On 24 February 2026, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization declined 3.05% to $2.19 trillion as digital assets extended their pullback. Ethereum traded around $1,829.84 with technical indicators pointing to short‑term strength, while several major altcoins such as XRP, Solana, and Bitcoin Cash recorded weekly losses of more than 10%. Market sentiment remained fragile, with the Fear & Greed Index at 11 and the Altcoin Season Index at 33, highlighting Bitcoin’s relative dominance.

On 16 February 2026, Arizona’s Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to establish a state-managed Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund using seized cryptocurrencies instead of taxpayer money. The proposal, filed on 3 February 2026 by Mark Finchem, names Bitcoin, XRP and DigiByte as eligible assets, and could make Arizona the first U.S. state to formally include XRP in a government reserve structure. Under the plan, the State Treasurer would oversee custody, investment and potential lending of these digital assets within strict risk and storage rules.

On 23 February 2026, data attributed to DWF Labs and Memento Research indicated that more than 80% of tokens launched in 2025 are trading under their TGE price, with many falling 50%–70% in the first 90 days. Analysts say these sharp drawdowns on major exchanges are pushing investors toward publicly listed crypto companies, where IPO fundraising has reached $14.6 billion. This shift reflects growing preference for regulated equities and clearer valuation frameworks over the traditional token launch model.

On 23 February 2026, crypto analyst Doctor Profit said Bitcoin has shifted into Stage 4 of a six‑phase bear‑market framework after dropping from an October 2025 peak near $125,000–$126,000 to about $60,000. The roadmap outlines range‑bound fatigue now and a possible Stage 5 capitulation toward $35,000–$45,000, with a durable uptrend not expected until late 2026 or 2027.

On 22 February 2026, AI, data, and Web3 infrastructure-focused crypto networks such as Chainlink, Internet Computer, NEAR, Filecoin, Livepeer, The Graph, Bittensor, Qubic, Flux, and Injective topped development activity rankings. These projects are building decentralized oracles, cloud, storage, indexing, compute, and DeFi rails, indicating a shift in the crypto sector toward real-world utility rather than pure speculation.

On February 22, 2026, Tether said its gold token XAUt accounted for more than 60% of the tokenized gold market. According to CEO Paolo Ardoino, 94 tonnes shifted on chain over the past six months with total fees of 0.0016%. XAUt trades near 5,100 dollars per ounce with a 2.66 billion dollar market cap and 172 to 247 million dollars in daily volume.

On 22 February 2026, XRP registered its largest on-chain realized loss spike since 2022, with weekly realized losses dropping to about -$1.93 billion. The last comparable capitulation roughly 39 months earlier was followed by a multi-month rally, while XRP now trades around $1.41–$1.42, more than 60% below its all-time high near $3.86. Analysts note that such extreme loss events can coincide with market bottoms, although no immediate recovery is guaranteed.

On Feb. 20, US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $88.1 million in net inflows, led by BlackRock's IBIT with $64.5 million and Fidelity's FBTC with $23.6 million. The move followed a $165.8 million outflow on Feb. 19, while Ethereum flows were broadly flat and Solana funds added $3.7 million.

By February 20, 2026, Tether's USDT had fallen by about 1.5 billion dollars this month, after supply peaked near 187 billion dollars in early January and slipped below 184 billion on February 18. The pullback follows MiCA-related restrictions across Europe and exchange delistings, while USDC's supply has grown nearly 5 percent to roughly 75.7 billion dollars.