Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said during a livestream that he has lost more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency but will not cash out. Hoskinson denied pursuing crypto for personal profit, saying he turned down questionable opportunities and prioritized integrity over access or influence. He urged the community to endure continued market “red days,” focus on collaboration, and keep building. Despite the downturn, he expressed optimism about Cardano’s infrastructure, governance and commercialization prospects, citing ongoing development on projects including Hydra, Leios and Midnight. Hoskinson also praised peers such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko. Key facts: Hoskinson claimed losses > $3 billion; reiterated long-term commitment to Cardano (ADA) and its roadmap; encouraged developers and investors to weather short-term market weakness.

Bitcoin faces renewed downside pressure as price hovers near $70,000 amid accelerating sell flows from short-term holders (STH). On-chain analysis from CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost shows exchange inflows approaching ~60,000 BTC in the past 24 hours — the largest daily influx so far this year — driven largely by STHs realizing losses (coins moved below acquisition cost). These inflows raise sell-side liquidity and heighten downside risk. Long-term holders (LTH) remain largely inactive and have not meaningfully distributed, suggesting the core supply is still being held. Technically, BTC lost momentum after a rejection from the $120k–$125k region and has broken below short- and mid-term moving averages; the $70k zone is now a key support. A sustained break below $70k could expose $60k–$62k. Volume has risen during the selloff, indicating active distribution rather than a low-liquidity dip. Possible near-term outcomes include a relief bounce if selling exhausts, consolidation while demand rebuilds, or deeper correction if inflows continue and macro liquidity tightens. Traders should watch exchange inflows, SOPR stabilization, selling volume, and accumulation signals for bottom confirmation.

Asian stock markets fell sharply as a global technology selloff extended into the region. Korea’s KOSPI led losses, down about 1.7%, while a regional tech index dropped roughly 2.4% as major chip names declined (Samsung Electronics -1.2%, SK Hynix -0.2%). Software and IT shares plunged worldwide after Anthropic launched Cowork productivity tools for lawyers, stoking AI disruption fears; global software valuations lost over $1 trillion and the Nasdaq 100 recorded its worst three-day stretch since April. Japan’s TIS plunged 16%, Trend Micro -7%, and Indian IT names TCS and Infosys fell over 7%. Southeast Asia’s largest market, Indonesia, slumped over 2% after Moody’s cut the country’s credit outlook to negative; the rupiah weakened to 16,885 per dollar. Foreign investors have pulled roughly $1bn from Indonesian equities so far in 2025, and MSCI flagged a potential downgrade to frontier-market status. Other regional moves: Singapore -0.7%, Thailand +0.5%; South Korean won weakened to ~1,470.6/dollar. Traders cited de-risking after stretched tech positioning and concerns about AI-driven disruption to software and IT services. Key implications for traders: heightened volatility in tech-linked assets, potential continued outflows from Indonesian markets, and greater sensitivity to AI news and sovereign outlook changes.

Bitcoin is trading near the critical $60,000 support after a period of sideways action and renewed selling pressure. Analysts identify the $58,500–$60,500 zone and the 200-day moving average as key technical levels; a decisive bounce could target $72,000, while a daily close below ~$59,000 risks a drop toward $52,000. On-chain data suggests long-term holders are not selling; short-term speculators are the primary sellers. Derivatives have cooled — funding rates are neutral — and RSI is nearing oversold on the daily timeframe, indicating potential for a short-term relief bounce. Meanwhile, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), a Bitcoin Layer-2 integrating the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), has raised $31.2M in its presale with the token priced at $0.0136752. The project claims sub-second finality and SVM-based smart contracts while using Bitcoin L1 for settlement. On-chain activity shows several large wallets accumulating during the presale. Risks for $HYPER include regulatory uncertainty, presale liquidity risk, and execution delays. Traders are advised to watch volume and daily closes around $60K, reclaim of $64,200–65,500 (50-day EMA), and funding/futures flows; spot buyers should be patient, while active traders should monitor liquidity spikes and potential short squeezes. This article is informational and not financial advice.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that a wave of Layer-2 (L2) and EVM-compatible chains built on a “copy-paste” model is harming Ethereum’s long-term security and scalability. He criticized projects that reuse templates, add superficial optimistic bridges with long withdrawal delays, or leverage the Ethereum brand without real technical integration. Buterin said mainnet scaling will continue through 2026, reducing the need for new first-layer networks, and urged builders to pursue meaningful technical differentiation: privacy, app-specific efficiency, ultra-low latency execution, AI-friendly throughput, or app chains that keep issuance and settlement on Ethereum while moving execution off-chain. He described two acceptable models: rollups (off-chain execution with on-chain settlement) and institutional systems that publish cryptographic proofs on Ethereum and clearly disclose their trust assumptions. Buterin emphasized that projects should align marketing claims with technical reality — “vibes should match substance.” For traders, the guidance signals reduced long-term demand for copycat L2 tokens and stronger value accrual for genuine rollups and projects that meaningfully inherit Ethereum security.

Quack AI will co-host an early-morning side event, “0xU – Quack AI The Campus: AI & Web3 Builders,” on February 12, 2026 at HKUST during Consensus Hong Kong. Co-organized with the 0xU Hong Kong Blockchain Club, the builder-focused meeting runs 06:00–10:00 UTC and targets engineers, researchers and startup teams working at the intersection of AI and Web3. Agenda highlights include autonomous agents, Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (ZKML), privacy-preserving cryptography and practical system design for hybrid AI–Web3 platforms. The event features curated networking in a Curation Room, presentations from selected speakers and participation from industry figures such as Bitget CEO Gracy Chen. Sponsors and partners include Bitget, Noos Protocol, Piggycell, Ave.ai and ELLIPAL, with Bitcoin World as media partner. Organizers emphasize academic engagement by hosting the session at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, leveraging Hong Kong’s pro–Web3 regulatory environment and the global draw of CoinDesk’s Consensus conference. The gathering aims to accelerate collaboration between AI and Web3 developer communities, explore technical roadmaps for ZKML and autonomous agents, and foster practical solutions that could drive product development in decentralized AI and blockchain applications.

XRP fell roughly 17% in a single trading day, marking its steepest one-day decline since 2025. The rapid drop triggered approximately $46 million in leveraged long liquidations, exacerbating downward pressure. The sell-off followed heightened volatility in XRP markets, with large margin positions concentrated on exchanges contributing to cascade liquidations. Traders reported a sharp increase in short-term selling and stop-loss triggers across major derivatives platforms. The event underscores elevated leverage risk in XRP derivatives, amplifying price moves during sudden sentiment shifts. Key statistics: ~17% intraday decline and ~$46M in long liquidations. Market participants should monitor derivatives funding rates, open interest, exchange order books, and on-chain flows for potential further pressure or recovery signals.

LBank, a global cryptocurrency exchange, announced cumulative tokenized U.S. stocks trading volume has exceeded $15 billion. According to LBank and xStocks Dune Analytics data, spot trading volume for xStocks is over $3.4 billion (a 13.3% increase since Jan 16) while U.S. stocks futures volume has surpassed $12 billion (a 90% increase since Jan 10). LBank reports its xStocks spot market sustains a daily average above $25 million—ranking first among centralized exchanges—and offers 45 futures pairs with up to 50× leverage. The exchange has launched trading incentives including daily $1,000 and weekly $2,000 prizes and highlights ongoing product expansion and infrastructure improvements. LBank positions the milestone as evidence of growing demand for tokenized equities and its role bridging traditional finance and crypto. The announcement is a sponsored press release and not investment advice.

Jefferies’ research finds no clear cryptocurrency market bottom as of early 2025. The investment bank reports a roughly 40% drop in trading volumes from 2024 peaks, a significant contraction in derivatives open interest, eight consecutive weeks of net outflows from institutional crypto products, and rising exchange reserves—signals of persistent selling pressure. Jefferies attributes continued downside to global risk-off sentiment driven by restrictive central bank policies, geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory divergence, and higher correlation with tech stocks. Historical cycle comparisons (2018–2019, 2022–2023) show the current decline is shorter so far but deeper than some prior phases, suggesting more time may be required to reach a sustainable bottom. Despite the bleak near-term view, Jefferies highlights long-term positives: maturing regulation (e.g., MiCA), improved institutional-grade custody and trading infrastructure, and ongoing traditional financial institution engagement. The bank expects recoveries to be led by projects with clear revenue models, sustainable token economics, real-world utility, and demonstrated institutional adoption. Traders should monitor liquidity metrics, institutional flows, exchange reserves, and fundamentals for early recovery signals. This analysis is informational, not trading advice.

Messari’s “State of XRP Ledger” Q4 2025 report shows strong institutional uptake of XRP products and growth in XRPL real-world assets (RWAs), alongside wider market weakness. Key findings: RLUSD stablecoin market cap on the XRP Ledger rose 164.2% QoQ to $234.9M (48.8% growth on Ethereum to $1.04B; combined $1.28B). Distributed RWAs on XRPL reached an all-time market cap of $2.2812B, up 37% QoQ. Major US spot XRP ETFs launched in Q4 2025 (including Canary Capital, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Bitwise, 21Shares) amassed over $1B AUM within four weeks and held 789.8M XRP (1.3% of circulating supply) by Jan 28. Positive on-chain metrics: average daily transactions rose 3.1% to 1.83M. Negatives: XRP circulating supply reported down 34.5% QoQ to 111.6B (from 170.3B), price fell 35.4% in Q4 from $2.85 to $1.84 (trading near $1.20 at publication), daily generated fees dropped 74.1% to $133,100, active addresses fell 8.2% to 49,000, and new addresses declined 4.9% to 425,400. RLUSD continued expanding to $1.49B total market cap per RWA.xyz. The report signals meaningful institutional flows into XRP products and XRPL RWAs, but broader network activity and token price contracted amid a weak quarter for crypto.

Pump.fun has acquired Solana-origin project Vyper and will migrate Vyper’s infrastructure and team into its Terminal trading platform to strengthen memecoin trading tools, speed execution and expand EVM-focused cross-chain compatibility. Vyper will be phased out as a standalone product from Feb 10, 2026; select features (private key export, wallet tracking data, configuration tools) will be retained during migration. Existing Vyper users are offered a limited-time 90% cashback on Terminal fees for the first month after migration. The acquisition follows Pump.fun’s earlier purchases (Padre → Terminal, Kolscan) and the launch of Pump Fund, and aims to reduce tooling fragmentation while improving execution quality on EVM chains such as Base. Pump.fun said integrating Vyper will materially improve EVM support and multi-chain liquidity, targeting high-frequency memecoin trading. The announcement coincided with a surge of interest in the PUMP token, with reported daily volume near $366 million. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bybit and Block Scholes released a joint derivatives analytics report after Bitcoin slid to a 15-month low, finding that derivatives markets show cautious stability despite heavy spot losses. Key findings: about $500bn of total crypto market cap was wiped since late January; Bitcoin fell roughly 40% from a $126,000 peak and briefly dipped below $70,000; liquidations surged and open interest in BTC perpetual futures fell from ~$5bn to $3.6bn, indicating reduced leverage. Options demand has shifted to short-dated protection, but implied volatility (~50% for short/mid-dated contracts) remains below realized volatility and far lower than 2022 bear-market spikes. Put-call skew and downside premiums have risen but are well short of prior extremes, resembling the 2021 mid-cycle correction more than a sustained bear market. Bybit analyst Han Tan noted bears capitalised on catalysts to pressure prices and that sentiment is risk-off despite strong equities and metals. The report concludes derivatives pricing suggests traders expect limited prolonged turbulence rather than a deep, long-lasting crypto winter. The full Bybit x Block Scholes report is available for download.

MicroStrategy reported a Q4 net loss of $12.6 billion driven primarily by unrealized losses on its large Bitcoin holdings. CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin would need to decline about 90% to roughly $8,000 and remain at that level for 5–6 years before the company’s Bitcoin reserves would equal its net debt and threaten its ability to repay convertible notes—forcing restructuring, equity issuance, or new debt. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor reiterated the firm’s long-term, buy-and-hold strategy, calling quarterly price swings normal and survivable given the company’s capital structure. Saylor also flagged quantum computing as a real but distant risk (roughly a decade away) and announced a new “Bitcoin Security Program” to coordinate work on quantum-resistant upgrades and broader crypto security. CFO Andrew Kang emphasized the accounting reality that fair-value marking of crypto holdings creates large reported volatility, but maintained the company’s commitment to its strategy.

Binance’s SAFU (user protection) fund is converting a $1 billion stablecoin reserve into Bitcoin over a 30‑day plan and has continued accumulation. On‑chain tracker Arkham reports an additional purchase of 3,600 BTC (≈$233M), bringing the SAFU address balance to about 6,230 BTC (≈$403M). Earlier reports show prior tranches totaling ~2,630 BTC bought across Feb 2–4, executed gradually to limit market impact. Binance says it will top up BTC if the fund’s value falls below $800M, targeting a roughly $1B reserve. The shift from fiat‑backed stablecoins to BTC reduces counterparty stablecoin risk and signals a strategic, market‑supportive stance by a major exchange. For traders: this creates structural demand and reduces available on‑chain BTC liquidity, implying potential support/floor narratives tied to Binance’s reserve policy. However, effective price impact depends on the pace of further buys, execution strategy, market depth, and broader macro conditions. Primary keywords: Binance, SAFU, Bitcoin, BTC, stablecoin reserve. Secondary keywords: Arkham, liquidity, market support, risk management.

Elon Musk’s hint about sending Dogecoin to the moon produced only a brief 4% intraday spike before DOGE erased gains and extended a decline that culminated in a 10.87% 24‑hour drop to about $0.0909. Trading volume rose during the sell‑off, indicating genuine selling pressure. Analysts say the token is testing critical support in the $0.08–$0.09 zone and that a break below the $0.10 psychological level could accelerate panic selling. Technicals are firmly bearish: DOGE trades below major exponential moving averages (20 EMA ≈ $0.1199, 50 EMA ≈ $0.1304, 100 EMA ≈ $0.1465, 200 EMA ≈ $0.1683) and the Parabolic SAR (~$0.1192) confirms downward momentum. A descending trendline near $0.12–$0.13 adds resistance. Meme tokens broadly underperformed with Shiba Inu also down roughly 9.5% in 24 hours. For traders: increased volume on the drop, layered EMA resistance, and psychological support tests suggest elevated short‑term downside risk unless strong buying volume reverses momentum.

Analysts warn Solana (SOL) has confirmed a head-and-shoulders reversal on higher time frames after losing a key support band. Market analyst Alex Clay identified a completed head-and-shoulders setup with a measured target around $42, noting the neckline break shifted structure lower and flipped prior support into overhead resistance. Another analyst, CryptoUB, mapped a near-term bounce zone in the low $100s before a subsequent move toward roughly $75, highlighting a lower demand area in the mid-$70s and successive lower highs since the late-2025 peak. Both analyses point to a bearish bias while SOL trades below the reclaimed level and outside the 2024 uptrend channel. Key takeaways for traders: primary downside target near $42 if the head-and-shoulders plays out; possible short-term relief rally into the low $100s that could offer tactical short entries or profit-taking opportunities; watch for rejection at the flipped support-turned-resistance and monitor demand zones around $75–$80 for potential buy-side interest. Primary keywords: Solana, SOL price prediction, head and shoulders, support, resistance.

SlowMist, a blockchain security firm, is participating in Consensus Hong Kong 2026 Week to emphasize on-chain financial security. The firm will present its research, share best practices in smart contract auditing, incident response, and threat intelligence, and engage with protocol developers, institutional players, and security teams. SlowMist aims to promote better security hygiene, highlight common vulnerabilities exploited in DeFi and NFT projects, and showcase tools and services that reduce exploit risk. The company also plans to discuss collaboration frameworks between security auditors and exchanges, as well as proactive monitoring strategies to limit losses from hacks and rug pulls. The event attendance and technical sessions are positioned to strengthen trust among institutional investors and developers by reducing operational and custodial risk. Primary keywords: on-chain security, smart contract audit, DeFi exploits. Secondary keywords: incident response, threat intelligence, Consensus Hong Kong 2026, blockchain security.

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R‑WY) told U.S. banks to adopt stablecoins now rather than wait for stalled federal legislation, warning the CLARITY Act delay risks ceding competitive advantage to offshore players. Lummis argued stablecoins could modernize settlement rails and prevent “technological atrophy” if TradFi remains overly cautious. The regulatory slowdown coincides with increased retail risk-taking on chain: traders are rotating into high‑volatility meme and speculative assets. One such project, Maxi Doge (MAXI), has used a gym‑bro meme narrative and gamified holder incentives to attract retail and institutional interest. According to presale data cited in the article, Maxi Doge’s presale has raised about $4.5 million; Etherscan shows two large wallets recently bought over $600K combined, with a single purchase near $314K. The token operates on Ethereum PoS and claims supply controls and daily smart‑contract distributions for stakers. The article frames this as smart‑money accumulation ahead of expected downstream institutional liquidity, while warning that meme tokens remain high risk. Key stats: CLARITY Act delay (regulatory context), Maxi Doge presale ≈ $4.5M, whale buys >$600K (largest ≈ $314K), token price at time reported $0.0002802. Primary themes: stablecoin adoption push, regulatory delay, retail risk‑on migration, meme token whale accumulation.

Bitcoin plunged toward the $60,000 level during a global risk-asset sell-off on Feb 6, 2026, wiping significant value from the crypto market while BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (iShares Bitcoin Trust, IBIT) recorded an unprecedented single-day trading volume of about $10 billion. BTC fell roughly 15% intraday from about $73,100 to near $62,400, dragging total crypto market capitalization from over $3 trillion at end-January to roughly $2.16 trillion. IBIT — the largest spot BTC ETF with AUM near $56 billion — set a new daily volume record after previously peaking near $8 billion. The strong ETF trading contrasted with price declines, highlighting institutional activity amid panic selling. Major impacts included a sharp quarterly hit for Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), which reported roughly $17.4 billion in operating losses and a $12.6 billion net loss attributed mainly to unrealized BTC write-downs; its stock dropped steeply. Other market stress signals: broad altcoin weakness (XRP down ~25%), WBTC sales by an institutional address (World Liberty Finance selling 100 WBTC for USDC), and broader risk-off moves in equities and precious metals. For traders: elevated volatility, high ETF flow activity, and large unrealized losses at major holders increase liquidation and margin risk in the short term, while continued institutional appetite for spot ETFs may support longer-term demand. This is market information, not investment advice.

Ripple shuffled 534,000,000 XRP across four wallets within about three hours amid a fresh selling wave that pushed XRP to a 15-month low. On-chain trackers first recorded a 200M XRP transfer from rBg…91m to rJq…8nE, followed by a 100M XRP move to the same Ripple-controlled address, totalling 300M XRP routed to a central wallet. From that address, Ripple moved smaller tranches (20M and 15M XRP) and later re-routed 117M XRP to rnU…R5J, an address activated by Ripple in 2021. That 117M was then forwarded to rpx…ZY1, an address with no direct on-chain attribution to Ripple but previously linked to recent whale activity and large intra-XRP flows (including a 120M accumulation and part of 1.59B XRP shuffled since the start of the year). The transactions coincided with XRP collapsing to about $1.11 before a mild recovery to $1.29. The moves highlight continued Ripple-controlled circulation of large XRP reserves and possible coordination with persistent whale wallets, adding short-term bearish pressure on price amid heavy selling. (Keywords: Ripple, XRP, whale transfers, on-chain, price decline)

Bithumb, a major South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, has placed Blocery (BLY) on its delisting watchlist and suspended deposits for the token effective 07:00 UTC. Trading remains open for now while Bithumb conducts a review under its standard delisting protocol, which evaluates technical stability, trading volume, development activity and regulatory compliance. Blocery is a blockchain project focused on the food supply chain; BLY is its utility token. On-chain metrics (active addresses, transaction volume) and repo activity reportedly flagged potential weaknesses. Holders on Bithumb can still trade or withdraw BLY but cannot deposit new tokens. The watchlist period typically runs 30–45 days, giving the project time to remediate issues and respond to the exchange. The action reflects tighter South Korean regulation of VASPs and a broader industry trend toward stricter listing standards. Traders should review Bithumb’s official notice, consider withdrawing or rebalancing positions, and monitor Blocery’s communications. Key keywords: Bithumb, Blocery, BLY, delisting watchlist, deposit suspension, South Korea regulation.

Tether has invested $150 million to acquire a minority (≈12%) stake in Gold.com to accelerate tokenized-gold offerings and integrate Tether Gold (XAUt) into Gold.com’s marketplace and vault infrastructure. The partnership aims to broaden retail and institutional access, improve liquidity for gold-backed tokens, and simplify on- and off-ramps between fiat, USDT/USAT stablecoins and gold tokens. Tether and Gold.com are also exploring enabling customers to buy physical gold using USDT and USAT. The deal follows Tether’s prior $100 million investment in Anchorage and comes amid rising gold prices and growing institutional interest in asset-backed tokens. No changes to Tether’s USDT issuance policy were announced. Key trader takeaways: $150M minority stake, XAUt integration, potential USDT/USAT payment rails for physical gold, and increased capital/infrastructure support for tokenized-gold liquidity.

Jefferies says the recent crypto selloff shows little sign of an imminent market bottom, describing the downturn as a liquidity-driven, risk-off correction rather than a failure of blockchain fundamentals. Bitcoin (~$64.8k, ~47% below Oct 2025 peak) and Ether (~$1.9k, ~60% below cycle highs) have fallen sharply amid more than $2 billion in long liquidations. The bank flags selling by large bitcoin holders and persistent spot-ETF net outflows as near-term headwinds, while noting stable network activity, centralized-exchange volumes stabilizing, and selective corporate bitcoin accumulation. Jefferies expects longer-term catalysts—regulatory progress, infrastructure maturity and greater TradFi participation—to drive gains in revenue-linked tokens (tokens tied to blockchains that generate fees/revenue) rather than a broad market rebound. Key implications for traders: continued volatility from liquidity-driven flows and ETF rebalancing; potential divergence where revenue-generating tokens outperform; monitor ETF flows, large-holder selling, on-chain activity and regulatory developments for trade signals.

Bitcoin short-term holders and miners have sharply increased selling, raising near-term downside risk. Over the past 24 hours roughly 60,000 BTC (about $4.27 billion at the time) flowed into centralized exchanges — the largest single-day inflow in the current phase — with much moved at a loss. Miner reserves fell to about 1.80 million BTC over three days and Miner Selling Power rose to -5.4, signalling elevated miner outflows. Exchange netflows have also climbed, increasing readily available sell supply while market sentiment sits in "extreme fear" and liquidity is thin. At the time of reporting BTC traded around $71,000, ~44% below its all-time high. Traders should note the heightened capitulation risk: concentrated short-term selling, miner cash-outs and rising exchange reserves historically precede sharp pullbacks and extended bearish phases if demand remains weak.

Spain’s BBVA has joined a 12-bank European consortium that formed Qivalis, an Amsterdam-based joint venture created to issue a MiCAR-compliant euro-pegged stablecoin. The consortium — including ING, UniCredit, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, KBC, Danske Bank, SEB, Raiffeisen, DZ BANK, Banca Sella and DekaBank — launched in September 2025. Qivalis is seeking electronic money institution authorization from the Dutch Central Bank and targets a commercial launch in H2 2026 if approved. The project emphasizes strong solvency, governance and customer-protection standards, aiming to enable near-instant, 24/7 euro payments, faster cross-border settlement and bank-integrated programmable payment use cases (for example, automated trade finance and supplier payments). The initiative is positioned as a regulated European alternative to USD-dominated stablecoins; the article notes that US dollar stablecoins still dominate market caps (e.g., USDC > $70bn) while the largest euro stablecoin (EURC) remains relatively small (~$432m). BBVA brings prior digital-asset experience, including tokenization work and existing custody services, underscoring rising institutional interest in regulated fiat-linked tokens. Traders should watch regulatory approval timing, onboarding plans, and potential on-chain liquidity and custodial arrangements, as these will determine how quickly a euro stablecoin from Qivalis could affect euro-pegged liquidity and euro-denominated trading pairs.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz explained why institutional activity has largely remained off‑chain: compliance, counterparty risk and regulatory controls have prevented high‑value settlements on public ledgers. Schwartz acknowledged slow progress but said institutions are beginning to appreciate on‑chain operational and cost advantages. A key limitation today is the inability to guarantee that on‑ledger liquidity isn’t sourced from prohibited actors, making many regulated entities unwilling to route large payments through public decentralized exchanges — including some flows on the XRP Ledger. Schwartz pointed to permissioned domains (on‑chain features that restrict counterparties and liquidity sources) as a practical path to resolving compliance barriers and enabling large-scale institutional settlement. Software engineer Vincent Van Code framed these remarks as a bullish long‑term signal for XRP, suggesting that permissioned domains could unlock trillions in annual on‑chain volume with XRP positioned to capture meaningful share. The article frames the issue as infrastructural and regulatory rather than a lack of demand. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

A high-volume crypto options expiry on February 6 intensified market uncertainty and triggered steep losses. Roughly $2.5 billion of options expired, including about 34,000 BTC contracts (~$2.1bn nominal) and 217,000 ETH contracts (~$400m nominal). BTC put/call ratio was 0.59 (call-heavy) with maximum pain near $82,000 and large open interest clustered at $100k and $70k (~$1.1bn). ETH put/call was 1.15 (put-biased) with a max pain around $2,550 and total ETH options open interest near $7.1bn. The wider crypto market cap fell to $2.27 trillion — the lowest in 16 months — losing roughly $686 billion since the week began. Bitcoin fell below $60,000 and is down ~50% from its peak over four months; Ethereum briefly dipped below $1,800. Analysts warn that continued unwinding of high-leverage positions will likely keep volatility elevated and may prolong stagnation in altcoins. Key takeaway for traders: derivatives flows around major expiries can amplify directional moves; monitor open interest, put/call ratios, and max pain levels for BTC and ETH to anticipate short-term pressure and liquidation risks.

Quantitative trading firm TrendResearch transferred 20,000 ETH (≈$30 million at the time) into its Binance account to meet margin requirements and avoid forced liquidation of large leveraged Ethereum long positions. On-chain analyst ai_9684xtpa flagged the move; TrendResearch’s positions faced liquidation if ETH fell into a $1,509–$1,800 range, suggesting tiered entries or multiple leverage levels. The deposit acted as additional collateral to prevent automatic exchange liquidations that could have amplified sell pressure. Analysts note this as a clear example of institutional risk management: adding collateral on-exchange to preserve capital and stabilise markets in the short term. Key factors highlighted include market volatility, leverage ratios, exchange liquidation mechanics, and on-chain transparency that allows public tracking of whale activity. The event underscores rising institutional capital in crypto and the potential systemic impact of large forced liquidations observed in past episodes (e.g., 2021–2022 cascading liquidations). For traders, this reduces immediate downside pressure on ETH but signals that concentrated leveraged positions remain a tail risk for volatility.

Midnight (NIGHT), Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Monero (XMR) are drawing investor attention despite a broadly bearish crypto market. Midnight is advancing its roadmap toward a Q1 2026 “Kūkolu” phase focused on activating a secure mainnet, validators and enhanced privacy apps; on-chain indicators such as Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) point to reduced outflows. Hyperliquid’s decentralized derivatives platform has seen rising open interest and CMF above zero, signaling growing capital inflows and a rapid increase in open position sizes; its price shows low correlation with Bitcoin, suggesting independent momentum. Monero, after an ~30% correction over 11 days, shows declining selling pressure per the Money Flow Index (MFI); sustained demand is attributed to its privacy features and use-case-driven, non-speculative transactions. Analysts describe a market divergence where capital shifts toward projects with clear roadmaps, performance metrics and strong narratives — a “flight to quality.” For traders, these developments highlight potential short-term setups driven by improving inflows and decreasing selling pressure, while longer-term interest may persist for projects with tangible utility and privacy features. This is not investment advice; cryptocurrencies remain highly volatile.