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Speaking before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins outlined plans to develop formal guidance on token classification, aligning the agency with the anticipated crypto market structure legislation known as the CLARITY Act. 

Aiming For Lasting Crypto Clarity

Atkins told lawmakers that regulatory certainty for digital assets is long overdue and pledged that the Commission is prepared to act once Congress finalizes the CLARITY Act. He emphasized that a comprehensive federal framework would provide much‑needed clarity for both investors and innovators. 

While noting that SEC staff—under Commissioner Hester Peirce’s leadership of the agency’s Crypto Task Force—have offered more guidance over the past year than in the previous decade, Atkins argued that durable reform ultimately requires bipartisan legislation. 

In his view, no regulatory adjustment undertaken solely by the Commission can “future‑proof” the rulebook as effectively as a clear market structure law passed by Congress.

As lawmakers continue their work, Atkins said the SEC intends to collaborate closely with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to bridge the gap until legislation is enacted. He and CFTC Chairman Mike Selig plan to coordinate through a joint initiative known as Project Crypto. 

As part of that effort, regulators will examine the development of a token taxonomy designed to define digital assets more precisely and clarify which rules apply to different categories. 

The agencies are also considering tailored exemptions that could allow market participants to transact directly on blockchain networks, a move aimed at accommodating innovation while maintaining oversight.

Atkins Signals Regulatory Overhaul 

Beyond digital assets, Atkins used his testimony to signal a broader reassessment of existing regulatory systems. He announced that he has directed SEC staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the market surveillance system launched in November 2016. 

The review will examine the following areas: governance, funding, cost efficiency, system design, scope, regulatory utility, and cybersecurity safeguards, encompassing the crypto sector as well.

Throughout his remarks, Atkins reiterated his broader regulatory philosophy. He said oversight should be intelligent, effective, and carefully tailored within the SEC’s statutory authority. 

In his view, the existing framework has at times made the path to becoming a public company more restrictive and expensive, layering on requirements that may create more friction than benefit.

Meanwhile, the broader market has seen a notable downtrend, with crypto prices sharply retracing and sparking fears of an unfolding bear market. As of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) has returned to the $65,000 level after failing to surpass the $70,000 resistance level earlier in the week. 

Ethereum (ETH) has followed suit, mirroring BTC’s price action and currently trading at around $1,916 per token. Consequently, the total market capitalization has plummeted to nearly half of its October highs, currently valued at $2.23 trillion. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Thailand has taken a further step toward integrating crypto into its mainstream financial system, after the Cabinet approved changes that allow digital assets to underpin regulated derivatives contracts. The move positions the country among a growing number of Asian markets adapting crypto-linked financial products.

On Feb. 10, Thailand’s Cabinet endorsed a Finance Ministry proposal to expand the scope of assets permitted under the Derivatives Act B.E. 2546 (2003). The amendment enables digital assets, including cryptos such as Bitcoin, to serve as underlying instruments for futures and options traded on regulated platforms.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will now amend the Derivatives Act and draft supporting regulations to govern participation, licensing, and supervision.

Thailand Integrates Crypto Into Regulated Derivatives Market

Under the revised framework, digital assets will be recognized as permissible underlying assets for derivatives products listed on exchanges such as the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX).

The SEC said it will revise derivatives business licenses to allow digital asset operators to offer crypto-linked contracts and will review supervisory standards for exchanges and clearinghouses.

SEC Secretary-General Pornanong Budsaratragoon said the expansion is intended to strengthen the recognition of cryptocurrencies as an investment asset class, broaden investor access, and enhance risk management tools.

The regulator will also work with TFEX to determine contract specifications that account for the volatility and risk characteristics of digital assets. Officials indicated that supervisory safeguards and investor protection measures will remain central as the market evolves.

In addition to cryptocurrencies, the amendment reclassifies carbon credits, enabling the introduction of physically delivered futures contracts alongside cash-settled products. The measure aligns with Thailand’s draft Climate Change Act and its broader carbon-neutrality objectives.

Growing Institutional Focus and Market Expansion

Thailand’s latest reform builds on a regulatory framework introduced in 2018, when the country enacted rules governing digital asset businesses. Oversight has since expanded to include stricter operational requirements and investor protection measures, while crypto payments remain prohibited by the central bank.

The SEC’s broader 2026 capital markets roadmap includes plans to introduce crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), subject to legal amendments. Officials have indicated that crypto ETFs could launch later this year.

Thailand’s domestic crypto market has also grown steadily. As of August 2025, the SEC valued the market at approximately $3.19 billion, with average daily trading volumes near $95 million. Active accounts rose to 230,000, reflecting increased participation from retail investors, foreign entities, and domestic institutions.

Industry participants say integrating crypto into the derivatives market could improve liquidity and provide hedging tools, but some have cautioned that capital requirements and disclosure standards must keep pace to manage systemic risk.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

The US’s largest banking lobby has requested the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) delay its approval of crypto bank charter applications, suggesting the regulator wait until regulatory uncertainty is cleared.

US Banks Call For Crypto Charter Reviews Delay

On Wednesday, the American Bankers Association (ABA) asked the OCC to pause the review of national bank charter applications for crypto firms, citing uncertainty surrounding emerging business models, the need for greater transparency in charter application and decision-making processes, and a lack of finalized federal oversight.

In a letter, the banking lobby urged the US’s top bank regulator to “ensure that robust, broadly applicable safety and soundness standards are well understood and upheld during this period of rapid innovation to provide greater transparency throughout its charter application and decisioning processes.”

As reported by Bitcoinist, the OCC approved conditional bank charters for Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Paxos, and Fidelity in December, raising concerns that the approvals could blur the lines of banking activities and lead to regulatory arbitrage.

The ABA now calls for patience as emerging crypto regulatory frameworks take shape, suggesting that the review process must be delayed until Congress finishes the rules that many recent OCC charter applicants will ultimately be subject to.

“We urge the OCC to be patient, not measure its application decisioning progress against traditional timelines, and allow each charter applicant’s regulatory responsibilities to come fully into view before moving a charter application forward,” ABA wrote.

The banking association emphasized that appropriate safety and soundness protections, including effective measures against conflicts of interest, and for compliance with other applicable consumer protection laws and regulations, must be in place from the beginning.

Notably, the Trump Family’s main crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, applied for a national trust charter in January. US Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Comptroller Jonathan Gould asking the agency to pause its review of the application until President Donald Trump divests from the crypto company, arguing that it could create a government ethics problem.

In addition, the association recommended an amendment to the OCC’s regulations to ensure new charter applicants’ names “do not misrepresent the nature of the financial services they intend to offer.”

They suggested that the agency prohibit any charter applicant that limits its activities to either fiduciary activities or trust company operations from including the word “bank” in its name.

ABA argued that “such entities would not be engaged in the business of banking and should, therefore, ‘not have a title that misrepresents the nature of the institution or the services it offers.’”

“Skinny” Accounts Clash

US banks have recently shared their opposition to granting crypto and fintech companies direct access to the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s payment systems, according to Bloomberg.

Earlier this week, the Bank Policy Institute, Clearing House Association, and Financial Services Forum sent a joint letter to the Fed, demanding a 12-month waiting period before firms are eligible to apply for payment accounts.

The banking groups argued the Fed “should block access until newly licensed stablecoin issuers prove they can operate safely.” As Bloomberg noted, crypto and fintech firms currently rely on partner banks for access and compliance infrastructure. However, the Fed’s “skinny” master accounts proposal, first introduced in October, would allow these crypto companies to bypass the intermediation.

Moreover, recent reports from Eleanor Terret claim that the tensions between the US banking sector and the crypto industry have extended from Stablecoin rewards to include the skinny master accounts proposal.

While the digital assets side was “largely positive,” Terret affirmed the banking side worried that crypto’s “less robust regulatory status could pose a problem,” with Better Markets CEO Dennis Kelleher calling the proposal “a reckless giveaway to the crypto industry that unnecessarily expands the Fed’s mandate without justification and undermines the Fed’s true mandate.”

Even with the broader cryptocurrency market becoming highly volatile and bearish, the Spot XRP ETFs are still displaying remarkable performance. In the unfavorable conditions, capital from both retail and institutional investors continues to flow into the funds, and they are drawing the attention of Wall Street.

Institutional Capital Still Following Into XRP Spot ETFs

XRP may be experiencing steady downside action in price, but the Spot XRP Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are still riding the broader bullish wave, drawing in huge capital. Interestingly, as they continue to gain momentum across the sector, traditional finance is paying close attention to the newly launched products.

In a post on the X platform, market researcher and investor Tokenicer highlighted that the funds have been recording inflows over the past few days despite the ongoing volatile crypto landscape. Specifically, this fund has been seeing steady capital inflows since January 27.

The consistent flow of funds into these regulated instruments demonstrates the rising conviction of traditional and institutional market players looking to gain exposure to XRP without taking on direct custodial risks. In contrast to transient speculative surges, persistent inflows usually signify more profound strategic allocation choices.

Since January 27, Canary Capital has recorded inflows of over 7.66 million XRP, Franklin Templeton has amassed over 18.9 million, Bitwise added more than 17.74 million, and 21Shares saw inflows of +4.31 million of the token. As seen on the chart shared by the expert, there has been a total of 48.7 million XRP across 4 ETFs in a 9-day period.

According to the expert, all of these inflows are taking place in a market that is laced by downside pressure. This period is where most of the retail interest in crypto has been sucked out, bringing the market back to the point where players are making fun of crypto again. “Now just imagine what these numbers look like during a euphoria run as we saw in Nov 2024,” Tokenicer added.

Goldman Sachs Expands ETF Exposure

The recent capital flows indicate that rather than buying tokens directly, Wall Street investors are growing more at ease exposing themselves to XRP through regulated investment vehicles. An indication of this trend is Goldman Sachs’s significant investment in the funds and the token.

Xaif Crypto, an investor and crypto analyst, reported that Goldman Sachs has invested over $152 million in XRP Spot ETFs. This was disclosed in the firm’s Q4 2025 13F filing. With this substantial amount invested in the funds, Wall Street is no longer just watching the altcoin; instead, it is allocating its capital into the token. 

Such a move marks a notable step for institutional adoption of the altcoin within regulated markets. As inflows increase and liquidity deepens, its increasing position in mainstream portfolios may signal a new stage in its integration with conventional financial markets.

On-chain data shows the Bitcoin whales have ramped up their exchange outflows recently, a potential sign that big-money hands are accumulating.

Bitcoin Whale Exchange Outflows Have Hit The 3.2% Mark

In a new post on X, Glassnode lead research analyst CryptoVizArt has talked about the latest trend in the Exchange Whales Outflow indicator. This metric tracks, as its name suggests, the Bitcoin withdrawals being made by whale entities from centralized exchanges. Whales are defined as investors carrying more than 1,000 tokens of the asset in their balance.

The indicator doesn’t simply measure the total amount of outflows being made by entities of this size, however, but rather the ratio between them and the total BTC reserve sitting on exchanges.

When the value of the metric rises, it means the whales are taking out a higher amount of the exchange supply to self-custodial wallets. Such a trend can be a sign that the big-money hands are looking to hold into the long term, which is something that can be bullish for the asset’s price.

On the other hand, the indicator going down suggests whales are reducing their withdrawals. Depending on whether they are ramping up inflows, this kind of trend can be either neutral or bearish for the cryptocurrency.

Now, here is the chart shared by CryptoVizArt that shows the trend in the 30-day simple moving average (SMA) of the Bitcoin Exchange Whales Outflow over the last few years:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Exchange Whales Outflow has witnessed a surge recently, indicating that whales have been increasing their outflows relative to the exchange supply.

Currently, the 30-day SMA value of the indicator is sitting at 3.2%, which is the highest level since late 2024. The rise in the metric to this level has arrived as the cryptocurrency’s spot price has gone through a notable drawdown.

Given the timing, it’s possible that the outflows are an indication of dip-buying behavior from the whales. “This mirrors the structure seen in H1 2022, when whales accumulated for several months and in multiple waves, before the next bull market began,” noted the analyst.

In the 2022 bear market, it took a while before Bitcoin reached its bottom. It now remains to be seen how long whale accumulation will have to go this time around for the cryptocurrency to arrive at a cycle low.

BTC Price

Bitcoin recovered above $71,000 earlier, but the coin has since seen a retrace as its price is now back at $68,000.

The meme coin market has been shedding value for much of the past year. According to the Meme Coin Index (MEMECOIN) by MarketVector, which tracks the six largest meme coins by market capitalization, the sector has been in a prolonged downturn. The index is down by 22.44% in year-to-date numbers, with a larger 67.65% decline within a 365-day timeframe. 

Those numbers highlight just how far the sector has fallen. However, current market conditions across the industry offer little encouragement that Dogecoin, the original meme coin, can quickly reverse sentiment and lead a meaningful recovery for the meme coin niche.

Memecoins Struggling Than Most Cryptos

Meme coins have been hit harder than most corners of the cryptocurrency market, and the gap in performance is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Although large-cap assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP are struggling after recent pullbacks, data show that meme tokens have been on a long stretch of weakness. This persistent underperformance is clearly reflected in the Meme Coin Index (MEMECOIN) by MarketVector.

The MEMECOIN index is market-cap weighted, meaning larger assets such as Dogecoin carry more influence over its movement. As it stands, the meme coin index is at a one-year low of -66.80%, with the data showing a consistent decline of lower highs and lower lows since July 2025. Notably, the Meme Coin Index has fallen by 75.81% since its inception on October 31, 2021.

It’s been only two months into 2026, but the MEMECOIN index is already down 22.44% year-to-date. Such an early decline shows that traders and investors are unwilling to invest in meme coins, which is a negative precedent for the rest of the year.

Can Dogecoin Lead Meme Coins Back To Glory?

As the largest meme coin, Dogecoin has the highest percentage weighting and thus a greater impact on the performance of the meme coin index. However, Dogecoin’s price momentum over recent weeks has been nothing to write home about for bullish investors. 

As it stands, Dogecoin has now lost the 10 cent price level and has been hovering in the ballpark of about $0.093. Nonetheless, a resurgence in the meme coin index is dependent on Dogecoin due to its reputation as the king of meme coins. 

Dogecoin brand recognition is unmatched in the meme coin world, and its presence is steadily growing into spaces outside the crypto industry. Dogecoin, for one, is the only meme coin with Spot ETFs tied to it, although that structural advantage has not translated into sustained bullish price action so far.

If anything, Dogecoin’s current trajectory shows that it is not yet showing the kind of price leadership or market momentum that could single-handedly revive the meme coin niche. However, a large part of this can be attributed to the current sentiment surrounding the entire crypto industry.

Bitcoin remains under selling pressure below the $70,000 level as the market confronts renewed uncertainty and weakening liquidity conditions. The inability to reclaim this key psychological threshold has reinforced a cautious tone among investors, with price action reflecting a broader struggle across risk assets. While volatility remains elevated, the current environment suggests that market participants are increasingly focused on liquidity trends and capital flows rather than short-term price momentum alone.

An analysis by Axel Adler highlights two important liquidity indicators pointing to ongoing market weakness. The Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR) Oscillator has moved back into negative territory after briefly turning positive in January, indicating that Bitcoin continues to underperform relative to stablecoin dynamics. Historically, positive SSR readings have coincided with stronger price appreciation, while persistent negative readings tend to align with periods of price stagnation or decline.

At the same time, the 30-day change in USDT market capitalization has fallen to approximately -$2.87 billion, signaling capital outflows from the crypto ecosystem. Together, these indicators suggest that January’s attempted recovery lacked sustained liquidity support. Unless stablecoin inflows return and the SSR oscillator stabilizes in positive territory for several weeks, the broader market context may remain risk-off, leaving Bitcoin vulnerable to continued pressure in the near term.

Stablecoin Liquidity Trends Reinforce Bitcoin Market Weakness

Axel Adler’s analysis emphasizes the importance of stablecoin liquidity as a leading indicator for Bitcoin market conditions. The 30-day change in USDT market capitalization functions as a directional gauge of dollar liquidity entering or leaving the crypto ecosystem. Positive readings typically signal fresh capital inflows that can support price appreciation, while negative values indicate liquidity contraction and reduced risk appetite among market participants.

According to the data, January briefly showed signs of recovery. The 30-day USDT market cap change moved into positive territory, reaching approximately $1.4 billion during the first week of the month. This inflow coincided with the Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR) Oscillator’s attempt to move into positive territory, alongside a short-term rebound in Bitcoin price. However, the trend reversed later in January, and the latest reading near -$2.87 billion confirms renewed capital outflows.

The alignment between these two indicators appears consistent rather than coincidental. Liquidity inflows helped support January’s temporary recovery, while the return of outflows accompanied the subsequent market weakness.

As long as the 30-day USDT change remains negative, a sustained SSR recovery appears unlikely. Together, these signals suggest the market has shifted back into a risk-off environment, reinforcing the view that the recent rebound lacked durable liquidity support.

Bitcoin Remains Under Pressure After Breakdown Below Key Averages

Bitcoin’s daily chart continues to reflect sustained bearish momentum following the loss of the $70,000 level, with price now consolidating in the mid-$60,000 range after a sharp decline. The recent breakdown below this psychological threshold coincided with a decisive move under major moving averages, which have shifted from support to resistance. This structural change typically signals weakening bullish control and increasing caution among market participants.

Price action shows a sequence of lower highs since late 2025, suggesting a gradual deterioration in market structure rather than an isolated correction. The latest drop was accompanied by a notable surge in trading volume, often associated with forced deleveraging or defensive repositioning rather than steady accumulation. This dynamic can increase short-term volatility while delaying meaningful recovery attempts.

From a technical perspective, the $60,000–$62,000 region now represents the primary support zone. This area aligns with prior consolidation ranges and historically strong liquidity clusters that could attract demand. Holding this zone would support a stabilization scenario, potentially leading to sideways consolidation. Conversely, a decisive break below it could open the door to deeper retracement phases.

Until Bitcoin reclaims key moving averages and restores higher-high price structure, the market is likely to remain sensitive to liquidity conditions, macro sentiment, and derivatives positioning.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin continues to struggle to reclaim the $70,000 level, with persistent selling pressure limiting upside momentum and keeping the market in a cautious posture. Repeated failures to break above this threshold suggest that traders remain defensive, particularly as volatility and macro uncertainty continue to influence liquidity conditions across risk assets. The inability to sustain higher prices has reinforced short-term resistance, leaving Bitcoin sensitive to further downside if demand does not strengthen.

A recent CryptoQuant report adds context by highlighting behavioral shifts among large Bitcoin holders. According to the analysis, Bitcoin’s temporary drop below $60,000 triggered noticeable nervousness across the market, including among whales. Contrary to the common assumption that large holders always act as patient, rational capital, the data suggest they can also respond quickly to market stress, sometimes opportunistically and sometimes defensively.

Exchange flow data support this view. The chart tracking whale inflows to Binance — a platform often used for large transactions due to its deep liquidity — shows that spikes in transfers tend to occur both during euphoric rallies and during sharp market declines. This pattern indicates that whale behavior often reflects changing risk conditions rather than a consistently bullish long-term stance.

Rising Whale Exchange Flows Signal Persistent Market Stress

The CryptoQuant report further highlights a notable shift in whale behavior during Bitcoin’s recent correction. As BTC declined from roughly $95,000 toward the $60,000 range, average monthly inflows of Bitcoin to Binance from large holders increased significantly. These transfers rose from about 1,000 BTC per month to nearly 3,000 BTC, with a particularly sharp spike of approximately 12,000 BTC recorded on February 6 alone. Such movements typically indicate heightened activity among large investors during periods of price stress.

Since early February, the frequency of large transfers has remained elevated. Data show that seven separate trading days recorded more than 5,000 BTC in daily inflows from whales, an unusually persistent pattern that suggests heightened sensitivity among major holders to rapid market swings. This behavior indicates active portfolio adjustments rather than passive long-term holding.

Historically, rising exchange inflows from whales are often associated with increasing selling pressure, especially when broader market liquidity conditions are tightening. Because these participants control substantial volumes, their actions can significantly influence short-term price dynamics.

Monitoring whale flows, therefore, remains a critical component of market analysis, offering insight into potential volatility phases and helping investors better understand the forces shaping Bitcoin’s current price environment.

Bitcoin Tests Major Support After Sharp Breakdown

Bitcoin’s higher-timeframe chart shows mounting technical pressure following a sharp decline from the $90,000–$95,000 region toward the mid-$60,000 range. The recent breakdown below the $70,000 level confirms a deterioration in market structure, with price now trading beneath key moving averages that previously acted as dynamic support. This shift typically reflects weakening bullish momentum and increased defensive positioning among traders.

The chart also highlights a clear sequence of lower highs since the late-cycle peak, a pattern often associated with corrective or transitional phases. Recent selloffs have been accompanied by rising trading volume, suggesting distribution or forced deleveraging rather than gradual profit-taking. Such dynamics often intensify short-term volatility while making sustained recoveries more difficult without strong spot demand.

From a technical standpoint, the $60,000–$62,000 area now emerges as a critical support zone, aligning with prior consolidation levels and historical liquidity clusters. Holding this region could stabilize sentiment and allow for a period of sideways consolidation. Conversely, a decisive break below it would increase the probability of deeper retracement scenarios.

Bitcoin remains highly sensitive to macro liquidity conditions, institutional flows, and derivatives positioning, factors likely to determine whether the current correction evolves into consolidation or further downside pressure.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Heightened volatility in the market continues to keep the price of Ethereum below the $2,000 mark, capping every attempt towards the upside. During the persistent downward price action, a divergence has emerged among ETH investors, with large holders selling while smaller holders are buying.

Ethereum Whale Selling Meets Retail Accumulation In Market Split

Ethereum’s ongoing waning price action is taking its toll on investors, as evidenced by their current activity and sentiment. Following the downward trend, a notable divergence in investors’ behavior is developing, causing large and small holders to move in separate directions.

Looking at the report from Santiment, a leading market intelligence and on-chain data analytics platform, large investors are pushing toward the sell side, while small investors are leaning towards the buy side. Even as retail and grassroots investors enter the market to purchase, this divergence raises the possibility that major holders often regarded as whales or institutional-grade participants may be locking in profits or repositioning.

The current selling activity is observed among wallet addresses holding at least 1,000 ETH, which in this case are considered high-tier holders. Meanwhile, buying activity is taking place among wallet addresses holding less than 1 ETH, flagged as low-tier investors.

Before now, these high-tier holders were collectively holding more than 75% of Ethereum’s total supply. However, after the dumping of about 1.5% of the supply since Christmas, their holdings are now below the level. Such redistribution phases have the potential to alter the market structure by shifting supply from concentrated hands to a wider base.

According to data from Santiment, mid-tier investors (those holding between 1 and 1,000 ETH) have also been steadily buying the altcoin. This persistent buying has pushed their collective holdings back to over 23% of the total supply for the first time since July 2025.

For smaller holders and low-tier investors, ETH accumulation has been rising, bringing their collective stash to 2.3% of the overall supply, marking the highest level ever. Santiment highlighted that these wallet addresses are likely growing due to ETH staking.

Staking ETH Now Takes More Time

As Ethereum staking grows, the process is now taking more time than ever. Milk Road shared on X that investors are expected to wait for 71 days and 11 hours to stake ETH. Recently, Ethereum staking reached 30% of the total supply, locking up 36.8 million ETH valued at a whopping $72 billion. 

Furthermore, Ethereum validators have reached 1 million, who are securing the network. This is a massive supply restriction as one-third of all ETH is now illiquid, gaining a modest 2.83% APR, and by crypto standards, this is not an attractive yield. 

The 4.1 million ETH queue suggests that demand to stake is at an all-time high while the altcoin’s price sits below $2,000. Meanwhile, the exit queue is essentially nonexistent by comparison, with just 75,872 ETH leaving. Such a trend is an indication of conviction, not yield farming behavior. When people lock up $74B during a price dip, it means they are settling in, instead of speculating. “Watch that queue, it’s a sentiment indicator,” Milk Road added.

Ripple’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brad Garlinghouse has outlined XRP’s irreplaceable role within the crypto company. In a recent discussion, the crypto executive talked about how XRP is driving adoption and growth across Ripple’s ecosystem, highlighting its importance and utility in payments, treasury, custody, infrastructure, and other key areas of the business. 

XRP Powers Ripple’s Products And Institutional Growth

Garlinghouse recently appeared on X’s Spaces to discuss the significance of XRP for Ripple and to reaffirm its role in the company’s long-term strategy. The CEO stated that he wanted everyone in the XRP army and the community to know that XRP is the “North Star” guiding Ripple’s mission and day-to-day operations. 

According to him, the cryptocurrency is central to everything the firm does, including payment solutions, treasury management, custody, USD, and institutional engagement. Over the years, the firm has continued to develop its payment solutions, using XRP to enable faster, more efficient international transfers while also supporting corporate payment risk management and DEX transactions. 

Treasury management further leverages XRP alongside Ripple’s USD stablecoin, RLUSD, to provide liquidity. The crypto company has also recently strengthened its institutional custodian platform, Ripple Custody, through new partnerships with Securosys and Figment, to securely store and manage XRP for banks and asset managers. 

Garlinghouse emphasized that XRP is not just a digital asset but a foundational element that, when combined with the XRP Ledger (XRPL), drives utility, trust, velocity, and liquidity within the ecosystem. He made it clear that XRP underpins both current projects and future initiatives. 

The CEO also explained that regardless of whether the company is focused on Ripple payments, treasury services, payments on DEX’s, or Ripple Prime, its institutional digital asset custody platform, the primary objective remains the same—which is to strengthen XRP’s role within the global financial infrastructure. 

Institutional Adoption And Partnership Strategies

During the discussion, Garlinghouse also addressed Ripple’s focus on institutional growth. He announced that Aviva investors, one of the largest asset management firms globally, has begun tokenizing assets on the XRP Ledger. 

This development illustrates the company’s strong commitment to expanding institutional opportunities while supporting consumer-focused partners. Additionally, it solidifies the firm’s position in the rapidly growing asset tokenization space and highlights XRP’s significant role within it.

Garlinghouse also indicated that the company collaborates with companies pursuing new markets and solutions, ensuring XRP remains integral across applications. He added that the firm’s President Monica Long would share further details about these initiatives. 

The CEO reiterated that XRP connects multiple aspects of the crypto company, describing the cryptocurrency as “the heartbeat” of the comany. By keeping XRP at the center of its operations, the payment firm continues to strengthen its confidence as a “platform company for financial infrastructure,” while reinforcing the broader utility of XRP and its ledger.

Crypto analyst ChartNerd has indicated that XRP is on the verge of a major bullish structure shift that could send it to new highs. The analyst also noted that it was key for the altcoin to stay above the psychological $1 level for confirmation of a move to the upside. 

XRP Eyes Major Bullish Structure Shift

In an X post, ChartNerd explained why XRP may be positioned for a major bullish structure shift, noting that the altcoin has experienced six months of downside with virtually no relief. He further stated that indicators such as the MACD and RSI have reached historically oversold levels, which are key signals of a bullish reversal. 

ChartNerd added that XRP is also seeing a 50-month backtest on a prior 8-year resistance line and Fibonacci demand. He noted that this marks the first 50-EMA backtest since November 2024, and with this, there is a wick marked on the 0.618/0.5 Fibonacci demand zone. These demand zones are popular reversal pockets, which is another reason a bullish reversal may be on the cards for the altcoin. 

Meanwhile, the analyst stated that the key objective now is for XRP to stay above $1 for continuation higher. He warned that a drop below this level could lead to a crash to $0.70, which would be the worst-case scenario relative to prior highs from 2023 to 2024 that have not been backtested. 

Crypto analyst TARA recently warned that XRP could drop to as low as $0.87 if the Bitcoin crash extends to $52,200. Crypto analyst CasiTrades also predicted that the altcoin could see one last move down, dropping to as low as $0.90. However, she also stated that a successful reclaim of $1.65 could invalidate this move down. 

Sellers Are Losing Momentum

Crypto analyst BitGuru stated that XRP sellers appear to be losing momentum. This came as he noted that the altcoin has been in a clear macro downtrend but is now reacting strongly from a major historical demand zone around $1.30 to $1.35. The analyst added that after months of lower highs and distribution, this area is acting as a base and that the sharp rejection from below suggests that sellers are losing momentum. 

Crypto analyst Javon Marks provided a bullish outlook for the altcoin in the long term, stating that altcoin season looks to be nearing and that the token is known to thrive in those times. During this projected altcoin season, he expects XRP to recover back above $2.47 and rally towards $4.8, marking a new all-time high (ATH). The analyst added that a rally to $15 remains on the radar for the cryptocurrency. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.37, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (COIN) experienced an unexpected service disruption on Wednesday, just hours before the company is scheduled to report its fourth‑quarter 2025 earnings. 

The outage left users temporarily unable to buy, sell, or transfer digital assets on the platform, triggering concern among customers and adding pressure to the company’s stock.

Platform Disruption Hits Coinbase

In a post on X (previously Twitter) Coinbase acknowledged the issue, stating that some customers were unable to conduct transactions on the platform. The company assured users that it was investigating the problem and emphasized that customer funds remained secure. 

Shortly afterward, Coinbase Support announced that a fix had been deployed and that teams were monitoring the platform to ensure services were fully restored. However, the company did not provide details about the root cause of the disruption or explain what led to the interruption in trading activity.

Coinbase shares (COIN) fell sharply during Wednesday’s trading session. As of this writing, the stock is trading at $140, marking an 8% decline over the past several hours. The drop comes as analysts prepare for what many expect to be a challenging fourth‑quarter report.

$120 Price Target Issued For COIN

Research firm Monness Crespi took a notably cautious stance ahead of the earnings announcement. The firm issued a double downgrade on Coinbase stock, moving its rating from buy to sell. 

Analyst Gus Gala described earlier expectations of a steady recovery through 2026 as “foolish,” citing the historical depth and duration of crypto bear markets. 

Monness Crespi now anticipates continued weakness through the first half of the year and has revised its 2026 and 2027 projections to levels below Wall Street consensus estimates. Gala also set a $120 price target for the stock, suggesting that more attractive entry points may emerge later.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

BlockFills, a Chicago-based institutional crypto lender and liquidity provider, has temporarily stopped client bitcoin deposits and withdrawals after a sharp slide in Bitcoin.

The firm told customers the move was taken “in light of recent market and financial conditions,” report say.

Trading access for some accounts remains open, but transfers to and from the platform are on hold. This step has left many institutional clients unsettled and watching for the next update.

BlockFills Freezes Customer Withdrawals

According to the company, the halt is a precaution. Customers were told to expect ongoing communication from management. Based on reports, the pause affects both deposits and withdrawals and no firm date for resumption has been given.

In light of recent market and financial conditions, and to further the protection of clients and the firm, BlockFills took the action last week of temporarily suspending client deposits and withdrawals. Clients have been able to continue trading with BlockFills for the purpose of…

— BlockFills (@blockfills) February 11, 2026

Some accounts are restricted differently; a few can still execute spot trades while transfers are blocked. The action was taken after a rapid and deep fall in Bitcoin prices that triggered a wave of liquidations across exchanges and lending desks.

Market Trigger And Bitcoin’s Slide

The crypto market moved violently. Bitcoin fell sharply from recent highs and that fast drop forced margin calls and forced sales. That dry market action put pressure on credit lines and funding arrangements that firms like BlockFills maintain with trading partners.

Reports note large volumes were unwound in hours rather than days. When prices swing this way liquidity can vanish quickly, and those gaps are what BlockFills said it aimed to avoid for clients and for itself.

Who Uses BlockFills And What’s At Risk

BlockFills serves a wide set of institutional users — asset managers, hedge funds, miners and professional trading firms. The firm handled substantial trading volume in the prior year and has business ties across the industry.

Client balances are at the center of concern now. Some funds that relied on quick transfers to rebalance positions found that option closed. A number of trades were still being processed internally, but moving coins out to external wallets or exchanges was not allowed.

What Customers Are Facing Now

Clients have been given updates and invited to direct questions to account teams. According to messages circulated to customers, the firm is working with investors and counterparties to restore normal flows.

No formal insolvency or restructuring has been announced. That statement may calm some, but similar pauses in the past at other crypto lenders have sometimes been followed by deeper problems, which is why many clients remain cautious.

BlockFills was established in 2017 by CEO Nick Hammer and President Gordon Wallace, with financial backing from Susquehanna Private Equity Investments and CME Group.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A Deutsche Bank strategist argued that bitcoin has “decoupled” from gold and no longer fits the “digital gold” label, pointing to a sharp divergence in 2025 performance as regulation uncertainty and ETF outflows weigh on sentiment.

In a Yahoo Finance interview, Deutsche Bank senior strategist Marion Laboure told Executive Editor Brian Sozzi and senior reporter Ines Ferré that bitcoin’s volatility hasn’t disappeared, it’s simply showing up again, at an awkward moment for a market that spent much of last year selling a cleaner institutional adoption story.

Is Bitcoin No Longer Digital Gold?

Laboure framed recent weakness as another reminder that “volatility is a feature of Bitcoin. It’s not a bug,” while flagging what she described as “a lot of ETFs outflows” since October alongside a messy policy backdrop in Washington. She pointed to the Stablecoin “Genius Act” being signed last year, but said the Clarity Act “is still in Congress and provides an additional layer of uncertainty.”

She also cited a pullback in retail participation. “In our latest survey, we looked at the US crypto adoption,” Laboure said. “And in July, we had 17% of Americans who had invested in crypto. And the number was down to 12% in December.”

Bitcoin is “no longer digital gold,” Deutsche Bank strategist Marion Laboure says. “Gold outperformed by 65% in 2025. Bitcoin declined by 6.5%.” pic.twitter.com/eBCYp4cxMt

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) February 11, 2026

Pressed on whether bitcoin still deserves the “digital gold” tagline, Laboure leaned on returns. “If you think about that, if I look at the 2025 performance, it’s not digital gold or it’s no longer digital gold,” she said. “Gold outperformed by 65% in 2025. Bitcoin declined by 6.5%. So we are clearly seeing this divergence.”

Her broader framing was that bitcoin remains stuck between narratives. “Bitcoin, I would say it’s not a means of payment. It’s not a currency. It’s unlikely to replace gold or fiat currencies,” Laboure continued. “And I think the way I see Bitcoin is we are in this transition, we are transitioning between a pure speculative asset to a more realistic use case.”

Laboure also returned to what she called a “Tinkerbell effect,” describing a dynamic where price rises on belief rather than fundamentals, until it doesn’t. “So basically, it’s when the price is based on wishful thinking, much more than fundamental factors,” she said.

Asked what could reignite upside momentum, Laboure pointed back to the last two years’ catalysts and suggested the move still looks larger than those inputs alone explain. She noted bitcoin’s run from roughly $35,000 in November 2023 through a period she called “exceptional years,” citing ETF approvals, the halving, and a “very positive stance” from President Trump after his election.

“But all these factors alone probably didn’t fully explain the move that we had from $35,000 in November 2023 to over $120,000 in October last year,” she said, arguing that the market is still searching for a more durable anchor than narrative-driven flows.

X Pushes Back

Laboure’s “digital gold” critique drew immediate rebuttals on X. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas called it “a fine argument to make” but added: “To hinge it on one year’s returns is absurd. Does that mean it WAS digital gold in 2023 and 2024 when it was up 450%? But now it isn’t because gold did better in 2025. Make it make sense.”

Others went more ad hominem. VP of Investor Relations at Nakamoto Steven Lubka dismissed the comments as coming from a “CBDC shill,” referencing an older citation where she said: “When it comes to retail CBDCs, the question is not whether it will happen, but when.”

At press time, BTC traded at $68,007.

A Deutsche Bank strategist argued that bitcoin has “decoupled” from gold and no longer fits the “digital gold” label, pointing to a sharp divergence in 2025 performance as regulation uncertainty and ETF outflows weigh on sentiment.

In a Yahoo Finance interview, Deutsche Bank senior strategist Marion Laboure told Executive Editor Brian Sozzi and senior reporter Ines Ferré that bitcoin’s volatility hasn’t disappeared, it’s simply showing up again, at an awkward moment for a market that spent much of last year selling a cleaner institutional adoption story.

Is Bitcoin No Longer Digital Gold?

Laboure framed recent weakness as another reminder that “volatility is a feature of Bitcoin. It’s not a bug,” while flagging what she described as “a lot of ETFs outflows” since October alongside a messy policy backdrop in Washington. She pointed to the Stablecoin “Genius Act” being signed last year, but said the Clarity Act “is still in Congress and provides an additional layer of uncertainty.”

She also cited a pullback in retail participation. “In our latest survey, we looked at the US crypto adoption,” Laboure said. “And in July, we had 17% of Americans who had invested in crypto. And the number was down to 12% in December.”

Bitcoin is “no longer digital gold,” Deutsche Bank strategist Marion Laboure says. “Gold outperformed by 65% in 2025. Bitcoin declined by 6.5%.” pic.twitter.com/eBCYp4cxMt

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) February 11, 2026

Pressed on whether bitcoin still deserves the “digital gold” tagline, Laboure leaned on returns. “If you think about that, if I look at the 2025 performance, it’s not digital gold or it’s no longer digital gold,” she said. “Gold outperformed by 65% in 2025. Bitcoin declined by 6.5%. So we are clearly seeing this divergence.”

Her broader framing was that bitcoin remains stuck between narratives. “Bitcoin, I would say it’s not a means of payment. It’s not a currency. It’s unlikely to replace gold or fiat currencies,” Laboure continued. “And I think the way I see Bitcoin is we are in this transition, we are transitioning between a pure speculative asset to a more realistic use case.”

Laboure also returned to what she called a “Tinkerbell effect,” describing a dynamic where price rises on belief rather than fundamentals, until it doesn’t. “So basically, it’s when the price is based on wishful thinking, much more than fundamental factors,” she said.

Asked what could reignite upside momentum, Laboure pointed back to the last two years’ catalysts and suggested the move still looks larger than those inputs alone explain. She noted bitcoin’s run from roughly $35,000 in November 2023 through a period she called “exceptional years,” citing ETF approvals, the halving, and a “very positive stance” from President Trump after his election.

“But all these factors alone probably didn’t fully explain the move that we had from $35,000 in November 2023 to over $120,000 in October last year,” she said, arguing that the market is still searching for a more durable anchor than narrative-driven flows.

X Pushes Back

Laboure’s “digital gold” critique drew immediate rebuttals on X. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas called it “a fine argument to make” but added: “To hinge it on one year’s returns is absurd. Does that mean it WAS digital gold in 2023 and 2024 when it was up 450%? But now it isn’t because gold did better in 2025. Make it make sense.”

Others went more ad hominem. VP of Investor Relations at Nakamoto Steven Lubka dismissed the comments as coming from a “CBDC shill,” referencing an older citation where she said: “When it comes to retail CBDCs, the question is not whether it will happen, but when.”

At press time, BTC traded at $68,007.

Оборот криптотранзакций в Кыргызстане за последние девять месяцев превысил $7,9 млрд, а объем всех операций с цифровыми активами по итогам года достиг $20,5 млрд, сообщил глава республиканской Ассоциации участников рынка виртуальных активов Темир Казыбаев.

Strategy Inc. is doubling down on Bitcoin. The move is meant to calm investors while the company keeps buying the crypto asset it made core to its identity. Reports say the pivot centers on expanding a line of perpetual preferred shares that trade near $100 and pay a reset dividend each month.

Preferred Shares To Anchor Volatility

Stretch, often shown as STRC, now sits at the center of that plan. According to Strategy’s own listings, STRC carries an annualized dividend reset that currently reads 11.25% and is structured so its price tends to trade near a $100 par value.

Reports say Strategy CEO Phong Le told Bloomberg the company will lean more on preferred capital than on common equity to raise money for future Bitcoin buys.

A Relentless Buying Stance

Michael Saylor, the company’s executive chair, has been blunt about holding and buying. Based on reports, Saylor affirmed the company will not sell its Bitcoin holdings even if prices fell dramatically, and that Strategy plans to purchase each quarter on an ongoing basis. The comment is meant to reassure holders who have seen the stock move with Bitcoin’s swings.

Funding Bitcoin Buys Without Hitting Stock Price

The logic here is simple. Issue preferred stock that appeals to income-seeking investors and use the proceeds to buy more Bitcoin, rather than selling common shares or liquidating holdings.

Stretch is marketed as a way for investors to get exposure while avoiding the same wild swings that hit Strategy’s common shares. Some market watchers argue this shifts risk to preferred holders, and critics in finance commentary have been vocal about the optics of pushing stability through yield products.

How Much Bitcoin And What It Means

Reports note Strategy’s disclosed Bitcoin stack remains vast, numbering in the hundreds of thousands of coins, and executives point to a long time horizon for returns.

The company’s approach makes its balance sheet look more like a crypto fund than a traditional software concern, and that raises questions about how investors should value the stock versus the underlying asset.

Investor Takeaways And Market Signals

Investors who want cash yield without direct crypto exposure may find preferred stocks appealing. At the same time, preferred shares carry their own risks: dividends can be reset, and the company’s obligations to preferred holders compete with the need to manage leverage and reserves.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Strategy Inc. is doubling down on Bitcoin. The move is meant to calm investors while the company keeps buying the crypto asset it made core to its identity. Reports say the pivot centers on expanding a line of perpetual preferred shares that trade near $100 and pay a reset dividend each month.

Preferred Shares To Anchor Volatility

Stretch, often shown as STRC, now sits at the center of that plan. According to Strategy’s own listings, STRC carries an annualized dividend reset that currently reads 11.25% and is structured so its price tends to trade near a $100 par value.

Reports say Strategy CEO Phong Le told Bloomberg the company will lean more on preferred capital than on common equity to raise money for future Bitcoin buys.

A Relentless Buying Stance

Michael Saylor, the company’s executive chair, has been blunt about holding and buying. Based on reports, Saylor affirmed the company will not sell its Bitcoin holdings even if prices fell dramatically, and that Strategy plans to purchase each quarter on an ongoing basis. The comment is meant to reassure holders who have seen the stock move with Bitcoin’s swings.

Funding Bitcoin Buys Without Hitting Stock Price

The logic here is simple. Issue preferred stock that appeals to income-seeking investors and use the proceeds to buy more Bitcoin, rather than selling common shares or liquidating holdings.

Stretch is marketed as a way for investors to get exposure while avoiding the same wild swings that hit Strategy’s common shares. Some market watchers argue this shifts risk to preferred holders, and critics in finance commentary have been vocal about the optics of pushing stability through yield products.

How Much Bitcoin And What It Means

Reports note Strategy’s disclosed Bitcoin stack remains vast, numbering in the hundreds of thousands of coins, and executives point to a long time horizon for returns.

The company’s approach makes its balance sheet look more like a crypto fund than a traditional software concern, and that raises questions about how investors should value the stock versus the underlying asset.

Investor Takeaways And Market Signals

Investors who want cash yield without direct crypto exposure may find preferred stocks appealing. At the same time, preferred shares carry their own risks: dividends can be reset, and the company’s obligations to preferred holders compete with the need to manage leverage and reserves.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Мошенники научились выводить похищенные криптовалюты уже через две секунды после взлома кошельков жертв, сообщили эксперты работающей в области кибербезопасности швейцарской компании Global Ledger.

David Schwartz, Ripple’s former CTO and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, poured cold water on the idea of returning to Bitcoin development this week, calling Bitcoin “largely a technological dead end” in a reply that quickly ricocheted through crypto’s never-ending decentralization debates.

The exchange started as a fight over history and governance. On Feb. 9, X user Bram Kanstein argued that XRP’s early “genesis reset” — often described as treating the 32,750th XRP block as a kind of starting point — illustrates crypto’s centralized tendencies. Kanstein wrote that the milestone “may be thought of as the genesis,” before adding: “Except it is not. The XRP Genesis reset is a prime example of the centralized nature of ‘CrYpTO’.”

Ex-Ripple CTO Schwartz Calls Bitcoin A ‘Tech Dead End’

Schwartz jumped in with a comparison that redirected the argument toward Bitcoin. “Bitcoin had at least two incidents that showed way more centralization than this incident did,” he wrote, “especially since the decision in this incident was not to make any coordinated changes and just live with it.”

That claim drew a follow-up from X user, who floated SegWit as a candidate for what Schwartz meant, an example of coordinated protocol change. The ex-Ripple CTO pushed back on that framing: “I wasn’t because I don’t really think of adding new features as showing centralization,” he replied. “But I think you could make a good argument that it does. The biggest one I was thinking of was the coordinated 2010 rollback.”

The thread’s tone shifted on Feb. 10 when X user Khaled Elawadi asked the question that put Schwartz’s own priorities in the spotlight: since co-creating the XRPL, had he worked on or even considered developing Bitcoin again?

“Not really,” Schwartz answered. Then he went further, sketching an argument that Bitcoin’s dominance owes less to the evolution of its base-layer tech than to social and monetary inertia. “I think bitcoin is largely a technological dead end for the same reason the dollar is,” he wrote. “The technology just doesn’t seem to matter all that much to its success, at least not at the blockchain layer.”

For XRP supporters, Schwartz’s comments served two purposes at once: a defense against charges that XRPL’s early history implies unique centralization, and a reminder that Bitcoin’s “hands-off” mythology also has had real-world exceptions in its early days.

What’s hard to miss is where the ex-Ripple CTO  draws the line. Bitcoin’s success can persist even if base-layer technical progress slows, because the network’s strength increasingly behaves like a monetary standard rather than an engineering project. Schwartz is pursuing a different strategy for the XRP Ledger. After stepping down as Ripple CTO, he announced that he would pursue his own projects on the XRP Ledger.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.38.