Bearish sentiments continue to dominate the Bitcoin market as the premier cryptocurrency looks to record a fifth consecutive monthly loss. Presently, prices are consolidating beneath the $70,000 mark, as market bulls struggle to force a decisive breakout above the resistance zone. Amid this choppy price action, data from the Bitcoin options market shows that traders are beginning to expect less volatility but still acknowledge the fragile nature of the market. Related Reading: Why Bitcoin Could Be Headed For Another Drop: Research Firm Cites Three Key Risks Bitcoin Volatility Expectations Drop, Market Panic Fades In an X post on February 20, Glassnode shared its weekly Bitcoin options market update, analyzing the traders’ behavior and sentiment in relation to present market conditions. The market analytics firm reports a notable change in volatility expectations that helps to subside the presently heightened bearish sentiments. According to Glassnode analysts, At-the-money (ATM) implied volatility across maturities has significantly dropped to around 48%, down significantly from recent highs. Because ATM IV reflects the market’s expected move, the decline suggests traders are no longer betting on an immediate price crash. Notably, this shift is reinforced by moves in DVOL, an indicator for measuring aggregate implied volatility expectations. Following initial spikes during the market liquidation in late January/early February, DVOL has fallen by roughly 10 volatility points over the past two weeks, signaling that extreme hedging demand is easing out. In addition, the short-term volatility risk premium (VRP) has turned positive. Earlier this month, one-week VRP plunged to deeply negative levels at -45, as realized volatility far exceeded implied. Since then, implied volatility has repriced higher while realized volatility has stabilized, restoring a premium in short-dated options. Together, these metrics suggest that panic pricing is being reset, and expectations for outsized, volatile moves have declined. Related Reading: XRP Ledger Gets x402 Facilitator For AI Agent Payments: Why This Is Bullish Bitcoin Traders Remain Alert To Downside Despite the cooling in volatility expectations, other metrics show that traders are maintaining a defensive market position. For example, the Put skew, which measures the relative demand for downside protection versus upside exposure, remains quite heightened despite moving off the extreme hedge. After bottoming near the 7 volatility points, the one-week 25-delta skew has rebounded toward 14 vol. The recovery indicates that while extreme fear has subsided, demand for downside insurance remains firm. The taker flow data also tells a similar story. Puts represented two-thirds of last week’s options activity, with outright put buying representing about 34% of total flow. The dominance of protective positioning suggests that market participants are not fully convinced the correction has run its course. In conclusion, the options market is signaling a more measured outlook, where expectations for immediate turmoil have faded, but traders are hedging to hedge against the risk of another downside. At press time, Bitcoin trades at $67,628 following a 0.92% gain in the last 24 hours. More data from Glassnode also shows that Dealers are broadly short gamma across a wide price range between $70,000 and $58,000, a positioning structure that could amplify selling pressure if Bitcoin extends losses. Conversely, a large gamma concentration around $75,000 suggests positioning for a potential rebound. Featured image from Flickr, chart from Tradingview
Private-equity firm Blue Owl Capital (OWL) tumbled nearly 15% this week as it was forced to liquidate $1.4 billion in assets to pay investors looking to exit one of its private credit funds.
The Injective price isn’t moving quietly anymore. It just ripped 20% intraday, and no, this isn’t one of those random pumps out of nowhere. There’s capital behind it. Real capital. Pineapple Financial (NYSE: PAPL) has accelerated its INJ buying spree, announcing another $2 million acquisition on February 19, 2026, under its ongoing market cash purchase …
Ripple is no longer just a payments company. Through a series of aggressive acquisitions in 2025 totaling roughly $4 billion, the company has assembled a full-stack banking infrastructure that positions it as what crypto analysts are now calling “the banker’s bank.” The argument, laid out by NCashOfficial, is that traditional banks lack the time and …
IoTeX said it is assessing suspicious activity tied to a token safe, coordinating with exchanges to trace funds after analysts linked the incident to a possible private key compromise.
ECB president Christine Lagarde is a crypto skeptic, but her likely successors are no more enthusiastic about cryptocurrencies.
While the broader crypto market has been rotating capital selectively this week, Trump-linked World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is quietly building momentum, climbing over 3% today and extending its weekly surge to around 12% as institutional headlines and on-chain movements converge. Here’s a closer look at the catalysts fueling the recent WLFI price rally. RWA Expansion …
The incident highlights the critical need for robust security measures in blockchain platforms to maintain user trust and market stability.
The post IoTeX confirms token safe incident, says situation ‘under control’ appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
A seasoned investor’s bold claim about XRP has reignited a common question in crypto markets: could a token built for fast settlement ever outgrow the original store-of-value? Related Reading: Bitcoin Market Bleeds $1 Trillion, Saylor Signals Strongest Crypto Conviction Yet According to posts on X by longtime Bitcoin backer Pumpius, if central banks adopt a single on-chain bridge, XRP could eclipse Bitcoin “by magnitude.” On-Chain Tension And Policy Moves Reports note recent market moves that have worried policy makers and traders. The trading desk at the Federal Reserve requested indicative dollar/yen quotes after a sharp move in the yen, a step that Treasury officials had asked for. That rare check underlines how currency volatility can push officials to consider new tools, and it has renewed talk about faster settlement rails. Every Central Bank will use XRP as the bridge asset. It’s now becoming a reality. When this happens, XRP will surpass Bitcoin by magnitude. Bookmark this. https://t.co/xyWxhVDCLx pic.twitter.com/kFTsXSw6Hn — Pumpius (@pumpius) February 19, 2026 Ripple’s Timeline And Institutional Talk Based on reports from company briefings and executive posts, Ripple’s leadership sees 2026 as the year when larger, regulated players might put real money onto the XRP Ledger. Ripple President Monica Long has sketched out scenarios where banks and asset managers run production systems tied to on-chain liquidity pools. Those views have been picked up across crypto news outlets and have added fuel to bullish narratives. How Would A Bridge Asset Work? Imagine dollar and euro liquidity on a ledger, available for near-instant swaps. In practice, permissioned pools and regulated stablecoins could provide the rails while an on-chain order book or matching engine handles the trades. Settlement times would be measured in seconds. Audit trails would be automatic. That said, large institutions put a premium on rules and oversight; any real rollout would be gradual and cautious. XRP Vs. BTC: The Size Of The Gap Numbers matter. Bitcoin’s market cap sits comfortably in the trillions, while XRP’s market value is under $100 billion dollars, depending on which tracker you consult. That gap is not small. For XRP to “flip” Bitcoin at present values would require trillions more in capital moving into the token — a shift that would likely need broad institutional flows and major regulatory clarity. Related Reading: Saylor Makes Bold $1M Bitcoin Call — “It’s Zero Or A Million” Geopolitics Adds Noise Geopolitical strain and trade frictions, amplified by speeches or decisions from leaders, can make markets jittery. US President Donald Trump has been named in debates over policy shifts and geopolitical risk, which in turn affect capital flows and safe-haven bids. When politics moves markets, technical fixes such as faster settlement can look more attractive on paper; adoption in practice is another matter. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
IoTeX’s cross-chain bridge was hit by a private key exploit on February 21, draining over $8 million in crypto assets and sending the IOTX token tumbling. The attack, which unfolded between 7 and 9 AM UTC, gave the hacker control over IoTeX’s TokenSafe and MinterPool contracts. On-chain analyst Specter was among the first to flag …
As the crypto industry adopts AI-focused blockchain netowrk it is exposing itself to more security risks. IoTeX, a blockchain platform built for real-world AI, recently suffered a major security hack, resulting in nearly $8 million in losses. Here’s how the IoTeX $8 million hack happen & how the IoTeX team is responding to it. Are …
Top bluechip crypto assets are heading into the weekend flashing something traders rarely ignore these are negative 30-day MVRV readings. Ethereum sits at -14.3%, while Bitcoin follows at -6.9%, with Chainlink (-5.1%), XRP (-4.1%), and Cardano (-2.0%) close behind. In simple? Average trader returns are below zero. That doesn’t guarantee a bounce. But it does …
Bitcoin is trading near $68,240, down 45% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index sits at 14. Five consecutive negative monthly closes are about to print, a streak that has only occurred three times in Bitcoin’s entire history. The question everyone is asking: is this a bear market …
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, has been struggling lately to recover after falling from its all-time high of $126K to around $67K, marking nearly a 50% decline. While crypto traders eagerly wait for the market to recover, historical data suggest that the Bitcoin price will drop to $40K by no 2026.Let’s see here’s why! Why …
XRP sentiment remains cautiously optimistic as Ripple’s strategic partner SBI Holdings unveiled plans to issue $64.5 million in on-chain bonds that reward investors with XRP. While the token has been trading in a narrow range between $1.40 and $1.45, the announcement adds a stronger utility narrative at a time when broader crypto markets are seeking …
The broader crypto market has regained footing this week, with Bitcoin holding key levels and select altcoins beginning to rotate higher. Amid that improving sentiment, Injective (INJ) has emerged as one of the stronger performers, climbing 11% today. The move comes at a technically sensitive moment, as price presses into a key resistance zone that …
The middle of January marked the continuation of an already struggling price action for Bitcoin, as it took on another sharp downtrend. Early into February, the flagship cryptocurrency seemed to be on a free-fall, even breaching important psychological price levels as it crashed. One of these levels is the cost basis of one of Bitcoin’s most influential investor cohorts – the Bitcoin ETF investors. Data from a recent on-chain evaluation reveals that Bitcoin has since traded underneath this price, and has continued to meet investors with growing heat. Related Reading: Bithumb $43 Billion Bitcoin Blunder Triggers Political Backlash In South Korea MVRV Falls Below 1 — What This Means Market analyst PelinayPA has recently taken to QuickTake to reveal that the Bitcoin price is trading below the average realized price of Bitcoin ETFs, and the possible implications of this market setup. Notably, the ETF MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) index has also slipped under the 1 mark, reinforcing the agitated situation of most ETF investors. Historically, a sustained move below an MVRV of 1 signals increasing stress conditions within the BTC market, as it reflects an overwhelming dominance of unrealized losses amid an investor group. According to PelinayPA, this condition may cause sell-pressure to heighten, seeing as market participants would increasingly act on their emotions when dealing in the market. As such, short-term recovery attempts are likely to be met with significant resistance (as is currently the case) until the situation sees a turnaround. This is because investors who entered at higher price levels would likely exit their positions at break-even, or even under minimal losses, to avoid deep losses. Because the realized price of Bitcoin ETFs is approximately $80,000, this price region could act as a strong resistance level in the event that the Bitcoin price attempts a rebound. PelinayPA clarifies that if MVRV stabilizes within the 0.8–0.9 range, it could be a sign that the current bear pressure is nearing an exhaustion point; a scenario that could precede a short-term rebound towards the realized price. On the other hand, if the MVRV continues to decline (as the analyst expects), it could be problematic for the Bitcoin price. This is because ETFs would be under significant pressure, which could trigger sell-offs among this investor cohort. This would, in turn, increase downward pressure and further send prices downwards, especially in the long-term. Related Reading: Bitcoin Enters Historic Buying Zone, Indicator Suggests Bitcoin Market Overview As of this writing, Bitcoin trades for $68,000, reflecting a 1.58% growth in 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data. Per SoSoValue data, Bitcoin ETFs have recorded a total net outflow of about $1.08 billion in February. This is after an even more staggering net withdrawal figure of $1.61 billion in January. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview
BNB, DOGE, ADA, and SOL each gained 3 to 4% in the last 24 hours while Bitcoin sat still. The total crypto market climbed 1.39% to $2.33 trillion, and the move came from altcoins, not BTC. What triggered the rotation? The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Trump’s global tariffs were illegal. Most traders …
US spot Bitcoin ETFs logged five straight weeks of outflows, with $315.9 million leaving last week as institutional investors de-risk amid macro uncertainty.
Uniswap founder Hayden Adams has raised urgent concerns about fraudulent advertisements impersonating the decentralized exchange after a crypto investor reportedly lost a mid-six-figure portfolio in a phishing attack. The warning highlights a growing wave of crypto scam ads, phishing websites, and malicious sponsored search results targeting users searching for “Uniswap” and other major DeFi platforms. …
Stablecoin supply is crypto’s deployable cash. With a total stablecoin market cap of around $307.92 billion and down -1.13% in the past 30 days, the pool has stopped growing month over month. When supply stalls, price moves get sharper, and Bitcoin feels it first in thin depth and bigger wicks. Stablecoins sit in a strange […]
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Nasdaq's move into tokenization could accelerate blockchain adoption in traditional finance, potentially reshaping asset management and trading.
The post Nasdaq hires product manager to lead tokenization innovation appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Robert Kiyosaki, the famous author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has added another Bitcoin to his personal holdings. In a recent tweet post, Kiyosaki confirmed he bought one full Bitcoin at around $67,000, even when the overall crypto market showing signs of weakness.As of now, Bitcoin is trading around $67827, with a market cap hitting …
Bitcoin “retail optimism is fading,” which may be a healthy indicator as sentiment returns to neutral territory, according to Santiment.
Bitcoin is navigating a tense market environment as sentiment weakens and volatility picks up. The mood has shifted from cautious optimism to defensive positioning, with traders reacting quickly to negative signals. As per Lookonchain data, a major trigger was the transfer of roughly $760 million worth of BTC to Binance by prominent trader Garett Jin. …
Markets are quiet and uneasy. Bitcoin prices have pulled back, and big holders are keeping a cool face while the charts wobble. Reports note that one outspoken investor frames the market in stark terms: it either fails completely or becomes far more valuable than people now imagine. Related Reading: Bitcoin Market Bleeds $1 Trillion, Saylor Signals Strongest Crypto Conviction Yet Saylor’s Binary Bet According to Michael Saylor, Bitcoin has only two plausible final outcomes: worthless, or worth $1 million per coin. That is not a quick trading idea. It’s a long-running view about scarcity and demand. Saylor argues that a fixed supply paired with growing institutional buying and broader custody tools makes a future of massive price gains possible. He points to more banks, more spot ETFs and bigger corporate allocations as proof that demand has matured. If it’s not going to zero, it’s going to a million. $BTC — Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 20, 2026 A Warning From The Other Side Reports note that not everyone agrees. Mike McGlone of Bloomberg has sketched a darker path, one where price pressure and macro shocks could push values much lower — even toward $10,000. That view is rooted in history: markets can fall a long way before confidence returns. Short-term moves can be savage. Longer swings can be slower to recover. Both views are true on their own terms, because they answer different questions about time and risk. Balance Sheet And Funding Based on reports, the firm backing Saylor’s posture holds a very large stake: 717,131 BTC bought at an average cost of $76,027 a coin. That position is underwater for now. Still, financing choices matter. Strategy relies on equity, convertible notes, and preferred shares to meet cash needs. Arkham Intelligence has mapped out that preferred dividends are optional and redemptions are not automatic, which lowers the chance of forced sales right away. That setup buys time, though it does not erase exposure if prices stay low for a long stretch. SAYLOR IS UNDERWATER. BUT WILL HE SELL BTC? Saylor is over 10% underwater from his average purchase price. But what could actually force him to sell Bitcoin? Here’s an explainer of how, when and why Strategy might be forced to sell BTC. pic.twitter.com/uKbJ3ivO54 — Arkham (@arkham) February 20, 2026 Supply, Demand And The Big Numbers Saylor’s $1 million projection is driven by a supply argument: there are only 21 million coins. If enough institutions and treasuries keep buying, the math pushes the price up. He has said that with a particular share of total coins held by his firm, values could move into the millions, and he has sketched an even higher, $10 million possibility under stronger concentration scenarios. Related Reading: Bitcoin Enters Historic Buying Zone, Indicator Suggests Those are not forecasts you can treat like short-term targets. They are conditional models — possible only if adoption, regulation and market behavior all line up for years. The path forward is not easy. Bitcoin could crawl higher, stumble and trade in narrow ranges for years, or shoot up as new buyers enter. Politics, regulation and global liquidity will shape which route unfolds. Institutional entry has changed the market structure, but it has not removed the risk of big drawdowns. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView
Ever since the altcoins hit the rock bottom levels during the sell-off in the first week of the month, they have been maintaining a tight consolidation. Underneath this, they are flashing early warning signs, and traders have begun to take notice. Several major cryptos are slipping below key support levels, momentum indicators are weakening, and …
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, bought Bitcoin at around $67,000 as prices fell from recent highs near $90,000. He emphasized the U.S. debt crisis and Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million coins, most already mined, as strong reasons to buy now. Kiyosaki warned that the Federal Reserve could print trillions more, risking …
MARA acquires a 64% stake in French computing infrastructure operator Exaion, expanding into AI and cloud services as Bitcoin miners pivot toward data center revenue.
In crypto news today, the broader market is heading into the weekend with surprising stability. Bitcoin price is consolidating near $68,000, while Ethereum price is hovering around $1,960, and the XRP price is holding firm near $1.42. While volatility has cooled across majors, underlying positioning suggests the calm may be more strategic than passive. Bitcoin …