Bitcoin continues to trade within a tight range, but beneath the surface, structural weakness is becoming increasingly evident. With price holding below the key $72,000 level, now acting as resistance, the broader technical outlook remains fragile, and any short-term consolidation may simply be masking underlying downside risk. Bitcoin Enters Clear Corrective Phase Bitcoin has entered a clear corrective phase after peaking in the $120,000–$125,000 region. Crypto analyst Alejandro₿TC notes that the weekly structure has broken to the downside, with the latest leg unfolding impulsively, a sign that momentum currently favors sellers rather than buyers. Related Reading: Bitcoin Ready To Bounce Again? The Major Accumulation Trend You Should Be Aware Of The key level to watch is the $72,000–$74,000 zone. Previously acting as strong support, this area has now been lost and flipped into resistance. As long as Bitcoin continues to close below this range on the weekly timeframe, any upward movement should be viewed as a corrective bounce rather than confirmation of a sustained reversal. On the downside, the $50,000–$52,000 region stands out as the primary magnet. This zone represents a significant weekly demand area and the base of the prior impulsive rally. If bearish pressure persists, it becomes the most logical target for a deeper retracement. The upcoming monthly close in 11 days could be decisive. A close below $72,000 would confirm the breakdown and increase the probability of further downside. Structurally, the market remains weak beneath that level, while a decisive reclaim above $74,000 would mark the first meaningful signal that strength is returning. Compression Intensifies Near $68,000 With volatility compressing as price trades within an increasingly narrow band, Bitcoin continues to coil tightly around the $67,000–$68,000 region. The lack of decisive movement in either direction suggests that the market is building energy for a larger expansion move. Related Reading: Bitcoin Eyes Untapped Liquidity: $64,000 Support Could Be Next Target According to Columbus, liquidity continues to build above the $70,000 level, and notable bids remain layered between $64,000 and $66,000. With liquidity stacked on both sides, the market is effectively squeezed between opposing forces, waiting for a catalyst. The longer Bitcoin remains trapped inside this tightening structure, the more aggressive the eventual breakout tends to be. Compression phases like this typically end with strong displacement, as one side of the market is forced to unwind positions. From here, sustained acceptance above the $69,500–$70,000 area would likely open the door for momentum toward heavier liquidity zones overhead. On the other hand, failure to reclaim that threshold keeps downside probes into the mid-$60,000s firmly in play, especially if bids begin to thin out under pressure. The next decisive move will likely be driven by which side of liquidity gets targeted first. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Data centers are driving significant growth in the utilities sector, with some companies experiencing growth rates as high as 8%. The power consumption of data centers is expected to increase dramatically by 2035, necessitating careful supply-side planning. Utilities are strategically positioned ...
The post Andy DeVries: Data centers drive utility growth to 8% | Odd Lots appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
A drop in Solana’s dApp revenues, along with limited institutional and retail investor interest, adds vulnerability to SOL’s $78 support.
Bitcoin’s “short-term holder stress” metric has fallen to lows not seen since 2018, suggesting the market has capitulated and possibly bottomed.
XRP’s derivatives markets are still showing signs of bearish pressure, with funding rates across major exchanges now in negative territory. According to real-time data, funding rates have been predominantly below zero in recent trading sessions, with the lowest exchange funding rate recorded around -0.0748%. At the same time, open interest has returned to levels associated with long-term base zones in previous years. Could this environment lead to a turning point, or is further downside still unfolding for XRP’s price action? Bearish Derivatives Positioning Shows In Deeply Negative Funding Real-time funding metrics from Coinglass reveal that XRP’s average funding across major exchanges has dipped into negative readings, and several crypto exchanges are on bearish rates. At the time of writing, the lowest funding observed is at -0.0748%, which is a clear indication that short positions are currently dominating sentiment. Related Reading: Analyst Reveals What XRP Price Will Move Toward In Bid For $4 Negative funding rates mean that perpetual futures shorts are paying longs, and bearish bets outweigh bullish ones across exchanges. In practice, heavily negative funding can reflect overcrowded short exposure. However, this is a condition that sometimes precedes sharp rebounds if the price begins to stabilize, as short sellers may eventually be forced to cover. Technical analysis posted on the social media platform X by crypto analyst Osemka shows that XRP’s aggregated funding rate, weighted by open interest, is in deep negative territory on a weekly timeframe. As it stands, this metric is now at its lowest level since late 2022, only bested by the week of the November 2022 FTX crash. However, the interesting thing is that the prolonged period of negative funding back then marked a bottom in 2022. Open Interest Returns to Multi-Year Base Levels Open interest has also dropped significantly alongside funding in negative levels. The weekly aggregated open interest metric is now sitting on levels associated with previous multi-year accumulation bases. This base, shown in the chart above, has been acting as the base level for open interest since October 2022. Each time open interest has revisited this zone since then, it has been followed by a rebound to higher levels. Related Reading: Here’s The Mistake Most People Are Making With XRP; Pundit Reveals In terms of price action, XRP has been struggling to find a sustainable bottom because the wider crypto market is yet to turn bullish. As it stands, XRP now needs to hold above two intermediate supports. The first of these is around $1.45, where recent daily candles have registered wicks. Beneath this lies a larger demand area roughly spanning $1.15 to $1.30. On one hand, the negative funding rate points to bearish positioning stress, but history shows this has always occurred just before lows. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.49, although it recently traded above $1.60 during the weekly open. A weekly close above $1.50 will be the first step to confirming a return to bullish momentum. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
The $125 billion real estate firm wants to offer blockchain-based tokens to clients but is stalled by regulation.
At 7:12 a.m. on a random Tuesday in February, an email lands with a subject line that looks harmless enough: “Your tax forms are ready.” For Maya, a part-time designer who bought a little Bitcoin during the 2021 hype, then sold small chunks across a couple of apps when life got expensive, it feels like […]
The post Bitcoin tax panic is rising because the IRS can see your crypto sales — and you may have to prove what you paid appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Monad's blockchain launch showcased impressive transaction speed and seamless user experience. Coordination challenges were a hurdle in achieving a perfect launch. Monad strategically opted out of an ecosystem-wide pre-deposit campaign.
The post Keone Hon: Monad’s token sale breaks records on Coinbase | Empire appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Coinbase CEO Brain Armstrong said updated market structure legislation may offer banks other benefits to get them on board with allowing stablecoin rewards.
S&P Global gave the majority of the bonds the less-than-stellar rating of BBB-, according to a Feb. 9 report.
The Base engineering team said the protocol would remain open-source and encouraged developers to continue building unique implementations.
The crypto exchange's parent company acquired several platforms in 2025 while confidentially filing for an initial public offering with the SEC.
Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped 2.2% on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, to trade at about $66,446 at press time. The flagship coin saw its fear-and-greed index drop to 12/100, which CoinMarketCap classifies as extreme fear. Source: CoinMarketCap Eric Trump, Brian Armstrong, and Arthur Hayes Predict Bitcoin Rebound Eric Trump says Bitcoin could reach the $1 million …
SOL price looks bearish on multiple chart timeframes, leading analysts to put a short-term target on $50. Will the “extreme” state of SOL’s MVRV indicator prevent another price crash?
"We continue to give a slight edge to the states in this legal fight primarily because the states have historically been the regulators of sports gambling."
The World Liberty Forum held this week at Mar‑a‑Lago featured remarks from President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., who used the event to reaffirm their strong support for Bitcoin (BTC) and repeat their long‑standing $1 million price projection for the cryptocurrency. ‘Never Been More Bullish On Bitcoin’ Speaking on Wednesday, Eric Trump described himself as “a huge proponent of Bitcoin” and said he has never felt more optimistic about the asset’s future. “I’ve never been more bullish on bitcoin in my life,” he said, arguing that the digital currency has the potential to eventually reach $1 million per coin. Related Reading: Macro Wobbles May Send Bitcoin Back To The $50,000s, Industry CEO Claims However, amid falling Bitcoin prices, Eric acknowledged the asset’s volatility and characterized price swings as typical for an emerging technology with significant growth potential. In his view, Bitcoin’s upside contrasts sharply with traditional fixed‑income investments such as municipal bonds or US Treasuries (T-Bills), which generally offer lower yields. At the same time, Donald Trump Jr. offered sharp criticism of the traditional banking system, calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and arguing that the family’s move into crypto was not driven by trend‑chasing but by necessity. Trump Brothers Accuse Banks Of Political ‘Debanking’ During an interview with CNBC at the forum, Donald Trump Jr. said his family turned to digital assets after banks closed “hundreds of accounts” belonging to the Trump Organization in early 2021. “You know, we didn’t get into crypto because we were on the leading edge,” Trump Jr. said. “We got into it out of necessity. They basically forced us into it.” The brothers attributed the account closures to the political fallout following the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, when supporters of their father stormed the building while contesting the 2020 presidential election results. Related Reading: $274 Billion In Potential Bitcoin Selling Could Hit Markets, Expert Says They also claimed that banks had “debanked” other smaller clients over their conservative political views. Eric Trump said their crypto initiative, World Liberty Financial, is part of a broader effort to reshape the financial system. “We’re trying to modernize finance,” he said, adding that the family felt ostracized by mainstream institutions during that period. “We’re the most canceled people in the world in 2020, 2021,” he said. As of this writing, Bitcoin is still consolidating at approximately $66,258. This represents a 50% difference from the current trading prices and the all-time high of $126,000, which was reached last October. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
OpenClaw is a major advancement in AI, shifting from language processing to agency. AI agents with system-level access pose security risks but have transformative potential. The age of agentic AI will significantly impact programming and technology.
The post Peter Steinberger: OpenClaw marks the shift to agentic AI, security risks of system-level access, and the need for AI in customer service | Lex Fridman Podcast appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The long-term value of XRP is increasingly tied to the development of the global financial infrastructure it was designed to support. Rather than relying on short-term price speculation or fixed adoption timelines, XRP was designed to operate at the plumbing level of global finance, where adoption depends on regulatory clarity, institutional integration, liquidity depth, and real transaction flow. These systems are built quietly, tested extensively, and activated only when reliability is proven. Why Financial Infrastructure Comes Before XRP Mass Adoption XRP’s journey has never been hitting precise timestamps on the chart, because utility does not operate on a calendar. An analyst known as ChartNerd on X has revealed that the journey to $27 has been a projected path for years, and based on a stack of multiple Fibonacci time maps and extension targets, the road to 2030 is where the vision fully aligns. Related Reading: Ripple’s Next Steps: Where XRP Stops Being Trade And Starts Being Infrastrucutre ChartNerd argues that what the market is witnessing right now is the groundwork for the foundation-building phase led by Ripple, following regulatory clarity from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This phase includes expanding institutional infrastructure, banking charters, and ETF inflows, all of which require time to scale before translating into measurable price impact. In that context, the short-term noise might fluctuate about the price action. However, the macro trend for XRP points toward progressive valuation milestones of $8, $13, and ultimately the $27 zone targets as the global settlement adoption scales. This thesis is not about timing individual candles, but about a structural shift towards 2030, where utility-driven value overtakes market speculation. How The XRP Ledger Becomes A Safe Infrastructure To Integrate The passing of the Clarity Act would mark a decisive turning point for XRP. A crypto analyst known as Bird on X has noted that the leading altcoin already has a unique level of legal clarity due to prior court rulings that confirmed it is not inherently a security when traded on secondary markets, an advantage most digital assets are still waiting to acquire. Related Reading: Japan’s XRP Integration Signals A Shift In Global Capital Flows According to Bird, the Clarity Act would move a step further by establishing a defined regulatory framework for digital assets, especially how they are classified and used, removing uncertainty for institutions, payment providers, and large-scale capital allocators. Once the rules are written into law, the biggest barrier, which is regulatory hesitation, will no longer sit in the background of every integration decision. With regulatory hesitation reduced, broader adoption can accelerate, liquidity will deepen, and real utility can finally scale at speed, because companies can now gain the confidence to build on and integrate the XRP Ledger (XRPL) without worrying about sudden rule changes. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
Net selling from altcoins topped $209 billion, far outpacing the sell volumes seen during Bitcoin's five-month sell-off. Will these traders reposition into Bitcoin?
Centralization in the AI industry is driven by the concentration of capital in large companies. Decentralization technologies can address both funding and operational challenges in AI. Crypto rails enable permissionless access to computing resources, enhancing decentralization.
The post Jeffrey Quesnelle: Centralization in AI is stifling innovation, how decentralization can democratize access, and the critical role of smart contracts in AI training | Raoul Pal appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Ether.fi will migrate roughly "70,000 active cards, 300,000 accounts, and millions in user TVL to Optimism," over the coming months.
Bitcoin is now on track for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, and losing this level could open the floor for a fresh leg lower.
The decentralized exchange has begun offering crypto perpetual swaps after receiving a test license from Bermuda’s regulator, operating under DAO governance and formal oversight.
Tether integrates USA with Rumble Wallet, enabling creators to receive regulated US dollar stablecoin payouts on chain.
The post Tether brings USA₮ stablecoin to Rumble Wallet for creator payouts appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Ethereum onchain data and a bear pennant on the daily chart suggest that bears may target the $1,100 level. Would a dip to that zone represent a generational buy opportunity?
Peter Thiel went to zero in ETHZilla, and the ETH treasury company trade just got a lot more real On Feb. 17, an amended 13G/A posted to ETHZilla’s investor site listed Peter Thiel and Founders Fund-related vehicles at zero shares and 0.0% beneficial ownership. The filing also stamped a “date of event” of Dec. 31, […]
The post Peter Thiel dumps all ETH treasury shares after “Ethereum’s MicroStrategy” fell 95% since August appeared first on CryptoSlate.
DeFi lending protocol Moonwell and CrossCurve have both recently suffered exploits connected to smart contracts.
Starboard Value said that “time is of the essence,” stressing urgency in Riot getting “more material deals completed” related to AI and HPC.
OpenAI launches EVMbench with Paradigm to test AI on smart contract vulnerabilities and commits $10M to cybersecurity research.
The post OpenAI launches benchmarking system for securing crypto tokens and smart contracts appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Crypto analyst CryptoBull has highlighted a bullish pattern that could send the XRP price to as high as $60. This ultra-bullish prediction comes as the altcoin continues to struggle below key resistance levels amid the current crypto market downtrend. XRP Price Could Reach $60 With This Cup and Handle Pattern In an X post, CryptoBull revealed that a Cup and Handle pattern is unfolding on the monthly chart and that the measured target for XRP is $60. In another X post, the analyst suggested that the altcoin’s downtrend may be over soon and that it could begin a run into double digits. Related Reading: Analyst Predicts XRP Price Will Reach $13 In 3 Months As Accumulation Ends This came as he drew attention to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the weekly and monthly timeframes, noting that it is below the 2020 bottom of $0.11. He added that the upside for the RSI is huge and that this will put the XRP price well above $10 very soon. Interestingly, the analyst declared that XRP, not Ethereum, will lead the altcoin season. He added that the chart shows a rounding bottom and that the next move is up. Crypto analyst Dark Defender also predicted that the XRP price could reach double digits at some point. In an X post, he stated that the altcoin has been proceeding in an ascending trend channel since 2017 and that the W Pattern is intersecting the Fibonacci level at $18. He added that nothing can stop what is coming. His accompanying chart showed that the altcoin could reach this $18 price target this year. XRP Is Still Facing Resistance At The Moment Crypto analyst CasiTrades noted that the XRP price is still facing resistance at the $1.65 level. The altcoin had rallied to this price level over the weekend but faced resistance there, leading to a sharp decline below key levels. With the price now below $1.53 again, CasiTrades stated that this suggests that the altcoin is losing momentum. Related Reading: XRP On The Verge? The Major Bullish Structure Shift That Could Send Price Soaring The analyst further remarked that with the strength of the selloff a few weeks ago, it is unlikely that the market pivots straight into macro Wave 3 without one more wave down to fully exhaust sellers. As such, there is the likelihood of XRP dropping to new lows before any potential bullish reversal to a new all-time high. CasiTrades stated that on the subwaves, there is alignment for a double bottom near $1.11, with a further drop to around $0.90 also still possible. She added that what matters now on the next low is seeing strong bullish divergence and momentum shift. On the bullish side, she noted that if the XRP price reclaims $1.65 and holds, it would be the first real sign of strength. At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.47, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com