Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

IoTeX disclosed a bridge security breach after a private key compromise allowed attackers to drain funds and route proceeds across chains. Attackers moved stolen assets onto Ethereum, converted or swapped tokens via decentralized exchanges, and then used cross-chain services (routing toward Bitcoin) to launder proceeds. IoTeX has paused its bridge, alerted security teams and exchanges, and launched an investigation; initial reports estimated millions of dollars were taken but exact totals were limited in early disclosures. The incident highlights persistent vulnerabilities in cross-chain bridges — single-key custody failures, smart-contract and oracle risks, and governance weaknesses. Recommended mitigations include multisignature or threshold signature schemes (TSS), time-locked withdrawals, enhanced real-time monitoring and forensic tracking, and insurance mechanisms. For traders: monitor on-chain activity of compromised addresses, watch for potential short-term sell pressure on IOTX and related tokens, follow official project and exchange advisories, and consider heightened risk when interacting with lesser-audited bridge services. Keywords: IoTeX, bridge hack, private key compromise, Ethereum, Bitcoin, cross-chain exploit.

SBI Holdings Japan has launched a ¥10 billion (≈$64.5M) on‑chain bond that completes issuance and lifecycle management on a blockchain and issues XRP to investors as part of returns. The product distributes XRP to subscribers immediately and promises additional XRP interest payments over one to three years, using smart contracts for automated settlement and enhanced transparency. The offering continues SBI’s collaboration with Ripple and reflects ongoing institutional experimentation with tokenized debt and crypto incentives. Detailed terms (exact maturities, coupon rates, tax treatment) were not fully disclosed. For traders, key implications include potential upward pressure on XRP demand and liquidity changes, exposure to XRP price volatility from reward payouts, and sensitivity to any regulatory guidance or disclosures from SBI and Japanese authorities.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, announced he purchased 1 BTC at about $67,000 during a recent market dip, framing the move as part of a long-term accumulation strategy. He cited rising U.S. debt and the risk of renewed large-scale dollar printing by the Federal Reserve (which he dubs “the Big Print”) as the primary macro drivers. Kiyosaki emphasized Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million supply and growing scarcity — more than 19 million BTC have been mined — arguing that scarcity will drive long-term outperformance versus fiat and possibly outperform gold as the final supply limit approaches. He reiterated warnings of an imminent major stock market crash and said he is hedged in assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, gold and silver. The later report adds contrasting market views, noting analysts such as Peter Schiff who warned Bitcoin could fall below $50,000 and advised reducing exposure. Key trade facts for traders: purchaser Robert Kiyosaki; size 1 BTC; buy price ~ $67,000; stated rationale: U.S. debt concerns, potential Fed money printing, and Bitcoin’s 21M supply/scarcity; related hedges mentioned: ETH, gold, silver. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, BTC, Robert Kiyosaki, dollar printing, scarcity. Secondary keywords: BTC price, dollar weakness, halving, macro crash.

Bored Ghosts Developing (BGD), Aave’s primary development team, announced it will not renew its contract and stopped technical support after the agreement expired on April 1. BGD cited disagreements with Aave Labs and founder Stani Kulechov over the protocol’s roadmap, specifically concerns that pushing users from Aave v3 to v4 could risk the stability of the live v3 system. The departure followed a prolonged governance dispute—past votes on transferring Aave Labs assets to DAO control narrowly failed, and proposals tying branded revenue transfers to recognizing v4 as the main codebase heightened tensions. AAVE token price fell more than 6% shortly after BGD’s statement. Aave Labs said it can maintain v3 if needed and will provide a short-term support package while the DAO seeks a new technical partner; BGD offered limited transitional support. Separately, the U.S. SEC closed its four-year probe into Aave with no enforcement action, removing a significant regulatory overhang. Key figures: BGD founders (including former Aave CTO Ernesto Boado), Aave founder Stani Kulechov, and governance delegate Marc Zeller. Primary keywords: Aave, BGD, AAVE token, Aave v3, Aave v4, governance dispute, DeFi. This development raises immediate technical and governance questions for traders assessing protocol risk and may increase short-term volatility for AAVE.

Bitfinex has stated that quantum computing is a long-term, solvable risk and does not currently threaten Bitcoin. The exchange noted that practical attacks on Bitcoin’s cryptography would require quantum machines with millions of stable qubits capable of running Shor’s algorithm at scale and operating error-free for long durations — hardware that does not exist today. Bitfinex estimates the threat could emerge around the mid-2030s to 2040s, giving developers time to implement mitigations. Potential responses include migrating wallets to schemes that avoid frequent public-key revelation, adopting lattice-based signatures, or implementing proposals such as BIP 360 to reduce quantum attack surfaces. Bitfinex and figures like Michael Saylor express confidence the Bitcoin community can coordinate changes (including a protocol freeze if needed) before a quantum-capable adversary appears. The message to traders: the quantum risk is distant, not an immediate catalyst for market moves; developers and stakeholders are already planning upgrades to protect Bitcoin.

AI platform Grok highlighted GTreasury’s reported $12.5 trillion in annual payment processing, which Grok converted into an average daily volume of about $34.25 billion. Crypto developer and designer Chad Steingraber reacted enthusiastically on X, suggesting that even a fraction of that flow could move through the XRP Ledger (main keyword: XRP Ledger). Community members clarified that GTreasury customers choose their payment rails and are not required to use RLUSD or any specific digital asset. Supporters noted Ripple’s technology could reduce settlement friction and speed confirmations to seconds. There is no confirmation that GTreasury will route significant volumes via XRP Ledger; comments remain speculative but have driven optimism among XRP advocates. Relevant keywords: XRP Ledger, GTreasury, Ripple, payments, enterprise blockchain.

Solana’s native token SOL has plunged over 38% in the past month, hitting a two-year low of $67 and trading beneath critical support around $80. Technical patterns (head-and-shoulders on monthly/biweekly charts) and low volumes raise the risk of a further drop toward $50 or even $45 if key resistances hold. Short-term sellers have realized losses while long-term holders accumulated about 1.97 million SOL. On-chain liquidity received a notable boost when Circle minted $250 million USDC on Solana on Feb. 9, improving DeFi trading and lending capacity. Infrastructure gains include GetBlock ranking as the fastest Solana RPC provider in Asia and a new liquidity pool for tokenized real-world assets (RWA) launched by Uniform Labs and Metalayer Ventures; Solana’s RWA ecosystem is now reported at $1 billion, the third largest after Ethereum. Institutional views remain mixed: some executives argue Ethereum’s dominance still favors it for large participants, while Solana leadership proposes revised tokenomics with larger initial allocations and one-year lockups to promote long-term alignment. Short-term analysts warn SOL could test $50–$60 in 4–6 weeks if $80 fails to hold; a sustained hold above $72 combined with USDC-driven liquidity may push recovery toward $95–$102. Suggested trader strategies include accumulation in the $60–$67 band and profit-taking above $95, but risks of a deeper slide to $30 persist in a prolonged bear market.

JPMorgan Chase reportedly named Ripple’s XRP the most compelling digital asset for financial institutions in a private briefing prepared for Sberbank. The bank’s assessment prioritized banking utility, regulatory alignment, liquidity efficiency and settlement speed — areas where XRP’s design as a bridge asset for cross-border payments stands out. XRP Ledger enables near-instant settlement and low fees, promising banks on-demand liquidity and reduced need for pre-funded nostro accounts. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reiterated XRP’s enterprise focus and projected significant long-term growth. The report and Sberbank’s involvement signal institutional interest in pragmatic, utility-driven crypto use cases over speculative narratives. The article also notes potential cross-chain collaboration interest (e.g., Cardano exploration) and mentions XRP’s appearance in Federal Reserve calibration discussions. For traders, the news highlights growing institutional validation of XRP’s role in banking infrastructure, a factor that could influence liquidity, adoption narratives and medium-to-long-term demand dynamics for XRP.

Tether has immediately stopped issuing its CNH₮ stablecoin globally and set a final redemption deadline of February 2027. The company cited persistently low demand, limited community adoption and inefficient use of operational resources for the offshore-yuan–pegged token. New CNH₮ minting is prohibited effective immediately, while redemption services will remain available under existing terms until the February 2027 cut-off; holders are urged to redeem promptly to avoid processing delays. Tether framed the move as part of portfolio optimization and a structured, transparent sunset process for underutilized tokens — similar to past retirements such as EUR₮ and legacy blockchain support. The firm emphasized ongoing commitment to security, liquidity-efficient products, and communication through official channels. Key takeaways for traders: CNH₮ liquidity and trading activity will likely decline, counterparties should monitor redemption flows, and related markets tied to offshore yuan stablecoins may see reduced depth until redemptions complete.

IoTeX (IOTX) has confirmed suspicious activity in one of its token safes after on‑chain monitors reported a suspected private‑key compromise. Multiple assets — including USDC, USDT, IOTX, PAYG, WBTC and BUSD — were reportedly drained, converted to ETH and partially bridged; about 45 ETH was moved across chains. Early on‑chain analysis (Specter) estimated direct losses at roughly $8.8 million and an additional ~9.3M CCS (~$4.5M) drained, while earlier reports put losses near $4.3 million. IoTeX says it has engaged major exchanges and security partners to track and immobilize attacker holdings and stressed the impact is smaller than some circulating rumours. IOTX price dropped by nearly 10% on CoinGecko after the reports. Traders should monitor on‑chain flows, bridge movements, liquidity for the affected tokens and any exchange freeze or delisting actions; expect heightened sell pressure and increased volatility in IOTX in the short term.

This guide explains a step-by-step workflow for building reliable cryptocurrency price predictions tailored to traders. It recommends combining multiple price-data aggregators (CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, BraveNewCoin) with social sentiment and news feeds to reduce data blind spots. Key steps: 1) set up redundant, timeframe-appropriate data pipelines and automate API exports; 2) choose prediction tools that match your goals—statistical models (ARIMA) for long-term trends, deep learning (LSTM/Transformer) and hybrid models for short-term and volatile markets, and sentiment-enhanced models for rapid shifts; 3) analyse both hard signals (price, volume, moving averages, RSI, MACD) and soft signals (Twitter/Reddit/news sentiment), watching for divergences; 4) validate via backtesting and walk-forward validation using metrics like RMSE and MAE across multiple market regimes, then iteratively refine models. Practical tips include starting simple, using free trials, tracking three-to-five core signals, and prioritising interpretable models. The article stresses that combining price data, technical indicators, and sentiment analysis improves forecast accuracy and that rigorous validation is essential before deploying capital. Primary keywords: cryptocurrency price prediction, price data, sentiment analysis. Secondary keywords: backtesting, LSTM, hybrid models, technical indicators.

A whale executed a $10.26 million accumulation of 121,368 SOL via multiple USDC→SOL swaps at an average price of $84.57, indicating structured, non‑impulsive buying. SOL trades inside a long-term descending channel, hovering around $84 and just above the $78.50 macro support — a key inflection point. Immediate resistance sits near $120 with a stronger supply zone around $146.72. Technicals show improving momentum: daily MACD is converging (MACD line ~1.50) with green histogram bars but still below zero, so a full reversal is unconfirmed. On-chain metrics support the accumulation narrative: 90‑day Spot Taker CVD shows taker‑buy dominance, and SOL exchange netflows are net negative (latest -$5.64M), indicating withdrawals that reduce short‑term sell pressure. The alignment of whale accumulation, buyer‑dominant order flow, and continued exchange outflows raises the chances of gradual upward pressure, but SOL must hold $78.50 and reclaim $120 to break the descending structure. For traders: watch taker CVD, exchange flows, whale wallet activity, and price action at $78.50 support and $120 resistance for signs of sustained reversal or renewed selling.

SBI Ripple Asia and Asia Web3 Alliance Japan signed a partnership on February 20, 2026 to provide technical, infrastructure and compliance support for solutions built on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The collaboration targets startups and enterprises, aiming to accelerate regulated, real-world adoption of XRPL for cross-border payments and broader financial use cases. The move coincides with Japan’s plan to reclassify XRP as a financial product under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act by Q2 2026, which would place XRP clearly under existing financial regulations and ease institutional participation. The partnership leverages SBI’s decade-long operational ties with Ripple and Asia Web3 Alliance Japan’s ecosystem coordination to position Japan as a hub for compliant XRPL-powered services. Key takeaways for traders: increased institutional and regulatory clarity for XRP in Japan; potential for greater on-ramps, bank participation and regulated product development; and a higher probability of real-world utility adoption that could influence demand if reclassification proceeds.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) saw a sharp increase in exchange netflow on Feb 21, 2026: on-chain data from CryptoQuant reported +138,022,600,000 SHIB (over 6% surge) moved to exchanges in 24 hours. The netflow spike indicates tokens returned to exchanges vastly outnumbered withdrawals, signaling heightened selling pressure amid prolonged market volatility. SHIB price has struggled to recover, hovering near $0.0000065, and recent on-chain indicators and stalled demand have weakened investor confidence. Traders are split: many retail and institutional holders appear unwilling to hold through the downturn, while some remain optimistic about a larger recovery after the bear phase ends. Key points for traders: large netflow inflows typically increase short-term downward pressure on price, raise volatility, and may trigger stop-loss cascades; monitor exchange flows, on-chain sell volume, and order-book depth for short-term trade entries or exits.

Solana (SOL) has fallen sharply and is now consolidating in a narrow trading band between roughly $78 and $92 following intense selling pressure. Short-term indicators show low momentum and sideways action, but broader technicals remain weak: SOL trades below key moving averages and has broken an ascending trendline that had previously provided support. Traders are watching the $74 level as the first major support and a deeper cushion near $50 where prior consolidation occurred. Volume across major altcoins has contracted and regulatory uncertainty in the U.S., along with slowing ETF inflows, is weighing on market appetite. Analysts view the current range as either a brief accumulation phase or a pause before further losses; the market has not shown clear signs of a sustained recovery. Key SEO keywords: Solana, SOL price, support levels, consolidation, crypto regulation.

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Ksa) has ordered Polymarket’s Dutch affiliate, Adventure One QSS Inc. (doing business as Polymarket), to immediately stop offering prediction-market contracts to Dutch residents, ruling those event-based contracts illegal under Dutch gambling law. Regulators cited risks from election-related markets — including potential influence on voter behaviour and broader social and financial harm — and said prior outreach produced no visible corrective measures. The Ksa issued a formal penalty order requiring an immediate cessation or application for a Dutch gambling licence; failure to comply would trigger weekly fines of €420,000 (with a reported maximum cumulative penalty of €840,000) and possible turnover-based sanctions pending further investigation. The enforcement pauses Polymarket’s Netherlands operations and underscores escalating regulatory scrutiny of blockchain-based betting and prediction platforms across Europe. For crypto traders: expect potential access restrictions for Dutch users, increased regulatory risk for prediction-market tokens and platforms, and greater legal uncertainty that could reduce liquidity and sentiment around products tied to event-based contracts.

Three major South Korean exchanges — Upbit, Bithumb and Coinone — have temporarily suspended IOTX deposits and withdrawals following alerts of a potential security incident in the IoTeX network. Each exchange cited the need to investigate vulnerabilities in deposit/withdrawal mechanisms; spot trading of IOTX (KRW and crypto pairs) remains active. The coordinated halt likely stems from shared threat intelligence or similar internal detections and aims to protect user assets while teams audit node configurations, transaction finality and any smart-contract or protocol risks. The pause triggered an immediate 8–12% short-term drop in IOTX price on global markets, though Korean exchange volumes stayed active, indicating position adjustments rather than panic selling. Exchanges will resume transfers only after the IoTeX core team and exchange engineers verify fixes and network stability; timelines range from 24 hours to several days depending on findings. Traders should note that custody remains reportedly secure, but deposit/withdrawal limitations can affect liquidity, arbitrage, and ability to move holdings off-exchange until services are restored.

The stablecoin market added $703 million in net supply over the past week as traders increased allocations to fiat-pegged tokens amid heightened on-chain activity. Notable stablecoins contributed to the inflows, supporting deeper liquidity for USD-pegged trading pairs. Meanwhile, BlackRock’s BUIDL token jumped about 36% during the same period following renewed investor interest and trading volume spikes tied to ETF-related narratives and token-specific developments. Overall crypto market sentiment showed selective risk-on behavior: stablecoins absorbed fresh capital while specific altcoins—led by BlackRock’s offering—outperformed. Key metrics: +$703M stablecoin supply week-over-week and +36% price move for BUIDL. Implications for traders include improved USD liquidity, potential tightening of stablecoin yields, and short-term momentum opportunities in tokens showing ETF or institutional flow correlations.

Crypto analyst CryptoBull posted a technical outlook on XRP (XRP) using a 4-hour Bitstamp chart, arguing the token is completing a retest and approaching the apex of a falling wedge pattern. The chart shows a descending resistance line converging on a horizontal support level, with successive lower highs and repeated tests of the support. CryptoBull interprets the tightening range as the end of the retest phase and expects an imminent upside breakout, though no price target was given. Community responses were mixed: some users urged a wider timeframe to confirm a reversal, others warned of further consolidation, and a few criticized XRP’s fundamentals. CryptoBull defended XRP’s fundamentals, citing Ripple’s past acquisitions. The report is a technical read suggesting near-term bullish potential but remains subject to broader trend context and market sentiment. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

A long-dormant Bitcoin wallet moved 1,000 BTC (≈$67.6M) to the Bitfinex exchange, creating an unrealized profit of roughly $38.35M. Onchain Lens flagged the transfer on April 10, 2025; the wallet had been inactive since early 2020 and originally acquired coins from Bitstamp and FTX. Traders flagged the Bitfinex deposit as notable because large exchange inflows from multi-year dormant wallets can signal potential selling, rebalancing, OTC execution, or use as margin for derivatives. The whale’s choice of Bitfinex suggests a search for deep liquidity to execute large orders. Market response was muted with only minor price moves at the time of reporting. Analysts cautioned that a single deposit is not a definitive sell signal — follow-up indicators matter more: additional exchange inflows, visible sell pressure on order books, spikes in funding rates, changes in derivatives open interest, and correlated macro news. For traders: monitor Bitfinex order books, exchange flow dashboards, funding rates, and on-chain alerts for further transfers or concentrated sell-side activity. Historical precedents show dormant-wallet awakenings can increase short-term volatility but do not always produce sustained downward pressure if buy-side liquidity absorbs the supply.

Unstoppable Domains in 2026 positions itself as a Web3 naming and identity layer that maps human-readable domains to wallet addresses, profile data and app metadata. The platform aims to reduce address errors and unify profiles across wallets and dapps, while expanding into tokenized DNS — a bridge that attaches onchain ownership and composability to existing DNS domains. Key benefits include improved payment UX, portable profiles, and brand-friendly DNS bridging. Main constraints are inconsistent compatibility across wallets and exchanges, new phishing and transfer risks, and additional complexity introduced by tokenizing DNS governance and lifecycle (renewals, dispute handling). Traders and users should evaluate domain support in their actual wallets and apps, review transfer and recovery mechanisms, and weigh acquisition versus ongoing renewal or operational costs. Overall, Unstoppable Domains is most useful for frequent crypto senders, creators seeking cross-app identity, teams needing portable profiles, and brands bridging Web2 and Web3. Its strategic push toward tokenized DNS may increase interest from enterprises, but adoption depends on integration breadth and security practices.

Ethereum (ETH) has formed what analyst Ali Martinez calls a bullish flag, but crucially the pattern is inverted — reflecting an ongoing downtrend that recently compressed into a tighter range. Martinez warns the setup could still resolve to lower prices, potentially driving ETH below local lows near $1,400. Other market commentators, including Daan Crypto Trades, note 2026 has started worse for ETH than 2025, though historically March–May tends to be a stronger period for ETH. Spot ETH ETFs saw net outflows of about $113 million last week, signaling short-term institutional weakness, while BitMine (Tom Lee–affiliated) continued heavy accumulation, buying 45,759 ETH last week and holding 4,371,497 ETH (average cost ~$3,820), leaving it deeply underwater. Key takeaways for traders: ETH price structure shows compressed volatility with a risky inverted bull-flag that can break lower; ETF outflows add selling pressure; large institutional accumulation is ongoing but at high average cost. Traders should watch the $2,000 resistance and $1,400 support levels, monitor ETF flows, and look for confirmation of a breakout direction before taking sizable positions.

Five altcoins have posted strong year-to-date gains despite Bitcoin trading down ~23% in 2026, driven by project-specific catalysts and institutional interest. KITE (Kite) leads with +165% YTD on momentum from its AI-agent plumbing, imminent Kite AI mainnet on Avalanche and rising on-chain whale activity ahead of a PoAI consensus activation. STABLE (STABLE) is up ~117% as governance/yield layers for compliant stablecoins capture institutional liquidity and tokenized RWA yields via Morpho and LayerZero integrations. MORPHO (Morpho) gained ~46% following a cooperation agreement allowing Apollo Global Management to acquire up to 90 million tokens and anticipation for Morpho V2’s external risk pricing. DCR (Decred) is +45% YTD, benefiting from renewed demand for hybrid PoW/PoS, privacy and decentralized governance amid regulatory scrutiny of centralized event contracts and prediction markets. ZRO (LayerZero) has risen ~31% after announcing a new Layer 1 blockchain (Zero) with a modular design claiming up to 2 million TPS and strategic backing from Citadel Securities and ARK Invest, plus Google Cloud integration for AI micropayments. Key market takeaways for traders: the rally is concentrated in utility-focused and institutional-facing projects rather than broad-risk altcoins; watch for whale movement, institutional token acquisitions, mainnet launches, and protocol upgrades as near-term price drivers; increased institutional involvement may reduce volatility for some tokens but can also cause concentrated flows and sharper drawdowns if sentiment shifts. This article is informational and not financial advice.

New research from Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards models a “Quantum Discount Factor” that reduces Bitcoin’s fair value due to the future risk that quantum computing (Q-Day) could break Bitcoin’s cryptography. Edwards aggregates expert probability estimates of Q-Day and assumes a realistic 2‑year window to upgrade Bitcoin’s protection (1–3 years range). Using these inputs, the study estimates a roughly 20% fair-value discount in 2026 attributable to quantum risk, rising to nearly 40% in 2027, about 60% in 2028 and roughly 75% in 2029 if no upgrade occurs. The research highlights that up to 30% of BTC supply (addresses with exposed public keys) could be at immediate risk of theft and liquidation if Q-Day arrives, which would severely undermine Bitcoin’s “trust the code” and hard‑money narratives. At the time of reporting, BTC traded around $67,700 and had been relatively flat. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, quantum computing, Q-Day, fair value discount. Secondary/semantic keywords: quantum risk, upgrade window, public-key exposure, market discount factor, BTC price impact.

Uzbekistan has granted its first official cryptocurrency mining license to NexaGrid, a private company registered in Tashkent that plans to build a mining facility in Romitan district, Bukhara region. The permit was issued by the National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP), the body responsible for enforcing crypto regulations and licensing. NexaGrid was founded in April 2025 with statutory capital of 600 million Uzbek sums (about $50,000); founders are Toymurod Sultonov (63% owner) and Makhmudjon Rozimurodov (37%). Regulations adopted by NAPP in 2023 set application requirements: dedicated compliant mining sites, technical specs and energy ratings for hardware, a list of cryptocurrencies to be mined and wallet addresses, and details on solar power installations or electricity supply agreements. Companies connecting to the public grid must install separate meters. Hidden mining and minting of anonymous assets are prohibited. Applications undergo a 15-day fee-free review; permits are electronic QR-coded certificates valid for five years and may be suspended or revoked for violations. The licensing ends months of uncertainty and positions Uzbekistan to enter Central Asia’s growing Bitcoin mining industry, where neighbors such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan already operate. The move could encourage infrastructure investment in renewable-backed mining (solar) and create greater regulatory transparency for miners in the region.

Polygon (POL) reached a deflationary milestone by burning 100 million POL tokens. At press time POL traded around $0.108, up ~4% on the day, and flipped the EMA20 — signaling short-term bullish momentum — while daily trading volume rose ~17%. Network metrics show daily fees and revenue stabilized above $200k, with app fees over $500k, suggesting increased on-chain activity. Technical indicators: Stochastic RSI made a bullish crossover and rose to ~88, indicating strong upside momentum but with the signal line implying notable seller presence. Immediate resistance sits at the EMA20/EMA50 near $0.11 and a target of $0.12 if buyers secure a daily close above those levels; failure could see a pullback toward $0.106. Despite the burn, inflation metrics remain elevated: Stock-to-Flow Ratio fell to ~8.6 and Exchange Supply Ratio reached a monthly high (~0.003), signaling increased supply on exchanges and heightened selling pressure. Traders should weigh the bullish short-term momentum and burn milestone against persistent inflation and elevated exchange flows when sizing positions and setting stop levels.

Bitcoin mining difficulty rose about 15% to 144.4 trillion on Feb 20 after recovering from an earlier ~11% drop caused by severe US winter storms that halved US hashrate. The storm forced many facilities to power down or curtail operations, reducing US mining hashrate from nearly 400 EH/s to about 198 EH/s. Bitcoin’s protocol adjusts difficulty every 2,016 blocks (~two weeks) to keep block times near ten minutes; the initial hashrate fall produced a downward adjustment and the subsequent return of capacity produced the 15% rebound. Higher difficulty strengthens network security but raises miners’ costs per block and squeezes margins, particularly in high-energy-cost environments. Some US miners monetized outages through demand-response and flexible power contracts, selling power back to grids and earning outsized short-term revenue—LM Funding America reported demand-response income that exceeded a quarter of typical quarterly revenue in one weekend. The episode highlights the United States’ dominant role in global mining (over one-third of global hashrate per Cambridge data), the structural risk from geographic concentration, and miners’ growing role as flexible grid participants. Key metrics: difficulty 144.4T, prior ~11% decline, hashrate fell from ~400 EH/s to ~198 EH/s, adjustment interval 2,016 blocks. Primary keywords: Bitcoin mining difficulty, hashrate, mining margins, US miners, demand response.

Google Trends recorded a spike in searches for “Bitcoin is dead,” reaching post-FTX highs as Bitcoin traded near the upper end of its cycle range. The surge in negative sentiment circulated widely among traders and social channels even while BTC hovered near key support levels. On-chain data showed a whale moved 11,318 BTC to Binance—about 60% of its holdings—and later converted out USDT via multiple addresses while leaving some BTC on the exchange. Derivatives data (Coinglass) reported over $70 million in Bitcoin liquidations in the prior 24 hours, pointing to pressure from leveraged positions rather than broad spot selling. BTC traded around $68,175 at the time, down about 2% on the week. Open interest rose from ~$19.54B to ~$20.71B with funding rates turning positive, and spot Bitcoin ETFs logged five straight weeks of net outflows. Technical support clusters identified near $67,300, $66,500, $65,300 and a deeper level near $60,800, suggesting tight downside buffer beneath current prices. Key takeaways for traders: elevated leverage and whale flows increase short-term volatility risk; continued ETF outflows indicate weak institutional demand; monitor support bands and funding/open-interest trends for potential squeeze or deeper correction signals.

During intense crypto volatility and liquidation cascades, traders increasingly turn to AI tools as a “second screen” to compress information, restore context, and slow impulsive reactions. The author cites MEXC usage data since August 2025 — 2.35 million users, 10.8 million interactions, average daily active users around 93,000 and a single-day peak near 157,000 — with conversational bots seeing the largest share of activity. Rather than pure prediction, traders value AI for fast summaries, noise filtering, and clear signals that reduce cognitive overload during stress. Widespread use of interpretation-focused AI affects market structure: high-quality context may reduce herding, while poor or opaque AI outputs can amplify correlated behavior and systemic risk. The piece argues exchanges will be judged not only on liquidity and fees but also on their ability to orient users under stress. The next phase should emphasize accountability and provenance — showing sources, distinguishing confirmed facts from inference, and avoiding authoritative forecasts that encourage over-delegation. As AI becomes the realtime translation layer for speed, its role in shaping crowd understanding makes governance, monitoring, and transparency critical to market stability.