On 5 February 2026, Bitcoin slid to around $70,600, marking its lowest weekly close in roughly 15 months and returning to price levels seen in the first half of 2024. After peaking slightly above $120,000 in mid-2025, the cryptocurrency has fallen about 41%, with elevated trading volume and broader risk-off sentiment across global equities reinforcing the ongoing downside momentum.

On 4 February 2026, Bitcoin was trading close to $73,700 under sustained bearish sentiment and elevated volatility. Analysts highlight that a sweep of the April lows with strong volume may signal local capitulation, while on-chain metrics still allow for further downside. Even so, many market observers see the current phase as late-stage weakness within a broader constructive outlook heading into 2026.

On 3 February 2026, spot ETF flow data highlighted mixed institutional positioning across major crypto assets. Bitcoin products saw sizeable net outflows while Ethereum, Solana and XRP ETFs registered varying degrees of net inflows, suggesting selective rotation rather than broad capitulation. This divergence comes as overall crypto sentiment remains risk-off and market conditions stay fragile.

On 4 February 2026, Strategy’s Bitcoin stash stood at 713,502 BTC, equal to about 3.6% of supply and valued near $54.9 billion. Its realized average entry is around $76,000, close to spot, while a recent 855 BTC buy near $88,000 adds faster downside sensitivity. The firm’s funding links market strength to continued accumulation.

On 3 February 2026, Ethereum was trading around $2,300 while SUI hovered near $1.14 in a consolidation phase. At the same time, the Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) presale entered Stage 2, limiting daily supply to 190 million coins and tightening access for new buyers.

On 2 February 2026, a detailed overview explained how on-us and off-us card transactions differ in structure and impact. On-us payments occur when the issuer and acquirer are the same bank and remain on internal rails, while off-us flows connect different banks via card networks such as Visa, Mastercard, or RuPay. This technical distinction influences processing time, costs, and how banks and fintechs design their payment infrastructure.

On 1 February 2026, Bitcoin Everlight was outlined as a lightweight transaction layer intended to improve Bitcoin-based payments while preserving Bitcoin's role as a settlement chain. The project introduces BTCL-powered node routing, external audits, and a multi-stage presale with a fixed 21,000,000,000 token supply. Ethereum, by contrast, relies on rollups and Layer 2 networks that already handle high-volume, low-fee activity and support lower average transaction values than Bitcoin.

On 31 January 2026, the US Treasury announced sanctions against senior Iranian officials and financial networks said to be involved in violent protest crackdowns and domestic repression. The measures also target two UK-registered digital asset platforms, Zedcex Exchange and Zedxion Exchange, alleged to have processed funds tied to IRGC-linked wallets, with Zedcex handling more than $94 billion in transactions since 2022. These designations freeze assets under US jurisdiction, bar US persons from dealing with the listed parties, and warn foreign institutions of potential penalties for facilitating related transactions.

On 30 January 2026, a synchronized rout spanned gold, silver, equities, and cryptocurrencies, erasing more than $10 trillion within 24 hours, according to market estimates. Gold's drop cleared roughly $4 trillion, silver about $1.1 trillion, while crypto capitalization fell 4.78% to $2.83 trillion, with Bitcoin leading the decline. Analysts cited a gold breakdown and capital rotation as potential drivers.