Executive brief
The cryptocurrency market has staged a significant recovery as Bitcoin rallied above $69,500, buoyed by a reversal in institutional sentiment and strong corporate earnings. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded their first major green day in weeks with $257.7m in net inflows, led by BlackRock and Fidelity. This pivot comes as Circle reported a massive Q4 earnings beat, with earnings of 43 cents per share far exceeding analysts’ 16 cent expectations. The stablecoin issuer noted that USDC now accounts for nearly 50% of stablecoin transactions on certain rails, signaling a shift in liquidity preferences toward regulated assets.
Regulatory developments remain a primary driver of market volatility. The SEC has appointed former Chainlink executive Taylor Lindman as Chief Counsel for its Crypto Task Force, while the UK Financial Conduct Authority selected Revolut and three other firms to test stablecoin issuance in a new regulatory sandbox. However, friction persists as US Senator Richard Blumenthal opened a probe into Binance regarding alleged $1.7b flows to Iranian entities. Meanwhile, Stripe is reportedly considering a landmark acquisition of PayPal, a move that could consolidate the digital payments landscape as fintechs increasingly bid for US bank charters.
Investors should monitor the growing opportunity in miner capitulation cycles, as analysts suggest the worst of the bitcoin drawdown may have passed despite public miners liquidating $348m in BTC to cover rising power costs. A significant risk cue remains the “triple bubble” in traditional equities and private credit, where stretched valuations and elevated real yields could trigger a liquidity shock. Meta’s potential return to stablecoin payments in late 2026 provides a long term directional cue, as it could unlock $1 trillion in incremental demand for US Treasury bills through reserve holdings.
1) Top 20 news headlines
- Bitcoin tops $69.5k after stock market rebound; the asset rallied above $69,500 as US policy clarity and strong earnings boosted risk appetite.
- Circle Q4 earnings beat estimates as USDC issuance grows; shares surged up to 29% after posting 43 cents earnings per share against a 16 cent estimate.
- Senator opens probe on Binance over alleged $1.7b flow; Richard Blumenthal is seeking records regarding the exchange’s dealings with Iranian entities.
- Stripe considers acquiring some or all of PayPal; the payments giant is in early talks as PayPal battles a stock drop of 85% from its peak.
- Bitcoin ETFs post $258m inflows; spot funds turned green led by BlackRock and Fidelity despite recent institutional selling of 25,000 BTC.
- Meta digital dollar comeback could unlock $1 trillion Treasury shift; a potential rollout of stablecoin payments in 2026 could generate $1 trillion in US debt demand.
- Vitalik Buterin sold 17,000 ETH this month; the Ethereum co-founder reduced his holdings to 224,000 ETH as the asset’s price fell 37% in February.
- Tether invests $200m in digital marketplace Whop; the investment aims to embed USDT payments for over 18 million users on the platform.
- Bitwise acquires Chorus One for staked ETFs; the acquisition expands staking capabilities to 30 blockchains including Solana and Avalanche.
- UK picks Revolut for stablecoin sandbox; the FCA selected four firms to test issuance and payments starting in Q1 2026.
- Bitcoin miners sell $348m BTC as costs bite; public miners reduced their $7.4b treasury by 4.4% as all in mining costs reached $89,000 for some firms.
- South Korea moves to require influencer holdings disclosure; a proposed law would penalize influencers who fail to reveal paid promotions and crypto holdings.
- GD Culture to sell 7,500 BTC to fund share buybacks; the treasury firm will liquidate its holdings as its stock trades at a 50% discount to net asset value.
- US seizes $61m in USDT linked to fraud; authorities froze funds tied to a pig butchering scheme using tracing tools to follow stablecoin flows.
- MoneyGram joins Cardano Midnight as validator; the payments giant will operate a node on the privacy focused network ahead of its March launch.
- Aave governance dispute intensifies over $51m vote; competing reports have been published regarding protocol revenue and development funding accountability.
- Bitcoin hits most oversold weekly level on record; the weekly RSI dipped to 25.7, a level seen only during the 2018 and 2022 bear market bottoms.
- XRP jumps 6% on institutional accumulation; spot demand strengthened as exchange data signaled a shift in positioning above the $1.37 level.
- 21Shares lists Strategy Yield ETP in Europe; the product provides regulated access to Bitcoin backed preferred stock on Euronext Amsterdam.
- Bitcoin Depot requires ID for all ATM transactions; the move follows $333m in crypto ATM fraud losses recorded last year.
2) BTC and ETH ETF flows
| Metric | BTC | ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Net inflow | $257,710,105.95 | $9,227,060.70 |
| Value traded | $2,455,853,872.21 | $550,269,316.60 |
| Net assets | $81,301,631,697.94 | $10,473,481,780.35 |
| Cumulative net inflow | $54,066,777,949.06 | $11,484,239,697.99 |
3) X trending news
- Bitcoin reclaims $69,000; the market leader pushed back above the $69,000 level as $250,000,000 in shorts were liquidated.
- AI data center power agreement; major tech firms including Google and Microsoft will build their own electricity supply for data centers.
- Global money supply record; broad money supply surged $13.6 trillion year-over-year to reach a record $144 trillion in December 2025.
- Gold price prediction; Bank of America predicts gold will reach $6,000 per ounce within the next 12 months.
- Foreign demand for US assets; non-US investors purchased a record $1.55 trillion in US financial assets during 2025.
- Meta stablecoin integration; social media giant Meta reportedly plans to begin stablecoin integration in the second half of this year.
- US delinquency rates rise; credit card and auto loan delinquencies have hit 12.7% and 5.2% respectively.
- China gold reserves surge; Chinese gold holdings reached a record $369.6 billion following 15 consecutive months of acquisitions.