Bitcoin climbed to a one-month peak of $74,000 in early 2026 as on-chain data pointed to easing sell pressure and improving spot demand. According to CryptoQuant, apparent spot demand contraction narrowed from about -136,000 BTC at the start of 2026 to roughly -25,000 BTC, while long-term holder outflows fell to 276,000 BTC from 904,000 BTC in November. Analysts still see potential resistance forming around $79,000 and possibly near $90,000, with broader sentiment gauges remaining cautious.

Santiment has observed that Bitcoin adoption is increasing, with non-empty wallets reaching a record 58.45 million and exchange balances dropping to their lowest level since December 2017. While spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. recently saw a $1.45 billion inflow on February 25 and BTC briefly moved above $70,000, retail inflows have contracted and price remains slightly lower over the past 24 hours.

The U.S. Senate has advanced the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill that pairs housing reforms with a prohibition on Federal Reserve-issued central bank digital currencies through 2030. The legislation cleared a key procedural vote with an 84–6 margin and seeks to expand housing supply, reduce bureaucratic delays, and limit large institutional control of single-family rentals. The White House has indicated it would recommend President Trump sign the measure if it reaches his desk, though the CBDC restriction still must survive further negotiations with the House.

A federal court in the Southern District of New York has dismissed a multi-year class action lawsuit accusing Uniswap Labs and founder Hayden Adams of facilitating scam token trading on the Uniswap protocol. Judge Katherine Polk Failla rejected the plaintiffs’ second amended complaint with prejudice, finding they failed to plausibly allege the defendants’ knowledge of, or substantial assistance in, the alleged fraud. The ruling follows earlier dismissals of federal securities claims in August 2023 and a partial affirmance by the Second Circuit in February 2025.

The U.S. Department of Justice arrested 34-year-old Christopher Alexander Delgado, CEO of Goliath Ventures, for allegedly running a crypto Ponzi scheme that took roughly $328 million. Prosecutors say the scheme operated from January 2023 through January 2026, and if convicted, Delgado faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

Flare has integrated its DeFi infrastructure with the XRPL-based self-custodial wallet Xaman, enabling XRP holders to enter curated vaults via a single XRPL transaction. The setup automates cross-chain execution and asset representation using FAssets and Flare Smart Accounts, so users can earn yield from their existing wallet without managing bridges or extra tokens.

CryptoQuant reports that Bitcoin is in a deleveraging phase, with CME futures basis compressing since 2025 while the slope remains positive. CME Bitcoin futures open interest has declined 47%, similar to the 45% retreat in 2022. Together, these signals point to consolidation or a mid‑cycle bearish regime, with a decisive capitulation potentially approaching.

Grayscale identified XRP as the second-most discussed asset in its community, behind bitcoin, underscoring strong engagement from XRP supporters. Crypto investment products saw divergent flows last week, with bitcoin and ethereum products losing $133 million and $85 million, while XRP-linked products attracted over $33.4 million. XRP also rallied more than 16% over the weekend.

On July 25, 2025, XRP's SOPR was 1.16; it is now 0.96, indicating negative on‑chain profitability, according to Glassnode. Since August 2025, the token's price has trended lower, with long‑term holders increasing daily spending by 580% from $38 million to $260 million and the price briefly dropping below $2 in mid‑November.