On 19 February 2026, U.S.-listed Bitcoin exchange-traded funds saw about $165.8 million in net outflows, led by sizable redemptions from a major IBIT vehicle. Ethereum products registered roughly $130.1 million in withdrawals, while Solana and XRP ETFs posted smaller but positive net inflows of around $6.0 million and $4.05 million, signaling a cautious rotation into select alternative assets.

On 20 February 2026, Deutsche Bank said it is expanding Ripple-based infrastructure across cross-border payments, foreign exchange and digital asset custody. The bank targets near-instant settlement and lower costs, with internal projections pointing to up to 30% operational savings; the rollout focuses on enterprise messaging and routing rather than direct XRP usage.

On February 20, Congress is scheduled to vote on the CLARITY Act, a bill that would define how yields on stablecoins are treated under U.S. law. Lawmakers will debate the regulatory framework for stablecoin interest payments and how these products can be offered to investors. The outcome could shape how banks, fintech firms, and crypto platforms structure dollar-pegged digital assets.

On 19 February 2026, World Liberty Financial announced its first real-world asset issuance: tokenized loan revenue interests tied to the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives. The private placement targets verified accredited investors under Regulation D 506(c) and Regulation S, offering fixed-yield exposure to cash flows from resort financing, with Securitize and DarGlobal involved in issuance and development. Following the announcement, WLFI's governance token rose about 20%, highlighting market focus on the project and its role in linking stablecoins to income-generating real estate.

Jane Street disclosed holding roughly 20.3 million shares of BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust as of December 31, 2025. The Q4 2025 position has refocused attention on recurring sell pressure in Bitcoin and related ETFs around 10 AM ET. While rumors of coordinated suppression remain unverified, market-structure explanations such as hedging and arbitrage are also being discussed.

On 18 February 2026, Bitcoin was trading near $68,000 after a multi‑month decline that nearly halved its price from an October record. Traders were watching the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes, due later that day, for signals on future U.S. interest rates and their impact on cryptocurrencies and growth stocks.

Bitcoin remains more than 45% below its all-time high, while key on-chain indicators show growing strain among long-term holders. The LTH SOPR has dropped to 0.88, implying coins are being sold at a loss, and inflows from these holders to Binance have climbed to roughly twice their annual average on several recent days. Over the past two years retail investors have offloaded more than 1.2 million BTC, with institutions absorbing much of this supply, as the ongoing correction shifts into a more fragile adjustment phase.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says the market slipped into a disguised bear phase in January 2025 as large institutional demand offset underlying weakness. He estimates 744,000 BTC, about $75 billion, were absorbed, leaving major assets down 10–20% while many retail-led altcoins fell 60–75%, and he expects stabilization to form into early 2026.

Intesa Sanpaolo's February 17, 2026 Form 13F filing shows about $96 million in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs as of December 31, 2025. The bank held $72.6 million in ARK's ARKB and $23.4 million in BlackRock's IBIT, alongside $184 million in MicroStrategy put options and smaller stakes in a Solana staking ETF and Circle.