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Third Coast Bancshares is rated Buy, driven by strong operational metrics, robust loan growth, and strategic expansion in Texas' fastest-growing markets. TCBX's merger with Keystone Bancshares enhances Austin market presence, diversifies the loan portfolio, and is expected to deliver high single-digit EPS accretion by next year. Record 2025 results included $66.3M net income, 17.7% tangible book value growth, and a net interest margin above 4%, with continued efficiency improvements.

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Notably, the US XRP-spot ETF market has outperformed the US BTC-spot ETF market since November. Crypto-friendly legislation and increased XRP utility, combined with spot ETF inflows, suggest a future decoupling from Bitcoin (BTC).

For context, the US BTC-spot ETF market saw $303.5 million in net outflows in the reporting week ending February 20. Since US XRP-spot ETFs began trading in November, the US BTC-spot ETF market has seen $5.33 billion in net outflows, weighing on BTC and the broader crypto market. A decoupling would be a significant outcome for XRP holders seeking the benefits of XRP utility on Main Street.

XRP has dropped 13.27% in February, tracking BTC’s 13.37% loss, underscoring Bitcoin’s heavy influence on broader market sentiment.

US Banks and the Market Structure Bill in the Spotlight This week, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse lifted sentiment, giving a 90% chance that the US Senate will pass the CLARITY Act before the end of spring. Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, Patrick Witt, gave a similar prognosis, fueling hopes of an agreement on stablecoin yields next week.

White House economics reporter Eleanor Mueller commented on last week’s session on stablecoin yields, stating:

“In today’s meeting between banks and crypto, the White House presented a proposal that would allow exchanges to pay customers for their stablecoins as long as they base it on activities or transactions (not balances), I’m told. Expectation is banks start meeting tomorrow into the weekend to decide whether to sign off.”

An agreement on how to handle stablecoin yields may not directly impact XRP. However, analysts expect crypto-friendly legislation to strengthen Ripple’s position in the TradFi space, key to XRP utility. XRP remains highly sensitive to legislative developments.

XRP rallied from a December 31 low of $1.8103 to a January 6 high of $2.4151 on the US Senate Banking Committee’s announcement of its markup vote on draft text for the Market Structure Bill. However, XRP tumbled to a February low of $1.1227 in response to the Banking Committee’s postponement of its markup vote. The token has reclaimed $1.43 on the recent legislative developments and the improved optimism.

XRPUSD – Daily Chart – 220226 – Market Structure Bill Effect XRP Price Forecast: Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Targets XRP has tumbled 22.63% year-to-date, supporting a cautiously bearish short-term outlook (1-4 weeks), with a target price of $1.0.

However, XRP-spot ETF flow trends, improving optimism over the US Senate passing the Market Structure Bill, and increased XRP utility support the bullish medium- to long-term price projections:

Medium-term (4-8 weeks): $2.5. Longer-term (8-12 weeks): $3.0. Key Downside Risks to the Bullish Medium-Term Outlook Several scenarios could derail the constructive medium-term bias. These include:

A full-blown US-Iran conflict. US economic indicators dampen expectations of an H1 2026 Fed rate cut. Delays and/or partisan opposition to the Market Structure Bill. Extended periods of XRP-spot ETF net outflows. Additionally, traders should consider Bank of Japan chatter and USD/JPY, given the impact of the mid-2024 yen carry trade unwind on XRP.

A hawkish Bank of Japan, with a higher neutral interest rate (potentially 1.5%-2.5%), would indicate multiple BoJ rate hikes. Multiple hikes would narrow US-Japan rate differentials in favor of the yen. Narrowing rate differentials could trigger a yen carry trade unwind, drying up market liquidity. For context, the BoJ previously announced a wider neutral rate band of 1%-2.5% but stated it would announce a narrower range at a later date.

These factors would weigh on XRP, send the token toward $1.0, and reinforce the cautiously bearish short-term outlook.

Technical Analysis: Levels to Watch XRP rose 0.08% on February 21, following the previous day’s 1.57% gain, closing at $1.4301. The token outperformed the broader crypto market cap, which ended the session flat.

Despite reclaiming $1.43, XRP remained below its 50-day and 200-day EMAs. The EMA positions signaled a bearish bias. However, the 50-day EMA flattened further, suggesting easing near-term selling pressure. Additionally, several positive fundamentals continue to counter bearish technicals, supporting the bullish medium-term outlook. Despite these favorable fundamentals, short-term technicals remain bearish.

Key technical levels to watch include:

Support levels: $1.0, and then $0.7773. 50-day EMA resistance: $1.6684. 200-day EMA resistance: $2.1021. Resistance levels: $1.5, $2.0, $2.5, and $3.0. On the daily chart, a break above $1.50 would bring the 50-day EMA into play. A sustained move through the 50-day EMA would signal a near-term bullish trend reversal. A bullish trend reversal would open the door to testing the 200-day EMA.

A sustained breakout above the EMAs would affirm a bullish trend reversal and reinforce the medium- to longer-term price targets.

France has officially approved the sale of a majority stake in Exaion, a key data center subsidiary of state-owned energy giant Electricité de France (EDF), to U.S.-based bitcoin miner MARA Holdings Inc. The $168 million deal, first announced in August 2025, concludes after months of scrutiny tied to national security and digital sovereignty concerns.

MARA Holdings, headquartered in Florida and recognized as one of the largest publicly traded bitcoin mining companies, will acquire a 64% stake in Exaion. The subsidiary operates high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure that supports digital workloads, including blockchain and cloud-based services. The transaction initially raised alarms in Paris over potential foreign control of strategic digital infrastructure, particularly assets linked to France’s energy sector.

To address these concerns, French authorities imposed strict conditions before granting approval. NJJ Capital, the investment firm controlled by telecom billionaire Xavier Niel, will acquire a 10% stake in Mara France, the local entity managing the acquisition. This requirement ensures French participation in the ownership structure. EDF will retain a minority stake in Exaion and remain one of its clients, maintaining a degree of operational continuity.

Finance Minister Roland Lescure described the agreement as a balanced approach that reinforces France’s openness to foreign investment while safeguarding national interests. He emphasized that the government remains committed to protecting strategic assets and technological sovereignty. Officials also confirmed that no sensitive EDF data will remain within Exaion following the completion of the sale.

Under the new structure, Exaion’s board of directors will include representatives from MARA Holdings, EDF, and NJJ Capital. The acquisition marks a significant expansion for MARA in Europe’s digital infrastructure and bitcoin mining landscape, while highlighting France’s evolving regulatory stance on foreign investment in critical technology sectors.

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Ethereum’s getting a major overhaul. Vitalik Buterin and his development team want to roll out significant changes this year, and they’re not backing down from the controversy that’s brewing around it.

The upgrade targets censorship resistance, something Buterin called critical during a recent developer conference. “Ethereum is going hard on this,” he said, making it clear the team won’t compromise on the network’s core values. The move comes as governments worldwide ramp up crypto oversight, with some pushing for strict controls that could undermine blockchain independence. Developers see the upgrade as essential protection against future regulatory interference. They’re working on changes to the consensus mechanism and protocol adjustments that would make it nearly impossible for any single entity to control network operations.

Not everyone’s happy about it.

Mining groups pushed back hard on February 20, releasing a joint statement that questioned the upgrade’s impact on their operations. They want a slower rollout, arguing that rapid changes could hurt profitability and destabilize existing infrastructure. Some miners worry the consensus mechanism shifts will basically kill their business model. The tension between innovation and protecting current stakeholders has created pretty messy debates across Ethereum forums and social media.

Tim Beiko, a lead developer, tried to calm fears during a virtual town hall on February 18. Hundreds of Ethereum users and developers joined the session, where Beiko said the team’s running extensive simulations to catch potential problems before they happen. He stressed that community input matters, and developers are listening to feedback from various stakeholders. But he also made it clear the upgrade’s happening regardless of some opposition.

The timeline’s aggressive. Developers want everything implemented by year-end, though the Ethereum Foundation hasn’t locked in specific dates yet. Testing processes are already underway, involving both core team members and independent developers across the crypto space.

And there’s real urgency behind the push.

Global regulatory pressure keeps mounting, with several governments proposing blockchain controls that could compromise network decentralization. The European Union’s considering new crypto regulations, while China continues its crackdown on mining operations. U.S. lawmakers are also eyeing stricter oversight measures. Ethereum developers see their upgrade as a preemptive strike against potential censorship attempts. Related coverage: Tech Startups Hit Major Cross-Border Roadblocks.

The technical details remain murky, though. The Ethereum Foundation won’t reveal specific implementation plans, saying they need more testing and community consensus first. Sources close to the development team suggest the changes will be more radical than initially expected, potentially affecting how transactions get processed and validated across the network. Some insiders think the upgrade could reshape Ethereum’s entire architecture, though official confirmation hasn’t come yet.

Community reactions stay mixed. Crypto enthusiasts generally support stronger censorship resistance, but they’re worried about execution risks. DeFi protocols built on Ethereum could face disruptions during the transition period. Several major projects are already preparing contingency plans in case the upgrade causes unexpected problems.

The Ethereum Foundation plans another community meeting in March to share more details and gather additional feedback. Buterin and his team know the stakes are high – this upgrade could define Ethereum’s future for years to come. They’re betting that short-term pain will lead to long-term gains in network resilience and independence.

Mining operations across the globe are watching closely. Some smaller miners are already considering switching to other cryptocurrencies if Ethereum’s changes make their equipment obsolete. Larger mining pools seem more prepared to adapt, though they’re still pushing for gradual implementation rather than sudden shifts.

The crypto world’s basically holding its breath. Ethereum’s success or failure with the upgrade will likely influence how other blockchain networks approach similar challenges. Bitcoin maximalists are watching to see if Ethereum’s complexity will create vulnerabilities, while competitors hope any stumbles will drive users to their platforms. See also: Ethereum Hits Critical Price Point as.

Market reactions have been relatively calm so far, with Ethereum’s price staying stable despite the uncertainty. Traders seem confident the development team can pull off the upgrade without major disasters, though volatility could spike once implementation begins.

Buterin remains committed to the original vision. He’s made it clear that Ethereum won’t compromise its decentralized principles, even if that means alienating some current stakeholders. The upgrade represents his team’s biggest bet yet on blockchain independence versus regulatory compliance.

The coming months will determine whether Ethereum can successfully balance innovation with stability while keeping its diverse community together.

Major cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinbase and Binance are quietly preparing infrastructure updates to handle Ethereum’s transition. Internal memos from these platforms suggest they’re allocating additional engineering resources and conducting stress tests on their systems. Meanwhile, institutional investors holding large Ethereum positions have started hedging strategies, with some moving portions of their holdings to stablecoins as a precautionary measure.

The upgrade’s ripple effects extend beyond Ethereum itself. Layer-2 solutions like Polygon and Arbitrum are scrambling to ensure compatibility with the new consensus mechanism. Several DeFi protocols have already announced temporary feature limitations during the transition window, while NFT marketplaces are warning users about potential delays in transaction processing.

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Bitcoin crashed hard. The drop sent shockwaves through derivatives markets where overleveraged traders got completely wiped out in what analysts are calling a massive deleveraging event.

Trader CryptoOnchain spotted the carnage first on Binance, where the Estimated Leverage Ratio plummeted from dangerous highs. The ELR tracks how much leverage sits in the market by comparing open interest against exchange reserves. When it’s high, even small price moves can trigger huge liquidation cascades. Back in January, NewsBTC reported the ELR hit 0.1980 – pretty much a warning sign that things were getting too frothy. After Bitcoin’s recent tumble, that number dropped to around 0.1414.

That’s a 28% decline.

The flush-out was brutal but necessary, according to market watchers. CryptoOnchain said the deleveraging purged excess risk from the system, eliminating what he called the “derivatives bubble” that had been building for weeks. Binance saw the biggest impact since it’s the world’s largest crypto exchange, handling massive derivative volumes daily.

Bitcoin currently trades near $67,950, up 2% in the past 24 hours but still down over 1% for the week. The price action remains choppy as traders figure out the new landscape.

So what happens next?

The reduced leverage means fewer liquidations ahead, but Bitcoin needs real buying pressure from spot markets to sustain any rally. Derivatives alone won’t cut it anymore. The market basically hit reset, and now everyone’s waiting to see who steps up to buy.

CoinGecko data shows trading volumes remain elevated as investors try to position for whatever comes next. But there’s no clear catalyst on the horizon. Michael Saylor from MicroStrategy jumped on a webcast February 22nd, saying the cleanup could create a “healthier foundation” for Bitcoin’s growth. He’s been pushing the organic demand angle for months now.

Glassnode analysts noted February 21st that open interest levels have stabilized at pre-volatility levels. That means derivative contracts got reset to more reasonable amounts. Traders are being way more careful now, which probably sets up more measured trading going forward. Binance reported derivative volumes dropped while spot trading ticked up slightly – a clear shift in how people want to play this market. Related coverage: Bitcoin ETFs Keep Billion Despite.

JP Morgan warned that volatility risks haven’t disappeared completely. Their latest report basically said stay alert because things can change fast in crypto. No kidding. The bank didn’t make any bold predictions but advised investors to watch for sudden shifts.

Changpeng Zhao from Binance addressed the situation on Twitter, calling the leverage reduction a “necessary adjustment” for a more robust trading environment. He didn’t provide specifics on any policy changes but reassured users about platform security and transparency. Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz told CNBC the reset was part of natural market cycles that weed out excessive risk-taking.

The CFTC dropped some interesting data February 22nd showing institutional players actually increased their Bitcoin futures positions during the chaos. Traditional financial entities might be positioning for future moves while retail traders were getting liquidated. The commission didn’t predict any trends but the timing seems pretty strategic.

Arcane Research thinks the deleveraging could attract more institutional money since the environment looks more stable now. Hedge funds and asset managers typically prefer predictable returns over wild speculation. The cleanup of overleveraged positions might actually help Bitcoin’s institutional adoption story.

But uncertainty remains high. Analysts are split on whether this marks a bottom or just a pause before more selling. The derivatives reset eliminated immediate liquidation risks, but Bitcoin still needs fresh capital to break higher. Spot market demand has been lukewarm lately, with most buying coming from existing holders rather than new participants.

Trading volumes on major exchanges show mixed signals. While Binance saw derivative activity cool off, other platforms reported steady spot volumes. The market structure definitely changed, but it’s unclear if that translates to sustained price stability or just a temporary lull before the next big move.

Bitcoin’s correlation with traditional markets also complicates the picture. Recent macro headwinds have kept crypto investors cautious, and the Federal Reserve’s policy stance continues weighing on risk assets. The deleveraging happened against this broader backdrop of uncertainty across financial markets. For more details, see Ripple Teams Up with Deutsche Bank.

The crypto fear and greed index recently hit extreme fear levels, which historically marks good buying opportunities. But this time feels different given how much leverage got flushed out. Previous bottoms often coincided with high leverage readings, not the current deleveraged state.

Whale activity data from several on-chain analytics firms shows large holders have been relatively quiet during the recent volatility. Major Bitcoin addresses haven’t shown significant accumulation or distribution patterns, suggesting institutional players are waiting for clearer signals before making big moves.

The February selloff caught many traders off guard since Bitcoin had been consolidating in a relatively tight range. The sudden break lower triggered stop-losses and margin calls across multiple exchanges simultaneously. Binance handled the volume surge without major technical issues, but smaller platforms reported some congestion during peak liquidation periods.

Market makers pulled back liquidity during the worst of the selling, creating wider bid-ask spreads that amplified price swings. Order book depth remains thinner than normal on most exchanges, which could mean more volatility ahead if large orders hit the market.

Galaxy Digital’s research team identified similar deleveraging patterns during previous Bitcoin corrections in 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, Coinbase reported a 15% increase in new account registrations following the selloff, suggesting retail interest may be returning at lower price levels.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange saw Bitcoin futures open interest drop by $1.2 billion during the liquidation cascade. Deribit, the largest options exchange, recorded its highest single-day put option volumes since March 2020, indicating traders are hedging against further downside moves.

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Bitcoin just got ~15% harder to mine as hashrate falls—pushing miner revenue back into the $30 stress zoneBitcoin’s mining economy has tightened again, but its undertones could pave the way for a price recovery in the top crypto.

Over the past weeks, the network difficulty jumped, while the hashrate has shown signs of softening. At the same time, BTC miner margins have come under increased pressure as their revenue slipped back toward stress levels.

That combination has repeatedly materialized near major inflection points in previous market cycles.

While market analysts caution that this is not a magic buy signal for investors, the structural setup matters deeply because it has the potential to flip miner behavior from a desperate need to sell in order to survive into a scenario where they sell less of their accumulated holdings.

This subtle shift in behavior can effectively turn what is normally a steady, predictable source of incoming market supply into a significantly lighter headwind for Bitcoin's price.

A lagged difficulty jump landed after the reboundBitcoin’s difficulty adjusts every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks, meaning the metric is always reacting to events that have already occurred on the network.

That timing explains the apparent contradiction in the latest move.

After a storm and curtailment period knocked machines offline, the network saw a difficulty cut of about 11.16% to about 125.86T on Feb. 7.

As miners came back online and block production normalized, the next adjustment moved in the opposite direction. On Feb. 19, difficulty rose about 14.73% to about 144.40T.

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Adjustments in 2026 (Source: Cloverpool)The key point is simple. The network became harder to mine because earlier hashrate recovered, not because miner economics improved in real time.

That distinction is important for interpreting miner behavior. A rising difficulty print can look bullish on the surface because it signals network strength.

However, it can also be a margin squeeze if that increase arrives after a temporary recovery, when fees are weak, and BTC's price is not doing enough to offset higher mining costs.

A short-term recovery in hashrate is masking a broader declineShort-term measures of BTC network hashrate did indeed show notable improvement heading into the middle of February.

Data compiled from Luxor’s Hashrate Index demonstrated the 7-day SMA rising from ~1,003 EH/s to ~1,054 EH/s during the immediate storm recovery phase.

Bitcoin Network Hashrate in The Last 30 Days (Source: Hashrate Index)However, if one zooms out a bit to view the broader trend, the picture becomes noticeably less comfortable for the industry.

VanEck’s latest ChainCheck report describes a ~14% decline in hashrate over the past 90 days, a metric that is notable because sustained drawdowns of this magnitude are uncommon in the mature phases of the Bitcoin network.

Furthermore, day-to-day estimates consistently show meaningful volatility, a factor that complicates any single-point narrative pushed by market observers.

In light of this, the broader trend shows sustained pressure on hashrate over the last several months. A sharp increase in mining difficulty layered on top of that pressure can intensify margin stress at a particularly fragile point for the industry.

Hashprice is the real pressure point, and it has tightened againDifficulty and hashrate describe the network. Hashprice describes the business.

Miners pay expenses in fiat and fund those costs through BTC production and, in some cases, sales of the flagship digital asset. That is why hash price, typically quoted in dollars per petahash per day, is a more practical measure of stress.

Following the Feb. 19 difficulty increase, BTC hashprice dropped back below about $30/PH/day. That level is widely viewed as a stress zone, depending on machine efficiency, debt obligations, and power costs.

Bitcoin Hashprice in The Last 30 Days (Source: Hashrate Index)This is because some operators can withstand it, while several marginal operators often cannot.

Fees are not offering much relief. Hashrate Index data for the same period showed that transaction fees accounted for only about 0.48% of block rewards, indicating miners rely almost entirely on the subsidy and Bitcoin’s spot price.

The result is a familiar compression. Difficulty moved higher, fee support remained thin, and hash price weakened.

That is the combination that tends to shut off older rigs first and push higher-cost miners closer to forced selling.

In practice, this is how a network that looks technically strong can produce economic stress in the mining sector. The protocol is doing what it is supposed to do. The problem is timing.

Why miner stress can become a bullish setup over 90 daysThe bullish argument surrounding this phenomenon centers on structural shifts within the mining industry and their impact on supply dynamics.

The mechanism at play is structural, rooted in how sustained miner pressure reshapes issuance, balance sheets, and market liquidity.

Difficulty acts as a lagging squeeze on the market. When the network actively hikes difficulty after a brief operational rebound, it can easily overshoot what the miners can actually sustain at the current price and fee levels.

Hashrate then adjusts in real time as operators react to the new economic reality. Marginal rigs are forced to power down almost immediately when their daily profitability drops below the break-even point.

If that persistent weakness carries over into the next epoch, the protocol’s built-in relief valve kicks in, and the difficulty inherently falls.

A decline in difficulty mechanically improves the underlying economics for the surviving miners.

If the difficulty drops 10% to 12% and the price of Bitcoin remains entirely flat, the miner revenue per hash rises by a very similar mathematical magnitude.

While that adjustment does not guarantee a massive market rally, it can significantly reduce the overall probability of aggressive, forced selling from financially stressed miners.

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That mechanism forms the absolute heart of the capitulation-then-recovery thesis popularized by various miner-cycle frameworks (such as traditional Hash Ribbons-style analysis).

VanEck adds a compelling quantitative hook to this theory. In a published table tracking 12 notable hashrate contraction periods, the financial firm notes that extended hashrate declines have often been followed by remarkably strong 90-day forward returns for Bitcoin.

Excluding the very early history of the network, which lacked a defined price, and the current, still-unresolved episode, VanEck’s listed periods skewed highly positive, delivering a median forward return around the high-40% range and a heavily skewed mean.

Bitcoin Network Hashrate Decline and Price Returns in 90 Days (Source: VanEck)The ultimate takeaway for traders centers on the broader signal rather than the specific percentage gain.

Peak miner stress often signals late-stage supply pressure, and once the underlying protocol resets the difficulty or the asset price stabilizes, that supply pressure can fade quickly.

The next catalyst is the next difficulty print, but ETFs and macro still set the toneThe most immediate variable is already on the calendar. Forecasting tools are pointing to another double-digit decrease in difficulty, around 11%, in early March if current block timing holds.

If that estimate is directionally right, the effect is straightforward. Hashprice would improve without requiring BTC to rally first, which could ease sell-to-fund operations pressure across weaker miners.

That is why the current snapshot, difficulty up and hashrate slipping, can sometimes be read as peak tightness rather than a fresh warning. In prior periods, that has been the point just before network conditions loosened.

Still, miner signals do not operate in a vacuum, and the post-ETF market has made that even more obvious.

In early February, US spot BTC ETFs posted wide swings in daily flows, including a net inflow of about $562 million on Feb. 3 and a net outflow of around $545 million on Feb. 5.

Later in the month, daily moves remained choppy, with one day at about $166 million in outflows and another $88 million in inflows.

US Bitcoin ETFs Daily Flows (Source: SoSo Value)When ETF buyers are active, miner sell pressure matters less. When ETF demand weakens or turns negative, miner stress can add to downside momentum.

Meanwhile, macro positioning also remains a major filter for the market.

Reuters reported heavy put interest around the $50,000 to $60,000 strike levels during the same period, a sign of hedging demand and caution toward risk assets.

If risk sentiment worsens or liquidity tightens, Bitcoin can still trade like a high-beta macro asset, even if mining conditions improve.

Three paths for Bitcoin over the next 90 daysThe most constructive scenario is a mining reset with steadier demand. In that path, hashrate stays soft enough to support a meaningful difficulty cut, hashprice improves, and ETF flows stop swinging sharply negative.

Under those conditions, BTC has room for a 10% to 35% move higher over 90 days as miner-related supply pressure eases.

A middle path is what could be called a capitulation-lite outcome. Hashprice stays near breakeven, hashrate continues to bleed gradually, and difficulty adjusts lower in steps, but spot price remains choppy.

That kind of setup could leave BTC in a range of -5% to 20% over 90 days, with miner stress hurting near-term sentiment before the protocol reset starts to help.

The bearish path is a signal failure, where demand and macro dominate. In that case, ETF outflows persist, risk-off positioning deepens, and even a lower level of difficulty is not enough to offset weak demand.

Here, the digital asset could see returns of up to -30% over the next 90 days as BTC revisits major downside zones and miners are forced to sell into a falling market.

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Breaking Signal·Market Impact: Medium

Decred jumped 17.67% to $28.04, topping the gainers chart, according to CoinGecko data. Aave, Morpho, Uniswap, and POL (ex-MATIC) also advanced, while Provenance Blockchain, Ethena, LEO Token, Pi Network, and World Liberty Financial led declines on the day.

Top Gainers Decred (DCR) rose 17.67% to $28.04. The hybrid proof-of-work and proof-of-stake network emphasizes on-chain governance and funds development through a decentralized treasury. Its market cap reached $485.54M after the move. The project also operates DCRDEX, a non-custodial exchange designed for atomic swap trading.

Aave (AAVE) gained 3.81% to $120.12. No specific news has been tied to the move. The lending protocol’s token governs risk parameters and incentives across markets on Ethereum and multiple layer-2s, alongside its GHO stablecoin ecosystem. AAVE’s market capitalization stands at $1.83B.

Morpho (MORPHO) rose 2.93% to $1.63. Morpho builds credit markets that optimize deposits and borrows, offering a modular architecture that has interfaced with incumbents like Aave and Compound. The token’s valuation sits at $890.54M following today’s uptick. Protocol utilization and yield dynamics often shape demand across its markets.

Uniswap (UNI) added 2.19% to $3.59. Traders pointed to broader altcoin rotation. UNI is the governance token for the leading automated market maker, which popularized concentrated liquidity with Uniswap v3 and runs cross-chain deployments. Its market cap is $2.28B.

POL (ex-MATIC) (POL) advanced 1.98% to $0.1088. POL is the successor token for Polygon’s 2.0 roadmap, designed to secure multiple chains via a shared staking layer. The asset’s market capitalization is $1.15B after the session. Token migrations from MATIC to POL have been in focus as infrastructure and venues update support.

Top Losers Provenance Blockchain (HASH) fell 5.79% to $0.0174. HASH powers Provenance, an open-source network built for asset issuance and financial services, including lending and securitization tooling. The decline left its market cap at $953.03M. There was little in the way of fresh announcements tied to the move.

Ethena (ENA) slipped 5.12% to $0.1057. ENA governs Ethena, a protocol behind the synthetic dollar USDe that uses delta-hedged positions and staking yields to maintain its structure. No material catalyst surfaced across official channels during the drop. ENA’s market capitalization is $869.75M.

LEO Token (LEO) declined 4.22% to $8.32. LEO is issued by iFinex and is primarily used for trading discounts and utilities on Bitfinex-linked platforms. Its floating supply is relatively constrained compared with many large-cap tokens, which can make price moves idiosyncratic. LEO’s market cap stands at $7.67B.

Pi Network (PI) dropped 4.18% to $0.1678. Pi promotes mobile mining and has pursued a phased mainnet approach. Limited exchange support and fragmented liquidity often translate into outsized percentage moves versus deeper markets. Its market cap sits at $1.54B.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) decreased 4.07% to $0.1200. WLFI’s market capitalization is $3.28B despite the low unit price. Official channels were quiet, and the slide came without a clear headline driver.

Market Outlook The top gainer rose 17.67% while the biggest loser shed 5.79%, pointing to selective risk appetite rather than a broad-based rally. LEO’s $7.67B market cap move contrasted with smaller-cap action in MORPHO at $890.54M and POL at $1.15B, underscoring dispersion across sectors.

Into the week, traders will watch Bitcoin’s range, spot ETF flows, and funding rates alongside on-chain activity at Uniswap and Aave. Upcoming liquidity and macro prints will frame risk, with attention on how alt rotations persist after DCR’s outsized move.

SourcesCoinGecko

This article was written with AI assistance and reviewed by the The Currency analytics editorial team. Information presented is sourced from publicly available reports. The Currency analytics strives for accuracy but cannot guarantee completeness. This article does not constitute financial advice.

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The price of Bitcoin has been stuck in a consolidation range below $70,000 so far this week, after spending most of the previous weekend above it. While the flagship cryptocurrency’s price movement has been largely — and painfully — sideways in recent weeks, this represents a notable improvement from how the month of February started.

The new month ushered in a fresh low just above the $61,000 level for Bitcoin, confirming the start of the bear market. Amidst the relative stability in recent weeks, a recent on-chain evaluation suggests that BTC and the broader cryptocurrency mark is still at risk of further downside volatility.

BTC’s Future In The Hands Of Large Investors: CryptoQuant In the last bull cycle, the price action of Bitcoin was heavily influenced and impacted by the increased influx and activity of institutional investors (primarily through the spot exchange-traded funds). Similarly, it appears that the large investor cohort will still be at the wheel even during the bear market.

According to CryptoQuant’s latest market report, the Bitcoin exchange inflows — and the immediate selling pressure — have normalized since the capitulation spike in early February. This trend can be seen in the decline in exchange inflows from around 60,000 BTC at the start of the month to around 23,000 BTC now.

While the acute sell-off phase appears to be easing off, a troubling trend seems to be brewing among Bitcoin’s largest investors. In its market report, CryptoQuant highlighted that the BTC exchange whale ratio has climbed to 0.64, its highest level since 2015, suggesting that whale inflows account for a significant portion of the exchange deposits being seen.

Source: CryptoQuant Meanwhile, the average BTC deposit size has also reached a level not seen since mid-2022, during the heat of the last bear market. This trend further reinforces the idea that institutional or large investors are behind the increasing exchange supply.

CryptoQuant noted that the altcoin market is still facing elevated distribution pressure, with the average daily number of altcoin exchange deposits rising from 40,000 in Q4 2025 to 49,000 in 2026. This continuous capital rotation out of riskier assets reflects weakened market confidence and increases the risk of downside volatility.

Source: CryptoQuant Meanwhile, the ongoing flow of stablecoins out of exchanges points to a decline in marginal buying power (or “dry powder”) in the Bitcoin market. According to CryptoQuant data, net USDT flows into exchanges have fallen sharply from a one-year high of $616M in November 2025 to only $27M, turning negative at times (-$469M in late January).

Ultimately, the combination of the increased selling pressure from Bitcoin’s large holders, rising altcoin distribution, and consistent stablecoin outflows suggests that the crypto market structure remains at risk of further downside volatility.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of Bitcoin stands at around $67,580, reflecting a mild 1% increase in the past 24 hours.

The price of BTC on the daily timeframe | Source: BTCUSDT chart on TradingView Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

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Opeyemi Sule is a passionate crypto enthusiast, a proficient content writer, and a journalist at Bitcoinist. Opeyemi creates unique pieces unraveling the complexities of blockchain technology and sharing insights on the latest trends in the world of cryptocurrencies. Opeyemi enjoys reading poetry, chatting about politics, and listening to music, in addition to his strong interest in cryptocurrency.

Recovering end markets, excellent valuation, and growth in AI data center sales make this stock attractive.

Shares of ON Semiconductor (ON +1.50%) are up 53% since I singled it out for 2026 and 31% year to date. All of which means nothing now, because all investors really care about is where the stock is heading next.

Peddling past performance wins no prizes. Still, despite the soaring share price, I think there's substantial value in the stock, and it's not too late to buy in.

ON Semiconductor passes an inflection point The company's power and sensing chips make it a play on electrification and automation, and it has increased its focus on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) chips, where it already has a leadership position. SiC chips can operate at very high temperatures and high voltage, making them ideal for use in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy, EV chargers, and industrial motors. GaN chips operate at high switching speeds without losing energy and are ideal for AI data centers, EVs, and aerospace and defense applications.

Image source: Getty Images.

Unfortunately, many of those end markets have been challenged in recent years as investments in EVs and renewable energy have been slower than expected. And the U.S. industrial sector has been weak since the end of 2022.

That's reflected in the chart below, which shows the company's sales by end market. However, if you look closely, you will see that both its automotive and industrial sales grew sequentially over the last two quarters, and its industrial revenue finally returned to year-over-year growth.

Management's guidance for the first quarter of 2026 calls for revenue of $1.435 billion to $1.535 billion, which, as chief financial officer Thad Trent noted on the earnings call, would "mark the first quarter with expected year-over-year growth since the downturn started over three years ago." It confirms the potential identified a few months ago.

Source: ON Semiconductor; chart by author.

CEO Hassane El-Khoury said that there are "clear signs of improvement across automotive, industrial, and AI infrastructure," suggesting that the company has indeed passed an inflection point. Consequently, Wall Street analysts are pricing in 4.8% revenue growth for 2026, leading to 24% earnings-per-share growth.

A good value stock  The company generates cash at a high rate. It 2025, it produced $1.4 billion in free cash flow (FCF), roughtly equivalent to 4.9% of its currentmarket cap. Analyst estimates project OnSemi will convert at least 25% of revenue converted into FCF in 2026. Based on these projections, OnSemi's stock trades at a forward price-to-FCF multiple of 18.1. That's a very low multiple for a growth stock. In addition, the company has a three-year $6 billion share-repurchase program, which began in January.

Risks and opportunities The company's exposure to Chinese EVs is a concern. But it has growth opportunities from AI data centers (which accounted for a fast-growing $250 million of its $6 billion revenue in 2025), a long-overdue bounce in the industrial sector, and stabilization in EV spending.

The valuation remains attractive, and despite a substantial rise in price, there's still plenty of upside for the stock, backed by a $6 billion buyback program for a company with a $28.4 billion market cap.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 21, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Paysafe Limited (NYSE: PSFE) between March 4, 2025 and November 12, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 7, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Paysafe securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Paysafe class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=2745 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 7, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Paysafe's ecommerce business had significant exposure to a single high risk client; (2) as a result, Paysafe's credit loss reserves and/or write-offs were understated; (3) Paysafe had an undisclosed issue with higher risk Merchant Category Codes, making its client services difficult to bank; (4) the foregoing issues were likely to have a material negative impact on Paysafe's revenue growth and overall revenue mix; (5) as a result, Paysafe was unlikely to meet its own previously issued financial guidance for fiscal year 2025; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Paysafe's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Paysafe class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=2745 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/284761

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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The young insurance technology company is growing fast.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +0.05%)(BRKB +0.15%) is one of the biggest companies in the world, and one of only two non-tech companies sporting a market cap over $1 trillion since Walmart joined that club two weeks ago.

Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company, and it owns some of your favorite brands, including Benjamin Moore paints and Duracell batteries. It's one the largest furniture companies in the world, too, and it wholly or partially owns around 190 companies in addition to its $320 billion equity portfolio.

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One of its main industries, though, is insurance. It owns GEICO, as well as insurance products branded under its own name, and the float from insurance premiums is a major part of its operating model.

Warren Buffett, when he was still the CEO, and Ajit Jain, head of the insurance business, made several references to the company falling behind in digital in the face of young and agile upstarts. Though none were mentioned by name, Lemonade (LMND 7.33%) is one of the top insurance technology companies. Should you buy Lemonade stock instead?

Image source: Getty Images.

Why Lemonade looks ripe for picking Lemonade is one of the new crop of digital insurance companies that are disrupting the status quo. It's one of the biggest of its type, even though it's tiny in comparison with legacy insurers.

Despite its small size, it has an edge against the traditional insurance companies because of its connected, agile platform. Although GEICO has been catching up in telematics, which are specialized methods of collecting data that digital insurance companies use to match rate to risk, Lemonade's platform was actually built as a connected ecosystem. It's growing faster than the decades-old insurance giants, and management is projecting to become profitable this year on an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) basis before hitting positive net income next year. It's also hitting it off with a younger generation of customers, alongside whom it expects to grow as they buy homes and cars.

In-force premium increased 31% year over year in the 2025 fourth quarter, an outstanding showing, and adjusted EBITDA loss shrank to $5 million.

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Don't forget Berkshire Hathaway As wonderful as Lemonade looks today, it's not a substitute for Berkshire Hathaway. They're completely different companies with different operating models, even with Berkshire Hathaway's giant insurance segment.

However, you may want to buy Lemonade stock instead of Berkshire Hathaway, depending on what your investing goals are or where there's an opening in your portfolio. Lemonade is a growth stock, and it can be a growth engine for your portfolio. If you have a long-term horizon and an appetite for a bit of risk, Lemonade could be a great stock candidate.

Churchill Downs isn’t just about one race weekend a year. The company is expanding casinos and historical racing venues designed to produce recurring gaming revenue, and investors are weighing whether that investment phase will pay off.

What happenedAccording to a SEC filing dated February 6, 2026, Beck Bode, LLC established a new position in Churchill Downs (CHDN +1.63%) by acquiring 154,871 shares. The estimated value of the transaction is $17.62 million. The stake’s quarter-end value, also $17.62 million, reflects both the purchase and any price movement during the period.

What else to knowThis was a new position for Beck Bode, LLC, representing 2.93% of its $601.19 million in reportable U.S. equity assets as of December 31, 2025.

Top holdings after the filing:

NASDAQ: NVDA: $31.75 million (5.3% of AUM)NYSE: CAH: $23.66 million (3.9% of AUM)NASDAQ: CEG: $22.73 million (3.8% of AUM)NYSE: ANET: $21.50 million (3.6% of AUM)NASDAQ: ROKU: $21.26 million (3.5% of AUM)As of February 6, 2026, shares of Churchill Downs were priced at $93.55, down 23.8% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 37.76 percentage points.

Company overviewMetricValuePrice (as of market close 2/6/26)$93.55Market Capitalization$6.57 billionRevenue (TTM)$2.88 billionNet Income (TTM)$403.4 millionCompany snapshotChurchill Downs is a diversified gambling and entertainment company with a national footprint in live racing, online wagering, and casino operations across multiple U.S. states.. The company leverages iconic racing assets, proprietary technology, and a broad gaming portfolio to drive growth and maintain a leading position in the U.S. gaming industry.

Its integrated approach across physical venues and digital platforms enables Churchill Downs to capture multiple revenue streams and adapt to evolving consumer preferences in the gaming sector.

Churchill Downs serves gaming and racing enthusiasts, online bettors, and casino patrons seeking entertainment and wagering experiences.

What this transaction means for investorsChurchill Downs is best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby, but its true earnings power comes from regional casinos and historical horse racing terminals that generate recurring gaming revenue. The company has spent aggressively to expand that footprint, betting that new properties and HHR facilities will drive higher long-term cash flow. Following a roughly 20% decline in the stock over the past year, Beck Bode initiated a new position in the fourth quarter, acquiring approximately 155,000 shares valued at $17.6 million.

Churchill Downs generates most of its revenue from gaming operations, including casinos, historical racing venues, and online wagering through TwinSpires. Gaming revenue is driven by foot traffic, machine volumes, and spending per visit, while margins depend on property mix and operating efficiency. The company has been investing heavily to expand its regional footprint and add high-return gaming capacity, a strategy that can pressure near-term earnings but is intended to drive stronger cash flow over time.

For investors, the key variable to watch is whether new historical racing and regional gaming investments generate the returns management is targeting. The performance of historical horse racing facilities and regional casino projects, along with manageable leverage, will ultimately determine if this investment phase strengthens the long-term earnings profile.

Eric Trie has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Arista Networks, Constellation Energy, Nvidia, and Roku. The Motley Fool recommends Churchill Downs. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 21, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of PomDoctor Ltd. (NASDAQ: POM) between October 9, 2025 and December 11, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 7, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased PomDoctor securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the PomDoctor class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52621 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 7, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) PomDoctor was the subject of a fraudulent stock promotion scheme involving social media-based misinformation and impersonated financial professionals; (2) insiders and/or affiliates used offshore or nominee accounts to facilitate the coordinated dumping of shares during a price inflation campaign; (3) PomDoctor's public statements and risk disclosures omitted any mention of the false rumors and artificial trading activity driving the stock price; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about PomDoctor's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

To join the PomDoctor class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52621 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/284763

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 21, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Smart Digital Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: SDM) between May 5, 2025 and September 26, 2025 at 9:34 AM EST, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 16, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased SDM securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the SDM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50638 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 16, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Smart Digital was the subject of a market manipulation and fraudulent promotion scheme involving social-media based misinformation and impersonators posing as financial professionals; (2) insiders and/or affiliates used and/or intended to use offshore or nominee accounts to facilitate the coordinated dumping of shares during a price inflation campaign; (3) Smart Digital's public statements and risk disclosures omitted any mention of realized risk of fraudulent trading or market manipulation used to drive Smart Digital's stock price; (4) as a result, Smart Digital securities were at unique risk of a sustained suspension in trading by either or both of the SEC and NASDAQ; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Smart Digital's business, operations and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the SDM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50638 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/284689

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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Caesars is known for packed casino floors and bright Las Vegas lights, but the company is also working to strengthen its balance sheet and improve digital profitability. As debt levels decline and online betting operations mature, investors are watching whether the next phase can unlock more stable growth.

What happenedAccording to a SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Progeny 3, Inc. sold its entire holding of 1,872,400 shares in Caesars Entertainment (CZR 3.02%). The estimated value of the transaction was $50.60 million, calculated using the average closing price for the quarter. The fund’s quarter-end position value in Caesars decreased by $50.60 million, reflecting both the sale and price movements over the period.

What else to knowProgeny 3, Inc. sold out of Caesars; the position now represents n/a of 13F reportable assets under management

Top holdings after the filing:

NYSE:CCJ: $214.74 million (11.6% of AUM)NYSE:TIC: $153.99 million (8.3% of AUM)NASDAQ:IBKR: $136.96 million (7.4% of AUM)NYSE:APG: $135.47 million (7.3% of AUM)NASDAQ:SSNC: $98.39 million (5.3% of AUM)As of February 17, 2026, shares of Caesars were priced at $18.95, down 52.1% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 64.25 percentage points

Company/Etf overviewMetricValueRevenue (TTM)$11.49 billionNet income (TTM)$-502.00 millionPrice (as of market close February 17, 2026)$18.95One-year price change52.06%Company/Etf snapshotCaesars Entertainment is a leading U.S. gaming and hospitality operator with a diversified portfolio of casinos, hotels, and digital betting platforms. The company leverages its iconic brand and extensive property network to attract a wide range of customers across multiple states. Strategic investments in both physical and digital experiences position Caesars to compete in the evolving gaming and entertainment landscape.

The company offers casino gaming, sports betting, iGaming, hotel accommodations, dining, and entertainment across a broad portfolio of U.S. properties. Caesars Entertainment generates revenue primarily from gaming operations, hospitality services, food and beverage sales, and digital wagering platforms.

Caesars Entertainment targets domestic leisure and business travelers, gaming enthusiasts, and online sports bettors seeking entertainment and resort experiences.

What this transaction means for investorsCaesars Entertainment is not struggling because people stopped gambling. It is under pressure because it carries one of the heavier balance sheets in the U.S. gaming industry while working to make its digital betting business consistently profitable. After shares fell more than 50% over the past year, Progeny 3 exited its entire position in the fourth quarter, selling roughly 1.87 million shares valued at about $50.6 million.

Caesars earns most of its revenue from regional casinos and Las Vegas Strip properties, with additional income from its Caesars Digital sports betting and iGaming platform. Regional drive-in casinos generate much of its cash flow, making results sensitive to changes in consumer spending and interest rates. The 2020 merger with Eldorado expanded Caesars’ national presence and scale but also increased its debt. While the merger created a larger, more diversified company, investors remain focused on how quickly management can reduce leverage while maintaining stable property-level earnings.

For investors, the key points to monitor moving forward are whether Caesars can consistently reduce debt while keeping its regional casinos and digital platform profitable. Trends in same-property gaming revenue, interest costs, and digital profitability will also determine the pace of recovery.

Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Cameco, Interactive Brokers Group, and Tic Solutions. The Motley Fool recommends SS&C Technologies and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

RADNOR, Pa., Feb. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit against Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) (“Oracle” or the “Company”) on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Oracle common stock between June 12, 2025, and December 16, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”). This action, captioned Barrows v. Oracle Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-00127-JLH, was filed on February 3, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and is pending before the Honorable Jennifer L. Hall.

Important Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Oracle common stock during the Class Period may, no later than April 6, 2026, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class.

CONTACT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):
If you experienced losses in connection with Oracle, contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP at:
https://www.ktmc.com/orcl-oracle-corporation-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=Globe&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=orcl&mktm=PR

You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at [email protected].

DEFENDANTS’ ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
Oracle, a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices in Austin, Texas, is a technology company that provides, among other things, infrastructure for operating artificial intelligence (“AI”) programs.

During the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by touting the Company’s contracts to develop data center capabilities for AI infrastructure and falsely assuring investors that the Company’s significant capital expenditures (“CapEx”) would quickly result in accelerated revenue growth. For example, Defendants assured investors that the Company’s substantially increased spending on AI infrastructure—including for data centers used by OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT—would rapidly convert into “accelerating revenue and profit growth” and that “we have a very good line-of-sight for our capabilities to . . . just spend on that CapEx right before it starts generating revenue.”

However, on September 24, 2025, S&P Global Ratings warned that OpenAI “could account for more than a third of total Oracle revenues by fiscal 2028 and even a greater share by fiscal 2030,” creating risks given that “OpenAI’s ability to meet contractual obligations will be contingent on AI tailwinds continuing and its models being a market leader to continue to raise external financing.” On this news, the price of Oracle common stock declined $5.37 per share, or nearly 2%, from a close of $313.83 per share on September 23, 2025, to close at $308.46 per share on September 24, 2025.

The following day, on September 25, 2025, analysts at Rothschild & Co. Redburn initiated coverage of Oracle at “Sell,” warning, among other things, that the Company’s promises of massive new revenues from its increased AI infrastructure business were “unlikely to materialize” and set a $175 price target for Oracle—representing a 40% pullback in the Company’s stock. In response, the price of Oracle common stock declined an additional $17.13 per share, or more than 5.5%, from a close of $308.46 per share on September 24, 2025, to close at $291.33 per share on September 25, 2025.

After the market closed on December 10, 2025, Oracle announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, including revenue growth below analysts’ consensus estimate, quarterly CapEx well above analysts’ estimates, and negative free cash flow of more than $10 billion. During the accompanying earnings call, Defendant Douglas Kehring (the Company’s Principal Financial Officer) revealed that Oracle now projected $50 billion of CapEx in fiscal year 2026—$15 billion more than the Company’s previous projection in September 2025 and as much as $25 billion more than the Company’s projection in June 2025. Notably, despite projecting substantially increased spending, Oracle did not increase its guidance for 2026 revenue, and increased its guidance for 2027 revenues by only $4 billion.

In response to an analyst’s question about how much money Oracle needs “to raise to fund its AI growth plans ahead,” Defendant Clayton Magouyrk (the Company’s new Co-Chief Executive Officer) further stoked concerns by failing to provide a specific number and revealing only that the Company expected to spend “less” than $100 billion—suggesting that Oracle may require a massive amount of capital funding through equity raises or additional debt.

As Bloomberg and other media outlets reported that evening, the cost of protecting the Company’s debt against default for five years—a notable measure of Oracle’s credit risk—reached its highest level since April 2009. An AllianceBernstein analyst explained, “Oracle really matters because it is the harbinger of the AI capex boom,” and “[t]his repricing in debt markets is very consistent with the view that risks are building.”   On this news, the price of Oracle common stock declined $24.16 per share, or nearly 11%, from a close of $223.01 per share on December 10, 2025, to close at $198.85 per share on December 11, 2025.

After the market closed on December 11, 2025, Oracle filed its quarterly financial report on Form 10-Q with the SEC, which revealed that the Company had “$248 billion of additional lease commitments, substantially all related to data centers and cloud capacity arrangements, that are generally expected to commence between the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2028 and for terms of fifteen to nineteen years that were not reflected on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of November 30, 2025.” Analysts at CreditSights later labeled this revelation a “bombshell disclosure,” noting that the Company’s lease commitments had increased massively from the prior quarter, when the Company had reported just under $100 billion in lease commitments. As Bloomberg reported, “Oracle’s future lease exposure far exceeds similar commitments by peers,” with “a mismatch between the long duration of the property leases and much shorter contracts with key customers such as OpenAI.”

On December 12, 2025, Bloomberg further reported that Oracle had “pushed back the completion dates for some of the data centers it’s developing for the artificial intelligence model developer OpenAI to 2028 from 2027” due to “labor and material shortages”—suggesting that Oracle’s promised revenue growth resulting from its increased spending may be further delayed, if it arrives at all.   In response to these revelations, the price of Oracle common stock declined $8.88 per share, or approximately 4.5%, from a close of $198.85 per share on December 11, 2025, to close at $189.97 per share on December 12, 2025.

On December 17, 2025, Financial Times reported that Blue Owl Capital—“the primary [financial] backer for Oracle’s largest data centre projects in the US”—had backed out of funding a $10 billion Oracle data center intended to serve OpenAI. According to the report, Blue Owl pulled out of the deal as a result of concerns about Oracle’s spending commitments and rising debt levels. On this news, the price of Oracle common stock declined $10.19 per share, or approximately 5.4%, from a close of $188.65 per share on December 16, 2025, to close at $178.46 per share on December 17, 2025.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts, about the Company’s business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Oracle’s AI infrastructure strategy would result in massive increases in CapEx without equivalent, near-term growth in revenue; (2) the Company’s substantially increased spending created serious risks involving Oracle’s debt and credit rating, free cash flow, and ability to fund its projects, among other concerns; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ representations about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS FOR ORACLE CORPORATION INVESTORS:

Oracle investors may, no later than April 6, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation.  The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Oracle investors to contact the firm directly for more information about the lawsuit.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (KTMC) is a leading U.S. plaintiff-side law firm focused on securities-fraud class actions and global investor protection. The firm represents individual investors as well as institutions, such as major pension funds, asset managers, and international investors. KTMC has led some of the largest recoveries in securities litigation and has been recognized by peers and the legal media with numerous accolades, including The National Law Journal’s Plaintiff’s Hot List and Trailblazers in Plaintiffs' Law, BTI Consulting Group’s Honor Roll of Most Feared Law Firms, The Legal Intelligencer’s Class Action Firm of the Year, Lawdragon’s Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, and Law360’s Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. The firm operates globally with offices in Pennsylvania and California. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
Jonathan Naji, Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
[email protected]         

May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

IoTeX reported containing a hack with losses around $2 million, disputing on-chain analyst estimates placing the theft at $4.3 million.

Summary

IoTeX confirms $2M exploit and pauses chain for security upgrades. Analysts estimate $4.3M after token minting and cross-chain laundering. Exchanges and law enforcement work to freeze stolen funds. The blockchain platform stated it coordinated with exchanges and law enforcement to freeze stolen funds following what it called a “long-planned attack by professional actors targeting multiple chains.”

On-chain analyst Specter posted that IoTeX’s private key may have been compromised, resulting in multiple contract assets being drained including USDC, USDT, IOTX, PAYG, WBTC, and BUSD.

The private key of @iotex_io may have been compromised, resulting in their token safe being drained for a total loss of approximately $4.3M.

The attacker drained multiple contract assets, including: USDC, USDT, IOTX, PAYG, WBTC, BUSD

The stolen assets were swapped for ETH, and… pic.twitter.com/xbNdwq83yD

— Specter (@SpecterAnalyst) February 21, 2026 The attacker swapped stolen assets for ETH and bridged 45 ETH to Bitcoin, while also minting 111 million CIOTEX tokens.

IoTeX said chain operations and deposits will resume in 24-48 hours after security upgrades are finalized.

IoTeX disputes $4.3M loss estimate with $2M confirmation IoTeX’s initial statement acknowledged “suspicious activity involving an IoTeX token safe” and noted that “potential loss is lower than circulating rumors suggest.”

The team said it coordinated with major exchanges and security partners actively assisting in tracing and freezing the attacker’s assets.

The updated statement confirmed “the exploit impact is around $2M USD (including USDC, USDT, IOTX, and WBTC).”

🚨 Update on the recent security incident:

Our team has contained the situation and the IoTeX chain is being secured. Current data confirms the exploit impact is around $2M USD (including USDC, USDT, IOTX, and WBTC).

Investigations show this was a sophisticated, long-planned…

— IoTeX (@iotex_io) February 21, 2026 Specter’s analysis showed the attacker drained multiple contract assets and executed a multi-step laundering process.

Stolen funds were swapped for ETH, with at least 45 ETH bridged to Bitcoin where tracing becomes more difficult. The minting of 111 million CIOTEX tokens shows the attacker gained control over token issuance functions.

Chain secured with 24-48 hour downtime for upgrades IoTeX suspended chain operations following the discovery. “Our team has contained the situation and the IoTeX chain is being secured,” the platform announced.

Deposits and normal operations will resume within 24-48 hours pending completion of security upgrades.

The team works with law enforcement to investigate and recover funds. IoTeX also committed to transparent updates as the situation develops.

Journalist

Posted: February 22, 2026

ZCash [ZEC] has experienced a 6.68% drawdown over the past week, but there was short-term bullish potential for the privacy token. A Bitcoin [BTC] price move beyond the $70k local supply zone would also help the market-wide short-term confidence.

AMBCrypto reported that ZEC faced a sizeable capital flight in the perpetuals market, amounting to $52 million. Large liquidations over the past month outlined the frequent price volatility.

The growth in shielded supply and transactions was a long-term positive development that entrenched the privacy narrative. In the short-term, the reaction from the $187 long-term support was an encouraging sight for the bulls.

Why a rebound to $357 is likely

Source: ZEC/USDT on TradingView

On the daily chart, the RSI was at a slightly bearish 43 reading. The OBV has not made considerable new highs in February and was slumping back toward the local lows. Together, they showed why traders need to remain bearish.

Yet, these indicators are inherently lagging. The price action revealed a different story.

The imbalance (white box at $250) and the local former resistance at $251 (orange) have been tested and defended over the past two days. The reaction at $187, the long-term support, was followed by a brief upward move to $320 that has since withdrawn.

Yet, there is potential for the current move to extend beyond $320.

The short-term bullish ZCash argument

Source: ZEC/USDT on TradingView

Zooming in on the H4 structure, we can see that it has flipped bullishly after reclaiming $251 as support. This level had been a local supply zone two weeks ago.

While the prevalent swing structure was indeed bearish on this timeframe, the current price action leaves room for a deeper upward retracement before the primary bearish move can continue.

The 61.8% and 78.6% Fibonacci retracement levels represent a golden zone for traders to enter the market. Even though the trading volume is low, traders can watch out for a ZCash rally to $320 and $357.

Traders can look for a low-risk long from $260 to these resistance levels. Alternatively, they can wait for a rejection from $357 to go short.

Final Summary The ZCash long-term narrative was entrenched, and the defense of the $187 support reinforced the idea of a ZEC comeback. It is unclear how high this rebound can go. For now, traders can benefit from having a conservative outlook and not expect the bounce to break the lower timeframe structures. Disclaimer: The information presented does not constitute financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice and is solely the writer’s opinion.

TLDR: Bitcoin has recovered to a new all-time high after every 40–50% correction recorded between 2014 and 2026.  The average trough-to-cycle-high multiple across nine correction events sits at approximately 3.4 times the low.  Recovery time within this correction range averages 9 to 14 months, far shorter than full bear market timelines.  Bitcoin’s maximum drawdown severity has declined each cycle, dropping from 84% in 2018 to roughly 50% today. Bitcoin’s historical price behavior shows a consistent pattern that long-term analysts have tracked for over a decade.

When the asset drops between 40% and 50% from a cycle peak, it has recovered to new all-time highs in every recorded instance since 2014.

As of February 21, 2026, Bitcoin trades near $67,707, down roughly 47–50% from its October 2025 peak of $124,700. That places the current drawdown squarely within this historically notable correction range.

What Defines a 40–50% Correction in Bitcoin’s Cycle A 40–50% correction refers to a drawdown from a running cycle peak to its lowest trough, with the maximum decline falling between those two percentages.

The peak is measured as the running high before a new high is set. The trough marks the deepest point of the pullback before recovery begins.

According to an analysis by market commentator Adam Livingston, the dataset covers daily Bitcoin price history from 2014 through February 20, 2026.

It identifies roughly nine distinct events fitting this correction definition. Only closed events count, meaning the drawdown period ends only when a new all-time high is confirmed.

This definition deliberately excludes deeper bear market crashes, where losses exceed 70%. Those recoveries typically take much longer. The 40–50% bucket behaves differently, and the data treats it as a separate category of market behavior.

Key Data Points From Nine Historical Events The average multiple from the correction trough to the next cycle high sits at approximately 3.4 times. The range across all events runs from roughly 1.8 times on the lower end to 5.6 times at the top. That range reflects how different each recovery can be in magnitude.

Livingston noted that even the one event that eventually rolled into a deeper bear market still produced a roughly 116% gain and reached a new all-time high just after the 365-day mark.

As he wrote, “Even the ‘bad’ one still embarrassed the skeptics.” That recovery happened despite the correction preceding an extended downturn.

Average recovery time to a prior high within this correction range runs approximately 9 to 14 months. Full bear markets, by comparison, have historically taken 24 to 36 months or longer to recover. That represents a notably faster timeline for this specific correction bucket.

The Current Setup and What History Suggests As of February 21, 2026, Bitcoin sits around $67,707. The October 2025 peak reached $124,700, placing the current drawdown at approximately 47–50%. That range matches the textbook entry zone identified across the historical dataset.

Livingston also pointed out that Bitcoin has shown early rebound behavior, trading roughly 8% above its February 5 low.

Historically, these initial snapbacks tend to follow a period where forced selling exhausts itself and selling pressure drops. The pattern repeats across multiple cycles in the data.

Beyond the current setup, the analysis also noted that maximum drawdown severity has decreased over successive cycles. The 2018 bear market saw drawdowns near 84%.

The 2022 cycle reached around 77%. The current cycle’s largest drawdown sits near 50%, which suggests growing market depth and stronger structural demand over time.

Bitcoin has been range-bound this weekend, hovering between $67,563 and $68,636 over the last day on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, and derivatives traders have been anything but quiet. Futures and options data show billions in open interest stacked across major exchanges, with calls maintaining a firm edge over puts.

TLDR: Bitcoin’s capitulation hits critical levels with $643M in realized losses and 46.08% of supply underwater. Short-term holders with SOPR at 0.98 and MVRV at 0.73 are systematically selling BTC below entry price. Medium whales offloaded 91,580 BTC in 30 days while the Whale Ratio climbed to a telling 74% reading. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $404M in outflows Feb 17–19 as miners and retail quietly accumulated the sold supply. Who is behind the selling pressure currently gripping the Bitcoin market? On-chain data now points to three specific groups driving the capitulation.

A total of $643 million in realized losses has been recorded, with 46.08% of the Bitcoin supply sitting underwater. The evidence is clear, this is not a broad market selloff.

Identifiable cohorts are responsible, and their behavior is trackable through on-chain metrics.

Short-Term Holders Are the Primary Source of Panic Selling Short-term holders (STHs) sit at the center of the current capitulation. These are buyers who entered the market within the last six months, largely near cycle highs.

The STH-SOPR reading of 0.98 confirms they are selling consistently below their purchase price. Every transaction below 1.0 on this metric represents a realized loss being locked in by this group.

The STH-MVRV ratio adds further weight to this picture, currently reading at 0.73. That number reflects a cohort that is deeply underwater and actively exiting positions.

Rather than holding through the drawdown, these participants are choosing to sell at a loss. Their collective behavior is one of the clearest signs of active capitulation in the current cycle.

GugaOnChain’s on-chain analysis confirms that STH behavior is systematic, not isolated. The losses are being realized repeatedly across multiple sessions, not in a single spike.

This pattern suggests that fear, not strategy, is driving their exit decisions. It is the textbook behavior of speculative participants caught on the wrong side of the market.

Beyond the metrics, the timing of their entries matters here. Buyers from the last six months purchased Bitcoin when sentiment was elevated and prices were near local highs.

They are now facing significant paper losses that many are unwilling to hold through. That psychological pressure is directly translating into consistent sell-side volume on exchanges.

Medium Whales and ETF Institutions Are Amplifying the Pressure Medium whales holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC have offloaded 91,580 BTC over the past 30 days. This is the most aggressive distribution coming from any single cohort in the current period.

Whales holding above 10,000 BTC have also reduced exposure by 22,280 BTC during the same window. Together, these two groups represent a coordinated and large-scale exit from the market.

The Whale Ratio currently sits at 74%, reinforcing that large players are routing significant volume toward exchanges.

This metric measures large transactions as a share of total exchange inflows. A reading this elevated has historically preceded continued downward price movement. It confirms that whale distribution is active and ongoing, not yet exhausted.

Institutional Bitcoin ETFs recorded $404 million in net outflows between February 17 and 19, 2026. These outflows directly translate into spot market selling pressure from regulated vehicles.

Institutions reducing exposure during periods of stress add a layer of selling that retail markets struggle to absorb. Their exit compounds the pressure already created by STHs and medium whales.

While these three groups lead the capitulation, a separate set of participants is moving in the opposite direction. Miners, small whales, and retail buyers are steadily accumulating the supply being offloaded.

This dynamic; where distressed sellers transfer coins to patient accumulators: is a recurring feature of Bitcoin’s correction phases. The identity of the sellers is now clear, and so is the identity of those stepping in to buy.

Ethereum shows signs of strength, but the bullish picture only emerges on an inverted chart. On the standard view, the downtrend remains intact until key resistance is reclaimed, making the current optimism conditional.

Inverted Structure Reinforces Ethereum Bearish HTF Outlook Presenting an inverted chart in a recent update, Mizer explained that he has been short on Ethereum for several days, outlining what he believes could unfold on the higher time frame (HTF). Mizer clarified that this doesn’t necessarily plan to hold the full position to his projected targets, as he prefers focusing on lower time frame (LTF) opportunities given the difficulty of forecasting HTF moves in the current macro environment.

According to Mizer, Ethereum’s HTF structure remains clear: a distribution phase followed by consistent breakdowns since the $5,000 peak. A parabolic curve formed off that top is a key indicator of this pattern, noting that the price has respected it for months. Until that parabola is decisively broken and price holds above it, the broader downtrend remains intact.

Source: Chart from Mizer on X Zooming into the current price action, Mizer highlighted a strong impulse move into this zone marked by a purple line. This area represents a significant support/resistance flip on the inverted chart: previously resistance, it was broken and now functions as support. Mizer is now closely watching the small blue box on the right side of the chart, which represents the current consolidation following the impulse. 

Two Scenarios From Consolidation The analyst further explained that from the current consolidation zone, there are two primary scenarios unfolding: either continuation after a shallow pullback, or a brief fake breakdown followed by a swift reclaim before the next leg higher on the inverted chart, which would translate to further downside for ETH itself.

He described the purple path on his chart as his “ideal” bullish scenario on the inverted structure, essentially tracking price as it continues to respect the long-standing parabolic curve. As long as that parabola remains intact, the broader bearish trajectory remains his base case.

Regarding targets, he divided expectations into short- and long-term objectives. The immediate target sits around $1,700, which he views as the first logical area to take profits and monitor for a potential reaction strong enough to challenge or even break the parabolic resistance.

The final target lies near $1,400, representing the larger extension if momentum fully plays out. However, he emphasized that the setup would be invalidated if ETH loses the key flip zone and begins accepting below it on the inverted chart, a move that would break the parabola and potentially signal a broader trend reversal.

ETH trading at $1,965 on the 1D chart | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous architect who introduced Bitcoin in a 2008 white paper and solved the double-spending problem, remains one of the most enigmatic figures in modern finance.

Nakamoto was active until roughly 2010, before disappearing, leaving behind what is widely considered the largest single Bitcoin holding: 1.096 million BTC spread across numerous early addresses.

Despite speculation linking Dorian Nakamoto, Craig Wright, Nick Szabo, and Peter Todd to the identity, none has been definitively proven to be Bitcoin’s creator.

Recent social media claims suggested that Satoshi’s fortune could be unlocked with a simple 24-word seed phrase. That assertion was dismissed by Galaxy Digital research head Alex Thorn as “fake news” and “dumb slop.”

Early Bitcoin wallets predate the 2013 BIP 39 standard, which introduced 12- and 24-word seed phrases. Moreover, the holdings are distributed across many pay-to-public-key addresses rather than a single wallet, eliminating the notion of a single master phrase controlling the entire trove.

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A deeper concern now centers on quantum computing. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju argues that a future Bitcoin security upgrade may require freezing dormant coins to prevent exposure to quantum attacks.

Bitcoin’s cryptography is secure against classical computers, but sufficiently advanced quantum machines could theoretically derive private keys from exposed public keys. Once a public key is revealed on a chain, vulnerability becomes permanent.

With that, an estimated 6.89 million BTC may be at risk of quantum computing attacks, including 1.91 million BTC in inherently exposed P2PK addresses and up to 4.98 million BTC from prior spends.

Roughly 3.4 million BTC have been dormant for over a decade, including about 1 million attributed to Satoshi. Achieving consensus to freeze such coins would be contentious, just like past governance battles.

At a current price of $68,358, Satoshi’s reported holdings are valued at roughly $75 billion, highlighting both the technical and philosophical stakes.