US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Friday that passing the proposed Clarity Act, a digital asset market structure bill, could help reduce uncertainty and support more stable crypto markets. He linked part of Bitcoin's roughly 29% monthly decline to industry pushback against regulation and warned that shifting political dynamics and opposition from some firms may still derail the legislation, which prediction markets currently see as having a 62% chance of becoming law by the end of 2026.

ApeBond has launched its DeFi bond product on HyperEVM with $qONE as the first integrated token, enabling discounted token purchases in exchange for liquidity provision. The partnership introduces protocol-owned liquidity for $qONE on Hyperliquid, where the token has climbed to $0.021 with a fully diluted valuation of $21.56M. $qONE has risen 114% from its $0.01 public sale price and 168% from its $0.008 community round as it secures a series of ecosystem "firsts" across HyperEVM and centralized data platforms.

LiquidChain has launched its LIQUID token presale with a focus on infrastructure, aiming to unify liquidity and execution across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana without relying on bridges or synthetic assets. The protocol operates as a Layer 3 settlement and execution layer, while its 11.8 billion LIQUID supply is allocated to development, Liquid Labs, AquaVault, rewards, and growth to support long-term operations. Token utility includes liquidity staking, transaction fees, and developer incentives, aligning demand with actual network usage in a market that increasingly values verifiable, compliant DeFi systems.

During a period when the crypto Fear & Greed Index reportedly fell to 6 out of 100 and market sentiment was extremely weak, the $qONE presale sold out its entire $950,000 allocation in less than 24 hours. Backed by 01 Quantum Inc., the token is preparing for its Token Generation Event on Hyperliquid, with public round buyers set to receive full token unlock at launch. Community round and Hypio NFT airdrop participants will have different vesting and distribution terms once trading begins.

On February 6, a market note reviewed XRP, Solana and Bitcoin after a tech-led pullback that briefly took BTC to $60,000. The article says XRP trades near $1.31 after a 64% drawdown and flags a potential $5 path tied to spot ETF approval, SOL's RSI near 23 with resistance at $200–$275, and BTC's $126,080 peak from October 6.

Heading into early February 2026, Midnight (NIGHT), Hyperliquid (HYPE), and Monero (XMR) are bucking weak altcoin sentiment with accumulation and catalyst-led strength. Midnight's Q1 2026 'Kūkolu' phase was outlined in a January update, while HYPE's CMF turned positive and open interest climbed to $793M around Jan. 26–27. Monero's MFI points to fading sell pressure near $305 after an 11-day, 30% drop.

In August 2025, a joint stipulation set a $125 million penalty and the SEC dropped appeals, but U.S. banks remain cautious about Judge Torres' label on institutional XRP sales. The article notes institutions are trimming direct exposure while preparing for an ETF, with XRP at $1.22 versus a July 2025 peak of $3.65.

On Thursday, Bitcoin slipped under $70,000, touching $67,619 and registering a 15‑month low as markets re‑priced liquidity risks. According to Cryptonews, about $40 billion in open interest vanished in under 48 hours while traders reacted to Kevin Warsh's prospective leadership at the Federal Reserve. Spot ETF assets also fell below $100 billion in Q1, and gold surpassed $5,100/oz.

Gold is quoted at $4,906/oz with macro desks continuing to pay for convexity in the traditional hedge, while Bitcoin changes hands at $72,639 after previously rebounding to $78,376. World Gold Council data for 2025 highlight 801 tonnes of global gold ETF inflows and a strong 420-tonne Q4 bar-and-coin demand, while CoinMarketCap shows BTC still about 40% under its $126,198 all-time high. Positioning shifts, rising margins on Comex metals and differing allocation mechanics help explain why gold is absorbing flows even as Bitcoin trades more like a high-beta liquidity asset.