In late 2025, Bitcoin climbed to a record $125,000 before sliding to about $66,888, marking a drawdown of nearly 46% amid growing fear and weakening demand. By February 2026, network data, ETF flows and falling active addresses showed a market dominated by risk reduction and uncertainty rather than strong retail participation.

An early Bitcoin-era investor moved 261,024 ETH, valued at about $543 million, to Binance while Ethereum traded near $2,089.30 after a 0.89% daily uptick. Despite this, the holder still controls over 808,000 ETH worth roughly $1.66 billion, as technical indicators, ETF flows, and declining derivatives open interest point to ongoing weakness in Ethereum’s market structure.

Bitcoin-focused stocks like MSTR, ASST, and GLXY have recorded daily gains of about 7%–9%, even as their monthly performance remains sharply negative. Despite Bitcoin trading near $70,400, indicators such as RSI, MACD, and ETF flows show weak institutional conviction following the December 2025 crash and large unrealized losses.

As Japanese interest rates climb and U.S. liquidity conditions tighten, Bitcoin has been reinforcing its position as a macro asset, trading at $70,681 after a 3.03% daily gain alongside a 2.03% rise in gold to $4,966.26 per ounce. Cathie Wood of ARK Invest argues that AI-driven "agentic commerce" is pushing blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into core financial infrastructure, encouraging institutions to use gold for stability and Bitcoin for growth and innovation. Even as short-term volatility and a decline in active Bitcoin users persist, rising market dominance near 59% and growing institutional participation are reshaping its traditional boom-and-bust cycle.

Vitalik Buterin moved 705 ETH, including a 493 ETH transaction valued at about $1.16 million after an earlier 211.84 ETH swap. The activity prompted concern, but it aligns with his recurring practice of converting ETH to stablecoins for charitable initiatives, notably funding Kanro and other research-focused projects. Ethereum traded near $2,274 with mixed technical signals.

Bitwise registered a Delaware trust tied to a potential Uniswap ETF, signaling groundwork without an active SEC review or a disclosed timeline. Around the filing, UNI rose to $4.82, up 3.83% in 24 hours, while altcoin ETP flows split: ETH logged $63.53 million outflows, and XRP, SOL, and LINK posted smaller inflows.

According to Arkham, Strategy Inc., led by Michael Saylor, bought $2.16 billion in BTC over the past week at an average of $95,284. As Bitcoin hovered near $89,199 at press time, down 2.14% daily, the firm's total holdings reached 709,715 BTC, while Saylor personally holds 17,732 BTC.

Ethereum's price has dropped to about $2,964 amid broader crypto market weakness tied to recent U.S. tariff moves under President Trump and rising risk-off sentiment. While retail traders appear to be selling, large investors such as Trend Research and another whale have bought more than 44,000 ETH through Aave and OTC desks, committing over $130 million. This accumulation around the $2,900–$3,000 range relies partly on leverage and could face liquidation if ETH slides toward $2,500–$2,600.

On the night of 10 January, an attacker used social engineering to drain over $282 million in BTC and LTC from a single holder. The haul moved through THORChain, into ETH and XRP, with 1,468.66 ETH (~$4.9 million) mixed via Tornado Cash, while Monero activity briefly spiked.