Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bybit announced the launch of ESP/USDT perpetual pre‑market futures, with trading to begin at 10:10 a.m. UTC on February 10, 2025. The contract is a perpetual (no expiry) pre‑market futures designed to enable price discovery before a spot listing. Key specs: ticker ESPUSDT, contract value 1 ESP, margin in USDT, initial margin 5% (up to 20x leverage), maintenance margin 2.5%, funding every 8 hours, and minimum price increment 0.0001 USDT. Risk controls include auto‑deleveraging, an insurance fund, real‑time position monitoring and per‑tier position limits. Bybit says the timing targets Asian and European sessions to maximize liquidity; the listing follows internal legal and risk reviews and aligns with derivatives standards and recent global regulatory frameworks (e.g., MiCA). Traders should expect elevated volatility during initial sessions because pre‑market pricing leans on expectations rather than spot liquidity. The launch expands Bybit’s derivatives offering and may accelerate ESP’s market discovery ahead of potential spot listings, creating short‑term trading opportunities and arbitrage possibilities for sophisticated traders.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a decentralized lending protocol, remains in its Phase 7 presale at $0.04 after raising roughly $20.46 million and attracting about 19,100 holders. The project has a planned total supply of 4 billion MUTM and has sold ~17% of the 180 million allocation for this phase. V1 of the protocol is live on the Sepolia testnet, supporting ETH, USDT, WBTC and LINK with lending/borrowing, mtTokens (deposit shares), borrower debt tokens, a Stability Factor for liquidation management, and an automated liquidator — enabling live testing of core functionality. Security credentials include a Halborn audit, a 90/100 CertiK score and a $50,000 bug bounty. The team proposes revenue-driven buybacks that redistribute protocol revenue to buy MUTM and reward mtToken stakers, a mechanism designed to create buy pressure as usage grows. Presale pricing offers a 50% discount vs the planned public launch price of $0.06; some presale allocation examples in published commentary highlight potential upside at various listing scenarios. Analysts have published optimistic long-term price targets contingent on roadmap delivery and Layer‑2 integrations. Key trading considerations for traders: attractive presale discount and whale accumulation make MUTM a notable speculative entry, but risks include presale liquidity, lock-up/vesting terms, execution risk at mainnet, and overall market conditions. This article is a sponsored release and not investment advice. Primary keywords used: Mutuum Finance, MUTM, presale, DeFi lending, buyback.

CoinShares data shows XRP led weekly digital-asset ETP inflows with $63.1M (week), standing out amid a broader crypto sell-off that pushed Bitcoin ETPs to $264.4M in outflows. Earlier-week CoinShares numbers cited by other analysts reported even larger institutional XRP inflows (around $70M), underscoring consistent demand. Ethereum and Solana recorded modest inflows ($5.3M and $8.2M), while longer-period figures indicate institutions are reallocating capital rather than exiting crypto wholesale. Market commentary attributes XRP’s strength to growing institutional and retail allocation toward altcoins with clear utility — notably cross-border payments and DeFi activity on the XRP Ledger (recently ~1.88M payments). Traders view the flows as a rotation from headline-driven Bitcoin exposure into selective, high-conviction, liquidity-rich altcoins like XRP. For traders, this suggests potential short-term bullish pressure on XRP (XRP) as portfolio rebalances increase demand, while Bitcoin (BTC) faced near-term outflows; monitor ETP flow updates, on-chain activity, and liquidity conditions to time entries and manage risk.

USBC has pivoted from Know Labs’ medtech roots to a tokenized bank-deposit and Bitcoin-treasury model, partnering with Vast Bank and Uphold for issuance, onboarding and network operations. The project remains pre-launch, with commercialization dependent on regulatory approval, technical execution, and partner exclusivity terms. USBC reported about $8.8M in cash versus a $12.4M annual burn (roughly 2.8 quarters of runway excluding Bitcoin assets). The company’s valuation appears rich after adjusting for recent Bitcoin declines; price/book near 3.5 versus sector median ~2.8. Key risks for traders: regulatory uncertainty around stablecoin/tokenized deposits, execution and integration challenges with Vast Bank/Uphold, liquidity constraints if launches slip, and continued Bitcoin price volatility affecting treasury value. Implications for trading: expect heightened share and token volatility tied to Bitcoin moves, regulatory headlines, and any progress or setbacks in the Vast Bank–Uphold rollout. Recommendation in the source report: Hold — bullish potential exists but is contingent on flawless execution and regulatory clearance.

A crypto analyst known as XRP Captain highlighted a historical Fibonacci extension on XRP’s 2017 chart and suggested that repeating that 2.168 extension could push XRP to about $46. Current XRP trades near $1.44, with monthly Fibonacci support levels at 0.618 ($0.95), 0.786 ($1.32) and 1.0 ($2.00). Intermediate extensions cited include 1.272 at $3.39 and 1.618 at $6.63, which are potential checkpoints before the 2.168 extension target. The projection is purely technical, based on repeating past price patterns and Fibonacci levels; the analyst notes XRP has respected these levels historically. The article stresses consolidation between the 0.786 and 1.272 levels and lower volatility, which could precede a strong run if buying pressure returns. Disclaimer: this is not financial advice.

Reya launched a decentralized derivatives exchange built on a new ’Based Rollup’ layer‑2 architecture that it says achieves sub‑0.1 millisecond transaction latency. The platform combines Ethereum sequencing with off‑chain execution and proprietary ZK (zero‑knowledge) circuits that batch thousands of trades into single proofs verified on Ethereum. Reya targets institutional traders with features including cross‑margin (claimed up to 5x capital efficiency), API‑first professional interfaces, zero maker fees with taker minimals, and support for 70+ markets. Reported metrics include $1.5 billion daily volume and $60 billion cumulative volume. Reya plans a Token Generation Event in the last week of March with a $300 million fully diluted valuation; the token will grant governance rights and fund liquidity mining and ecosystem development. The project emphasizes on‑chain verifiability, independent security audits, circuit redundancy and transparent proofs to reduce sequencer centralization and opaque execution risks. If the claims hold, the platform could enable high‑frequency and institutional arbitrage strategies previously limited to centralized venues, potentially shifting liquidity toward specialized L2 derivatives venues.

TIA is in a dominant downtrend around $0.32, trading below EMA20 (~$0.39) with low-to-medium volume and an RSI near oversold (~31). Both analyses flag bearish market structure: lower highs/lows on weekly, negative MACD expansion, and a bearish Supertrend. Key support cluster: $0.3246 / $0.2971 with a critical inflection at $0.2693. Immediate resistances sit at $0.3428 and $0.3733; a higher resistance/target area near $0.547–0.618 is viewed as low-probability. ATR implies roughly 5–7% daily swings. Bull case: a confirmed close above $0.3733/$0.39 (EMA20) opens upside targets (~$0.537–$0.547) — trade only after close and volume confirmation. Bear case: a break and close below $0.2693 risks a deep drop (models cite an extreme target near $0.0210), making reward/risk poor for longs now. TIA shows high correlation to Bitcoin (~0.85); BTC weakness (notable supports cited between ~$72k, ~$68k and $62k in the notes) increases downside risk for TIA. Trader guidance: prioritize capital protection — avoid trading inside the $0.27–$0.32 no-trade zone, limit position size (recommended 1–3% risk), use ATR-adjusted tight stops (examples: just below $0.3174 or 1–2×ATR) or trailing stops via Supertrend/EMA20, and confirm entries with candle closes and volume across timeframes. Leveraged positions carry elevated bounce and liquidation risk given oversold conditions. This summary is for informational purposes and not investment advice.

Derivatives expert Greg Magadini of Amberdata warns that Bitcoin has not yet entered a historical capitulation phase, suggesting further downside risk. Magadini highlights the 90‑day futures basis — the spread between futures and spot — as a key indicator. In the 2022 capitulation, 90‑day futures traded at about a 9% discount to spot; today the basis sits near a ~4% premium, comparable to risk‑free bond yields rather than distressed-market levels. Other derivatives metrics (elevated open interest, neutral-to-slightly-positive funding rates, balanced options skew, and limited liquidation volumes) point to cautious positioning rather than panic selling. Changes since 2022 — greater institutional ETF holdings, clearer regulatory frameworks and more mature derivatives markets — may mute extreme moves but could also alter or prolong bottoming processes. Magadini argues that without extreme basis widening and forced liquidations, a sustainable market bottom is unlikely. Traders should monitor basis, open interest, funding rates, options skew and liquidation flows for capitulation signals; macro or regulatory shocks and technical breakdowns could trigger further downside. This analysis is not trading advice.

Global crypto markets fell about 2% amid rising fears of a U.S. government shutdown, prompting short-term liquidity strain and risk-off behavior across major assets. Bitcoin (BTC) slipped below key support and Ethereum (ETH) tracked the decline as institutional desks de-risk ahead of the legislative deadline. On-chain data shows capital rotating from correlated majors into infrastructure-focused projects. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a Layer‑2 that runs the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) for high-speed smart contracts on top of Bitcoin, reported more than $31M raised in presale funding and notable whale accumulation (three wallets with >$1M, largest $500K on Jan 15, 2026). The protocol emphasizes using Bitcoin L1 for settlement and an SVM L2 for sub-second execution, a decentralized canonical bridge for trustless transfers, Rust-based dev tooling, and a staking model with immediate APY and a short 7-day vesting for presale stakers to limit post-launch sell pressure. The article frames HYPER as a “flight to utility” during macro-driven market weakness. Risk disclaimer: content is informational and not financial advice.

Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen 10.16% in January and a further 12.55% in February so far, creating the first back-to-back monthly losses threat in its recent history. Historically, February has often rebounded after a losing January (notable years: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022), placing this month under close scrutiny. Sentiment is deeply negative: the Crypto Fear & Greed Index hit 5 (record low) and BTC’s daily RSI dropped to around 15, indicating oversold conditions. Derivatives data show roughly $5.45 billion of short positions could be liquidated if BTC rises ~ $10,000, versus about $2.4 billion if BTC revisits $60,000 — creating asymmetric liquidation risk that could fuel a short squeeze. Technicals remain bearish: BTC trades well below the 50-day (~$87k) and 200-day (~$102k) moving averages, and CryptoQuant’s Price Z-Score is -1.6, suggesting extended consolidation is possible. Futures volumes still outpace spot, Binance taker buy-sell ratio is <1, and monthly net taker volume fell to -$272m, all signalling weak spot demand. Longer-term Fibonacci levels to watch are ~ $57k (0.618) and potential deeper support near $42k if bearish patterns persist. For traders: monitor key support ~$60k, resistance near moving averages, liquidation heatmaps (shorts around +$10k), fear/greed and RSI for potential mean-reversion trades, and spot buying demand to validate sustained recovery. This is informational, not financial advice.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is testing a critical support zone at $0.090–$0.09370 that will determine its medium-term structure. Holding $0.09370 preserves a bullish ‘higher low’ setup and opens technical targets at $0.12 and $0.20 by early 2026; a daily close below $0.088 would invalidate the reversal thesis and could push prices toward $0.06. On-chain data show wallet growth and selective accumulation even as volume reflects weak hands folding. Market liquidity is rotating toward narrative and high-leverage memecoins such as Maxi Doge ($MAXI), which has raised $4.58M in presale and attracted whale purchases (~$628K across two wallets). $MAXI markets itself to aggressive traders with leverage-focused competitions and a high-risk, high-reward profile. Traders should watch the $0.09370 support, RSI and volume for short-term signals, and monitor liquidity flow into presale narrative tokens that may draw speculative capital away from large-cap memecoins. This is not financial advice.

USD/CHF remains pressured below 0.7675 as markets await the upcoming US Retail Sales report. The pair shows a near-term bearish bias: resistance sits around 0.7700 while immediate support is near 0.7650 and a break could target 0.7600. Dollar weakness stems from softer Fed rate expectations, while the Swiss franc benefits from safe-haven demand and a measured Swiss National Bank stance that has reduced the certainty of intervention. Traders expect volatility on the Retail Sales release — headline monthly change, core retail sales and control group sales are key. Historically, surprises >0.5% have produced 50–80 pip intraday moves in USD/CHF. Correlations: USD/CHF often mirrors EUR/USD moves and inversely tracks gold; global risk-off flows typically strengthen CHF. Strategists are split: some see room for dollar-led rebound if US data surprises positively; others cite structural franc demand that could keep the pair capped. Risk management ahead of the print is advised — reduced sizes and wider stops — as positioning shows significant speculative USD/CHF short exposure that could provoke sharp short-covering if the data is dollar-positive.

Pi Network (PI) remains in a sustained downtrend after intensified selling in mid-January. Aggressive sell orders and rising trading volume drove a sharp mid-January decline and continued pressure into February, suggesting possible whale exits. Price has failed to stage a meaningful relief rally since early January. Current technical levels identify immediate support at $0.13 and resistance near $0.15–$0.20, with the latest analysis focusing on $0.13 (primary) and $0.15 (near-term cap). The daily RSI has been in oversold territory (below 30) since around January 20, signaling persistent bearish momentum but leaving open the potential for a short-term bounce if buy volume returns. Traders should monitor sell volume, RSI, and the $0.13 support for signs of stabilization or a break lower; a confirmed breakdown below $0.13 could lead to further downside, while a successful hold and rising volume would be needed to validate any reversal. Keywords: Pi Network price, PI price prediction, PI support and resistance, PI oversold.

A paid press release promotes APEMARS (APRZ) presale as a potential high-return altcoin opportunity during current market capitulation. The project is in Stage 7 at $0.00005576 with an intended listing price of $0.0055, implying a quoted 9,760% upside from the current stage. Organizers state over 6.1 billion tokens sold, $170,000+ raised and 800+ holders. The article draws parallels to early BNB and Cardano ICO entries to frame APEMARS as a missed-opportunity reversal for traders. Key selling points highlighted: community governance utility, staged progressive pricing that rewards early entry, limited token availability and an outlined roadmap. The release includes simple participation instructions (connect MetaMask/WalletConnect, contribute ETH/USDT) and a promotional illustrative return example (a $6,000 allocation at Stage 7 equating to ~107.6M tokens and a potential value of ~$591,800 at the target listing). The publisher labels the story as paid content and disclaims it is not investment advice. Primary keywords: APEMARS, APRZ, presale, top 100x crypto, presale Stage 7. Secondary/semantic keywords included for SEO: market capitulation, progressive pricing, community governance, token sale, presale ROI.

Gemini’s decision to exit the UK, EU and Australia to refocus on the US and Singapore has intensified scrutiny of the UK’s unfinished crypto rulebook. Industry figures— including Susie Violet Ward (Bitcoin Policy UK), Laura Navaratnam (Crypto Council for Innovation) and CoinJar CEO Asher Tan—warn that protracted rulemaking, overlapping regimes (AML registration, financial promotions rules, FCA consultations, and forthcoming prudential rules), and high compliance costs are deterring firms from building in the UK. The FCA is consulting on CP25/42, proposing a prudential regime with capital and liquidity requirements for trading platforms, staking and dealing activities; full authorization will be required during a five‑month gateway from Sept. 30, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2027, with the new regime due to take effect Oct. 25, 2027. Critics say unclear interaction between FCA stablecoin rules and the Bank of England’s systemic regime risks a “cliff edge” for firms. The article notes industry retrenchment is global (examples include Coinbase exits from some markets) and that firms weighing whether to remain in the UK must decide if committing resources to meet new standards is worth the opportunity. No financial figures from Gemini were disclosed; Gemini declined to comment when contacted.

LMAX Group has launched Omnia Exchange, a unified multi-asset trading venue that lets institutions trade FX, crypto, stablecoins and other digital assets directly against one another 24/7 with no size or type restrictions. Omnia supports settlement on traditional rails or instant blockchain settlement. The product aims to merge wholesale FX and digital-asset markets, reducing friction and unlocking liquidity for institutional participants. LMAX reported $8.2 trillion in institutional crypto trading volume last year and said Omnia expands on its LMAX Digital crypto-FX offering. CEO David Mercer called Omnia a foundation for a new capital markets paradigm. The announcement follows a recent LMAX partnership with Ripple to integrate RLUSD, underlining rising institutional use of stablecoins.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin reignited discussion about Ethereum’s role in artificial intelligence after replying on X to a suggestion he should “work on AGI.” He pointed followers to a prior post outlining four Ethereum–AI intersection areas: trustless/private AI interactions, Ethereum as an economic settlement layer for AI-to-AI transactions, AI-assisted onchain verification (the “mountain man” ideal of verifying everything onchain), and integrating crypto and AI perspectives to guide safer AGI development. Buterin framed Ethereum as more than DeFi and NFTs — as infrastructure that could enable censorship-resistant, transparent machine economies and improve onchain auditing and governance. The post contains no roadmap or product announcements but signals long-term research priorities and invites developers and researchers to explore Ethereum–AI use cases. Primary keywords: Ethereum, AI, AGI, Vitalik Buterin. Secondary/semantic keywords: onchain verification, economic layer, AI-to-AI transactions, smart-contract auditing. This note is relevant for traders because it highlights continued developer interest in Ethereum fundamentals and long-horizon infrastructure use cases that can underpin demand for ETH and onchain activity beyond short-term market cycles.

Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) responded on X to criticism after recent market weakness, urging traders and the media to stop scapegoating Binance and to “take responsibility” for their own trades. CZ said negative stories are often fabricated and stressed that freezes or releases of user funds are driven by compliance flags and law‑enforcement cases, not social‑media outrage. His post and replies noted that cases involving USDT or frozen wallets typically involve AML tools or police investigations and should be resolved through due process. Community responses framed the controversy as noise and a stress test the Binance ecosystem can absorb. Market moves: BTC (~$70k, down ~0.6% 24h, ~27% below year‑ago), ETH (~$2,100, down ~2% 24h) and BNB (~$630, 24h range ~$617–$645) traded lower amid the backlash. Key points for traders: (1) CZ’s messaging aims to reassure users and defend Binance reputation; (2) compliance actions — not headlines — typically govern access to funds; (3) short‑term volatility may persist around Binance‑related news; (4) traders should verify reports before reacting to headlines. Primary keywords: Binance, Changpeng Zhao, traders risk, frozen wallets, compliance. Secondary/semantic keywords: BNB, BTC, ETH, market volatility, AML, USDT, social media outrage.

Elon Musk announced on social media that X Chat, an upcoming instant messaging app, will undergo rigorous security testing in the coming months and that all related code will be open-sourced. Musk previously described X Chat as featuring encryption functionality “similar to Bitcoin.” The announcement is framed as a product-development and transparency move; no launch date, technical details, or implementation timeline were provided. The report originates from PANews and is presented as market information, not investment advice.

US national debt is accelerating toward the $39 trillion mark, raising concerns about fiscal strain and potential currency debasement. Traders and institutional investors are increasingly treating Bitcoin (BTC) as a hedge; market focus is shifting from simple BTC holdings to Bitcoin-native DeFi and Layer-2 infrastructure that enable on-chain utility and yield. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) is presented as a new Bitcoin Layer-2 integrating the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) for sub-second transactions and Rust-based smart contracts while using Bitcoin for settlement. The presale has reportedly raised around $31.3 million, with large whale purchases (notable single transactions of $500k, $379.9k and $274k) and presale pricing near $0.0136754. Bitcoin Hyper claims features: decentralized canonical bridge to move BTC into SVM execution layer, immediate staking with high APY, and short vesting (7-day) for stakers. The article frames HYPER as infrastructure to unlock liquidity in the $1.7T Bitcoin economy and a potential hedge against US fiscal risks. It cautions that presales and crypto investments carry high risk and advises due diligence. Primary keywords: Bitcoin Hyper, HYPER, Bitcoin Layer 2, Solana Virtual Machine, US national debt, Bitcoin hedge.

Crypto developer and analyst Bird posted liquidity heatmaps and volume-profile charts indicating virtually no buy-side liquidity below the current XRP price while liquidity clusters concentrate overhead toward $4.20+. Bird argues this imbalance reduces downside support and increases the likelihood of a rapid upward move if momentum rises. He warned that rising prices could force short positions to cover, triggering a powerful short squeeze that accelerates moves into denser overhead liquidity. Community responses on X noted broader market context: some users emphasized ongoing correlation with Bitcoin and a speculative environment, while others saw the pattern as possible institutional accumulation behavior that discourages retail buying. The report frames liquidity distribution — rather than short-term candles — as the key technical indicator underpinning a bullish scenario for XRP. Disclaimer: not financial advice.

EUR/USD is trading near 1.0950, its highest level in seven sessions, as markets consolidate ahead of a slate of US economic releases including February Retail Sales, Producer Price Index (PPI) and weekly Initial Jobless Claims. Technical resistance is seen at 1.0980 with immediate support around 1.0920; a breakout above 1.0980 could target 1.1000–1.1045, while a failure to hold may retest the 50-day moving average near 1.0890. Volatility measures and ATR have contracted ahead of data, and trading volume is slightly below average. Analysts note the policy divergence between the ECB (cautious on further cuts) and the Fed (data-dependent on inflation), making US reports the likely catalyst. Forecasts cited: Retail Sales (MoM) +0.4% vs prior -0.8%; Core PPI (MoM) +0.2% vs prior +0.5%; Initial Jobless Claims 210K vs prior 205K. Commitment of Traders data show leveraged funds net short roughly 45,000 euro contracts, leaving scope for short-covering if US data disappoints. Traders should expect elevated volatility around the releases, with potential 50+ pip moves depending on surprises. This piece highlights key technical levels, macro drivers (ECB-Fed divergence), and positioning that will shape short-term EUR/USD moves.

The Ethereum Foundation has formally backed the Security Alliance (SEAL), a coalition of white‑hat hackers and researchers operating rapid-response services (SEAL 911) to intercept active exploits and reduce crypto drainer impacts. The endorsement signals institutional support for coordinated, real-time security efforts and a shift from siloed, reactive defenses toward shared threat intelligence. Concurrently, investors are directing capital to architectural security solutions that reduce bridge and interoperability risk. LiquidChain (LIQUID), a Layer 3 (L3) protocol that aims to unify Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana liquidity into a single execution environment, is a primary beneficiary. LiquidChain offers a Cross‑Chain VM for single‑step execution that abstracts bridging complexity and reduces multi-signature and wrapping attack surfaces. The project has raised over $533K in its presale, with the token quoted at $0.0136 in the article. LIQUID is positioned as transaction fuel, governance and liquidity‑staking token for the protocol. Implications: the Foundation’s backing of SEAL elevates coordinated white‑hat responses and may reduce successful drainer incidents. Market capital is shifting toward Layer 3 interoperability and abstraction narratives, supporting early demand for LIQUID and similar infrastructure tokens. Traders should watch security incident frequency, protocol integrations with SEAL, LiquidChain presale progress, and token unlock/vesting schedules for short‑term volatility and longer‑term infrastructure adoption. Keywords: Ethereum Foundation, SEAL, LiquidChain, Layer 3, cross‑chain, security, interoperability, LIQUID.

LDO (LDO/USDT) is trading in a tight, down‑biased consolidation between roughly $0.34–$0.36, with key decision points at $0.3375 (support) and $0.3609–$0.360 (resistance). Technicals across both updates show bearish momentum: price below the EMA20 (~$0.43–$0.50), Supertrend bearish, MACD negative, and RSI deeply oversold (~26–29). Reported 24h volumes vary by source (~$21–45M), but volume remains moderate. Bull case: a daily close above $0.3609 (with rising RSI, MACD moving toward zero, break above EMA20 and higher volume) opens targets near $0.4063, $0.50–$0.5303 and extended $0.5769–$0.7541. Bear case: a daily close below $0.3375/$0.3839 (source differences) would likely accelerate selling; near targets $0.2852–$0.35 and a much lower longer‑term floor noted at $0.0195–$0.1359. LDO remains highly correlated with BTC; downside risk increases if BTC falls under roughly $68k–$72.9k, while BTC reclaiming ~$71.9k–$75.6k would support LDO upside. Traders should watch daily and 4H candle closes, volume confirmation, RSI divergence, MACD crossovers and BTC direction. Emphasize strict risk management: size positions to risk/reward, use stop‑losses (short stop guidance noted around $0.4575 in one report, long stops under $0.3375 in another). This is informational, not investment advice.

Bitcoin fell sharply from a late-January peak near $90,000 to around $70,000 in early February 2026. Persistent spot ETF outflows since September 2025 and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index in “Extreme Fear” have eroded market confidence. Technical indicators show sustained bearish momentum: a death cross (50-day EMA below 200-day EMA since mid-November), recent 20/50-day EMA crossover confirming downside bias, RSI recovering from ~32.5 but still low, negative MACD, and Chaikin Money Flow at -0.05 indicating weak cash inflows. Futures market metrics add fragility — open interest fell from $38B to $20B in a month, leverage is elevated, and a February 6 funding-rate spike produced a short squeeze perceived as artificial demand. Low liquidity and shallow market depth raise the risk of cascading liquidations; key support is the $60,000–$65,000 range, with losses below that potentially triggering panic selling. Short-term recovery targets cited are $74,750 and $84,900, but sustaining above the 200-day MA near $95,700 is seen as necessary for a durable bullish reversal. The article warns traders that current rallies may offer selling opportunities until structural indicators and fresh capital inflows improve. Disclaimer: not investment advice.

An appeals court in South Korea has upheld a suspended prison sentence and fine for a former Ministry of the Interior and Safety official convicted of accepting PuriEver (PURE) tokens as bribes to secure promotional favors ahead of the token’s 2021 listing on Coinone. Court records and reporting indicate the official received PURE directly from the issuer and used their influence to assist the listing. The verdict reinforces legal accountability for public servants and aligns with tightened Korean crypto rules introduced after the 2020–2021 boom, including the Specific Financial Information Act (SFIA), Travel Rule reporting and real-name verification. Experts say the case highlights institutional corruption risks tied to tokenized bribes while also showing how blockchain forensics aid prosecution. The decision is likely to increase due diligence and compliance scrutiny for projects seeking exchange listings in South Korea and serves as a deterrent to similar misconduct.

Backpack, a Solana-focused exchange built by the Mad Lads NFT team, is signaling an imminent native token launch after months of a points-for-volume program that has driven trading activity. The platform positions itself as a regulated ‘super app’ combining a non-custodial wallet and centralized exchange features, aiming to capture liquidity flowing back into Solana as Bitcoin hits highs. Concurrently, BMIC (BMIC) is marketing a quantum-secure financial stack addressing the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threat—actors can harvest encrypted on-chain data now and decrypt it once quantum computers mature. BMIC claims its post-quantum cryptography wallet eliminates public-key exposure, adds AI-driven threat detection via a Quantum Meta-Cloud, and supports ERC-4337 Smart Accounts for improved UX. BMIC’s presale has raised roughly $445K+, offering tokens at $0.049474 and positioning itself as infrastructure hedging against future cryptographic risks. Traders should note two concurrent market narratives: short-term speculative flows into exchange token events (Backpack) and longer-term infrastructure hedging into projects promising quantum-resistant security (BMIC).

The Ethereum Foundation has sponsored Security Alliance (SEAL) under a new Trillion Dollar Security initiative to fund a full‑time security engineer embedded with SEAL’s intelligence team. The engineer’s remit is to monitor drainer toolkits and attacker infrastructure, analyze phishing and social‑engineering campaigns that trick wallet users into approving malicious transactions, and help disrupt large‑scale drainer operations. SEAL — launched by researcher samczsun in 2023 — operates rapid‑response infrastructure and a real‑time dashboard tracking six security dimensions: user experience, smart contracts, infrastructure, consensus, incident response and governance. Industry intelligence cited by SEAL shows cumulative drainer‑related losses near $1 billion historically, but reported thefts fell to about $84 million in 2025 after coordinated defenses. Major wallet and tooling providers including MetaMask, Phantom, WalletConnect and Backpack have joined SEAL’s real‑time phishing defense network. The Ethereum Foundation said this sponsorship is the first of several planned partnerships to scale protections across ecosystems and invited other foundations to adopt similar models. Separately, Vitalik Buterin outlined potential AI integrations with Ethereum — using on‑device models, zero‑knowledge proofs and on‑chain agents to audit transactions, verify activity, act as trusted intermediaries for users, preserve privacy and enable economic interactions by AI agents. For traders: the moves aim to reduce social‑engineering and drainer risk, strengthen incident response, and accelerate privacy‑preserving verification and on‑chain automation. Expect a gradual decline in exploit incidents if adoption broadens, evolving threat‑defense dynamics for wallets and third‑party tooling, and longer‑term operational changes as AI verification tools and coordinated defenses mature.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) fell about 5% to A$171 in early trade as investors positioned defensively ahead of FY26 half-year results. The A$150bn plasma and vaccine giant has lost ~39% since early-2025 highs amid concerns that flat plasma collection volumes, weak US flu vaccine uptake (CDC: down >20% YoY) and Seqirus margin pressure could produce a revenue and EPS miss. Consensus for the half is ~A$7.8bn revenue and ~A$2.7bn profit, though options activity (heavy puts at A$240) and elevated volume suggest traders expect a post-earnings gap lower toward A$220–A$200 support. Headwinds cited include manufacturing cost overruns (previously ~A$300m), Behring pipeline delays, reimbursement challenges in Europe for immunoglobulins, a delayed Vifor spinoff, and regulatory friction in China. Technicals show breached 50- and 200-day moving averages (A$177 / A$213), RSI near 35 (oversold) and a MACD death cross, indicating heightened downside risk but short-term bounce potential. Key catalysts to watch: H1 revenue/EPS vs. A$7.8bn/A$2.34bn expectations, FY26–28 guidance update (plasma volumes, vaccine outlook), clarity on the A$500m cost program and any Vifor spinoff timeline. Traders should prepare for increased volatility around the report — a beat could trigger sharp mean reversion; a miss could accelerate the downtrend and pressure broader market risk appetite.