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On-chain data shows spot demand for Bitcoin is returning as the Apparent Demand metric has started to grow for the first time since late November.

Bitcoin Apparent Demand Has Seen Its 30-Day Sum Turn Green

In a new post on X, CryptoQuant head of research Julio Moreno has discussed the latest trend in the Apparent Demand of Bitcoin. This on-chain indicator provides an estimate for the spot demand for the cryptocurrency that’s present on the network right now. It does so by comparing two metrics: the mining issuance and change in the 1-year inactive supply.

The mining issuance is the amount of the asset that miners are ‘minting’ on the blockchain every day through their mining activities. It can be considered as a measure of the asset’s total production. In contrast, the 1-year inactive supply, corresponding to coins dormant since more than one year ago, represents the cryptocurrency’s inventory.

When the value of the Apparent Demand is positive, it means the decrease in the inventory exceeds the production. Such a trend suggests demand for BTC is going up. On the other hand, the indicator being negative implies coins are being stashed away in inventory, potentially because of a lack of fresh activity.

Now, here is the chart shared by Moreno that shows the trend in the 30-day sum of the Bitcoin Apparent Demand over the last few months:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Apparent Demand saw its 30-day sum plummet deep into the red zone during December, implying demand for the cryptocurrency was muted. The metric persisted at these lows during the first half of January, but things started to reverse in the month’s second half.

The Apparent Demand remained at slight negative levels for much of February, but recently, a reversal into the positive territory has finally taken place. “Bitcoin spot demand is growing for the first time since late November,” noted the analyst. For now, the metric’s green level is still relatively small, so it only remains to be seen whether it will go up further in the near future.

In related news, the Coinbase Premium Index has also flipped green for Bitcoin recently, as CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju has pointed out in an X post.

The Coinbase Premium Index tracks the percentage difference between the BTC price on Coinbase (USD pair) and that on Binance (USDT pair). In other words, it reflects how Coinbase’s US-centric traffic differs in behavior from Binance’s global userbase.

From the chart, it’s visible that the metric shot up into the positive territory alongside the latest price surge, a potential sign that accumulation from American institutions backed the rally.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $68,000, up 4% in the last 24 hours.

Michael Saylor used his Strategy World 2026 keynote on Feb. 25 to argue that Bitcoin-backed “digital credit” is moving beyond Wall Street wrappers and toward programmable distribution on crypto rails, naming Solana and Ethereum as part of that future. The pitch matters because it pushes Strategy’s Bitcoin treasury model into a broader product thesis: use Bitcoin as the capital base, then package credit, yield and liquidity for corporates, retail investors and eventually tokenized markets.

Bitcoin Capital, Credit Product

Saylor framed Bitcoin as the foundation of the stack and Strategy’s Stretch (STRC) as the credit layer built on top of it. In his telling, the company’s business is no longer just accumulating Bitcoin, but “converting capital into credit” by using long-duration capital structures to strip cash flow from a volatile asset and deliver it as a steadier yield product.

“What is Strategy doing? Our company is converting capital into credit. We’re converting economic wealth into a stream of cash flows,” Saylor said. “You need an operating company in order to take a block of economic energy and turn it into a currency, peg it to a currency, strip away the risk, damp the volatility, extract the cash flows in the form of yield and compress the duration to now.”

That framework sits at the center of his case for STRC. Saylor said Strategy arrived there only after working through what he described as increasingly durable forms of leverage, from exchange leverage and margin loans to senior debt, junior debt, convertibles and preferred structures.

The key variable, in his view, is not just headline maturity, but the “stochastic duration” of capital, how long a company can realistically rely on it before covenants, mark-to-market stress or refinancing pressure force a problem.

He argued that variable preferred credit offered the best compromise short of common equity because it maximized optionality and reduced the risk of getting squeezed out of the position during a drawdown.

Saylor also laid out a simple quantitative case for digital credit. Strategy, he said, uses three internal metrics: BTC rating, or collateral coverage; BTC risk, the probability that collateral falls below required levels by the end of the term; and the implied credit spread needed to compensate investors. He contrasted current benchmarks of 78 basis points for investment-grade bonds and 288 basis points for high-yield debt with what he said digital credit could deliver if Bitcoin compounds faster than traditional assets.

His model depends heavily on a constructive view of Bitcoin’s long-run returns. If Bitcoin appreciates at 30% annually, Saylor said, sizable volumes of investment-grade credit can be created against it. If Bitcoin goes nowhere, the same structure starts to look like distressed debt.

He used recent performance to sharpen that distinction. Since Bitcoin’s all-time high about four and a half months ago, Saylor said, Bitcoin had fallen 45%, while STRC had lost “0% of its value” and paid 4.5% in dividends through the drawdown. That, he argued, is the commercial opening: offer a less volatile yield instrument to buyers who want Bitcoin-linked economics without owning the asset outright.

Solana And Ethereum As Distribution Rails

The keynote’s most consequential turn came when Saylor described digital credit as “programmable.” He was not using the term narrowly.

“Programmable means I take the credit and I create it. I turn it into a token, a private fund, a public fund, an ETF, an ETP. I make it a bank account. I make it a crypto account,” he said. “Then I put it on a platform — the NASDAQ, the London Stock Exchange, Solana, Ethereum, Binance, Coinbase Base. There are a lot of different platforms I can put that on.”

BREAKING: Michael Saylor says the future of programmable digital credit will be deployed on Solanapic.twitter.com/F4scOmDaU3

— Solana (@solana) February 25, 2026

He went further, arguing that once credit is packaged as a modular product, issuers can tune volatility, liquidity, staking periods, payout frequency and currency exposure. In that framework, Solana and Ethereum are not the capital base (Bitcoin remains that in Saylor’s model) but potential rails for distributing tokenized versions of the credit product.

That leaves Strategy with a larger ambition than simply selling preferred stock. Saylor said the company intends to deepen STRC liquidity and scale the underlying asset base, while partners build “digital money” and “digital yield” products around it.

If that thesis holds, Strategy is betting Bitcoin-backed credit can move from a public-market niche into a cross-platform product category spanning brokerages, ETFs and on-chain ecosystems.

At press time, Solana traded at $86.97.

A finance veteran is pushing back against critics who have dismissed a $100 XRP price prediction, suggesting that those on the opposing side may simply be missing the bigger picture. He boldly argues that double- and triple-digit prices are inevitable, pointing to its underlying technology as the driving force that could carry the asset toward this ambitious milestone with relative ease. 

Why The XRP Price Could Reach $100 Without Hassle

Paul White Gold Eagle, a financial industry expert, is standing firm in his ambitious prediction that XRP will reach $100, firing back at skeptics who have written off the possibility. After spending 10 years working in bank operations, the veteran stated on X that his experience inside the financial system gave him a perspective most retail investors do not have. 

Unlike front-facing roles where employees interact directly with customers, Paul White Gold Eagle revealed that operations work exposed him to the infrastructure that keeps banking institutions running. He described this infrastructure as “the backbone” of the financial industry. 

Notably, the veteran reflected on a pivotal moment in his career when banks shifted from paper-based processes to digital systems. He recalled that the transition was far more complex and disruptive than anyone anticipated, a lesson he suggests is directly relevant to the transformation he believes Ripple and XRP are now poised to deliver. 

Paul White Gold Eagle further argued that those who doubt XRP’s price potential fundamentally do not understand the cryptocurrency’s underlying technology and the specific role it is designed to play in the global finance sector. He pointed to Ripple’s upcoming CFO dashboard as tangible proof of its utility and real-world application.

The finance veteran also noted that wire reporting systems currently used inside banks still resemble technology from the 1980s. He suggested that the overhaul of these outdated interfaces is a strong signal that “so much is going to change.” For him, a double or even triple-digit price for the altcoin is not a question of if, but when. He likely views it as an inevitable byproduct of XRP’s growth as a global payment system. 

Analyst Says “It Won’t Remain Cheap For Long”

Crypto analyst BarriC is urging investors sitting on the sidelines to pay close attention to XRP. According to him, its current low price is a temporary window before the market sees a massive shift in global financial infrastructure. The analyst argues that once banks and financial institutions start adopting and relying on the altcoin, its valuation model could change completely. 

BarriC believes that once this happens, it could push XRP far beyond today’s single-digit price forecasts of $2, $3, and $4, reaching targets of $100, $ 1,000, or even $10,000 per token. He warns that once XRP reprices, people will look back on a $1-$2 valuation as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they missed.

Following a brief and sudden market-wide uptick, the Ethereum price is drawing closer to the pivotal $2,100 mark again, recording a 12% rise in the past day. Despite the bounce on Wednesday, the broader market of ETH is still quite bearish, but bullish sentiment appears to be gaining momentum in the Spot ETFs sector.

Sharp Decline Meets Quiet Ethereum Spot ETF Inflows

The recent price movement of Ethereum has been quite harsh, with steep declines and ongoing volatility significantly impacting market sentiment. However, beyond the persistent waning price action, a different narrative is unfolding in the Ethereum Spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).

Despite the sell-off, causing ETH’s price to drop from $4,900 to under $2,000, spot ETF flows show renewed interest and, in certain situations, ongoing capital allocation. This discrepancy between robust ETF demand and poor price performance raises the possibility that institutional and long-term investors are seeing the decline as an opportunity rather than a warning.

After a period of significant outflows in the middle of 2025, Leon Waidmann, market expert and head of research at Lisk, highlighted that ETH has seen selling pressure steadily decrease across its exchange funds. The enormous surges of influx that occurred in late 2024 and early 2025 have vanished, but peak panic selling is also turning out to be an issue.

Compared to the previous turbulent periods, the recent flow bars are much smaller in both directions, and the sellers are running out of steam. According to the expert, this trend is relevant because the institutional exodus appears to be exhausting itself despite one of the sharpest ETH drawdowns in recent memory.

Currently, the weak hands that desired to exit the market have already done so, and this does not mean that the price bottom for ETH is in yet. There is still a slight outflow bias in recent weeks, and a clear accumulation signal has not yet unfolded. 

However, the intensity of selling is clearly fading, representing the first thing that needs to happen before any trend reversal emerges. Thus, Waidmann has warned that when selling stops before sentiment recovers, investors should pay attention. Interestingly, this is where the next move begins to develop.

Short Positions On ETH Are Vanishing From The Market

Given the latest bullish response, the Ethereum market is currently undergoing a crucial shift. Market expert and investor CW reported that ETH short positions are now being destroyed completely, suggesting a growing positive market environment. 

The expert highlighted that there are bearish bets left on the ETH market, with investors gradually leaning toward the long side. Despite this major shift in investors’ sentiment, the rate of increase of high-leverage long positions is very slow. 

Data shared by CW suggests that Investors with high levels of leverage seem to have used up much of their remaining capital. However, the expert has classified this trend as a very positive situation that could be pivotal for the ETH’s price.

A senior UK security official is pushing for a temporary freeze on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, warning that foreign governments could exploit the hard-to-trace nature of digital currencies to quietly shape British politics.

Matt Western, who chairs the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, sent a letter to Housing Secretary Steve Reed on Monday urging the government to act before the threat grows any larger.

Six Agencies, No Clear Leader — And A Problem That Keeps Growing

Western’s concern runs deeper than just donations. He pointed out that enforcing rules around political funding and foreign interference is currently split across six separate bodies — the Electoral Commission, the Metropolitan Police Service, Counter-Terror Policing, the National Crime Agency, MI5, and local police forces.

No single agency is clearly in charge. According to Western, that gap in leadership leaves the UK exposed. His letter recommends creating a dedicated national police unit focused entirely on political finance oversight and foreign interference risks — a longer-term fix to what he sees as a structural weakness in the current system.

“We are concerned that foreign state intent to intervene in UK political finance may grow out to the next election,” Western wrote.

He added that as the UK’s military role in Europe expands and its positions on issues like Ukraine and relations with the US and European Union become more consequential, the incentive for outside actors to meddle in British politics will only increase.

Strict Rules Proposed For Any Crypto That Does Get Accepted

Western did not call for a permanent ban. The moratorium he proposed would stay in place only until the Electoral Commission releases formal statutory guidance on how crypto donations should be handled.

Once that guidance is issued, the freeze would be lifted. But the rules he wants attached to any future crypto donations are strict. Reports say Western’s recommendations include requiring political parties to use only cryptocurrency platforms registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK’s financial services watchdog.

Donations traced back to mixing services — tools commonly used to obscure the origin of funds — would be banned outright. Any crypto received by a political party would need to be converted into regular currency within 48 hours.

Western also pushed for stricter oversight of political donations, including checks on the source of donors’ wealth. He urged tougher penalties for breaking election finance laws and called for broader authority for the Electoral Commission to require banks and other institutions to disclose where donated funds originate.

Featured image from Alamy, chart from TradingView

PayPal, the digital payments company, has seen its stock price slump by almost half its value in recent months, which has led to conversations about who could realistically step in if a deal were ever pursued. Among the names circulating in online discussions is Ripple, the blockchain payments firm, which has been on a spree of acquisitions in recent months.

Although no talks have been confirmed, the idea of Ripple acquiring PayPal is interesting because of the overlap between both companies in digital payments, cross-border transfers, and stablecoins. The question now is what this potential acquisition would mean for Ripple’s ambitions in global finance.

Can Ripple Realistically Acquire PayPal?

PayPal’s share price has fallen by around 46% over the past year, leading to discussions as to whether there might be a takeover of the company very soon. For instance, Fintech startup Stripe is reportedly in early discussions to potentially buy PayPal.

However, there have also been speculations among members of the XRP community as to whether Ripple might actually be in contention to acquire PayPal. Jay Nisbett, commenting on X, described the idea as purely speculation but also noted that it makes sense from a synergy standpoint. 

He pointed out that PayPal’s market capitalization is around the $40 billion mark, which is reportedly below Ripple’s latest private valuation. However, financing such a deal would still be complicated. PayPal is a publicly traded company with a large shareholder base, regulatory obligations, and global compliance frameworks. 

Ripple, on the other hand, is privately held. Any acquisition would likely require capital raises, structured financing, or even a reverse merger mechanism that allows Ripple to effectively enter public markets through PayPal’s listing.

Nisbett also noted that PayPal’s stablecoin, PYUSD, currently has a $4 billion market cap. An acquisition would allow this to be easily integrated into Ripple’s ecosystem with RLUSD and the XRP Ledger.

Another angle involves regulatory positioning. Ripple recently secured expanded regulatory approvals and financial licenses that could theoretically support payment operations on a broader scale. A PayPal acquisition would instantly plug Ripple into PayPal’s established banking and e-commerce distribution network. This includes Ripple’s large share of global online payment processing and its existing cross-border corridors, which are expected to be about 45% of the total market.

Ripple’s Growing Track Record Of Acquisitions

Ripple has been expanding its footprint in recent months through a series of high-profile acquisitions that are placing its business beyond just payments on the XRP Ledger. To put this into context, Ripple has spent about $2.7 billion in acquisitions in the past three years. 

In 2025 alone, the company bought Hidden Road, a multi-asset prime brokerage firm; GTreasury, a global treasury management platform focused on corporate finance; and Rail, a stablecoin payments platform that focuses on cross-border payment capabilities. Ripple also acquired Palisade, a digital asset wallet and custody technology provider.

At this time, there are no confirmed discussions between Ripple and PayPal, and acquisition talks are all just speculation at this point.

In terms of price action, Solana may be demonstrating a downside trend, but its ecosystem is signaling growing dominance in the Web3 sector. After seeing notable network performance, the blockchain now controls a significant portion of the total decentralized application (dApp) revenue.

A Large Web3 dApp Earnings Covered By Solana

With robust network coverage, Solana, one of the leading blockchains in the cryptocurrency sector, is rapidly cementing its position as a dominant force in the Web3 economy. This is a pivotal moment for the network during a weakening price performance, which could play a role in its price outlook.

A recent report from SOL Strategies, a publicly traded company, discloses that Solana is dominating the web3 economy now by capturing a large share of all dApp revenue. As user activity increases and developers continue to expand throughout its ecosystem, it is becoming more evident that the network may produce actual economic value.

Using data from Syndica, a platform focused on building and scaling blockchain systems, the network currently controls over 41% of all web3 dApp revenue. Solana’s growing revenue footprint, which includes both consumer-facing applications and DeFi technologies, indicates more than just an increase in usage.

According to SOL Strategies, the Solana ecosystem is proving it is the place where real value is created across the web3 ecosystem. With its share of dApp earnings increasing, SOL is becoming a key hub in the upcoming stage of blockchain-driven innovation.

Solana’s network growth and dominance go beyond just the Web3 ecosystem. Its Real World Asset (RWA) ecosystem is accelerating at a remarkable pace, with on-chain value hitting historic levels. In an X post, SolanaFloor reported that SOL in this field has risen to a new all-time high of over $1.71 billion in total value.

The spike indicates increased institutional experimentation as well as heightened trust in the network’s infrastructure to sustain high-value, compliant assets. This massive figure represents a more than 45% increase in the last 30 days. The network’s most recent milestone highlights how tokenization is progressing from concept to actual on-chain growth, with capital coming in and acceptance expanding.

Here’s The Next Potential Catalyst For SOL

While price has been moving sideways, Solana could still be setting up for a super cycle, and APAC institutions may be the catalyst for this upswing. CryptoRus shared that Solana Company HSDT has announced the launch of Pacific Backbone, a quick, low-latency infrastructure buildout that links Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. 

This move is aimed at APAC institutions, which pairs Decentralized Finance (DeFi) tooling with liquid staking and Traditional Finance (TradFi) style execution to foster new capital flows in Solana. If this thesis is correct, SOL becomes the standard high-throughput settlement layer for an expanding area of capital markets rather than merely another Layer 1 pump. Furthermore, should institutions move in, the altcoin could gain momentum for a multi-phase run.

Indiana is moving closer to formally embedding crypto into its public financial system after lawmakers approved House Bill 1042, commonly referred to as the Bitcoin Rights Bill. The legislation has cleared both legislative chambers and now awaits the signature of Governor Mike Braun.

Related Reading: Binance Faces US Senate Inquiry Tied To $1.7 Billion In Sanctions-Related Transactions

If enacted, the law would allow certain public investment programs to provide exposure to crypto through regulated ETFs and establish legal protections for individuals who use or hold digital assets. The measure reflects a broader shift among U.S. states as they explore how crypto fits within traditional finance.

Public Funds and Retirement Plans Open to Crypto ETFs

HB 1042 permits state-managed investment funds to include cryptocurrency ETFs as investment options rather than allowing direct token purchases. The approach aims to provide exposure through regulated financial products while maintaining oversight mechanisms.

Under the bill, several state-administered programs must offer self-directed brokerage accounts containing at least one digital asset investment option. These include retirement plans for teachers, public employees, and legislators, as well as the Hoosier START 529 education savings program.

Participation would remain voluntary, meaning individuals could choose whether to allocate funds toward crypto-related investments. Before rollout, the state must establish approved investment structures designed to manage compliance and risk oversight.

The legislation also allows eligible investment funds from outside Indiana to allocate assets into crypto ETFs under the state’s framework, potentially expanding institutional participation beyond state borders.

Legal Protections for Digital Asset Users

Beyond access to investment, the bill introduces protections for cryptocurrency users. Public agencies, with limited exceptions, would be restricted from banning or limiting lawful digital asset activities.

Residents would retain the right to accept crypto payments for legal goods and services and to store assets in self-custodied or hardware wallets. The proposal also prevents the state from imposing special taxes on crypto transactions and requires taxation rules to align with those applied to other financial activities.

Supporters argue that these provisions provide legal clarity for individuals and businesses operating in the digital asset space, while critics continue to highlight concerns about market volatility and retirement risk exposure.

Part of a Broader U.S. Policy Shift

Indiana’s move comes amid growing institutional interest in cryptos, following the expansion of crypto ETFs and evolving federal policy discussions on retirement portfolio diversification. Other states are considering similar measures, signaling a gradual shift toward incorporating digital assets into public finance structures.

HB 1042, introduced by State Representative Kyle Pierce, completed the legislative process after the House approved Senate amendments. If Governor Braun signs the bill, the law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026, triggering implementation by state agencies and retirement administrators.

Related Reading: Netherlands To Amend Controversial 36% Tax On Unrealized Crypto, Stock Gains

As more states evaluate crypto-focused legislation, Indiana’s decision could serve as another trigger to the continued adoption of crypto in other states’ financial systems.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart on Tradingview

Solana projects Step Finance and its sister platforms have announced they are winding down operations following an exploit last month. This also comes as crypto prices struggle amid the current bear market, with SOL still below the psychological $100 level. 

Solana Projects To Wind Down Following Exploit And Amid Price Struggle

In an X post, Solana DeFi aggregator Step Finance announced that it and its sister projects, SolanaFloor and Remora Markets, will be winding down all operations. This follows the hack towards the end of last month involving the firm’s treasury wallets, which resulted in a loss of around $40 million. 

Related Reading: This Analyst Predicted Solana Sell-Off At $250, And Is Back With A New Prediction

StepFinance stated that following the hack, they explored every possible path forward, including financing and acquisition opportunities. However, the Solana project was unable to secure a viable outcome, which is why it has decided to end all operations effective immediately. The firm also revealed that it is working on a buyback for STEP holders based on a snapshot taken before the incident. 

The STEP token is down over 40% in the past week amid this announcement, currently trading at around 0.00060. The token is down by over 99% from its all-time high (ATH) of $10, set in August 2021. 

Furthermore, Step Finance stated that it is also working on a redemption process for Remora rToken holders, with these tokens still backed 1:1. Remora Markets, a tokenized stock marketplace on SOL, also confirmed that it is winding down operations alongside its parent company, Step Finance. Remora stated that they are currently working on a redemption process to allow holders to redeem their tokens for USDC and that they will share more details soon. 

Media Outlet To Also Wind Down

Solana media platform Solana Floor, a sister company to Step Finance, also confirmed that it is winding down operations. The platform will no longer publish new content, but the existing website, videos, and newsletters will remain available as an archive. Solana wallet Solflare stated that it will pause its News section inside the wallet due to Solana Floor’s sunsetting. 

Related Reading: XRP, Solana Secure Inflows As Institutions Move $1 Billion Out Of Bitcoin And Ethereum

Solflare also revealed that it is considering opening up the space to community-driven articles published directly in the wallet. This will include original long-form articles, fresh insights, analysis, and strong opinions, deep dives into SOL projects/trends, educational crypto explainers, and market analysis. 

Meanwhile, Step Finance co-founder George Harrap indicated that there was still the possibility of an acquisition of any of their projects. He stated that some people have reached out about acquiring various businesses and that they will pursue those if serious and have interest, but warned that they are working on a “time crunch.

At the time of writing, the Solana price is trading at around $89, up 8% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

After weeks stuck below a key psychological level, Ethereum (ETH) surged past $2,000 in a swift rally, pushing prices to $2,158 within a day. The recovery comes after a prolonged period of sideways trading around $1,900 and a broader correction that had pushed ETH more than 60% below its previous peak.

The latest double-digit recovery coincided with a wider cryptocurrency market rebound, with total market capitalization rising by over 4% and Bitcoin also advancing during the same period.

Ethereum ETF Inflows and Institutional Activity Drive Recovery

Renewed institutional demand helped drive Ethereum’s breakout, as spot ETFs recorded fresh inflows after weeks of outflows. Daily investments topped $20 million in some sessions, with total inflows exceeding $125 million on February 25, led largely by Grayscale and Fidelity products.

On-chain data also pointed to accumulation by large holders. Whale wallets added thousands of ETH while others withdrew significant amounts from exchanges, a pattern often interpreted as long-term positioning rather than short-term trading.

The Ethereum Foundation added another layer of support by announcing plans to stake 70,000 ETH from its treasury. The move reflects a shift toward active reserve management while reducing the circulating supply available on the market.

Technically, momentum indicators turned positive as capital flowed back into the asset. Analysts identified resistance zones between $2,080 and $2,150, while support formed around the psychologically important $2,000 level.

Upgrade Roadmap Signals Faster and More Secure Ethereum

Beyond price action, investor attention has also focused on Ethereum’s long-term development roadmap. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently outlined proposals to significantly improve transaction speed and security over the next several years.

The plan includes gradually reducing block slot times from 12 seconds to as low as two seconds, allowing faster transaction processing. Developers are also targeting transaction finality between 6 and 16 seconds, a major reduction from the current confirmation timeframe, which can stretch into minutes.

The roadmap spans multiple protocol upgrades expected through the end of the decade and introduces quantum-resistant cryptography designed to prepare the network for future computing risks. Changes will be implemented gradually to limit disruption and maintain network stability.

Options Expiry Could Increase Short-Term Volatility

Despite improving sentiment, derivatives markets may introduce near-term volatility. Around $893 million worth of ETH options are set to expire this week, with a “max pain” level near $2,200. The put-to-call ratio below 1 suggests traders are leaning toward upside exposure, though expiry mechanics can temporarily influence price direction.

Ethereum’s ability to hold above $2,000 remains the key signal for traders. Sustained institutional inflows and progress on network upgrades could determine whether the latest rally develops into a broader trend reversal or remains a short-term recovery within a larger consolidation phase.

Cover image from ChatGPT, ETHUSD chart on Tradingview

New developments in XRP’s active address count suggest that investors may be jumping ship from the leading cryptocurrency. According to on-chain metrics, the number of active addresses on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has dropped by more than half in one day, marking a new low in 2026. The decline in this metric comes as the cryptocurrency continues to consolidate near the $1.40 region after its price fell by more than 20% over the past month.

XRP Active Address Drop Raises Investor Exit Concerns

Recent data from market analytics platform CryptoQuant paints a worrying picture for XRP, as more than 18,130 active addresses have disappeared from the network. The decline is particularly striking considering that on February 10, active addresses had surged to a yearly high of 32,684. At the time, the altcoin was trading low at $1.399. However, despite the subdued price, network participation continued to climb, signaling increased engagement.

Following this peak, XRP active addresses dropped the next day to 17,275, representing a decline of more than 15,409 addresses. This slump coincided with an almost 3% decrease in the XRP price, which was around $1.36 at the time. In the subsequent days, active address counts fluctuated between 16,000 and 17,000 before experiencing another major drop, eventually settling at 14,551. Notably, this marked the lowest level of active addresses seen throughout this year. 

Importantly, active address measures the number of unique wallet addresses that participated in transactions over a given period. It serves as a key indicator of a network’s activity level and, to some extent, investors’ interest in a cryptocurrency. Typically, a decline in active addresses suggests reduced user participation on the blockchain. It can also signal a more concerning trend of investors exiting a cryptocurrency and diminishing retail interest.

If investors are indeed abandoning XRP, it would come as no great surprise given the cryptocurrency’s recent price performance. CoinMarketCap data shows that year-to-date, the price has fallen by more than 36%. The cryptocurrency has also declined by more than 52% from its 2025 peak above $3, underscoring its continued bearish trend amid ongoing market volatility and eroding investor confidence.

What Analysts Are Saying About The Price

Despite its subdued price action and poor performance this year, analysts remain optimistic about XRP’s outlook. According to market expert Bird, XRP’s corrective phase appears to have ended after the cryptocurrency completed a triangle pattern, marked by declining price action.

After a recent rebound above the $1.30 range into the $1.40 region, Bird suggests that the market may be on the verge of a confirmed price reversal. He noted that XRP will need additional upward momentum before it can advance toward the next projected target above $1.7 on the price chart.

Сооснователи американского платежного сервиса Stripe Патрик и Джон Коллисон (Patrick, John Collison) заявили, что большинство современных блокчейнов не подходят для проведения платежей, хотя для этой задачи годятся стейблкоины.

Майнинговая компания сыновей президента США Дональда Трампа American Bitcoin объявила об убытке $59 млн по итогам четвертого квартала ушедшего года. За 2025-й нереализованный убыток от ее биткоин-резерва достиг на фоне падения стоимости криптовалюты $227 млн.

Ripple has backed AI infrastructure startup t54 in a $5 million seed round, a move that ties the company more closely to the emerging market for autonomous payments and agent-driven financial activity. The investment also puts the XRP Ledger in the frame as one of the networks being positioned for machine-to-machine commerce.

Ripple And The XRP Ledger Enter The Agentic Payments Race

t54 announced on February 25 that its seed round was led by Anagram, PL Capital, and Franklin Templeton, with strategic participation from Ripple, alongside Virtuals Ventures, Blockchain Coinvestors, and ABCDE. The company describes itself as a “trust layer for the agentic economy,” focused on a problem that is starting to attract more attention as AI systems move from recommendation to execution: how to verify an agent’s identity, evaluate its risk, and assign accountability when something goes wrong.

That framing was echoed by Ripple President Monica Long, who wrote on X that “as autonomous agents begin managing and transacting with real capital, trust infrastructure becomes a foundational piece of the equation.” She added that Ripple was “proud to be at the forefront of AI innovation,” calling out t54 as a team “building the trust layer for the agentic economy.”

The company’s pitch is that existing financial rails were built around humans, not software agents acting on delegated authority. In the press release, founder Chandler Fang laid that out directly:

“We are building trust infrastructure for the agentic economy. Financial systems were designed around human identity and human decision-making. As agents become autonomous participants, we need agent-native financial primitives—verifiable agent identity (KYA), real-time risk assessment, and programmable accountability—built for how agents operate.”

That thesis is not just about identity in the abstract. t54 says its platform is built across four pillars: identity and verification, risk and fraud, credit, and a broader operating platform that combines controls with settlement. The idea is to give institutions a way to bind agents to verified developers or human operators, monitor their behavior in real time, and decide when they should be allowed to transact, borrow, or execute payment flows.

The company is also making a direct bet on crypto rails as part of that stack. Among the products it listed is an “XRPL x402 Facilitator,” described as infrastructure that lets AI agents pay for services using XRP and RLUSD. It also highlighted an open-source secure layer on x402 and said its ecosystem spans XRPL, Solana, Base, and Virtuals, suggesting it is not building for a single chain, even if Ripple’s involvement gives XRPL special relevance.

That matters because Ripple’s interest here goes beyond venture exposure. Markus Infanger, SVP at RippleX, framed the opportunity as a shift in the nature of economic actors themselves:

“Autonomous systems are becoming participants in economic activity, not just tools. The financial infrastructure that supports them must evolve accordingly. We support t54’s efforts to build the identity and risk capabilities that will be foundational as AI agents operate across payments, treasury, and capital markets.”

Tony Pecore, Franklin Templeton SVP and director of digital asset management, said:

“As institutions embrace tokenization and autonomous systems, the infrastructure layer must evolve to match. t54 is building the trust and verification framework that institutional finance will require as AI agents become participants in financial markets.”

t54 also backed its market argument with survey data. It cited a recent YouGov study showing 42% of US consumers would allow an AI agent to make purchases on their behalf if it secured the lowest price.

At the same time, research from Keyfactor found 86% of cybersecurity professionals believe autonomous systems and AI agents should have unique, dynamic digital identities. Together, those figures capture the tension t54 is trying to monetize: growing willingness to delegate financial actions to software, but only with tighter controls.

For Ripple and XRPL, the bet is clear. If autonomous agents do become active users of payment rails, then Ripple wants XRP Ledger infrastructure to be part of that next layer.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.4397.

After several days of online speculation, blockchain investigator ZachXBT has published the findings of a probe he first alluded to earlier this week, detailing what he describes as insider trading and internal data abuse at Axiom Exchange.

In a series of posts, ZachXBT identified Broox Bauer, known on X as @WheresBroox, as a central figure in the alleged scheme. Bauer is described as a senior business development employee at Axiom based in New York. 

Alleged Wallet Lookups And Insider Trading Scheme

According to the investigation, Bauer and others exploited insufficient access controls on internal tools to retrieve sensitive user information and track private wallet activity, allegedly using that data to inform trades as far back as early 2025.

Audio clips shared as part of the report appear to show Bauer explaining how he could monitor any Axiom user through referral codes, wallet addresses or internal user IDs. In one recording, he claims he can “find out anything to do with that person.” 

He also describes starting by reviewing 10 to 20 wallets and gradually expanding the scope over time “so it does not look that suspicious.” In another excerpt from the same private group call, Bauer outlines procedures for requesting wallet lookups and says he would provide a full list of tracked addresses. 

The investigation cites specific instances of alleged misuse of internal dashboards. In April 2025, Bauer reportedly shared a screenshot from an Axiom internal interface showing private wallet information for a trader identified as “Jerry.” 

In August 2025, he allegedly circulated another image displaying registration data and linked wallets for a trader known as “Monix.” That same month, he is said to have discussed conducting lookups on Axiom users who had traded the meme coin AURA.

According to the findings, the group compiled wallet addresses of multiple key opinion leaders (KOLs) into a Google Sheet. The document mapped out addresses gathered from Axiom’s internal dashboard. 

Several KOLs named in the sheet or visible in leaked screenshots were contacted and independently confirmed that the wallet data attributed to them was accurate.

Axiom Case May Fall Under SDNY Jurisdiction

The report raises broader concerns about internal oversight at the exchange. It claims there was little to no effective monitoring or restriction on employee access to sensitive user data, regardless of whether senior figures identified as Cal or Mist were aware of the activity. 

Given that Bauer is based in New York City, ZachXBT suggested the matter could fall within the jurisdiction of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). 

He stated that, regardless of whether criminal charges are ultimately pursued, Axiom’s co-founders should conduct a thorough internal review and consider legal action against any employees found to have abused their access.

Adding to the controversy, separate reports indicate that roughly three hours before ZachXBT publicly disclosed the alleged insider trading activity, a suspected insider placed bets totaling $59,800 using two newly created wallets. 

Those trades reportedly generated nearly $109,000 in profit, further fueling concerns about the potential misuse of privileged information.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Блокчейн-детектив ZachXBT опубликовал результаты своего расследования, заявив, что несколько сотрудников трейдинговой платформы Axiom использовали данные площадки для инсайдерской торговли.

Ethereum is getting a makeover — a big one. Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of the world’s second-largest blockchain network, has shared his thoughts on a newly published four-year upgrade plan that aims to make Ethereum both faster and safer from the growing threat of quantum computing.

The plan, called “Strawmap,” was put out by the Ethereum Foundation’s Protocol team and lays out a series of changes expected to roll out over the next four years through seven scheduled hard forks, roughly one every six months.

Ethereum: Cutting Block Time From 12 Seconds To 2

Right now, Ethereum produces a new block every 12 seconds. That may sound quick, but for a network that wants to power payments, apps, and financial tools at a global scale, it is not fast enough.

A very important document. Let’s walk through this one “goal” at a time. We’ll start with fast slots and fast finality.

I expect that we’ll reduce slot time in an incremental fashion, eg. I like the “sqrt(2) at a time” formula (12 -> 8 -> 6 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2, though the last two… https://t.co/ni9wIF2BgJ

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 25, 2026

According to Buterin, the plan is to bring that number down to just two seconds — but not all at once. Reports say the reduction will happen in stages, following a rough pattern from 12 seconds down to eight, then six, then four, and finally two.

Buterin also pointed out that improving how nodes on the network share information with each other — passing along new blocks without sending the same data repeatedly — can make shorter block times safe without creating new security risks.

“Fast slots are off in their own lane at the top of the roadmap,” Buterin wrote, adding that this part of the plan operates mostly on its own, separate from the other upgrades.

Two hard forks are already locked in for this year. Glamsterdam and Hegotá are both confirmed and expected to arrive in the months ahead, marking the first concrete steps in the timeline.

A 16-Minute Wait For Finality Is Also On The Chopping Block

Speed is only half the story. The other major change targets something called finality — the point at which a completed transaction is mathematically locked in and cannot be reversed. On Ethereum today, that takes around 16 minutes.

The goal is to slash that window down to somewhere between six and 16 seconds by replacing the current confirmation process with a simpler, cleaner system. That new system would also be built to resist attacks from quantum computers, which are widely expected to eventually break the kind of encryption that blockchains currently depend on.

“The goal is to decouple slots and finality, to allow us to reason about both separately,” Buterin said.

He described the planned changes as “a very invasive set of changes,” which is why the team plans to bundle the most significant steps with a switch to what are known as post-quantum hash-based signatures — a type of cryptography designed to hold up even against powerful quantum machines.

Featured image from Cyber Security 360, chart from TradingView 

Совет директоров торгующейся на бирже Nasdaq компании GD Culture Group (GDC) разрешил распродать часть резерва биткоинов. Причина — финансирование программы обратного выкупа акций.

Сооснователь Википедии, американский бизнесмен Джимми Уэйлс (Jimmy Wales) предположил, что к середине века курс первой криптовалюты рухнет до $10 000.

Компания ETHZilla, один из крупных публичных держателей эфира, проведет ребрендинг и сменит название на Forum Markets. Компания также получит обновленный тикер на бирже NASDAQ.