Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Bithumb will suspend deposits and withdrawals for the Inisia (INIT) token starting 02:00 UTC on February 17 to support a scheduled network upgrade. Trading of INIT against KRW and other pairs will remain operational on the exchange order books. The suspension is a standard, security-led precaution to avoid credits or withdrawals on an incompatible chain and to allow node and infrastructure updates. Bithumb confirmed user balances are secure; deposits sent during the suspension may not be credited immediately and withdrawal requests will be queued until services resume. The exchange did not specify the exact duration — resumption will be announced via official channels. Similar past pauses (e.g., exchanges during Ethereum Dencun) show these events are routine but may briefly affect liquidity and user access. Traders should complete off-exchange transfers before the cutoff, monitor Bithumb announcements, and expect potential short-term volatility in INIT around the maintenance window.

Several crypto analysts reiterated a $150,000 Bitcoin (BTC) price target while describing the current market environment as presenting the "weakest bear case." The commentary emphasizes resilient fundamentals—declining BTC supply on exchanges, strong institutional demand, and tightening macro conditions—that support sustained upside. Analysts contrasted this with limited downside catalysts: low miner capitulation, modest retail outflows, and absence of broad deleveraging seen in prior bear markets. Key observations cited include on-chain metrics showing reduced exchange balances and steady inflows into institutional products. While short-term volatility and pullbacks remain possible, the analysts argue the probability of a prolonged, deep bear market is diminished, and the path to higher BTC prices remains intact if macro liquidity and adoption trends continue. The report is framed for traders as a reassurance to favor long-biased positioning while managing risk around typical volatility events.

APT (APT) traded in a tight $1.01–$1.08 range last week, closing near $1.04 and posting a weekly loss of 2.63%. Technicals show a dominant downtrend: price below EMA20 ($1.29), weekly Supertrend bearish, and MACD histogram negative. Short-term indicators are oversold (RSI ~28–30), suggesting possible accumulation if the $0.90 major support holds. Key decision points: $0.90 (critical multi-timeframe support) and $1.03 (daily value area low). Bull case: hold $1.03 and break $1.18 — recommended long entry ~ $1.05, stop $1.18, target $1.85 (R/R ~3:1) with partial take-profit at $1.38. Bear case: breakdown below $1.03 — short ~ $1.02, stop $1.08, targets $0.90 then $0.22. APT shows high correlation with Bitcoin (~0.85); BTC direction (key levels $74k, $70k, $69.7k) will likely determine altcoin rotation. Risk guidance: maintain small position sizing (max ~2–3%), monitor RSI, volume spikes, MACD crosses and weekly closes for confirmation. This analysis highlights a guarded trading approach: downside risk (to $0.22 if $0.90 fails) is larger than upside unless clear multi-timeframe confluence appears.

South Korea’s Democratic Party has formally proposed a digital asset basic act to decentralize exchange governance following a string of exchange failures and operational errors. Announced by policy chair Han Jeong-ae, the bill (targeted for introduction in the current parliamentary session with phased implementation from late 2025) mandates standardized internal controls, periodic external audits of custody and reserves, no-fault liability during system failures, and comprehensive suitability reviews for major shareholders and executives. The move responds to 2024–2025 data showing frequent internal-control failures — the Financial Services Commission recorded 47 significant incidents in one year and the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit linked poor governance to 78% of crypto-related fraud cases since 2023. A high-profile January 2025 Bithumb malfunction that sent excess Bitcoin to a user is cited as a catalyst. Expected market effects include higher compliance costs (pressuring smaller exchanges), possible consolidation, greater institutional participation, and improved trust metrics; publicly traded blockchain stocks rose ~8.3% on the announcement. The legislation aligns South Korea with global trends (Japan, Singapore, EU MiCA) but emphasizes decentralized oversight within exchanges, potentially setting a regional standard for exchange governance.

Astra Nova’s development team transferred 5.354 billion RVV tokens (≈$6.6 million), equal to 53.54% of total supply, over four days immediately after Binance announced delisting the RVV/USDT perpetual contract. Blockchain analytics firm EmberCN linked the transfers to team-controlled addresses. Exchanges received 354 million RVV (≈$607,000) across Bitget, KuCoin and MEXC; the remaining ~5 billion RVV (≈$5.97 million) remain off-exchange but are held by addresses with a history of later depositing to exchanges. The events coincided with a roughly 59% decline in RVV price and heightened trading volume and order-book fragmentation. Analysts note delisting typically reduces liquidity and increases volatility; transfers from team wallets at this scale raise tokenomics and market-stability concerns. Key facts: 5.354B RVV moved, 53.54% of supply, 354M RVV deposited to Bitget/KuCoin/MEXC, ~59% price drop. Traders should watch for further exchange deposits, increased sell pressure, and reduced liquidity when sizing positions or planning short-term trades.

US President Donald Trump claimed his Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh could stimulate US economic growth by 15%, a figure far beyond mainstream forecasts and historical norms. The claim is vague on whether it refers to year-on-year or annualized quarterly growth; US GDP is forecast around 2.4% this year and long-term average ~2.8%. The article frames the 15% target as political messaging ahead of the 2026 midterms rather than a plausible economic projection. Markets face a policy dilemma: Warsh would be under pressure to cut rates to meet political expectations, which could boost risk assets short term but risk rekindling inflation and force later, sharper tightening — a scenario comparable to the lead-up to the 1970s stagflation and the 2022 crypto bear market following rapid monetary shifts. Warsh’s optimistic view of AI-driven productivity gains might imply more openness to fintech and crypto innovation, but the central tension remains Fed independence versus political pressure. For traders, the key takeaways are: heightened political risk around Fed appointments, potential short-term liquidity support if rate cuts occur, and elevated medium-term volatility risk if inflation returns and policy pivots.

Bitcoin rallied with U.S. equities, briefly reaching $71,000 (intra-day high) before heavy selling pushed it back near $70,200. Ethereum climbed to about $2,150 then pulled back to roughly $2,119 amid intense long/short volatility. Over the past 24 hours roughly 97,000 traders were liquidated, with total liquidations reaching about $288 million (CoinGlass). On-chain monitoring shows miner/enterprise BitMine (BMNR) aggressively bought ~40,613 ETH (~$82 million) in the past week, including a 20,000-ETH purchase via OTC broker FalconX. BitMine now holds ~4,325,738 ETH (~3.58% of supply) with a reported average cost near $3,826 per ETH and unrealized losses of about $7.8 billion; it has staked ~2,873,459 ETH and plans a U.S.-based validator network (MAVAN) in Q1 2026. Market sentiment shows partial recovery from panic (fear index ~9) but short-term direction remains undecided as volume surges reflect active position rotation. Institutional accumulation like BitMine’s offers support, but macroeconomic and regulatory factors will determine whether buying persists and if market structure shifts bullishly or remains rangebound.

Ethereum (ETH) recently dropped to around $2,000, prompting debate whether the move is a technical breakdown or a longer-term buying opportunity. The price decline follows broader crypto market weakness and profit-taking after recent gains. Key factors cited include macroeconomic uncertainty, interest-rate expectations, and short-term liquidation pressure in derivatives markets. Technical analysts point to a break below important support levels near $2,200–$2,300, increasing the risk of further downside toward $1,800 if selling momentum continues. Bullish arguments note Ethereum’s ongoing ecosystem fundamentals — DeFi activity, NFT marketplaces, and upcoming network developments — which could support a recovery over months. Traders should watch on-chain metrics (exchange flows, staking levels), derivatives indicators (funding rates, open interest), and macro signals (US data, Fed commentary). Short-term traders might prioritize risk management (tight stops, position sizing) due to elevated volatility; longer-term investors may view dips as accumulation opportunities depending on conviction in ETH’s fundamentals.

Ripple is positioning XRP as a settlement asset for institutional cross-border payments, emphasizing infrastructure, compliance and partnerships rather than short-term price action. The company highlights integration with banks, liquidity-on-demand services and the On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) product as core drivers to attract institutional clients. Ripple’s focus includes regulatory engagement, enterprise-grade APIs, and partnerships with payment providers to reduce settlement times and capital costs. The article argues these developments matter beyond XRP’s market price because institutional adoption could change liquidity patterns, on-chain flows and counterparty exposure in fiat corridors. Key themes: institutional settlement, ODL and liquidity solutions, compliance and banking partnerships. No specific price targets or new regulatory rulings are reported.

On Feb. 10, monitoring firm Artemis reported that on-chain derivatives exchange Hyperliquid has overtaken Coinbase in nominal trading volume. Artemis data shows Hyperliquid recorded roughly $2.6 trillion in nominal volume versus Coinbase’s $1.4 trillion — about 1.86 times higher. The report highlights a significant shift in reported on-chain derivatives activity but does not provide additional context on timeframes, volume composition (notional vs. realized), or potential wash trading. No investment advice was given.

Prediction-market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket emerged as significant alternatives to traditional sports sportsbooks during Super Bowl LX, offering markets tied to the game, halftime show, and ads. U.S. sportsbooks forecast roughly $1.76 billion in Super Bowl wagers, but analyst Ed Birkin estimated prediction markets could add $630 million. Visible trading fell short: Kalshi recorded roughly $233 million across top Super Bowl-specific markets (plus $500M+ cumulative season-long NFL volume), while Polymarket’s top Super Bowl markets totaled about $76M. Kalshi benefits from CFTC registration and U.S. app availability—its January downloads reached 1.9 million—giving it a distribution edge over Polymarket, which lacks broad U.S. app access and relies on web/VPN access. Prediction markets operate in regulatory gray areas; Kalshi’s federal oversight contrasts with state-level legal challenges and potential court appeals. Traditional operators (DraftKings, FanDuel/Flutter) have shown stock pressure and downward earnings revisions amid the perceived threat. While overall Super Bowl-specific trading by prediction markets was below some hype, these platforms secured material volume, demonstrated information-discovery value (e.g., Polymarket’s halftime-artist odds), and pose a structural, nationwide competitive threat to state-licensed sportsbooks.

Amazon is exploring a marketplace that would let publishers license content to AI companies, The Information reports. Internal documents shared ahead of an AWS conference position the marketplace alongside Amazon’s AI products such as Bedrock and Quick Suite, offering publishers integration options. The proposal comes amid ongoing disputes between media companies and AI developers over compensation for digital content used to train models or generate responses; publishers want payment tied to access frequency. The plan follows Microsoft’s recent Publisher Content Marketplace announcement. Amazon has pledged $200 billion in 2026 capital expenditures, with AWS and AI development receiving significant investment. Market research firm Technavio projects the global AI-driven content tools market to grow at a 39.1% CAGR and add over $60 billion in value from 2024–2029. Primary keywords: Amazon marketplace, AI content licensing, publishers, Bedrock. Secondary/semantic keywords: AWS, AI licensing hub, content monetization, generative AI, market growth.

Coinbase’s Base App is sunsetting its Creator Rewards program and its Farcaster-powered social feed to concentrate on tradable assets and trading functionality. Launched in July to incentivize social engagement on the Ethereum layer-2, Creator Rewards paid about $450,000 to 17,000 creators over seven months (average payout ~$26). Final payouts will occur on Feb. 18 and the program ends the following Sunday. Base creator Jesse Pollak said the app will “do less, better” and make trading its primary focus; he expects Farcaster users to return to the Farcaster client. The change aligns Base App with Coinbase’s broader “Everything App” ambitions across spot and derivatives trading, stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and prediction markets. The Creator Coins program (user-issued ERC‑20 profile tokens) and Farcaster developer support are unaffected. Coinbase leadership has been quiet recently about a potential Base token.

French police detained six suspects, including a minor, after the abduction of a 35-year-old judge and her 67-year-old mother in Drôme. The kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, targeting the judge’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur, and used images and threats to force a digital payment. The victims were held about 30 hours in a garage before escaping and alerting authorities; no ransom was paid. Around 160 officers later executed coordinated arrests. Authorities note this case fits a rising wave of violent “wrench attacks” in France that coerce self-custody holders to hand over private keys or seed phrases. French prosecutors in 2025 charged 25 suspects (including minors) over related kidnappings and attempted kidnappings for digital-asset payments. Past high-profile incidents referenced include attacks on hardware-wallet users and the kidnapping of Ledger co‑founder David Balland. Security experts warn the growing frequency and brutality of these attacks increases physical custody risk for on-chain asset holders and may accelerate adoption of stronger custody practices (time-locked vaults, decoy wallets, multi‑party custody, delayed withdrawals). For traders: no direct market-moving transfers were reported in this case, but a surge in coercive physical attacks could prompt regulatory scrutiny, raise investors’ perceived custody risk, and boost demand for institutional custody and safer self-custody solutions.

Cardano (ADA) has moved into a technically sensitive zone, trading near the lower boundary of a long-running descending triangle that formed after the 2021 peak near $3.10. Recent selling pushed ADA to about $0.22 before a modest rebound. Technical analysis (shared by TradingView user Cobra Vanguard) highlights two clear scenarios: a breakdown below the triangle — with a decisive breach under $0.20 exposing targets as low as $0.077 and earlier historical lows — or a breakout above the pattern, with a sustained move above roughly $0.60 signaling a structural trend reversal and potential upside toward ~$2.99. Analysts stress that the pattern has defined ADA’s market structure for years, with repeated lower highs and consistent tests of the support line. Traders should watch the $0.20 support and $0.60 resistance as key reference points; resolution may be slow and depends on broader crypto market sentiment. This article is for information only and not financial advice.

WLD is trading near $0.398 and remains in a short-term downtrend, with price below the EMA20 (~$0.43), RSI around 40–41, Supertrend bearish and a negative MACD histogram. Two nearby decision levels define the immediate outlook: support at $0.3882 and resistance at $0.3946–$0.395. A bullish reversal requires a volume-backed daily close above $0.3946 with RSI >50, a MACD crossover and an EMA20 flip; such confirmation could target $0.4407 and $0.4850, with a medium-term extension to $0.7512 if momentum sustains. Conversely, failure at resistance and a break below $0.3882 would likely push WLD toward $0.3450 and $0.3075; broader downside risk increases if Bitcoin loses key supports (~$69,770). Earlier analysis noted a broader downtrend with dominant selling (declines showing higher volume than rallies), key VPVR support nodes at $0.3958 and $0.3630, and resistance clusters at $0.4287, $0.4847 and $0.5232 — suggesting sellers remain in control unless breakouts occur on materially higher volume (targeting daily volume of roughly $250–300M). WLD shows high correlation with BTC (~0.8), so Bitcoin strength above major levels could lift WLD, while BTC weakness would likely accelerate losses. Traders should prioritize volume spikes and daily closes as trade triggers, use strict risk management, consider longs near strong supports and shorts at resistance clusters, and watch for false breakouts. This summary focuses on technical triggers (volume, daily closes, MACD/Supertrend flips, EMA20) and BTC direction as primary determinants of near-term WLD price action.

White House adviser Patrick Witt and former House Financial Services chair Patrick McHenry said at the Ondo summit that a comprehensive U.S. crypto market-structure bill is accelerating and could reach the president within months. Drafting teams, brokered by the White House, are converting high-level principles into statutory text on a compressed timeline. Key negotiable issues center on stablecoin rules — notably whether centralized platforms may pay passive yield on users’ idle stablecoin balances — and banning deceptive marketing (for example implying FDIC insurance), where broad agreement exists. Banks oppose platform-paid stablecoin yields over concerns about deposit funding migration; crypto firms argue yields drive user engagement. McHenry warned that excluding DeFi and tokenized lending would undermine the framework, noting tokenized lending is cheaper than securities lending and reflecting strong market demand. Ethics provisions (such as restrictions affecting officials’ spouses) remain politically sensitive, but negotiators hope narrower compromises can win bipartisan support. For traders: watch provisions on stablecoin yield, the statutory treatment of DeFi and tokenized lending, and the bill’s timetable — each could materially affect liquidity, funding rates and stablecoin flows if enacted.

Bitcoin has weakened below the $70,000 area as a sustained sell-off since November 2025 accelerated in early February, pushing the cycle drawdown to roughly 46% from the October 2025 peak near $124,450. Analyst Axel Adler highlights that BTC is approaching the 1.25× Realized Price Band — a historically meaningful boundary that often precedes capitulation. Price action shows BTC trading under the 50-, 100- and 200-period moving averages, with the $65K zone identified as critical support; a break below it would expose demand nearer the low-$60K range. Rapid volume spikes during the recent drop indicate forced selling and liquidations, which can mark either capitulation or the start of further decline if selling continues. Adler notes that sustained movement deeper than −50% would reopen targets toward −60% to −70% seen in past cycles, while stabilization between −40% and −50% could signal moderating volatility and the start of accumulation. Key takeaways for traders: watch the 1.25× Realized Price Band, monitor support at $65K and low-$60Ks, follow on‑chain liquidation and volume signals, and consider risk management for increased volatility.

On-chain analytics firm Glassnode reports a significant number of XRP holders are currently holding at a loss, coinciding with a sharp uptick in sell-side activity and price pressure. The data highlights increased realized losses among retail and short-term holders, and shows a spike in outflows from exchanges and increased transfer activity to trading venues. Market observers interpreted the metrics as panic selling, with liquidity being tested and short-term volatility rising. The report does not attribute the sell-off to any single news event, but suggests a mix of capitulation by weak hands and rebalancing by traders. Key takeaways for traders: rising realized losses and exchange inflows can signal further downside pressure in the near term; watch on-chain metrics (exchange net flows, realized loss, and active addresses) and order book liquidity for potential support levels; consider volatility management strategies and risk controls until realized losses stabilize.

ICP (ICP/USDT) trades in a daily downtrend near $2.40 with low volume and RSI around 34, indicating low momentum and near-oversold conditions. Two editions of the analysis converge on the same structure: a critical short-term support at $2.4241 (tested multiple times) and immediate resistance near $2.437–$2.80 (EMA20 ≈ $2.80; Supertrend ≈ $3.24). A confirmed daily close below $2.34/$2.4241 would likely accelerate downside toward $2.00 (strong historical weekly support). Conversely, holding $2.4241 opens a long bias targeting $2.437–$2.80 with tight stops below $2.34; a volume-led breakout and Bitcoin strength would be required to sustain a move above the $2.80–$3.24 band. Bitcoin correlation is high (~0.8–0.85); a BTC break below key levels (noted at ~$69,770) raises downside risk for ICP, while BTC recovery improves bounce prospects. Recommended trader approach: maintain short-to-neutral bias while price stays beneath EMA20 and other moving averages, use $2.4241 and $2.47–$2.63 clusters as risk markers for entries and stops, wait for volume-confirmed accumulation and BTC stabilization before scaling long positions, and keep strict risk management for spot and futures. Probability estimates from the later piece: ~40% chance of a $2.00 test, ~35% of a breakout toward $2.80, ~25% of rangebound action. Not financial advice.

Danal Fintech signed a memorandum of understanding with decentralized AI platform Sahara AI to develop integrated digital finance products combining Danal’s licensed payment and settlement infrastructure with Sahara’s decentralized AI and blockchain technology. Announced in Seoul on April 15, 2025, the partnership targets three primary areas: stablecoin development, payment system innovation, and AI-driven financial services (including embedding payment capabilities into autonomous AI agents). Early pilots are expected to focus on AI-powered fraud detection on Danal’s network and smart-contract-enabled stablecoin trials for merchants, with tangible products anticipated within 12–18 months. The collaboration aims to marry regulatory-compliant payment rails and fiat on/off ramps with decentralized AI for predictive analytics, autonomous agents, and blockchain security, positioning the alliance at the intersection of programmable money, embedded finance, and AI agents. No explicit new token launch was confirmed. Traders should watch milestone announcements on pilots, regulatory approvals, stablecoin design choices, and integrations with merchant networks.

Bitcoin market sentiment has plunged to historic lows as the Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to single digits, signalling “extreme fear.” Contrarian traders, including MN Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe, point to deep oversold readings—daily RSI near 15 and sentiment comparable to 2018 and March 2020—that may set conditions for a rebound. Derivatives heatmaps (CoinGlass) show a pronounced asymmetry: a roughly $10,000 upside move could liquidate about $5.45 billion in shorts, while a drop to $60,000 would trigger only about $2.4 billion in long liquidations. That creates a realistic risk of short-covering squeezes on rallies. Offsetting that, on-chain and derivatives metrics (CryptoQuant, Binance flows) reveal structural weakness: BTC trades well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages, a Price Z-Score around -1.6, and negative net taker volume—indicating futures selling currently outweighs spot demand. Monthly net taker volume and Binance taker buy-sell ratios under 1 point to persistent selling pressure in derivatives. Technical analysis highlights a key 0.618 Fibonacci level near $57,000; if historical retracements replay, deeper downside toward ~$42,000 remains possible. For traders: anticipate volatile price action driven by forced liquidations and short-covering on sharp rallies, but require confirmation from improving spot flows and trend recovery (price back above key moving averages) for a durable bull resumption. This is market information, not investment advice.

Bitcoin (BTC) has steadied around $70,000 after an abrupt drop to $60,000 last week and a rapid rebound. On-chain data shows significant deleveraging: a large ‘Hyperunit’ whale reduced holdings from a peak above $11 billion to about $2.2 billion, selling over $340 million in BTC and moving funds to Binance. A major prior Ethereum liquidation reportedly wiped out roughly $250 million. Bitcoin open interest fell from roughly $61 billion to near $49 billion, signalling widespread unwinding of leverage rather than new aggressive short positions. Price action faces mixed technicals — weak momentum, subdued volume, and split market sentiment. Key levels: support near $60,000; resistance around $73,000–$75,000. Macro factors include equity market rebounds and modest inflows to US spot BTC ETFs, while longer-term narratives (safe-haven demand, quantum risk) and liquidity from large players remain uncertain. Traders should watch liquidity, institutional conviction, derivatives metrics (OI, funding rates), and upcoming macro data for signs of a durable recovery or another leg down.

CoinDesk has refuted CNBC host Jim Cramer’s claim that the U.S. government would begin buying Bitcoin if prices hit $60,000. Legal and policy analysis shows federal agencies lack statutory authority to make discretionary cryptocurrency purchases for reserves; existing federal Bitcoin holdings—about $23 billion—derive solely from law-enforcement seizures and judicial forfeiture, not market acquisitions. The Treasury cannot unilaterally buy Bitcoin without congressional authorization, and proposed bills such as the CLARITY Act do not grant purchase power. Experts cited by CoinDesk stress constitutional and appropriations constraints, custody and market-impact challenges, and the need for explicit legislation to enable government reserves in crypto. State-level initiatives (Wyoming, Texas, Florida, Colorado) are experimenting with crypto policy, but cannot override federal law. Internationally, some countries (El Salvador, Ukraine, Singapore, Switzerland) have taken differing approaches to government crypto holdings. The article emphasizes journalistic responsibility in crypto reporting and concludes that Cramer’s $60K government-purchase scenario lacks legal or procedural basis. Primary keywords: Bitcoin, government purchase, CoinDesk, Jim Cramer. Secondary keywords: Treasury authority, law enforcement seizures, CLARITY Act, state crypto policy.

ENA (ENA/USDT) remains in a clear downtrend, trading around $0.12–$0.14 with bearish momentum despite RSI entering deep oversold levels (RSI14 ≈ 26–29). Key technicals: price is below EMA20 (~$0.15–$0.17), MACD shows a negative histogram and remains bearish, and Supertrend signals a sell. Volume is moderate (~$126M–$184M) and tends to increase on declines, suggesting weak buyer conviction. Primary supports cluster near $0.0997–$0.1215 (notably $0.1102 and $0.1215); immediate resistances sit around $0.1227–$0.1489, with a higher resist target near $0.1685–$0.2053 if a reversal gains momentum. ENA’s price is highly correlated with Bitcoin (≈0.85); BTC weakness (around $70k in recent notes) raises the risk of testing lower supports. Short-term scenarios: a corrective bounce is possible if RSI climbs above ~30–35 with rising volume, MACD histogram contracts or crosses toward zero, and price reclaims EMA20 — otherwise failure to clear immediate resistance (≈$0.1227–$0.1406) likely leads to a drop toward $0.0997–$0.1215. Trading guidance: bias remains bearish until clear reversal signals (RSI >35 with volume, MACD convergence/crossover, reclaim of EMA20) appear; manage risk tightly with stops and size accordingly.

Backpack Exchange, led by Solana developer Armani Ferrante and ex-FTX executive Tristan Yver, is in talks to raise roughly $50 million at a $1 billion pre-money valuation, with the final amount potentially higher depending on investor demand. The Singapore-headquartered platform combines centralized trading with a non-custodial wallet and has previously raised $17 million in a February 2024 Series A at a $120 million valuation. Backpack has focused on regulatory credentials — securing a VARA VASP license in Dubai (Nov 2023) and MiFID II authorization to offer EU derivatives — and claims to be the first centralized exchange to natively issue SEC-registered equities on-chain. Proceeds are earmarked for global expansion, licensing (VASP/MiCA-style and selective U.S. state permissions), banking and payments relationships, infrastructure upgrades (matching engine, custody, proof-of-reserves) and new regulated products such as custody, staking and institutional trading services. Parallel to the equity round, Backpack disclosed a Token Generation Event where 25% of the token supply (250 million tokens) will be released at TGE — mainly to point holders and a small allocation to NFT holders — designed to boost initial liquidity and align community ownership while restricting founder/early investor exits ahead of a planned U.S. IPO. For traders: the raise and regulatory progress position Backpack as a growing, compliance-focused mid-tier exchange that could attract institutional flow and on-chain securities demand. Key risks include execution (delivering secure custody and proofs), regulatory uncertainty in major markets and competition from entrenched exchanges — factors that will determine whether the valuation and expansion translate into sustained user growth and tradable volume.

Top venture capitalists debate whether finance is crypto’s first chapter or its final form. Chris Dixon (a16z Crypto) argues non-financial crypto use cases are prematurely declared dead and that blockchains introduced a coordination primitive where finance naturally came first after infrastructure matured. Haseeb Qureshi (Dragonfly) counters that consumer crypto failed due to weak demand and poor product design, not regulation, and contends finance remains the only proven product-market fit. Key data points supporting finance-led adoption: venture funding topped $20 billion in 2025, the highest since 2022, with $8.5 billion invested in Q4 across 425 deals (up 84% QoQ). Capital concentrated in later-stage rounds, infrastructure and DeFi. DeFi total value locked recovered to about $99.07 billion and stablecoin supply exceeded $307 billion. Lending platforms retained deep liquidity; stablecoin settlement volumes reached trillions annually. Earnings concentrated in financial protocols—PancakeSwap generated ~$15.8M and Aave ~$10.4M in 30-day earnings—while gaming and social projects saw engagement spikes during airdrops but weak retention and low ARPU ($10–$30). Conclusion: Capital flows, revenue density and payment throughput point to finance (DeFi and stablecoin rails) as crypto’s dominant value-accrual layer today. Utility sectors drive engagement but struggle to produce durable cash flow, supporting a cautious VC stance on non-financial expansion.

A wallet tagged as Bitmine executed a withdrawal of 20,000 ETH (≈$41.07 million) from institutional trading platform FalconX, moving the funds to a private wallet, according to Arkham intelligence. The precise round-number transfer suggests deliberate portfolio management — common signals of long-term custody or potential staking preparation. Analysts note withdrawals from exchanges to self-custody often reduce available sell liquidity and can indicate accumulation by sophisticated entities. The move aligns with a series of institutional outflows seen in 2024–2025, including other large transfers to cold storage and staking contracts. While a single transfer rarely moves prices alone, sustained exchange outflows can be supportive for ETH over time. Key details: 20,000 ETH withdrawn; value ≈ $41.07M; source: FalconX; observed via Arkham; attributed to Bitmine-linked address. Traders should watch exchange reserve metrics, derivatives positioning, and follow-up on any additional transfers from the same address to assess whether this is an isolated custody change or part of broader accumulation.

Macro strategist Lyn Alden argues the Federal Reserve has shifted from aggressive shock‑therapy rate hikes to a ‘slow money’ approach. Rather than forcing quick disinflation through sharp rate shocks, the Fed appears to be relying on gradual monetary tightening, balance-sheet management and signaling to steer inflation down while minimizing financial disruption. Alden warns this path could foster prolonged higher real rates and tighter financial conditions that weigh on risk assets over time, but it reduces the chance of a rapid policy‑induced market crash. For traders, the implications include a preference for duration and interest‑rate sensitivity monitoring, cautious positioning in rate‑sensitive crypto tokens, and preparedness for choppy price action as markets adapt to a slow‑moving policy regime. Key themes: Federal Reserve policy shift, gradual tightening, inflation outlook, market stability, and risk‑asset pressure.