Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has moved from a stalled recovery into intensified selling pressure. Price fell as much as 4.3% in 24 hours and is trading around $0.0000065 after ranging between $0.00000647 and $0.00000681. Market cap is roughly $3.81 billion and 24‑hour volume near $188.3 million. SHIB shows persistent bearishness — down about 18.8% over 14 days and 30.4% over 30 days. Technicals: price is testing the lower Bollinger Band (~$0.00000630), a key short‑term support; the True Strength Index (TSI) sits at −27.43 which favors sellers. Immediate resistance aligns with the upper Bollinger Band (~$0.000008636); a decisive breakout above that would be required to attract momentum buyers and target higher levels such as $0.00001. Liquidations in the past 24 hours totaled roughly $135.97K (≈$120.24K longs, $15.74K shorts), with concentrated long liquidations indicating leveraged long positions are under pressure. Compared with an earlier update that showed SHIB trading nearer $0.0000078 and stuck below $0.00000850, the latest piece shows deeper downside and increased selling volume — the recovery stalled earlier and has now given way to renewed bearish momentum. Traders should watch the lower Bollinger Band support (~$0.00000630), liquidation flows, intraday volume, and whether SHIB can reclaim the $0.0000086–$0.0000087 area to signal a reversal. Failure to hold $0.00000630 could open the path toward $0.0000058 or lower. This is informational and not financial advice.

Ripple Prime has integrated Hyperliquid (HYPE) into its institutional prime-brokerage offering, giving institutional clients access to decentralized perpetual futures liquidity through a single counterparty with centralized margin, risk controls and reporting. The integration removes a key usability barrier — institutions no longer need to manage wallets or smart contracts to tap on-chain perpetuals — while keeping Ripple Prime positioned as a prime broker (not an exchange) that aggregates crypto, FX, fixed income and derivatives access. Ripple said this is its first direct link to a decentralized trading protocol; market observers expect more prime-broker DeFi integrations as firms compete for institutional crypto flows in 2026. Market reaction was muted: XRP saw continued intraday weakness after the announcement, and HYPE posted a modest bounce but remained well below recent highs. For traders, the development expands institutional access to on-chain derivatives liquidity (potentially increasing long-term demand for DeFi-native venues and their tokens) but has not produced immediate bullish price moves for XRP or HYPE.

Bitcoin recovered above $71,000 after briefly dipping below $70,000 amid a broader, easing selloff in technology and risk assets. The rebound appears driven more by short covering than fresh spot buying: trading volumes rose while spot demand stayed thin and stablecoin balances on exchanges drifted lower. Macro uncertainty — including U.S. interest-rate expectations, possible Federal Reserve leadership changes and a stronger dollar — is weighing on sentiment. Bitcoin had fallen as much as 7% in 24 hours before the bounce. Analysts and firms are split: some (e.g., Galaxy Digital) warn bitcoin could retest the low-to-mid $60,000s without a clear catalyst, while others suggest the bulk of the drawdown may be behind the market. Key metrics cited: BTC ~ $71,049 (7.11% intraday move) and elevated trading volumes. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC price, short covering, stablecoin balances; secondary keywords: tech selloff, Fed uncertainty, dollar strength.

Bitcoin mining has entered a severe profitability squeeze as network hashrate surpasses 1 ZH/s while miner revenue and hashprice fall to multi-year lows. Recent data (GoMining and Miner Weekly estimates) show seven-day average hashrate above 1 ZH/s driven by large-scale deployments and hardware upgrades, pushing hashprice to roughly $35–$38 per PH/day. Median all-in costs for large public miners are estimated near $44/PH/day, producing negative margins for many operators. Average block time rose above normal (around 19.3 minutes, briefly approaching 20 minutes), prompting an expected difficulty reduction of roughly 14% at the next adjustment (around Feb 8, 2026) — the largest drop since China’s mining ban. That difficulty relief could temporarily ease selling pressure by restoring closer-to-10-minute block times and improving margins for miners who remain online. However, new rigs now have ROI windows measured in years (often >1,000 days), and with the next halving ~850 days away hardware bought today may not break even before rewards are halved. At typical electricity costs around $0.08/kWh, common S21-class miners need BTC prices near $69k–$74k to breakeven. The article outlines three possible paths: (1) a relief rebound after the ~14–18% difficulty drop that restores margins; (2) continued squeeze and miner capitulation if BTC price, energy costs, or financing stress persists; (3) structural shift toward more flexible, energy-aware operations (including integration with non-mining workloads such as AI). For traders: expect short-term reduction in miner selling pressure after difficulty falls, but elevated downside tail risk if BTC price drops below widespread miner shutdown thresholds — likely driving consolidation, forced shutdowns and distressed asset sales. Key SEO keywords: Bitcoin, mining difficulty, hashrate (1 ZH/s), hashprice, miner breakeven, Zetahash era.

A CfC St. Moritz survey of 242 senior crypto investors, executives, regulators and family offices shows a clear shift in capital priorities toward core crypto infrastructure. Eighty-five percent of respondents now prioritise funding for custody, clearing, stablecoin rails, tokenisation frameworks and other infrastructure over DeFi, compliance or cybersecurity. Respondents identified liquidity shortages, thin market depth and weak settlement systems as the main barriers to institutional adoption in 2026. Around 84% judged the global macro backdrop to be neutral-to-favourable for crypto growth, but many said current market plumbing cannot yet support large-scale capital. Expectations for innovation in 2026 remain positive but more execution-focused and less exuberant than a year earlier. The survey also noted improved sentiment toward the US regulatory environment — now ranked second after the UAE — citing clearer rules and stablecoin legislation. Separately, several large family offices are redirecting capital toward artificial intelligence strategies, reducing marginal allocations to crypto. For traders: the shift suggests capital flows may concentrate on exchanges, custody providers, settlement and liquidity-layer projects rather than experimental DeFi products. Key SEO keywords: crypto infrastructure (appears multiple times), DeFi, institutional adoption, liquidity, settlement, market depth, CfC St. Moritz.

Binance executives, including Yi He and former CEO Changpeng Zhao, addressed recent fluctuations in the exchange’s Bitcoin reserves after a community-led withdrawal campaign and broader on-chain outflows. CryptoQuant data showed significant reserve volatility: a large negative net flow of about 5,800 BTC at the start of the week, an inflow of ~2,700 BTC on Feb 4, and an overall drop in recorded reserve value (a reported 16% decline to $46.3 billion) alongside a ~19% fall in Bitcoin’s price over the referenced period. Yi He advised users to verify withdrawal addresses and consider hardware wallets if they distrust custodial services. Social-media allegations blamed Binance for large market liquidations and technical failures last October; Binance denied these claims and said no regulator has declared bankruptcy risk. Analysts debate whether Binance’s high volume and technical performance contributed to past volatility. The article highlights ongoing reserve swings, user concerns, and Binance’s public rebuttals—key items for traders monitoring exchange flows, liquidity, and counterparty risk.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a decentralized non-custodial lending and borrowing protocol, has progressed from concept to live testnet with its V1 deployment on Sepolia. The presale price climbed from $0.01 to $0.04 (roughly +300%) during Phase 7; the project reports over $20.3 million raised since early 2025 and more than 19,000 holders. Total supply is 4 billion MUTM, with ~45.5% allocated to presale/community and an official launch price set at $0.06. Phase 7 has sold through quickly (about 12% of the phase allocation reported sold earlier, with continued momentum in the later report). Key product features available on testnet include supply/borrow functions, minting of yield-bearing mtTokens, loan-health dashboards, automated liquidations and debt tokens. The roadmap highlights an over-collateralized stablecoin (minted using ETH, SOL or AVAX), planned Layer-2 expansion, staking and broader token utility across lending/borrowing. Security posture is emphasized: Halborn and CertiK audits are reported and a $50,000 bug bounty is offered. Some analysts cited in the coverage project potential price targets ranging from $0.25–$0.40 by end-2026/2027 and up to $1.00 in bullish scenarios, while the current presale price is positioned as roughly a 50% discount to the $0.06 launch price. The articles are press releases and note this is not investment advice; traders should perform due diligence.

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has publicly denied claims that he threatened legal action against Swandesk CEO Jacob King after King posted allegations that Binance was secretly bankrupt in late 2024. CZ called the allegation false, said he does not know King, and warned that fabricated messages—including those created with Photoshop or AI—are being circulated widely on social media. The incident highlights broader issues of misinformation in crypto markets, driven by market volatility, anonymous accounts, AI-generated content and financial incentives for manipulation. Analysts point to heightened sensitivity after past exchange crises (notably FTX in 2022), and note that bankruptcy rumors can trigger withdrawal runs even if unfounded. CZ’s prompt, direct rebuttal and emphasis on digital literacy are framed as a modern crisis-communication approach. The article also outlines legal and technological responses: higher defamation burdens for public figures, cross-jurisdictional challenges, and emerging tools such as blockchain-based verification, AI-detection algorithms and timestamping services. Traders should monitor social channels for fabricated screenshots or deepfakes, verify claims via official exchange statements, and be cautious of rumor-driven volatility that can cause short-term liquidity squeezes.

CME Group will list futures for Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM) on February 9, 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Each asset will be offered in standard and micro sizes to serve both institutional and retail traders: ADA standard = 100,000 ADA (micro = 10,000); LINK standard = 5,000 LINK (micro = 250); XLM standard = 250,000 XLM (micro = 12,500). Pricing will track the CME CF New York Variant Index, aligning these contracts with the benchmarks used for existing CME crypto futures (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP). CME positions the move as meeting rising institutional demand for regulated, capital-efficient tools to manage crypto price risk; micro contracts lower capital barriers and may boost liquidity and hedging use by smaller traders. CME reported strong crypto derivatives volume and open interest last year, supporting potential adoption. Traders should note the likely increase in institutional flows, improved on‑ramp for hedging, and potential rise in liquidity for ADA, LINK and XLM — factors that could influence short-term volatility and longer-term market structure for the listed tokens.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has formally withdrawn a 2024 Biden‑era proposed rule that would have banned event contracts covering sports, politics and similar prediction markets. Newly confirmed CFTC Chair Mike Selig called the earlier proposal a “frolic into merit regulation,” cancelled a September staff advisory that had warned market participants to prepare for state litigation, and said the agency will not issue final rules on that basis. Instead the CFTC will pursue a new rulemaking grounded in a “rational and coherent interpretation” of the Commodity Exchange Act to promote responsible innovation in derivatives and event markets. The move reduces the immediate risk of a federal ban on prediction markets and relieves platforms such as Polymarket, Kalshi and firms offering similar services (including those associated with Coinbase and Crypto.com) of the threat of an abrupt federal crackdown. However, state‑level lawsuits and legal uncertainty remain; platforms previously sued for unlicensed gambling could still face actions under state law. For crypto traders, the withdrawal lowers short‑term regulatory tail‑risk for prediction‑market tokens and related derivatives, may preserve liquidity and product development, and increases the chance of clearer federal guidance on listing, custody and compliance. Key SEO keywords: CFTC, prediction markets, regulation, derivatives, event contracts.

Bitcoin (BTC) plunged toward $70,000 on Feb. 5 after a 7.2% one-day drop to $70,119, marking a roughly 20% decline over the past week and 26% from year-to-date highs. Weak macro data (disappointing U.S. private payrolls) and a tech sell-off following AMD’s weak revenue guidance weighed on risk assets and correlated with BTC’s decline. Institutional demand weakened: the 12 U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $2.9 billion in outflows across the past 12 trading days and roughly $5.9 billion since November 2025, removing a key source of steady buying. Technicals are bearish — a multi-month inverse cup-and-handle pattern formed since April 2025 has been confirmed on the daily chart after a break below its neckline. BTC sits below key moving averages (20- and 50-day bearish crossover) and has breached the $75,000 and April 9 $74,660 supports. Short-term downside targets cited are $70,000, with potential deeper liquidity zones near $65,000 and $60,000 if sellers continue to dominate. Disclosure: not investment advice.

Payy has launched a privacy-enabled Ethereum Layer 2 that makes ERC-20 transfers private by default and works with existing EVM wallets such as MetaMask. The network routes transactions through private ERC-20 pools and uses off-chain Privacy Vaults; when users interact with DeFi or smart contracts, funds are withdrawn to freshly generated addresses to preserve privacy. Payy says the layer requires no changes to existing smart contracts, supports all ERC-20 tokens, and can be added to standard wallets without new tokens or wallets. The rollout leverages an existing user base of roughly 100,000 wallet users and includes planned integrations with major stablecoin partners and fintech institutions. Target users are banks, fintechs and privacy-conscious retail users who want on-chain payments without exposing flows to chain analysis. CEO Sid Gandhi framed privacy as essential for broader on-chain payments adoption. The launch comes amid renewed industry interest in privacy tools (e.g., Monero, Zcash) and ongoing Ethereum privacy work such as the Kohaku roadmap. Traders should watch for stablecoin flow migration onto Payy’s L2 and any partner announcements that could shift on-chain liquidity into the privacy layer, which may affect visibility of ERC-20 flows and short-term on-chain metrics.

Zcash (ZEC) has suffered a sharp sell-off across two reporting periods, erasing a large portion of its November gains and breaking key technical supports. The token fell roughly 24% in a single-day drop in early December and then plunged further in a later update — losing nearly 40% in a week and trading near $240 in the most recent report. ZEC is down roughly 53% month-to-date and about 65% from its November peak near $699. Technical damage includes a breach of a long-term ascending trendline and a close below the 200-day moving average (SMA/EMA200), plus a bearish MACD crossover, signaling negative momentum. Fundamental and market drivers cited include a broad crypto risk-off alongside Bitcoin weakness (liquidations ~ $1.6bn), weak performance across privacy coins (Monero, Dash, Horizen), and elevated regulatory pressure on privacy tokens (proposed bans, AML scrutiny in India, a DIFC trading ban in Dubai). Governance concerns intensified after a mass resignation from Electric Coin Company’s core development team in January, undermining investor confidence. For traders: the key levels are the 200-day moving average/EMA and the psychological $200 support. A clean reclaim of EMA200 with strong volume would be a constructive sign; failure to hold $200 could trigger further downside as sellers regain control. Short-term bounces are possible, but expect elevated volatility and the risk of deeper sweeps to lower supports before any sustained trend reversal. This is informational and not trading advice.

OSL Group will announce new developments for its USDGO dollar-pegged stablecoin during Consensus Hong Kong 2026. USDGO, launched on December 11, 2025, is positioned as a cornerstone of OSL’s global payments infrastructure and is scheduled for a planned public launch in Q1 2026. The token is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, subject to strict third-party audits, and is issued by Anchorage Digital — the first and only federally regulated crypto bank in the United States. OSL acts as the brand operator and distributor for USDGO. The announcement will take place as part of OSL’s “No Ramp” series events at the conference. This news signals progress toward regulated, audited dollar stablecoin adoption in Asia and aims to support institutional payments and trading use cases.

Bhutan moved roughly 284 BTC (about $22.3 million) in two Arkham‑identified transfers to market maker QCP Capital — 184 BTC midweek and 100.8 BTC late last week. The transfers are widely interpreted as preparations to liquidate mined reserves into market liquidity. The Himalayan kingdom launched a state‑backed hydroelectric Bitcoin mining programme in 2019 and its holdings peaked at about 13,295 BTC in October 2024. Since then holdings have fallen to roughly 5,700 BTC after continued disposals. Analysts point to the 2024 halving, which has roughly doubled per‑coin mining costs and materially reduced output (Bhutan mined ~8,200 BTC in 2023), as a primary driver of the sales. The sell‑off coincides with a roughly 43% decline in BTC from its October 2024 all‑time high to below $72,000 amid macro risk, liquidity shifts, stalled U.S. crypto legislation and other sector pressures. Separately, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF investors have largely held positions despite four months of price weakness; cumulative ETF inflows have eased from about $62.1B to ~$55B and some data show three consecutive months of ETF outflows. Key takeaways for traders: (1) sovereign selling from Bhutan trims long‑term reserve supply but can create short‑term selling pressure and higher volatility; (2) rising miner capitulation risk increases downside supply risk if prices stay low; (3) continued spot‑ETF investor retention provides some demand cushion. Watch on‑chain flows to QCP, miner cost curves post‑halving, and ETF flows for near‑term directional cues.

NASA delayed the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal after engineers detected a liquid-hydrogen leak in the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during final fueling tests at Kennedy Space Center. The leak appeared about five minutes before completing the countdown simulation; teams will diagnose, repair and repeat tests ahead of a March 2026 launch window. Artemis II is slated to be the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo, carrying four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen) on a roughly 10-day circumlunar flight that informs later lunar-landing missions. Meanwhile, SpaceX remains private but faces growing IPO speculation for mid-2026. Private-market pricing and secondary trades imply valuations between about $800 billion and as high as $1.19–1.5 trillion; a public listing could seek roughly $50 billion in proceeds at the top end. Recent private share pricing shows a one-year gain of ~163.8% in implied share value. Elon Musk — with an estimated ~40% stake in SpaceX — is a major beneficiary; Forbes listed his net worth near $841.1 billion (Feb 5, 2026), partly driven by SpaceX valuation moves. No SEC filing has been made; timing and final pricing remain uncertain. Key takeaways for traders: the Artemis II delay is a technical, schedule-driven event with limited direct market disruption, but it may momentarily affect aerospace and government-contractor equities. SpaceX IPO speculation is a larger market-moving story — a mega-IPO near $1–1.5 trillion could shift private-market liquidity, influence Musk-linked equity sentiment (notably Tesla), and spur risk-on flows into tech and space-related assets if momentum rises. Monitor official NASA test results and any SpaceX IPO filings or secondary-market price shifts for trading signals.

The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 39 points to close at 8,889.2 (down 0.43%) as global risk appetite weakened after a sharp overnight sell-off tied to US earnings. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares plunged 17.3% on weak guidance for fiscal Q1 2026, prompting broad risk-off sentiment. Commodity-linked sectors led losses: uranium futures fell about 5.09% to roughly US$86/lb (about 15% below last week’s peak), driving heavy declines in Bannerman Energy (-10.54%), Paladin Energy (-9.87%) and Boss Energy (-8.74%). Precious metals saw renewed volatility—silver plunged as much as 15% and gold dropped 3.3%—pushing miners like Silver Mines (-8.16%), Genesis Mining (-6.29%) and Newmont (-5.64%) lower. Energy names eased after renewed US–Iran nuclear talks reduced near-term oil upside; Beach Energy, Santos and Woodside all retreated. Rare earth stocks reversed gains on policy comments about a preferential trade bloc, hitting Metallium and Lynas. Selective resilience appeared in tech: Seek, Block and TechnologyOne rose as bargain buying emerged. Overall, materials, energy and gold were the biggest sector drags while consumer discretionary, financials and staples limited index losses. Key takeaways for traders: heightened commodity volatility (uranium, gold, silver) can prompt rapid sector rotations; earnings-driven risk sentiment (AMD shock) may spill into resource and tech exposure; monitor uranium futures, precious metals prices and US earnings flow for near-term trading signals.

BNB Chain announced support for ERC-8004, a new on‑chain identity standard designed to provide autonomous AI agents with verifiable, portable identities and persistent reputation across platforms. The move aims to enable an open, scalable agent economy where software agents can prove legitimacy, carry reputation across apps, and interact with services without restarting trust histories. Alongside ERC-8004, the BNB community introduced BAPs (BNB Application Proposals) to standardize application-layer conventions; the first BAP (BAP-578) defines the Non‑Fungible Agent (NFA) standard. NFAs let AI agents exist as on‑chain assets capable of holding tokens/NFTs, executing logic, interacting with protocols, and being traded or hired. BNB Chain’s developer docs provide implementation guides for ERC-8004 and BAP-578. The announcement positions BNB Chain to support agent interoperability across BNB Smart Chain (BSC), opBNB, and BNB Greenfield, reinforcing its ecosystem for Web3 developers and AI-focused dApps. Key keywords: ERC-8004, BNB Chain, BAP-578, Non‑Fungible Agent, AI agents, on‑chain identity.

Pi Network (PI) hit a new all-time low at $0.146 in late January and briefly rallied above $0.15, but the downtrend remains intact. Aggressive sell orders since early 2026 drove a sharp ~25% mid-January crash, with selling pressure continuing into February. Daily RSI is deeply oversold (below 30), signaling extreme bearish momentum but leaving open the possibility of a short-term bounce. Traders should watch immediate support at $0.15 and resistance at $0.20, which could cap any relief rally. Broader market weakness in BTC and ETH is exacerbating PI’s decline. Key SEO keywords: Pi Network price, PI price prediction, PI support and resistance, PI oversold.

Bison Bank, Portugal’s first crypto-focused bank, announced plans to launch a Portuguese stablecoin pegged to fiat in H1 2026, merge its crypto arm Bison Digital Assets (BDA) into the main bank, and begin tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) such as real estate and investment funds. CEO António Henriques said the stablecoin and expanded services aim to bridge traditional finance and blockchain, improve cross-border payments and reduce fees for clients across 140+ countries. Post-merger services will include crypto-asset deposit transfers, custody, and exchange services for institutional and retail clients. The move follows Portugal’s implementation of the EU’s MiCA regulation (Law 69/2025) in December 2025, with the Bank of Portugal and CMVM designated as supervisors. Details on the stablecoin’s design, peg currency, issuance model, and regulatory approvals were not disclosed.

Solana’s recovery narrative is gaining traction despite recent price weakness. SOL has pulled back ~25% from January highs and trades under $100, with short-term technicals showing bearish momentum and key support around $95–$100. On-chain fundamentals, however, are improving: total value locked reached 73.4M SOL (~$7.5B), daily transactions exceeded 100 million, DEX volumes strengthened, and tokenized real-world assets (RWA) on Solana rose to about $1.15 billion. Low fees and high throughput continue to position Solana for stablecoin transfers, micropayments and RWA use cases. Institutional outlooks reflect this mix of near-term volatility and long-term upside — Standard Chartered cut its 2026 target to $250 but raised its 2030 forecast to $2,000, citing Solana’s settlement advantages and growing RWA activity. For traders, the key takeaways are: watch $95–$100 as critical demand support, monitor on-chain growth (TVL, txns, RWA inflows) for bullish confirmation, and be mindful of volatility that could push SOL toward $85 in the short term if support fails.

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin sold about 2,961.5 ETH (~$6.6M) from his Gnosis Safe over three days, according to on‑chain data. Sales averaged ~$2,228 per ETH and involved converting WETH into stablecoins (USDC, GHO) via CoW Protocol. Buterin still holds over 300,000 ETH, so the sales represent a small portion of his holdings. The timing amid a short‑term market dip (ETH ≈ $2,150; ~5% 24‑hr decline) sparked mixed reactions: some traders view high‑profile sales as negative signals that can dent retail confidence, while others note Buterin’s history of funding projects and research, suggesting proceeds may be for long‑term initiatives. Market liquidity remained strong (daily volumes >$10B) and institutional buying continued, tempering broad panic. No investment advice is provided.

XRP has broken the key $1.6 support and is declining toward lower targets at $1.4 and $1, according to technical analysis. Sellers dominate volume: every monthly candle since October 2025 closed red, indicating sustained selling pressure. A brief bounce near $2 failed to hold. The monthly MACD remains bearish, suggesting the macro downtrend could last several more months before a potential bottom. Traders should monitor $1.4 for a possible relief bounce; failure there would increase the likelihood of a drop to $1. Primary keywords: XRP price, XRP support, XRP MACD. Secondary/semantic keywords: crypto selloff, price targets, relief rally, technical levels, trading volume.

Strike CEO Jack Mauler publicly criticized Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, calling Ethereum’s marketing “malicious and misleading.” Mauler acknowledged Vitalik’s influence but argued Ethereum remains largely experimental and its promotional narrative overstates proven technical success. He urged for greater transparency, warning that overstated claims harm credibility in the crypto sector. The commentary was shared by cryptocurrency commentator Jungle Inc and framed XRP as a functional alternative, noting XRP’s use in cross-border payments, clearer regulatory posture, and tangible real-world adoption. The report underscores rising skepticism from industry figures and suggests some investors may reconsider Ethereum in favor of projects with demonstrable operational results. Disclaimer: opinion-based content; not financial advice.

XRP plunged over 10% in 24 hours to as low as $1.42, the weakest level since November 2024, reversing from a $2.40 peak a month earlier (a ~40% drop). Recent XRP ETF flows are mixed: a large $92.92m outflow last Thursday was followed by modest inflows ($19.46m on Tuesday, $4.83m on Wednesday). Ripple announced institutional support for Hyperliquid via its prime brokerage platform the day before, indicating no clear fundamental shock within the ecosystem. Analysts point to growing market FUD and retail selling, plus liquidation cascades, as likely drivers. Technical analysts noted a bearish daily close and identified support levels at $1.51 (recently broken), $1.42 and $1.27; the next psychological target is $1.00. Key takeaways for traders: heightened volatility and liquidation risk remain; monitor ETF flows, support at $1.42/$1.27, and market sentiment — a breach below $1.27 could accelerate a move toward $1.00.

A debate over Bitcoin’s scalability reignited on X (formerly Twitter) after Metallicus CEO and early Bitcoin developer Marshall Hayner said Bitcoin still lacks a fully decentralized, scalable implementation. Former Ripple director Matt Hamilton responded that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) was created by early Bitcoin developers around 2011 to solve Bitcoin’s limits on speed, fees and transaction capacity. The article recalls Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto and David Schwartz co-creating XRPL (McCaleb later co-founding Ripple/OpenCoin and then Stellar). Critics dispute XRPL’s decentralization despite independent validators and claim corporate influence; proponents argue XRPL offers real-world utility and growing institutional credibility — citing Franklin Templeton and a high-profile $25m XRP investment by trader James Wynn. The piece frames the ongoing rivalry between Bitcoin and XRP communities, notes renewed institutional interest in XRP, and highlights that opinions remain divided over whether XRPL complements or competes with Bitcoin. (Keywords: XRP Ledger, Bitcoin scalability, XRPL decentralization, institutional interest, Jed McCaleb)

CME Group is exploring a CME-branded digital token and tokenized cash to modernize collateral and margin management across its global derivatives markets. CEO Terry Duffy said the firm is assessing tokenized cash, tokenized collateral and a possible CME Coin that could operate on a decentralized network; the focus is strictly institutional (margin/settlement), not retail. Duffy stressed issuer credibility—tokens from major institutions would likely gain greater acceptance as collateral than those from smaller banks. The initiative remains exploratory with no technical specifications, regulatory filings or launch date; it runs alongside a separate Google Cloud collaboration testing blockchain-based wholesale payments and tokenized assets via Google’s Universal Ledger, expected to produce a tokenized-cash platform later in 2026. The move aligns with CME’s plan to offer 24/7 crypto futures and options expansion in Q2 2026 (subject to approvals) and follows recent product additions (futures for Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar) and rising crypto derivatives volumes. For traders: watch for regulatory signals, custody and clearing integration details, counterparty risk perceptions tied to issuer credibility, and any pilot participants—these will determine adoption speed, liquidity effects and margin-cost implications.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is trading near a critical local support band around $0.0000067–$0.00000521, currently priced near $0.00000647 after a recent downturn. The token is down roughly 4% in 24 hours — underperforming less than BTC, ETH and XRP in this window — and remains inside a longer-term correction from earlier 2024 highs. Newer on‑chain data shows signs of accumulation: CryptoQuant reports a 24‑hour exchange netflow of -5.18 billion SHIB and a modest fall in exchange reserves from 81.5B to 81.4B, implying tokens are being withdrawn from exchanges. Technicals point to fading bearish momentum — daily RSI ≈31.45 (near oversold), shrinking red MACD bars, and a slightly positive funding rate (0.0042%). Analyst commentary (SwallowAcademy and TradingView contributors) suggests SHIB may have formed a local bottom; reclaiming the 100‑day MA (~$0.00000829) would be an early bullish confirmation, with upside targets cited near the 200‑EMA (~$0.00000992) and higher resistance levels if momentum returns. However, the reports caution there is no guarantee the support holds — a decisive break below the band could accelerate declines. Traders should weigh accumulation opportunities indicated by exchange outflows and fading momentum against the risk of renewed weakness; this update is informational, not financial advice.

Blockchain analytics firm CryptoQuant reports that the current Bitcoin bear market (2024–2025) exhibits significantly stronger negative momentum than the early 2022 correction. Using the 365-day moving average as a long-term trend benchmark, CryptoQuant notes BTC fell below that average in November 2024 and subsequently declined 23% over the next 83 days — versus a 6% drop in the comparable 2022 period. The firm interprets the faster, steeper decline as evidence of accelerated selling pressure and deterioration in market structure. CryptoQuant highlights the $60,000–$70,000 band as a likely retest/support zone. The analysis cites differing drivers between cycles: 2022’s sell-off was driven largely by crypto-native collapses (e.g., Terra, CeFi failures), while the 2024–2025 downturn appears tied to macro uncertainty, regulatory shifts, and institutional rebalancing. Traders should note key on-chain indicators that often confirm bearish momentum — exchange inflows, MVRV, and long-term holder spending — and use these signals for risk management. The report is positioned as a momentum snapshot, not a long-term price prediction; past bear markets ultimately transitioned to accumulation and new bull runs, but short-term volatility and deeper corrections, especially across altcoins, are probable if BTC tests lower support.