Market Signal Briefing

On Feb. 25, t54 Labs announced that Ripple was a strategic investor in its $5 million seed round investment. t54 describes itself as the trust layer for the fast-rising agentic economy.

The latest artificial intelligence move is small in dollar terms, but larger in what it signals about where Ripple sees the next fight in blockchain infrastructure.

This is because Ripple is not backing a consumer chatbot or another token-branded AI product. It is backing the payment controls, identity checks, and risk infrastructure that could help determine whether autonomous software agents can transact in a way that businesses and regulated institutions are willing to use.

That matters because Ripple is making the bet after saying it has already deployed $550 million into the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem.

The new t54 investment suggests the company now wants to push XRPL deeper into what it sees as a coming market for machine-to-machine commerce, where software agents buy data, access computing resources, pay for services, and settle small obligations without human intervention.

The pitch is simple. If software agents become meaningful economic actors on the internet, payments will need to happen inside workflows, not after them.

And if those workflows touch regulated money, identity, and compliance become part of the transaction layer, not an afterthought.

That is the opening Ripple is trying to attack.

A payments thesis disguised as an AI storyMuch of the market still talks about AI in crypto as a branding contest. Ripple’s move points in a different direction. The company appears to be treating AI as a payments-and-settlement problem.

t54 Labs is building around that premise. Its work focuses on identity, fraud and risk monitoring, and credit rails for autonomous agents. It is also tied to a live x402 implementation on XRPL.

x402 revives the HTTP 402 Payment Required status code to request and settle payments directly within web requests.

In practice, that means an agent can call an endpoint, receive a payment challenge, pay automatically, and continue its workflow, all without relying on subscriptions, invoices, API keys, or manual reconciliation.

Coinbase has promoted x402 as an open standard for machine-native payments, but the standard itself is only part of the story. The rails behind it matter.

For Ripple, the thesis is that a more agentic internet will require programmable, fast, and cheap payment systems.

However, those characteristics alone are not enough if the transactions are intended to serve businesses, financial firms, or other counterparties subject to compliance obligations.

That is where the company appears to see a gap.

The harder problem is not payment, but accountabilitySending value across a blockchain is no longer the hard part because most major networks can do that quickly enough for a large share of use cases.

In light of this, the harder question is whether a counterparty can understand who or what is on the other side of the transaction.

If an autonomous agent is paying for services, businesses will want to know who controls it, what permissions it has, whether it can be stopped, how its behavior is monitored, and who bears liability if something goes wrong.

Those concerns are operational requirements. They define the threshold regulated firms use to determine whether a system is ready for production.

t54’s roadmap is designed around those problems. Instead of assuming the agent economy can run on anonymous wallets and loose coordination, it starts from the premise that identity, verification, real-time risk controls, and credit assessment are required if autonomous software is going to scale into serious commerce.

That gives Ripple’s investment a clearer strategic logic. The company aims to position XRPL within AI as foundational infrastructure. It is working to build the trust layer that would enable XRPL to operate as a settlement venue for machine-driven activity.

The distinction is important. Plenty of chains may support AI applications. Far fewer are trying to become the place where regulated machine commerce can clear and settle.

XRPL’s more recent direction fits that framing. Features such as Permissioned Domains and a Permissioned DEX point to a model in which regulated actors can operate in controlled environments, using allowlists, credentials, and restricted access while still interacting with public blockchain infrastructure.

If AI agents are expected to transact with institutions that must satisfy KYC and AML requirements, sanctions screening, and policy-based access rules, that permissioned path becomes relevant.

In that model, the central issue becomes the form of payment itself: agents must be paid in a format that compliance teams can approve.

RLUSD could matter more than transaction feesIf agentic commerce grows, stablecoins are likely to become the preferred working asset.

Constant machine-to-machine payments are difficult to manage when assets are volatile. Software agents buying data, compute, or access need something closer to digital cash than to a speculative instrument whose value can move materially in a short span.

That gives Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, an important role in the thesis.

Ripple’s own data places RLUSD circulating supply at about $1.5386 billion, with $1.6109 billion in reserve funds.

The more revealing metric for XRPL is the stablecoin liquidity currently sitting on the ledger, rather than the headline supply.

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Data from DeFiLlama puts the total stablecoin float on XRPL at about $415.09 million, with RLUSD accounting for roughly 83.10% of that float.

XRPL Stablecoin Ecosystem (Source: DeFiLlama)That gap is important. It suggests RLUSD may be spread across venues and networks, while the on-ledger settlement money stock inside XRPL remains much smaller.

For Ripple, the growth question centers on whether autonomous workflows choose to hold and move stable balances on XRPL itself, ultimately determining how RLUSD expands.

That is where the economics become more interesting.

XRPL’s base fee remains tiny, typically 10 drops, or 0.00001 XRP, and that fee is destroyed. Even a sharp rise in activity would probably leave the burn economically minor relative to the XRP supply.

The more material effect would be on liquidity. If machine commerce grows on XRPL, demand for stablecoin float, routing liquidity, and market-making balances could grow with it.

That is a more durable story than relying on transaction fees alone to change the economics of the network.

Ripple does not need to win AI agents outrightThe competitive backdrop makes this clearer. Ripple is not entering a field where XRPL already dominates AI-agent activity.

Data from agentsevm shows Ethereum currently leads in deployed AI agents by network, with 27,903. Coinbase-backed Base is next at 20,623.

AI Agent Growth (Source: Agentevm)Those numbers reinforce where the center of gravity sits today, around deep liquidity, battle-tested smart contracts, and strong developer network effects.

Ripple’s bet appears to be something narrower, and potentially more practical. It does not need XRPL to become the primary home for every agent.

However, it needs XRPL to capture a meaningful share of the payment and settlement layer used by those agents.

That is where the scenario modeling becomes useful.

If x402 reaches 200 million transactions a year and XRPL captures 2% through integrations such as t54’s facilitator, that would amount to 4 million transactions a year, or about 11,000 a day. That would be visible, but not transformative.

Meanwhile, if x402 reaches 1 billion transactions a year and XRPL captures 5%, activity would rise to 50 million transactions a year, or about 137,000 a day.

At that level, the effect could become more important for ecosystem attention, builder incentives and on-ledger liquidity needs.

In a higher-end case, where x402 reaches 10 billion transactions a year and XRPL captures 5%, the ledger would handle 500 million transactions a year, or about 1.37 million a day.

That would represent a genuine step-change, not just in traffic, but in the need for robust compliance tools, stable settlement balances, and reliable developer infrastructure.

XRPL can generate meaningful impact with even a modest single-digit share of a large machine-payment market. Even limited penetration at scale would carry weight.

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Bitcoin's rally stalled as the cryptocurrency retreated from over $69,000 to roughly $67,000, triggering over $470 million in liquidations and wiping $40 billion off its market cap. Market Cap Shrinks Amid Liquidations On Feb. 26, bitcoin's relief rally hit a wall.

XRP price had climbed over 10% and traded above $1.45 as the broader crypto market recovered. However, as of press time, the XRP price has dipped 5% after failing to breach resistance at $1.50 to trade at $1.39.

This XRP price volatility comes amid the XRP Ledger ecosystem outlining a shift toward a more distributed funding structure. As per the Ripple team, more than $550 million has already been deployed into the XRPL ecosystem initiatives since 2017. Consequently, amid these Ripple developments, analysts have forecasted a bullish move for the XRP price despite the dip, with past patterns reemerging.

XRPL Introduces Distributed Funding FrameworkAccording to an X post, Ripple has confirmed that over $550 million has been directed toward XRPL grants, hackathons, accelerators, and strategic partnerships so far. Nearly 200 projects have received support across payments, DeFi, tokenization, gaming, AI, and enterprise finance.

Breaking down the roadmap, the firm noted that in 2026, the ecosystem will move toward a distributed model. As a result, the independent entities such as XRPL Commons, XAO DAO, and regional hubs will play larger roles in funding decisions. In addition, a FinTech Builder Program will support startups building institutional-grade applications, including stablecoin payments and regulated financial services.

The program will provide structured guidance from early product design to launch. As per the report, expanded accelerator programs and regional startup competitions are also planned. Moreover, a dedicated XRPL funding hub will soon launch to centralize access to grants and support initiatives.

Community Governance and Global ExpansionConcurrent with the development, the XAO DAO will introduce microgrant funding and community voting mechanisms. Members will, as a result, vote on grant allocations and ecosystem proposals, and hence the DAO structure shifts decision-making power toward a broader stakeholder base.

In the update, Ripple noted that XRPL Commons continues to operate incubator programs such as The Aquarium in Paris. In addition, XRP Asia is being developed as a regional hub focused on APAC growth, expanding localized support for builders across emerging markets. 

At the same time, the University Digital Asset Xcelerator is broadening its reach, with cohorts launching in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States to support university-led innovation. Alongside these regional and academic initiatives, venture firms including Pantera, Dragonfly, and Franklin Templeton are backing founders building on XRPL, providing capital access and mentorship to help projects scale beyond early development.

XRP Price Prediction as Exchange Reserves SurgeDespite the XRP price recovery, exchange data presents contrasting trends. CryptoQuant has reported a 10.58% increase in XRP exchange reserves within 24 hours. Consequently, the total exchange balances rose to approximately 2.77 billion XRP, valued at nearly $3.98 billion.

Rising exchange reserves often suggest potential selling activity, as tokens move to trading platforms. However, according to analyst StephIsCrypto, the whale outflows dropped from 33.5 million XRP in December to negative 3.29 million recently. This suggests large holders are reducing net selling pressure. He noted, “Big money isn’t dumping anymore.”

Source: X

Amid this whale speculation, experts have noted that XRP currently trades within what some analysts describe as Phase Four of a long-term market cycle, aligning with CoinCodex’s XRP prediction. In an X post, Trader CW projected potential targets of $3.6 and $21.5 if historical patterns repeat. However, these projections are based on prior cycle behavior and remain conditional on market structure.

Bitcoin slipped back below $68,000 on Thursday, reversing its recent two-day uptrend as capital rotated out of altcoins and meme coins in a broader risk-off move. Cryptocurrency Ticker Price Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $67,681.84 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) $2,022.21 Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) $86.00 XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) $1.39 Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) $0.09692 Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) $0.055980 Notable Statistics: Coinglass data shows 148,693 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $415.80 million.

Dogecoin may be moving beyond its meme-coin origins. On February 26, Dogecoin Foundation director Timothy Stebbing outlined a structured plan to transform DOGE into an asset-backed currency through real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The proposal, which Stebbing said he has spent 12 months developing, centers on a sidechain-based rules engine called Fractal Engine, a bespoke system denominated entirely in Dogecoin.

The pitch is direct: shift the RWA tokenization market onto Fractal Engine, use DOGE as the exclusive trading currency for tokenized assets, then eventually migrate the entire framework to Dogecoin's base layer through protocol upgrades. Stebbing believes this two-to-three-year roadmap could position Dogecoin as "the premier platform for asset tokenisation, denominated in Dogecoin."

At the time of writing, DOGE traded at $0.09602, down 7.49% in the last 24 hours.

What Fractal Engine Actually ProposesFractal Engine is not a general-purpose blockchain layer. It is designed as a Dogecoin-denominated rules engine specifically built to handle tokenized real-world assets. Stebbing envisions it covering a wide range of asset classes, including hotels, businesses, minerals, oil, gas, and more.

The structure is deliberately phased. The sidechain approach allows the model to be stress-tested without touching Dogecoin's core protocol. If the sidechain proves viable, the plan calls for migrating RWA tokenization to Dogecoin's Layer 1 through targeted protocol upgrades.

The key distinction in Stebbing's proposal is currency denomination. Rather than tokenizing assets on a neutral or stablecoin-based platform, all trades on Fractal Engine would require DOGE. This would create direct, utility-driven demand for the token, a meaningful departure from the speculative and meme-driven cycles that have historically driven Dogecoin's price.

"If you want to trade, you do it with Dogecoin," Stebbing wrote in his post on X. That single line captures the core economic logic of the entire proposal.

Tokenization Is Already a Serious Institutional ThemeStebbing's pitch lands in a market environment that is increasingly receptive to RWA tokenization. The concept is no longer the exclusive domain of crypto enthusiasts. Major traditional finance players have publicly endorsed it.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, in his 2025 chairman's letter, argued that every stock, bond, and fund could eventually be tokenized. He described the shift as a potential structural overhaul of market infrastructure, one where settlement times shrink from days to seconds and capital currently stuck in settlement queues is freed up more efficiently. Fink also suggested tokenized funds could one day be as common as ETFs, contingent on digital identity infrastructure maturing alongside them.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin appears to have concluded his recent Ethereum (ETH) selling spree, according to on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain.

In total, the Canadian prodigy has sold a total of 19,326 ETH, netting approximately $39.36 million. The sales were executed at an average price of $2,037 per token.

Recent transaction logs from Arkham Intelligence show a slew of transfers originating from Buterin's Gnosis Safe. The sales were executed as Wrapped Ethereum (WETH) settlements through the CoW Protocol.

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Buterin was performing transactions of 70.776 WETH (worth roughly $146,000), 45.455 WETH, and smaller chunks of 14.894 and 7.447 WETH over the span of several hours. 

He was able to secure better pricing and minimize his slippage.

No surprises Buterin’s recent actions were entirely expected. Buterin announced this selling plan on Jan. 30. In his public disclosure, he stated his intention to withdraw and liquidate exactly 16,384 ETH (which was valued at nearly $45 million at the time).

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He explained that the capital allocation was meant to finance the development of secure, verifiable open-source software and hardware. He noted that the funds would be deployed over the coming years across several sectors.

With the prominent founder's wallet finally pausing its outbound transfers, the Ethereum community is breathing a collective sigh of relief. However, it remains to be seen whether the token will be able to rally. 

Ethereum (ETH) is currently changing hands at $2,029, according to CoinGecko data. 

TLDR Vitalik Buterin introduced a roadmap to protect Ethereum from future quantum computing risks. He identified validator signatures, data availability, wallet signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs as key risk areas. Buterin proposed replacing BLS validator signatures with hash-based signatures to improve quantum resistance. He said Ethereum may replace KZG commitments with quantum-safe alternatives through protocol upgrades. The planned EIP-8141 upgrade would allow wallets to adopt new signature schemes in the future. Vitalik Buterin has presented a structured plan to shield Ethereum from future quantum computing risks. He outlined technical upgrades that would protect digital signatures, data systems, and cryptographic proofs. The proposal follows the Ethereum Foundation’s creation of a dedicated post-quantum research team.

He shared the roadmap in a post on X on Thursday and identified four core risk areas. He said quantum computers could eventually break current cryptographic systems. Although such machines do not yet exist, he urged early preparation.

Buterin listed validator signatures, data availability, wallet signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs as exposure points. He explained that Ethereum must update these components before quantum systems mature. He also described both short-term and long-term technical paths.

Vitalik Buterin targets validator signatures and Ethereum consensus Buterin focused on validator signatures used in Ethereum’s consensus process. He explained that validators currently rely on BLS digital signatures to confirm blocks. He warned that quantum computers could break BLS signatures in the future.

Now, the quantum resistance roadmap.

Today, four things in Ethereum are quantum-vulnerable:

* consensus-layer BLS signatures
* data availability (KZG commitments+proofs)
* EOA signatures (ECDSA)
* Application-layer ZK proofs (KZG or groth16)

We can tackle these step by step:…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 26, 2026

He proposed replacing BLS with hash-based signatures that resist quantum attacks. He stated that hash-based systems offer stronger protection against quantum algorithms. He added that developers must redesign validator workflows to support the transition.

He also addressed Ethereum’s data availability system that stores transaction batches. He said the network relies on KZG commitments to verify large data sets. He explained that engineers could replace KZG with quantum-safe alternatives, although the change would require deep protocol updates.

He noted that such updates would increase engineering complexity. He said developers must handle performance trade-offs carefully. He stressed that the network can execute these changes with coordinated upgrades.

Ethereum wallets, EIP-8141, and zero-knowledge proofs Buterin linked wallet security to a planned upgrade called EIP-8141. He explained that most wallets now depend on one signature standard for transaction approval. He said EIP-8141 would allow accounts to adopt new signature schemes in the future.

He described EIP-8141 as a flexibility upgrade for Ethereum accounts. He stated that users could migrate to quantum-safe signatures when required. He added that this approach avoids forced network-wide signature changes.

He also discussed risks tied to zero-knowledge proofs used by privacy tools and layer-2 networks. He said current quantum-safe proofs cost more to verify on Ethereum. He acknowledged that higher verification costs create technical challenges.

Buterin proposed a longer-term mechanism called validation frames within EIP-8141. He said validation frames would bundle multiple signatures and proofs into one compressed proof. He explained that Ethereum would verify one combined proof instead of many individual checks.

He stated that this compression method would lower on-chain verification work. He said the system would help manage costs while adopting quantum-safe cryptography. The Ethereum Foundation established its post-quantum research team shortly before it released this roadmap.

TLDR Table of Contents

TLDRMorph Advances Stablecoin Settlement With USDC and CCTPPayment Infrastructure Focus Expands Across EcosystemGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Morph will support native USDC issued directly by Circle’s regulated entities on its network. Morph will integrate Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol to enable burn-and-mint USDC transfers. The integration removes reliance on wrapped USDC versions created by third-party bridges. Circle’s CCTP V2 will serve as the standard for cross-chain USDC movement on Morph. Morph launched a $150 million Payment Accelerator to support on-chain payment companies. Morph has moved to support USDC and Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol on its network. The integration centers on standardized dollar settlement for on-chain payment systems. The network confirmed it will issue native USDC through Circle’s regulated entities.

Morph confirmed that it will support USDC issued directly by Circle affiliates. The network stated that developers will access the official version rather than the bridged copies. This structure keeps redemption aligned with Circle’s regulated reserve framework.

USDC remains a digital dollar backed by cash and cash-equivalent assets. Circle redeems USDC one-to-one for U.S. dollars under its reserve model. Morph said this approach removes uncertainty tied to wrapped stablecoin versions.

Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol enables USDC transfers through a burn-and-mint process. The protocol burns tokens on the source chain and mints them on the destination chain. Circle said this model avoids liquidity pools and wrapped bridges.

Morph plans to integrate CCTP V2 as the standard cross-chain framework. Circle has aligned its ecosystem around this version. The companies stated that the integration keeps supply integrity consistent across supported networks.

Morph said the system allows teams to separate funding sources from settlement chains. Developers can move USDC to Morph without converting it into synthetic assets. The network confirmed that balances will remain native after transfer.

Payment Infrastructure Focus Expands Across Ecosystem Morph launched a $150 million Payment Accelerator to support on-chain payment companies. The program offers funding, technical support, and distribution resources. The network said it targets high-volume settlement platforms.

The accelerator focuses on gateways, remittance providers, and card-linked services. Morph stated that payment firms require predictable settlement assets. The network positioned USDC as the default settlement token within this initiative.

Card and neobank-style platforms often manage assets across several chains. However, settlement layers require stable balances on a single network. Morph said CCTP allows direct USDC movement without wrapped conversions.

Remittance and payout providers have increased stablecoin usage for cross-border transfers. Circle has expanded partnerships across the financial ecosystem for this purpose. Morph stated that native issuance improves reconciliation and tracking.

Payment gateways require consistent asset behavior across chains. Wrapped tokens can introduce variations in redemption paths. Morph said the official USDC reduces discrepancies during settlement cycles.

DeFi applications within the ecosystem also rely on predictable collateral assets. USDC supports lending, routing, and liquidity operations across networks. Morph confirmed that CCTP maintains uniform supply accounting.

XRP price outlook leans towards a market reset amid falling open interest and a spike in realized losses.

Summary

XRP has seen a sharp decline in recent sessions, pulling back over 60% from its 2025 high. Open interest has dropped across Binance, Bybit and Kraken, reflecting broad leverage reduction. A major realized loss spike and tightening volatility place price near a key technical inflection zone. XRP (XRP) was trading at $1.39 at press time, down 5.4% over the past 24 hours, as the broader crypto market extended its February pullback.

The token has fallen 27% over the past week and is now down 38% year-over-year, marking a steep 62% retracement from its July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.

Price action throughout the month has been volatile. XRP saw brief upside bursts, including a roughly 6% rally tied to renewed institutional spot interest and ETF-related developments. Those gains were short-lived.

Selling pressure returned quickly, supporting the downtrend that has been in place since the $2.60–$2.80 region.

Lower highs and lower lows have defined the structure, and recent candles show the market attempting to stabilize after a sharp capitulation wick toward the $1.30 area.

Open interest drops as leverage unwinds A Feb. 26 report from CryptoQuant contributor Arab Chain pointed to a steady contraction in XRP derivatives positioning. The 90-day open interest change metric shows that traders have reduced exposure across major venues.

Platforms such as Binance, Bybit, and Kraken have all recorded declines in open contracts over the past three months.

When open interest falls across several exchanges at once, it usually means leverage is being taken off the table. Positions are closed, risk is trimmed, and speculative liquidity leaves the market.

That type of contraction does not automatically point to another leg lower. In many cycles, the price first needs to flush excess leverage before it can form a more stable base.

On-chain data adds context. According to Santiment, XRP recently logged its largest realized loss spike since 2022. The last time weekly realized losses approached $1.93 billion, the asset rallied more than 100% in the months that followed.

📉 BREAKING: XRP has seen its largest on-chain realized loss spike since 2022. When the previous weekly milestone of -1.93B in realized losses occurred 39 months ago, $XRP proceeded to jump +114% over the next 8 months.

💸 Significant realized losses happen when a large number… pic.twitter.com/gPUU8fYfiY

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) February 21, 2026 Fear often drives investors to sell below their entry price, resulting in significant losses. Selling pressure may go down as fewer weak hands are left after a lot of holders leave.

There is no guarantee that the market will bounce back right away, but historically, these points happen close to major market turns.

XRP price technical analysis On the daily chart, XRP remains in a downtrend, with lower highs forming consistently since late 2025. Recently, however, price behavior has changed. Instead of sharp red candles, the market is now consolidating within a tight range.

XRP daily chart. Credit: crypto.news Bollinger Bands, which expanded during the selloff, have begun to contract. The price hovers near the 20-day moving average at $1.41, indicating a balance between buyers and sellers.

Momentum is starting to show signs of strain. The relative strength index has bounced back from oversold, but it is still below 50, which means that bulls haven’t fully taken over. A push above 50 would change the momentum in favor of buyers. 

A volatility squeeze appears to be developing, and expansion is likely to follow. The $1.50–$1.55 area stands as the key resistance zone. A clean break and daily close above it would invalidate the most recent lower high and open room toward $1.65 and potentially $1.80.

On the downside, $1.33 remains immediate support, with $1.28–$1.30 acting as the structural floor from the recent liquidity sweep.

Journalist

Posted: February 27, 2026

Ethereum [ETH] traded at $2,065 at press time, positioning the price just above the $2,000 volatility cluster that has anchored recent consolidation. Intraday ranges of between $2,053 and $2,071 reinforce this tightening compression band.

Initially, the Coinbase Premium Index remained negative through early 2023, reflecting offshore-led selling dominance. Price oscillated between $1,500 and $1,900 while realized volatility expanded.

Source: CryptoQuant

Thereafter, a sustained premium push above 0.10 in Q1 2024 aligned with Ethereum’s rally toward $3,500. U.S. spot demand strengthened as downside deviations shortened.

By mid-2024, repeated spikes near 0.50 accompanied extensions beyond $3,800, reinforcing accumulation under heightened implied volatility.

Moving into early 2025, premium compression below zero reintroduced distribution stress as the price retraced toward $2,200. Still, rotations back toward neutrality preceded stabilization phases.

Now, the premium has reclaimed the 0.0 baseline while price holds above $2,000 at $2,065. Historically, this type of volatility clustering often resolves to the upside, though confirmation still depends on sustained spot demand.

Neutral premium meets volatility expansion  Building on the prior premium stabilization, realized volatility now expands sharply, reinforcing Ethereum’s developing inflection structure near $2,000. At press time, the 30-day metric climbed toward 0.97, its highest reading since March 2025.

Initially, volatility compression followed the premium’s return toward neutrality, reflecting balanced institutional positioning. Price held between $1,950 and $2,100 as directional conviction remained limited.

Source: CryptoQuant

Thereafter, volatility accelerated while price stayed range-bound near $2,065, signaling intensified repricing rather than immediate breakout resolution. This divergence highlights positioning shifts beneath surface consolidation.

In the past, when volatility increased like this, it often matched changes in how big investors were moving their money, especially when premium regimes normalized from discount to neutral. Passive absorption is often defined in early stabilization phases.

However, sustained volatility above 0.90 typically preceded stronger directional expressions, as capital rotated from hedging into active bidding.

Thus, the current situation where neutral premium and high volatility meet shows a changing period, where big investors first stabilize the market and then gradually take charge to push prices up.

Whale activity confirms the base Whale accumulation now extends the institutional stabilization forming above $2,000, reinforcing the earlier premium-volatility inflection.

A wallet “0xAb59….” deployed $14.57 million to acquire 7,008 ETH near $2,079, aligning purchases with the rebound. Rather than a single execution, Cow Protocol settlement fragments flow into coordinated batches.

Source: X

Stablecoin rotations followed, including $1.99 million USDC and $2.08 million USDT converted sequentially into ETH. This structured sequencing reflects conviction-driven positioning as volatility expands.

Thereafter, repeated 800–1,000 ETH fills sustained bid depth above $2,000, strengthening structural support. Historically, such absorption during elevated volatility precedes upside continuation.

Momentum will hold if institutional inflows persist and premium neutrality firms lead to positive demand. As absorption matures, volatility energy increasingly transitions into directional expansion.

Final Summary • Ethereum volatility expansion and a neutral Coinbase Premium Index signal institutional absorption, positioning ETH for directional upside if spot demand sustains. • ETH whale accumulation and stablecoin rotations reinforce $2K support, strengthening breakout continuation as institutional bidding builds.

21h05 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Luc Jose A.

Summarize this article with:

Bitcoin has not confirmed its rebound. After an attempt to recover above $70,000, the price was rejected below the $68,000 trendline, a technical level monitored by analysts. This movement rekindles questions about the end of the bear market, while some signals indicated stabilization. The rejection now places BTC against a major resistance and reignites the debate over the strength of the current cycle.

In Brief Bitcoin fails to confirm its rebound after a rejection below the $68,000 zone. The 200-week exponential moving average now acts as a major technical resistance. A peak at $70,040 followed by a pullback rekindles doubts about the end of the bear market. Bitcoin’s ability to sustainably reclaim $68,000 will determine the cycle’s next phase. Rejection below a key threshold: Bitcoin stumbles on resistance at $68,000 The crypto market has once again faced a tough technical reality. Indeed, bitcoin failed to turn the $68,000 zone into a sustainable support. After an attempt to climb toward $70,000, selling pressure quickly regained control, invalidating the idea of a clear reclaim of recent highs. This price reaction occurs at a time when part of the market was waiting for a clear signal of exiting the bearish phase.

At the heart of this dynamic lies a structural indicator closely watched by analysts: the 200-week exponential moving average. Historically considered a key defense line for bullish cycles, it now acts as a technical ceiling. This polarity shift is a strong signal for traders analyzing bitcoin’s previous cycles.

The reported facts reveal several specific elements :

Bitcoin reached about $70,040 before falling back below the $68,000 area ; The $68,000 zone corresponds to a major trendline, now tested as resistance after having served as support ; Analyst Rekt Capital stated that the 200-week exponential moving average now “acts as resistance” ; He adds that “as long as bitcoin trades below the 200-week exponential moving average, the cycle history suggests the price remains oriented toward further downward pressure”. This technical rejection thus places the market structure back into a cautious configuration, where bitcoin’s ability or inability to sustainably reclaim these levels will determine the cycle’s continuation.

Market Outlook The way this rejection has been interpreted goes beyond a simple price movement. It fuels a growing consensus that it is probably premature to announce the end of the current bear market, as explained by Rekt Capital on the social network X.

This warning echoes the observation that bitcoin has been in its current bear cycle for only about 140 days, an interval still shorter than the minimum duration observed in previous cycles.

The impact of this rejection is also amplified by the depth of the pullback recorded this year. Thus, BTC registered a drop of nearly 53 % from its October 2025 cyclical high, increasing concerns about the possibility of a prolonged capitulation if major support levels break.

The rejection of the $68,000 reminds us that the structure remains fragile. As long as major resistances are not reclaimed, doubt prevails. Certainly, bitcoin rebounds thanks to $258M injected into ETFs, but this one-time support will need to be sustained over time to truly change the cycle’s dynamic.

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Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

TLDR Michael Saylor hinted at more Bitcoin purchases as the asset traded near $67000. Strategy currently holds 718722 BTC valued at about $48 billion. The company bought its Bitcoin at an average price of around $76000. Strategy faces an unrealized loss of about 12% on its holdings. Saylor said Bitcoin allows $1 billion to move globally with ease. Bitcoin traded near $67,000 as Michael Saylor signaled continued accumulation through a new social media post. He shared an image showing himself carrying a large orange bag covered with Bitcoin logos. He added the caption, “Maybe I need a bigger one,” and implied further purchases.

Bitcoin Holdings and Accumulation Strategy Saylor posted the image on X as Bitcoin attempted to stabilize around $67,000. He used the visual to reinforce the strategy’s ongoing acquisition plan. The caption suggested that the company may expand its holdings further.

Strategy currently holds 718,722 BTC worth about $48 billion at current prices. The company acquired its holdings at an average price of $76,000. Therefore, Strategy holds an unrealized loss of roughly 12% on its position.

Despite the paper loss, Strategy reports an mNAV ratio near 1. The company also lists an adjusted enterprise value multiple of 1.256. These figures reflect the firm’s market valuation relative to its Bitcoin reserves.

Saylor has maintained a consistent position on long-term holding periods. He has stated that investors should prepare to hold Bitcoin for seven to ten years. He continues to frame corrections as part of the asset’s normal cycle.

Strategy reports its Bitcoin transactions weekly when activity occurs. Market participants expect the next update in the coming days. The company has not disclosed any new purchases this week.

Strategy World 2026 and Market Performance Strategy hosted Strategy World 2026 earlier this week. During the event, Saylor repeated his view that Bitcoin represents digital capital. He said, “Bitcoin’s value lies in its ability to move one billion dollars anywhere in the world.”

He contrasted Bitcoin transfers with traditional asset transfers. He said moving large sums in traditional systems involves greater complexity. He emphasized practical capital mobility rather than abstract narratives.

Saylor also addressed Bitcoin’s price volatility during the event. He stated that volatility limits large capital inflows. He argued that fluctuations, not structural flaws, remain the main challenge.

Meanwhile, Strategy’s stock MSTR trades at $132.8. The shares have fallen 12.6% year-to-date in 2026. The stock remains 75.8% below its all-time high of $542.

Goldman Sachs has identified MSTR as the most shorted stock in the market. The company continues to tie its equity performance closely to Bitcoin holdings. Strategy plans to release further updates on Bitcoin activity next week.

MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Era Energy & Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUAI) (“New Era” or the “Company”), a developer and operator of next-generation digital infrastructure and integrated power assets in the Permian Basin, today announced it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to acquire approximately 54 acres of strategically located land adjacent to its Texas Critical Data Centers (“TCDC”) campus in Ector County, Texas.

The contemplated acquisition was undertaken as part of ongoing lease negotiations with a leading hyperscale tenant and partners, where securing the additional acreage emerged as a key milestone in advancing discussions. This development is accompanied by continued site advancement, including initial land clearing, removal of out-of-service and abandoned pipeline infrastructure, relocation of active lines, and subsurface soil sampling to support civil engineering design. These activities are intended to optimize the developable footprint and maximize usable acreage for data center deployment.

By seeking to consolidate this corridor, New Era is looking to enhance its ability to structure direct power solutions and optimize interconnection design as it advances development of its now 438-acre, master-planned TCDC campus, which is designed to scale to more than 1 gigawatt over time.

The additional acreage would expand New Era’s capacity to:

Directly on next for major power offtake arrangements with nearby energy generation and transport infrastructure Negotiate more efficient and flexible interconnection structures Reduce exposure to broader grid congestion and transmission constraints; and Enhance redundancy, reliability, and long-term expansion flexibility The Company expects control of the corridor between operating generation assets and its campus footprint may potentially increase New Era’s negotiating leverage with power producers while improving development sequencing. It also expands the Company’s options for transmission access and energy integration, which are critical for hyperscale and high-performance computing tenants requiring scalable, resilient power infrastructure.

E. Will Gray II, CEO of New Era Energy & Digital commented: “By taking the first step to secure this additional 54 acres, we are seeking to strengthen our strategic land position between major power generation and transmission assets and take a pivotal step toward finalizing a definitive lease agreement with our end tenant. This transaction would further reinforce TCDC’s positioning as an integrated power and digital infrastructure platform designed for long-term expansion and operational reliability.”

About New Era Energy & Digital, Inc.
New Era Energy & Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUAI) is a developer and operator of next-generation digital infrastructure and integrated power assets. The Company is developing Texas Critical Data Centers LLC (“TCDC”), a 438 acre large-scale AI and high-performance computing data center campus located in Ector County, outside Odessa, Texas. TCDC is master-planned as a multi-phase development, with anticipated capacity scaling to 1+ gigawatt over time. With a growing portfolio of strategically located, vertically integrated resources including powered land and powered shells, the Company delivers turnkey solutions that enable hyperscale, enterprise, and edge operators to accelerate data center deployment, optimize total cost of ownership, and future-proof their infrastructure investments. For more information, visit: www.newerainfra.ai, and follow New Era Energy & Digital on LinkedIn and X.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements reflect the current view about future events. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements contained in this press release relating to our business strategy, our future operating results and liquidity and capital resources outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of assurance of future performance. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (a) our ability to effectively operate our business segments; (b) our ability to manage our research, development, expansion, growth and operating expenses; (c) our ability to evaluate and measure our business, prospects and performance metrics; (d) our ability to compete, directly and indirectly, and succeed in a highly competitive and evolving industry; (e) our ability to respond and adapt to changes in technology and customer behavior; (f) our ability to protect our intellectual property and to develop, maintain and enhance a strong brand; and (g) other factors (including the risks contained in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or planned. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

More News From New Era Energy & Digital, Inc.

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Key Takeaways Zoom posts Q4 EPS miss, but revenue rises 5.3% Y/Y to $1.25B.ZM enterprise revenue climbs 7.1% as $100K customers grow 9.3% to 4,468.Zoom guides FY27 revenues of $5.065-$5.075B and EPS of $5.77-$5.81, targets up to $1.74B FCF. Zoom Communications (ZM - Free Report) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.44 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.70% and increased 2.1% year over year.

Revenues of $1.25 billion beat the consensus mark by 1.18% and increased 5.3% year over year. Adjusting for foreign currency impact, revenues in constant currency were $1.24 billion, up 4.8% year over year.

ZM’s Q4 DetailsEnterprise revenues, which account for 60.7% of total revenues, increased 7.1% year over year to $757.3 million. Online revenues, which represent 39.3% of total revenues, increased 2.6% year over year to $489.7 million.

Customers contributing more than $100,000 in revenues in the trailing 12 months grew 9.3% to 4,468. These customers accounted for 33% of revenues.

The number of enterprise customers at the end of the fiscal fourth quarter was 186,400. In the fourth quarter, 74.9% of total Online MRR came from Online customers with a continued term of service of at least 16 months, down 20 basis points year over year.

The company reported a trailing 12-month net dollar expansion rate for Enterprise customers of 98% and an Online average monthly churn of 2.9%, flat year over year.

ZM’s Non-GAAP Operating DetailsNon-GAAP gross margin in the fiscal fourth quarter was 79.8% compared with 78.8% in the year-ago period, expanding 100 bps.

On a year-over-year basis, Research and development expenses increased 10.8% to $147.4 million. Sales and marketing expenses rose 5.5% to $291.9 million, and general and administrative expenses increased 18.9% to $66.2 million.

Non-GAAP operating income rose 4.6% to $489.7 million year over year. The operating margin was 39.3% compared with 39.5% in the year-ago quarter.

ZM’s Balance Sheet & Cash FlowTotal cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of Jan. 31, 2025, were $7.8 billion compared with $7.9 billion as of Oct. 31, 2025.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $354.5 million for the fiscal fourth quarter compared with $629.3 million in the previous quarter.

Free cash flow was $338.4 million compared with $614.3 million in the prior quarter.

ZM’s Q1 & FY27 GuidanceZoom expects its first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues to be between $1.220 billion and $1.225 billion. Revenues on a constant currency basis are expected to be between $1.212 billion and $1.217 billion.

Non-GAAP income from operations is expected to be between $487.0 million and $492.0 million.

Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) are expected to be in the range of $1.40-$1.42.

For fiscal 2027, Zoom expects revenues in the range of $5.065-$5.075 billion. Revenues on a constant currency basis are expected to be between $5.054 billion and $5.064 billion.

Non-GAAP income from operations is expected to be between $2.050 billion and $2.060 billion.

Non-GAAP EPS are expected to be in the band of $5.77-$5.81.

The company expects free cash flow between $1.700 billion and $1.740 billion.

Zoom’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderCurrently, ZM carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Micron Technology (MU - Free Report) , MongoDB (MDB - Free Report) , and Credo Technology Group (CRDO - Free Report) are some better-ranked stocks that investors can consider in the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector.

Micron Technology shares have gained 339% in the past 12 months. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on March 19. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

MongoDB shares have returned 17.4% in the past 12 months. MDB is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter 2026 results on March 2. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

 Credo Technology Group shares have gained 101.4% in the past 12 months. CRDO is set to report its third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on March 2. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

PYPL posts growth in Q4 revenues, EPS and TPV. However, shares slip as investors stay cautious on lower 2026 guidance, intense competition and macroeconomic uncertainties.

While the problem has been widely recognized for decades, many of the world’s leading economies seem only now to be taking seriously the need for control over their access to critical minerals for use in everything from high-tech products to military equipment.

If there is a positive side to this, it is that strong markets for precious, base, and other metals mean proper funding is available to explore and develop critical minerals projects in a variety of jurisdictions.

When the goal is to bolster vulnerable supply chains, it is best to be close to home, and in this regard, Apex Critical Metals Corp (TSX-V:APXC, OTCQX:APXCF) seems well-positioned, with carefully chosen rare earth and niobium assets in Nebraska and British Columbia.

Canadian Securities Exchange Magazine spoke with Apex Critical Metals Executive Vice President, Growth Strategy Joness Lang recently about the company’s success in 2025 and plans to progress both projects quickly in the current year.

Apex Critical Metals’ focus on rare earths and niobium has you working in North America, with the potential to help offset China’s and South America’s respective dominance in production and processing.

Around mid-2023, the company went through a restructuring, recapitalization, and total revamp of personnel. The CAP project, located relatively close to Prince George, British Columbia, was the primary focus out of the gate. There was good infrastructure and an emerging niobium belt for targeting that had seen very limited drilling for several years.

Our team did a summer campaign in 2024 involving a lot of mapping and sampling, and we saw some very promising results. We followed up in 2025 and had the best niobium drill hit ever on the property, with 36 metres of 0.59% Nb₂O₅ within a 124.5-metre mineralized interval, including a 10-metre run of 1.08% Nb₂O₅.

Importantly, none of the other drilling in that campaign directly followed up on that hole, so this area is wide open for expansion and an obvious priority for us to go back to next summer.

The company also had intimate knowledge of the Elk Creek carbonatite complex in Nebraska, as members of our team originally assembled a land package there 15 years ago within a company that went on to become NioCorp Developments. This was not a reactionary acquisition based on recent narratives and geopolitical vulnerability. Our team spent more than a year assembling and consolidating the Rift Rare Earth Project land position after reviewing countless carbonatite targets in North America and prioritizing the Elk Creek area.  That was one that was always on our radar screen.

Our technical leadership includes Jody Dahrouge and Darren Smith, who have been focused on critical metals, including niobium and rare earths, for two decades. They bring a wealth of experience, from discovery to processing, that will be invaluable as we advance our flagship Rift project.

Carbonatite-hosted mineralization globally has the highest percentage of mines, be it past production, current production, or current resources. They are a prolific host rock for minerals, and there is a grocery store of commodities and minerals within them. We are very excited about the land package we have next to NioCorp in Nebraska.

Having a successful project next door is definitely helpful. Tell us more about that aspect and the local operating environment in general.

One of the advantages Apex has going forward is NioCorp securing significant funding, very much being in the spotlight and knocking down a number of the different development and permitting goalposts as they advance their deposit. Certainly, if we are having exploration success right next door, it puts us in a very good position to explore synergies and follow a streamlined permitting path.

It is also private land, which provides other advantages. You are not working with the U.S. Forest Service or navigating Bureau of Land Management permitting. These are private lease deals with options to purchase that we have secured over the past year. The land position now stands at 3,500 acres in holdings that cover globally significant rare earth mineralization. There are two previously drilled holes located 160 metres apart that encountered broad intervals of more than 2% rare earth oxide (REO) mineralization. Both of these drill holes also included consistent higher-grade intervals within, with 55-metre to 70-metre runs of over 3.3% REO.

These two significant, consistent drill hits remain wide open with no other drill holes in the immediate area, so this target area will be the primary focus for the company in Q1. We will be completing a first phase of drilling that will look to verify, extend, and expand upon those significant historical results over an approximate 850-metre strike length.

Let’s turn our attention to CAP. It is located in northern BC but you can still access it throughout the year.

CAP is about 250 kilometres southeast of Taseko’s niobium deposit. That’s a big company with other assets and it’s not necessarily their flagship, but it is a well-known belt in BC. The project is located 85 kilometres north of Prince George. It is accessible year-round, though we typically like to do our drilling and more significant work during the summer, as it is easier and lower cost.

There is a 1.8-kilometre trend identified at CAP. We drilled nine holes for just over 2,300 metres this past summer and made a new discovery: 36 metres of 0.59% Nb₂O₅, including 10 metres of 1.08% Nb₂O₅. The other drill holes were regionally focused, testing various targets throughout the trend. The hole I just mentioned with the 36-metre run had no direct follow-up, so that is an area that is wide open for us to go back and step out from later this year.

In addition, we completed a geophysical survey at the end of the summer season, which identified a massive buried magnetic anomaly that is much more significant in terms of its response and scale than the areas we drilled in 2025. A couple of deeper drill holes will also be planned to test that very compelling target later this year.

Rift will see much of the Q1 work and plans for CAP feature in the summer. What other activity will take place in 2026?

Rift is without question our primary focus, and from the time we put together that land package, we have been moving as fast as we can. We completed a strategic financing of $10 million that brings our cash position up to around $14 million.

We partnered with the Conservation and Survey Division, School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to complete re-logging and re-assaying work of the preserved drill core from Molycorp's work in the 1970s and 1980s. It is rare and a huge benefit to have access to the original drill core, given the vintage of some of that drilling, so we are grateful to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for being the custodian of that drill core. We should have those results later in Q1.

We have been working to incorporate all of the historical data that we can into a 3D model. We’ve got our permit for drilling and secured the same drill contractor that completed much of the drilling at NioCorp’s neighbouring project.

Drilling should commence by the end of January, with roughly 8,000 metres over 10 to 15 drill holes planned, with the program running for the better part of three months. On the back of that, getting assays and really understanding the mineralization controls will position us for a follow-up Phase Two program, with the objective there being more resource-definition–focused. We are trying to rapidly advance Rift to a maiden resource stage by Q1 2027.

Is there anything we have missed?

I think it is probably just the growth side of the equation. We appreciate the need to secure domestic supply to reduce reliance on other parties, but the demand for permanent magnets is expected to more than triple by 2040. The growth in the electric vehicle space is well documented, but applications span renewable energy, robotics, consumer products, electronics, defence – the list goes on, and rare earth magnets are indispensable and vital to industry. Demand projections, coupled with the challenge of finding economic concentrations that can be efficiently processed, let alone on North American soil, create a significant opportunity for us at the Rift project, and one we are excited to take on in 2026.

HomeEarnings AnalysisConsumer 

SummaryPapa John's International, Inc. offers an attractive swing trade setup after a significant valuation reset, with shares yielding over 5.5%.Despite North American comparable sales declines, PZZA's international expansion—101 new international stores in Q4—drives future revenue and earnings potential.2025 free cash flow nearly doubled versus 2024, and 2026 guidance suggests a return to EPS growth, with consensus targeting $1.85 and a base case of $1.60–$1.90.Risks remain from competition, health trends, and inflation, but improved risk-reward and potential takeover interest support a buy thesis for PZZA at current levels.Looking for more investing ideas like this one? Get them exclusively at BAD BEAT Investing. Learn More » Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images

Back in May of 2025, we saw an opportunity to trade Papa John's International, Inc. (PZZA) stock. It was the type of short-term to medium-term investment with large upside and less downside risk that

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in PZZA over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Key Takeaways Enterprise Products Partners outpaces ET with stronger ROE and lower debt.Energy Transfer trades at 10.04X EV/EBITDA and saw 2026 earnings estimates rise 1.30%.EPD offers a 6.12% yield with steady growth and better 6-month share price gains. The companies operating in the Zacks Oil and Gas – Production Pipeline industry play a critical role in the energy ecosystem by enabling the efficient transportation of crude oil and natural gas to meet growing demand across transportation, industrial operations and residential use. In addition to ensuring a stable and reliable energy supply, midstream infrastructure enhances energy security, supports economic development and supplies key feedstocks for petrochemicals and fertilizers. As energy consumption continues to rise globally, midstream companies remain essential in meeting traditional energy requirements while also facilitating the transition toward cleaner technologies and reduced carbon emissions.

Their extensive pipeline networks offer a safe, efficient and cost-effective way to transport crude oil, natural gas and refined products over long distances. This infrastructure ensures a reliable supply to refineries, power plants and end users, while providing a lower-risk and more economical alternative to rail and truck transportation. Two leading players in the U.S. midstream sector are Enterprise Products Partners (EPD - Free Report) and Energy Transfer (ET - Free Report) .

Energy Transfer operates a more diversified midstream platform, with assets across crude oil, NGLs, refined products and natural gas pipelines, along with storage and processing facilities. Energy Transfer has a strong footprint in the Permian Basin. In addition, Energy Transfer operates the Dakota Access Pipeline and owns interests in export terminals, expanding its scale and creating incremental cash flow opportunities.

Enterprise Products Partners presents a strong investment case driven by its expansive, well-positioned pipeline network and diversified midstream assets. Its extensive footprint links major supply basins with critical demand hubs, while a robust portfolio of growth projects enhances scale and cash flow visibility. This broad infrastructure base underpins stable, fee-based revenues and supports long-term durability in a changing energy landscape.

Increasing hydrocarbon volumes in the United States are generating demand for midstream services. Amid such a backdrop, let’s closely compare the fundamentals of these two stocks to determine which one is better for investment now.

EPD & ET’s Earnings Growth ProjectionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Enterprise Products Partners’ 2026 earnings has decreased 1.40% in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Energy Transfer’s 2026 earnings has moved up 1.30% in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Return on EquityReturn on Equity (“ROE”) is an important measure of financial performance that indicates how efficiently a company converts shareholder equity into profits. It highlights management’s effectiveness in utilizing invested capital to grow earnings and enhance shareholder value.

ET’s current ROE is 10.17% compared with EPD’s 19.43%. This indicates EPD’s management is utilizing its funds marginally better than Energy Transfer.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Debt to CapitalThe oil and gas midstream industry is capital-intensive. The firms operating in this space need to borrow to fund their capital projects. At present, ET’s debt to capital is 58.23% compared with its industry average of 56.63%. EPD’s debt to capital is 52.77%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

EPD and ET’s Cash DistributionMidstream companies generate substantial cash flow primarily due to fee-based contracts and regulated tariffs that constitute a significant portion of their income. Both firms generate cash flows, a substantial portion of which is distributed among their unitholders.

Enterprise Products Partners’ current cash distribution yield is 6.12%. The firm has raised its distribution nine times over the past five years. The annualized average distribution growth for the past five years is 4.68%.

Energy Transfer’s current cash distribution yield is 7.21%. The firm has raised its distribution 17 times in the past five years. The annualized average distribution growth for the past five years is 21%.

ValuationEnterprise Products Partners’ units are trading on par with the industry. EPD’s current trailing 12-month Enterprise Value/Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA) is 11.31X, on par with the industry average.

Energy Transfer is trading at an EV/EBITDA of 10.04X, at a discount compared with its industry. This indicates that the firm is presently undervalued compared with its industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Price PerformanceEnterprise Products Partners’ units have gained 13% in the past six months compared with Energy Transfer’s rally of 6.2%.

Price Performance (Six months)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Wrapping UpEnterprise Products Partners and Energy Transfer provide efficient midstream services across their core operating regions, supported by extensive infrastructure in the highly productive Permian Basin. The increasing production of hydrocarbon volumes in the United States is creating more opportunities for the midstream firms.

Energy Transfer shows promise with a discounted valuation and better earnings estimate revision. But, based on the above discussion, Enterprise Product Partners currently has an edge over Energy Transfer due to its better ROE, lower percentage of debt usage and stronger price performance.

Both companies currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Walmart agreed to pay $100 million, including millions to Spark delivery workers, to settle FTC claims. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 2026-02-26T19:07:40.358Z

Walmart is set to pay $16 million to Spark drivers to settle claims it misled them about pay and tips. The driver payouts are part of a broader settlement with the FTC. Walmart said it has already begun paying the affected gig workers. Walmart is set to pay about $16 million to Spark drivers as part of a larger settlement over claims that it misled workers about pay and tips.

The Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday that Walmart agreed to a $100 million settlement over claims that the big-box retailer told Spark drivers they would earn more in base pay than they actually did. The FTC also said Walmart misled drivers "by falsely claiming that 100% of customer tips would actually go to drivers."

Part of the proposed settlement includes a "driver fund" that would distribute $16.2 million to Spark drivers whose actual pay was lower than what Walmart promised through the delivery app, according to court documents. The payouts apply to offers Walmart made to drivers as far back as January 1, 2021.

"In many instances, Walmart either failed to notify drivers at all about the change in base pay and tips or only notified them of the change in their earnings after they completed the delivery," the FTC said in its announcement.

A Walmart spokesperson said that the retailer values "the hard work and dedication of the drivers who deliver great service and products to our customers."

"We have issued payments to impacted drivers and continue to make additional payments as appropriate," the spokesperson said. "We are continuously improving procedures to ensure fairness and transparency for drivers."

Last year, Walmart sent some Spark drivers surprise tip payments, some worth hundreds of dollars each. The company said it had identified some workers who had not received full tip payments in the past and had sent the payments, including interest.

Walmart "failed to notify drivers that, unlike the payment for the goods being delivered, the payment for the advertised tip amount had not been preauthorized, and therefore drivers would not receive that amount if the customer was unable to cover the cost of the tip or if the charge otherwise failed," the FTC said.

Walmart also sometimes split a customer's tip across multiple drivers when filling an order that required multiple deliveries — a practice it also failed to tell drivers about, the FTC's complaint said.

Other companies that rely on gig workers for deliveries have also faced charges that they failed to pay out tips.

Last year, for example, DoorDash agreed to pay $16.75 million to 60,000 of its delivery workers in New York state to settle claims that the service used tips to offset workers' base pay.

Do you work for Spark or another delivery service? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Dorman Products, Inc. (DORM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

This article is intended to provide informational content and should not be viewed as an exhaustive analysis of the featured company. It should not be interpreted as personalized investment advice with regard to "Buy/Sell/Hold/Short/Long" recommendations. The predictions and opinions presented are based on the author's analysis and reflect a probabilistic approach, not absolute certainty. Efforts have been made to ensure the information's accuracy, but inadvertent errors may occur. Readers are advised to independently verify the information and conduct their own research. Investing in stocks involves inherent volatility, risk, and speculative elements. Before making any investment decisions, it is crucial for readers to conduct thorough research and assess their financial circumstances. The author is not liable for any financial losses incurred as a result of using or relying on the content of this article.

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Glenfarne Group, LLC subsidiary Glenfarne Alaska LNG, LLC (Glenfarne), majority owner and developer of the Alaska LNG project, and TotalEnergies today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the offtake of two million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska LNG. The agreement was signed in a ceremony today in Washington, DC witnessed by U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich of Alaska.

Alaska LNG offers a unique Pacific orientation that complements TotalEnergies’ supply strategy and and provides Asian customers with direct access to U.S. gas. We are proud to add another partner of their caliber to the project.

Share “TotalEnergies is one of the most sophisticated LNG market participants in the world,” said Glenfarne Chief Executive Officer and Founder Brendan Duval. “Alaska LNG offers a unique Pacific orientation that complements TotalEnergies’ supply strategy and provides Asian customers with direct access to U.S. gas. We are proud to add another partner of their caliber to the project.”

"We look forward to offtaking LNG from Glenfarne’s Alaska LNG project. The Alaska LNG project is indeed very well geographically positioned to better serve our Asian customers. It also illustrates TotalEnergies’ ambition to consolidate its position as a leading buyer of U.S. LNG, while diversifying its supply sources. TotalEnergies is indeed very proud to have been the number one exporter of US LNG in 2025 with 19 MT representing 18% of the whole US production,” said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

Glenfarne intends to contract 80%, or 16 MTPA, of Alaska LNG’s 20 MTPA volume to finance the project and now has 13 MTPA accounted for under preliminary long-term agreements with Total Energies, JERA, Tokyo Gas, CPC, PTT, and POSCO.

Worley Limited (ASX: Wor) completed primary FEED work on the Alaska LNG pipeline at the end of 2025 and has been provisionally named to provide Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management services for the Alaska LNG mainline. Alaska LNG has gas sales precedent agreements with North Slope natural gas producers including ExxonMobil, Hilcorp, and Great Bear Pantheon, and Letters of Intent to sell natural gas to ENSTAR Natural Gas, Alaska’s largest natural gas utility, and Donlin Gold Mine, one of the largest known undeveloped gold deposits in the world.

Alaska LNG consists of an 807-mile 42-inch pipeline to deliver natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to meet Alaska’s domestic needs and produce 20 MTPA of LNG for export. Glenfarne is developing Alaska LNG in two financially independent phases to accelerate project execution. Phase One includes the domestic pipeline to deliver natural gas to Alaskans. Phase Two will add the infrastructure to export LNG. Glenfarne owns 75% of Alaska LNG and the State of Alaska, through the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, owns 25%.

About Glenfarne Group

Glenfarne Group is a privately held global developer, owner, and operator of energy infrastructure assets. Through its subsidiaries, Glenfarne owns and operates 60 energy assets through three core businesses: Global LNG Solutions, Grid Stability, and Renewables. Glenfarne’s permitted North American LNG portfolio totals 32.8 MTPA of capacity under development in Alaska, Louisiana, and Texas. For more information, please visit www.glenfarne.com.

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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. 

Source: CryptoQuant 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.

Rising sentiment sparks recovery | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

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I'm Sandra White, a writer at Bitcoinist, and I provide the latest updates on the world of cryptocurrencies. I believe crypto a gateway to a new order and I have made it my life's mission to help educate as much people as possible. When I'm not at work, I love listening to music, learning new things, and dream of traveling around the world.