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Bitcoin Activity Plummets: New & Active Addresses Both Down 40%+ Since 2021
Bitcoin on-chain data shows both the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth indicators have seen sharp drops compared to five years ago.
Wallet-Related Bitcoin Metrics Have Declined In Recent YearsAs highlighted by on-chain analytics firm Santiment in an X post, there is a staggering difference between the level of activity on the Bitcoin network today and February 2021.
There are several on-chain metrics that can be used to gauge blockchain activity, but two in particular are of focus here: the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth.
The first of these measures the total number of BTC addresses that are coming online every day. A wallet is said to come ‘online’ when it participates in some kind of transaction activity on the network. Thus, the Daily Active Addresses essentially tracks the unique daily count of addresses making at least one transfer on the network.
The other indicator, the Network Growth, tells us about the amount of addresses that are coming online on the blockchain for the first time. In other words, it tracks the amount of new addresses joining the network every day.
Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth for Bitcoin over the last several years:
As displayed in the above graph, both the Bitcoin Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth witnessed a significant drop at the start of 2024. The former made some recovery as the cryptocurrency observed its bull rally in the second half of the year, but the latter still remained at relatively low levels despite a jump.
In 2025, both indicators again slumped and took to sideways movement, despite the fact that Bitcoin explored fresh highs. Santiment noted that “there was a clear bearish divergence that had been forming throughout 2025 as market caps continued to hit new heights while Bitcoin’s utility declined.”
During the recent market downturn, the indicators have gone a notch lower. Currently, there are 650,000 unique addresses interacting on the blockchain per day, which is down 42% compared to February 2021, five years ago. Similarly, the Network Growth is sitting at a value of 291,000, reflecting a 47% drop for the same window.
So, what does the sharp drop in activity mean for Bitcoin? According to the analytics firm, it doesn’t imply that “crypto is dead” or that the digital asset is entering a multi-year bear market. That said, the return of bullish winds could still depend on the trend in the network metrics. As Santiment explained:
A justification for crypto beginning to see a true long-term relief rally will be when metrics like active addresses and network growth begin to rise.
BTC PriceBitcoin continues to move sideways as its price trades around the $66,400 level.
Société Générale добавил поддержку XRP Ledger для стейблкоина EURCV
SEC Chair Discloses What’s Next For Crypto Regulation At ETH Denver
As momentum in Washington around the proposed CLARITY Act slows, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins outlined how the agency intends to proceed with crypto regulation, despite congressional delays, at a public appearance this Wednesday at ETH Denver.
Speaking alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, a longtime advocate for clearer crypto rules, Atkins signaled that the regulator is preparing a broad regulatory push in the months ahead.
SEC Details 2026 Crypto AgendaResponding to a question about what the industry can expect this year, Atkins said the SEC will continue coordinating with lawmakers while advancing its own agenda through “Project Crypto,” an initiative that is now being jointly carried out with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Atkins said the Commission and staff are preparing several initiatives for consideration in the near term. Among them is a formal framework explaining how the SEC determines when a crypto asset involves an investment contract, including how such a contract is created and under what circumstances it may cease to exist.
He also previewed an “innovation exemption” designed to allow limited trading of certain tokenized securities on new types of platforms, with the broader goal of shaping a durable regulatory structure over time.
The agency is also developing a rule proposal intended to create what Atkins called “common-sense” avenues for raising capital through crypto asset sales.
In addition, the SEC plans to issue no-action letters and exemptive orders to provide greater certainty to market participants, including guidance for digital wallets and other user interfaces that may not fall under registration requirements of the Securities Exchange Act.
Custody rules are another priority. Atkins said the SEC is working on rulemaking related to how broker-dealers may safeguard non-security crypto assets, including payment stablecoins.
The Commission is also preparing updates to transfer agent regulations to reflect the growing role blockchain technology can play in maintaining ownership records.
Clear Rules Over PanicThe SEC chair also addressed recent declines in crypto prices, pushing back against the idea that regulators should respond to market downturns. He emphasized that it is not the role of the Commission to react to daily price movements.
Instead, he said, the agency’s responsibility is to ensure investors receive adequate disclosures so they can make informed decisions. Markets, he noted, fluctuate across asset classes, whether stocks, commodities, or digital assets.
Regulators, in his view, should focus on maintaining clear and functional rules that allow investors to decide for themselves whether to buy, sell, or hold.
Lastly, Atkins reiterated that the Commission must continue clarifying how tokenized securities fit within the existing regulatory framework and how intermediaries can trade and custody them for clients.
He stressed that progress will require collaboration and welcomed input from across the spectrum, including critics of the crypto industry.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Эксперт CryptoQuant: Крупные держатели биткоина вернулись к накоплению
Старший аналитик Bloomberg изменил свой прогноз цены биткоина после критики
Разработчик Bitcoin Core: Слабость биткоина не связана с квантовой угрозой
Wall Street’s Bitcoin Exit Door: How Institutional Depth Allowed LTH To Distribute Record Supply
Bitcoin is struggling to push decisively above the $69,000 level as persistent selling pressure and rising market anxiety continue to weigh on sentiment. After several failed breakout attempts, price action reflects a cautious environment in which traders remain hesitant to commit fresh capital. Volatility has increased alongside deteriorating confidence, reinforcing the perception that the market is still navigating a corrective phase rather than entering a sustained recovery.
A recent report from analyst Darkfost provides additional context through on-chain data, particularly the Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) heatmap. This indicator measures the number of holding days accumulated by each Bitcoin before it is spent, offering insight into the behavior of long-term holders. When visualized as a heatmap, CDD highlights periods when older coins move, allowing analysts to quickly assess shifts in conviction among historically resilient investors.
Compared with previous cycles, the current market phase appears notable for the elevated activity of long-term holders. The data suggests that this cohort has been more active than in past cycles, potentially contributing to supply dynamics that influence price stability. Whether this reflects strategic redistribution, profit-taking, or broader market repositioning remains a key question for investors monitoring Bitcoin’s next directional move.
Long-Term Holder Activity Adds Complexity To Bitcoin’s Market SignalsAccording to Darkfost, elevated long-term holder activity has historically intensified near market tops, suggesting that distribution from this cohort has often contributed to the formation of local peaks. When older coins begin moving after extended dormancy, it frequently reflects profit-taking or portfolio rebalancing, both of which can increase available supply and weigh on short-term price stability. In prior cycles, similar spikes in Coin Days Destroyed coincided with phases of overheated sentiment and subsequent corrective moves.
However, interpreting this cycle requires additional nuance. Not all increases in long-term holder activity necessarily signal outright selling pressure. Some of the recent CDD spikes appear linked to operational factors rather than directional positioning. Large entities, including Coinbase and Fidelity Investments, have conducted UTXO consolidation transactions, which can artificially inflate activity metrics without representing net supply entering the market.
Technical changes within the Bitcoin ecosystem have also played a role. The growth of Ordinals and inscription-related activity has encouraged some long-standing holders to migrate funds from legacy addresses toward SegWit or Taproot formats, generating on-chain activity that may distort traditional behavioral signals.
At the same time, deeper institutional liquidity has made it easier for long-term holders to distribute positions gradually, potentially smoothing market impact compared with previous cycles.
Bitcoin Faces Key Technical Test Below Major Moving AveragesBitcoin’s weekly price structure continues to reflect sustained selling pressure, with the asset struggling to stabilize after losing the $70,000 psychological threshold. The chart shows a decisive breakdown from the late-2025 highs near the $120,000 region, followed by a sequence of lower highs and lower lows that typically characterize a corrective market phase rather than simple consolidation.
Price is now trading below the shorter-term moving average, which has rolled over and is beginning to act as dynamic resistance. The intermediate trend average is also flattening, suggesting weakening bullish momentum, while the longer-term average remains upward sloping but distant from current price levels. This configuration often appears during transitional phases where the market shifts from expansion toward redistribution.
Volume patterns reinforce the defensive tone. Recent selloffs have been accompanied by elevated trading activity, indicating active distribution rather than passive drift lower. However, participation has moderated slightly following the most recent drop, which may hint at temporary seller exhaustion.
From a technical standpoint, the $65,000–$68,000 region represents immediate support. Failure to hold this zone could expose deeper retracement levels closer to long-term trend support, while a sustained reclaim of $70,000 would be required to stabilize sentiment and reopen the path toward recovery.
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Google Trends: Интерес к падению биткоина до нуля достиг пика
Президент банка Миннеаполиса назвал криптовалюты «словесной окрошкой»
Bitcoin Tightens Grip On Crypto Market Amid 50% Altcoin Slump
Markets are tilting back toward the oldest cryptocurrency. Prices have found a busy band between $65,000 and $72,000. Trading in that range has become a focal point for big players and long holders. Some traders are piling in. Others are stepping aside.
Trading Volume RotationAccording to exchange figures, Bitcoin’s share of trades has climbed while many altcoins have lost ground. Reports say Bitcoin made up close to 37% of total trading on a recent snapshot, with a chunk of the market now shifting away from smaller tokens.
Ethereum still holds a large piece at roughly 28%, but the combined altcoin share has fallen sharply from late last year, down from roughly 59% to levels near 35%. That drop looks large on the charts. It shows money moving back to the most familiar asset.
Altcoin Volumes Shrink by 50% as Capital Rotates Back to Bitcoin
“This pattern has appeared repeatedly during previous corrective phases, including April 2025, August 2024, and October 2022 near the end of the bear market.” – By @Darkfost_Coc
Link https://t.co/B0ZFeiMukl pic.twitter.com/jVRTOkaTic
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) February 18, 2026
The Price Band That Draws AttentionLarge orders and institutional flow have gravitated to the mentioned price band. Whales and long-term holders are active there; accumulation and sales are both visible. Some of the activity appears to be profit-taking after strong runs.
Some moves are defensive, as traders favor the perceived safety of the oldest coin when the broader market feels uncertain. Liquidity concentrates where market participants expect it. When that happens, price swings can be sharper on one side than the other.
What Market Caps And Dominance RevealReports note Bitcoin’s market cap has slipped from near $1.55 trillion to about $1.34 trillion over recent weeks, while many altcoins saw much smaller declines in total market value.
The shift in volume does not always match market cap changes, but it is meaningful: more trading in Bitcoin means more attention and faster price discovery for that asset.
Dominance readings have edged down slightly over a short window, yet Bitcoin remains the most traded token on major platforms. Historical patterns show capital rotating into Bitcoin during corrections, and this cycle fits that mold.
Why Traders Are WatchingSome traders expect stability to return if Bitcoin holds its current range. Others warn that heavy concentration of orders can produce sudden pressure when sentiment flips.
The movement out of altcoins may create missed opportunities for selective buyers, but it also compresses risk for those who prefer a single market leader. Market watchers will be watching volume flows and order books closely over the next sessions.
Bitcoin Reclaims The SpotlightBased on reports, Bitcoin has reasserted itself as the main focus of crypto trading for now. Short-term behavior will depend on whether buyers in the $65,000–$72,000 zone keep adding or whether selling pressure builds and forces a wider move.
Either way, the rotation away from many altcoins is clear, and traders are recalibrating where they place their bets.
Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
ЦБ России: Хранить криптовалюту смогут не только банки
Налоговая служба России подала иск о банкротстве компании группы BitRiver
Пол Аткинс: Падение крипторынка — не повод для жестких мер
Совфед России утвердил порядок изъятия криптовалюты в уголовных делах
86% незаконных операций со стейблкоинами связаны с обходом санкций — TRM Labs
Crypto Whales Build A ‘Fortress Floor’ As Retail Panic Sells The Altcoin Sector
The crypto market continues to face notable selling pressure, with several leading altcoins struggling to regain upward momentum after months of volatility. Sentiment remains fragile as investors weigh macro uncertainty, liquidity conditions, and the lack of sustained bullish catalysts. While periodic rebounds have emerged, most altcoins remain well below previous cycle highs, reinforcing a cautious environment across the broader market.
A recent CryptoQuant report provides additional perspective on this dynamic. According to the analysis, retail investors appear to be under persistent pressure to sell altcoins, particularly as price weakness and negative sentiment dominate headlines. At the same time, the data suggests a more complex underlying picture. Despite ongoing pressure, certain segments of the market are forming notable buying walls, indicating that demand has not disappeared entirely.
Trading volume across altcoins has risen significantly since Ethereum established its recent bottom, reaching levels that are difficult to compare directly with the previous cycle. This increase in activity, even while prices remain depressed, may reflect repositioning rather than pure capitulation. Importantly, most altcoins have yet to stage meaningful recoveries, suggesting that current participation could represent accumulation, speculative positioning, or a mix of both as the market searches for direction.
Retail Capitulation Meets Strategic Crypto AccumulationThe CryptoQuant analysis indicates that much of the current altcoin selling pressure is being driven by retail participants reacting defensively to volatility and prolonged drawdowns. Fear-driven liquidations often emerge during uncertain phases, particularly when liquidity tightens, and price recovery lacks momentum. This behavior tends to amplify short-term weakness, especially across mid- and lower-cap crypto assets.
However, the same data suggests that a portion of this selling volume is being systematically absorbed by larger or more patient market participants. This absorption dynamic typically reflects positioning rather than speculation, as buyers accumulate exposure while sentiment remains fragile. Historically, such phases have preceded structural market transitions, although timing remains uncertain and outcomes are not guaranteed.
Some analysts argue that the current cycle may be characterized by unusually strong preparatory accumulation compared with previous market phases. Elevated spot volumes alongside persistent volatility suggest capital rotation rather than outright market exit in certain segments.
That said, projections about a future altcoin bull phase being significantly stronger than the previous cycle remain speculative. Market structure, macro liquidity conditions, regulatory developments, and Bitcoin dominance will all influence whether such expectations materialize. The data primarily supports a market undergoing redistribution rather than a confirmed bullish reversal.
Altcoin Market Cap Remains Under Structural PressureThe total crypto market capitalization excluding the top ten assets continues to show persistent weakness, reinforcing the view that the broader altcoin sector remains under structural pressure. The chart reflects a clear failure to sustain momentum following the mid-2025 rally, with capitalization steadily declining since the last major peak. Recent price action shows the market hovering near roughly $170B, significantly below previous highs and still trending downward.
Technically, the structure appears fragile. Price has moved below the shorter-term moving averages and is testing longer-term support zones. The inability to reclaim these averages suggests declining momentum rather than a consolidation phase. Volume spikes accompanying downward moves also indicate that selling activity remains dominant, not merely passive drift.
Historically, similar configurations have occurred during late corrective phases when capital rotates back toward Bitcoin and larger-cap assets. This typically reflects risk reduction rather than outright market exit, but it nonetheless suppresses altcoin performance for extended periods.
Importantly, the absence of strong recovery attempts suggests liquidity constraints remain a key factor. Unless broader market sentiment improves or Bitcoin stabilizes convincingly, the altcoin segment may continue to face headwinds. At present, the data support ongoing redistribution rather than a confirmed cyclical bottom for the broader altcoin market.
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
CLARITY Act On Track For April Passage, Senator Says
US lawmakers and crypto leaders say a major bill could move fast. According to an on-site interview, Senator Bernie Moreno told reporters he hopes the US CLARITY Act will clear Congress by April.
The comment came during a recent gathering with members of the press, and it set off a flurry of reaction across markets and inside the halls of power.
Lawmakers And Industry At Odds Over Clarity ActReports note that the biggest fight left on the table is stablecoin yields. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said industry talks are more hopeful now, but he had pulled his group’s backing earlier because the bill would ban interest-bearing stablecoins and put the SEC front and center as the lead regulator.
That tug-of-war matters. Banks worry that easy yield on crypto tokens could pull deposits and weaken their model. Crypto firms counter that such products are useful and in demand. Both sides also want clear rules so firms can plan ahead.
Policymakers Have MomentumBased on reports, the White House reacted strongly when one major exchange stepped back from support. The executive office signaled surprise and urged quicker agreement.
Markets noticed. Prediction markets moved, with odds on passage swinging dramatically in response to the media interview.
Polymarket showed a sharp uptick in probability that the bill would pass — then a pullback once details were questioned.
“Hopefully by April,” Moreno said during an interview at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday. What Could Break The DealTrump has pushed a pro-crypto message, and that helps gathering momentum among allies in Congress. But partisan lines remain.
If members tie the bill too closely to a single political brand, bipartisan support could fray. Also, banks and regulators are not uniform: some large institutions want stricter rules; others prefer limited, clearer guardrails that let certain products exist under oversight.
Why Fast Passage Is UncertainReports say industry players want clarity asap, while some regulators want broader authority. That difference explains the public sparring.
Negotiators can and do move quickly when leadership prioritizes a measure, yet complex financial bills often require many rounds of drafting and amendment. Even so, lawmakers and execs at industry meetings appear to be pushing hard for a resolution soon.
If the bill clears, it could bring clearer rules for exchanges, banks, and stablecoin issuers. For investors, clarity is usually good. For firms, the shape of the final text will determine whether new products live or die.
Featured image from Wallpapers.com, chart from TradingView
Balaji Says ‘Zcash Or Communism’ As He Warns AI Supercharges Surveillance
Balaji Srinivasan is once again making the most provocative version of a privacy argument and he’s pinning it to a specific chain: Zcash. In a Feb. 18 video shared on X, Srinivasan framed the stakes in stark terms: “The choice is clear. It’s Zcash or communism,” tying the rise of AI-enabled surveillance to what he described as a renewed appetite for wealth seizure.
In a follow-up post, he argued that AI has shifted surveillance from a state-scale project to something closer to an on-demand service. “Any scrap of information online can now be integrated, digested, and synthesized…by any state or stalker capable of running an AI model…to form a dossier more complete than anything the Soviets could ever dream of,” he wrote.
Srinivasan’s prescription was blunt: “There will be no single silver bullet. But anything you haven’t encrypted can and will be used against you.”
Srinivasan anchored his “communism requires surveillance” claim in an historical example meant to make a modern point about data exhaust. “In 1918, in the midst of the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin gave an order to murder 100 nearby ‘kulaks,’” he said, emphasizing that such an order “required a list”: names, locations, and a population that couldn’t easily move.
His argument is that the internet reverses that asymmetry if encryption becomes the default. “Today, neo-communism is rising once again. But the Internet could change the game,” he said. “No full list, if we encrypt it. No fixed location, either. They can’t hit what they can’t see.”
Those themes carried into a longer discussion on the Never Say Podcast, where Srinivasan connected privacy to basic operational freedom. “If you’re under surveillance, you’re not sovereign,” he said. “If every move is being tracked…you don’t have the advantage of surprise. You can never launch something. You can never have private deliberations.”
Arjun Khemani, a 19-year-old Zcash researcher on the episode, echoed the AI angle from the user side: “Especially with AI, being able to recognize where you are exactly…you can’t have freedom without privacy,” he said, arguing that broadcasting every transaction and context signal is “not… the world that I want to live in.”
The choice is clear. It’s Zcash or communism.pic.twitter.com/4sAG9WG0jA
— Balaji (@balajis) February 18, 2026
Zcash As A Scaling Bet, Not Just A Privacy StanceSrinivasan’s pitch wasn’t limited to privacy-by-principle. He positioned Zcash as a technical response to where he thinks the market has landed on scalability: on-chain throughput wins, and routing complexity loses.
Asked why “Zcash must scale” is a “moral imperative,” Srinivasan contrasted Bitcoin’s scaling reality: exchanges, custodians, and database entries with the decentralization promise many users think they’re buying. “Lightning…they’ve been saying, ‘Lightning is going to be there any day now’ for 10 years,” he said, arguing that real-world deployments tend toward “a hub and spoke topology” resembling traditional finance rails. “Within a bank, it’s fast…between banks, they do settlement,” he added, describing a dynamic he sees mirrored in major Lightning implementations.
From there, he argued crypto has effectively segmented into layers: Bitcoin for immutability and brand, Ethereum for programmability, and Solana for straightforward on-chain execution at scale. The opening he sees for Zcash is combining “Solana-like scalability” with private transactions, leaning on zero-knowledge proofs as “compression technology” as much as secrecy. “It’s what a lot of people wanted Bitcoin to be,” he said.
Srinivasan also stressed that privacy doesn’t necessarily replace transparency, it complements it. He argued that Bitcoin’s public ledger can be a feature for proof-of-reserves narratives, while Zcash’s private-by-default design targets a different threat model. His bottom line is coexistence, not conquest: “It’s possible that Bitcoin… and Zcash coexist because Bitcoin is transparent and Zcash is private,” he said, while suggesting “this could be Zcash’s moment.”
At press time, ZEC traded at $259.18.
What The New Permissioned DEX Means For XRP Users
The XRP Ledger has just activated one of its most anticipated upgrades. According to XRPScan, the Permissioned DEX amendment was enabled on February 18, 2026 at 10:58:10 AM UTC after 82.35% of validators voted in favor.
This is the second amendment to go live on the Ledger in less than a week, following the activation of the Token Escrow (XLS-85) amendment on February 12. XRP enthusiasts are happy with the development, as evidenced by various posts on the social media platform X. However, what does a Permissioned DEX actually mean for everyday users?
Permissioned Dex Is Bigger Than A Simple UpgradeRipple enthusiasts and executives have repeatedly stated that the largest obstacle to institutional adoption of decentralized exchanges is compliance. Without permissioning tools, even Ripple itself could not fully utilize certain XRPL functionalities in regulated environments.
A Permissioned DEX is still a decentralized exchange, but with controlled access. A Permissioned DEX is where anyone can trade freely, but creators of the DEX restrict participation to verified entities. This means that banks, payment providers, and regulated financial institutions can take advantage of a Permissioned DEX to trade, provide liquidity, and settle transactions inside an environment where all participants are known and approved.
Decentralized networks like the Ledger are permissionless, meaning anyone can participate without authorization or approval from a gatekeeper. However, as nice as that may sound, the reality behind this structure is that traditional financial institutions cannot transact on open systems with anonymous counterparties due to compliance, AML, and regulatory obligations. They must know who they are trading with, maintain audit trails, and prevent exposure to illicit activity. A permissioned environment solves that barrier without removing the decentralized foundation of the ledger itself.
The Ledger already had built-in DEX functionality, fast settlement, low fees, and deterministic execution. The new amendment adds the compliance layer that large financial institutions need before deploying huge amounts of capital into the XRP ecosystem.
What Does This Mean For XRP Users?Therefore, the launch of Permissioned Dex on the XRP Ledger is another obstacle to mass institutionalization that has been removed. According to an enthusiast known as Nick on the social media platform X, once the market structure bill is passed this year, then every other single obstacle to mass institutionalization of the Ledger will be removed.
According to another analyst on X known as Stern Drew, the upgrade is huge because permissioned liquidity unlocks institutional participation, the missing bridge between traditional finance and blockchain rails. This is expected to be reflected in the price action of the altcoin moving forward.
However, the analyst noted that it might take time for institutions to actually deploy liquidity until the CLARITY ACT and DNAOnChain’s zk-credential system go live. Nonetheless, the first permissioned offer has already been created on the XRP DEX.
