The dollar index has fallen 1% since the start of 2026 after a 9% annual drop in 2025, while traders discount White House assurances of a "strong dollar." Tariff threats and the nomination of Kevin Warsh for Fed chair are seen as tilting toward lower rates, steering investors toward gold and other perceived havens.

In Q4 2025, crypto and blockchain venture capital reached $8.5 billion across 425 deals, according to Galaxy Digital's research led by Alex Thorn. Later-stage startups attracted 56% of this capital, with 11 mega-rounds over $100 million accounting for $7.3 billion. US-based companies captured 55% of total funding, while crypto-focused VC funds raised $1.98 billion in the quarter.

On Feb. 8, Lyn Alden said the U.S. Federal Reserve is shifting into a "gradual" money-printing phase, expecting balance-sheet growth to roughly match bank assets or nominal GDP and to lift asset prices only mildly. CME FedWatch showed 19.9% odds of a March cut, down from 23%, as markets weigh Jerome Powell’s guidance and leadership uncertainty.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in an X post that he remains long‑term bullish and views volatility as a normal feature of the crypto market. Bitcoin reached $126,210 in October 2025 and traded near $63,000 by early February 2026, while Coinbase diversified revenue with subscriptions and services and set up a quantum‑risk advisory board as COIN fell about 45% in three months.

Block Inc., led by Jack Dorsey, is preparing to eliminate roles during annual performance reviews, with as much as 10% of staff at risk, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. Earlier cuts removed 931 positions in March 2025 and about 1,000 in January 2024. The company plans to release fourth-quarter results on Feb. 26.

During a week of sharp cryptocurrency market losses, on-chain data shows newly created whale wallets withdrawing roughly 3,500 BTC and 30,000 ETH from Binance. These large outflows, recorded on February 8, 2026, coincide with Bitcoin recovering toward $71,000 and Ethereum trading above $2,000, hinting at renewed accumulation by large holders. The concentration of assets in self-custody wallets is reducing exchange reserves and may be contributing to stabilizing prices after the recent capitulation.

Global Google search interest for the term "crypto" is hovering near its 12‑month low while the digital asset market cap has dropped from over $4.2 trillion to about $2.4 trillion. At the same time, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index recently hit an all‑time low of 5, indicating extreme fear comparable to the sentiment seen after the 2022 Terra ecosystem collapse.

Over six trading days, retail investors committed $430 million to SLV, the largest silver ETF, while silver prices plunged from a January high of $121 per ounce to $64 before recovering to $78. On January 30, silver dropped 27% in its biggest-ever one-day loss, yet data showed small investors continued buying aggressively as institutional players pulled back.