Bitcoin vs. Gold: Long-Term Chart Signals Possible Bottom After 14-Month Relative Bear Market

Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe set the market talking this week after posting what he called “the best chart in the ecosystem,” a long-term look at Bitcoin’s valuation against gold that, he says, flips the usual bullish story on its head. Van de Poppe argues the BTC/Gold ratio is at its lowest level ever and that, measured in gold, Bitcoin actually peaked in December 2024, meaning the digital asset has been in a relative bear market for roughly 14 months.

That view matters because most investors still frame Bitcoin’s cycle in U.S. dollar terms. On the dollar front, Bitcoin remains far above pre-2024 levels and was trading around $68,000 at the time of writing, a far cry from the panic lows of previous bear markets. But van de Poppe’s point is that comparing BTC to another hard asset, gold, reveals a different rhythm. When gold surges, Bitcoin’s dollar price can be pulled up even as Bitcoin loses ground measured in ounces of gold.

Gold itself is no afterthought. The metal has enjoyed a powerful run into 2026, trading above $5,000 an ounce in recent days, a move driven by geopolitics, central-bank buying and debate over global fiscal health, all forces that strengthen demand for safe havens. That strength in gold, van de Poppe says, may have masked Bitcoin’s underlying weakness in “real” terms.

The technical argument is stark. Van de Poppe highlights that the weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI) of BTC priced in gold has hit the same historic lows that marked the end of the three prior BTC/Gold bear cycles, each of which lasted about 14 months. If history repeats, those readings have preceded multiyear uptrends in Bitcoin’s performance versus gold. Traders and experts have echoed the observation, noting the rarity of the signal and its appearance at past capitulation points.

There are Two Practical Takeaways

For bullish contrarians, this is the kind of “buy the fear” moment the best traders circle on their calendars. Historically, extreme BTC/Gold lows have been followed by long rallies. For others, it’s a cautionary tale about measurement. Dollar denominated all-time highs do not always mean the same thing in cross-asset terms. As van de Poppe put it, the October 2025 dollar peak may have been more a product of metals’ strength than pure Bitcoin conviction.

Financial markets are, of course, never obliged to follow past patterns or historical charts. Gold prices can roll over in the future, macro conditions can change, and correlation regimes can shift anytime. Still, with the Bitcoin price trading near $68k and gold still elevated, the BTC/Gold chart has injected a fresh line of debate into what many assumed was a short, shallow pullback in the market.

Whether this current scenario is the final chapter of a relative bear market or a longer pause before the next leg up for BTC will play out in the weeks or months ahead. However, for now, the BTC/Gold ratio chart has forced experts and investors to ask a simple question: are we reading Bitcoin the way the market wants us to, or the way history suggests we should?

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/s0QRIeY
via IFTTT

HAPPY Records 15.48% Massive Gains Symmetrical Triangle Breakout Predicts Upcoming Significant Upside Move: Analyst

The Happy Cat (HAPPY) coin inches towards record-breaking increase as the crypto asset today gained a remarkable 15.48% surge, according to a revelation disclosed by market analyst TIGER. Such unmatched performance has triggered heightened attention on the cryptocurrency, putting it on the radar of crypto-savvy investors and market observers.

Happy Cat ($HAPPY) is a meme asset built on the Solana blockchain, inspired by a viral cat video, leveraging the advantages of online culture and community engagement as its key drivers.

After recording the 15.48% rise today, HAPPY currently trades its price at $0.0003585. Its value has also been up 19.6% and 21.3% in the past seven days and two weeks ago, respectively, an indicator of increased buying appetite on its platform and continuing upside movement.

$Happy
We are waiting for a very big day
🔥🔥🔥

Big big pump soon https://t.co/vZsPKftNxm pic.twitter.com/ReIRo0EY0y

— TIGER💥 🐅✍✍ 💥💎 momen (@TIGER0568888) February 21, 2026

HAPPY Price Forms Triangle Pattern, Ready For 70% Move  

According to the observation from the analyst, the crypto asset is at a critical turning point driven by its continued attraction of crypto buyers’ (traders’) interest. Technical analysis shows that HAPPY price has been following a clear ascending trendline and is now setting up a significant symmetrical triangle pattern, which typically suggests a looming price breakout.

Historically, crypto assets often witness explosive rallies to new heights after breaking out of a symmetrical triangle pattern, which normally leads to a 70%-140% price increase to new highs. Based on historical bullish trends, HAPPY appears to be approaching a breakout from its current symmetrical triangle pattern. With this in mind, technical analysis projects that Happy’s breakout could prompt it to experience a 70% surge towards the target $0.0006094 from its current price.

The current price of Happy Cat is $0.0003458.

What’s Next For HAPPY And Why These Top Trending Meme Coins 

As per the market observation shared by the analyst, HAPPY is looking stronger and appears to be breaking out of its symmetrical triangle pattern while moving in an ascending trendline. The $0.0006094 is the area now in focus, a crucial threshold that functions as a psychological resistance zone.

However, landing at $0.0006094 will not be without difficulties due to increased volatility currently being noticed in the wider cryptocurrency market and specifically in the meme coin sector. Assets such as Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Pepe (PEPE) have been under intense pressure, a reflection of the ongoing struggles of overall meme coin markets to sustain their retail surge amid increased volatility in the larger crypto market.

However, data from CoinGecko pointed out the current best-performing assets in the meme coins sector, which include Trillions (TRILLIONS), Punch (PUNCH), Useless Coin (USELESS), and Happy Cat (HAPPY), which have up 6554.6%, 1157.4%, 22.3%, and 19.6% over the past week, respectively, showing their extraordinary popularity.  

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/B23HM5d
via IFTTT

Weekly Crypto ETF Breakdown: BlackRock Sells $303.5M While Solana Gets $13.9M in Inflows

The recent weekly breakdown of the crypto Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in the middle of February by Arkham indicates that the institutional sentiment has changed significantly, and Bitcoin and Ethereum have suffered significant net outflows.

Although the larger market was experiencing selling pressure on the part of the major asset managers, Solana was able to defy the trend by recording a positive net inflow. 

WEEKLY ETF BREAKDOWN:

BTC Net flow: -$315.9M OUTFLOW
Biggest seller: BlackRock (-$303.5M)
Biggest buyer: Grayscale BTC Mini ETF (+$36M)

ETH Net flow: -$123.3M OUTFLOW
Biggest seller: BlackRock (-$102M)
Biggest buyer: 21Shares (+$700K)

SOL Net flow: +$13.9M INFLOW
Biggest… pic.twitter.com/CjMgP423X3

— Arkham (@arkham) February 21, 2026

BlackRock is the leading player in the market, as it is already the net ETF leader in Bitcoin (96% of the net volume) and Ethereum (83.7% of the net volume). Although this is a huge market share, the largest asset manager in the world was the main cause of these liquidations this week, casting doubts on the short-term instability of institutional positioning.

Institutional Cool-Off for Bitcoin and Ethereum

The total net outflow in Bitcoin ETFs was -315.9 million in the last week, which is an indicator that the most popular crypto asset is going through a phase of correction.

Interestingly, the largest seller was BlackRock, which sold as much as $303.5 million of its holdings. The Grayscale Bitcoin Mini ETF was the biggest buyer on the other side of the trading, with the inclusion of $36 million in net inflows. The case was no exception for Ethereum, which experienced net outflows of 123.3 million in total. 

BlackRock was again in the head-on selling position, with outflows amounting to $102 million, and 21Shares had a slight upward movement of $700,000. These numbers are indicative of the fact that, although the long-term institutional structure is operating, the large managers are making profits or are rebalancing their portfolios in response to recent market shifts.

Solana Defies the Market Trend

However, unlike the two biggest crypto assets, the Solana (SOL) ETFs experienced a positive net inflow of a total of 13.9 million this week. This marks an important trend, and it indicates that institutional interest is not converging on Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Bitwise was the major source of this growth, and it added up to 11.7 million to the overall weekly inflows. 

Most striking of all was the fact that the net weekly outflows of Solana were negative in all cases, indicating that all the significant funds in this category remained stagnant or improved their positions.

This long-term interest in Solana indicates that the financial institutions are starting to see it as a part of a new digital asset portfolio, probably because of its high performance and rising ecosystem.

The Dominance of BlackRock in the Crypto Space

BlackRock’s market share of crypto ETFs remains unparalleled, even in the face of recent weekly outflows. Today, the company represents almost all the activity, with almost 96% of the volume of the Bitcoin ETF and more than 80% of Ethereum.

Such concentration implies that the trading decisions made by BlackRock can shift market sentiment by a single individual. 

Once such a firm starts to sell, even in small percentages against their total holdings, this may cause great noise in the weekly data. Nevertheless, several analysts consider that such moves are a normal asset management exercise and not due to untrustworthiness towards the technology behind it.

What These Flows Mean for the Near Future

The outlier between selling in Bitcoin/Ethereum and buying in Solana shows that there is a maturing market that is increasingly interested in other top assets as well among the investors.

The outflow of 315.9 million dollars in Bitcoin is a safe move by some of the largest financial institutions in the world, but the consistent buildup of Solana indicates that the risk of crypto is still healthy. 

As we enter more into 2026, these weekly flow reports are proving to be a necessary instrument in knowing where smart money is flowing. The week under discussion was characterized by outflows, but the large volume and the active involvement of such companies as Grayscale and Bitwise evidence that the institutional crypto infrastructure is more robust than ever.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/QbNrM0o
via IFTTT

DEX Trading Slumps 31.87% Despite Strong Activity from Uniswap and PancakeSwap

The decentralized exchange (DEX) industry had a total weekly trading volume of $59.51 billion which is the latest market snapshot provided by Phoenix Group as of February 20, 2026. The market had experienced a very steep weekly 31.87% drop in activity, in spite of the high aggregate number, an indicator of more extensive cooling of the crypto markets.

TOP #DECENTRALIZED EXCHANGES BY WEEKLY TRADING VOLUME
#Uniswap #PancakeSwap #Raydium #Aerodrome #Orca #Balancer #Meteora #Curve #Hyperliquid pic.twitter.com/hXrGqlhddm

— PHOENIX – Crypto News & Analytics (@pnxgrp) February 20, 2026

Meanwhile, DEX and CEX supremacy were at 14.63%, meaning that centralized exchanges still take control of the largest portion of trading operations. Nevertheless, decentralized platforms continue to form one of the most essential pillars of on-chain liquidity especially to DeFi-native users and token ecosystems.

Uniswap Maintains Clear Lead Across DEX Platforms

Uniswap was again voted the biggest decentralized volume exchange. The platform also achieved a trading volume of $12.49 billion seven day trading and $2.10 billion 24 hour trading which is much higher than that of its rivals.

The deep liquidity pools and wide multi-chain coverage of the protocol still remain appealing to traders even when the market is slowing down. Its weekly performance contributed a considerable part to the overall DEX activity, which proves its dominance in decentralized finance.

PancakeSwap and Raydium Strengthen Multi-Chain Competition

PancakeSwap was placed second with the weekly volume of $4.66 billion and the 24-hour volume of $582.36 million. The exchange is still enjoying high activity in BNB Chain and other networks supported, which keeps it relevant in both the retail and ecosystem-driven trading flows.

Raydium came in the third place with an initial balance of $2.27 billion in weekly volume and $413.10 million daily volume. With Raydium being one of the primary liquidity destinations in the Solana ecosystem, it is likely to continue acting as one of the hubs of token launches and on-chain swaps, especially with Solana-based activity stabilizing following a recent downturn.

Aerodrome, Orca, and Balancer Hold Mid-Tier Positions

Aerodrome closed with $1.93 billion in weekly trading volume as well as $250.78 million in 24-hour activity. The platform is still building its presence as a liquidity engine in developing Layer-2 ecosystems.

Another DEX native to Solana, orca, had $1.63 billion weekly volume and $230.44 million within the last day. Its steady performance reflects guaranteed popularity of Solana-based decentralized trading pairs.

Balancer recorded weekly volume of $1.08 billion backed by daily trades of $211.88 million. Having a reputation of customizable liquidity pools and weighted token models, Balancer continues to have a stable institutional and DeFi-native activity even in weaker markets.

Meteora and Curve Reflect Shifting Liquidity Dynamics

Meteora created a volume of 7 day trading of $1.01 billion and 24-hour volume of $134.71 million. This protocol has been popularized via dynamic liquidity solutions and focused liquidity solutions that are capital efficient.

Curve made $935 million in weekly trade and $199.02 in daily trades. Its seven-day total saw it fall short of the $1 billion mark, but its daily value shows it was being used in stablecoin and correlated-asset swaps. Curve has continued to be a backbone of DeFi liquidity, especially in stable trading pairs.

Hyperliquid Rounds Out Top DEX Rankings

Hyperliquid also featured in the top rankings with the trading volume being at 828 million weekly and 90.70 million 24-hour activity. The platform has been building up its niche in decentralized perpetuals and sophisticated trading infrastructure.

Despite an overall DEX market contraction of 31.87% per week, total activity of more than $59 billion indicates the strength of the sector. The 14.63% DEX versus CEX dominance figure indicates that centralized exchanges are in the dominant position in terms of aggregate market share, but the decentralized venues remain capturing significant liquidity during the bullish and corrective cycles.

With volatility reentering the digital asset markets, liquidity does appear to be concentrated to the top platforms including Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and Raydium, which implies that traders will find comfort in established infrastructure when uncertain. The next few weeks will show whether the trading volumes will stabilize or further decline.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/mJWxHk0
via IFTTT

BlackRock Shifts $270M to Coinbase Amid Shifting Market Momentum

BlackRock, a well-known asset management platform in the crypto market, has recently shifted huge amounts to Coinbase. In particular, BlackRock has transacted $270M in Ethereum ($ETH) and Bitcoin ($BTC) to Coinbase Prime. As per the data from Arkham Intelligence, the leading asset management platform’s massive deposit indicates its increasing engagement with top digital assets. Additionally, the move also highlights BlackRock’s dependence on Coinbase as it is using it as its custodial partner.

Blackrock deposited 2,563 $BTC worth $172.94M and 49,852 $ETH $97.19M to #Coinbase and likely to deposit more.https://t.co/pyOLoPpL7H pic.twitter.com/84TIvIcKnc

— Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) February 20, 2026

BlackRock Deposits 49,852 $ETH and 2,563 $BTC to Coinbase

BlackRock has cumulatively deposited 49,852 $ETH ($97.19M) and 2,563 $BTC ($97.19M) to Coinbase Prime. The large scale of the respective shifts indicates the possibility of more deposits in the near term. Hence, the development shows the increased institutional activity dealing with crypto markets. As the data suggests, these developments have occurred within a few minutes. Keeping this in view, the move signifies a coordinated strategy instead of sporadic trading.

Active Crypto Positioning to Reshape Wider Market Sentiment

Thus, BlackRock is reportedly making aggressive positioning in these well-known crypto assets. As a result, the activity could have a notable impact on the short-term market volatility while also fortifying the status of Coinbase as a prioritized institutional gateway. Additionally, the timing of the $ETH and $BTC deposits is critical, as these assets are dominating the institutional adoption. 

Overall, while BlackRock keeps expanding its footprint across the crypto landscape, the market participants will be keenly watching for the subsequent developments that could redefine the investor sentiment and liquidity dynamics.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/YD1sd6c
via IFTTT

The Clarity Act – A Potential ETH Super-Cycle Trigger as Prediction Markets Signal 90% Approval Odds

The crypto market is experiencing some serious sentiment shifts as legislators gain traction. After the Genius Act resulted in significant stablecoin inflows and boosted liquidity into 2025, focus has now shifted to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. According to Polymarket, there’s a 90% chance it’ll be passed before April 2026. Analyst Michaël van de Poppe has said this could bolster Ethereum massively and trigger broader upside across the crypto market.

The “Genius Act” Precedent and Stablecoin Velocity

To understand the fuss over the Clarity Act, it helps to use the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act) as a guidepost. The rollout of the Genius Act served as a proof-of-concept of what certainty can do to invite institutional participation, and close on the heels of that came a steady and accelerated influx of stablecoins, the infrastructure’s “dry powder.”

When velocity of stablecoins picks up, it indicates the movement from a holding pattern to deployment. This fresh liquidity provided the fuel for large assets like Bitcoin and Ether to embark on a sustained bullish trend. The Clarity Act is expected to build on that inertia by providing even more granular legal frameworks for DeFi and asset tokenization – not just applicable to secret stablecoin reserves, but across the board.

Prediction Markets and the 90% Confidence Interval

The rapid rise in Polymarket odds to a 90% confidence level shows “smart money” is getting behind the trend here. Unlike polling, the prediction market forces people to put capital at risk to express belief, which historically makes it a very accurate leading indicator of political and legislative outcomes.

As the clock ticks down to the anticipated signing date of April 3, 2026, the market is already pricing the expected ease of regulations. For Ethereum, the main layer for smart contracts and institutional DeFi apps, the Clarity Act is a removal of the “regulatory overhang” that has held down its price action vs the rest of the sectors. If this passes, it could lead to more spot ETF variants and institutional staking products.

Why Ethereum is the Primary Beneficiary

While the entire market wins, Ethereum would be the one most benefited by the passing of the Clarity Act. The majority of legislative challenges today hinge on the classification of tokens, and stake reward legality. Clarity Act seeks to address these specific points, likely entrenching ETH as a “digital commodity”, while clarifying SEC, CFTC roles.

As Michaël van de Poppe succinctly states, the link between legislation and ETH price action is becoming impossible to ignore.

If the odds of 90% are accurate, we find ourselves right in the midst of the “buy the rumor” stage. Once the ink dries, the papers will transition into the “buy the news” phase, supported by real institutional buy-side pressure rather than mere retail speculation.

To keep ahead of these changes, many are now turning to sophisticated tools, e.g. folks are pitching into the regulatory outlook for 2026.

Conclusion

The crypto market is slowly moving out of the “Wild West” and into a period of institutional maturity. The Clarity Act is the last piece in the puzzle for big players waiting on the sidelines. With a 90% chance of passing by April 2026, the time to get in early will be gone. If it does pass, then the long Ethereum “no brainer” might be followed up by one of the biggest expansions in the history of crypto.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/IurBMbV
via IFTTT

Alchemy Integrates USA₮ for Global Stablecoin Access

Alchemy Pay, a renowned crypt-fiat payment gateway, is excited to announce its new interesting partnership with USA₮, a U.S. regulated dollar-backed stablecoin launched by Tether for secure and compliant digital currency transactions.  The purpose of this partnership is to bring seamless and easy fiat on-ramp access to the USA₮ stablecoin via its worldwide payment infrastructure.

Excited to support USA₮ @usat on #AlchemyPay.

With fiat on-ramp now live, users can access USA₮ using local payment methods in 173 countries, making compliant, payments-first stablecoins easier to use worldwide.

Get started 👉 https://t.co/3GbzXnxaRRhttps://t.co/PdAdpNSWZK… pic.twitter.com/WfBr5FMKhO

— Alchemy Pay|$ACH: Fiat-Crypto Payment Gateway (@AlchemyPay) February 20, 2026

This integration has long-lasting and a wide range of effects on the accessibility of USA₮ to users in 173 countries. In addition, the interesting and beneficial thing about this integration is that users can buy USA₮ through their local fiat payment methods. Alchemy Pay has released this news through its official social media X account.

Compliant Stablecoin Payments Go Global with USA₮

This is the admirable step of Alchemy Pay toward making easy access to USA₮ via Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, local bank transfers, and mobile wallets. Furthermore, these facilities are globally available for more than 50 fiat currencies worldwide.

This step facilitates not only users but also institutions to enter a compliant stablecoin-based payment and settlement workflow. USA₮ is established under the GENIUS Act regulatory framework, due to its compatibility with U.S. focused digital dollar.  

USA₮ is basically designed in this way that it will successfully be able to aid compliant domestic payments, continuous settlement, and regulated access for FinTech platforms.

Alchemy Pay and USA₮ Unlocking Mainstream Stablecoin Adoption Worldwide

Alchemy Pay and USA₮ are bringing much more ease for users all around the world with no more any friction onboarding experience, as well as developers and businesses. This conversion system of fiat-to-crypto reduces human efforts and eliminates the need for any third parties.  This system provides an easy way to support Web3 payment, settlement, and loyalty.

In short, this is the best opportunity for users and businesses to take advantages from this golden chance and also update them according to society’s demand. Alchemy Pay is more enthusiastic about driving mainstream adoption of crypto by joining with traditional finance and digital assets.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/oNpg6W0
via IFTTT

Bybit EU Launches USDC and EURC Campaigns to Promote Savings and Responsible Crypto Use

Bybit EU has taken a step to broaden regulated stablecoin access across Europe with the launch of a new suite of USDC- and EURC-focused campaigns designed to promote responsible digital-asset use. Announced today from the company’s Vienna hub, the initiative deepens the practical availability of two fully reserved stablecoins across Bybit EU’s regulated platform, and pairs savings-focused products with trading and payments use cases inside a MiCA-compliant framework.

The first phase, which launched on February 2, centers on predictable, fixed-term Earn products meant to shift the conversation away from short-term speculation and toward structured saving and financial literacy. Instead of pushing quick trades or market timing, these programs are pitched as practical ways to reach specific goals. They aim to put idle cash to work for an emergency fund, upcoming bills, or longer-term plans.

Among the headline offers are a new-user exclusive USDC 10-day Fixed Earn yielding 20% APR, alongside a second USDC 10-day Fixed Earn at 14% APR and a USDC 30-day Fixed Earn at 16% APR. The program also includes a EURC–USDC Cross-Yield 30-day product offering 15% APR. By packaging returns into fixed terms, the company says these products aim to give customers clarity and predictability rather than exposure to volatile market swings.

“Integrating USDC and EURC enables us to expand access to regulated stablecoins while promoting more thoughtful and responsible ways for users to engage with digital assets,” said Mazurka Zeng, co-CEO of Bybit EU. “Through savings-focused Earn products, we aim to support financial literacy and long-term participation within a regulated European environment.”

Regulated Stablecoins Move Into Everyday Use

The stablecoins at the center of the campaign are issued by regulated entities and operate natively on blockchain networks, enabling near-real-time, low-cost global transfers. Circle, the issuer behind USDC, is referenced in the announcement as a regulated partner whose digital assets meet the standards of the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. Circle’s tokens are presented as a foundation for compliance-first innovation across trading, savings and payments inside the European Economic Area (EEA).

In parallel with the Earn rollout, Bybit EU opened registration for a trading competition called “Consistency Counts,” a contest that rewards disciplined activity with a 110,000 USDC prize pool. Organizers pitched the event as an opportunity to place a premium on steady, rule-based trading rather than one-off, high-risk wagers. Looking ahead, Bybit EU said it plans further integrations across its product suite that will expand everyday utility for USDC and EURC, including enhanced functionality for the Bybit Card.

The company is positioning this campaign as part of a broader effort to normalize regulated stablecoins as practical utility tools in Europe, not merely speculative instruments. By anchoring offers in fixed-term savings and coupling them with trading events that emphasize discipline, the platform is attempting to nudge users toward more informed participation and longer-term engagement.

Bybit EU serves customers across the EEA (excluding Malta) via its bybit.eu platform and operates under Austrian authorization to provide custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients, exchange of crypto-assets for funds and for other crypto-assets, placement of crypto-assets, and transfer services for crypto-assets. The firm clarified that it is not an operator of a trading platform for crypto-assets nor a provider of investment advice.

As regulated stablecoins gain more traction in Europe under MiCA, initiatives like this one test how custodial platforms can combine compliance, consumer education and product design to steer users toward safer, goal-oriented financial behavior. Bybit EU has indicated this is just the first wave of campaigns it will deploy to support the stablecoin ecosystem and encourage long-term, responsible participation among its European user base.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/fJuFoO9
via IFTTT

GOHOME Token Integrate with TokenPlay to Bridge Meme Culture with Web3 Utility

GOHOME has partnered with TokenPlay to take advantage of the rapidly changing market in DeFi, where there is no longer a distinction between meme coins and utility coins. The goal of this partnership is to use the creativity and imagination associated with memes and apply them to create value for the games being played in web3; thereby creating real, user-based experiences for the community around GOHOME.

Turning Viral Momentum into Playable Assets

GOHOME & TokenPlay have formed a strategic cooperative agreement, which allows them to create an integrated, community-driven ecosystem that leverages the superior technological infrastructure of TokenPlay’s gaming platform. Meme tokens have often been criticized for lacking intrinsic value because they rely heavily on social media hype. GOHOME welcomes the partnership to show its commitment to building a Play-to-Earn gaming model.

TokenPlay is using AI to improve workflows in game development and asset integration so meme-based projects can create interactive experiences in a short time and without hassle. This approach benefits mainly GOHOME token holders along with the other holders of digital assets. With access to the gaming ecosystem, tokens holders will be able to buy items, rewards and a vote in the games governance system.

The Rise of “Meme-Utility” Hybrid Models

This collaboration is part of the wider trend towards sustainability for blockchain projects bringing gamification into their business models. According to research from CoinMarketCap, GameFi has been one of the strongest parts of the crypto market in recent months of volatility.

GOHOME will take advantage of TokenPlay’s AI tools to reduce entry barriers into the world of crypto and DeFi for social-oriented customers that are not familiar with complex Dapp mechanics. This strategy has also been seen in previous successful integrations where culture was transformed into a functional digital economy. As a result, communities that initially engage during the hype cycle often remain involved over time.

Strengthening the Web3 Gaming Ecosystem

The GOHOME/TokenPlay partnership is indicative of a growing trend towards creating Cross-Platform Interoperability approaches in the Web3 world. As different projects try to build additional value into their tokens, there should be an increasing demand for gaming engines that provide unique functionality like the TokenPlay gaming engine. The current combination of lifestyle features and blockchain reward components aligns with earlier efforts in the industry aimed at enhancing the overall user experience.

The gaming function for GOHOME will be a foundational aspect in determining the success of the “Revolution” outlined in their press release when they go live. If successful, it could become the model for other meme tokens to use while transferring to utility projects.

Conclusion

GOHOME Token’s strategic alliance with TokenPlay marks a significant advancement for meme-derived assets entering the mainstream. Emphasizing “real-world use,” GOHOME aims to seize part of the marketplace that requires entertainment as well as value. The development of the Web3 gaming industry will lead to greater use of similar partnerships to define the next evolution of community-driven finance and create a long-term presence using viral memes, based on technological appeal.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/f7gk5oe
via IFTTT

TVL Tally Shows RWA Momentum as Multiple Projects Clear the $1B Mark

The crypto market isn’t chasing the next meme coin right now; it’s leaning into something a bit more old-school: tokenized real-world assets. That’s the takeaway from a recent tweet by CryptoDep, which shared a snapshot from RWA.xyz showing which platforms currently hold the most value on-chain. The numbers are big enough to make even skeptical traders sit up. Several projects have crossed the billion-dollar mark, and the list reads like a who’s who of different approaches to bringing traditional finance onto blockchains.

At the top of the list sits Securitize with about $3.21 billion locked. That’s a hefty endorsement for the compliant, securities-focused model, tokenizing shares or debt in a way that lines up with regulations and familiar investor protections. Close behind is Ondo with $2.56 billion. Ondo’s strength has been packaging yield-bearing, custody-integrated products that appeal to institutions and yield-hungry retail alike. The third big name, Syrup, sits at roughly $2.30 billion and shows that there’s an appetite for different flavors of real-world exposure, not just one template.

After those three, you get into a mid-tier of projects that are still very much players: STOKR ($1.56B), Centrifuge ($1.33B), and Libeara ($1.07B). Then come firms like Superstate and Spiko, both hovering right around the $1 billion mark. Established financial houses haven’t stayed out of the room either. WisdomTree shows up with $767 million, while newer entrants such as xStocks sit at about $215 million.

What’s interesting about this list isn’t just the raw TVL figures; it’s the variety. Some platforms are tokenizing private equity or fund shares, others are focused on invoices or short-term commercial paper, and a few try to offer regulated products that institutional desks can actually use. That diversity matters because it points to a broader truth: RWAs aren’t a single product you can bolt onto a blockchain. They’re an umbrella term for a bunch of different financial engineering plays trying to solve the same problem: how to make traditionally illiquid or cumbersome assets more accessible and efficient using tokens.

TVL is an Imperfect Metric

TVL can be influenced by how assets are counted, whether collateral is off-chain, and the custodial arrangements behind the scenes, but it’s hard to argue with scale. Billion-dollar TVLs tend to indicate real capital moving, not just speculative paper. And seeing veteran asset managers alongside native crypto teams suggests that this could be more than a fad. Incumbents are exploring blockchain rails because they can cut costs and open new markets; crypto-native projects are pushing for composability and liquidity. If those two forces meet productively, you get something that looks a lot more like mainstream adoption.

That doesn’t mean everything is smooth sailing. Tokenizing real assets brings legal and regulatory complexity; clarity varies widely by jurisdiction, and regulators are paying attention. Platforms that can pair on-chain efficiency with airtight legal wrappers, transparent reporting, and secure custody will have a big advantage. For traders and portfolio managers, that’s the key question: which providers can scale while keeping the compliance and operational basics right?

For now, the takeaway is straightforward. The RWA space has moved from a niche experiment to a serious market segment. With several projects clearing the billion-dollar TVL threshold and traditional asset managers dipping their toes in, tokenized real-world assets look like they’re here to stay, but the winners will be the teams that can bridge the gap between legacy finance and the on-chain world without cutting corners. CryptoDep’s snapshot, powered by RWA.xyz data, is a useful scoreboard, and it’s worth watching how these projects evolve as regulators, institutions, and everyday investors test the model in earnest.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/hIHJwz5
via IFTTT

UQUID Simplifies Web3 Shopping with Crypto

UQUID, a Web3 shopping infrastructure powered by e-commerce, is excited to make shopping easy and simplify it with crypto. For this, UQUID is now facilitating users with $USAT by tether. The primary purpose of this crypto integration is to enable fast, simple, and real-world online shopping.

🚀 HOW TO SHOP ON UQUID WITH #USAT by @tether — Fast, simple, crypto-powered shopping!

🛒 Step 1: Visit https://t.co/Ay0rxEkIVo & choose your product
💳 Step 2: At checkout, select Pay with Cryptocurrency → USAT
✅ Step 3: Complete payment & your order is ready!

Start now 👉… pic.twitter.com/rbsy6b0NEX

— UQUID – Web3 Shopping Infrastructure (@uquidcard) February 18, 2026

In addition, UQUID provides comprehensive guidance on spending USAT stablecoins in Web3 shopping, playing a crucial role in creating a smooth pathway for users. USAT will be used as a cryptocurrency in Web3 shopping. UQUID has released this news through its official social media X account.

UQUID Redefines Digital Payments with Seamless USAT Checkout

UQUID provides full guidance for users in step by step manner for getting clear insights about the utility of USAT. Users just need to visit shop.uquid.com and there select the product. In the next step, pick the pay option of cryptocurrency, which is USAT.

In the third step, which is the last one, complete the payment, and here is your order ready. There are no further formalities needed. UQUID is bringing a new way of payment in Web3 shopping and enhancing its high standard in the market.

UQUID Unlocks Seamless Global Shopping with Cryptocurrency

UQUID is revolutionizing the payment infrastructure for users all over the world and actively contributing actively in seamless payment infrastructure. This is the best opportunity for Web3 users to enjoy the latest payment method with cryptocurrency like USAT.

In short, it is the best way to create more opportunities for spending cryptocurrency in Web3 online shopping. Simultaneously, this action also eliminates the need for conversion for users in any other currency before spending. This is the landmark movement of UQUID toward simplifying Web3 shopping.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/38VUibD
via IFTTT

MegaETH Rockets as TVL Growth Chart Reveals Big Winners and Surprises

CryptoDep’s tweet did what a good chart should: it made you stop scrolling. The graphic, pulled from DeFiLlama data, isn’t just a list of numbers. It’s a snapshot of a month where capital took a few wild left turns, some obvious, some downright surprising.

Start at the top and it’s almost comical how quickly the bars fall off. MegaETH (MEGA) exploded, clocking roughly a 2,121% jump in TVL over 30 days. That sent it to about $69.6 million in DeFi deposits, a hefty pile for a chain most people hadn’t heard of until their numbers went viral.

After that, Mezo (MEZO) posted a 322% gain and Shibarium (SHIB), yes, the Shiba-linked layer-2, climbed just over 100%. Those early entries feel like the story of the moment: narrative-driven projects and rollups catching attention fast.

But it’s not all memecoins and hype. Scan further and you see Kava pushing up 57.7% to roughly $71.4 million, and Provenance’s HASH with nearly 49% growth, numbers that suggest more than a one-week social media frenzy. PolyNetwork shows a large absolute TVL on the chart too, at about $333 million, a reminder that bridges and interoperability still matter when funds are moving between ecosystems.

Small Chains, Big Moves

What I liked about the chart is how it blends two truths at once. First, percentage gains make for exciting headlines. A three-thousand-percent jump practically writes its own tweet. Second, absolute dollars are the reality check: a tiny protocol can skyrocket fivefold and still be a rounding error next to a big chain.

That’s why MEGA’s triple-digit percentage is attention-grabbing, but you also keep an eye on the billion-dollar or hundred-million-dollar names for where systemic risk and real liquidity live. There are a bunch of middling stories in there, too.

Fogo (FOGO) and Echelon (ELON) saw decent spurts, Initia (INIT) and GRX Chain moved up nicely, and familiar names like Alephium and Injective posted solid gains. Even BOB, which some market-watchers will recognize, grew by about 14%, landing it in the tens of millions of TVL.

Those aren’t moonshots, but steady inflows that suggest real users or real money are starting to pay attention. Why would this mix happen in a single month? A few reasons. Incentive programs and airdrops still pack a punch. If a project announces a generous yield or a token snapshot, wallets and bots pile in fast.

Upgrades and integrations matter too: a new DEX listing, a wallet integration, or a bridge relaunch can reroute liquidity in a hurry. And then there’s the unquantifiable force of social media, when a community decides a chain is “hot,” capital can follow the conversation almost overnight.

If you’re reading this as a trader, take two quick lessons from the chart. One: Don’t chase raw percentages without checking the base. A 500% rise from $100k is not the same as a 50% rise from $100 million. Two: Expect whiplash. These moves can be brutally short-lived. Some of what you see will normalize; some of it will mark a real shift in where users build and trade.

For the rest of us watching the space, the chart is a reminder that DeFi is still an experimental garden. New platforms sprout, some take root, many don’t. The capital flowing into these chains this month shows there’s an appetite for new venues of yield and utility. Whether the winners stick around will depend on security, developer activity, and whether the user experience actually improves.

In short, the ecosystem’s pulse is upbeat and messy. Crypto never promised smooth growth; it promised volatility, innovation, and the occasional surprise. CryptoDep’s tweet and the DeFiLlama data give you that moment of clarity where the noise resolves into trends you can at least start to investigate.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/GQ1MYhU
via IFTTT

​​Grayscale Launches Sui Staking ETF (GSUI) on NYSE Arca

Grayscale’s newest product made its way onto the exchange this week as the firm unveiled the Grayscale Sui Staking ETF, which began trading on NYSE Arca under the ticker GSUI. The fund offers U.S. investors regulated exposure to SUI, the native token of the Sui network, while also seeking to capture staking rewards generated through participation in the blockchain’s consensus and security mechanisms. The listing, announced in Grayscale’s release, makes GSUI one of the first U.S.-listed exchange-traded products to combine direct token exposure with on-chain yield generation, a structure Grayscale has been rolling out across several networks.

What sets GSUI apart from a simple spot token product is how it treats staking rewards. Grayscale says the ETF is designed so that staking rewards, net of applicable fees and expenses, may be reflected in the vehicle’s net asset value, offering an additional source of return beyond price appreciation. That design aligns with a broader trend among asset managers to package crypto-native yield inside familiar investment wrappers, lowering the operational burden for institutional and retail buyers who do not want to manage custody, staking infrastructure, or validator relationships directly.

The launch also underlines Grayscale’s deepening commitment to the Sui ecosystem. GSUI is the firm’s fourth Sui-focused vehicle, following earlier investment trusts and products tied to the network and its primitives. Grayscale’s growing ETF lineup aims to give traditional markets cost-efficient, compliant access to next-generation blockchains, a theme visible across the firm’s product pages and recent announcements. The trust that became GSUI was formed the previous year and transitioned through private placements before its broader exchange quotation, details confirmed in regulatory filings.

Bringing Staking Rewards to Investors

Industry voices framed the listing as a milestone for adoption. Adeniyi Abiodun, Chief Product Officer and co-founder at Mysten Labs, the original contributors to Sui, welcomed the move as a way to bring more traditional investors into the network’s growth story, saying the ETF “provides traditional investors with a streamlined way to access the SUI token and participate in its network activity through a familiar exchange-traded structure.” Mysten Labs, which grew out of engineering efforts that trace back to Meta’s Diem and Novi initiatives, has repeatedly positioned Sui as a Layer-1 optimized for real-world applications through an object-centric data model and parallel transaction processing, technical features that supporters say make it well suited to payments, tokenization, AI, and DeFi use cases.

From Grayscale’s perspective, the timing is strategic. Krista Lynch, Senior Vice President of ETF Capital Markets at the firm, framed the listing as an important expansion of the range of exchange-traded products tied to the Sui ecosystem, explicitly noting that GSUI provides a way to package exposure to both the token and its potential staking rewards inside an ETP format familiar to traditional investors. The firm has moved aggressively over the past year to list multiple spot and staking-oriented products on U.S. venues, a push that observers say is accelerating institutional channels into a broader swath of blockchains beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Investors and analysts will be watching money flows into GSUI as an early signal of appetite for ETF-style access to newer Layer-1 networks. If capital starts to move in, developers and founders building on Sui could see larger, more reliable institutional funding and an easier path through the regulatory hurdles that stand between blockchain projects and mainstream markets. For investors, it simplifies access: instead of self-custody, delegating or running validators, GSUI aims to deliver both price exposure and the upside of network participation inside a regulated product. As with any crypto investment, potential buyers should weigh volatility, regulatory risk, and the operational assumptions behind staking before allocating capital, but the launch undeniably marks another step in the institutionalization of next-generation blockchains.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/2AYzqcP
via IFTTT

Monthly Active Addresses Hit 679,000 ATH on Polymarket as Prediction Markets Face Increased Regulatory Scrutiny

On-chain activity on Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform, is heating up, as revealed today by market analyst Terminal Token. Data shows that the average monthly active addresses on Polymarket have climbed to a new all-time high of 679k, an indicator that the network’s popularity and user application are significantly rising.

Typically, the number of active wallet addresses reflects the level of activity in a blockchain network. Higher counts suggest stronger user adoption on a chain, and in the above case, it shows rising usage and interest in the Polymarket’s platform.

The number of monthly active users on polymarket is 688k

This is a new ATH pic.twitter.com/YhK13ipReS

— moneyfet1sh (@moneyfet1sh) February 17, 2026

What Active User Numbers on Polymarket Mean  

According to data reported today by Token Terminal, the prediction market platform has made a new record-breaking milestone in its active users per month. As of today, February 17, 2026, the number of monthly active users on Polymarket reached 679,000, a new record high. This is so far the highest monthly active trader count in the platform’s history, a reflection of increasing user participation and engagement in the decentralized network.  

At the same time, Polymarket recorded a monthly trading volume of $3.641 billion as of today, setting a new unmatched level, as per data sourced from DeFiLlama. This climb placed Polymarket in the second position as the second-largest prediction market platform in terms of monthly transaction activity. 

As reported today by DeFiLlama, Kalshi recorded a $4.152 billion monthly trading volume, making it the top decentralized market platform. OPINION, Probable, and Predict.Fun took the third, fourth, and fifth positions, as indicated by their $2.394 billion, $1.839 billion, and $382.93 million monthly trading volumes, respectively.

New Zealand Warns Kalshi and Polymarket

The figures above show a massive rise in the Polymarket’s traction and usability, an indicator of rising customer interest in its platform and other prediction markets.

Decentralized prediction markets have revolutionized the way people express their opinions of future real-world outcomes, from entertainment, sports, macroeconomic data, political elections, and others, by simply trading yes or no event contracts and possibly earning from such outcomes.

Despite these platforms becoming more mainstream across the world, they continue to face regulatory challenges since their prominence in late 2024. Today, New Zealand’s gambling regulator denounced Kalshi and Polymarket as financial trading platforms operating in the country, citing them as illegal entities under the nation’s gambling regulations.

The authority disclosed that Kalshi and Polymarket are unlicensed projects and warned that New Zealand customers using unauthorized sites face risks. The same situation also happens in China. Chinese authorities maintain stringent bans on crypto trading and online gambling, and even block platforms like Polymarket, Kalshi, and others using the Great Firewall. However, local traders have been able to access such decentralized markets through VPNs (virtual private networks).

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/ueol0Dw
via IFTTT

Circle and OpenMind Launch AI-Driven On-Chain Payments in $USDC

Circle, the fintech entity behind the $USDC stablecoin, has collaborated with OpenMind, a robotics and AI development firm. The partnership takes into account the launch of the earliest independent AI transfers on-chain via $USDC. As per Circle’s official X announcement, Bits, OpenMind’s exclusive robot dog, has effectively leveraged $USDC and exclusive agentic commerce services to accomplish machine-to-machine nanopayments. Hence, this development illustrates the potential of blockchain technology, autonomous agents, and stablecoins to deliver a self-sustaining and seamless digital ecosystem.

Circle 🤝 @openmind_agi

This is just the beginning of autonomous AI transactions onchain.

Watch Bits, OpenMind’s robot dog, use @USDC and our new agentic commerce solution to complete real machine-to-machine nanopayments to recharge itself. pic.twitter.com/4SGoF3NRaE

— Circle (@circle) February 17, 2026

Circle and OpenMind Alliance Unveils Independent On-Chain AI Transfers via $USDC

In partnership with OpenMind, Circle is introducing autonomous AI transfers on-chain with the use of $USDC. For this purpose, this partnership will leverage Bits, the robot dog of OpenMind for agentic commerce, through machine-to-machine nanopayments. The initial transfer permitted Bits to independently recharge itself, denoting a pivotal move toward real-world AI-led commerce. The respective demonstration emerges as a paradigm shift when it comes to the financial interaction of machines.

Thus, by letting Bits automatically recompense for the energy needs thereof, OpenMind and Circle have displayed the agentic commerce’s potential to redefine markets. This could pave the way for autonomous vehicles paying for maintenance, charging stations, or tolls, without any human intervention. In the same vein, intuitive devices could also manage repairs, upgrades, or subscriptions via secure transfers on-chain.

Raising Confidence in Autonomous Blockchain Transactions with Stability

According to Circle, selecting $USDC as the primary exchange medium highlights the significance of trust and stability in independent payments. Unlike volatile crypto assets, $USDC delivers a dependable digital dollar to be used by machines for seamless microtransfers. Additionally, the agentic commerce guarantees the scalability and security of these payments, leading toward widespread adoption. Ultimately, the self-recharging transfer of Bits serves as the initial step into an exclusive epoch of independent digital commerce.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/LzKmkgW
via IFTTT

Crypto ETFs Record $202.8M Weekly Inflows as AUM Tops $108.6B

The crypto exchange-traded fund market remained resilient throughout the last week, and total assets under management have reached an all-time high of $108.64 billion as of February 17, 2026. The recent seven-day report points to the new capital inflows and the overall investor interest in both Bitcoin and Ethereum-traded funds. The net flow of the week was positive, totaling to $202.89M, indicating that institutional and retail were involved in the crypto market despite the overall crypto market variance.

CRYPTOCURRENCY ETFs OVERVIEW (7D)
#iShares #ProShares #FidelityWiseOrigin #Grayscale

Total Assets under management: $108.64B
Total Net Flow: + $202.89M#ETF #Bitcoin $BTC #Ethereum $ETH pic.twitter.com/LcOA0N5q2g

— PHOENIX – Crypto News & Analytics (@pnxgrp) February 17, 2026

The assets under management indicates the aggregate market value of funds in its portfolios. The gradual increase to over 108 billion dollars is an indication of the increasing maturity of crypto investment products and its effect on mainstream financial systems.

Bitcoin ETFs Maintain Dominant Position

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds still present the largest proportion of total assets. Bitcoin ETFs, which represent the largest AUM in regulated crypto investment products, control $95.46 billion of the total $108.64 billion AUM. Bitcoin-oriented ETFs registered net inflows of $145.8 million over the past seven days, which led to the majority of the positive performance of the market over the week.

The steady inflows indicate that investors consider Bitcoin as the main point of entry into the digital asset in terms of standard brokerage accounts. Although short-term volatility continues in the spot market, the ETF flows show consistent demand for the most popular crypto structured exposure.

The contribution of Ethereum ETFs to weekly growth was also significant. Funds dedicated to Ethereum have $13.18 billion of assets under management and received $57.0 million of net inflows within the same timeframe. Although Ethereum ETFs are not as large as Bitcoin products, they have gained momentum as more investors are making diversified crypto investments.

Weekly Flow Trends Reflect Cautious Optimism

The seven day flow data indicate alternating inflows and outflows, indicating that investors are still picky on what they allocate. But the net positive flow of more than $202 million in the week indicates that the selling pressure is less than the buying pressure throughout the week.

This trend indicates the reserved optimism in the market. Instead of a sharp accumulation, investors seem to be accumulating gradually. This restrained use of capital is typical of transitional periods in the market especially when the macroeconomic environment and the general mood towards risk are mixed.

The long-term investment into both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs represents a belief in the fundamentals of both assets from a long-term perspective.

Top Funds Showcase Market Concentration

The ETF market is still highly concentrated with large financial funds. The crypto market is led by the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has assets under management of $52.5 billion and a market capitalization of $52.3 billion. The fund also recorded a trading volume of $2.4 billion which indicates a high level of liquidity and investor interest.

Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) has an AUM of $17.6 billion and a market capitalization of $13.3 billion having a trading volume of $359.6 million. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) has assets amounting to $10.7 billion and volume amounting to $300.5 million.

The iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) on the Ethereum side has an asset of $6.5 billion and has a trading value of $626.0 million. ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) completes the top five funds, having AUM of 2.5 billion and volume of 653.4 million. These numbers demonstrate that liquidity and scale are still concentrated among selected issuers.

Institutional Crypto Adoption Continues to Expand

The accomplishment of the $108 billion mark in total assets is a milestone for the industry. It shows that crypto ETFs are no longer considered niche products but are now taking an important role in diversified investment portfolios.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/s563ANS
via IFTTT

Crypto Market Update – MemeCore and Nexo Lead Gains Amid Shift Toward Utility-Driven Assets

While the overall volatility in the crypto market remains intact, taking a deeper dive into recent performances shows that the market itself is going through a transition. The “Top Gainers” on CoinMarketCap are starting to show more interest in mid-cap projects and tokens related to specific ecosystems. Traders are moving away from simply chasing hype toward assets that have clearly defined roadmaps; thus, today’s top performers represent a picture of how liquidity is moving throughout the current 24 hours.

MemeCore and Nexo – Outperforming the Pack

MemeCore (M) leads all cryptocurrencies today with a massive rise of 16.09%, resulting in a price of $1.49. Unlike ‘meme coin’ projects that rely on social media for their growth, MemeCore has been successful in being able to bridge that gap by creating both an interactive community culture as well as a real-world functional decentralized blockchain structure. This Substantial trading volume of $10.8 million over the previous 24-hours shows the token has good liquidity and investor confidence.

The next largest mover is Nexo (NEXO), which gained 7.07% and is now at $0.9028. Nexo has been around for a while as a lender and exchange in the cryptocurrency industry, so its recent movement indicates that there is renewed confidence in centralized finance (CeFi) companies that have kept their promises of transparency and regulatory compliance. NEXO’s trading volume was $24.4 million, so both institutional and retail buyers are still active in this part of the market even though broader market conditions have changed.

The Rise of Ecosystem Scaling and Interoperability

Projects that target connecting across different networks and providing utility for existing infrastructure are currently placing well on the leaderboards’ middle section. Pi (PI) and UNUS SED LEO (LEO) have seen growth rates at 3.66%, and 2.44%, respectively, but there’s a larger story to be told with Jupiter (JUP) and Aptos (APT) performance.

Jupiter has gained 2.32% and is commonly viewed as an indicator of how well Solana is doing overall, as Solana continues to compete with Ethereum in the developing world of Decentralized Finance. Likewise, Aptos (APT) also gained 2.27% and had a terrific 24-hour trading volume of $64.1 million. The ongoing success of these “Layer 1” and “Layer 2” technologies demonstrates that investors are making a wager on the underlying technology delivered by these solutions will create Web3. This trend is consistent with the growing trend in the market where companies are focused on creating platforms that facilitate fitness, dance and rewards within the Web3 gaming industry; thereby creating new standards for what constitutes user engagement.

Strategic Rebranding and Market Resilience

The most important mention is Polygon (POL), previously known as MATIC. The upgrade had a high-profile technical upgrade, and the token was rebranded POL increasing 2.06%. This is part of “Polygon 2.0” which is an ambitious roadmap to build the Value Layer of the internet.

These assets are very strong in relation to other global finance markets, even with all the bad macroeconomic things going on in the world today. CoinDesk recently published a report showing that the correlation between crypto prices and technology stocks remains very high. However, some cryptocurrencies such as MemeCore and Jupiter are beginning to develop a more independent identity by decoupling through their ecosystem developments and community activity.

Conclusion

A 16% rise in MemeCore shows how volatile the crypto market is, as if traders are desperate to act on all movements. Many well-known projects, such as Nexo, Aptos, and Polygon, are continuing to build long-term. This signals real-world utility in the crypto market and suggests that the market is beginning to mature despite a great deal of activity at an apex time. Projects with real-world uses will thrive in uncertain, rapidly evolving markets while fostering their host economies through the new digital marketplace.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/ULqXJb9
via IFTTT

Alchemy Pay Advances Alchemy Chain as Blockchain for Stablecoin Payments

Alchemy Pay, a prominent platform for crypto-fiat payments, has unveiled a unique roadmap and design update for its Alchemy Chain. With the new advancement, Alchemy Pay is presenting Alchemy Chain as a next-gen blockchain when it comes to stablecoin payments. As per Alchemy Pay’s official press release, the initiative denotes a key move in the platform’s evolution into a robust, self-sustaining financial company. Hence, amid the growing complexity and payment utility, Alchemy Pay is turning Alchemy Chain into the backbone of a cost-effective, compliance-ready, and scalable stablecoin network.

Alchemy Chain Establishes New Blockchain Infrastructure to Drive Stablecoin Payments

With the new advancement plan for Alchemy Chain, Alchemy Pay intends to introduce a cutting-edge blockchain to drive stablecoin payments. In this respect, the development highlights the stablecoins’ rising significance in the worldwide commerce. Over the recent years, Alchemy Pay has broadened from a gateway for crypto payments into a worldwide payment ecosystem serving partners, users, and merchants across diverse regions.

Thus, as merchant checkout, cross-border settlements, and remittances grow, depending wholly on 3rd-party blockchain infrastructure is insufficient. Additionally, stablecoins have become a core settlement vehicle for digital payments. They now demand a next-gen infrastructure to guarantee consistent performance, standardized settlement, and integrated compliance across different payment flows.

Keeping this in view, Alchemy Chain delivers a devoted L1 blockchain for stablecoin transfers. It delivers the base layer for an inclusive ecosystem. For this purpose, it lets Alchemy Pay issue its local stablecoin while also delivering seamless liquidity across diverse wallets, payment channels, and merchants. The respective evolution underscores a required move toward developing a global and unified ecosystem for stablecoin payments.

Stablecoin Payment Flows from Merchant Checkout to Seamless Remittances

According to Alchemy Pay, unlike usual general-purpose blockchains, the main purpose of Alchemy Chain is to deal with payment scenarios like wallet-to-wallet transactions, automated payouts, dApp commerce, merchant checkout, and remittances. Leveraging a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus model, the ecosystem provides block times of almost 5 seconds as well as near-instant finality. As a result, it meets the reliability benchmarks needed by payment processors and merchants. Ultimately, with the latest advancements, Alchemy Chain is emerging as a leading ecosystem catering to worldwide stablecoin payments. 

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/udKYD3P
via IFTTT

Top Crypto Unlocks: Over $155 Million in Token Supply to Unlock Across Key Crypto Projects This Week

The crypto sector is anticipating a massive token unlocking for the period between February 16 and February 22, 2026. As Phoenix Group noted, various popular blockchain projects will initially issue part of the locked supply of tokens into the crypto market. Although token unlocks are a standard element of vesting programs, when and how large they occur can be closely monitored by traders because they may affect liquidity and price movement and short-term market mood.

MAJOR UPCOMING TOKEN UNLOCKS #Arbitrum $ARB #STBL $STBL #Aster $ASTER #PudgyPenguins$PENGU #Yooldo $ESPORTS #zkSync $ZK #LayerZero $ZRO #Kaito $KAITO #River $RIVER pic.twitter.com/xsLKdY1ICu

— PHOENIX – Crypto News & Analytics (@pnxgrp) February 16, 2026

The next unlock is comprised of layer-2 networks, game and NFT ecosystems, and infrastructure-oriented protocols, with total unlocked value of more than 155 million at present market prices.

Arbitrum and STBL Kick Off on February 16

On February 16, the crypto unlock cycle starts with Arbitrum and STBL. Arbitrum will unlock 92.63 million ARB (0.93 percent of the total supply) estimated at $10.51 million. Although the percentage is not so high, ARB is a highly liquid asset, i.e., even minor changes in supply can affect short-term trading dynamics.

STBL will unlock 288.39 million tokens on the same day, which is 2.88 percent of its supply and has a valuation of about $11.57 million. The increased percentage unlock of STBL may also result in more visible volatility, especially when the initial investors or participants in the ecosystem choose to take profits.

February 17 Brings Aster and Pudgy Penguins into Focus

On February 17, ASTER and Pudgy Penguins will unlock, both projects that are very different in terms of market profile. ASTER intends to issue 78.41 million tokens; this is 0.98 percent of its total supply, though with a fairly high valuation of $55.71 million. This has left ASTER as one of the most observed unlocks of the week dollar-wise.

Puddy Penguins will unlock 703.50 million PENGU tokens, which is 0.88 percent of supply valued at approximately $5.05 million. Since the project has a high brand awareness in the NFT and consumer crypto sector, the response in the market might not be as affected by the size of unlock but rather on the overall attitude toward NFT-linked tokens.

YOOLDO and zkSync Unlocks Scheduled for February 19

YOOLDO and zkSync will issue new tokens into the market on February 19. The unlock of YOOLDO is the highest percentage, as 37.74 million ESPORTS tokens will enter the market, which is 4.19 of the total supply, and its equivalent is $14.51 million. This massive proportional release will tend to bring up concerns of short-term selling pressure particularly in less liquid markets.

zkSync, in its turn, will release 173.41 million of ZK tokens, which is only 0.83 percent of supply and worth $3.73 million. Although it is not as huge in percentage and dollar terms, zkSync is an infrastructure project at the core, which means that its unlock can still have an impact on the sentiment within the layer-2 crypto industry.

LayerZero and Kaito Take the Spotlight on February 20

One of the most influential days of crypto unlock schedule is set to be on February 20. LayerZero will be unlocking 24.68 million ZRO, which represents a 2.47 percent supply and has a market value of around $41.06 million. Because LayerZero is in the middle of the cross-chain infrastructure, this unlock would be the subject of increased scrutiny by traders as well as long-term investors.

In partnership with LayerZero, Kaito will be unlocking 32.60 million tokens, which is 3.26% of total supply worth $10.08 million. This relatively high percentage and moderate value of the dollar makes Kaito another possible source of near-term volatility.

River Concludes the Crypto Unlock Cycle on February 22

The last planned unlock is provided by River on February 22 where 360,040 RIVER tokens will be unlocked, or 0.36 percent of the total supply. This unlock valued at $4.16 million is smaller than others in the week indicating smaller impact on the crypto market. Nevertheless, even smaller releases can affect the price in thin markets.

from Crypto News: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Price Data | BlockchainReporter https://ift.tt/nhD4UXl
via IFTTT