacity of ~20 GGas per second; achieving near-instant transaction confirmation, with a best-case target of 150m; adopting a hybrid off-chain and on-chain compute architecture using execution proofs and attestations; strengthening decentralization through improved validator models and fault tolerance; and delivering best-in-class security and production reliability. “The next phase focuses on ensuring that this performance remains sustainable, fair, and extensible as the network continues to grow,” the roadmap concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Dogecoin (DOGE) is approaching a decisive technical moment as price pressure across the broader market keeps the memecoin pinned near key support zones. After slipping below the psychological $0.10 level, traders are now watching whether DOGE can stabilize or whether the ongoing downtrend will extend further. Related Reading: Here’s What’s Driving The Bitcoin Price Crash Toward $60,0000 Dogecoin currently trades around the low-$0.09 range after posting steady losses across multiple timeframes. Market data shows the token has declined sharply over the past month, reflecting reduced risk appetite and continued selling pressure across digital assets. DOGE's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: DOGEUSD on Tradingview Dogecoin Price Struggles Below Key Moving Averages Technically, Dogecoin remains in a clear corrective phase. Price action continues to trade below the 50-day EMA, currently acting as strong dynamic resistance near the $0.11–$0.12 region. Repeated rejection at this level has reinforced a pattern of lower highs and lower lows that has persisted since late 2025. Momentum indicators present mixed signals. The RSI is near oversold territory, suggesting selling pressure may be easing, while trend-strength indicators still confirm a dominant bearish structure. Analysts note that volatility has also compressed following recent declines. Short-term charts show resistance clustered between $0.095 and $0.10, while immediate support lies near $0.091 and $0.088. A break below these levels could expose deeper downside targets toward the $0.083–$0.080 region. Bear Flag Risks vs. Rebound Potential Adding to the uncertainty, daily charts show DOGE consolidating within a bearish flag, a pattern typically associated with a continuation move lower. Some projections suggest a potential decline toward the $0.065–$0.07 zone if support fails. However, not all signals are bearish. A long-term cycle metric, tracking the number of historical trading days above the current price, has reached a record level. Similar readings previously appeared near major market bottoms in 2020 and 2023, both followed by strong rallies. Analysts caution that this is a structural indicator rather than a short-term timing signal, but it has drawn renewed attention from long-term investors. Meanwhile, a shorter-term analysis shows DOGE rebounding from oversold RSI levels, with some traders targeting a move toward $0.115–$0.119 if buyers regain control. Key Levels Traders Are Watching For sentiment to shift meaningfully, Dogecoin must reclaim the $0.095–$0.10 zone and eventually break above the 50-day EMA. Failure to do so would keep downside risks intact, particularly if macro risk-off conditions persist. Related Reading: Bitcoin Capitulation Persists As Short-Term Holders Realize $0.48B Daily Losses In the near term, the market remains balanced between potential accumulation and continued distribution. Whether Dogecoin stages a recovery or slides into a deeper pullback will likely depend on how the price reacts around current support, making the coming sessions critical for confirming the next trend direction. Cover image from ChatGPT, DOGEUSD chart on Tradingview

XRP is facing one of its most difficult stretches in years, with price action, on-chain data, and derivatives activity pointing to a market under pressure. Related Reading: Ready For A 443% Dogecoin Move? The Meme Coin Just Touched A Historically Explosive Level After weeks of steady declines, the token has now recorded its sharpest weekly downturn since 2022, triggering renewed debate among analysts over whether the sell-off marks the start of a deeper correction or the late stages of a broader market shakeout. Currently, XRP is trading near the $1.33–$1.36 range, down roughly 30% over the past month and more than 60% below its July 2025 peak of $3.65. The decline mirrors weakness across the wider digital asset market, where risk appetite has remained subdued amid macroeconomic uncertainty. XRP's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview Capitulation Signals Emerge as Losses Spike One of the most closely watched developments is the surge in realized losses across the network. On-chain data shows investors locked in nearly $1.93 billion in losses over the past week, the largest spike in about 39 months. Realized losses occur when holders sell below their purchase price, often during panic-driven sell-offs. Historically, similar events have coincided with market capitulation phases, where short-term holders exit positions and tokens shift toward longer-term investors. A comparable spike in 2022 was followed by a significant recovery months later, though analysts caution that past performance does not guarantee a repeat. Despite falling prices, trading activity has increased. Spot trading volume jumped above $2.3 billion in 24 hours, while futures volume and open interest also climbed, suggesting traders are actively positioning rather than leaving the market. Key Levels and the “Shakeout” Narrative Technically, the $1.30 level has become a critical support zone. XRP briefly slipped below it before recovering, indicating buying interest remains present. However, analysts warn that a confirmed breakdown could open the path toward $1.20 or even the psychological $1.00 level. Some market watchers argue that the current structure resembles previous consolidation phases that preceded strong rallies. According to this view, another decline toward the $1.10 area remains possible as markets get rid of weaker participants before any sustained move higher. Momentum indicators also reflect pressure. XRP continues trading below key moving averages, and while the relative strength index suggests oversold conditions, no confirmed bullish reversal has formed yet. Structural Factors Shift Focus Toward Q2 Beyond short-term price action, attention is increasingly turning to structural developments that could influence performance later in 2026. Analysts point to improving regulatory clarity, institutional positioning, and planned upgrades to the XRP Ledger aimed at supporting tokenized assets, lending functions, and compliant trading environments. Related Reading: Political Meme Coins Implode: TRUMP Down 92%, MELANIA Nearly Wiped Out Derivatives data adds another layer to the outlook. Open interest remains elevated despite declining prices, a pattern that has historically preceded expansion phases when new capital enters the market. Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

At the beginning of February, the price of Bitcoin tumbled to a new low not seen since US President Donald Trump got elected in November 2024. This downside volatility is believed to have been precipitated by the overleveraging in the BTC market at the time. According to the latest on-chain data, the Bitcoin derivatives market has witnessed a massive flush-out over the past week. BTC Market Now At Reduced Risk Of Liquidation Cascades  In a fresh Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, trader CryptoOnchain revealed a dramatic flush-out in the Bitcoin derivatives market on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume. The relevant indicator here is the Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR), which has seen a significant decline in recent weeks. Related Reading: Why Bitcoin Could Be Headed For Another Drop: Research Firm Cites Three Key Risks The Estimated Leverage Ratio is an on-chain metric that measures the ratio of open interest and the reserve of an exchange (Binance, in this case). This indicator tracks the average amount of leverage used by traders in a particular market or exchange. A high ELR value typically implies elevated market risk, signaling that small price movements could potentially lead to significant liquidations and further price movements. As reported by NewsBTC in late January, the ELR was at an extremely high level of around 0.1980, indicating an overheated and highly speculative market. Following the crash of the Bitcoin price, the on-chain metric has also cooled off, falling to around 0.1414. According to CryptoOnchain, this 28% decline in the Estimated Leverage Ratio highlights a shiftbin market dynamics. The market quant said that the drop in ELR suggests that a severe deleveraging event has occurred, with the accompanying price decline causing the closure of several overleveraged long positions. CryptoOnchain added: While the immediate price action was painful, wiping out excess leverage is fundamentally healthy. It removes the “derivatives bubble” and leaves the market structure much lighter and less susceptible to extreme, sudden volatility. The crypto analyst concluded that the risk of further liquidation cascades is reduced, now that the Estimated Leverage Ratio has fallen to normal levels. However, the Bitcoin market needs organic buying pressure and genuine demand from the spot market to rebuild a bullish structure and resume a sustainable upward trend. Bitcoin Price Overview As of this writing, the price of BTC sits around $67,950, reflecting an almost 2% jump in the past 24 hours. According to data from CoinGecko, the premier cryptocurrency is still down by more than 1% on the weekly timeframe. Related Reading: Bitcoin Big-Money Exits: Large-Holder Supply Hits Lowest Since May 2025 Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

Retail investors of the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins have recorded significant losses since their launch, leaving holders absorbing over $4 billion in losses now that the tokens trade more than 90% below their early 2025 highs. Related Reading: Analyst ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Dogecoin As Price Rally Stalls Trump Family Memecoins Leave Investors In Red On Friday, a CryptoRank report shared how retail investors have lost billions on the official Trump family memecoins while insiders seemingly pocketed millions of dollars. Over a year ago, President Trump surprised the industry by launching his official token ahead of the start of his second term. The memecoin rapidly skyrocketed to an all-time high (ATH) of $75, bringing massive profits for many early investors. Two days later, the US First Lady, Melania Trump, announced the launch of her memecoin, which quickly surged to an ATH of $13.05 in less than 24 hours. However, the tokens faced significant backlash from the crypto community, with some X users calling the memecoins a “big red flag” as later reports revealed that one of the faces behind the MELANIA memecoin was Hayden Davis, the mastermind behind the LIBRA Token disaster. A year after their launch, the TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins have sunk, collapsing 92% and 99%, respectively, from their January 2025 highs. As of this writing, the token based on the US President trades around $3.55, while the First Lady’s token hovers around $0.11. According to CryptoRank, the damage to retail investors has been staggering, with holders absorbing losses at a 20-to-1 ratio. “For every dollar insiders earned, ordinary investors lost $20,” the report noted. As a result, retail losses have exceeded $4.3 billion from nearly two million wallets currently underwater. Citing data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, CNBC shared that most wallets that lost money held smaller amounts of the token. Insiders And Crypto Exchanges Generate Millions While retail holders bear the losses, CryptoRank highlighted that insiders have cashed out over $600 million through fees and token sales. Notably, 45 wallets extracted approximately $1.2 billion combined, and 58 wallets made more than $10 million each, CNBC data shows. The report also noted that the selloff may not be over, as $2.7 billion in insider tokens that will be locked until 2028 suggests significant selling pressure is still on the horizon for the memecoins. As reported by NewsBTC, a Reuters analysis claimed that crypto exchanges were major beneficiaries of the presidential family’s memecoins, with the TRUMP token generating millions of dollars in revenue for some of the largest exchanges. Based on standard fee estimates compiled by the news outlet, the reviewed crypto platforms allegedly made more than $172 million in trading fees just six months after the token’s listing. Related Reading: SUI Eyes Price Recovery As Institutional Exposure Expands With Grayscale, Canary ETF Launches Meanwhile, the Trump family has also significantly benefited from their main crypto ventures, including World Liberty Financial (WLFI) and the TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins. According to recent Bloomberg data, the official presidential memecoins have generated gains worth roughly $280 million from the family’s holdings and associated proceeds. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Altcoin breadth on Binance has deteriorated sharply, with a large majority of tokens now trading below a widely watched long-term trend level, an exhaustion signal that CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost frames as a liquidity problem as much as a price problem. In a post on X, Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) shared a CryptoQuant chart tracking the share of Binance-listed altcoins trading below their 50-week moving average alongside Bitcoin’s price. His headline claim: “LIQUIDITY CRUNCH PUSHES 83% OF ALTCOINS INTO BEAR TREND,” arguing that most investors exposed to non-Bitcoin, non-stablecoin assets are “now in significant difficulty,” particularly those still holding positions. Altcoin Breadth Breaks Down On Binance Darkfost’s chart, titled “Altcoins performance (Binance)”, shows the percentage of altcoins below the 50-week moving average rising back into historically stressed territory. In his latest read, 83% of Binance altcoins are below that threshold, a sign that weakness is not isolated to a handful of names but spread across the tape. He also pointed to an even more extreme episode earlier this month. “Since the end of the bear market in 2023, a new record was set on February 7, with more than 92% of altcoins on Binance trading below this key technical support,” he wrote, describing it as a post-2023-cycle high in downside participation. Related Reading: House Democrats Urge Treasury Probe Into Trump Family’s Crypto Venture That stands in stark contrast to the conditions seen during earlier upside phases. Darkfost noted that in March 2024 only 6% of Binance altcoins traded below the 50-week line, and in December 2024 the figure was 7%. Outside of those multi-month windows, he added, at least half of altcoins remained under the threshold, behavior he characterized as meaningfully different from the prior cycle’s breadth dynamics. Darkfost framed the altcoin drawdown as inseparable from Bitcoin’s trend and the macro backdrop, suggesting that the market’s risk budget has tightened while altcoin supply has expanded. Related Reading: House Democrats Urge Treasury Probe Into Trump Family’s Crypto Venture “The market continues to be driven by BTC’s movements, which has been in a downtrend since October 2025 following an ATH at $126,000. At present, BTC’s momentum remains highly uncertain, with price still hovering at roughly 46% of its all time high. Rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and Iran, alongside increasingly hawkish projections and tone from the Fed expressed in the latest FOMC minutes, are making the current environment especially challenging for highly volatile assets such as altcoins,” he wrote. The chart itself marks BTC near the mid-$60,000 range, underscoring his broader point: in a regime where Bitcoin direction is unclear and macro inputs are hostile to duration and volatility, breadth in higher-beta tokens can deteriorate quickly and then stay impaired. Why The 50-Week Line Matters Darkfost emphasized the 50-week moving average as a long-horizon filter used by market participants to separate corrective phases from structurally constructive ones. When a majority of tokens sit below it, rallies tend to be narrower, selection pressure rises, and “alt season” narratives become harder to sustain without a decisive shift in liquidity conditions. He attributed the current setup to “the increase in altcoin supply across the broader crypto market combined with still constrained liquidity conditions,” a combination that can mechanically dilute marginal flows. In that environment, he argued, outperforming becomes less about broad beta exposure and more about understanding how market structure has changed. At press time, the total crypto market cap excluding Bitcoin stood at $943.46 billion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

As market volatility sends Dogecoin (DOGE) to retest its breakout level, some analysts have advised “cautious” optimism for the leading memecoin, arguing that weak bullish momentum could invalidate the recent price action. Related Reading: SUI Eyes Price Recovery As Institutional Exposure Expands With Grayscale, Canary ETF Launches ‘Optimism With A Seatbelt On’ On Thursday, Dogecoin fell to a one-week low of $0.095 before bouncing back above the $0.098 support level. The cryptocurrency has been hovering between $0.096 and $0.104 for the past six days, briefly reaching a multi-week high of $0.117 during the weekend. Notably, DOGE broke out of a one-month descending trendline after last week’s price surge, igniting optimism among investors. However, the market’s volatility has halted the leading memecoin’s momentum, which is now moving sideways within its local range. Market observer Whale Factor highlighted that Dogecoin has returned to “the ultimate support level” located at $0.097. This level is a macro resistance-turned-support, serving as a key bounce area over the past two years. “We’ve seen this play out twice before with massive bounces. (…) If this horizontal support holds, the risk/reward for a long position here is insane,” he affirmed, adding that a rebound from this level could target the $0.15-$0.20 area. Meanwhile, analyst Trader Tardigrade noted the recent performance, explaining that the breakout and the subsequent retest of the downtrend line is “textbook bullish price action.” Nonetheless, he has warned that he is “cautiously optimistic” due to weak bullish momentum. As he explained, the descending trendline has been retested and held as support over the past five days, printing daily closes above the breakout level. This signals that the structure remains bullish. Despite this, the analyst considers the rally “feels a bit underpowered” and that DOGE’s uptrend momentum “is lacking strength” as the price is slowly retracing the recently climbed levels. “Price has to attract real demand to make this breakout credible. Keep an eye on volume and punchier candles—until those show up, it’s optimism with a seatbelt on,” he asserted. Dogecoin To Repeat Previous Performances? Trader Tardigrade also pointed out that Dogecoin seems to be mirroring the same pattern that has previously led to parabolic moves. Per the post, the memecoin has completed a “Solid Base structure” twice before, first in 2016 and then in 2020. The analyst emphasized that historically, “when DOGE finishes building these bases, it doesn’t take long before the breakout happens.” Now, the cryptocurrency is at the edge of the third base, with the “same prolonged consolidation, same gradual accumulation, same compressed energy.” Similarly, market watcher Bitcoinsensus observed that in past cycles, Dogecoin had “thrived during strong risk-on environments,” typically breaking out after long stretches of consolidation. Related Reading: BNB Chain’s AI Agent Ecosystem Surges As Crypto Markets Bleed Notably, the cryptocurrency saw a 95x move between 2017 and 2028 after breaking out of its macro consolidation range. Then, it recorded a 310x rally toward its latest all-time high (ATH) following its 2020 breakout. The chart shows that the altcoin could be near the end of its long consolidation period, and a parabolic move could begin in the next year. “If this cycle plays out like previous ones, Dogecoin may have room to push toward the $5 zone,” the analyst concluded. As of this writing, DOGE is trading at $0.097, a 1.1% decline in the daily timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Aptos is preparing a major economic shift of moving from open-ended token issuance to a capped, potentially deflationary supply model. This change aims to align APT supply more closely with network activity, marking a transition from its growth-focused, incentive-driven phase. Related Reading: Goldman Sachs CEO Says US Must Codify How Crypto ‘Will Operate’ Proposed by the Aptos Foundation and pending governance approval, the overhaul seeks to slow new token issuance while expanding mechanisms that remove tokens from circulation, such as burns and permanent staking. At the time of the announcement, APT was trading near $0.88, down about 4.5%, reflecting investor caution as the market considers the long-term effects of the tokenomics changes. APT's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: APTUSD on Tradingview Hard Supply Cap and Lower Emissions Mark Structural Change At the center of the proposal is the introduction of a hard supply cap of 2.1 billion APT tokens, a major shift for a network that currently has no maximum supply. About 1.196 billion tokens are already in circulation, meaning future issuance would gradually decline as the cap is approached. The foundation also plans to reduce annual staking rewards from 5.19% to 2.6%, lowering the rate at which new tokens are created. A redesigned staking model may offer higher yields for longer lock-up commitments, aiming to maintain validator participation while reducing inflationary pressure. In addition, 210 million APT tokens are proposed to be permanently locked and staked, removing them from liquid circulation while continuing to support network security. The changes collectively signal a move toward tighter supply discipline as the ecosystem matures. Burn Mechanisms and Fee Adjustments Could Drive Deflation Alongside emission cuts, Aptos intends to strengthen token burn dynamics. Transaction fees paid on the network are already burned, and a proposed tenfold increase in gas fees could accelerate the pace at which tokens leave circulation. Even after the adjustment, stablecoin transfers are expected to remain extremely low-cost. Higher on-chain activity may further amplify burns. New applications, including fully on-chain trading platforms, are projected to generate sustained transaction volume, potentially creating conditions where tokens burned exceed newly issued supply. The foundation is also exploring additional measures such as performance-based grants and a potential token buyback program, both designed to better align issuance with measurable ecosystem growth. What the Shift Means for Investors For investors, the proposed overhaul introduces a different economic narrative for APT. Reduced staking rewards may lower short-term yield opportunities, but tighter supply and expanded burn mechanisms could support scarcity if network adoption increases. The timing is notable as a major token unlock cycle concludes in October 2026, expected to reduce annual supply unlocks by roughly 60%. Combined with declining grant distributions, the reforms aim to transition Aptos toward a model where long-term value depends more on network usage than subsidy-driven emissions. Related Reading: Stellar Price Forecast: XLM Stabilizes After Dip, March Recovery Toward $0.20 in Focus Whether the strategy succeeds will depend on governance approval and sustained ecosystem growth, but the proposal highlights a growing trend across blockchain networks: tokenomics design is becoming as critical as technology performance in attracting developers, institutions, and long-term capital. Cover image from ChatGPT, APTUSD chart on Tradingview

The debut of the first U.S.-listed staking ETFs tied to SUI was expected to mark a turning point for the token. Instead, the crypto slipped below the $1 level, showing the gap between growing institutional access and weakening market sentiment. Related Reading: Goldman Sachs CEO Says US Must Codify How Crypto ‘Will Operate’ On February 18, asset managers Grayscale Investments and Canary Capital launched competing spot staking ETFs, offering investors exposure to SUI alongside on-chain staking rewards. The products began trading on NYSE Arca and Nasdaq, bringing the Sui blockchain into regulated U.S. markets. Despite the milestone, SUI continued its downward trend, trading below $0.95 at the time of reporting after losing roughly 40% over the past month and extending a broader yearly decline. SUI's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: SUIUSD on Tradingview Staking ETFs Introduce a New Investment Structure The newly launched funds, GSUI and SUIS, differ from earlier crypto ETFs by integrating staking directly into their structure. Rather than passively tracking price movements, the funds hold spot SUI tokens and stake a portion of their holdings to generate network rewards, which are reflected in the funds’ net asset value. This model allows investors to gain yield without managing wallets or validator infrastructure. Analysts view the structure as part of a broader shift toward “yield-bearing” crypto investment products that combine price exposure with blockchain participation. The ETFs also signal expanding institutional interest in the Sui Network, a layer-1 blockchain developed by former Meta engineers and designed for decentralized finance, gaming, and digital marketplace applications. Weak Market Data Overshadows Institutional Momentum Market indicators suggest traders remain cautious despite the ETF launches. Derivatives data shows open interest declining by nearly 30%, indicating reduced speculative activity and thinner liquidity. Trading volumes have also softened, reflecting lower participation compared with earlier market cycles. Network fundamentals have weakened alongside price performance. Total value locked (TVL) in Sui’s DeFi ecosystem has retreated to around $565 million, returning to levels seen before last year’s market rally. Analysts say declining capital inflows have limited the immediate impact of institutional developments. Technical indicators show SUI consolidating near key support between $0.88 and $0.90. A failure to hold this range could expose the token to deeper losses toward $0.70, while a recovery above $1.10–$1.20 would be needed to signal a potential trend reversal. Token Unlock and Market Outlook Additional pressure may come from an upcoming token unlock scheduled for March 1, when roughly 43 million SUI tokens are expected to enter circulation. Increased supply could introduce short-term volatility, particularly if demand from ETF inflows remains limited. Related Reading: Stellar Price Forecast: XLM Stabilizes After Dip, March Recovery Toward $0.20 in Focus The launch of staking ETFs represents a structural step forward for institutional adoption. However, SUI’s price action suggests that broader market conditions, liquidity trends, and network growth will likely determine whether the new products can translate into sustained recovery. Cover image from ChatGPT, SUIUSD chart on Tradingview

As the first two spot SUI exchange-traded funds (ETFs) debut in the US, some analysts have suggested that the cryptocurrency could be preparing for a massive recovery after bouncing from a crucial support level. Related Reading: BNB Chain’s AI Agent Ecosystem Surges As Crypto Markets Bleed SUI’s Institutional Momentum Expands On Wednesday, Grayscale and Canary Capital debuted the first two spot SUI ETFs, offering direct, regulated exposure to the cryptocurrency while allowing investors to benefit from staking rewards. Notably, Grayscale expanded its lineup of crypto-based products by converting its Grayscale SUI Trust into a spot ETF, which is now live on NYSE Arca under the GSUI ticker. According to the announcement, the fund is designed to “provide investors with exposure to SUI and its staking activity through an ETP, offering a convenient way to gain exposure to a network designed for scalable, real-world applications, and the next generation of digital experiences.” Krista Lynch, Senior Vice President, ETF Capital Markets, at Grayscale, affirmed that “GSUI’s launch on NYSE Arca marks an important milestone in expanding the range of exchange-traded products tied to the Sui ecosystem, including exposure to potential staking rewards.” Meanwhile, Canary Capital launched the first US spot ETF for the cryptocurrency on Nasdaq under the SUIS ticker. The Canary Capital Staked SUI ETF “brings that exposure into a regulated, exchange-traded structure, providing investors access to SUI and its staking reward potential,” stated Steven McClurg, CEO at Canary Capital. “Canary continues to deliver on its strategy to translate emerging blockchain networks into accessible, exchange-traded investment vehicles, and we’re pleased to add SUIS in the category,” he continued. The Sui Foundation highlighted that the latest launches added to a series of institutional milestones in the ecosystem, including multiple Sui-linked investment products and strategic initiatives from firms like 21Shares, Bitwise, and Franklin Templeton. SUI Preparing For Major Price Recovery? Amid the spot ETFs’ debut, SUI’s price continued its sideways movement under the $1.00 barrier, trading between $0.93 and $0.98 throughout the day. Ali Martinez suggested that the cryptocurrency could be preparing for a move to higher levels, noting it recently retested a key support level. As Martinex explained, SUI tested and bounced from a two-year rising support line after the early February market crash. This ascending trendline has previously triggered major rallies. According to the chart, the last two times the cryptocurrency hit this support line, it jumped 365% and 850% rallied respectively, with the latest sending its price toward its $5.35 all-time high (ATH) in the following months.  To the analyst, if SUI holds the $0.80 area, “history suggests upside could follow. And this time, fundamentals are lining up too.” He pointed out that the growing institutional exposure and the technical structure alignment could set up a base “for something much bigger.” Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $173M As Outflows Extend To Fourth Week – Report Similarly, market observer Bitcoinsensus highlighted SUI’s macro structure, which signals a potential leg up toward new highs. Per the post, the altcoin “has been moving up in a very technical structure” since its launch, repeating a 5-wave up followed by a 3-wave correction. The chart shows that the price is likely near the end of the C-wave of its corrective move, suggesting a new impulsive 5-wave structure could develop in the coming months. “If this trend continues, we could see SUI reach prices above 10$ per coin,” the analyst concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

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

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

While the crypto market struggles and broader sentiment sits at its lowest levels in years, BNB Chain has shown resilience, building on last year’s on-chain momentum, while taking key steps toward strong builder activity and growing user participation. Now, the ecosystem has turned to AI agents, one of the rapidly growing narratives, to start preparing for the next market phase. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $173M As Outflows Extend To Fourth Week – Report BNB Chain’s AI Agent Ecosystem Grows In a recent development, the BNB Chain has rolled out support for AI agent standards ERC-8004 and BAP-578, seeking to make agent identity practical at scale “with low fees, fast transactions, and infrastructure designed for frequent agent activity.” Notably, AI Agents are autonomous programs capable of making decisions, interacting with other systems, and carrying out tasks, including trading and managing data, without continuous human participation. However, these agents have shown limits that must be addressed to operate beyond single apps or centralized platforms. As a result, BNB Chain announced earlier this month the deployment of the ERC-8004 infrastructure on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) Mainnet and Testnet. ERC-8004 is a new on-chain identity standard designed to give autonomous AI agents verifiable, portable identity across platforms. According to the announcement, they also introduced BNB Application Proposals (BAPs), which are a new standard for the application layer, to complement the ERC-8004 infrastructure. BAP-578, the first BAP, launches the Non-Fungible Agent (NFA) standard, which enables AI agents to “exist as on-chain assets that can hold assets, execute logic, interact with protocols, and be bought, sold, or hired. This marks the first step toward an open, predictable, and interoperable Agent Economy on BNB Chain.” By February 17, its AI Agent ecosystem had reached 58 projects across 10 categories, including infrastructure, social platforms, DeFi, trading, gaming, and entertainment. Moreover, it has seen over 200 builders participate in its ongoing “Good Vibes Only: OpenClaw Edition” hackathon event, focused on AI/on-chain actions. The Ecosystem’s Momentum The BNB Chain has continued to show strength across its ecosystem despite the recent market downturn and BNB’s price correction, holding key on-chain metrics and strong fundamentals. Crypto market intelligence firm Messari recently highlighted BNB Chain’s performance during the last quarter of 2025. Notably, BNB Chain remained the third-largest network by DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL), ending the year with $6.6 billion in TVL across its ecosystem, up 23.6% YoY. Per the report, average daily transactions surged 30.4% QoQ, while daily active addresses increased 13.3%. In addition, the total Real-World Asset (RWA) value grew to $2 billion, a 228.1% increase QoQ, and 554.6% up YoY from the $3.6 million registered at the start of the year. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Flood Binance As Correction Deepens: On-Chain Data Shows As reported by NewsBTC, most of these metrics have held throughout the recent market struggles, with TVL across its ecosystem, daily active addresses, and average daily transactions showing sustained growth since the end of 2025. Meanwhile, it has seen massive growth in the prediction markets sector, with leading platforms within the ecosystem reaching crucial milestones after surpassing $20 billion in cumulative volume in late January. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) have extended their negative streak to a fourth consecutive week after US market weakness pushed global funds to over $170 million in weekly outflows. Related Reading: Bitcoin Should Be Flying—Instead, Quantum Risk Keeps It Grounded: Analyst Crypto Funds Outflows Extend Amid US Weakness According to the latest CoinShares data, crypto-based investment products recorded their fourth week of outflows amid the negative market sentiment of the past month. In a Monday report, James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, shared that global crypto funds closed the week with negative net flows totaling $173 million, bringing cumulative four-week outflows to $3.47 billion. Notably, crypto ETPs recorded over $1.7 billion in outflows each of the last two weeks of January as the market sentiment shifted, marking the largest negative net flows since November 2025. Over the past two weeks, investment products have seen outflows of $187m and $173m, respectively.  The latest figures suggest that the strong selling pressure has slowed, although it has not yet reversed despite improved market sentiment. “The week began on a more positive note, with inflows of US$575m, followed by outflows of US$853m, likely driven by further price weakness. Sentiment improved slightly on Friday following weaker-than-expected CPI data, with inflows of US$105m,” he detailed. Meanwhile, ETPs’ trading activity also dropped notably, with volumes falling to $27 billion from a record $63 billion recorded the previous week. Butterfill noted that the funds also saw a sharp regional divergence in sentiment between the US and the rest of the world. Per the report, the US saw $403 million in outflows last week, while all other regions recorded $230 million in inflows. Germany, Canada, and Switzerland registered the strongest performance, with inflows worth $114.8 million, $46.3 million, and $36.8 million, respectively. Altcoins See Selective Resilience As the report noted, the two leading cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), saw the worst performance among major assets. The flagship crypto had the weakest sentiment, recording $133 million in negative net flows, fueled by BlackRock IBIT’s $235 million in outflows. However, short Bitcoin investment products also recorded outflows, totaling $15.4 million over the past two weeks, “a pattern often seen near market lows,” Butterfill added. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $8,000? Michael Saylor Says Strategy Still Won’t Break Ethereum suffered $85.1 million in outflows, led by BlackRock ETHA’s $112.7 million, while Hyperliquid saw $1 million in outflows.  On the flip side, some altcoin-based investment products saw positive sentiment, continuing to attract fresh inflows last week. Crypto funds based on XRP led the charge with $33.4 million in inflows, adding to the previous week’s $63.1 million positive flows. Solana ETPs followed second with $31 million inflows, a notable increase from the $8.2 million recorded the week prior, signaling confidence in these assets despite the broader trend. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

As the crypto market recovers, Solana (SOL) has bounced from a major level trendline and momentarily reclaimed a key horizontal level. Some analysts have signaled that a retest of a crucial short-term resistance could be coming, while others have warned that a breakdown to new lows remains possible. Related Reading: Ethereum $1,900 Retest Could Decide Next Major Move – Is ETH Preparing For New Lows? Solana Bounces From Two-Year Trendline On Friday, Solana bounced 10.3% to break past the $85 area for the first time in three days. The cryptocurrency has been hovering between $78-$88 over the past week, briefly falling to $67 during last Thursday’s correction. SOL lost the mid-zone of its local range after recent market volatility, falling below $80 on Thursday. However, Today’s rebound has sent the altcoin above these recently lost levels, setting the stage for a potential recovery. Amid this performance, market observer Daan Crypto Trades highlighted that the cryptocurrency has reclaimed the key $80 level, which has historically served as major resistance and support. To the trader, the Solana must hold above this area and form a base above it before “watching for a low-timeframe market structure break back to bullish.” Analyst Ali Martinez observed that sustained buying pressure could push SOL’s price toward the $88 level, not seen since the start of the week. The altcoin has been unable to break above this level since last week’s breakdown, becoming a key short-term resistance area. A breakout from this level could open the door for a retest of the $90-$96 zone, where the April 2025 lows are. Meanwhile, Crypto Batman noted that Solana is retesting its two-year descending trendline in the weekly timeframe, located around the recent lows. The chart shows that the macro trendline has been holding since early 2024 and has been tapped multiple times throughout the cycle. As the analyst explained, “Over the past 2 years, every time the price touches this level, a massive reversal occurs.” During this period, it has also marked the bottom of each major correction, with the latest retest taking place in Q2 2025 and leading to the following quarter’s rally. SOL Breakdown Still Coming? Despite the bullish outlooks, other market watchers have shared potential bearish forecasts for Solana if momentum weakens. Altcoin Sherpa warned that SOL could drop to $50 if selling pressure pushes the price below a crucial area. The chart shows that after losing the 200-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA), around the $121 mark, and the April 2025 lows, the key area to hold is the recently visited local range lows. As the analyst displayed, if the cryptocurrency fails to hold the $77-$78 price area, the next major historical support sits near the November 2023 breakout area, around the $51 mark. Market watcher Crypto Bullet suggested that Solana’s bottom may not be in yet, arguing that “those who bought BTC above $80k and SOL above $120 must stay trapped for a year or two.” Related Reading: LayerZero (ZRO) Soars 40% Amid Zero Blockchain Debut, Major Institutional Backing He affirmed that “returning to those levels anytime soon doesn’t make sense,” as the cryptocurrencies are in their markdown period. In an X post, he emphasized the market cycle phases, pointing out that the accumulation phase occurred between 2022 and 2023, while the distribution phase occurred between 2024 and the start of 2026. Based on this, the analyst’s chart shows that SOL could potentially find a bottom around the $40 area. As of this writing, Solana is trading at $84.17, a 2.5% decline in the weekly timeframe Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson says the crypto market is headed for “90–180 days” of more grind, not because the industry lacks catalysts, but because retail is exhausted and the narrative that kept people engaged has stopped working. Speaking with CoinDesk at Consensus 2026 in Hong Kong, the Input Output CEO framed the current drawdown as a morale problem as much as a market one. “This one particularly stings because we expected a really strong cycle in 2025 and we didn’t quite get it,” he said. “So, a lot of people are pretty bitter about it… We just got to get through the next 90-180 days. It’s going to be tough.” Cardano Founder On What Went Wrong For Crypto Hoskinson’s core point was that crypto has spent years promising a near-term “magic fix,” then watching the market fail to respond even when those fixes arrived. He rattled off the sequence retail has lived through: NFT mania, the collapse of Luna, collapse of FTX, the “scary Gary era,” memecoin mania, and “all the Trump stuff” and argued that each cycle offered the same story: endure the pain now, because something big is coming in 6–12 months. “And we got all the mcguffins,” he said. “We got BlackRock coming in. We got the US government doing the reserve thing. We got good regulation with Genius to start… all the things that we were looking for happened and then nothing happened afterwards.” Related Reading: Cardano May Be At A Prime Buying Point, Analyst Says To explain the mood, Hoskinson leaned on a vivid travel metaphor: “We got to the town and the hotel was closed, the restaurants closed and we’re like where do we sleep and eat? … people are deeply frustrated.” That frustration, in his telling, has turned into a broader disengagement. Retail isn’t shocked by volatility, it’s bored and worn down by the repeated promise that the next institutional wave, the next regulatory milestone, or the next narrative pivot will make the market “work” again. Hoskinson also cast the next phase of adoption as politically contentious inside crypto itself. As more traditional finance players get involved, he warned of a future where the industry becomes “federated”, dominated by large corporate-controlled networks and where users are pushed away from self-custody. “What they want to do long term is move everybody into a custodial holder from a non-custodial holder and then ban DeFi and non-custodial wallets so they can consolidate the entire industry to like 10 or 15 of big actors,” he said, adding that it’s feeding apathy among long-time participants. He put it more bluntly a moment later: “We didn’t sign up to have Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan and BlackRock and these other guys run the industry. We signed up to build a new banking system that is pushing power to the edges.” If the industry drifts back into the hands of the institutions crypto originally positioned itself against, Hoskinson argued, the last decade of risk-taking starts to look like a round trip. How To Make Crypto Great Again Hoskinson’s proposed reset centers on making crypto usable for people who aren’t primarily there to trade. That starts with “wallet abstraction”, reducing onboarding to something like “30 seconds with a fingerprint and a pin code,” plus social recovery and then integrating those wallets into mainstream platforms so the default experience becomes non-financial. Related Reading: Cardano Nears End Of 2020-Style Correction: Is $5 To $10 Next? “Right now, I have to understand… private keys, understand how to back up wallets, all this stuff,” he said. “So, really, the only interface is for people that are doing this for financial reasons.” From there, he argued, crypto should stop “over financializing everything,” pointing to the volume of token launches as a symptom. “Anytime I hear anything, I always ask, ‘When’s the token launch?’ And I’m sorry, 11 million tokens went out last year. It’s not sustainable,” he said. He tied that thesis to what he sees as the next wave of demand: agentic AI. By 2030, Hoskinson predicted, “the majority of internet searches in commerce will be agentic,” meaning bots transact more than humans and crypto, via stablecoins and standards he referenced such as x402 becomes the rails that give those agents “economic agency.” Hoskinson also dismissed the idea that quantum fears are driving today’s downturn. “If there are, they’re stupid,” he said of anyone selling Bitcoin due to quantum risk, calling the threat “not… right now.” He pointed instead to DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), saying the effort is working toward measuring whether quantum computers will be meaningful “by 2033,” and argued the real issue is trade-offs: post-quantum cryptography is “5 to 10 times less efficient,” and few networks want to pay that cost today. Still, he framed the looming transition as an opportunity, especially for Bitcoin, which he said may need a hard fork to fully address post-quantum migration. For Cardano, he argued, on-chain governance makes such changes a more bounded process: “It’s a six-month conversation for us.” At press time, Cardano traded at $0.2638. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com