Coinbase plans to migrate Base onto a unified, internally managed software stack that replaces its prior dependence on Optimism's core technology and external tooling. The move will let Base package its own client binary, target up to six hard forks per year, and introduce Base-specific governance, security council signers, and fee systems. As Base gains more control over upgrades and infrastructure, Optimism faces reduced influence over one of its largest Layer 2 ecosystem partners.

On Monday, market analyst Crypto Patel said on X that Ethereum sits just below $2,000 at a key decision zone, with $1,800 the critical support. He cited two failed bullish patterns that flipped $3,100–$3,500 into resistance. A hold above $1,800 could target $2,650, while a break lower may expose $1,300.

OpenAI launched EVMbench to benchmark how AI agents detect, patch, and exploit security issues in crypto smart contracts. On Wednesday, the firm published a paper with Paradigm and OtterSec covering 120 vulnerabilities, where Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6 led with a $37,824 detect award, ahead of OC-GPT-5.2 and Gemini 3 Pro.

On February 18, 2026, it was reported that SunTrust Bank, now operating as Truist Bank, agreed to a settlement of up to $240,000,000 over allegedly unlawful overdraft fees charged to Georgia customers. After an estimated $84,200,000 is allocated for legal and administrative costs, about $155,800,000 from the class-action case filed in 2010 will be distributed on a claims-based, pro rata basis to eligible account holders who paid overdraft fees between July 12, 2006, and April 15, 2014.

The official TRUMP team moved 9.089 million TRUMP tokens worth $31.45 million to BitGo while the token traded around $3.51 after a 4.67% daily rise. Price remains inside a long-term descending channel between support at $3.18 and resistance at $4.27 and $5.68, as modest exchange outflows and a 6.10% jump in open interest to $109.41 million point to building leverage and possible volatility.

Bitcoin remains range‑bound below $72,000, with $72,000–$74,000 now acting as resistance and the weekly structure tilted bearish, according to analyst Alejandro₿TC. Liquidity data cited by Columbus points to bids at $64,000–$66,000 and interest above $70,000, while the monthly close in 11 days could steer price toward $50,000–$52,000 or higher reclaim levels.

Analysts have scrutinized SEC 13F filings to assess whether Hong Kong-based Laurore LTD was involved in Bitcoin's sharp October 2025 crash, when the market saw about $19 billion in liquidations. The reports show Laurore amassed roughly $436 million of IBIT shares during Q4 2025, while major options market makers significantly boosted long volatility positions in the ETF. Commentary from industry figures indicates Laurore likely did not trigger the so-called 1010 event, but the case highlights growing interest from Chinese-linked capital in accessing Bitcoin via US-regulated ETFs.

Solana's SOL is hovering near a fragile $78 area after failing to reclaim $89 over the past two weeks and marking a $67.60 low on Feb. 6. Futures positioning has thinned, with open interest down 75% from a $13.5 billion peak and bears paying about 20% annualized to keep shorts open. Onchain, weekly dApp revenue fell to $22.8 million, the lowest since October 2024.