Crypto investment funds have now recorded a fifth straight week of net outflows, wiping roughly $4 billion from investor coffers over that span. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red That steady removal of capital has been paired with a sharp fall in trading activity, signaling that many holders are standing on the sidelines rather than buying dips. Trading Volume Hits Multi-Month Low According to a CoinShares report published Monday, crypto funds saw $288 million in net outflows last week, bringing the five-week total to roughly $4 billion. Weekly trading volumes also fell to about $17 billion, the lowest level since mid-2025, highlighting a slowdown in market activity even as prices have recently stabilized. Fewer transactions were recorded across major investment products, reflecting a quieter stretch for the market compared with earlier periods of heavier trading. Regional Flows Paint A Split Picture Reports note the US led withdrawals, while parts of Europe and Canada added fresh money. The US recorded $347 million of outflows, while Europe and Canada together showed net inflows of close to $60 million. Digital asset investment products recorded US$288M in outflows last week.@Bitcoin remains the key proponent of this negative sentiment, seeing US$215M in outflows. @ethereum saw the second largest outflows totalling US$36.5M. Minor inflows were seen in XRP @Ripple (US$3.5M),… pic.twitter.com/HFWIxVAZgO — CoinShares (@CoinSharesCo) February 23, 2026 Countries such as Switzerland, Canada, and Germany were among those adding funds. That split shows that not all investors view the market the same way right now. Some see value at lower prices; others are trimming exposure until clearer signs appear. Bitcoin Remains The Main Focus Of Selling Bitcoin accounted for the largest single-asset outflows, with about $215 million removed last week. At the same time, instruments that profit from falling prices received renewed interest, with short-Bitcoin products taking in around $5.5 million. A fair amount of recent liquidations was tied to Bitcoin moves, driven by traders who had large positions and saw prices move against them. Some positions were forced closed. That pushed volatility up in the short term. Ethereum and a handful of other coins also saw money leave, though a few assets attracted small inflows. XRP, Solana, and Chainlink each gained minor sums relative to the overall outflow. These were selective bets rather than broad rotations back into risk assets. Investment managers who moved into specific tokens appeared to be making tactical, not broad, commitments. Sidelined Capital Is Waiting Reports say much of the market’s strength depends on outside cash returning. Right now, many potential buyers are waiting for clearer signals from the macro side — interest rates, big economic reports, and policy hints from regulators. Without sustained buying, price bounces are more likely to be brief technical recoveries than full trend changes. Related Reading: Bitcoin Buying Spree Nears Century Mark, Saylor Hints A Pause More Than A Collapse This is not a market breakdown. It is a pause, according to analysts. Participation has dropped and that creates a fragile environment. If macro sentiment shifts and more buyers step in, flows could reverse quickly. Until then, expect choppy moves, low volume, and a market that reacts strongly to each new piece of news. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView
Growth of tether and other top stablecoins has stalled, posing risk to the broader crypto market.
Hong Kong will build a digital asset platform for tokenized bond issuance and settlement, while moving ahead with stablecoin licensing and CARF.
On February 24, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded strong inflows totaling $258 million. Fidelity’s FBTC led the day with $82.81 million in net inflows, ranking first among Bitcoin ETF products. Meanwhile, Ethereum spot ETFs posted a more modest $9.23 million in total inflows. Grayscale’s ETH fund stood out in the Ethereum category, attracting $11.08 million. The …
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed former CEO of FTX serving a 25-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy, has been actively seeking a presidential pardon. He has made repeated appeals to conservative audiences and allies, hoping to sway support. However, a White House spokesperson reaffirmed that President Donald Trump stated in January that he does not intend …
Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the first licenses for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers are expected to be approved in March.
Bitcoin price today has seen a strong recovery, climbing nearly 3% to around $65,106 after falling to $62,553. This recovery comes just ahead of the upcoming U.S. Initial Jobless Claims report, a key U.S economic indicator that has recently impacted crypto market momentum.Previous data shows Bitcoin often rises after jobless claims, and now experts are …
XRP continues to struggle near the $1.33 level as persistent selling pressure weighs on sentiment across the broader crypto market. Momentum has weakened notably in recent sessions, with buyers showing limited conviction while Bitcoin remains range-bound and liquidity conditions stay tight. This lack of directional clarity has kept altcoins under pressure, and XRP has not been immune to the broader defensive posture currently shaping digital asset markets. Related Reading: The Saylor Discount: Why Bitcoin Trading Below Strategy’s Realized Price is a Gift for Late-Cycle Allocators Recent analysis from a CryptoQuant contributor provides additional context on the derivatives side. According to the data, the Estimated Leverage Ratio — a metric tracking speculative positioning in futures markets — has declined sharply following a previous spike and now sits near 0.16. Both the 30-day and 50-day simple moving averages of this indicator are trending downward, signaling a sustained reduction in leveraged exposure. This shift suggests that the market is no longer heavily overpositioned. Speculative traders appear to have been largely flushed out during recent volatility, reducing the likelihood of cascading forced liquidations. With neither excessively long nor short positioning dominating derivatives markets, conditions have become comparatively calmer. While this does not guarantee an immediate recovery, the normalization of leverage could help moderate selling pressure and allow price action to stabilize if broader market sentiment improves. Leverage Reset Signals Cooling Speculation In XRP Market The report further emphasizes that Binance plays a critical role in interpreting XRP market dynamics because it remains the dominant liquidity hub for derivatives trading, both in terms of volume and open interest. Much of the aggressive long and short positioning that drives short-term price movements in XRP tends to originate there. As a result, shifts in leverage on Binance often reflect global risk appetite in real time rather than isolated exchange-specific behavior. While leverage changes on smaller venues may remain localized, significant moves on Binance can trigger broader liquidation chains and momentum breaks across the market. In this context, the current low leverage environment carries particular significance. The 0.16 leverage floor confirms a total speculative flush rather than a mere capital rotation. Interestingly, the simultaneous decline in leverage alongside weakening price action may not necessarily be bearish. Elevated leverage during a downtrend typically increases the risk of cascading liquidations, whereas the current environment indicates a cleaner positioning landscape. Low leverage conditions often create a more stable foundation for institutional participation, as large players generally prefer entering markets with reduced volatility and balanced positioning. Still, without a clear pickup in spot demand, XRP may continue drifting in a controlled, slightly downward range as the market gradually resets expectations. Related Reading: The $45 Million Crypto Hammer: Whale Inflow To Binance Threatens To Shatter XRP’s Recovery XRP Price Holds Weak Structure As Downtrend Persists XRP continues to trade under sustained pressure, with the chart showing a clear sequence of lower highs and lower lows since the late-2025 peak near the $3.50 region. The latest price action around $1.33 reflects a prolonged corrective phase rather than a short-term pullback, with momentum remaining weak and recovery attempts repeatedly fading. Technically, XRP is trading below the 50-, 100-, and 200-period moving averages on this timeframe, all of which are sloping downward. This alignment typically signals persistent bearish structure and suggests trend continuation unless price can reclaim these levels decisively. The 200-period average near the $2 zone now represents a major overhead resistance band. Volume patterns also show declining participation compared with the rally phase, indicating reduced speculative enthusiasm. Occasional spikes appear during sharp selloffs, which often reflect reactive liquidation rather than fresh accumulation. Related Reading: The Great Bitcoin Handover: $8.2 Billion BTC Swamps Binance As Retail Momentum Fades Structurally, the $1.20–$1.30 region appears to be the nearest support cluster based on recent price stabilization. A breakdown below that zone could expose lower liquidity pockets, potentially accelerating downside volatility. Conversely, sustained acceptance back above roughly $1.60 would be required to neutralize immediate bearish momentum. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Cardano price prediction is turning bullish as ADA shows early signs of recovery. With the ADA price up nearly 3% today and trading around $0.2640, fresh whale accumulation data is drawing attention. After months of correction, large holders appear to be positioning quietly. This raises an important question for investors: Is Cardano price preparing for …
The Ethereum co-founder's tracked wallets dropped from 241,000 ETH to 224,000 ETH in February, with sales routed through CoW Protocol in small batches to limit market impact.
Anchorage Digital, the first federally chartered U.S. crypto bank, has added perpetual preferred stock in bitcoin treasury firm Strategy to its balance sheet.
Shiba Inu just flashed a “death cross” on the lower timeframes, and as usual, the chart has split traders into two camps. Right now, SHIB is trading slightly below $0.0000060 after sliding under several short-term moving averages. On February 23, the 200-period simple moving average crossed above the 50-period moving average on the 2-hour chart. …
Bitcoin is attempting to stabilize after a sharp liquidation-driven wick that briefly pushed the price toward the $60K region earlier this month. The daily structure still remains uncertain, but early signs of momentum stabilization are emerging as BTC price trades near $65,600, up roughly 2.4% over the past 24 hours. However, the broader trend still …
The funds were traced to crypto wallets allegedly used to launder money stolen from victims lured online to fake trading platforms.
Anchorage CEO Nathan McCauley stated that Anchorage Digital plans to 'build the future of BTC' with Strategy.
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
The token is consolidating around $0.0940–$0.0945 with higher lows, signaling constructive momentum after the breakout.
River reports that Bitcoin adoption surged in 2025, cementing it as a mature asset class, even as its price has halved since hitting a peak in October.
The proposal would cap stablecoin holdings and curb yields, a move critics say could push liquidity overseas as stablecoins become a core revenue stream.
The Ethereum Foundation has made one thing clear this week: it is not backing just any DeFi project with a token and a dashboard. In a series of posts outlining its direction, the Foundation said it wants to see decentralized finance thrive, but only if it lives up to core principles. As one member put …
South Korean prosecutors reportedly accused a man of poisoning a business partner with pesticide in a dispute over losses due to crypto trading.
Solana failed to settle above $85 and trimmed some gains. SOL price is now recovering losses from $76 and showing a few positive signs. SOL price started a decent recovery wave above $78 and $80 against the US Dollar. The price is now trading above $80 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $81 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The price could continue to move up if it clears $82 and $84. Solana Price Attempts Recovery Solana price remained stable and started a decent recovery wave above $78, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. SOL was able to climb above the $80 level. There was a move above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $86.68 swing high to the $75.64 low. Besides, there was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $81 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair. However, the bears are active near $82.50 and the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $86.68 swing high to the $75.64 low. Solana is now trading above $80 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. On the upside, immediate resistance is near the $82 level. The next major resistance is near the $84 level. The main resistance could be $85. A successful close above the $85 resistance zone could set the pace for another steady increase. The next key resistance is $92. Any more gains might send the price toward the $95 level. Another Decline In SOL? If SOL fails to rise above the $82 resistance, it could continue to move down. Initial support on the downside is near the $80 zone. The first major support is near the $79 level. A break below the $79 level might send the price toward the $77 support zone. If there is a close below the $77 support, the price could decline toward the $74 zone in the near term. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for SOL/USD is gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly Hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for SOL/USD is above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $80 and $77. Major Resistance Levels – $82 and $85.
XRP price started a recovery wave above $1.380 but failed near $1.3980. The price is now consolidating and might aim for a fresh move above $1.40. XRP price started a recovery wave above the $1.3750 zone. The price is now trading below $1.40 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.4100 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $1.40. XRP Price Faces Key Hurdle XRP price remained supported above $1.3120 and started a recovery wave, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price was able to climb above $1.3350 and $1.350 to enter a short-term positive zone. There was also a move above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.4244 swing high to the $1.3125 low. The bulls even pushed the price above $1.38 but they struggled to keep the price above $1.3950. Besides, there is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.410 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The price is now trading below $1.40 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.3980 level or the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.4244 swing high to the $1.3125 low. The first major resistance is near the $1.4050 level. A close above $1.4050 could send the price to $1.4120. The next hurdle sits at $1.4250. A clear move above the $1.4250 resistance might send the price toward the $1.450 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.50 resistance. Another Drop? If XRP fails to clear the $1.40 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.3650 level. The next major support is near the $1.350 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.350 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.3320. The next major support sits near the $1.3220 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.3120. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.3650 and $1.3500. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4000 and $1.4120.
A broad uptick across tokens arrived alongside a softer greenback and a rally in Asian equities, though analysts remain split on whether the Feb. 5 lows will hold.
Bitcoin continues to struggle to reclaim the $65,000 level as persistent selling pressure and weakening sentiment keep the market in a fragile state. Price action has remained subdued in recent weeks, with volatility elevated and risk appetite constrained by tightening liquidity conditions and macro uncertainty. The inability to secure sustained acceptance above this psychological threshold has reinforced caution among traders, leaving Bitcoin in what increasingly resembles a defensive phase rather than an early recovery environment. Related Reading: The Saylor Discount: Why Bitcoin Trading Below Strategy’s Realized Price is a Gift for Late-Cycle Allocators According to top analyst Axel Adler, recent on-chain data support this interpretation. Realized capitalization — which measures the aggregate value of Bitcoin based on the last price each coin moved — has declined for the second consecutive month. At the same time, the 3–6 month holder cohort has expanded significantly as coins acquired near cycle highs mature into that category. This dynamic typically reflects post-peak positioning rather than fresh accumulation. The 30-day Realized Cap Net Position Change currently sits around -2.26%, indicating sustained capital outflows from the network. Realized Cap peaked near $1.127 trillion in late November 2025 and has since contracted to roughly $1.094 trillion, representing about $33 billion in compression. Until this metric returns decisively to positive territory, evidence of renewed accumulation demand remains limited. HODL Waves Highlight Defensive Market Structure Adler notes that the latest HODL Waves data reinforces the view that Bitcoin remains in a defensive phase rather than active accumulation. The chart shows a sharp expansion in the 3–6 month coin-age cohort, which has risen to approximately 25.9% of the circulating supply. This reflects a growing share of coins last moved between August and November 2025 — a period closely aligned with purchases near the market peak. HODL Waves track the distribution of Bitcoin supply based on how long coins have remained dormant. Expansion of older cohorts generally indicates reduced transactional activity. However, in this case, the data suggests not confident accumulation but rather a “costly hold” environment, where many investors are sitting on underwater positions. The 3–6 month cohort has surged from roughly 19% at the start of February, while the 6–12 month group has also grown to about 20.2%. Meanwhile, short-term coins under one month account for only about 9.3% combined, signaling limited fresh demand entering the market. Combined with declining realized capitalization, the data points toward an aging supply without corresponding capital inflows. Until newer buying activity emerges and the 3–6 month cohort migrates into longer-term holding bands without selling pressure, Bitcoin’s broader market structure is likely to remain defensive rather than decisively bullish. Related Reading: The $45 Million Crypto Hammer: Whale Inflow To Binance Threatens To Shatter XRP’s Recovery Bitcoin Momentum Weakens As Price Tests Key Support Zone Bitcoin’s 3-day chart reflects clear structural deterioration as price accelerates lower toward the $63,000 region. After failing to reclaim the $90,000–$95,000 supply zone earlier in the year, BTC formed a distribution range before breaking decisively below its 50-period and 100-period moving averages. That breakdown triggered a sharp leg down, confirming a shift from consolidation to trend continuation on this timeframe. Currently, price trades well beneath the 50 SMA (~$92,000) and the 100 SMA (~$101,500), both of which have rolled over and now act as overhead resistance. The 200 SMA near the low-$90,000 region also remains far above the current price, reinforcing the broader bearish bias. The alignment of these moving averages — with shorter-term averages below longer-term ones — confirms negative momentum and sustained downside pressure. Related Reading: XRP’s Brutal Supply Compression Signals A Repeat Of The 2024 Expansion Volume expanded during the recent selloff, indicating active distribution rather than passive drift. The sharp rejection from the mid-$90,000 area, followed by impulsive downside candles, suggests sellers remain in control. From a structural perspective, the $60,000–$62,000 zone becomes the next critical support region. A sustained break below it could open the path toward deeper retracement levels. To stabilize, Bitcoin would need to reclaim at least the $75,000–$80,000 area and rebuild higher highs — a scenario not yet supported by current momentum. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin rallied above $66,000 following a positive close from US stock markets, putting Monday’s AI and tech-stock driven sell-off to rest. Will $60,000 remain the BTC bottom?
Coinbase, World Liberty Financial and Laser Digital are also in line for a banking charter in the US, after Crypto.com received conditional approval for a charter on Monday.
An analyst has pointed out how Bitcoin could be approaching a death cross between the 50-day and 200-day SMAs on the 3-day chart. Bitcoin Is Potentially Nearing A Death Cross On The 3-Day Timeframe In a new post on X, analyst Ali Martinez has talked about a death cross on Bitcoin’s 3-day price chart. A “death cross” popularly refers to a bearish signal produced by a crossover between two simple moving averages (SMAs) of an asset. Typically, a death cross involves the longer SMA moving above the shorter one. In the context of the current topic, the SMAs of relevance are the 50-day and 200-day versions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Capitulation Persists As Short-Term Holders Realize $0.48B Daily Losses Below is the chart shared by Martinez that shows the pattern displayed by these two SMAs for the 3-day Bitcoin price. As is visible in the graph, the 50-day SMA of the 3-day Bitcoin price saw a cross under the 200-day SMA in each of the last three cycles. All of these crossovers preceded bearish price action. More specifically, the 2014 crossover led to a drawdown of 52.19% for the asset, the 2018 one to 50.56%, and the 2022 one to 45.91%. Interestingly, these price declines all led to the bottoms of their respective bear markets. “Since 2014, the death cross between the 50 and 200 simple moving averages on the 3-day chart has consistently preceded the final leg down of a Bitcoin $BTC bear market,” noted the analyst. Jumping to the present, BTC has faced a bearish shift in recent months with a notable drawdown in its price. This has resulted in the 50-day SMA witnessing a decline toward the 200-day SMA. As a zoomed-in chart shared by Martinez in another X post shows, there is now not much distance left between the 50-day and 200-day SMAs of the 3-day Bitcoin price. If the two lines continue to follow the current trajectories, the analyst has estimated that a death cross could occur on February 27th. Given the past trend, such a death cross could take Bitcoin into its final leg for the bear market. It only remains to be seen, however, whether the current cycle will actually follow a similar pattern or if it will show divergence. Related Reading: Another $438M In Crypto Longs Gone As Bitcoin, Altcoins Pull Back In some other news, the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio has slipped into the loss region recently, as on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has highlighted in an X post. In the past, a shift toward loss realization on the Bitcoin network has generally lasted for over six months before a return of liquidity has occurred. BTC Price Bitcoin has erased some of its recent recovery over the past couple of days as its price is now trading around $63,300. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Enhanced ID checks at crypto ATMs may deter fraud but could also impact user privacy and transaction speed, influencing broader industry practices.
The post Bitcoin Depot mandates ID verification for all crypto ATM transactions appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin Depot is moving to require ID for all transactions as regulators have cracked down on crypto ATM operators over scams and money laundering concerns.