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2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:16 23d ago
Hayden Davis Resurfaces After LIBRA Crash, But His Latest Trades Are Deep in the Red cryptonews
LIBRA
Bubblemaps found that Hayden Davis, who was involved with LIBRA and YZY tokens, has resumed on-chain trading, but recent Solana meme coin bets resulted in nearly $3 million losses.

A year after Bubblemaps first detailed the on-chain mechanics behind the LIBRA meme coin collapse, the blockchain analytics firm has released a new update tracking the renewed trading activity of the project creator Hayden Davis.

This time, it has highlighted significant trading losses rather than insider gains.

From Insider Wins to Meme Coin Losses According to Bubblemaps’ latest findings, Davis has resumed on-chain activity after a period of wallet inactivity, but is now down roughly $3 million after trading multiple Solana-based meme coins, such as PUMP, TROVE, and PENGUIN.

The update stated that Davis had largely disappeared from on-chain trading following Bubblemaps’ August 2025 investigation, which showed he had made millions by sniping the hip-hop star Kanye West’s YZY token shortly after launch. After those profits, the wallets linked to him went dormant.

However, Bubblemaps reports that new wallets within the same cluster have become active again this year. In fact, over the past 30 days, the firm identified several large transfers into a deposit address linked to Davis, labeled CPGZ1i, which ultimately led to six active wallets under the same cluster.

Transaction analysis further indicated that Davis was trading as recently as five days ago and focused primarily on trending Solana meme coins. Unlike previous episodes, the majority of these trades were unprofitable. Bubblemaps estimated losses of approximately $2.5 million on PUMP, $100,000 on PENGUIN, $29,000 on KABUTO, and smaller losses on tokens such as LOUD and BAGWORK.

LIBRA Fallout Didn’t End It The findings show Davis did not exit the market following the LIBRA collapse, which had previously been linked to over $100 million in insider profits, according to Bubblemaps’ report published exactly a year earlier. That earlier investigation mapped a network of wallets connected to LIBRA and MELANIA token launches, and demonstrated coordinated sniping activity, cross-chain fund transfers, and quick cash-outs tied to addresses associated with Davis and related entities.

You may also like: Crypto Funds See 4th Week of Outflows, but XRP and SOL Shine: CoinShares Report Digital Assets Lose $73B Since October 2025 Highs, CoinShares Finds Moltbot Founder Warns of Fake CLAWD Meme Coin Scams On Monday’s update, Bubblemaps observed that instead of disappearing, Davis’ financial position evolved in other ways. For instance, a judge unfroze $57 million of his assets, he continued to generate profits through opportunistic trades such as YZY, and he received a sizable MET airdrop. The latest data now shows Davis engaging in routine on-chain trading activity again.

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2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:16 23d ago
Bitcoin, Shiba Inu, XRP Feature in T. Rowe Price's $1.8T Firm Crypto ETF Proposal cryptonews
BTC SHIB XRP
Shiba Inu, Bitcoin, and Ethereum are among 15 cryptocurrencies named in T. Rowe Price's amended SEC filing for its proposed Active Crypto ETF, outlining a structured eligibility framework for institutional crypto exposure.

Newton Gitonga2 min read

17 February 2026, 05:16 PM

T. Rowe Price has moved formally into the digital asset space. The $1.8 trillion asset manager filed an amended Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, naming 15 cryptocurrencies eligible for its proposed Active Crypto ETF. The list includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Litecoin, and Shiba Inu, among others.

A Rules-Based Framework for Asset EligibilityThe filing does not pre-allocate capital. It establishes a structured eligibility framework that determines which assets can enter the portfolio. Inclusion in the framework does not guarantee allocation. It defines the operating boundaries for the fund's managers.

To qualify, an asset must first be classified as a commodity. It must then meet at least one of three additional conditions. It must trade on a market that is a member of the Intermarket Surveillance Group (ISG). Alternatively, it must underlie a CFTC-regulated futures contract with at least six months of trading history. A third path allows inclusion if the asset represents at least 40% of the net asset value of an existing exchange-traded fund.

This structure anchors digital asset exposure within established regulatory infrastructure. The ISG's surveillance network and CFTC oversight provide institutional investors with market integrity mechanisms that passive, single-asset products cannot replicate.

Why XRP, Litecoin, and Shiba Inu Made the CutXRP's appearance in the filing reflects its evolving regulatory position. Prolonged legal proceedings between Ripple Labs and the SEC clarified the token's status for secondary-market trading. That outcome placed XRP in a more defined legal category, giving institutional actors clearer grounds for structuring compliant products.

Litecoin's inclusion is less unexpected. As one of the oldest proof-of-work blockchains still in active use, it carries deep exchange history and substantial market depth. Its established infrastructure aligns naturally with criteria focused on surveillance, market access, and trading continuity.

Shiba Inu is the most striking addition. The token originated as a speculative meme asset. Its presence in an institutional eligibility framework signals a shift in how screeners now operate. Trading volume and market access matter more than origin. If an asset satisfies structural and surveillance requirements, its retail-driven background carries diminishing weight at the institutional level.

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Newton Gitonga covers cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and digital finance. He specializes in breaking down complex trends with clear, data-driven reporting. His work focuses on market analysis, technical insights, and the evolving role of altcoins in shaping global markets.

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2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:19 23d ago
Crypto: Polygon Outperforms Ethereum on Fees, Demand Rises cryptonews
ETH MATIC POL
18h19 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Evans S.

Summarize this article with:

For a long time, paying high fees on Ethereum symbolized security and prestige. But the market follows usage: in recent days, Polygon has generated more daily fees than Ethereum. This is not just a statistical anomaly, it is a concrete signal of activity shift and a question about the real evolution of crypto demand in 2026.

In brief Polygon briefly surpassed Ethereum on daily fees, a sign of a concrete shift of activity towards Layer 2. This surge mainly comes from Polymarket, which captures attention and multiplies transactions on Polygon. The massive use of USDC on the network further accelerates the dynamic, despite internal refocusing and regulatory tensions around prediction markets. Rising fees on Polygon… because attention has shifted While Polygon has cut 30% of its workforce, activity on the network tells another story. The numbers speak for themselves: Polygon collected about $407,100 in fees for one day, against $211,700 on Ethereum’s side. The next day, the gap narrowed, but the observation remains clear: Polygon stayed neck and neck, even ahead, for several days. This is not just a “spike.”

This type of shift is interesting because it breaks a mental habit. Many confuse “most important chain” and “most used chain today.” Yet importance can be structural, while usage can be opportunistic. Users go where the app is simple, fast, and where the experience doesn’t disrupt their flow.

And this is where Layer-2 solutions make perfect sense. They don’t necessarily aim to dethrone ETH. They capture a very specific category of actions: numerous micro-interactions, often repeated, where fees become a psychological as well as an economic parameter.

Polymarket, the app that turns news into on-chain traffic Polygon hosts Polymarket, a prediction market that has become one of the loudest applications currently. And here, “loud” does not mean marketing. It means volume. It means users coming back, adjusting, hedging, arbitraging.

An analyst even summed up the story bluntly: the recent growth of activity on Polygon would be mainly, or entirely, driven by Polymarket. This concentration is the detail that matters. This is not “Polygon winning everywhere.” This is an app sucking in attention, thus transactions, thus fees.

Polygon itself has highlighted spectacular spikes. A telling example: a single category of bets linked to the Oscars reportedly concentrated over 15 million dollars in wagers. This figure is not just a record. It’s a revelation. Prediction markets have become a format. A reflex. A way to “trade” information without going through classic channels.

USDC surge: the stablecoin mechanism accelerates everything Polymarket uses USDC on Polygon. And this is exactly the kind of detail that changes the dynamic of a network. Stablecoins are the plumbing. When it heats up, everything else accelerates.

A figure circulated: Polygon would have reached a new weekly high with 28 million USDC transactions. Regardless of whether you are a “fan” or “hater” of Polygon, this volume tells a simple story: there is circulation. And circulation, in crypto, is often more important than the narrative.

This phenomenon fits into a broader trend: since the last US election, prediction markets have exploded in popularity. Snowball effect: several crypto players want to launch their own versions, while Polymarket is also under regulatory pressure. The competition is coming. But, for now, Polymarket’s advantage is having found the right mix: low friction, familiar stablecoin, addictive mechanics.

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Evans S.

Fascinated by Bitcoin since 2017, Evariste has continuously researched the subject. While his initial interest was in trading, he now actively seeks to understand all advances centered on cryptocurrencies. As an editor, he strives to consistently deliver high-quality work that reflects the state of the sector as a whole.

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.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:26 23d ago
Solana News: SOL Sell-Off Eases as Institutional Inflows Return, RWAs Hit Records cryptonews
SOL
Solana (SOL) steadied this week after a month of steep losses as institutional flows turned positive and on-chain activity pushed to fresh highs.

Solana (SOL) steadied this week after a month of steep losses as institutional flows turned positive and on-chain activity pushed to fresh highs.

As of Feb. 17, SOL traded near $83, roughly flat WoW, according to CoinMarketCap. The move marks the token’s healthiest weekly close after it lost more than 40% of its market capitalization over the past 30 days.

The Solana ecosystem’s total market capitalization also clocked gains, increasing nearly 5.5% from $122.4 billion to $129.1 billion, CoinMarketCap data shows.

The stabilization stood out against continued softness across the broader crypto market. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) fell roughly 1.9% and 27% on the week, respectively.

Solana’s relative resilience coincided with accelerating institutional onboarding and new milestones across decentralized finance (DeFi), staking, and tokenization.

SOL Stabilizes Despite Fragile Market SentimentSOL funds defied a week of institutional outflows from crypto ETFs. Source: CoinShares

After weeks of heavy selling, SOL finished modestly higher, even as capital continued to exit core crypto investment products.

During the week of Feb. 9, crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded $173 million in net outflows, with Bitcoin-linked funds accounting for most withdrawals, according to CoinShares.

By contrast, SOL-linked products attracted approximately $31 million in net inflows over the same period, extending a recent pattern of selective institutional allocation into the Solana ecosystem.

According to a Feb. 15 Solana X post, Goldman Sachs disclosed roughly $108 million in SOL holdings, bolstering the token’s institutional holdings.

Risk appetite remains fragile but shows signs of improvement. The CoinMarketCap Crypto Fear and Greed Index rose to 13 on Feb. 12, up from a record low of 5 one week earlier.

The broader crypto pullback has tracked weakness in technology stocks, where concerns about artificial intelligence-driven disruption have pressured valuations.

Institutional Adoption Lifts RWAs to RecordsSolana RWA Value reached an all-time high this week. Source: Capital Markets

Tokenized real-world assets continued to expand this week despite softer crypto prices. RWAs are traditional financial instruments, such as funds or Treasury-style products, issued and tracked on blockchain networks.

On Feb. 13, RWAs on Solana reached new highs. The network reported more than $1.6 billion in RWA total value locked (TVL) and roughly 285,000 unique holders, according to data from RWA.xyz.

On-chain institutional cash and lending products also scaled.

According to a Feb. 15 Solana X post, BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund, BUIDL, surpassed $550 million in assets on the network, while Kamino’s on-chain credit marketplace, PRIME Market, crossed $500 million in deposits.

DeFi and Staking Tooling AccelerateHex Trust and Jito partnered to expand institutional staking on Solana. Source: Hex Trust

Expansion moved beyond RWAs and into DeFi and staking infrastructure.

On Feb. 16, Jupiter rolled out native staking as collateral on Jupiter Lend, allowing users to borrow against natively staked SOL without first converting it into a liquid staking token.

Digital asset custodian Hex Trust launched Solana liquid staking with JitoSOL integration on Feb. 10.

On-chain credit and derivatives activity accelerated in parallel.

Anchorage Digital partnered with Kamino and Solana Company on a structure that enables institutions to borrow against staked SOL while keeping assets inside regulated custody, the Feb. 15 Solana X post said.

Additionally, decentralized exchange Drift said on Feb. 11 that equity perpetual contracts are coming to Solana “soon,” signaling an expansion into synthetic equities and leveraged trading.

The expansions align with Solana’s broader goal of becoming “financial infrastructure for the internet,” as described by the Solana Foundation’s Lily Liu in a Feb. 12 CNBC interview.

In keeping with Solana’s institutional push, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Feb. 12 named Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko to its Innovation Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. derivatives regulator on emerging market structures.

By the NumbersTotal Solana Ecosystem Market Cap: $129.22B

Source: CoinMarketCap

Top 5 Solana Coins by Market Cap:

Solana (SOL): $47.27BChainLink (LINK): $6.17BWorld Liberty Financial (WLFI): $2.68BUniswap (UNI): $2.21BAave (AAVE): $1.92BSource: CoinMarketCap

Most Visited Solana Coins:

Solana (SOL)Pippin (PIPPIN)ChainLink (LINK)Official Trump (TRUMP)Terra Classic (LUNC)Source: CoinMarketCap

This article contains links to third-party websites or other content for information purposes only (“Third-Party Sites”). The Third-Party Sites are not under the control of CoinMarketCap, and CoinMarketCap is not responsible for the content of any Third-Party Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Third-Party Site, or any changes or updates to a Third-Party Site. CoinMarketCap is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by CoinMarketCap of the site or any association with its operators. This article is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. It is important to do your own research and analysis before making any material decisions related to any of the products or services described. This article is not intended as, and shall not be construed as, financial advice. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s [company’s] own and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinMarketCap.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:27 23d ago
Strategy Buys 2,486 Bitcoin But MSTR Dives Another 3% cryptonews
BTC
Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) bought 2,486 Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) for $168.4 million between February 9 and February 16 at an average price of $67,710. The Latest Purchase Strategy funded the buy through two sources: $90.5 million in common stock sales and $78.4 million from STRC preferred stock sales.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:28 23d ago
Bitcoin Price Prediction as U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Reach an Understanding cryptonews
BTC
Bitcoin's price has shown signs of stabilization, recovering within a price range of $66,000-$71,000 after recent volatility. This shift in the market comes as the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks progress, with both parties reaching an understanding on key principles.

The developments in these discussions have positively impacted global market sentiment, including the cryptocurrency sector. Analysts are cautiously optimistic about the potential for a short-term recovery in Bitcoin’s price as political tensions ease.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that Tehran and Washington have made significant progress in their nuclear talks. Both parties have reached an understanding on the "main principles" of a potential deal. 

However, as Araghchi noted, there are still key issues to resolve before a final agreement can be reached.

These talks are crucial for the geopolitical landscape, and the easing of tensions between the U.S. and Iran has had a positive effect on market conditions. The focus of the discussions remains on Iran’s nuclear program, which has been a point of contention for years. As both sides continue negotiations, market participants are closely monitoring the developments, particularly in relation to their potential effect on global stability.

Bitcoin Price Stabilization Amid Political ProgressAccording to crypto analyst Ted, the Bitcoin price has been fluctuating between $66,000 and $71,000, with a rally requiring a daily close above $71,000. This recent stability in Bitcoin’s price is being observed as a response to the ongoing developments in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks. 

The possibility of a breakthrough in these negotiations has provided a sense of calm in the global market, which has spilled over into cryptocurrency markets.

Source: X

While Bitcoin has shown recovery, analysts remain cautious about the future. Market sentiment has been very low, and Matrixport’s Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index indicates a potential for further price declines. However, deeply negative sentiment is often seen as a sign of a market approaching a “durable bottom,” suggesting that the current price levels might offer an opportunity for long-term investors.

Market Sentiment and Bitcoin Price MovementBitcoin's price movement is heavily influenced by overall market sentiment. According to Matrixport, sentiment has dropped to extreme lows, which historically precede short-term recoveries. Despite the recovery in Bitcoin's price, analysts caution that prices could still fall further, and the market remains volatile.

Matrixport's report indicates that Bitcoin’s Fear and Greed Index has reversed higher, signaling that selling pressure might be exhausting. However, the firm also notes that further declines in price cannot be ruled out. The ongoing developments in global politics, including the U.S.-Iran talks, are playing a significant role in shaping market sentiment.

While Bitcoin’s price remains within a narrow range, analysts are keeping an eye on the potential for a breakout or further decline. If Bitcoin closes February in the red, it will mark five consecutive monthly losses, the longest streak since 2018. As per analyst Ted Pillows, by the end of Q1 2026, the Bitcoin price may recover to above $90,000 despite the current bearish market sentiment. However, should BTC fail to recover, the most bearish position as per his analysis is $70,000.

Source: X

Consequently, the ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks have the potential to significantly influence global markets, including cryptocurrencies. A breakthrough in these negotiations could lead to greater geopolitical stability, which would be favorable for market sentiment. As Iran and the U.S. continue their discussions, the cryptocurrency market, including Bitcoin, is expected to respond to any positive developments.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:30 23d ago
DOGE Price Slips 3% Daily, Break Below $0.098 Could Trigger Further Dogecoin Downside cryptonews
DOGE
Dogecoin (DOGE) is currently testing investor confidence as the memecoin hovers near a key psychological level. After weeks of sideways trading, the DOGE price has slipped roughly 3% over the past 24 hours, leaving traders focused on whether support around $0.098 can hold or open the door to deeper losses.

The token is currently trading around the $0.099 mark, a level that has repeatedly acted as both support and resistance throughout February. While the broader crypto market remains cautious, the DOGE price behavior suggests a market caught between weakening momentum and attempts to establish a short-term base.

DOGE's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: DOGEUSD on Tradingview Technical Signals Point to Fragile Support Recent DOGE price action shows it consolidating within a narrow range after failing to sustain moves above nearby resistance zones. Multiple exponential moving averages between roughly $0.102 and $0.111 continue to cap upside, indicating sellers remain in control of the broader trend.

Momentum indicators also reflect uncertainty. The RSI has moved toward neutral territory after earlier signs of oversold conditions, suggesting buying pressure is fading rather than strengthening.

Analysts note that DOGE remains below its longer-term trend indicators, including the 200-day and 200-EMA levels, which typically signal bearish market structure when price trades underneath them.

Immediate support sits near $0.098, a level closely watched by traders. A decisive break below this threshold could expose the $0.090–$0.088 region, with some forecasts pointing toward a possible retest of the yearly low near $0.08 if selling accelerates.

Adding to the cautious outlook, a recent weekly “bearish cross”, where shorter-term moving averages fall below longer-term ones, has historically coincided with extended consolidation or downside phases for Dogecoin.

Market Sentiment and Liquidity Remain Key Drivers Despite the decline, trading activity suggests gradual distribution rather than panic selling. Volume remains close to its monthly average, indicating traders are reducing exposure cautiously instead of exiting aggressively.

Dogecoin’s performance continues to track broader crypto sentiment. With Bitcoin moving sideways and overall risk appetite subdued, meme coins have struggled to attract sustained inflows.

Liquidation heatmaps show clusters of leveraged positions below current price levels, raising the risk of cascading moves if support fails. At the same time, DOGE’s large community and history of sentiment-driven rallies keep traders alert to sudden reversals triggered by social media activity or broader market recovery.

What Comes Next for Dogecoin Dogecoin currently appears locked in a transitional phase. Holding above $0.10 could allow consolidation to continue and potentially form a base for recovery. However, a confirmed breakdown below $0.098 would likely reinforce bearish momentum and shift focus toward lower support zones.

Until buyers reclaim higher resistance levels with stronger volume, analysts say the path of least resistance remains sideways to lower, leaving DOGE price at a critical technical crossroads in the near term.

Cover image from ChatGPT, DOGEUSD chart on Tradingview
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:30 23d ago
XRP Activity Drops 26% as Active Addresses Fall cryptonews
XRP
Market analyst Ali Martinez said on X that XRP network activity has declined 26%, with active addresses falling to 40,778. The data, shared in a recent chart, points to a noticeable slowdown in user engagement on the XRP Ledger.

According to the posted metrics, the reduction in active addresses reflects weakening on-chain participation compared to previous periods. Active addresses are commonly used as a proxy for network demand and transactional usage, meaning the downturn could signal softer short-term interest from traders and users. A contraction of this scale may affect sentiment around XRP, particularly among participants who monitor on-chain indicators to gauge momentum and adoption trends.

For now, it remains unclear whether the drop marks a temporary cooldown or the start of a broader deceleration in activity. Market observers will likely watch upcoming on-chain data to see if address counts stabilize or continue to slide in the coming sessions.

Source: Ali Martinez.

Disclaimer: Crypto Economy Flash News are based on verified public and official sources. Their purpose is to provide fast, factual updates about relevant events in the crypto and blockchain ecosystem.

This information does not constitute financial advice or investment recommendation. Readers are encouraged to verify all details through official project channels before making any related decisions.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:30 23d ago
Decoding PIPPIN's 14% slide – Can the AI coin hold THIS amid profit-taking? cryptonews
PIPPIN
Journalist

Posted: February 17, 2026

The memecoin sector, especially those blended with AI narratives, has been doing well of late. In general, it’s altcoins with an AI narrative that have been performing over the past three months.

PIPPIN crypto has been leading the top 100 coins by market cap in terms of gains. Despite a rise of 2,648% during this period, the memecoin has lost about 14% over the past 24 hours.

The market cap of the memecoin peaked above $750 million but has since dropped 16% from the all-time high. Historically, the markets tend to correct after hitting new peaks.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Kite AI [KITE] was another AI coin that was performing well, returning more than 140%. Bitcoin [BTC], on the other hand, was facing a loss of 27%.

Considering this performance, the double-digit drawdown seemed like a correction. Or it could be the start of another crash, just like Fartcoin [FARTCOIN] and other AI coins.

How long will PIPPIN’s correction take? Looking at the charts, PIPPIN was in a steep fall from a peak of $0.77. The price was nearing a former resistance zone at $0.55, which traders were anticipating to become a support.

The fall came just after a 34% wick fill of last year’s price spike on the 24th of December. Holding above this zone would suggest a rebound past the high at $0.77.

At press time, the MA Cross has already signaled a trend shift on the 4-hour chart. The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) was also declining, just a point shy of the negative territory.

This signaled a potential end to the ongoing bullish trend. In fact, PIPPIN was entering a correction phase, but the price was still at a premium zone. The 50% Fibonacci Retracement was at $0.46, just below $0.55.

Source: PIPPIN/USDT on TradingView

This heightened the chances of breaking below the $0.55 zone if bulls continued to fade buying. In that case, the next area to expect a rebound would be $0.269.

And the worst-case scenario, a fall below $0.154, would invalidate the bullish setup.

While the memecoin has stayed in a bullish structure since late November 2025, it’s worth noting what fueled the day’s losses.

Why is the memeoin down? Data from Coinalyze showed that Open Interest (OI) dropped from $175 million to $138 million. This was reflected in the Long/Short ratio that fell from 1.50 to 0.285.

This indicated that the market was inclined toward selling, potentially profit-taking after the new peak.

The Aggregated Funding Rate turned negative, confirming the profit-taking, as it meant that shorts were paying longs.

Source: Coinalyze

In summary, PIPPIN was in a bullish structure but is currently undergoing a correction phase. How long the correction took depended on how prices reacted around the key levels aforementioned.

Final Summary PIPPIN drops 10% due to a decline in OI and Long/Short ratio and negative funding rates.  PIPPIN price was in a correction phase, with traders watching out for a reaction at the $0.55 zone. 
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:31 23d ago
Abu Dhabi funds held over $1 billion of BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF at end of last year cryptonews
BTC
At the end of last year, two Abu Dhabi-based funds owned more than $1 billion of BlackRock's leading spot Bitcoin ETF, according to filings from Tuesday.

The sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company said it owned 12,702,323 shares in BlackRock's fund, ticker symbol IBIT, worth roughly $631 million. Additionally, Al Warda Investments, an investment arm of the government, reported holding 8,218,712 shares valued at $408 million, according to two separate 13F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said.

In Mubadala's case, its 13F reported the fund had increased the number of shares it owned in IBIT by 46%, when compared to its third-quarter filing with the SEC. For much of last year, the Abu Dhabi fund held over 8 million shares in IBIT.

BlackRock's spot BTC fund is the largest of its kind, with assets under management of about $58 billion. The fund's value has declined markedly with the drop in bitcoin's price in recent months.

13F filings are filed quarterly with the SEC by institutional investment managers which hold a minimum of $100 million in assets under management. The filings display the managers' equity holdings at the end of each fiscal period. Since 13F reports only require the disclosure of long positions in U.S. equities and options on equities, they only provide a partial view of an investment manager's overall portfolio strategy.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:33 23d ago
Shield Wallet Debuts: Aleo and Provable Push Private Stablecoin Infrastructure to the Forefront cryptonews
ALEO
TL;DR

Privacy Shift: Shield launches as a zero-knowledge wallet encrypting balances, transaction details, and identities to address the limitations of transparent blockchains for real-world stablecoin use. Regulatory Focus: The SEC’s recent roundtable on financial surveillance highlights growing policy interest in confidentiality, with Aleo leadership participating as regulators evaluate privacy technologies. Ecosystem Buildout: Aleo positions Shield as the interface for its private smart-contract network, supported by integrations with stablecoin issuers, payroll platforms, validators, and cross-chain tools to deliver a full privacy-first financial stack.
The debut of Shield, a privacy-focused wallet built by Provable Inc. and the Aleo Network Foundation, arrives as the crypto industry confronts the limits of transparent blockchains in real-world finance. With stablecoins now embedded in payroll, cross-border payments, and institutional settlement, the companies argue that visibility into balances, counterparties, and transaction histories has become a structural barrier to mainstream adoption.

A Privacy-First Wallet for a Changing Stablecoin Landscape Shield is designed as a self-custodial wallet that uses zero-knowledge technology to encrypt balances, transaction amounts, sender and receiver identities, and even network fees. The companies describe it as a practical response to the growing tension between transparency and confidentiality as stablecoins process trillions in adjusted volume. Howard Wu, co-founder of Aleo and CEO of Provable, said the market can no longer rely on fully visible ledgers for routine financial activity, calling transparency a security risk for individuals and institutions.

Regulatory Attention Intensifies Around Confidentiality The launch follows rising regulatory interest in privacy-preserving financial infrastructure. The SEC recently hosted a roundtable on financial surveillance and confidentiality, where Aleo leadership participated in discussions on how privacy technologies could fit into regulated systems. The companies view this as validation that confidentiality is becoming a priority for policymakers evaluating crypto’s role in mainstream finance.

Aleo’s Broader Push Toward Private Smart Contracts Aleo has positioned itself as the first private smart-contract platform to launch, using zero-knowledge proofs to enable encrypted transactions and programmable applications. Shield is intended to serve as the primary interface for this ecosystem, particularly for stablecoin payments and confidential asset management. The project frames the wallet as the final piece of a long-term strategy to build a fully operational privacy-first financial stack.

Ecosystem Integrations Signal a Full Financial Stack The broader Aleo ecosystem includes stablecoin issuers such as Circle xReserve and Paxos Labs, on- and off-ramp provider Banxa, and infrastructure partners like Blockdaemon, Everstake, and Figment. Additional integrations span payroll platforms including Bitwave, Toku, and Zebec, as well as cross-chain and decentralized exchange tools such as Hyperlane and HoudiniSwap. With these components in place, the companies say private stablecoin payments are now a present capability rather than a future ambition.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:42 23d ago
The Daily: Logan Paul sells previously tokenized Pokemon card for $16M, Gemini parts ways with top execs, Strategy's latest bitcoin buy, and more cryptonews
BTC
The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
2026-02-17 17:46 23d ago
2026-02-17 12:44 23d ago
XRP Is Dominating Crypto Talk—Second Only to Bitcoin cryptonews
BTC XRP
Grayscale Confirms XRP Is the Second Most Talked-About Asset After BitcoinInvestor interest in XRP is accelerating, with fresh signals pointing to rising demand. Insights from Grayscale Investments indicate the token is drawing unprecedented attention.

Well, during the recent XRP Community Day, Head of Product and Research Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary noted that XRP now ranks as the second most discussed crypto asset in client conversations, trailing only Bitcoin.

According to Sharif-Askary, financial advisors are receiving a steady stream of client inquiries about XRP, with investors seeking clarity on its use case, growth potential, and future outlook. 

She emphasized that this interest is not sporadic but consistently noticeable across Grayscale Investments’ diverse client base. In a crowded digital-asset market, frequent mentions just behind Bitcoin point to strong and sustained visibility.

On the other hand, XRP is outperforming several major cryptocurrencies, delivering stronger short-term gains than Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB, an indication of rising demand, renewed momentum, and increasing buyer confidence.

From Hype to Fundamentals: Why Investor Attention Still Favors Established Crypto AssetsThe rising buzz highlights a shift in crypto investing. More investors are moving beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, seeking assets with clear use cases and strong communities. XRP stands out for its long-standing role in cross-border payments and financial settlement, offering a straightforward value proposition. 

By targeting real-world financial infrastructure, it occupies a more utility-driven niche than many purely speculative or experimental tokens.

Notably, market maturity is reshaping how investors judge crypto. Instead of chasing quick price surges, many now prioritize liquidity, long-term viability, and real ecosystem growth. XRP’s decade-plus presence, through multiple bull and bear cycles, has built familiarity and, for some, greater investor confidence.

That resilience is now pairing with traction: the XRP Ledger ranks second in 30-day Real World Asset growth, a sign that on-chain adoption is accelerating and extending beyond speculation into real use cases.

Therefore, Grayscale Investments’ remarks underscore how financial advisors act as gatekeepers in crypto adoption. Repeated client inquiries about a token push advisors to research it, track its performance, and eventually weigh it in portfolio conversations, turning curiosity into potential capital flows.

While attention doesn’t guarantee returns, it signals relevance. In crypto, sustained visibility often draws liquidity, community engagement, and developer activity. XRP’s constant presence in market conversations shows it remains firmly on investors’ radar.

As digital assets edge deeper into mainstream finance, discussion trends offer clues about investor focus. Right now, XRP sits near the top of that watchlist, frequently mentioned alongside Bitcoin and solidly in the spotlight.

Meanwhile, Upbit recently surpassed Binance and Coinbase in XRP spot trading volume, reinforcing South Korea’s outsized influence in the XRP market.

ConclusionXRP’s rising presence in investor discussions signals more than short-term hype; it reflects sustained interest in its role within the evolving digital asset ecosystem. While attention alone doesn’t guarantee long-term value, it often leads to deeper research, broader adoption, and increased market engagement. 

If XRP continues to pair visibility with tangible use cases and ecosystem growth, it is poised to maintain a prominent position in portfolios and crypto conversations alike.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:00 23d ago
Machi Big Brother vs. the market: Why is he still betting big on Bitcoin and Ethereum? cryptonews
BTC ETH
Journalist

Posted: February 17, 2026

Bitcoin continued to spread weakness across cryptocurrencies on 17th of February 2026. Risk appetite fractured as Open Interest drained from Bitcoin and Ethereum while price momentum stalled.

BTC’s OI fell from over $12B in late January to $7.6B as price slid from the $80Ks into the $60Ks, with Ethereum mirroring the decline.

Meanwhile, HYPE’s Open Interest climbed toward $1.32B from $1.19B when it traded in the $29 range. Therefore, leverage did not vanish; it concentrated in one speculative pocket.

Was this calculated positioning or reckless escalation? However, more drama was unfolding around Machi Big Brother.

Machi expands $16M+ in leveraged positions Jeffrey Huang, known as Machi Big Brother, recorded $27.5 million in losses over 20 days on Hyperliquid and faced 145 liquidations since October 2025. Instead of slowing down, he increased risk.

He sold spot ETH and smaller tokens to raise collateral, rotating capital to support BTC, ETH, and HYPE longs.

His positions stood at 6,200 ETH, 25 BTC, and 55,000 HYPE, with the ETH long as his biggest conviction bet. Selling spot to leverage perps is a high-risk strategy that magnifies both gains and losses.

Source: Lookonchain

The $1.7M HYPE position also reflected a bet on the exchange gaining ground. If Bitcoin reclaimed $72K, momentum could lift all three positions.

Therefore, this was not about running out of money but a concentrated bet. However, if BTC failed to regain strength, pressure would build quickly.

OI battle: HYPE vs. BTC vs. ETH HYPE’s Open Interest remained elevated as Bitcoin [BTC] and Ethereum [ETH] OI declined steadily.

Source: CoinGlass

In particular, HYPE’s OI rose toward $1.32B while price climbed. Bulls appeared in control.

Source: CoinGlass

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s OI compressed sharply from post-crash highs.

As a result, leverage thinned in majors but thickened in Hyperliquid [HYPE]. This concentration created tension beneath the surface.

Conviction or pressure for Machi? BTC traders leaned net short at 56% versus 43% long, while ETH showed an even heavier short bias near 58%. However, HYPE flipped the setup with 69% long dominance.

Source: CoinGlass

This gap mattered. Risk appetite weakened in majors, but conviction concentrated in HYPE. Therefore, liquidation risk turned uneven.

BTC and ETH faced short squeeze risk, while HYPE faced long unwinds. Was Machi aiming for upside or chasing redemption?

Final Summary Leverage did not vanish; it migrated aggressively into HYPE.
Machi’s escalation reflected conviction or dangerous refusal to accept defeat.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:01 23d ago
HBAR price risks a downward spiral as Hedera's ecosystem woes persist cryptonews
HBAR
HBAR price has rebounded in the past few days, moving from the year-to-date low of $0.0725 to the psychological level at $0.100.

Summary

The HBAR price has crashed by 67% from its 2025 high. The network’s ecosystem growth has stalled. Technical analysis suggests that the Hedera price has further downside in the near term. Hedera (HBAR) remains well below last year’s high of $0.3025 and the November 2024 high of $0.4012.

The recent rebound followed Hedera’s addition of FedEx to its governance council. It joined other top companies like Tata Communications, Google, Mondelez, ServiceNow, and IBM. All these companies have historically pledged to use Hedera’s technology in their decentralized products.

The risk, however, is that third-party data indicate that Hedera’s ecosystem is much smaller than those of newer crypto projects such as Monad, Plasma, Hyperliquid, and Provenance.

Hedera’s decentralized finance ecosystem has a total value locked of just $58 million, with most projects showing no activity. This is despite Hedera being capable of handling over 1,000 transactions per second and having much lower fees than other chains.

Hedera also has a negligible market share in the stablecoin industry, with its total supply down to $68 million from last year’s peak of over $300 million. The stablecoin supply across all chains has jumped to over $300 billion.

Hedera has no market share in the booming Real-World Asset tokenization industry, which has accumulated over $24 billion in assets under management. Ethereum has the largest market share, with over $17 billion in assets, and is followed by other popular chains such as BNB, Solana, and XRP Ledger.

These metrics likely explain why the Canary HBAR ETF has struggled to attract assets. It has had no inflows since February 9, while its total assets have dropped to $51.3 million. Hedera’s futures open interest has also continued to fall over the past few months.

HBAR price technical analysis Hedera price chart | Source: crypto.news  The weekly timeframe chart shows that the HBAR price has been in a strong downward trend in the past few months, moving from a high of $0.3026 in July to the current $0.1.

The coin remains below all moving averages and is stuck at the Ultimate Support level of the Murrey Math Lines tool. It is also below the Supertrend and the Ichimoku cloud indicators.

Therefore, the most likely Hedera price forecast is bearish, with the next key target being the year-to-date low of $0.0725. A drop below that level will point to more downside, potentially to the all-time low of $0.036.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:02 23d ago
Bitcoin treasury company Nakamoto to acquire BTC Inc and UTXO in $107 million all-stock deal cryptonews
BTC
Some reacted with concerns about dilution for existing shareholders due to the stock price decline and the related-party nature of the transaction.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:08 23d ago
Shiba Inu price stabilizes at monthly support as oversold conditions ease cryptonews
SHIB
Shiba Inu price has reclaimed a key monthly support level after an impulsive sell-off, signaling that oversold conditions may be giving way to a relief rally as buyers begin to step back in.

Summary

Monthly support reclaim signals seller exhaustion and short-term stabilization Oversold conditions are easing, supporting upside rotation Holding above value area low favors a move toward range highs Shiba Inu (SHIB) price action has entered a critical phase after a sharp bearish expansion pushed the token into deeply oversold territory. Following this impulsive decline, SHIB briefly traded below a major high-timeframe support level before quickly reclaiming it, a technical development that often signals seller exhaustion rather than sustained breakdown.

This reclaim has shifted the short-term narrative from risk of continuation to potential stabilization. While broader market conditions remain mixed, SHIB’s ability to recover lost support and hold above it suggests that demand is beginning to absorb supply at lower levels.

The coming sessions will be key in determining whether this move develops into a larger recovery or remains a short-lived reaction.

Shiba Inu price key technical points Monthly support has been reclaimed, invalidating the recent breakdown Oversold conditions are easing, supporting a relief bounce scenario Holding above value area low increases upside probability, toward range highs SHIBUSDT (1D) Chart, Source: TradingView The recent sell-off in Shiba Inu was aggressive, producing a sequence of lower lows and strong bearish momentum. However, this downside move ultimately pushed the price below a key monthly support level, a zone that has historically attracted demand.

Rather than accepting below this level, the price quickly rebounded and reclaimed support, forming a bullish retest. This type of behavior is often associated with capitulation-style moves, where sellers exhaust themselves and buyers step in aggressively once liquidity is taken.

From a market structure perspective, reclaiming lost support after a brief breakdown weakens the bearish case and increases the likelihood that the move lower was corrective rather than trend-defining.

Consolidation at value area low Following the reclaim, SHIB has entered a consolidation phase around the value-area low of the prior trading range. This region represents the lower boundary of fair value and is often where markets pause to rebalance after impulsive moves.

Holding above the value area low is critical. Acceptance above this level would indicate that buyers are defending price and absorbing remaining supply. Conversely, a failure to hold this region would reopen downside risk and call into question the recent reclaim.

At present, price action suggests balance rather than renewed selling pressure, reinforcing the stabilization narrative.

Oversold conditions support a relief rally Momentum indicators had reached extreme oversold levels during the recent decline, reflecting panic-driven selling rather than orderly distribution. As price stabilizes, these oversold conditions are beginning to ease, a common prerequisite for relief rallies.

When oversold momentum coincides with a reclaim of high-timeframe support, the probability of a rotational move higher increases. This does not necessarily imply a full trend reversal, but it does open the door for a corrective rally toward higher resistance levels.

Volume behavior will be key in confirming this thesis. Sustained bullish volume during consolidation and early expansion phases would strengthen the case for continued upside.

Upside targets come into focus If SHIB can hold above the value area low on a closing basis, the next logical upside objective is near the value area high of the previous range. This level represents the upper boundary of fair value and often acts as the first major resistance during recovery phases.

A move toward this area would complete a clean rotational structure, shifting sentiment from defensive to constructive in the short term. However, failure to reclaim and hold above value would keep the market vulnerable to renewed volatility.

What to expect in the coming price action From a technical, price action, and market structure perspective, Shiba Inu is showing early signs of stabilization after an oversold sell-off. The reclaim of monthly support and consolidation above the value area low suggest that downside momentum is weakening.

In the near term, traders should watch for continued acceptance above current support levels and an increase in bullish volume. If these conditions persist, a rotational move toward higher resistance becomes increasingly likely.

That said, SHIB remains within a broader corrective environment, and patience is required. As long as price holds above reclaimed support, the path of least resistance favors further upside exploration rather than immediate continuation lower.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:13 23d ago
Bitcoin price ignores $168M Strategy buy, and falls as Iran tensions escalate cryptonews
BTC
Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below $67,000 at Tuesday’s Wall Street open as risk assets responded to new geopolitical pressures.

Key points:

Bitcoin joins stocks in a geopolitics-driven sell-off to the start the US TradFi trading week.

Bid liquidity gets crunched with the BTC price range still firmly in place.

Strategy adding to its BTC stack failed to offer any relief for Bitcoin bulls.

Tension in Iran keeps Bitcoin under pressureData from TradingView showed daily BTC price losses of more than 3.8% on Bitstamp.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
Bitcoin and altcoins joined US stocks in a sell-off to start the week’s first US trading session thanks to market nerves over naval drills by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil route.

Talks between the US and Iran, which the latter described as “serious and constructive,” concluded around the same time.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index were down by up to 1.25% at the time of writing, while gold dropped to lows of $4,842 per ounce.

XAU/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
Analyzing exchange liquidity conditions on the day, X commentary account Exitpump was among those eyeing a sweep of range lows for BTC/USD next.

“Really huge bids are still sitting there in the spot orderbooks around 60K level,” it noted on data from both Binance and Coinbase.

Data from monitoring resource CoinGlass showed price slicing through nearby bid liquidity during the drop.

Binance BTC/USDT liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass
The day prior, liquidity games formed the main source of volatility on Bitcoin, with both longs and shorts in the firing line.

“Nothing special on $BTC,” crypto trader, analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe summarized. 

“It's stuck in a range and simply consolidating, through which it's a waiting game until volatility slows down and the expansion is about to game.” BTC/USDT four-hour chart. Source: Michaël van de Poppe/XInvestor O’Leary repeats Bitcoin quantum worriesNews that Strategy, the company with the world’s largest Bitcoin corporate treasury, had bought nearly 2,500 BTC over the past week, failed to impact the mood.

As confirmed by CEO Michael Saylor, Strategy’s total holdings rose to 717,131 BTC, with its average cost basis at just over $76,000.

Strategy BTC holdings (screenshot). Source: Strategy
At the same time, onchain data tracked potential outflows from the US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

BlackRock just deposited another 1,701 $BTC($115.2M) and 22,661 $ETH($44.5M) to Coinbase Prime.https://t.co/qmuDIrP9my pic.twitter.com/AxoghUGpf8

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) February 17, 2026 At the weekend, Shark Tank cohost and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary told mainstream media that the threat of quantum computing cracking Bitcoin’s security model was keeping institutions away.

“I’m still long this, but there’s a new concern floating around for 10% of the people out there: quantum, the idea that a quantum computer can break the chain,” he said in an interview on FOX News.

O’Leary said that potential exposure was being capped at 3% of institutional portfolios as a result.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:13 23d ago
Strategy's Bitcoin Buying Accelerates as $48 Billion BTC Stash Sits Underwater cryptonews
BTC
In brief Strategy notched its fourth-largest Bitcoin purchase of the year. The funds largely came from variable rate preferred shares. Questions over Strategy’s debt have gone viral in recent days. Strategy reported its fourth-largest Bitcoin purchase of the year on Tuesday, scooping up the digital asset with proceeds that partly came from preferred shares.

The Tysons Corner, Virginia-based firm purchased 2,500 BTC last week for $168 million, a press release showed. That lifted the company’s holdings to around 717,100 Bitcoin, which was worth about $48 billion as Bitcoin edged down to nearly $67,000, according to CoinGecko.

To fund its latest acquisition, Strategy issued $90.5 million worth of common stock. Meanwhile, the firm sold $78.5 million worth of its variable rate, or STRC, preferred stock. The product currently pays monthly dividends at an annualized rate of 11.25% in cash.

The balance underscores a shift in Strategy’s approach to acquiring Bitcoin in recent months, as the company’s total value has approached that of its holdings. Issuing preferred shares has become a bigger priority, as products that Michael Saylor has described as “digital credit.”

Strategy shares fell 2.6% to $130 on Tuesday, according to Yahoo Finance

The company’s co-founder and executive chairman described STRC as Strategy’s iPhone moment when it was introduced last year. At a total value of $3.4 billion, he has portrayed the product as an alternative to high-yield, low-volatility savings accounts for the masses.

Strategy established cash reserves last year to avail concerns that the Bitcoin-buying firm might not be able to meet associated costs. Last week, Strategy spent around $600,000 less on Bitcoin than it raised, suggesting that it slightly padded its $2.25 billion cash balance.

As the company’s stock price has tumbled 64% over the past six months, investors have fixated on the company’s ability to weather a sustained downturn. That focus has recently shifted toward the company’s convertible debt, which is subject to redemptions starting in 2028.

The company will seek to “equitize” $8.2 billion worth of convertible debt over the next three to six years, Saylor posted to X on Sunday, as opposed to repaying it in cash.

Last week, Saylor defended Strategy on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” arguing that the firm wouldn’t be forced to sell any Bitcoin if the digital asset were to fall 90% and stay there for four years. Instead, Saylor calmly said, “We’ll refinance the debt. We’ll just roll it forward.”

"Refinance where, Michael?" co-anchor Becky Quick dryly asked, questioning whether banks would lend to Strategy at that point. The exchange has since gone viral on social media, becoming a meme in financial circles, with critics calling Saylor’s stance absurd.

As Bitcoin has retreated from record levels in October, Strategy's Bitcoin holdings have plunged in value, while swinging to a loss on paper. After spending $54.5 billion on the asset, the company was down around 12% on its Bitcoin, or around $3.6 billion.

On Myriad, a prediction market owned by Decrypt parent company DASTAN, traders penciled in an 18% chance on Tuesday that Strategy would sell Bitcoin this year. Earlier this month, they forecast as much as a 36% chance that event would occur.

Strategy’s business has come under pressure amid Bitcoin’s latest rout, but it’s not alone. On Monday, Metaplanet reported that its holdings took a ¥102 billion, or $664 million, hit in Q4. The former hotel manager, which is based in Japan, is the fourth largest corporate Bitcoin holder.

That company has yet to disclose a Bitcoin purchase this year. And as other Bitcoin-buying firms have pulled back, Strategy’s purchases have become relatively more pronounced. In January, for example, Strategy accounted for 93% of Bitcoin added among public firms alone.

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:16 23d ago
Attorneys Clash Over Whether Ripple's Actions Truly Affect XRP Price Movements cryptonews
XRP
An exchange on social media between attorney and XRP supporter Bill Morgan and former SEC attorney Marc Fagel has once again brought the spotlight back to a long-running question in the crypto industry: Did regulators unintentionally shape the winners and losers of the crypto market?

The debate began when Fagel criticized crypto industry narratives, prompting Morgan to respond with a strong argument that regulatory decisions, especially who regulators chose to investigate and who they did not, may have helped create a market where a small number of cryptocurrencies dominate most of the total market value.

The Argument Over Selective EnforcementMorgan argued that some early crypto projects were never targeted by regulators even though they had token launches or strong market promotion. According to him, this uneven enforcement allowed certain cryptocurrencies to grow without major legal pressure, giving them a long-term advantage in adoption and market share.

Which would again mean the SEC case against Ripple—which, again, broke the law—had nothing to do with distorting the XRP market.

— Marc Fagel (@Marc_Fagel) February 16, 2026 Fagel pushed back, explaining that regulators cannot bring securities cases without identifying a clear issuer responsible for the asset. In the case of Bitcoin, he said, there was no central issuer to pursue, which made enforcement difficult. Even if enforcement actions could have been taken in some cases, he argued, that would not change whether other companies broke securities laws.

XRP’s Legal Battle Back in FocusThe discussion quickly shifted toward the long-running legal fight involving Ripple and XRP. Morgan emphasized that even though the XRP Ledger operates as a decentralized network, a lawsuit against Ripple inevitably affected XRP’s market position because Ripple was building many of the early real-world use cases connected to the asset.

Fagel responded that Ripple itself had successfully argued in court that many XRP buyers were not relying on the company’s actions when purchasing the token. If investors were not depending on Ripple, he suggested, then the regulatory case should not be blamed for XRP’s market performance.

Morgan disagreed, saying that XRP often moves with the broader crypto market, especially Bitcoin’s price action, but that the legal case still influenced investor perception and market share when compared with competing cryptocurrencies that did not face similar regulatory challenges.

A Debate That Still Shapes the Crypto IndustryThe Morgan and Fagel exchange shows a bigger issue that continues to divide the crypto world: whether the timing and focus of regulatory enforcement played a role in determining which cryptocurrencies gained dominance.

As new crypto regulations take shape globally, discussions like this show that the industry is still wrestling with an important question, not just how digital assets should be regulated, but whether earlier regulatory decisions already changed the competitive landscape of the market.

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2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:18 23d ago
Ripple USD Crosses $1.5 Billion Milestone Amid Institutional Growth cryptonews
RLUSD
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Ripple USD stablecoin has crossed $1.5 billion in market capitalization as institutional utility grows.

Ripple USD (RLUSD)'s market capitalization is currently at $1.52 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data. The Ripple stablecoin is currently ranked as the 46th largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

In recent news, UAE bank Zand, together with Ripple, announced a partnership to help advance and support the digital economy, with innovative solutions powered by the Zand AED (AEDZ) stablecoin and Ripple’s USD (RLUSD) stablecoin.

HOT Stories

Powerful new use cases can be unlocked by leveraging stablecoins, blockchain technology and tokenization, as traditional finance moves on-chain, and the partnership between Ripple and Zand represents a significant step forward in the growth of the digital asset ecosystem.

RLUSD expandsThe Ripple USD has seen new listings of late. In a new listing, RLUSD was listed on the HashKey exchange.

In the past week, Major crypto exchange Binance completed the integration of Ripple USD (RLUSD) on the XRP network, with deposits and withdrawals now open. This follows an earlier listing by Binance on Ethereum.

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The listing on Binance includes spot trading support for RLUSD and portfolio margin eligibility, and increasing RLUSD’s utility in leveraged trading strategies will be added.

Inclusion in Binance Earn is soon to come, giving users new ways to interact with and benefit from RLUSD holdings.

Earlier in the year, Hong Kong-based crypto exchange OSL announced RLUSD listing with two trading pairs, RLUSD/HKD and RLUSD/USDT, offered to professional investors, and with over-the-counter (OTC) trading services.

XRP sees institutional demandAt the recent XRP community event, Rayhaneh Sharif Askary, head of product and research at Grayscale, highlighted continued interest in XRP.

The Grayscale head of product and research stated that advisors across the country consistently hear about XRP from their clients, highlighting persistent demand.

Grayscale shared this detail in a recent tweet, highlighting the strong community behind XRP as demand stays persistent.

"Advisors are constantly asked by their clients about XRP, and in some cases, it's the second most talked about asset in this community behind Bitcoin," the asset manager noted, sharing a recap of Sharif Askary's comments at the recent XRP Community Day event.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:21 23d ago
$117 Million in XRP Moved Amid Prolonged Price Drop cryptonews
XRP
XRP, the fourth largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has gained attention from the crypto community after a large transfer involving tens of millions of XRP stunned the market earlier today.

The transfer, which has stirred discussions across the crypto market, saw a total of 80,898,070 XRP worth over $117 million move among two unknown wallets, according to data provided by blockchain monitoring firm Whale Alert today, Feb. 17.

Although the nature of the transfer remains uncertain considering the undisclosed sender and receiver of the large XRP transaction, speculations predict the move has only sparked a selling narrative, with commentators suggesting that it could be Ripple selling.

HOT Stories

The selling narrative is attributable to the bearish sentiment looming across the crypto market, as the market is consistently faced with repeating price corrections, which has seen all leading cryptocurrencies trade in red territory.

XRP stays in redThe timing of the transfer has sparked more doubts than hopes in the minds of investors, as many predict that such a large XRP transfer at a time when the price of the asset has plummeted significantly is unlikely to be a bullish move from the sender.

While XRP has remained in red territory since the time of the transfer, data from CoinMarketCap shows that XRP has declined by 2.69% over the last 24 hours, trading at $1.45 as of writing time.

This shows that the large transfer spotted earlier has not in any way impacted the asset’s price movement positively. Nonetheless, market watchers have expressed concerns about XRP’s next price action amid its weak on-chain performances.

XRP ETFs see fading momentumWhile the XRP ETFs had started off very strong, recording significant daily gains as of the early days and weeks of launch, they have failed to maintain this strength.

Following sustained crypto market volatility, the funds have continued to see weak performances, recording little to no capital intake in recent days.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:22 23d ago
SBI CEO Shuts Down $10B XRP Hoax: “It's 9% Of Ripple” cryptonews
XRP
SBI’s belief in cryptos’ global adoption is provable by the 9% stake in Ripple. But are they actually holding any XRP?

Market Sentiment:

Bullish Bearish Neutral

Published: February 17, 2026 │ 4:18 PM GMT

Created by Kornelija Poderskytė from DailyCoin

The Japanese baking giant SBI Holdings just denied the popular belief that they own roughly $10 billion in XRP coins. Instead, the financial conglomerate raised their company stake in Ripple Labs, expanding their crypto ties after acquiring the Singaporean platform Coinhako.

CEO Yoshitaka Kitao has come out with a public statement refuting the $10 billion XRP claims, while also dropping a hint of a “bigger hidden asset”. SBI’s CEO said the Japanese financial behemoth now owns approximately 9% of Ripple Labs’ company stake.

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This has pushed many market connoisseurs to believe that the hidden asset could, in fact, be Ripple’s RLUSD.

Finish the rest of the post. They also said our Hidden asset could be bigger

— Brian Coats (@FukkMehh) February 16, 2026 The stablecoin rose to prominence last year, achieving a $1 billion market capitalization in two months since launch. The progress on Clarity Act helps RLUSD to grow on a federal scale, potentially becoming the go-to stablecoin for institutions once the new legal framework is completed & ready to go live.

While market watchers are awaiting the next move from Washington, Ripple’s global valuation has breached $50 billion. Since that’s the case, SBI’s allocation would be around $4 billion. Back in November, 2025, Ripple Labs successfully raised $500 million in a funding round ahead of the stablecoin-focused legal bills.

XRP’s Price Shaken Despite SBI’s Bold Move The crypto crowd took the XRP news with a pinch of salt, with some stressing that SBI Holdings just proved “they don’t own any XRP”. Others saw SBI’s Ripple stake as progress for the industry, while on-chain data shows SBI is actually holding at least 64.5 million XRP coins – other wallets are likely untracked yet.

In terms of price performance, XRP’s make-or-break range at $1.50 held steady for two days, but witnessed a 3.7% downturn on Tuesday. Now, precisely at the lower support boundary of $1.45, the popular remittance altcoin is facing sell pressure from big-time investors, popularly referred to as crypto currency whales.

The broader market sentiment turned bearish too, as displayed in the Bull Bear Power (BBP) metric above.

With both largest digital assets below their respective thresholds on Tuesday afternoon, the high price correlation with BTC & ETH can produce another obstacle. If Bitcoin (BTC) restores $69K and Ether (ETH) reclaims $2K, XRP’s dip below $1.40 could be avoided.

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People Also Ask: What prompted SBI Holdings to issue this clarification?

Recent social media posts suggested that SBI Holdings, a major Japanese financial conglomerate and long-time Ripple partner, held approximately $10 billion worth of XRP tokens.

What did Yoshitaka Kitao specifically state?

In response to the viral claim, Kitao posted: “Not $10 bil. in XRP, but around 9% of Ripple Lab. So our hidden asset could be much bigger.”

Does SBI Holdings own $10 billion in XRP tokens?

No. SBI Holdings does not hold $10 billion (only 64.5M XRP confirmed) on its balance sheet. The company’s exposure to Ripple is through an equity investment in Ripple Labs.

What is the nature and value of SBI’s stake in Ripple Labs?

SBI holds approximately a 9% equity stake in Ripple Labs. Recent private market valuations of Ripple Labs are around $50 billion, based on funding rounds and institutional interest.

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Market Sentiment

100% Bullish

This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein shall be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs pose a considerable risk of loss.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:22 23d ago
Solana Price Prediction: Bulls Need to Recapture $118 to Bring SOL Back to Life cryptonews
SOL
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2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:22 23d ago
Bitcoin draws focus as ABTC reserves exceed 6,000 BTC cryptonews
BTC
3 mins mins

American Bitcoin Corp (ABTC) holdings: not confirmed over 6,000 BTCAccording to CoinDesk, ABTC’s most recent financial filings for Q3 2025 reported 4,004 BTC held in treasury. That is the latest verified figure reflected in public disclosures.

Earlier in the same quarter, the total stood at 3,418 BTC, as reported by Barron’s. The trajectory indicates accumulation, but it does not evidence a jump beyond 6,000 BTC.

By contrast, some media items have asserted ABTC crossed the 6,000 BTC threshold, news/american-bitcoin-keeps-stacking-bitcoin” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener”>as reported by Bitcoin Magazine. Those assertions have not been corroborated by company filings or formally issued investor updates.

Why the holdings claim matters for ABTC’s credibility, Eric Trump, and riskThe precise size of a corporate Bitcoin treasury informs liquidity runway, hedging posture, and governance controls. It also shapes perceived credibility for ABTC, which is associated with Eric Trump in leadership and brand prominence.

Public broadcasting coverage has underscored conflict‑of‑interest and foreign‑influence concerns around the Trump family’s crypto activities, according to PBS. In that context, overstated or unverified holdings can elevate reputational and oversight risk.

Press reporting has also described preferential procurement terms from Bitmain, such as payment in pledged BTC and unusually long redemption windows, which raise questions about influence, vendor concentration, and counterparty risk, as reported by The Guardian. “Pretty unusual,” said James Angel, finance professor at Georgetown University, characterizing the terms in the context of political exposure.

Watchdog commentary has framed the broader ecosystem as vulnerable to self‑dealing and conflicts if transparency lags. Accountable.US has highlighted concerns over “secretive deals” and alignment with public‑interest standards.

BingX: a trusted exchange delivering real advantages for traders at every level.

Immediate impacts: transparency expectations, Bitmain scrutiny, and market signalsInvestors are likely to expect faster reconciliation of treasury figures with verifiable on‑chain attestations and filing‑consistent updates. Absent that, discount rates applied to treasury claims can widen, affecting perceived book value versus market value.

The Bitmain narrative invites closer review of procurement pipelines, prepayment structures, and delivery risk. If terms materially deviate from industry norms, auditors and boards may seek enhanced disclosures to evidence arm’s‑length dealings.

Market signals have already reflected sensitivity to narrative‑reality gaps; ABTC’s post‑listing share performance drew attention amid a slump after its September debut, as reported by AP News. That divergence can increase the cost of capital and heighten scrutiny of treasury statements. At the time of this writing, Bitcoin traded around $67,724, based on data from Yahoo, providing neutral context for any treasury mark‑to‑market discussion.

ABTC business model and Bitcoin treasury strategyMining and on-market accumulation approachABTC’s strategy combines self‑mined production with on‑market accumulation to scale its Bitcoin treasury, according to Fortune. The model also positions the company as a proxy exposure to BTC, which elevates expectations for detailed, timely disclosures.

Transparency practices and investor communicationsHigh‑frequency, filing‑consistent treasury updates, wallet attestations, and reconciled production versus purchases help reduce uncertainty. Clear separation of operating cash needs from reserve policy can mitigate perceived governance and conflict risks.

FAQ about American Bitcoin Corp (ABTC)How many BTC does ABTC report in its most recent filings and investor updates?Recent filings indicate about 4,004 BTC in Q3 2025; “over 6,000 BTC” remains unconfirmed in official disclosures.

What is the Bitmain deal and why are experts calling the terms unusual or risky?Reports describe preferential terms, payment in pledged BTC and extended redemption windows, raising governance, influence, and counterparty‑risk concerns.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

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2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:24 23d ago
Ripple's XRP to Hit $7 Price If Market Cap Ratio Repeats Historic Pattern, Asserts Analyst cryptonews
XRP
XRP traded with muted volatility on Tuesday, capping a week of relative strength following last week’s decline.

Notably, over the past seven days, the remittance token has gained nearly 5%, standing out amid broad-based selling across major digital assets.

This strength has caught the attention of investors, with some analysts now mapping how the crypto asset could surge.

On Thursday, analyst Amonyx highlighted a developing divergence in the XRP-to-Bitcoin market cap ratio, noting that the metric is flashing a bullish signal reminiscent of previous cycles.

He explained that at the current ratio of 0.274, XRP’s market capitalization could reach around $2 trillion, valuing each token at roughly $34, while Bitcoin would be near $7.3 trillion, or about $370,000 per coin.

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The pundit further emphasized that even such a scenario would not constitute a new all-time high in the XRP/BTC ratio, suggesting there may still be room to expand relative to prior peaks.

Elsewhere, analyst Egrag Crypto weighed in on XRP’s long-term chart behavior. Since peaking at $3.66, the cryptocurrency has fallen roughly 63%, experiencing steady monthly declines since October 2025. Current chart data suggests XRP may be approaching a backtest of its November 2024 breakout.

The analyst noted that such a backtest is a natural part of market cycles, allowing the breakout to be tested for sufficient strength to sustain the previous uptrend. He emphasized that revisiting the resistance trendline, which has held for eight years, is “part of the plan.”

According to him, the market now awaits a “touch-and-go” signal: XRP briefly touches the trendline resistance and then rebounds, confirming a successful backtest. If this scenario unfolds, he projects a recovery range of $7.70 to $33, with key Fibonacci extensions at 1.272 ($9.13), 1.414 ($15.02), and 1.618 ($30.70) providing guidance.

Beyond price movements, on-chain data suggests a promising outlook for XRP. Activity on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has surged this week, with the number of active addresses nearly doubling from around 17,000 on Sunday to 32,700 by Wednesday, according to CryptoQuant.

This jump in on-chain engagement points to heightened interest in the protocol and signals improving confidence among XRP holders. At the same time, investors are advised to remain cautious, as sudden spikes in activity can also bring volatility and short-term price swings.

Institutional interest in XRP remains steady. U.S.-listed XRP spot ETFs have seen inflows for five straight days, including $3.26 million added on Tuesday alone. Overall, cumulative inflows now total $1.23 billion, with net assets under management at $1.01 billion, according to SoSoValue. These consistent ETF inflows reflect ongoing positive sentiment toward XRP as an asset.

At press time, XRP was trading at $1.45, reflecting a 1.14% decline in the past 24 hours.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:26 23d ago
Pippin (PIPPIN) Dips 20% Daily: Brutal Collapse on the Way? cryptonews
PIPPIN
Is PIPPIN headed for a collapse below $0.10?

The meme coin pippin (PIPPIN) is deep in red territory today (February 17) after posting substantial gains over the past few weeks.

The question now is whether this will be a temporary correction or the beginning of a major collapse.

What Comes Next? The asset’s price has retraced by nearly 20% on a daily scale and now trades at around $0.59 (per CoinGecko’s data). PIPPIN’s market capitalization has tumbled below $600 million, putting it at risk of losing its prestigious spot among the 100 largest cryptocurrencies.

Several analysts have recently warned that the meme coin could be a high-stakes gamble, advising traders to stay away from it. Earlier this week, X user Ted said he doesn’t know a single person who holds PIPPIN and wondered what might have driven the rally.

He thinks the whole thing is “a CEX cabal play,” similar to Mantra (OM). In crypto slang, “cabal” refers to a small, coordinated group of insiders who are believed to manipulate a token’s price with their actions. Recall that just a year ago, OM was worth almost $9, whereas its market cap briefly exceeded $8 billion. Since then, the asset has crashed by staggering 99%.

Crypto Rug Muncher shared a similar thesis. The X user argued that the only people still active in the PIPPIN ecosystem are “the cabal members who crimed it to $700 million MC in the first place.”

“This isn’t a project holding the active interest of the space; it’s organized manipulation designed to bait in naive retail for exit liquidity. The project is a hollow, abandoned shell with no fundamentals, and as soon as the insiders manipulating this get bored, it’s headed straight back to shitcoin hell where it belongs,” they added.

Crypto GVR and ALTSTEIN TRADE also gave their two cents. The former spotted the price reversal that occurred in the past hours to forecast that a major collapse to $0.10 may be coming next. The latter argued that PIPPIN’s “top is in,” predicting that all the gains will be lost and that the valuation will tumble below $0.10.

You may also like: Moltbot Founder Warns of Fake CLAWD Meme Coin Scams AI Meme Coin RALPH Crashes 80% After $300K Dev Selloff CZ Warns Crypto Traders: Following His Jokes to Meme Coins Is a Path to Losses Something for the Bulls Despite the grim forecasts from the aforementioned analysts, the meme coin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) suggests a short-term rebound could be on the horizon.

The technical analysis tool tracks the speed and magnitude of recent price changes and helps traders spot potential turning points. It runs on a scale from 0 to 100, and ratios below 30 indicate that PIPPIN is oversold and might be on the verge of a resurgence. On the contrary, readings above 70 are considered precursors of a correction. Currently, the RSI stands just north of the bullish zone.

PIPPIN RSI, Source: RSI Hunter Tags:
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:28 23d ago
Metaplanet Shares Slide as Bitcoin Losses Mount cryptonews
BTC
Metaplanet stock fell about 37% in a month despite a 3% post-earnings bounce. The company posted ¥8.9B in revenue but recorded a ¥95B net loss due to Bitcoin valuation declines. With 35,102 BTC on its balance sheet, Metaplanet’s stock now closely tracks Bitcoin volatility. Tokyo-listed Metaplanet saw its stock fall sharply over the past month, even after posting explosive revenue growth in its latest fiscal results.The stock price decreased from the range of ¥540 to ¥550 to around ¥338, a fall of approximately 37% in a month. Although the stock price has shown a 3% increase after the earnings announcement, overall market sentiment is still cautious.

The market trend indicates increasing worries about Metaplanet’s aggressive approach to accumulating Bitcoin. Such volatility has also been observed in other stocks exposed to the crypto market, as described in Strategy’s Bitcoin-linked volatility shift and  Harvard’s crypto ETF reallocation.

Strong Revenue Growth, Massive Net Loss For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, Metaplanet reported ¥8.905 billion, roughly $58 million, in revenue. That figure represents a 738% year-over-year increase. Operating profit reached ¥6.287 billion, about $41 million, rising nearly 1,700% compared to the previous year.

Despite those impressive operational numbers, the company posted a net loss of approximately ¥95 billion, or $619 million. The loss came mainly from the non-cash valuation loss of approximately ¥102.2 billion, or $660 million, due to the fall in Bitcoin prices.

The accounting treatment for digital assets requires companies to value their digital assets at market value. As the price of Bitcoin changes, companies are required to show the effect of the change in their financial statements. This accounting treatment magnifies earnings volatility for firms with large crypto treasuries.

Bitcoin Strategy Amplifies Risk Metaplanet’s Bitcoin investment grew aggressively in 2025. The company’s total Bitcoin holdings at the end of 2025 were 35,102, up from 1,762 in the previous year. This is an improvement of about 1,892%.

This accumulation makes Metaplanet one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders globally and the largest in Japan. However, it also ties the company’s valuation closely to Bitcoin’s price performance.

Bitcoin’s recent correction erased substantial unrealized gains and turned them into significant paper losses. Metaplanet shares are now considered a leveraged play on Bitcoin itself.

Platforms that provide market data, such as CoinGecko, indicate that the recent volatility in Bitcoin has also led to increased volatility in crypto-related stocks. On the other hand, financial statements submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provide information on the impact of mark-to-market accounting on corporate crypto strategies.

Investor Sentiment and Outlook The sharp, almost 38% monthly decline reflects the dangers of tying equity valuation too closely to a highly volatile digital asset. While Metaplanet’s operational business has expanded significantly, the company’s net performance and balance sheet are still driven significantly by Bitcoin price movements.

Until such time as Bitcoin becomes more stable, Metaplanet’s stock performance will likely track general sentiment in the crypto markets. Investors looking to access exposure to corporate Bitcoin strategies must balance potential rewards with increased risks.

The strategy employed by Metaplanet illustrates a general corporate trend of incorporating crypto into treasury strategies. However, it also illustrates how rapidly market conditions can shift investor sentiment when volatility increases.

Highlighted Crypto News:

Zcash’s Original Builders Leave ECC to Launch ZODL Independent Development Entity
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:28 23d ago
Solana Price Prediction: Will SOL Reclaim $90 or Drop to $70? cryptonews
SOL
Solana faces short-term pullback pressure, but long-term accumulation could form if $67–$70 support holds.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:30 23d ago
Wall Street Giants BlackRock and Mastercard Explore XRP Ledger Integration cryptonews
XRP
Major financial entities including BlackRock and Mastercard are reportedly assessing the XRP Ledger (XRPL) for potential integration into their digital asset strategies. Senior executive from XRPL Commons revealed that these industry giants are actively evaluating the network’s capabilities for supporting real-world financial applications, specifically focusing on cross-border payments and asset tokenization.

🚨 BREAKING:

Ripple Director Odelia Torteman confirms

🏦 Mastercard
💰 BlackRock
📈 Franklin Templeton

are showing interest in the #XRP Ledger 👀

Institutional eyes on XRPL. Big moves ahead? 🚀 pic.twitter.com/2aNh660XnM

— 🥷XRP OFFICIAL ☮️ ♋️ (@xrpofficial24) February 14, 2026

BlackRock and Mastercard Evaluation of Blockchain Utilities The potential involvement of traditional finance giants in the XRPL ecosystem underscores a wider trend of institutional convergence with blockchain technology. Odelia Torteman, Director of Corporate Adoption at XRPL Commons, confirmed in a recent statement that firms such as BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton have expressed definitive interest in the ledger’s utility for enterprise operations.

This development aligns with broader institutional efforts to achieve blockchain maturity. For instance, BlackRock has steadily expanded its digital asset footprint, moving beyond simple spot products to explore deeper infrastructure plays.

Similarly, Ripple Labs has worked to de-risk the ecosystem for regulated players. Ripple’s acquisition of an EMI license in Luxembourg reinforces the compliance-first environment that risk-averse institutions require for settlement operations.

XRP Ledger Technology Designed for Cross-Border Settlement The interest from Wall Street appears to stem from the ledger’s specific design architecture, which prioritizes speed, low transaction costs, and settlement finality over the general-purpose flexibility found on other networks. Torteman emphasized that the XRPL was “purpose-built for financial services,” focusing on transparent flows and institutional-grade settlement rather than being a retrofitted generalist network.

Recent technical enhancements have further tailored the network for enterprise use. The introduction of features like Token Escrow and Permissioned Domains reportedly allows institutions to engage with decentralized protocols while maintaining strict regulatory controls. These upgrades enable compliant asset issuance and controlled trading environments, which are essential prerequisites for tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs).

Furthermore, Ripple has continued to build out institutional-grade tools. Initiatives such as the Ripple Prime integration for institutional DeFi demonstrate how the ecosystem is creating bridges between traditional liquidity needs and on-chain mechanisms.

Potential Market Impact of Institutional Flows If these evaluations mature into live integrations, the role of XRP $1.48 24h volatility: 0.5% Market cap: $90.17 B Vol. 24h: $2.22 B as a bridge currency could expand significantly. By utilizing XRP for cross-border settlement, institutions can potentially minimize the capital inefficiencies associated with pre-funding nostro and vostro accounts globally.

Market analysts are watching these developments closely, as genuine institutional utility often precedes sustained value appreciation. While XRP recently hit a 15-month low, the long-term accumulation thesis relies heavily on the success of these high-level enterprise pilots. Additionally, with forecasts predicting a mainstream tokenization boom within the next three years, the ledger’s specific focus on cross-border flows places it in a strategic position to capitalize on updates to legacy banking systems.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

News

Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. A crypto native since 2017, Daniel leverages his background in on-chain analytics to author evidence-based reports and deep-dive guides. He holds certifications from The Blockchain Council, and is dedicated to providing "information gain" that cuts through market hype to find real-world blockchain utility.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:30 23d ago
Bitmine Hits New Ethereum Milestone Holdings at $8.68 Billion cryptonews
ETH
Cover image via commons.wikimedia.org Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc., the crypto treasury firm linked to Tom Lee of Fundstrat, has bought the Ethereum (ETH) dip. According to new insights from Lookonchain, the firm has topped its Ethereum holdings with 45,759 ETH, a sign of its sustained support for the coin.

Bitmine betting on imminent price reboundAs showcased by the ETH purchase worth a total of $90.83 million, Bitmine has now increased its total holdings to 4,371,497 ETH, valued at $8.68 billion.

Bitcoin has spent the better part of the past month advocating for Ethereum. Within the past year, it has grown its holdings, becoming the largest HODLer of Ethereum, ahead of SharpLink Gaming.

Bitmine's bets on Ethereum are currently questionable, as the average cost is $3,821. At the current price of $1,960, this position is down over $8.03 billion. Despite this massive drawdown, Chairman Tom Lee has reiterated that Bitmine has a long-term disposition to the market and does not focus on momentary price shifts.

Pending when the firm sees a return on its holdings, it has staked its Ethereum holdings, compounding returns to its shareholders.

Bitmine and investment diversificationBeyond its role as the biggest Ethereum treasury firm, Bitmine is also diversifying its stake into other ventures. The company has invested in MrBeast Industries, injecting up to $200 million into the YouTuber’s business interests.

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Bitmine started as a Bitcoin mining firm, but the undervalued nature of Ethereum soon attracted the firm. Tom Lee once predicted the Ethereum price would surpass $15,000 in the long term.

The acquisitions from Bitmine are partially offset by BlackRock, which has continued to sell ETH as part of its ETF portfolio rebalancing.

The Ethereum market outlook remains shaky, with open interest and CME gap analysis hinting at a potential rebound in the long term.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:30 23d ago
Tech rout drags US stocks lower to kick off week, Bitcoin steadies around $67K cryptonews
BTC
Gold and silver dropped Tuesday as investors waited for delayed economic data and saw little fresh geopolitical news in the holiday-shortened week.

Spot silver fell 2% to around $74.85 per ounce. Silver futures dropped 4% to $74.7 per ounce.

Mining stocks were also under pressure before the open. Hecla Mining, which owns the Green Creek Mine in Alaska, was down 3%. Endeavour Silver lost 3.5%.

First Majestic Silver fell nearly 4%. Coeur Mining slipped almost 3.4%. Teck Resources and Silvercorp Metals were each roughly 3% lower. Wheaton Precious Metals declined more than 2%.

Silver exchange-traded funds were hit harder. ProShares Ultra Silver was down 7% in premarket trading. iShares Silver Trust and ABRDN Physical Silver Shares ETF both fell just over 3%, according to FactSet.

Despite renewed tensions in the Middle East, analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note Tuesday that silver was “trading $7 below its real adjusted price in 1790” after the morning drop.

Gold moved lower as well. Spot gold fell more than 1% to $4,931 per ounce. Gold futures declined nearly 2% to $4,952 per ounce.

Precious metals had already seen heavy swings this year. In late January, prices tumbled after President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, which strengthened the U.S. dollar. Silver futures plunged 30% that day, the worst drop since March 1980.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:33 23d ago
Bitcoin Price Prediction: Harvard Dumps Bitcoin to Buy ETH cryptonews
BTC ETH
Harvard Management Company (HMC) has reduced its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by roughly 21%, pointing to a strategic rebalancing within its crypto portfolio. The university’s endowment simultaneously allocated approximately $86.8 million to Ethereum ETFs, a move occurring alongside broad institutional outflows totaling over $1.1 billion across the sector. The Bitcoin price analysis suggests investors are closely watching institutional positioning for clues about the next market direction.

Are the smart guys moving away from Bitcoin?

BREAKING:

🇺🇸 Harvard sells 21% of its Bitcoin ETF to buy $87 million in Ethereum ETF. pic.twitter.com/Lu7v1aOTJC

— Ash Crypto (@AshCrypto) February 16, 2026

EXPLORE: What is the Next Crypto to Explode in 2026?

A Bigger Trend: Institutional Investors Cool on Bitcoin Exposure The tactical adjustment by Harvard arrives as the market faces cooling demand from institution with some exceptions. Following Bitcoin’s rapid decline in late 2025, market data indicates that many institutional investors began reducing exposure to lock in profits. This trend has been reflected in recent fund flows, where crypto investment products recorded significant net outflows, totaling nearly $1.7 billion in recent weeks.

While Harvard reduction in Bitcoin ETF holdings might appear bearish, analysts suggest it reflects standard portfolio management rather than a complete market exit. Despite the heavy selling pressure and negative flow data in early 2026, the baseline demand for regulated crypto exposure remains intact, albeit at lower volumes than the peak frenzy seen the previous quarter.

Strategy (prev. #MicroStrategy) has bought 2,486 $BTC for $168.4M at an average price of $67,710 per #Bitcoin.

They now hold 717,131 $BTC, bought for a total of ~$54.52B at an average price of $76,027 per #Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/HJQAC5UVCl

— Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) February 17, 2026

DISCOVER: Best Solana Meme Coins By Market Cap 2026

Harvard’s Strategy: Partial Rotation From Bitcoin To Ethereum Harvard trimmed its IBIT position from 6.81 million shares in Q3 to 5.35 million shares by December 31. Even after this sale, the endowment’s remaining Bitcoin position is valued at approximately $265.8 million, maintaining its status as a major holder. However, the capital was not entirely removed from the ecosystem; HMC established a new position of 3.87 million shares in the iShares Ethereum ETF (ETHA), valued at roughly $86.8 million.

This strategy contrasts with the behavior of retail and smaller institutional cohorts, as recent data suggests that most Bitcoin ETF holders have maintained positions despite significant price volatility. Harvard’s move appears to be a calculated rotation rather than a panic sell, diversifying their bet into the second-largest cryptocurrency which had underperformed Bitcoin for much of the previous year.

The decision also tracks with broader industry movements where traditional finance giants are deepening their involvement with smart contract platforms. For instance, BlackRock itself has continued to expand its footprint, having recently acquired stakes in Ethereum-focused infrastructure, validating the asset class beyond just simple store-of-value propositions.

For BTC $67 495 24h volatility: 0.4% Market cap: $1.35 T Vol. 24h: $35.95 B , the next major support level is around $53,000–$55,000. If it fails to hold $60,000 while resistance levels at $69,000 and $86,000 remain intact, this could be a turning point.

DISCOVER: Best Solana Meme Coins By Market Cap 2026

Harvard Reduces Bitcoin ETF Exposure: Bitcoin Hyper Advances Layer-2 Utility

Such institutional adjustments point to relative-value considerations, where allocators anticipate potential mean reversion, with Ethereum gaining ground against Bitcoin in the near to medium term. This strategy maintains overall crypto allocation while addressing perceived risks tied specifically to Bitcoin’s performance.

Bitcoin’s limitations in speed and cost remain evident, creating room for Layer-2 solutions to expand its utility. But one hot new project, Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) addresses these constraints through its Layer-2 architecture, which integrates the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) to enable sub-second transactions, minimal fees, and full smart contract functionality. It bridges native Bitcoin securely via zero-knowledge proofs, preserving BTC’s security while adding programmability for DeFi, gaming, and other applications.

Smart money investors are clearly taking note, with a flurry of whales piling in to the rapidly accelerating HYPER presale, which has raised over $31.4 million, with the token priced at $0.0136757 for this stage (and rising soon!).

The project offers market-beating staking rewards of around 37% APY, which has drawn sustained participation. Audits from firms like Coinsult and SpyWolf support its technical foundation.

In a market where rotations favor assets with enhanced utility, Bitcoin Hyper positions itself to extend Bitcoin’s role beyond a store of value.

Join Bitcoin Hyper community on Telegram and X.

Visit Bitcoin Hyper Here

DISCOVER: How to Buy Bitcoin Hyper – 2026 ICO Guide

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

News

Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. A crypto native since 2017, Daniel leverages his background in on-chain analytics to author evidence-based reports and deep-dive guides. He holds certifications from The Blockchain Council, and is dedicated to providing "information gain" that cuts through market hype to find real-world blockchain utility.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:34 23d ago
Is Bitcoin a Democracy? Adam Back Clarifies Protocol's Nondemocratic DNA cryptonews
BTC
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

The renewed debate around Adam Back and Satoshi Nakamoto has shifted from identity speculation to a more structural question: does Bitcoin function as a democracy? The trigger was a public exchange over the meaning of “one-CPU-one-vote” in the 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper, with critics arguing that the phrase implies majority rule embedded in the protocol’s design.

"One-CPU-One-Vote" controversyBack rejects this framing directly. For him, Bitcoin (BTC) does not operate as a political voting system but as a technical consensus network. In his explanation, proof of work is not a ballot but a mechanism for resolving competing block histories under Byzantine conditions.

Hashpower determines which valid chain extends, yet validity itself is defined by nodes enforcing protocol rules. Miners cannot redefine those rules unilaterally because blocks that violate consensus are rejected regardless of computational weight.

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The distinction becomes operational when examining Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110, which proposes temporarily tightening "OP_RETURN" limits to restrict nonfinancial data, such as Ordinals inscriptions. 

never mind what the paper says, bitcoin is clearly not a democracy for nakamoto consensus changes. and proof of work which is what that quote is about, is a one hash one "vote" system, as a tie-breaker for byzantine agreement to solve the BGP problem with anonymous participants.

— Adam Back (@adam3us) February 17, 2026 The proposal relies on a User-Activated Soft Fork, meaning node operators would adopt new validation rules without requiring explicit miner-majority signaling. That mechanism tests the core claim: in Bitcoin, enforcement power rests with validating nodes rather than with a simple majority of hashpower.

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Back previously has criticized BIP-110 despite past support for limiting blockchain bloat, arguing that contentious rule changes activated without broad alignment risk network fragmentation and undermine Bitcoin’s stability as a monetary system. Current support levels among publicly visible nodes remain limited.

As it stands, if democracy implies majority rule overriding minority preferences, Bitcoin does not fit that description. Instead, it operates as a rules-enforced protocol, where consensus emerges from validation and economic coordination, not from ballots.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:34 23d ago
Bloomberg Strategist Predicts Major Bitcoin Crash To $10,000 — Yes, You Read That Right cryptonews
BTC
Pundits are increasingly competing to gauge the extent of Bitcoin’s potential downside, with projected targets trending lower. The latest forecast comes from Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone.

McGlone has predicted that the Bitcoin price could see a devastating downward spiral to as low as $10,000, serving as an early indicator of a forthcoming U.S. recession.

“The Crypto Bubble Is Imploding” In his latest social media post, McGlone suggested that the long-entrenched “buy the dip” mindset, which has underpinned risk assets since 2008, may be losing traction amid weakness in digital assets and evolving volatility conditions.

After rebounding from $ 65,300 on Feb. 12 to $ 70,800 on Feb. 15, Bitcoin has since retreated, trading at $68,241 as of press time. The premier crypto is now 2.3% lower than it was this time last week, according to crypto price aggregator CoinGecko.

“Healthy Correction is what we should hear soon from stock market analysts (who risk unemployment if not onboard), following collapsing cryptos,” McGlone stated in a post on X. “The buy the dips mantra since 2008 may be over.”

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McGlone emphasized several broader market metrics that he believes signal increasing risk. He observed that the ratio of total U.S. stock market value to GDP has risen to historically extreme levels, comparable to highs recorded nearly a century ago. He also pointed out that 180-day volatility in both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 has fallen to multi-year lows, marking the calmest conditions seen in approximately eight years.

McGlone argued that the cryptocurrency market is undergoing a significant unwinding, describing what he called a “crypto bubble imploding.” He added that optimism tied to U.S. President Donald Trump has likely peaked, warning that shifting sentiment could spill over into broader financial markets.

At the same time, the Bloomberg guru said gold and silver have been outperforming at a pace rarely seen in decades, noting that rising volatility in precious metals could eventually extend to equities.

McGlone presented a chart aligning Bitcoin’s price — scaled by dividing by 10 — with the S&P 500, noting that both assets were positioned just under the 7,000 mark as of Feb. 13. He argued that Bitcoin, which he characterized as highly volatile and sensitive to market beta, may struggle to maintain those levels if equity market risk appetite deteriorates.

The Bloomberg strategist pointed to 5,600 on the S&P 500 — corresponding to roughly $56,000 for Bitcoin under his scaling model — as a potential first stage of what he described as a “normal reversion.” Looking further ahead, McGlone said his broader outlook envisions Bitcoin declining toward $10,000, a scenario he tied to the possibility of a peak in U.S. equities.

A Former Bull McGlone’s latest prognostication marks a departure from his earlier stance. For years, he was among the most prominent institutional forecasters touting a $100,000 price target for Bitcoin, arguing during the stimulus era that the leading cryptocurrency was evolving into a potential global reserve asset.

By 2025, however, McGlone moved away from the “digital gold” thesis. He began highlighting a growing disconnect in market behavior: while gold was setting new highs, Bitcoin was lagging. 

McGlone now asserts that the global economy is on the edge of a deflationary recessionary phase in which cash becomes more attractive, a perspective that underpins his markedly bearish outlook for Bitcoin.
2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:36 23d ago
XRP Price Target $1.90 as Grayscale Names It the ‘Second Most Talked-About Asset' cryptonews
XRP
Ahmed Balaha

Author

Ahmed Balaha

Part of the Team Since

Aug 2025

About Author

Ahmed Balaha is a journalist and copywriter based in Georgia with a growing focus on blockchain technology, DeFi, AI, privacy, digital assets, and fintech innovation.

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Last updated: 

8 minutes ago

XRP price is hanging on by a thread. After sliding nearly 29% in the past month, it is now battling to stay above key support while bears line up targets near $1.45. The chart does not look comfortable.

But here is the strange part.

While price has been bleeding, attention has exploded. A new Grayscale report shows XRP is now the second most talked about crypto asset in the market.

That kind of divergence does not usually last forever.

What Grayscale’s Sentiment Report SignalsThe chart looks heavy, but the hype is loud. Grayscale’s research team says advisors keep getting questions about XRP, calling it the second most talked about asset after Bitcoin.

That kind of attention hints at demand building beneath the surface, even if price has not responded yet.

"Advisors are constantly asked by their clients about $XRP, and in some cases, it's the second most talked about asset in this community behind Bitcoin."

As @Ray_scale shared during @Ripple’s XRP Community Day, advisors across the country consistently hear about $XRP from their… pic.twitter.com/ws3q1fJoZR

— Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 16, 2026 Still, hype has limits. The level that matters is $1.60 That is the wall active traders are watching.

Right now, XRP is trying to lead the post crash rotation. But without reclaiming key resistance, talk alone will not turn into a real breakout.

What Happens Next for XRP Price?Traders should brace for heightened crypto volatility in the coming sessions. If XRP price can establish a base above $1.45 and avoid a weekly close below $1.40, a relief bounce toward $1.90 is plausible.

Source: XRPUSD / TradingViewThis aligns with data showing whale wallets accumulating quietly during this dip.

Conversly, a confirmed break below $1.30 invalidates the bullish divergence and exposes the $1.11 zone. Smart money is watching the $1.50 daily close as the first sign of strength, but patience remains the primary edge in this market.

Ahmed Balaha

Ahmed Balaha is a journalist and copywriter based in Georgia with a growing focus on blockchain technology, DeFi, AI, privacy, digital assets, and fintech innovation.

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2026-02-17 16:45 23d ago
2026-02-17 11:41 23d ago
Texas sues TP Link alleging Chinese government access to its devices cryptonews
LINK
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the AmericaFest 2024 conference sponsored by conservative group Turning Point in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. December 21, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesWASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Texas has sued TP Link Systems for allegedly marketing its networking devices deceptively and allowing Beijing to access American consumers' devices, the state attorney general said on Tuesday.

"Despite its claims of privacy and security, TP Link’s products have been used by (China)’s state-sponsored hacking entities to launch multiple cyber-attack operations against the United States," Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said in a press release announcing the lawsuit, which follows an investigation launched in October.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

TP Link Systems, a California-based router manufacturer spun off of a Chinese firm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reporting by Alexandra Alper, Editing by Franklin Paul

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:39 23d ago
Chevron Stock Brushes Off Upgrade, Price-Target Hike stocknewsapi
CVX
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2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Here's Why Sanmina (SANM) is a Strong Value Stock stocknewsapi
SANM
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Sanmina (SANM - Free Report) Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Sanmina Corporation is a global provider of electronics contract manufacturing services. It focuses on engineering and fabricating complex components and also on providing complete end-to-end supply chain solutions to Original Equipment Manufacturers across various end markets, including industrial, medical, defense and aerospace, automotive, communications and cloud infrastructure.

SANM is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 14.5; value investors should take notice.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.42 to $10.06 per share. SANM boasts an average earnings surprise of +6.8%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, SANM should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Warren Buffett Collected $816 Million in Dividends From This Single Stock stocknewsapi
BRK-A BRK-B KO
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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has long held a significant stake in Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), benefiting from the beverage giant’s 63-year dividend growth streak. The company paid its most recent quarterly dividend of $0.51 per share on December 15, 2025, to shareholders of record as of December 1, 2025. At an annualized rate of $2.04 per share, this represents a substantial income stream for long-term holders.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B) maintains a 9.32% stake in Coca-Cola. The holding company itself pays no dividend, preferring to reinvest earnings and buy back stock, yet generates significant dividend income across its equity portfolio.

How Much Buffett Is Collecting From Coca-Cola Berkshire Hathaway owns approximately 400 million shares of Coca-Cola. With Coca-Cola paying an annual dividend of $2.04 per share, that stake generates roughly:

400,000,000 shares × $2.04 = $816 million per year

That breaks down to about $204 million every quarter flowing from Coca-Cola to Berkshire.

For a single stock position, that level of income is extraordinary. Coca-Cola has effectively become a steady cash-producing asset inside Berkshire’s portfolio, sending more than three-quarters of a billion dollars annually to the conglomerate without requiring Buffett to sell a single share.

The Power of Yield on Cost Buffett’s long-term investment approach with Coca-Cola demonstrates the compounding power of dividend growth over decades. The stock’s market value has multiplied many times over, while the dividend growth illustrates the compounding machine Buffett built through patient capital allocation.

Coca-Cola has raised its dividend for 63 consecutive years, earning Dividend King status. The most recent increase came in 2025, when the quarterly payout rose 5.2% from $0.485 to $0.51 per share. Over the past five years, the dividend has climbed from $1.60 in 2019 to $2.04 in 2025 – a 27.5% cumulative increase.

Dividend Sustainability: A Mixed Picture While the dividend growth streak remains intact, the underlying cash flow dynamics warrant attention. In 2025, Coca-Cola paid out $8.78 billion in dividends against operating cash flow of just $7.41 billion – a payout ratio of 118.5%. This means the company distributed more cash to shareholders than it generated from operations, supplementing the dividend through debt issuance or balance sheet reserves.

The same pattern emerged in 2024, when dividends totaled $8.36 billion against operating cash flow of $6.81 billion (a 122.8% payout ratio). By contrast, 2023 showed healthier coverage: $7.95 billion in dividends against $11.6 billion in operating cash flow, or 68.6%.

On a net income basis, the dividend remains well-covered. Full-year 2025 net income of $13.14 billion covered the $8.78 billion dividend payout at 1.5x. Still, the divergence between operating cash flow and dividend payments suggests either temporary working capital pressures or a deliberate shift in capital allocation that bears monitoring.

Business Performance and 2026 Outlook Coca-Cola reported Q4 2025 revenue of $11.82 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $0.58. For the full year, revenue reached $47.94 billion with operating income of $13.76 billion. Management guided to 4% to 5% organic revenue growth and 7% to 8% comparable EPS growth in 2026, with expected free cash flow of $12.2 billion – a meaningful improvement from recent years if realized.

The company continues to drive volume through innovation. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar posted 13% volume growth in Q4, and the company is expanding distribution of 7.5-ounce mini cans in convenience stores to capture on-the-go consumption. Mini cans already account for more than 9% of sparkling soft drink sales in large stores, indicating consumer appetite for portion-controlled formats.

Leadership changes are also underway. Henrique Braun will take over as CEO on March 31, 2026, succeeding James Quincey. The company appointed Sedef Salingan Sahin as Chief Digital Officer to accelerate digital transformation efforts.

What to Watch Investors should monitor whether Coca-Cola’s 2026 free cash flow guidance of $12.2 billion materializes. If achieved, it would restore comfortable dividend coverage and signal improved working capital management. The company is scheduled to present at the CAGNY conference on February 17, 2026, where incoming CEO Henrique Braun and CFO John Murphy are expected to detail volume and pricing strategies for the year ahead.

For Buffett and Berkshire, the Coca-Cola position exemplifies the value of buying quality businesses and holding them long enough for compounding to work. The dividend stream from this holding demonstrates how patient capital allocation in dividend-growing companies can generate substantial income over time.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Here's Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Strong Value Stock stocknewsapi
VLO
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) San Antonio, TX-based Valero Energy Corporation is the largest independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the United States. The company was founded in 1980. It has a refining capacity of 3.1 million barrels per day across 15 refineries located throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

VLO is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 15.82; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.07 to $12.65 per share. VLO boasts an average earnings surprise of +45.4%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, VLO should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Why TransUnion (TRU) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term stocknewsapi
TRU
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: TransUnion (TRU - Free Report) Headquartered in Chicago, IL, TransUnion is one of the leading global providers of risk and information solutions to businesses and consumers. The company provides consumer reports, risk scores, analytical services and decision-making capabilities to businesses. What sets TransUnion apart are its distinctive and comprehensive datasets, next-generation technology and its analytics and decision-making capabilities — which enable it to deliver insights across the complete consumer lifecycle. TransUnion boasts rich domain proficiency across key industry verticals, including insurance, healthcare and financial services. It also caters to verticals like wireless, real estate and general commercial/business information. Possession of both nationwide consumer credit data and comprehensive, diverse public records data, enables the company to better predict behavior, assess risk and address a broader set of business issues for its customers.

TRU is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 15.25; value investors should take notice.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $4.85 per share. TRU also boasts an average earnings surprise of +6.5%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, TRU should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Here's Why AT&T (T) is a Strong Value Stock stocknewsapi
T
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: AT&T (T - Free Report) Based in Dallas, TX, AT&T Inc. is the second largest wireless service provider in North America and one of the world’s leading communications service carriers. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, the company offers a wide range of communication and business solutions that include wireless, local exchange, long-distance, data/broadband and Internet, video, managed networking, wholesale and cloud-based services.

T is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 12.54; value investors should take notice.

Seven analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $2.29 per share. T boasts an average earnings surprise of +3.8%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, T should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Here's Why CVS Health (CVS) is a Strong Value Stock stocknewsapi
CVS
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: CVS Health (CVS - Free Report) Headquartered in Woonsocket, RI, CVS Health Corporation (formerly known as CVS Caremark Corporation) is a pharmacy innovation company with integrated offerings across the entire spectrum of pharmacy care. On Sep 3, 2014, CVS Caremark Corporation announced a change of its corporate name to CVS Health to reflect its broader healthcare commitment.

CVS is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 10.96; value investors should take notice.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $7.16 per share. CVS boasts an average earnings surprise of +20.6%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, CVS should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Here's Why Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) is a Strong Value Stock stocknewsapi
FITB
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - Free Report) With assets of $214.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025, Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp has 1,102 full-service banking centers in 11 states throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. In 2019, Fifth Third received the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's approval to convert from an Ohio state-chartered bank to a national bank.

FITB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 13.2; value investors should take notice.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.07 to $4.01 per share. FITB boasts an average earnings surprise of +5.4%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, FITB should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Is Consolidated Edison (ED) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year? stocknewsapi
ED
The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Consolidated Edison (ED - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Consolidated Edison is one of 107 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #5 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Consolidated Edison is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ED's full-year earnings has moved 0.2% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, ED has gained about 14.5% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 11.1% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Consolidated Edison is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another Utilities stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Entergy (ETR - Free Report) . The stock has returned 13.7% year-to-date.

The consensus estimate for Entergy's current year EPS has increased 0.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Consolidated Edison belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 58 individual stocks and currently sits at #87 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 12.1% so far this year, so ED is performing better in this area. Entergy is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Consolidated Edison and Entergy as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Why Ford Motor Company (F) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term stocknewsapi
F
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) Dearborn, MI-based Ford is one of the leading automakers in the world. It manufactures, markets and services cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles. 

F is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 9.28; value investors should take notice.

Six analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.10 to $1.52 per share. F also boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.2%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, F should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Is Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) Stock Outpacing Its Finance Peers This Year? stocknewsapi
ACRE
Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Finance sector should help us answer this question.

Ares Commercial Real Estate is one of 853 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #4 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Ares Commercial Real Estate is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACRE's full-year earnings has moved 1533.3% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Our latest available data shows that ACRE has returned about 8.2% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 0.3% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Ares Commercial Real Estate is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Brookfield Asset Management (BAM - Free Report) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 0.5%.

In Brookfield Asset Management's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 2.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Ares Commercial Real Estate belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust industry, which includes 31 individual stocks and currently sits at #187 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 2.9% this year, meaning that ACRE is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Brookfield Asset Management, however, belongs to the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry. Currently, this 103-stock industry is ranked #84. The industry has moved -8.5% so far this year.

Ares Commercial Real Estate and Brookfield Asset Management could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Why Delta Air Lines (DAL) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term stocknewsapi
DAL
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) Delta Air Lines is one of the four carriers that together account for 60% of the US aviation market This development followed a spate of mergers in the industry during the early part of this century.

DAL is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 9.56; value investors should take notice.

Five analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.14 to $7.22 per share. DAL also boasts an average earnings surprise of +7.9%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, DAL should be on investors' short list.
2026-02-17 15:44 23d ago
2026-02-17 10:40 23d ago
Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR) This Year? stocknewsapi
MPWR
For those looking to find strong Computer and Technology stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Monolithic Power (MPWR - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Monolithic Power is a member of our Computer and Technology group, which includes 610 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Monolithic Power is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MPWR's full-year earnings has moved 5.8% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, MPWR has gained about 29.3% so far this year. At the same time, Computer and Technology stocks have lost an average of 2.6%. This means that Monolithic Power is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another Computer and Technology stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Ericsson (ERIC - Free Report) . The stock has returned 14.7% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Ericsson's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 9%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Monolithic Power belongs to the Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry, which includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #36 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 24.5% this year, meaning that MPWR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Ericsson belongs to the Wireless Equipment industry. This 13-stock industry is currently ranked #90. The industry has moved +18.5% year to date.

Monolithic Power and Ericsson could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.