On February 10, 2026, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the central bank plans to offer restricted "skinny master accounts" that give eligible fintech and crypto firms limited access to its payment system by year‑end. Reports indicated the accounts would pay no interest and bar discount‑window borrowing amid divisions between crypto companies and community banks and delays to a broader market‑structure bill.

Vitalik Buterin envisions Ethereum as core infrastructure for decentralized AI, focusing on user protection, privacy, and verifiable machine behavior. However, ETH has dropped to yearly lows while Solana has surpassed it in January DEX volumes, putting pressure on Ethereum to convert its long-term roadmap into visible growth.

Bitcoin is consolidating around $70,000 after reclaiming $68,800 and moving above the 100‑hour SMA, but the medium‑term bias remains negative. InvestTech highlights a falling channel and says bulls need to retake the 200‑day EMA near $95,700, with $72,000–$72,500 a key cap and $69,400–$65,000 the main support band.

BitMEX Research has outlined a post-quantum recovery plan for Bitcoin that would address coins held in legacy addresses at risk from quantum attacks. The proposal suggests a potential soft fork to freeze vulnerable funds, paired with quantum-safe recovery transactions using hash commitments or zero-knowledge proofs. The plan also covers high-risk legacy holdings, including early coins such as those attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto, via a "Pre-QDay Commitment" mechanism.

On 10 February 2026, CME Group rolled out regulated futures contracts linked to Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar, extending its crypto derivatives suite beyond existing offerings. The launch introduces both standard and micro-sized contracts, giving institutional and active retail traders more options for hedging and portfolio positioning. These products are framed as market infrastructure designed to support risk transfer and liquidity rather than direct short-term price drivers.

According to CryptoQuant analyst Joao Wedson, Ether's MVRV Z-Score has dropped to -0.42, a level often linked to capitulation. Ether fell 30% over the past fortnight, hitting $1,825 on Friday before rebounding to $2,100 on Monday, while the worst historical reading was -0.76 in December 2018. Analysts remain divided on near-term downside.

On Monday, Bitcoin recovered above $71,000 after a sharp deterioration in crypto market sentiment pushed several indicators to record pessimistic levels. Some analysts argue that extreme fear, an RSI near 15 and a crypto Fear & Greed Index low of 5 could signal a relief rally, while others caution that Bitcoin remains far below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Liquidation data showing over $5.45 billion in potential short liquidations above current prices versus about $2.4 billion near $60,000 highlights both upside pressure and lingering downside risk.

Federal Reserve governor Chris Waller said at a Monday conference that the surge of enthusiasm for crypto following U.S. President Donald Trump's election win is now easing as the sector becomes more integrated with traditional finance. He argued that mainstream financial firms adjusting their risk exposure contributed to the recent sell-off and described crypto's sharp price swings as simply part of the business. Waller added that the Fed aims to launch limited-access "payment accounts" for fintech and crypto firms by the end of the year, following a public feedback period.