Options data from laevitas.ch show two‑month BTC puts priced 13% above comparable calls on Thursday, signaling a defensive stance. Laevitas also tracked neutral‑to‑bearish strategies dominating Deribit in the past 48 hours, while Farside Investors reports $910 million in U.S.-listed spot ETF outflows since Feb. 11. BTC was rejected near $71,000 on Sunday yet held above $66,000 through the week.

Alibaba's KIMI model outlines end-2026 price scenarios for XRP, SHIB and PEPE, projecting XRP up to $8, SHIB toward $0.000059, and PEPE near $0.000098. The outlook references current prices of $1.41 for XRP, $0.000006187 for SHIB, and $0.0000042 for PEPE, implying potential gains of roughly sixfold, 850%, and 2,233%.

The European Central Bank plans to choose payment service providers for its digital euro project in early 2026, with a 12‑month pilot starting in the second half of 2027. The first issuance is aimed for 2029, and the currency is designed to work with existing cards and wallets while capping merchant fees. Officials expect it to strengthen European payment systems and reduce reliance on stablecoins and global card networks.

Kraken said on Thursday that xStocks has exceeded $25 billion in cumulative transactions less than eight months after launch, counting centralized and decentralized trades plus minting and redemptions. The platform reports $3.5 billion in onchain volume and over 80,000 unique onchain holders, alongside a 150% increase since November.

On February 18 at ETHDenver, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said regulators should not overreact to falling crypto prices as Bitcoin hovered around $66,000 and other major tokens declined. Instead, he outlined Project Crypto, a joint SEC–CFTC effort to define asset classifications, rules for tokenized securities on automated market makers, and custody guidance, while Commissioner Hester Peirce stressed that long‑term value depends on building useful products rather than short‑term market moves.

Monthly Lightning Network volume reached an estimated $1.1 billion in November 2025 across 5.2 million transfers. The report notes 2025 transaction counts trail 2023’s peak of 6.6 million and projects new growth as individuals and businesses test AI-driven payment agents, alongside rising institutional use and a capacity of 5,606 BTC in December 2025.

Bitcoin is on track for a fifth straight red monthly candle, with this month down 15%, according to CoinGlass. Analysts note that 2018/19 saw six red months followed by over 316% gains in five months, while 2022 delivered four red quarters and a 64% annual drawdown. Others on X argue the current setup is structurally different.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the US CLARITY Act could pass by April and pegged the odds at 80%. Prediction market pricing shows an 85% chance of enactment in 2026, up from about 60% earlier this year. He described April as a realistic window if negotiations keep moving.