Ethereum is navigating a period of heightened volatility and uncertainty as it hovers around the critical $2,000 threshold. While recent price action suggests temporary stabilization after weeks of selling pressure, conviction remains limited. The $2,000 level is functioning less as confirmed support and more as a psychological battleground where short-term positioning, liquidity conditions, and sentiment are colliding. A recent analysis from Arab Chain offers additional structural insight through the ETH Binance Liquid vs. Illiquid Supply Model. This framework separates Ethereum held on Binance into liquid supply — coins readily available for trading — and illiquid supply, which is comparatively less likely to move in the short term. As of February, Binance’s total ETH reserves stand at approximately 3.57 million ETH. Of this amount, around 1.16 million ETH is classified as liquid supply, while 2.40 million ETH is categorized as illiquid. This distribution matters. A relatively smaller liquid component can limit immediate sell-side pressure, but it does not eliminate risk if sentiment deteriorates. Conversely, a larger illiquid base may reflect longer holding behavior or strategic positioning rather than imminent distribution. At a moment when price hovers near a key technical pivot, the composition of exchange reserves becomes a meaningful variable in assessing Ethereum’s next structural move. Liquid vs. Illiquid Supply Signals A Fragile Equilibrium The current reserve composition on Binance suggests Ethereum is operating within a structurally balanced environment rather than an immediate distribution phase. With illiquid supply accounting for the majority of the 3.57 million ETH held on the platform, a substantial portion of coins appears relatively dormant. Illiquid balances are typically associated with longer holding horizons or reduced trading frequency, which tends to dampen immediate sell-side pressure. This matters at a time when ETH is hovering near $2,000. A dominant illiquid share implies that most holders are not actively positioning for a rapid exit. In previous cycles, sharp increases in liquid supply often preceded volatility spikes, as coins became readily available for market execution. That dynamic is not yet evident at scale. By contrast, liquid supply historically expands during speculative phases, when traders rotate capital aggressively or prepare for directional exposure. The absence of a pronounced expansion suggests that, for now, speculative intensity remains contained. The relatively stable gap between liquid and illiquid supply indicates equilibrium between holding behavior and active trading. However, this balance is conditional. A meaningful shift toward higher liquid supply would increase the probability of renewed volatility. Conversely, sustained illiquid dominance could help absorb price shocks and moderate downside acceleration. Ethereum Tests Long-Term Support As Downtrend Accelerates Ethereum remains under structural pressure as price hovers near the $2,000 region following a sharp breakdown from the $3,200–$3,400 zone. The weekly chart shows a clear loss of bullish structure, with lower highs forming since the late-2025 peak and momentum decisively shifting to the downside. Price is now trading below the 50-week and 100-week moving averages, both of which are beginning to flatten or slope downward. This configuration typically signals weakening intermediate momentum and a transition into a corrective phase. Notably, Ethereum briefly tested levels near $1,800 before bouncing, suggesting the presence of reactive demand in that liquidity pocket. However, the recovery remains limited and has not yet reclaimed key moving averages. The 200-week moving average, positioned lower on the chart, remains upward sloping, indicating that the broader macro trend has not fully reversed. Historically, this level has served as strong structural support during deeper cycle corrections. If downside pressure resumes, this zone could become a critical area to monitor. Volume expanded significantly during the recent selloff, reflecting forced positioning adjustments rather than gradual distribution. Since then, activity has moderated, pointing to temporary stabilization. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

AAVE is being tested at critical support levels at 112.80 dollars; RSI at 40 shows weak momentum, while MACD gives a mildly bullish signal. Bitcoin's downtrend is increasing pressure on altcoins; m...

In UNI, LH/LL downtrend dominates, $3.6776 support is critical. Bullish BOS above $3.7612, BTC downtrend is increasing the downward pressure.

BlockBeats News, February 28th, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a post discussing Ethereum's scaling roadmap, pointing out that scaling should be divided into two stages: short-term and long-term. Short-term scaling mainly relies on the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade, which will be achieved through block-level access lists to enable parallel validation, extending the ePBS mechanism's block validation window, and Gas repricing to measure actual operation time, while introducing multi-dimensional Gas to differentiate different resource consumption and avoid state bloat issues.During the Glamsterdam upgrade phase, the "state creation cost" will be initially separated, allowing state creation Gas to not count towards the regular Gas limit, thus supporting larger contract creation. The EVM will maintain compatibility through a "reservoir" mechanism to ensure that subcalls and Gas operations continue to function as normal. The future will gradually transition to multi-dimensional Gas pricing to achieve long-term economic sustainability while retaining flexibility.The long-term scaling will focus on ZK-EVM and blobs. Through iterations of the PeerDAS, the ultimate goal of blobs is to achieve 8MB/s data availability, enabling block data to directly enter blobs for validation without the need for full download. ZK-EVM will adopt a phased rollout, first allowing 5% network usage in 2026, expanding to a larger proportion in 2027, and ultimately transitioning to a "3-of-5" multi-proof system that allows nodes to verify without re-execution, ensuring security and a very high Gas limit.

The former CEO of the defunct exchange Mt. Gox, Mark Karpelès, has reignited one of Bitcoin’s fiercest ideological debates after publishing a draft proposal. Karpelès is calling for a Bitcoin hard fork that would allow almost 80,000 BTC, valued at more than $5.2 billion at current prices, to be recovered from a wallet linked to the exchange’s 2011 hack. This development comes as $4 billion was stolen in 255 crypto hacks in 2025. Within centralized exchanges, DeFi protocols and infrastructure providers, attackers got away with over $2 billion in the 10 largest incidents — roughly on par with the “nearly $2.2 billion” stolen in 2024. However, the damage was far more concentrated. While the sheer number of mid-tier exploits increased from a year earlier, 2025 also saw the largest crypto theft ever recorded, with Bybit’s $1.4 billion breach in February of that year. For the moment, Tornado Cash experienced renewed usage following the lifting of sanctions in March 2025. In the second half of the year, the mixer was used in over 70% of hacks involving mixers. Mt. Gox recovery proposal reopens Bitcoin immutability debate In a recently published tentative proposal , Karpelès proposed a one-time change to the consensus rules that would enable Bitcoin already inside a long-dormant wallet connected to the heist to be transferred to a recovery address held by the Mt. Gox rehabilitation process. The targeted address already received the funds after a documented compromise of Mt. Gox systems in June 2011, and the coins have gone untouched for more than 15 years . Under Bitcoin’s existing guidelines, the funds may only be moved using the original private keys, widely believed to be lost or unavailable. Karpelès says its exceptional conditions would mandate a narrowly scoped protocol intervention — he recasts the request as a technical discussion, rather than a direct upgrade request. The draft specifies that the rule change would apply only to the single theft address, although network participants could adopt the change to activate it at a later block height. Recovered funds would then be awarded to verified creditors through Japan’s ongoing court-supervised civil rehabilitation process, which controls repayments after the collapse of Mt. Gox in 2014. Critics warn targeted rule change could fracture network consensus The proposal would bring into sharper relief a long-standing philosophical rift in the Bitcoin community — whether verifiable acts of theft should ever justify changing blockchain history. Proponents might see the plan as a rare opportunity to return billions in idle assets to victims of one of crypto’s biggest exchange collapses. Mt. Gox used to process up to 70% of global Bitcoin trading before it lost several hundred thousand BTC, a disaster that profoundly influenced industry security standards and trust. Critics, however, caution that altering ownership rules could erode Bitcoin’s enduring promise of immutability. The proposal itself notes these risks to network consensus, stating that a hard fork, if coordinated with miners, developers, and node operators, cannot upgrade a chain and will risk fracturing network consensus in a chain split. Significantly, the contested coins are separate from assets that are already being distributed to creditors. Some 200,000 BTC were previously recovered and consolidated into trustee control, with the aim of setting a precedent and enabling repayments from 2024, continuing through October 2026. Whether Karpelès’ proposal takes hold remains a distant destination, but by countering Bitcoin’s historical resistance to transaction reversals, the plan has already reopened a fundamental question for the planet’s biggest cryptocurrency: Should we embrace absolute immutability, even though billions of stolen funds are unlikely to move again? Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

Building software has never been against the law. But in recent years, some crypto and blockchain developers have found themselves facing federal criminal charges simply for creating tools that others used to move cryptocurrency — even when those developers never held a single dollar of anyone’s money. A new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives is aimed squarely at closing that gap. A Bipartisan Push To Protect Developers Representatives Scott Fitzgerald, Ben Cline, and Zoe Lofgren announced Thursday that they are sponsoring the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act. The legislation targets a specific section of federal law — Section 1960 — which currently prohibits the operation of unlicensed money transmitting businesses. The bill would tighten the definition so that the law applies only to those who actually hold or control other people’s digital assets. Developers who write code, maintain networks, or build platforms without ever touching user funds would be explicitly excluded from that category. New bipartisan bill protects US software developers from unfair criminal prosecution @RepFitzgerald , @RepBenCline , @RepZoeLofgren introduced ‘Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act of 2026’ to protect engineers—who write code but do not control other people’s… pic.twitter.com/NCO3UTgVjC — DeFi Education Fund (@fund_defi) February 26, 2026 The bill drew quick support from two prominent crypto advocacy groups. The Blockchain Association called it a critical step toward encouraging more US-based developers to build at home rather than abroad. The DeFi Education Fund (DEF) went further, saying the legislation would allow software builders to “construct neutral technology here at home without worrying about being criminally prosecuted as if they are a financial intermediary.” We applaud the bipartisan Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act of 2026 introduced today by @RepFitzgerald , @RepBenCline , and @RepZoeLofgren . The targeted fixes in this bill will help to strengthen US leadership in the infrastructure of the future by creating a… — Jump Crypto (@jump_) February 26, 2026 Both organizations have long argued that existing law has been applied too broadly against developers who had no direct role in how their tools were used. Real Prosecutions Behind The Push For Change The urgency behind this bill is not theoretical. Reports say the cases of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm and the founders of Samourai Wallet have become rallying points for the crypto developer community. Storm was convicted in August 2025 on charges of running an unlicensed money transmitting business — a verdict that sent shockwaves through the industry. Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and Will Lonergan Hill pleaded guilty to similar charges and were later handed prison sentences of five and four years respectively. In both cases, the developers built tools used by others to transfer funds, but did not themselves hold or manage those assets. Storm had yet to be sentenced as of Thursday and still faces unresolved charges tied to two separate counts. Whether the new legislation, if it becomes law, would have any bearing on cases already filed remains an open question. The bill appears to be written with future prosecutions in mind rather than those already underway. The Senate Is Already Working On Its Own Version The House bill does not exist in isolation. Reports say US Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden introduced their own developer protection measure in January — the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act — which takes a similar position: that writing code or keeping a network running does not make someone a money transmitter under federal law. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

When US crypto regulators cracked down on Tornado Cash in 2022, the assumption was simple: shut down the tool, shut down the problem. It didn’t work out that way. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin The Poor Man’s Hedge Against Inflation? Coinbase CEO Thinks So New research from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) shows that coin mixer usage has climbed back toward pre-ban levels — and that the people most effectively pushed out by the sanctions were not the criminals, but ordinary users seeking financial privacy. Railgun Now Dominates A Recovering Market According to CCAF researchers Wenbin Wu and Keith Bear, total crypto mixer transactions reached approximately 32,000 in 2025 — a significant jump from roughly 21,000 in 2024 and 16,000 in 2023. Usage has been climbing steadily since the US Treasury lifted its sanctions against Tornado Cash on March 21, 2025. Railgun, a protocol that screens deposits against lists of flagged addresses, now handles 71% of all mixer transaction volume. Tornado Cash accounts for around 25% of 2025 transactions, while Privacy Pools holds the remaining 5%. Both Railgun and Privacy Pools attempt to filter out known bad actors before crypto funds enter the system. But reports from CCAF note a meaningful gap — blacklists are updated only as new exploits are discovered, leaving a window where funds from freshly flagged addresses can still pass through. Sanctions Scared Off Legitimate Users More Than Criminals The 2022 crackdown caused immediate disruption. Tornado Cash’s daily transactions collapsed by 97% within days. Across the broader mixer market, volume fell 45%. But the disruption was uneven. Wu told researchers that sanctions “primarily deterred compliant users while illicit actors adapted” — first by migrating to alternative platforms, then to cross-chain bridges and decentralized exchanges altogether. Deposit patterns tell the same story. Before 2022, centralized exchanges — which require identity verification — contributed meaningfully to mixer funding. After the ban, those deposits essentially vanished. By 2025, 95% of all crypto mixer funding came from unlabeled wallet addresses with no recorded entity ties, up from 76% in 2020. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off Slows Down, But The Road To Recovery Is Long — Analyst Most Transactions Now Happen Within 24 Hours Before the ban, most mixer activity occurred more than 24 hours after wallet creation. That pattern has flipped. Researchers say this faster behavior is “consistent with users seeking to avoid identification.” Still, a 2023 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis paper found that only around 30% of Tornado Cash traffic could be linked to illegitimate sources — a reminder that privacy tools serve lawful purposes too. The demand, from both camps, never went away. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP is aligning DeFi growth, ETF demand, and strengthening technical resilience.

With the CLARITY Act nearing completion, investors are watching closely for signals from U.S. regulators that could trigger the next bull run. Clear regulations in the US are no small thing. They’ve been a core demand of the industry since its inception. So, when they finally arrive XRP, Solana and Dogecoin could be the biggest growers. Here’s why. Discover: The best meme coins in the world right now. XRP (XRP): Stablecoin and Tokenization Infrastructure Could Drive Price Toward $5 XRP ($XRP) carries a market capitalization of roughly $84 billion, which has helped it become the top crypto in global remittance. Created by Ripple, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is designed to simplify international money transfers, offering rapid settlement times and extremely low transaction fees that position it as a serious challenger to SWIFT. Ripple has recently reaffirmed its strategy to develop XRPL as foundational infrastructure for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, while highlighting XRP as the network’s primary utility and liquidity asset. XRP has also been cited in reports from the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the White House, both spotlighting its potential. At the same time, the recent approval of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. has broadened access for institutional and retail participants alike. On the charts, XRP appears to be forming a bullish flag pattern, suggesting a potential breakout that could push the price up to $5 by Q2 if US regulation arrives. Solana (SOL): Ethereum’s Leading Rival May Hit New Highs Soon Solana ($SOL) remains the largest smart contract platform outside of Ethereum, with approximately $6.6 billion in total value locked (TVL) and a market capitalization near $47 billion. Trading around $83, SOL has reconverged with its 30-day moving average, which may signal the end of downturn that happened after a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern appeared on its chart. The relative strength index (RSI) is hovering near 41 and trending upward, pointing to a gradual return of buying momentum. A decisive move above resistance levels near $200 and $275 could pave the way for Solana to set a new all-time high above its previous one ($293.31) by summer. Further strengthening its case, major asset managers such as BlackRock and Franklin Templeton have selected Solana as the underlying blockchain for tokenized investment products, giving it a head start in a rapidly expanding sector of digital finance. Dogecoin (DOGE): Can the Pioneer Meme Coin Move Closer to $1? Launched in 2013, Dogecoin ($DOGE) remains the original and largest meme coin, with a market capitalization of approximately $16 billion. DOGE gained widespread attention during the 2021 bull market thanks to heavy promotion by celebrities including Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg, and Gene Simmons. Although it began as a parody, Dogecoin’s scale has helped reduce the extreme volatility seen in smaller meme coins. As a result, DOGE often tracks broader market movements alongside assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The long-running “Dogecoin to $1” narrative continues to motivate its community. Should market conditions continue to improve, DOGE could make meaningful progress toward that milestone, potentially rising from around $0.09 today to above $0.50 by mid-year. Bitcoin Hyper Brings Solana’s Speed and Utility to Bitcoin While established assets like XRP, Solana and Dogecoin offer compelling upside potential, the largest returns often come from early exposure to innovative new projects. One new presale token, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) , extends Bitcoin’s capabilities by introducing Solana style speed and efficiency through a Layer 2 scaling solution. The protocol lowers transaction costs while preserving Bitcoin’s core security model. Bitcoin Hyper enables users to stake assets, earn yield, trade tokens, and interact with smart contracts without moving funds off the Bitcoin network. With $31.6 million already raised in its ongoing presale and growing interest from major investors and exchange platforms, $HYPER is one of the most hotly tipped crypto launches of the year. Investors interested in purchasing $HYPER at its fixed presale price can visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a supported wallet such as Best Wallet . Purchases are also available via bank card. Visit the Official Website Here The post Crypto Price Prediction Today 26 February – XRP, Solana, Dogecoin appeared first on Cryptonews .

Bitcoin is back under fire after Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales warned it could one day trade below $10,000 fueling bearish price prediction . Wales does not think Bitcoin goes to zero. But he questions whether it truly becomes global money or a reliable store of value. People who think that Bitcoin is going to zero are likely mistaken. The design is robust enough that it will continue to exist in perpetuity, barring some currently unforeseen breakdown in cryptography or a surprise 51% attack (even then, a fork would carry on I would imagine).… — Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) February 25, 2026 In his view, the network may survive technically for decades, yet price could still drift toward what he calls “hobbyist levels” by 2050. From today’s ~$67,736, that would mean an 80%+ long-term decline. He also pushed back on the idea that institutional adoption or ETF inflows guarantee stability. Accumulation alone, he argues, does not solve the core question of utility. The comments reignite the identity debate. Is Bitcoin digital gold, peer-to-peer cash, or simply a speculative asset? Critics say the narrative keeps shifting. Supporters point to its survival through multiple crashes as proof of structural strength. Bitcoin Price Prediction: Should Investors Panic? Wales is not calling for an immediate crash, but his warning directly challenges the long-term bullish thesis. If you ask me, I would ignore most boomers’ views about Bitcoin and look at the chart, which, honestly, doesn’t look great. Source: BTCUSD / TradingView Bitcoin just broke below the lower edge of the triangle, and that shifts the short-term structure bearish. Instead of building pressure toward $71,000, price lost rising support and slid back toward $64,000. That invalidates the immediate breakout setup and gives sellers momentum back. Now $64,000 is the key. It has already been tested multiple times. If it breaks cleanly, $60,000 opens, and the triangle is likely a distribution. That could trigger a deeper liquidity sweep. Zooming out, this still looks like a broader corrective phase after a major expansion. As long as $60,000 holds on higher timeframes, the long-term bullish structure stays intact. Short-term pressure is down. Long-term trend only changes if $60,000 is decisively lost. Can Bitcoin Hyper Presale Grab Everyone’s Attention? One Of The Most Anticipated Projects In 2026 Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a new presale., powered by Solana tech, basically makes Bitcoin way faster and cheaper to use without messing with its core security. It turns Bitcoin from something you just watch on a chart into something you actually use. Payments, staking, apps, and real on-chain activity. And this is not just hype. The Bitcoin Hyper presale has already raised over $32 million, with $HYPER currently priced at $0.0136751 before the next increase. Staking is offering up to 37% right now, which grabs attention. If Bitcoin rips, Bitcoin Hyper is likely to ride the momentum. If Bitcoin moves sideways, Bitcoin Hyper can still benefit from network usage. It is positioned around activity, not just price candles. To buy HYPER before it lists on exchanges, simply visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a wallet (such as Best Wallet ). Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Wikipedia Founder Warns BTC Could Collapse Below $10K — Should Investors Panic? appeared first on Cryptonews .

Cardano has integrated USDC-backed liquidity through USDCx, strengthening its push toward institutional-grade DeFi and payments.

Morgan Stanley is taking another step deeper into Bitcoin, which is fueling bullish price predictions . The $9T asset manager is weighing plans to let clients custody and trade Bitcoin directly on its platform, according to its head of digital assets strategy. Yield and lending services tied to Bitcoin are also being explored, although the bank says it is still early in that process. JUST IN: Morgan Stanley’s Amy Oldenburg says the bank plans to introduce Bitcoin trading, lending, yield, and custody products pic.twitter.com/H0dB0pWKiP — DustyBC Crypto (@TheDustyBC) February 26, 2026 Instead of relying fully on third parties, Morgan Stanley plans to build much of its Bitcoin infrastructure in-house. The goal is reliability and tighter control over the technology stack, something the firm views as essential for a global banking brand. Importantly, this is not a sudden pivot. The bank has gradually warmed to crypto, increasing recommended portfolio allocations and describing Bitcoin as similar to digital gold. It has also expanded crypto related services through its E Trade platform and filed new crypto fund registrations. Morgan Stanley executives acknowledge that many clients already hold crypto off-platform. The move is about bringing those assets into a regulated banking environment rather than forcing adoption. Bitcoin Price Prediction: Is Wall Street going all in? No yet, but there is some possible accumulation. Bitcoin is now compressing between a descending resistance trendline and a rising support trendline, forming a tightening structure after the sharp selloff. Source: BTCUSD / TradingView Bitcoin bounced from the $63,000 to $64,000 support zone and pushed back up, but it is still stuck under $71,000. That $71,000 level is the wall. It lines up with the descending trendline and prior supply. Break it cleanly, and the lower high structure is gone. That likely opens the door to $80,000 first, then $85,000 to $90,000 if momentum expands. However, $64,000 is doing heavy lifting. It has already been tested several times. Another hard retest weakens it. If it breaks, $60,000 comes into play shortly after. Can Bitcoin Hyper Presale Grab Everyone’s Attention? One Of The Most Anticipated Projects In 2026 Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a new presale., powered by Solana tech, basically makes Bitcoin way faster and cheaper to use without messing with its core security. It turns Bitcoin from something you just watch on a chart into something you actually use. Payments, staking, apps, and real on-chain activity. And this is not just hype. The Bitcoin Hyper presale has already raised over $32 million, with $HYPER currently priced at $0.0136751 before the next increase. Staking is offering up to 37% right now, which grabs attention. If Bitcoin rips, Bitcoin Hyper is likely to ride the momentum. If Bitcoin moves sideways, Bitcoin Hyper can still benefit from network usage. It is positioned around activity, not just price candles. To buy HYPER before it lists on exchanges, simply visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a wallet (such as Best Wallet ). Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Morgan Stanley Is Bringing Bitcoin Inside the Bank — Is Wall Street Going All In? appeared first on Cryptonews .

Uniswap, Morpho, and Jupiter have emerged as top DeFi protocols enticing Wall Street investors. UNI and MORPHO have surged significantly over the last three days, posting double-digit gains after receiving investment prospects and token purchases from BlackRock and Apollo Global, respectively. Wall Street has continued to cement its interests and involvement in the DeFi ecosystem despite the ongoing market downturn. The global finance hub has shifted its strategy from mere partnerships with DeFi protocols to buying governance tokens and controlling infrastructure in core protocols. MORPHO UNI and JUP surge as Wall Street giants buy into the projects MORPHO, UNI, and JUP have recorded significant gains in the last few days as market participants in the Wall Street investment hub doubled down on accumulating governance and economic rights over core on-chain infrastructure. Wall Street is no longer treating DeFi as peripheral exposure. It is beginning to accumulate governance and economic rights over core on-chain infrastructure. Over the past 3 days: • $MORPHO +18% • $UNI +15% • $JUP +9.7% The catalyst: direct institutional positioning in… — CryptoRank.io (@CryptoRank_io) February 27, 2026 Morpho’s MORPHO token is up 17% in the last seven days, according to data from crypto data aggregator CoinMarketCap. Data from the crypto research & analytics platform CryptoRank shows that the token has surged by 18% over the last three days and is currently trading at $1.76. On the other hand, UNI and JUP are up 15% and 9.7% in the last three days. Uniswap is trading at $3.75, while JUP is currently at $0.152. CryptoRank credited the recent performance of the three tokens to direct institutional flows from Wall Street giants BlackRock, Apollo Global Management, and ParaFi. Apollo Global Management, a leading asset management firm with over $850 million in assets under management, agreed to purchase 90 million MORPHO tokens, with transactions spanning over the next four years. Once the purchase is complete, the asset management firm will have 9% of the total MORPHO supply in its books. According to data from DefiLlama, the DeFi protocol currently has $5.8 billion in total value locked (TVL) and a market capitalization of $999.73 million at the time of this publication. The acquisition gives Apollo Global governance rights and participation in the protocol’s decision-making process through the Morpho decentralized autonomous organization. On the other hand, BlackRock also purchased UNI tokens amid its plans to integrate its $2B tokenized Treasury fund (BUIDL) into Uniswap’s ecosystem. The integration will allow institutional users to access tokenized US Treasury exposure through the decentralized protocol’s DeFi ecosystem. According to a previous Cryptopolitan report dated February 11, Uniswap partnered with Securitize to fulfill the integration and bridge traditional finance with decentralized economies. The news sent UNI tokens soaring by nearly 30% in less than 24 hours. BlackRock’s stake in UNI tokens also allows the asset management firm to participate in the project’s governance and decision-making through the Uniswap DAO. Uniswap has a TVL of $2.994 billion and a market cap of $2.381 billion according to DefiLlama. Jupiter secures a $35M investment from ParaFi Capital Jupiter has also emerged as one of the DeFi protocols Wall Street market participants are watching. CryptoRank reported that ParaFi deployed $35M at market price into the Solana-based protocol Jupiter (JUP), with the investment company committing to an extended token lockup and warrants. The transaction was settled entirely in Jupiter’s newly issued stablecoin, JupUSD. Jupiter’s TVL, according to DefiLlama, sits at $2.012 billion, with a market cap of $539.97 million. Other Wall Street companies also joined the bandwagon earlier this month. In mid-February, Citadel Securities and Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest also executed strategic investments in LayerZero Labs by purchasing ZRO tokens to support the launch of the “Zero” blockchain. Cryptopolitan reported that Cathie Wood will join the project’s advisory board and that the project secured strategic backing from Google Cloud and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). LayerZero Labs also received further investments from Tether Investments, the investment arm of the USDT issuer. Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.

Bitcoin perpetual funding rates on major exchanges have flipped negative, signaling that short sellers now dominate the derivatives market and are paying to keep their positions open. While negative funding typically reflects bearish sentiment, one analyst is interpreting the current extreme as a potential setup for a short squeeze, arguing that excessive short positioning often precedes sharp upside reversals rather than continued downside. Funding Flips Negative as Shorts Crowd the Market In a February 27 market update, analyst Amr Taha noted that funding rates across major derivatives venues simultaneously moved into negative territory, with Binance at -0.005%, OKX at -0.007%, and Bybit at -0.011%. Funding rates are periodic payments between long and short traders in perpetual futures, and when they turn negative, it means short sellers are paying longs, reflecting dominant bearish positioning. Taha also pointed to data from the BTC liquidation heat map showing dense clusters of leveraged positions above the current price, many originating around the $92,000 level. According to the analyst, if Bitcoin pushes higher, those short positions could be forced to close, accelerating upside volatility. “If macroeconomic conditions improve, the probability of a renewed price pump in the short to medium term increases,” Taha wrote. They added that historically, heavy short exposure combined with negative funding has often foreshadowed sharp reversals, though the metric alone does not predict direction. Meanwhile, retail activity is also ticking up. Nino, a CryptoQuant contributor, indicated that trading frequency among smaller investors has spiked relative to its one-year average, a sign that individual participants are re-entering the market after weeks of caution. “The current spike underscores a growing sense of anticipation for the next major market expansion,” explained the analyst. Whale Flows and Market Structure In a separate post, Taha tracked roughly 1,700 BTC in positive net inflows from so-called “Octopus” wallets, representing medium-term holders, into Binance. A larger 5,000 BTC inflow from the same cohort on February 2 preceded a drop from above $77,500. This time, the movement, while positive, is significantly less aggressive, suggesting it may not carry the same bearish force. “Of course, market reaction also depends on liquidity conditions and broader positioning,” Taha stated. “But strictly from the chart data — the intensity is lower.” Bitcoin briefly tested $70,000 on February 26 but failed to hold that threshold, settling into a range between $66,600 and $68,600 over the past 24 hours per CoinGecko data, with observers at Glassnode saying that despite the relative stabilization, the BTC market is yet to recover. At the time of writing, the flagship cryptocurrency was trading almost 200 bucks below the $68,000 level, down slightly by 0.4% in the last 24 hours and seeing no change over seven days. However, on a 30-day basis, the asset is nearly 24% lower, and it is also about 46% below its October 2025 all-time high. The post Analyst: Deeply Negative Funding Rates Hint at BTC Bounce appeared first on CryptoPotato .

Alchemy launched a system on Base that allows AI agents to obtain compute credits with USDC. Agents can perform blockchain queries and NFT checks. Giants like Aave and Uniswap are using it. AAVE $1...

The Ethereum Foundation has launched an accelerator for Ethereum infrastructure projects with a run time of 12 months called Project Odin. Project Odin was created to build long-term business models for companies and diversify funding so operations can run smoothly. The new initiative is being introduced amid an austerity period for the leading decentralized platform, as it plans to move away from a grant-heavy, donation-dependent phase for its ecosystem. How does Project Odin change the way Ethereum projects get funded? The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has launched an initiative geared towards making sure essential tools do not run out of money, called Project Odin. For years, critical tools like libp2p have faced financial maydays and survived off temporary grants, but now the EF’s Funding Coordination team will bring in strategic advisors to work on non-technical gaps like fundraising strategy, planning, and hiring. Ethereum is currently preparing for the Glamsterdam upgrade, which is set to take place in the first half of 2026 and focuses on massive scaling and a gas limit target exceeding 100 million. However, the funding problem for public goods has always been “fragile, political, and cyclical.” A team builds a great tool, runs out of money, and then scrambles for a new grant. This scramble often happens when a team is under the most pressure, narrowing their options and distracting them from building. Project Odin makes plans for sustainability during its one-year run time. The process is divided into three distinct phases. Firstly, teams identify all available funding options, including DAO grants, quadratic funding, and service-based revenue, to understand the trade-offs of each. Then, projects begin external conversations with potential partners or customers. An Ideal Customer Profile that identifies if someone is willing to pay for the project’s specific products is created during this phase. Lastly, the team builds a pipeline for partnerships or support agreements. Success is measured by “graduation,” where a project has at least one repeatable revenue stream to cover monthly operations. Since June 2025, the EF has shifted to publishing quarterly treasury reports and using its reserves more dynamically, including solo staking and yield-generating DeFi strategies. The foundation hopes to help grantees become self-sufficient by eliminating the system where the entire ecosystem relies on one foundation’s treasury to keep the lights on. What is Ethereum’s proposed Frontier Research Contractor? The long-term vision for Project Odin is to introduce a new type of organization called the Frontier Research Contractor (FRC). Currently, Ethereum projects are either startups that focus on profit for investors or academic labs that move too slowly for a fast-paced ecosystem. FRCs, however, are high-output delivery engines that fund advanced R&D through a mix of grants and specialized service contracts. The Vyper core team, now organized as the Foundation for Verified Software, is the first pilot participant for this model. Vyper is a security-focused smart contract language that, at its peak, secured over $30 billion in on-chain value. Today, it remains an important pillar of DeFi, securing roughly $2.3 billion in total value locked (TVL). Vyper is becoming an FRC by focusing on AI-assisted formal verification. This “North Star” goal makes sure that smart contracts are machine-checked for correctness. By building both a research foundation and a commercial wing for support contracts and consulting, the Vyper team will be able to fund its core public goods work without constant risk. Ethereum is currently experiencing a “productive but volatile” era. The network’s native ETH token is trading around $1,920. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

The system enables AI agents to automatically pay for blockchain data and compute credits in USDC, as autonomous crypto applications gain traction.

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Custody Breakthrough: Citi’s Strategic Move to Bridge Crypto and Traditional Finance by Year-End In a landmark announcement that signals a profound shift in financial infrastructure, Citigroup Inc. revealed plans to launch a dedicated Bitcoin custody service for its institutional clientele by the end of this year. Nisha Surendran, the bank’s head of crypto custody product, made the pivotal disclosure at the World Strategic Forum, outlining a clear roadmap to integrate Bitcoin directly into the banking system’s core operations. This strategic initiative, reported first by CoinDesk, represents one of the most significant endorsements of cryptocurrency by a global systemically important bank (G-SIB) to date, potentially unlocking billions in institutional capital currently sidelined due to custody concerns. Citi’s Bitcoin Custody Service: A Bridge for Institutional Capital Nisha Surendran’s announcement provides concrete details about Citi’s phased approach. The plan will commence with the development of institutional-grade key management and wallet infrastructure, a foundational step that addresses the primary security concerns of large-scale investors. However, the ultimate vision extends far beyond basic storage. Surendran emphasized that the larger objective is to create a seamless experience where clients can manage Bitcoin holdings within the same platforms and reporting systems they use for traditional assets like equities and bonds. This integration aims to provide a unified service model across cryptocurrency, securities, and traditional finance. The decision follows extensive client engagement. A customer survey conducted by Citi revealed a strong preference among institutional investors to avoid the operational complexities of managing private keys, wallets, or single-use addresses. Instead, these clients expressed a clear desire to gain Bitcoin exposure through the familiar, regulated, and audited framework of a trusted banking partner. The Evolving Landscape of Institutional Crypto Custody Citi’s entry into the Bitcoin custody arena significantly alters the competitive landscape. For years, specialized firms like Coinbase Custody, BitGo, and Anchorage have dominated this niche. Meanwhile, other traditional finance giants have made cautious moves. For instance, BNY Mellon launched a digital asset custody platform in 2022, and Fidelity Investments has offered Bitcoin custody to institutional clients since 2019. However, Citi’s scale and global reach as a top-tier custodian for traditional assets bring unprecedented weight to the sector. The table below contrasts the emerging approaches to institutional custody: Custodian Type Examples Primary Advantage Consideration Specialized Crypto-Native Coinbase Custody, BitGo Deep technical expertise, agile product development Perceived as newer entities vs. century-old banks Traditional Asset Managers Fidelity Digital Assets Trust from long-standing institutional relationships Initially focused on a narrower client base Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) Citi, BNY Mellon Integrated traditional finance services, global regulatory navigation Typically slower-moving due to complex compliance This move by Citi validates a growing trend: institutional demand is no longer speculative but operational. Investors seek the same standards of security, insurance, legal recourse, and operational reliability they expect for any other asset class. The bank’s initiative directly responds to this demand by promising to build infrastructure that meets these rigorous requirements. Expert Analysis: Why Custody is the Critical Gateway Financial analysts and regulatory experts point to custody as the single most significant barrier to large-scale institutional adoption of Bitcoin. “For pension funds, endowments, and large asset managers, the question is never just about price appreciation,” explains Michael Carter, a fintech analyst at Bernstein Research. “The first and most critical question is: ‘Where do we hold it safely, and who is liable if something goes wrong?’ A bank like Citi entering the space provides a credible answer to that question, backed by its balance sheet and regulatory standing.” The regulatory environment is also evolving to support such services. In the United States, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued interpretive letters allowing national banks to provide cryptocurrency custody services. Furthermore, the proposed regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions like the European Union (MiCA) and the UK are creating clearer rules for digital asset custodians. Citi’s plan likely incorporates years of proactive dialogue with regulators across its key markets to ensure full compliance from launch. Technical Foundations and Security Implications The development of “institutional-grade key management” is a technical challenge with profound security implications. Industry best practices, which Citi is expected to follow or exceed, involve a combination of: Multi-Party Computation (MPC): This cryptography technique splits a private key into several shares distributed among multiple parties. Transactions require a threshold of shares to sign, eliminating any single point of failure. Hardware Security Modules (HSMs): These certified physical devices securely generate, store, and manage cryptographic keys in a tamper-resistant environment. Geographic Distribution of Key Shares: Storing key fragments in separate, high-security data centers across different legal jurisdictions to mitigate localized risks. Comprehensive Insurance: Partnering with underwriters like Lloyd’s of London to provide crime insurance policies that cover digital asset theft from cold storage. By building this infrastructure internally, Citi aims to offer a custody solution that meets the stringent requirements of its existing institutional clients, who manage trillions in assets. This approach contrasts with some early bank offerings that relied heavily on white-labeling technology from third-party crypto firms. Market Impact and Future Trajectory The announcement has immediate and long-term implications for the cryptocurrency market. In the short term, it serves as a powerful signal of legitimacy, potentially influencing other major banks to accelerate their own digital asset plans. In the long term, a successful launch could catalyze a new wave of institutional investment. Market structure is likely to evolve. With trusted custody in place, the next logical steps for a bank like Citi could include: Prime brokerage services for digital assets (lending, borrowing, trading). Integration with traditional payment and settlement networks. Facilitation of collateralized lending using Bitcoin as collateral. Development of structured products like Bitcoin-linked notes or ETFs for their wealth management clients. This creates a flywheel effect: better custody leads to more institutional holders, which increases liquidity and reduces volatility, making the asset class more attractive to even more conservative institutions. The end goal, as Surendran indicated, is not just holding Bitcoin but enabling its full utility within the global financial system. Conclusion Citi’s plan to launch a Bitcoin custody service by year-end represents a decisive moment in the maturation of cryptocurrency markets. It moves the conversation from niche adoption to mainstream financial infrastructure. By addressing the critical custody needs of institutional investors through a familiar and trusted banking framework, Citi is building a essential bridge between the traditional financial world and the emerging digital asset ecosystem. The success of this Bitcoin custody initiative will be closely watched, as it has the potential to unlock significant institutional capital and set a new standard for how global banks interact with decentralized digital assets. FAQs Q1: What exactly is a Bitcoin custody service? A Bitcoin custody service is a specialized offering where a financial institution, like a bank, securely stores the private keys to a client’s Bitcoin on their behalf. This provides institutional investors with a secure, insured, and professionally managed solution, eliminating the need for them to handle the complex technical and security challenges of self-custody. Q2: Why is Citi’s announcement so significant for the crypto market? Citi is one of the world’s largest and most systemically important banks. Its entry into Bitcoin custody signals a high level of institutional validation and confidence. It provides a trusted, regulated pathway for massive pools of traditional institutional capital (like pension funds and mutual funds) to safely enter the Bitcoin market, which could dramatically increase liquidity and stability. Q3: How will Citi’s custody service differ from using a crypto exchange? Traditional crypto exchanges often combine trading, lending, and custody functions, which can create conflicts of interest and single points of failure. A dedicated institutional custody service from a bank like Citi will likely focus solely on secure storage, with assets held in segregated accounts, backed by robust insurance, and subject to strict regulatory oversight and auditing standards common in traditional finance. Q4: Does this mean Citi is recommending clients invest in Bitcoin? Not necessarily. Offering custody is a service function, distinct from providing investment advice or making a market call. Citi is providing the secure infrastructure to hold the asset, which is a response to client demand. The investment decision to buy or sell Bitcoin remains with the client and their advisors. Q5: What are the potential risks of using a bank for Bitcoin custody? The primary risks are similar to those in traditional finance: operational risk (e.g., internal system failures), counterparty risk (reliance on the bank’s solvency and management), and regulatory risk (changes in law that could affect the service). However, these are risks institutions are already accustomed to managing with their traditional assets, and they are often preferable to the technical risks of self-custody for large organizations. This post Bitcoin Custody Breakthrough: Citi’s Strategic Move to Bridge Crypto and Traditional Finance by Year-End first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

BitcoinWorld Proof of reserves breakthrough: World Liberty Financial unveils revolutionary real-time transparency for stablecoins In a landmark move for digital asset transparency, World Liberty Financial (WLFI) announced on November 26, 2024, that it will now provide real-time, on-chain proof of reserves for its USD1 stablecoin, directly confronting the persistent opacity that has long shadowed the cryptocurrency sector. World Liberty Financial tackles the stablecoin transparency crisis The stablecoin industry, a cornerstone of the crypto economy with a market capitalization exceeding $160 billion, faces a fundamental trust deficit. Most major issuers currently provide reserve attestations on a quarterly basis, a significant lag that leaves users in the dark about the actual backing of their assets for months at a time. World Liberty Financial itself previously offered monthly attestations, a step above industry norms. However, the company acknowledged that even this monthly process resulted in a one-month delay due to traditional accounting and auditing workflows. This gap between reality and reporting represents a critical vulnerability, eroding user confidence and exposing the market to potential systemic risk. Consequently, WLFI’s shift to a continuous verification model marks a pivotal evolution in financial accountability. The Chainlink Proof of Reserve mechanism explained World Liberty Financial has implemented Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve (PoR) mechanism to solve this transparency challenge. This decentralized oracle network acts as a secure bridge between off-chain data and on-chain smart contracts. The system works through a continuous, automated process. First, it fetches cryptographically signed reserve data directly from WLFI’s custodian, BitGo, a regulated trust company. Next, the Chainlink network independently verifies this data against real-world bank statements and custody records. Finally, the verified proof is recorded immutably on a public blockchain, creating a tamper-proof and publicly accessible audit trail. This process eliminates human reporting delays and manual errors, providing a live, verifiable snapshot of collateralization at any given moment. A technical leap with immediate market implications The implementation carries profound implications. For users, it means unprecedented assurance that every USD1 token in circulation is backed 1:1 by real-world assets, verified in real-time. For regulators, it offers a potential blueprint for compliant, automated oversight. Market analysts note that this move could pressure other stablecoin issuers to adopt similar transparency standards, potentially triggering an industry-wide shift. The technology also mitigates counterparty risk, as the on-chain proof is independent of the issuer’s own reporting. Historically, failures in the crypto space, from Mt. Gox to FTX, have stemmed from opaque reserve management. WLFI’s system directly addresses this legacy of mistrust by making solvency a continuously proven state, not a periodically attested claim. Comparing traditional attestations with on-chain proof The difference between old and new methods is stark. The table below illustrates the key distinctions: Feature Traditional Quarterly/Monthly Attestation WLFI’s Real-Time On-Chain PoR Update Frequency Every 90 or 30 days Continuous (near real-time) Data Lag 30+ days due to accounting Minutes or seconds Verification Method Manual audit by a third-party firm Automated by decentralized oracle network Accessibility PDF report published on website Public, on-chain data readable by anyone Transparency Level Point-in-time snapshot Live, ongoing stream This shift represents more than a technical upgrade; it redefines the social contract between stablecoin issuers and their users. Key benefits of the new system include: Instant Verification: Users and protocols can autonomously verify reserves at any time. Reduced Counterparty Risk: Continuous proof minimizes the window for misuse of funds. Regulatory Clarity: Provides a clear, auditable trail for compliance purposes. Market Confidence: Builds stronger trust, which is essential for mainstream adoption. The evolving landscape of financial accountability World Liberty Financial’s announcement arrives during a period of intense regulatory scrutiny for stablecoins globally. Jurisdictions like the European Union with its MiCA framework and the United States with proposed legislation are actively shaping rules that will mandate higher levels of transparency and reserve quality. By proactively adopting a system that exceeds current expectations, WLFI positions its USD1 stablecoin as a leader in regulatory readiness. Furthermore, this move aligns with a broader trend in decentralized finance (DeFi) towards verifiability and self-custody. Protocols that integrate USD1 can now programmatically check its reserve status before executing large transactions, adding a new layer of security to the DeFi ecosystem. This innovation could become a standard requirement for stablecoins used in sophisticated smart contract applications, influencing technological development across the sector. Expert perspective on the transparency imperative Financial technology experts have long argued that real-time auditing is the logical endpoint for digital assets. Dr. Elena Torres, a fintech researcher at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, stated in a recent paper, “The promise of blockchain is not just digitization, but the enablement of continuous, algorithmic trust. A stablecoin that only proves its reserves quarterly is not leveraging the core innovation of its underlying technology.” WLFI’s implementation directly answers this critique. It transforms reserve backing from a historical footnote into a live operational metric. This development also has implications for traditional finance, where settlement and verification often take days. The real-time proof-of-reserves model demonstrates a pathway for faster, more transparent asset verification in broader capital markets, potentially influencing future standards for securities and other digital instruments. Conclusion World Liberty Financial’s deployment of real-time, on-chain proof of reserves via Chainlink represents a significant advancement for the entire stablecoin industry. By replacing delayed attestations with continuous, automated verification, WLFI addresses a core vulnerability and sets a new benchmark for transparency. This move enhances user protection, provides a model for future regulation, and strengthens the foundational trust required for the sustainable growth of digital finance. The success of this initiative will likely pressure competitors to follow suit, accelerating an industry-wide shift towards greater accountability and verifiable solvency. FAQs Q1: What is proof of reserves, and why is it important for stablecoins? Proof of reserves is an audit process that verifies a financial institution holds sufficient assets to cover its liabilities. For a stablecoin, it proves the issuer holds enough cash or cash-equivalent reserves to back every token in circulation. This is crucial for maintaining trust, ensuring stability, and preventing insolvency events. Q2: How does Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve mechanism work? Chainlink’s PoR uses a decentralized oracle network to fetch cryptographically signed reserve data from custodians like BitGo. The network verifies this data against real-world sources and then posts the proof on a blockchain. This creates a tamper-proof, publicly accessible record that updates in near real-time, eliminating manual delays. Q3: How does real-time verification differ from traditional audits? Traditional audits provide a point-in-time snapshot, often with a lag of 30-90 days due to manual accounting. Real-time verification is continuous and automated, offering a live view of reserves. This drastically reduces the risk window and allows for constant public scrutiny. Q4: Does this mean USD1 is now 100% risk-free? While real-time proof of reserves massively reduces counterparty and solvency risk, it does not eliminate all risks. Factors like the quality and liquidity of the underlying reserve assets (e.g., cash, treasury bills), regulatory changes, and smart contract security remain important considerations for users. Q5: Will other stablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle adopt similar technology? Industry analysts believe WLFI’s move increases competitive pressure for transparency. While major issuers may upgrade their reporting practices, the speed of adoption will depend on cost, technical integration, and evolving regulatory requirements. This development likely signals the beginning of a broader industry trend towards more frequent, automated reserve reporting. This post Proof of reserves breakthrough: World Liberty Financial unveils revolutionary real-time transparency for stablecoins first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

Vitalik sold 17k ETH, Bitmine suffered 8.8B$ loss. Aave reached 1T$ volume. ETH 1.920$, RSI 38.71 oversold, S1 1.864$ strong support. DeFi records and ETF inflows shaped the week. UAE bank is enter...