Luis Fernando Ávila

Many cryptocurrency traders are still waiting for the next altcoin season to begin, Arthur Hayes said it has been underway since the beginning.

"There is always an altcoin season... and if you always say there is no altcoin season, it's because you didn't take advantage of what went up," Hayes said during a podcast interview published on YouTube on Thursday.

Hayes stated that many traders still expect the altcoin season to unfold in the same way as in previous years, assuming that the same cryptocurrencies and narratives will repeat. "We wanted it to be like the previous altcoin season because then we felt we knew what we had to do," Hayes said.

The word "HODL" stopped being a typographical error a long time ago. It has become a battle cry, a mantra for those who believe that bear markets are just temporary pauses on the road to success.

What the former CEO of Binance ironically recalled when taking — or attributing — the following quote to Churchill: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: what matters is the courage to HODL."

Behind this conscious joke lies an unrelenting truth: volatility is not an anomaly of the crypto market, it is its nature. HODL is more than investment advice; it is a philosophy that mixes patience, trust, and long-term vision. When everything wobbles, some sell in panic. Others, the "hodlers," grit their teeth and hold the position.

According to recent reports, the possible nomination of Kevin Warsh for a position at the Federal Reserve is generating intense debate in the Senate. Both Democrats and some Republicans have expressed their concerns, which could complicate the confirmation process.

Concerns and Arguments
The opposition to Warsh's nomination seems to be motivated by a combination of factors, including his track record and opinions on monetary policy. Some Democratic senators have pointed out the need to address issues such as potential conflicts of interest and the independence of the Federal Reserve, particularly in the context of recent investigations involving current members of the institution.

Seeing fluctuations in your cryptocurrency balance can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Without a clear plan, making decisions becomes stressful. Setting clear investment goals is the first fundamental step to staying focused, making smart decisions, and developing a strategy for sustainable growth.

Starting Point: Clear Goals and Risk Profile
Successfully managing your portfolio starts with setting clear and realistic goals that fit your financial situation and risk tolerance.

The current decline of Zcash (ZEC) began with a clear technical breakout in late January. On January 31, the token completed a head and shoulders pattern, a classic bearish formation that often indicates trend changes. Since then, the price of ZEC has consistently respected the breakout structure.

Commercial Activity and Capital Flow in Decline
The commercial activity has plummeted. Dune's data shows that the daily combined volume of Zcash fell from over $1.5 billion on January 9 to about $450 million by February 2; a decrease of 70% in just three weeks.

February 2026 has just begun and one trend is clear: the way we interact with our digital assets is changing. The Plasma protocol, under the direction of Paul Faecks, is not only moving money; it is redefining the user experience through its concept of "Total Abstraction."

The death of "Seed Phrases"

One of the pillars that has driven the adoption of the Plasma One app in recent weeks is the removal of technical barriers. While the wallets of the "old guard" still force users to manage complex private keys, Plasma is driving access through biometrics and social recovery. For users coming from traditional banking, this change is what finally makes the ecosystem feel safe and familiar.

The price of Bitcoin (BTC) has quickly recovered following the approval of the funding bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, ending the U.S. government shutdown while awaiting President Donald Trump's signature. This comes just as the flagship cryptocurrency fell to a new annual low of around $73,000, its lowest level since Trump's victory in November 2024.

Immediate Bounce Analysis
Intraday Minimum: BTC fell to $73,000.

The price of Bitcoin (BTC) suffered a drastic drop today, leading to an increase in cryptocurrency sales. BTC was trading at $73,200, a drop of 2.7% in 24 hours. This correction occurred after extreme fear readings, heavy liquidations worth $2.55 billion, and increased risk aversion in global markets.

Sentiment and Institutional Activity
The market reflects a rapid deterioration of sentiment:
Fear Index: Dropped to 17 ("Extreme Fear"), its lowest level since November 2025.

The convergence between traditional and decentralized finance has taken a giant step. MetaMask has integrated over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks, ETFs, and commodities in collaboration with Ondo Finance. This innovation allows users outside the U.S. to access assets like Tesla, Apple, and gold/silver ETFs directly from their wallet, driving the price of ONDO to $0.29.

Innovation without Brokerage Accounts
Thanks to Ondo Global Markets, eligible mobile clients can now buy and sell symbolic securities without opening a conventional brokerage account.

Gold and silver prices experienced a strong rebound on Tuesday, following a turbulent period marked by a significant wave of selling. After suffering substantial losses in recent days, the precious metals saw an impressive recovery.
Both prices skyrocketed, with gold rising by 7% and silver by 13% in a single day. The sudden price increase has restored investor confidence and returned profitability to global stocks and funds invested in these metals.

CME Group will launch futures contracts linked to Cardano (ADA) on February 9, equating ADA with assets for institutional investors, but the market sees it as a structural change, not speculative. Access to futures allows institutions to hedge risks and allocate capital. This will deepen liquidity around current levels. The real effects will be seen in the spot demand that absorbs the pressure.

The market value of Cardano is around $0.298, close to the upper limit of the descending channel. Immediate support is at $0.282. A successful defense of this level means that selling pressure is diluted. If buyers hold firm, the price could go towards $0.500 and then $0.700. Failing to defend $0.282 would invalidate the structure, causing a potential drop towards the $0.098 zone.

While retail sentiment remains cautious, on-chain data reveals a different reality: large investors are taking advantage of the weakness to position themselves in key assets of the ecosystem. PancakeSwap (CAKE), Aster (ASTER), and BNB show mixed signals that every trader should watch in this early February.

PancakeSwap (CAKE): 58.4% dominance and bullish divergence
PancakeSwap remains the undisputed king of decentralized trading, controlling nearly 58.4% of the total DEX volume, crushing 24% of Uniswap.

After one of the toughest weeks for digital assets, the market has recovered $2.64 trillion in capitalization. While XRP relies on regulatory and banking milestones, Bitcoin (BTC) is trying to consolidate support at $78,000 driven by massive institutional inflows.

XRP: Real Utility and Banking Alliances
Ripple's token is trading at $1.60 (+2.12%), recovering after a monthly drop of 21%. Two factors drive this ray of hope:
EMI License in the EU: Approval in Luxembourg opens doors to the 27 member states.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has confirmed that the employment report for January will not be published on February 6 as planned. This delay, caused by the partial government shutdown, has created turmoil in the expectations of the Federal Reserve, sinking the odds of a rate cut in March.

The "Blackout" of Economic Data
Without government funding, the BLS has suspended the publication of vital metrics:
Key data such as non-farm payrolls and the unemployment rate remain up in the air.

After a January closure marked by explosive growth in Total Value Locked (TVL), the Plasma protocol enters a phase of technical maturation. It's no longer enough to say it's "fast"; now the community of investors and developers is questioning whether its architecture is solid enough to support Paul Faecks' vision: an ecosystem that manages trillions of dollars in stablecoins.

Interoperability as a growth engine

One of the least understood but most important milestones of the last few weeks has been the integration of Plasma with the "Intents" from networks like NEAR.

The geopolitical landscape has turned 180 degrees. President Donald Trump confirmed a massive trade agreement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting an immediate rebound in risk assets and leading Bitcoin (BTC) to a rise of 2.15%.

The pillars of the Trump-Modi agreement
The announcement, made through TruthSocial, marks the end of months of trade tensions:
Tariff Cut: The U.S. reduces its tariffs on Indian products from 25% to 18% immediately.

With the overall market showing signs of life, the Memecoin sector has awoken strongly, registering a 2.4% increase in its total capitalization. Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and the explosive MemeCore are capturing the rebound liquidity, positioning themselves as the best-performing assets in recent hours.

Dogecoin (DOGE): The awakening of the giant
DOGE has regained the $0.11 level after a 5.45% increase.
Key Data: Open interest jumped by 7.71% ($1,290 M) and the options volume surged by 173.19%.

Manufacturing activity in the U.S. surpassed all expectations in January. The ISM PMI climbed to 52.6%, well above the expected 48.5%. This return to expansion, after 12 months of contraction, has injected a dose of adrenaline into risk assets, with Bitcoin (BTC) reacting positively immediately.

The Data Driving the Market
According to the report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), key components show a strong recovery:
New Orders: Shot up to 57.1% (compared to 47.4% in December).