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Feeding a well-crafted prompt into Claude reveals surprising 2026 forecasts for XRP, Solana and Dogecoin.

According to Claude’s projections, all three assets could rise at least 5x by Christmas.

Here’s a breakdown of why Claude is bullish on them.

XRP ($XRP): Claude Charts a Long-Term Path Toward $8

In a recent update, Ripple reaffirmed that XRP ($XRP) sits at the center of its strategy to position the XRP Ledger as a global, enterprise-grade payments network.

Source: Claude

Thanks to rapid transaction settlement and extremely low fees, XRPL is likely to corner two of crypto’s fastest-growing sectors: stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.

With XRP currently trading around $1.39, Claude’s long-range model suggests the token could rally to $8 by the end of 2026, representing a near sixfold increase from today’s levels.

Technical indicators support this scenario. XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) is relatively low at 38, while the price sits well below its 30-day moving average, signalling an attractive entry point.

Several catalysts could accelerate this move, including institutional inflows following the approval of U.S.-listed XRP ETFs, Ripple’s expanding list of partnerships, and the potential passage of the U.S. CLARITY bill this year.

Solana (SOL): Claude Forecasts a Push Toward $450

Solana ($SOL) currently hosts around $6.6 billion in total value locked (TVL) and has a market capitalization of nearly $48 billion.

Institutional interest has also intensified following the launch of Solana-linked exchange-traded funds from asset managers such as Bitwise and Grayscale.

Despite these tailwinds, SOL endured a lengthy correction in late 2025 and spent much of February trading below the $100 mark.

Under Claude’s most optimistic projection, Solana could climb from its current price near $82 to around $450 by Christmas. That move would deliver more than 5x upside while exceeding Solana’s previous ATH of $293, set in January 2025.

Additionally, major asset managers, including Franklin Templeton and BlackRock, are issuing tokenized real-world assets on the network, strengthening Solana’s position as a scalable platform for institutional finance.

Dogecoin (DOGE): Can the Original Meme Coin Break the $1 Barrier?

Launched as a parody in 2013, Dogecoin ($DOGE) has evolved into a major crypto asset with a market capitalization of roughly $17 billion, representing more than half of the $36 billion meme coin market.

DOGE last reached an ATH of $0.7316 during the retail-fueled bull run of 2021.

The Doge community has long targeted $1, and Claude’s outlook suggests a strong bull market could push Dogecoin past ATH to come close.

From its current price, a fraction under $0.10, a move to $0.90 and beyond would be an easy 9x.

Real-world adoption continues to expand.

Tesla accepts DOGE for selected merchandise, and major fintech platforms such as PayPal and Revolut now support Dogecoin transactions, reinforcing its use beyond speculation.

Maxi Doge: As Major Coins Eye New Highs, a New Meme Challenger Steps Forward

While XRP, DOGE, and SOL have 5x to 9x potential, the real moonshots can be found in meme coin presales.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is one of the most talked-about new meme coins of 2026, raising $4.6 million so far in its ongoing funding round.

The project revolves around Maxi Doge, a loud, gym-obsessed, unapologetically degen alpha doge, and a distant cousin and self-declared rival to Dogecoin.

The concept taps directly into the irreverent energy that powered the 2021 meme coin explosion.

MAXI is an ERC-20 token built on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, giving it a significantly lower environmental footprint compared to Dogecoin’s proof-of-work design.

Early presale participants can currently stake MAXI tokens for yields of up to 68% APY, with staking rewards reducing as the pool grows.

The token is priced at $0.0002805 in the current presale phase, with automatic price increases triggered at each funding milestone. Purchases are supported by any wallet, such as MetaMask and Best Wallet.

Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.

Visit the Official Website Here.

The post Leading AI Claude Predicts the Price of XRP, Solana and Dogecoin By the End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

A wave of new catalysts across crypto markets, paired with strengthening chart structures, is fuelling expectations that XRP, Bitcoin and Ethereum may be posting fresh all-time highs (ATHs) sooner than anticipated.

Below is a breakdown of key narratives gaining traction in headlines and technical chart patterns that hint at powerful tailwinds heading towards summer.

Discover: The best meme coins in the world right now.

XRP (XRP): Ripple’s Expanding Blockchain Strategy Puts $5 in Focus

XRP ($XRP) currently capitalizes a lofty $88 billion, making it the leading asset in global crypto payments.

Ripple designed the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to modernize international moeney transfers, offering near-instant settlement and ultra-low fees through a blockchain alternative to SWIFT. Its infrastructure is built to serve banks, enterprises, and individual users alike.

A recent announcement shows Ripple intensifying its focus on XRPL as a foundation for stablecoin issuance and real-world asset tokenization, while reinforcing XRP’s role as the core liquidity and utility token within the ecosystem.

Outside crypto communities, both the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the White House have recognized XRP as a practical solution for enhancing cross-border payments.

Momentum accelerated further after U.S. regulators approved spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), opening the door for compliant institutional and retail exposure.

Taken together with a developing bullish flag pattern on the charts, these factors could drive XRP toward the $5 level by Q2.

Bitcoin (BTC): Is Another Record High Coming This Summer?

Bitcoin ($BTC), the original and largest cryptocurrency by market cap, set a record high of $126,080 on October 6.

Since then, consecutive selloffs sparked by geopolitical uncertainty over potential U.S. military involvement in Iran and Greenland have sunk it 46%, sending it below $70,000.

Bitcoin’s maxis maintain their chosen asset is “digital gold”. It’s a compelling narrative that has drawn interest from institutions and retail investors seeking a hedge against inflation, currency debasement, and macroeconomic risk.

Growing institutional participation, reduced post-halving supply pressure, and the prospect of clearer U.S. crypto legislation soon could reignite upside momentum and drive multiple new highs this year.

Speculation has also intensified around Donald Trump’s proposal for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. If implemented, it could seal Bitcoin’s dominance as the flagship crypto for years to come.

Ethereum (ETH): The Engine of DeFi Could Return to Record Territory

Ethereum ($ETH) is the backbone of decentralized finance with a market capitalization of $236 billion.

The network hosts $54 billion TVL, making it the most financially active blockchain by a wide margin.

In a renewed bull cycle, ETH could challenge and surpass the $5,000 resistance zone as early as June, exceeding its prior ATH of $4,946 set last August.

Looking further ahead, Ethereum’s journey toward five-figures hinges on clearer regulatory guidance in the U.S. and supportive macroeconomic conditions. Both are essential to onboarding institutions, particularly through stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.

From a technical perspective, ETH is trading below its 30-day moving average, with the relative strength index sitting near oversold levels around 33. For bullish investors, now is a compelling accumulation opportunity.

Bitcoin Hyper Brings Solana-Grade Speed and Functionality to Bitcoin

While XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum likely have plenty of growth to come, the biggest gains in bull markets often come from early-stage innovations that reshape the ecosystem.

Enter Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER). The project dramatically upgrades Bitcoin’s usability by introducing Solana-level performance via a Layer-2 protocol. The solution slashes transaction fees while preserving Bitcoin’s security.

Users can stake assets, generate yield, trade tokens, and interact with smart contracts directly, all without bridging funds away from the Bitcoin network.

With $31.5 million already raised in its ongoing presale, and growing interest from whales and major exchanges, $HYPER is rapidly becoming one of the most closely followed crypto launches of the year.

Investors looking to secure $HYPER at its fixed presale price can visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a supported wallet such as Best Wallet.

Tokens can also be purchased using a bank card.

Visit the Official Website Here

The post Crypto Price Prediction Today 20 February – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ripple is heading to the White House and if you think about it, this is crazy.

The White House administration is convening a third high stakes meeting on stablecoin yields, and Ripple chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty is on the invite list alongside legal leaders from Coinbase and a16z.

The focus whether stablecoin issuers should be allowed to pass interest earned on reserves directly to users.

This debate has stalled key crypto legislation in the Senate. Traditional banks are pushing back hard, arguing that yield bearing stablecoins could pull deposits out of the banking system and weaken their lending power.

If you don’t think crypto is the future…

Pay attention to how hard traditional banks are fighting against stablecoins paying yield.

It’s really that simple.

— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) February 20, 2026

Crypto executives counter that allowing yields is a consumer benefit and essential for keeping innovation inside the US rather than offshore.

The fact that Ripple has a seat at the table matters. It signals that policymakers are not sidelining major crypto players. Instead, they are actively engaging them as legislation takes shape.

That does not mean the US government is about to endorse XRP directly. But it does suggest that regulatory clarity around stablecoins and digital assets is moving closer.

XRP Price Prediction: Is That Retest Or Deeper Pullback?

XRP pushed above the upper boundary of the descending channel but failed to hold it, getting rejected near the $1.61 zone and slipping back down.

That kind of move usually signals unfinished business. Price is now drifting back toward the channel structure, potentially retesting it from the inside.

Source: XRPUSD / TradingView

If XRP fully falls back into the channel, it could trigger a move toward $1.30 support. A deeper breakdown below would expose $1.10 again, but for now that remains a secondary scenario.

Failed breakouts often lead to one more sweep lower before a stronger push.

If XRP stabilizes and forms a higher low inside or just at the edge of the channel, it would build pressure for another breakout attempt.

A decisive reclaim of $1.50, especially with momentum expanding, would confirm the channel break and shift focus toward $1.90 and beyond.

Maxi Doge Standing Out As One Of The Best Meme Coins In 2026

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is not waiting on legislation or regulatory clarity.

It is built for narrative velocity. Bold meme identity. High-conviction positioning. Community-driven momentum that thrives when sentiment rotates away from slow institutional plays and toward asymmetric upside.

Early traction is already strong. The $MAXI presale has raised around $4.6 million so far, with staking rewards offering up to 68% APY for early participants.

If blue chips are stuck proving themselves on the chart, Maxi Doge is positioned for the phase where attention shifts and moves get fast.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The post XRP Price Prediction: Ripple Has Been Invited to the White House — Is the US Government About to Back XRP? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin price is getting closer to the decision zone by the day.

Price is trapped inside a clear triangle structure, with converging support and resistance squeezing volatility.

This kind of compression rarely lasts. When markets tighten like this, they usually explode in one direction, and it could be either way.

Bitcoin (BTC)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Each rejection from resistance and bounce from support has narrowed the range, forming a classic apex setup. As the price approaches that apex, the probability of a sharp move increases.

One constructive sign is the formation of higher lows within the triangle. Buyers are stepping in slightly earlier on each to show underlying demand building during consolidation.

For now, Bitcoin is balanced but which side of Bitcoin price prediction has more control?

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Can This Explode To The Upside Now?

Bitcoin is still trading inside a tightening triangle, with descending resistance near $71,000 and rising support climbing from the $64,000 area.

Price keeps compressing into the apex, and that type of structure rarely stays like this for long.

Source: BTCUSD / TradingView

The key detail is that higher lows continue to form on each dip.

As long as $64,000 holds, the structure leans constructive. A clean breakout above $71,000 would likely trigger momentum toward $80,000 first, then open the path toward the next major upside target.

Still, downside risks remain if the first support fails, exposing $60,000.

New Bitcoin Presale Brings Solana Technology to The BTC Blockchain

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a new presale built to make Bitcoin faster and cheaper to use.

This Bitcoin-focused Layer-2, powered by Solana technology, brings speed, lower fees, and real on-chain functionality while preserving Bitcoin’s core security.

It transforms Bitcoin from a passive chart pattern into an active ecosystem for payments, staking, and scalable applications.

The traction is already real. The Bitcoin Hyper presale has raised over $31 million so far, with $HYPER priced at $0.0136751 before the next increase.

Staking rewards currently reach up to 37%.

If Bitcoin explodes higher, Bitcoin Hyper benefits. If Bitcoin keeps consolidating, Bitcoin Hyper still captures activity. Either way, momentum does not need to wait.

To buy HYPER before it lists on exchanges, simply visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a wallet (such as Best Wallet).

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Bitcoin Is Stuck Inside a Triangle – And What Happens Next Could Shock the Market appeared first on Cryptonews.

In an article on X, River Financial’s director of marketing, Sam Wouters, revealed that the Bitcoin Lightning Network processed an estimated $1.17 billion in volume in November 2025, an all-time high.

https://t.co/5Kmor1eA1n

— Sam Wouters (@SDWouters) February 19, 2026

This massive surge signals a critical shift in network usage from experimental micropayments to substantial institutional settlements.

Key Takeaways

The Milestone: Monthly volume hit an estimated $1.1 billion across 5.2 million transactions according to River Financial data.

The Shift: Average transaction size nearly doubled year-over-year to $223, driven by exchange settlements rather than small retail purchases.

The Catalyst: Secure Digital Markets executed a singular $1 million transfer to Kraken in under a second, proving high-value efficacy.

Why The Migration to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network?

Bitcoin is growing out of its “digital gold” narrative. As on-chain fees fluctuate effectively pricing out smaller transfers, the Lightning Network provides the necessary throughput for scalable commerce.

This utility is critical as macroeconomic headwinds and potential rate hikes force traders to seek capital efficiency.

Source: River Financial

The network is no longer just a playground for developers testing one-satoshi payments. It is becoming financial infrastructure.

While total transaction counts are actually down from the 2023 peak of 6.6 million, the economic value settled has exploded. The market is maturing, prioritizing high-value speed over low-value volume.

Discover: Here’s the next crypto to explode

Breaking Down the Numbers

River Financial’s latest analysis paints a bullish picture of Layer-2 adoption. The estimated $1.17 billion in November volume represents a roughly 400% increase year-over-year. Data indicates the network is successfully capturing commercial flow.

Secure Digital Markets highlighted this capacity by engaging a sending $1 million to crypto exchange Kraken via the lightning network earlier this year. The settlement was instant.

Network capacity, the total coins locked to facilitate these payments, reached a record 5,606 BTC in December 2025, according to data by Bitcoin Visuals.

Source: Bitcoin Visuals

This liquidity depth is essential for preventing payment failures on larger transfers. Node operators like ACINQ and specialized infrastructure providers are stabilizing the grid, making five-figure transfers reliable.

What Does This Mean for Bitcoin Adoption?

The narrative is shifting from speculation to settlement. Sam Wouters forecasts the next major volume surge will come from AI agents utilizing Lightning for automated, high-frequency machine payments, opening an entirely new economy of autonomous financial actors.

We are seeing a broader trend of financializing Bitcoin’s utility layers. Just as Ledn is scaling Bitcoin-backed bonds for yield, Lightning is scaling Bitcoin for velocity.

The payments landscape is rapidly integrating these Layer-2 solutions, evidenced by Ether.fi moving consumer card products to Layer-2 networks to bypass mainnet congestion.

Discover: The best new crypto on the market

The post Bitcoin Lightning Network Exceeds $1B in Monthly Volume – A Major Layer-2 Win appeared first on Cryptonews.

Odds that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) passes before June surged to 85% Thursday following high-level White House negotiations.

The spike coincides with intense discussions between Trump administration officials and top crypto executives regarding stablecoin treasury yields.

Key Takeaways

Prediction markets surge: Kalshi bettors briefly priced the bill’s passage probability at 85% early Thursday, significantly up from Wednesday’s 39%.

White House pressure: Administration officials are urging a compromise on stablecoin yields by the end of February to clear the legislative path for Spring.

Market structure shift: If passed, the act would definitively split oversight between the CFTC for digital commodities and SEC for securities.

Discover: The best meme coins in crypto

Why Is The Clarity Act Critical Now?

The Clarity Act (H.R. 3633) aims to end the paralyzing regulatory turf war between the CFTC and SEC.

With Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushing for a spring vote, the clock is ticking. This domestic urgency mirrors global shifts, as even central bankers like Christine Lagarde face pressure regarding digital currency implementation risks.

BREAKING: Treasury Secretary – Scott Bessent says that the Clarity Act will be done this spring!

He also indirectly says that @coinbase and @brian_armstrong are blocking crypto regulatory clarity.$RLUSD #XRP pic.twitter.com/yI09a2fD2g

— JackTheRippler © (@RippleXrpie) February 10, 2026

The White House has set a strict timeline, demanding a compromise on stablecoin yields, essentially interest payments on parked funds, by March 1.

This resolution is required to unlock the broader market structure legislation that has stalled since passing the House last July.

Breaking Down the Negotiation Dynamics

Thursday’s closed-door meeting included legal heavyweights from Coinbase, Ripple, and a16z Crypto alongside banking representatives.

While prediction markets remain volatile, odds on Kalshi retraced to 46% after the initial morning spike, institutional sentiment is shifting.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described a “win-win-win” path emerging for the industry, banks, and the U.S. retail crypto market, which is still very much buying crypto.

The current draft legislation, which cleared the House with a bipartisan 294-134 vote according to congressional records, is now being reconciled with Senate concerns over DeFi safe harbors and illicit finance prevention.

Discover: The next crypto to explode

What Happens Next for Traders?

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse now estimates an 80% chance the bill is signed by April.

While the U.S. races for clarity, Russia is tightening restrictions on foreign exchanges to increase state oversight of retail, highlighting the divergent paths in the global regulatory landscape.

I’m sorry, but Saying that Bitcoin and Crypto have already Priced in the Clarity Act is one of the lowest IQ takes I’ve seen in a long time. Price has been dropping for months as they get closer to approval. The Clarity act and manipulation that has been happening over the last…

— Tim Warren (@TimWarrenTrades) February 19, 2026

Meanwhile, Bitcoin miner Bitdeer (BTN) stock tumbled 18% after announcing a $300 million convertible note offering to fund AI expansion, proving that regulatory optimism doesn’t shield individual tickers from dilution risks.

Legal experts predict full implementation could extend throughout 2026 as agencies draft specific rules post-passage.

The post Clarity Act Odds Spike After White House Stablecoin Discussions – What It Means appeared first on Cryptonews.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) leadership unveiled a concrete plan for an “innovation exemption” at ETHDenver Wednesday, signaling a pragmatic but cautious pathway for trading tokenized securities in U.S. markets.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce in Conversation by:
– @HesterPeirce, SEC Commissioner
– @SECPaulSAtkins, 34th Chairman of the @SECgov
– @PallerJohn from @EthereumDenver, @opolis, @BufficornV & @SporkDao

"We are not looking to hurt or break anything, the… pic.twitter.com/KDE7NcXu7s

— ETHDenver (@EthereumDenver) February 18, 2026

SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce detailed an incremental framework that allows crypto companies to facilitate limited trading of blockchain-based traditional assets, effectively creating a regulatory sandbox for Real World Assets (RWAs).

Discover: The best meme coins

Quick Takeaways

The Exemption Deal: The proposal allows issuers to collaborate with specialist transfer agents to whitelist token holders for onchain trading.

Volume Limits: The “innovation exemption” will likely include strict volume caps and temporary duration periods to test stability.

Market Demand: Tokenized stock interest is exploding.

Why The SEC Is Acting Now

The agency is playing catch-up with market reality. Over the last year, TradFi giants have aggressively moved toward blockchain settlement.

Nasdaq Nasdaq wants to update its rules so some stocks and exchange-traded products can exist in either a normal digital form or as blockchain-based tokens.

Trading would work the same way it does today.

The only difference is that blockchain technology would help handle record-keeping and settlement behind the scenes. is already seeking approval to trade tokenized equities alongside traditional stocks.

Real-world asset tokenization is no longer a niche conversation.

As of early 2026, tokenized RWAs have crossed $20B+ in on-chain value (@RWA_xyz), with growing participation from global institutions and regulated market operators.

What’s changed is the focus. Less… pic.twitter.com/7awguJmtAm

— EDENA Capital (@Edenaofficial) February 14, 2026

This follows the SEC’s January 2026 clarification, which established that the economic reality of an asset determines its status, not the technology used.

This regulatory clarity is crucial for product issuers, paving the way for even more major ETF launches and staking products from firms like Grayscale and Canary Capital.

Details on the ‘Incremental’ Approach

Don’t expect an overnight revolution. Commissioner Peirce described the exemption as a “modest” step, comparing the current state of tokenized securities to buying an “abandoned storage unit.”

“Tokenized securities are still securities,” Peirce reiterated. The new framework focuses on integrating technology without dismantling investor protections.

Under the plan, issuers can test novel platforms, likely DeFi Automated Market Makers (AMMs) on permissionless chains, provided they maintain strict compliance with disclosure and custody rules.

This measured approach contrasts sharply with other global jurisdictions.

While the U.S. attempts to integrate crypto rails, authorities elsewhere are clamping down, with Russia moving to block foreign crypto exchanges entirely.

What This Means For Traders

This is the green light for institutional-grade RWAs. If approved, this exemption bridges the gap between “crypto native” assets and traditional finance.

For traders, this signals that liquidity for tokenized treasuries and equities will likely move on-chain in a regulated manner.

This is particularly bullish for ledgers optimized for RWA operations, a sector where XRP is currently aggressive in establishing infrastructure.

However, risks remain. Regulatory experts warn that “synthetic” tokenized securities, those not directly sponsored by the issuer, could be classified as security-based swaps, carrying higher counterparty risks.

It is a stark reminder of the risks noted by Christine Lagarde regarding digital assets operating without clear frameworks.

Expect formal rulemaking for these crypto capital-raising pathways by mid-2026.

Discover: The best pre-launch crypto sales

The post SEC Commissioners Outline ‘Incremental’ Path for Tokenized Securities Frameworks appeared first on Cryptonews.

As Bitcoin struggles to hold $67,000, options markets are flashing warning signs as traders aggressively bid up downside protection to hedge against a potential capitulation event.

By early morning, UTC, BTC had climbed 1% over 24 hours to trade near $67,000, recovering from an uneasy dip below the $66,000 handle.

The setup remains precarious. Even as price action steadies, the average U.S. ETF investor is nursing a stinging 20% paper loss, with a cost basis near $84,000. This fragility comes after a brutal 47% drawdown from the October 2025 highs.

Key Takeaways:

BTC steadies near $67K, but options skew remains bearish.

Average ETF investor sits on a 20% unrealized loss.

Private credit stress (Blue Owl) adds macro headwinds.

While recent reports indicate Abu Dhabi government funds bought $1 billion in BTC, while BlackRock doubled down on mining infrastructure, signaling continued institutional appetite, the broader retail market remains skittish. Investors are haunted by the prospect of a complete washout.

Discover: The best crypto to diversify portfolios with

Are We Facing Capitulation?

Jake Ostrovskis of trading firm Wintermute notes that traders are now “paying for insurance,” buying puts to cap downside risk while limiting their upside participation. This defensiveness aligns with harsh statistical realities.

The leverage washout has been severe, with Bitcoin recently hitting -2.88 standard deviations below its 200-day moving average—an anomaly unseen in a decade according to VanEck analysis.

Contagion fears are actively resurfacing. Crypto lender Blockfills froze withdrawals after a $75 million lending loss, echoing the collapses of 2022.

Simultaneously, traditional markets are flashing red: private credit giant Blue Owl fell 6% after curbing redemptions. With Fed minutes recently warning of macro headwinds, risk-off behavior is dominating the narrative.

Despite the gloom, huge divergence exists in equities. Bitcoin miners CleanSpark and MARA rallied 6%, outperforming the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 which slid 0.6%.

Discover: The best crypto presales on the market

What Happens Next for BTC Price?

From a technical standpoint, Bitcoin is fiercely defending the $66,000-$68,000 zone. If this level fails, the bearish triangle pattern suggests a slide toward $60,000 or even $55k, according to CryptoQuant.

Source: TradingView

However, alternate scenarios exist. Arthur Hayes points to treasury liquidity as a potential savior for risk assets.

Furthermore, long-term confidence hasn’t evaporated; Trump insiders recently confirmed a $1 million target, suggesting whales may view this dip as a generational accumulation zone.

JUST IN: Eric Trump says Bitcoin will reach $1 million.

"I've never been more bullish on Bitcoin in my life." pic.twitter.com/niJH5ILfh9

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) February 18, 2026

For now, bulls will be hoping for a swift run back to $84k to give the ETF customers confidence.

The post Bitcoin Holds Near $67K as Traders Pay Up for Crash Protection in Options Markets appeared first on Cryptonews.

Sharplink, the Nasdaq-listed firm backed by Consensys, has taken its Ethereum treasury to 867,798 ETH as of February 15, cementing its status as a massive corporate holder.

This stockpile, valued at roughly $1.69 billion, highlights a growing trend for institutions to be long on ETH.

Key Takeaways

The Stash: Sharplink now holds 867,798 ETH, staking nearly 100% of the assets to generate continuous yield.

The Support: Institutional ownership has surged to 46% as of Dec. 31, driven by confidence in CEO Joseph Chalom’s strategy.

The Yield: The firm utilized liquid staking protocols to generate over 13,000 ETH in rewards to date.

Why Is StarLink Bullish on ETH?

Institutional appetite is shifting from passive holding to active yield generation.

Sharplink isn’t just sitting on assets; they are actively deploying them. According to recent filing data, institutional ownership in the firm hit 46% by the end of 2025.

Institutions are betting on Sharplink being Ethereum with an edge. From less than 10% institutional ownership in June to 46% in the most recent 13F filings. We’re building durably and transparently which is what Wall Street needs to back the new financial order. https://t.co/cdpK0eAPQ4

— Matt Sheffield (@sheffieldreport) February 19, 2026

This institutional bullishness on crypto, even through the current downturn, mirrors a broader trend seen globally.

For instance, sovereign funds are reportedly eyeing crypto assets. Abu Dhabi’s government recently disclosed $1 billion in spot Bitcoin ETF holdings.

Sharplink added about 60 new institutional investors in Q4 2025 alone, signaling that smart money not only wants exposure to crypto’s long-term price action, but specifically to its yield generation capabilities.

Discover: The best crypto to buy now

Breaking Down the Numbers

The strategy is technical and aggressive. According to an SEC filing, Sharplink’s total figure includes substantial allocations to liquid staking protocols: 225,429 ETH via Liquid Collective’s LsETH and 55,137 ETH through ether.fi’s WeETH.

Joseph Chalom, the CEO who joined from BlackRock, stated: “Sharplink stakes nearly 100% of its ETH holdings and has staked our holdings since the beginning.”

This approach has generated 13,615 ETH in staking rewards, benefiting shareholders even as spot prices fluctuate.

Sharplink generated ~$1 million (502 ETH) from staking rewards last week, reaching 13,615 ETH in cumulative rewards from staking. pic.twitter.com/c15TBztLiQ

— Sharplink (@Sharplink) February 17, 2026

This level of accumulation is being paralleled across decentralized finance, creating scarcity for DeFi coins. Just this week, for instance, Pioneer QLabs bought over 18 million QONE tokens.

Additionally, yield farming is pulling institutions into crypto in diverse ways. Just look at Ledn, which engages institutional capital via Bitcoin-backed bonds.

Sharplink, though, is a pure Ethereum yield vehicle. Chalom noted that sophisticated investors want “disciplined execution” regarding risk management, which is likely a USP he pitched to court the new influx of new institutional capital.

What Does This Mean for Investors?

Efficiency is the game now. Sharplink’s pivot from gaming to a “digital asset treasury” model positions it as a liquid proxy for Ethereum’s network growth.

By staking heavily, they dampen the blow of market volatility and capture rewards that passive ETFs miss.

Ultimately, Starlink’s level of accumulation tightens supply while its heavyweight investors validate the corporate treasury thesis. This is no bad thing for all crypto believers.

Discover: The best meme coins on Solana

The post Consensys-Backed Sharplink Now Holds 867,798 ETH in Treasury Strategy appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin miners just sent a loud signal for BTC Price.

The network hashrate snapped back in a sharp V shaped recovery, even after January wiped out weaker operators. That kind of rebound suggests miners are not backing down. If anything, they look positioned for upside while $60,000 holds.

Bitcoin (BTC)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Last month was brutal. BTC slid from $90,000 to a February 6 low near $60,008. At the same time, ETFs saw $544M in outflows in a single day, and futures markets flushed $2B in liquidations.

Mining difficulty even posted its biggest negative adjustment since the 2021 China ban. That kind of capitulation usually shows up near bottoms. Weak hands shut off. The stronger players survive. And margins quietly improve for the ones still standing.

Can Miners Sustain the Momentum?

The hashrate snapback shows the panic did not last long.

Big pools like Foundry USA are tightening their grip, and Mara.com held around 61.7 EH/s even during peak volatility. That kind of V shaped rebound tells you industrial miners absorbed the shock and are leaning bullish.

That matters.

Source: Blockchain

Still, it is not risk free. Margins are tight. If the Fed leans hawkish, capital gets more expensive, especially for leveraged miners. They are clearly betting that higher spot prices will bail them out.

What Does This Signal for BTC Price Action?

The hashrate bounce is a solid fundamental boost. But price still decides everything.

Bulls need to reclaim and hold $74,000 to confirm a real reversal. As Arthur Hayes keeps pointing out, liquidity will control how fast this move unfolds.

If BTC can stay above $70,000, the next upside target sits around $83,000. Lose momentum and the downside opens back toward the $49,000 to $53,000 zone.

For now, network strength leans bullish. But the chart has to follow through.

Discover: Here are the crypto likely to explode!

The post Bitcoin Hashrate Explodes in V-Shaped Recovery – Are Miners Betting on a BTC Price Breakout? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says there is a 90% chance the US CLARITY Act passes by the end of April. If that happens, years of crypto regulatory gray zone could finally close.

Garlinghouse pointed to serious momentum building in Washington after months of Senate delays.

Lawmakers are pushing toward a March 1 negotiation deadline set by the White House. If the bill clears, it would give institutions the clear legal definitions they have been waiting for before possibly entering spot markets in size.

Key Takeaways

The Signal: Garlinghouse raises passage probability to 90% by April, exceeding prediction market estimates.

The Timeline: White House targeting March 1 for final deal on stablecoin provisions.

The Impact: Defines clear lanes for CFTC and SEC oversight, removing headwinds for utility tokens.

Why Is The Clarity Act Happening Now?

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, H.R. 3633, is at a turning point.

The House already passed it in July 2025 with a strong 294 to 134 bipartisan vote. But the Senate hit the brakes over jurisdiction fights. That is where things got stuck.

Great to be back on with @MariaBartiromo discussing Ripple’s banner year and accelerating momentum as we start 2026.
Already, we are actively seeing Boards and CEOs pushing their CFOs and treasurers to understand how they can leverage and benefit from stablecoins. For…

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) February 19, 2026

Now momentum looks different. Garlinghouse says fresh meetings with banking leaders and crypto execs helped clear the logjam.

Regulators seem ready too. After the Senate Agriculture Committee moved a related draft on January 29, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said the SEC and CFTC are coordinating through “Project Crypto.”

The industry cannot run on enforcement alone anymore. It wants rules.

Breaking Down the US Clarity Act Odds

Garlinghouse’s 90% odds are even more bullish than the market.

Prediction markets are pricing the bill at around 78% by year end, which makes an April finish feel ambitious. Still, he framed it as a necessary move.

The main sticking point is stablecoins. Lawmakers are debating whether platforms can offer yield style incentives. That issue already slowed Senate Banking discussions earlier this year.

While Washington debates, Ripple is not waiting. Since 2023, it has deployed $3B into acquisitions to strengthen custody and treasury infrastructure.

What Does This Mean for XRP Price?

For XRP traders, real legislation is the last box to check.

Ripple already won a court ruling that XRP is not a security. But a federal law would lock that status in. That kind of clarity could open the door for institutions at scale.

Xrp (XRP)

24h7d30d1yAll time

Garlinghouse said corporate treasurers are looking at stablecoins and cross border payments. The interest is there. What they need is federal guardrails before moving serious capital.

If April delivers, we could see a fast rotation back into large caps with real utility, especially if it lines up with the current market pullback.

Discover: Here are the crypto likely to explode!

The post Ripple CEO Predicts 90% Chance U.S. Crypto Bill Passes by April – What It Means for XRP Price appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin price is on the edge again.

Price swings are getting crazy, and it’s sitting around $67,400 like it’s not sure which way to jump. Traders are nervous. Really nervous.

On Polymarket, bettors now put the odds of a U.S. strike on Iran this month at 61%. Crypto felt it fast. Liquidations rolled in. Risk-off mode kicked on. And suddenly, everyone’s playing defense.

Key Takeaways

The Signal: Polymarket bettors price in a 61% chance of imminent US military action.

The Risk: Short-Term Holder SOPR has dipped below 1.0, indicating panic selling at a loss.

The Impact: Bitcoin risks breaking critical $65,000 support if conflict escalates this weekend.

Why Is This Happening Now?

Tensions between Washington and Tehran feels almost certain now.

Reports say the Pentagon has strike options ready after nuclear talks stalled. That kind of headline pushes investors straight into gold and cash. Risk assets get dumped first.

On chain data backs it up. The Short Term Holder SOPR is below 1. That means recent buyers are selling at a loss just to get out.

Source: CryptoQuant

Add in uncertainty around possible Fed policy tweaks and you get a messy mix. Geopolitics plus macro pressure. While the US Iran story dominates, Bitcoin is trading like a classic risk asset, with sharp intraday drops and fragile sentiment.

What Does This Mean for Bitcoin Price?

Bitcoin is leaning hard on the $66,000 to $65,729 support zone. Lose that on a daily close and $60,000 comes into focus fast.

The short term Sharpe ratio has flipped negative, showing ugly risk adjusted returns during the panic. Nearly $80M in longs have already been wiped out since the drop from $70,000.

Source: BTCUSD / TradingView

While retail is dumping, some political insiders are floating massive long term targets. That hints whales may see this dip as opportunity. Arthur Hayes also pointed to Treasury liquidity dynamics that could support crypto once the dust settles.

Volatility into the weekend looks guaranteed. But talks in Oman on Friday could change the tone. If tensions cool, a sharp relief rally could trap late shorts.

Discover: Here are the crypto likely to explode!

The post If War With Iran Is Almost Certain, How Might Bitcoin Price React? appeared first on Cryptonews.

A mix of fresh industry catalysts and improving technical signals suggests XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin could be lining up for new all-time highs (ATHs) sooner than many expect.

Here’s a closer examination of the narratives emerging in the news and on the charts that could significantly lift prices by the end of Q2.

Discover: The best meme coins in the world right now.

XRP (XRP): Ripple’s Blockchain Vision Could Push Prices Toward $5

With a valuation of roughly $88 billion, XRP ($XRP) dominates the crypto remittance space.

Ripple built the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as a blockchain-based alternative to legacy SWIFT, with near-instant settlement times and nominal transaction costs for banks, merchants, and everyday users.

In recent updates, Ripple has doubled down on its mission, stressing XRPL’s readiness for stablecoin issuance and real-world asset tokenization, while underlining XRP’s integral role in powering the network.

That message has echoed beyond the crypto industry. Reports from the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the White House have highlighted XRP’s potential as a cross-border payments solution.

Additionally, U.S. regulators have now approved spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), giving institutional and retail investors exposure with regulatory guardrails.

The convergence of these factors and the appearance of a bullish flag pattern on its chart suggest a positive market could drive XRP to $5 by Q2.

Solana (SOL): Is Ethereum’s Top Competitor About to Rebound?

Solana ($SOL) is currently the largest smart contract blockchain outside of Ethereum. The network secures $6.4 billion in total value locked (TVL), while SOL’s market cap is $46 billion.

Now trading at $81, SOL is well below its 30-day moving average following the formation of a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern on its chart.

At the same time, SOL’s relative strength index (RSI) is sitting near 33, suggesting sustained selling pressure has put it at a relative discount.

A sustained breakout above major resistance zones at $200 and $275 could open the door for a return to, and potentially a break above, Solana’s previous ATH of $293.31 before the end of Q2.

Major asset managers, including BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, are choosing Solana as the launchpad for tokenized investment products, giving it a first-mover advantage in a space that could explode.

Dogecoin (DOGE): Can the Original Meme Coin Edge Closer to $1?

Introduced in 2013, Dogecoin ($DOGE) remains the first and largest meme coin with a market cap of $16.4 billion.

DOGE entered the mainstream spotlight during the 2021 bull market, fueled by public endorsements from high-profile names such as Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg, and Gene Simmons.

While it began as a joke, Dogecoin’s sheer size dampens the wild volatility seen in smaller meme coins. As a result, DOGE often keeps a close peg to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP.

The long-standing “Dogecoin to $1” narrative continues to rally its supporters.

If overall market conditions improve, DOGE could make meaningful progress toward that goal, potentially climbing from its current level near $0.10 to around $0.50 by mid-year.

Bitcoin Hyper Brings Solana-Grade Speed and Functionality to Bitcoin

XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin may offer comparatively lower risk in crypto’s turbulent markets, but for this reason, they also have less upside potential than early-stage projects.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is in its pre-launch token sale phase. The project introduces Solana-like speed and efficiency to Bitcoin through a proprietary Layer-2 solution, dramatically reducing transaction costs without compromising security.

This upgrade unlocks new functionality for Bitcoin holders, allowing them to stake BTC, earn yield, trade tokens, and interact with smart contracts directly, without moving assets off the Bitcoin network.

With $31.5 million already raised and increasing interest from whales and exchanges, $HYPER is quickly emerging as one of the most closely watched crypto launches of the year.

Investors interested in locking in $HYPER at its fixed presale price can visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a supported wallet such as Best Wallet.

Purchases can also be made via a bank card.

Visit the Official Website Here

The post Crypto Price Prediction Today 19 February – XRP, Solana, Dogecoin appeared first on Cryptonews.

Running a well-crafted prompt through Alibaba AI model KIMI can surface some eye-opening 2026 price scenarios for XRP, Shiba Inu, and Pepe.

According to Alibaba’s outlook, all three digital assets could generate substantial returns by New Year, perhaps much sooner than investors expect.

Below is a closer look at the projections and the logic behind them.

XRP ($XRP): Will Ripple’s Payments Solution Hit $8?

In a recent statement, Ripple once again emphasized that XRP ($XRP) sits at the heart of its strategy to position the XRP Ledger as a globally scalable, enterprise-grade payments infrastructure.

Source: KIMI

Thanks to near-instant transaction settlement and ultra-low fees, XRPL has also gained traction as a preferred blockchain for two of crypto’s fastest-expanding sectors: stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.

With XRP currently changing hands around $1.41, Alibaba forecasts that the token could reach as high as $8 by the end of 2026, a sixfold increase from today’s levels.

Technical indicators appear to support this scenario. XRP’s recent support and resistance lines for a bullish flag, which could be a precursor to a major rally.

Potential tailwinds include accelerating institutional demand following the approval of U.S.-listed XRP exchange-traded funds, Ripple’s growing roster of enterprise partners, and the possible advancement of the U.S. CLARITY bill later this year.

Shiba Inu (SHIB): Alibaba Think SHIB Will Grow 850% by Christmas

Shiba Inu ($SHIB), launched in 2020 as a lighthearted alternative to Dogecoin, has since matured into a sizable crypto ecosystem with a market cap of $3.6 billion.

Currently trading around $0.000006187, Alibaba’s analysis suggests that a decisive breakout above resistance in the $0.000025 to $0.00003 range could trigger a strong upside move, potentially lifting SHIB to $0.000059 by year-end.

Such a rally would equate to approximately 850% gains from current prices and place SHIB just below its October 2021 ATH of $0.00008616.

Additionally, Shiba Inu has expanded well beyond meme status. Its Layer-2 network, Shibarium, delivers faster transactions, lower fees, added privacy features, and improved developer tools.

Pepe ($PEPE): Alibaba Examines a 2,200% Bull Case

Pepe ($PEPE), which debuted in April 2023, has grown into the largest meme coin outside the doge category, boasting a market capitalization of roughly $1.8 billion.

Drawing inspiration from Matt Furie’s “Boy’s Club” comics, PEPE’s instantly recognizable branding and cultural relevance have kept it highly visible across social media platforms.

Despite fierce competition in the meme coin arena, PEPE’s dedicated community, and the countless imitators it has spawned, have helped it remain a consistent leader within the sector.

Occasional cryptic posts from Elon Musk on X have further fueled speculation that PEPE could sit alongside DOGE and BTC among his personal holdings.

At present, PEPE trades near $0.0000042, roughly 85% below its December 2024 ATH of $0.00002803.

Under Alibaba’s most bullish assumptions, PEPE could surge by as much as 2,233%, climbing to approximately $0.000098 and decisively breaking its previous record.

Maxi Doge: A New Meme Coin Contender Steps Into the Spotlight

Limited by their size, PEPE and SHIB’s potential gains might be substantial, but they’re just short of explosive.

However, Maxi Doge ($MAXI) hasn’t even launched yet and it’s already one of the most talked-about meme coins of 2026, raising $4.6 million in its ongoing presale.

The project revolves around Maxi Doge, a brash, gym-obsessed, unapologetically degen character portrayed as a distant cousin and would-be rival to Dogecoin’s crown, capturing the raw, DGAF energy that defined the 2021 meme coin boom.

MAXI is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, giving it a significantly smaller environmental footprint than Dogecoin’s proof-of-work design.

Early presale participants can currently stake MAXI tokens for yields of up to 68% APY, with rewards tapering as more users join the staking pool.

The token is $0.0002804 in the current presale stage, with automatic price increases programmed at each funding milestone. Purchases are supported via MetaMask and Best Wallet.

Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The post China’s Alibaba AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Shiba Inu and PEPE By the End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ripple just made a move most traders missed.

The XRP Ledger rolled out XLS 81. It adds a permissioned DEX directly on chain. Think members-only trading venues. Only approved players can trade and match orders.

This is not for retail degens. It is built for banks and regulated firms. Full compliance. KYC. AML. Controlled access. The kind of setup traditional finance needs before using blockchain rails.

Permissioned DEX (XLS-81) is now LIVE on the XRPL!
Two amendments. Less than a week apart.
Token Escrow (XLS-85) Feb 12
Permissioned DEX (XLS-81) Feb 18

Together, they unlock programmable settlement and flexible market structures—both native to the ledger, no custom… pic.twitter.com/9LxmDoysDM

— XRPL Commons (@xrpl_commons) February 18, 2026

The timing is not random. XRPL recently expanded escrow tools beyond XRP to cover stablecoins and tokenized real world assets. Put it together and you get a serious toolkit for regulated issuance and settlement.

Ripple is not trying to win open DeFi. It is building a fast lane for institutional capital.

Price is not reacting yet. Short term structure looks weak but long term it might not last as XRP price predictions lean bullish.

XRP Price Prediction: Its Bullish But Where’s XRP Going Now?

XRP just got rejected from the $1.61 supply and is now slipping back toward the descending channel patterb it recently tried to break.

That is not what bulls wanted to see. If price fully reclaims that channel to the downside, it keeps the lower high structure intact and puts $1.30 back in focus fast.

Source: XRPUSD / TradingView

If XRP price loses $1.30, the path toward $1.10 opens again and could be smooth this time.

For any real shift, XRP needs to get back above $1.70 and stay there. That would invalidate this rejection and finally break the downtrend rhythm.

Long term, the broader developments around the network still lean constructive. But short term, the chart needs to prove it can escape this channel for good before price can start reflecting that bigger picture.

$SUBBD: Built for the Retail and Creator Economy, Not Just Speculation

SUBBD ($SUBBD) is an innovative presale introducing an AI-powered content platform for the $85 billion creator economy, empowering users to earn directly from their work without depending on centralized platforms.

By eliminating intermediaries, SUBBD grants creators true ownership of their audience, while fans gain token-gated access and deeper, more exclusive engagement opportunities.

Momentum is already building, with SUBBD nearing $1.5 million in presale funding as investors back a model focused on real usage, not short-term hype.

Ownership. Access. Monetization that works, even when markets do not.

Visit the Official SUBBD Website Here

The post XRP Price Prediction: Ripple Just Built a “Fast Lane” for Banks – Why Big Money Is Choosing XRP Over Every Other Coin appeared first on Cryptonews.

A fresh $1M Bitcoin target just got repeated on live television by Trump insiders.

In a recent CNBC interview during the World Liberty Forum, Eric Trump doubled down on the long-running seven-figure BTC forecast.

He framed the move as inevitable, pointing to institutional adoption, regulatory clarity, and Bitcoin fixed 21 million supply as core drivers.

JUST IN: Eric Trump says Bitcoin will reach $1 million.

"I've never been more bullish on Bitcoin in my life." pic.twitter.com/niJH5ILfh9

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) February 18, 2026

This is not a new prediction. The Trump circle has been consistent on the $1M thesis since late 2024. But the timing matters.

Bitcoin is still hovering around the $67,000 zone, struggling to build momentum amid macro uncertainty and ETF flow volatility.

Eric Trump is also tied to American Bitcoin Corp., which holds roughly 6,039 BTC, placing it among the larger public corporate holders.

The family’s broader crypto push includes stablecoin infrastructure through World Liberty Financial, reinforcing their positioning around digital asset expansion rather than short-term speculation.

Price barely moved, as Eric Trump’s last comment about the market was seen as a “top signal” by many.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Are Whales Preparing for a Massive Rally?

Bitcoin price is compressing again just under that $70K–$71K resistance, and there is a potential inverse head and shoulders forming on the 4H, but it only matters if the neckline breaks.

Source: BTCUSD / TradingView

Right now price is stuck below the descending trendline and that blue supply zone. As long as BTC trades under $71K, this is still range pressure, not breakout strength.

Support remains clean at $64K. Losing it then $60K might come quickly.

If $71K gets reclaimed and BTC price held above, the structure shifts bullish. That opens the path toward $80K first, then $90K sitting higher.

Smart whales see that boring price action, then turn around for something Shinier like Bitcoin Hyper.

New Presale is Bringing Solana’s Technology to Bitcoin

Seven-figure forecasts sound exciting, but Bitcoin is still compressing between support and resistance.

Until that ceiling breaks, it is range pressure, not explosive momentum.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is not built around decade-long price targets.

This Bitcoin Layer-2, powered by Solana technology, brings speed, lower fees, and real utility to the Bitcoin ecosystem today. It keeps Bitcoin’s security but removes the friction that slows activity down.

While the market debates whether $71K flips or fails, Bitcoin Hyper is already gaining traction.

The presale has raised over $31 million so far, with $HYPER priced at $0.0136751 before the next increase.

Staking rewards currently reach up to 37%.

To buy HYPER before it lists on exchanges, simply visit the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connect a wallet (such as Best Wallet).

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Trump Insider Confirms $1 Million BTC Target – Are Whales Preparing for a Massive Rally? appeared first on Cryptonews.

By Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.net

Vitalik Buterin recently declared 2026 the year to “take back lost ground in computing self-sovereignty.” He shared the changes he’s made personally: replacing Google Docs with Fileverse, Gmail with Proton Mail, Telegram with Signal, and experimenting with running large language models locally on his own laptop rather than through cloud services.

The instinct is sound. Centralised AI infrastructure is a genuine problem. Three companies – Amazon, Microsoft and Google – now control 66% of global cloud infrastructure spending, a market that reached $102.6 billion in a single quarter last year. When every prompt flows through this concentrated infrastructure, users surrender control over data that should remain private. For anyone who cares about digital autonomy, this should feel like a structural failure. But Vitalik’s proposed solution – hosting AI locally on personal hardware – accepts a tradeoff that doesn’t need to exist. For anyone trying to build serious AI applications, his framework offers no real path forward.

The ceiling on local compute

Running AI on your own device has obvious appeal. If the model never leaves your laptop, neither does your data. No third parties, no surveillance, no dependence on corporate infrastructure. This works for lightweight use cases. An individual running basic inference or a developer experimenting with a small model can create value with locally-hosted models. Vitalik acknowledges the current limitations around usability and efficiency, but frames them as temporary friction that will smooth out over time.

However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out.

However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out.

Local hosting doesn’t solve this, and implicitly accepts a binary that leaves most builders with nowhere to go: stay small and sovereign, or scale up and hand your data to Amazon, Google or Microsoft.

A false binary

The crypto community should be well-placed to recognise this framing for what it is. Decentralisation was never intended to shrink capability to preserve independence; it’s about enabling scale and sovereignty to coexist. The same principle applies to compute.

Across the world, millions of GPUs sit underutilised in data centres, enterprises, universities, and independent facilities. Today’s most advanced decentralised compute networks aggregate this fragmented hardware into elastic, programmable infrastructure. These networks now span over 130 countries, offering enterprise-grade GPUs and specialised edge devices at costs up to 70% lower than traditional hyperscalers.

Developers can access high-performance clusters on demand, drawn from a distributed pool of independent operators rather than a single provider. Pricing follows usage and competition in real time, not contracts negotiated years in advance. For suppliers, idle hardware can be transformed into productive capacity.

Who benefits from open compute markets

The impact extends well beyond cost savings. For the broader market, it represents a genuine alternative to the oligopoly that currently controls AI. Independent research groups can run meaningful experiments rather than scaling down ambitions to fit hardware constraints. Startups in emerging economies can build models for local languages, regional healthcare systems, or agricultural applications without raising the capital to secure hyperscaler contracts.

Regional data centres can participate in a global market instead of being locked out by the structure of existing deals. This is how we actually close the AI digital divide: not by asking developers to accept less powerful tools, but by reorganising how compute reaches the market. Vitalik is right that we should resist the centralisation of AI infrastructure, but the answer isn’t retreating to local hardware. Distributed systems that deliver both scale and independence already exist.

The real test of crypto’s principles

The crypto community enshrined decentralisation as a founding principle. Decentralised compute networks represent a chance to do what crypto has always claimed it could: prove that distributed systems can match and exceed centralised alternatives. Lower costs, broader access, no single point of control or failure. The infrastructure already exists; the question is whether the industry will use it, or settle for a version of sovereignty that only works if you’re willing to stay small.

The post Why Vitalik is Wrong About Self-Sovereign Computing appeared first on Cryptonews.

By Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.net

Vitalik Buterin recently declared 2026 the year to “take back lost ground in computing self-sovereignty.” He shared the changes he’s made personally: replacing Google Docs with Fileverse, Gmail with Proton Mail, Telegram with Signal, and experimenting with running large language models locally on his own laptop rather than through cloud services.

The instinct is sound. Centralised AI infrastructure is a genuine problem. Three companies – Amazon, Microsoft and Google – now control 66% of global cloud infrastructure spending, a market that reached $102.6 billion in a single quarter last year. When every prompt flows through this concentrated infrastructure, users surrender control over data that should remain private. For anyone who cares about digital autonomy, this should feel like a structural failure. But Vitalik’s proposed solution – hosting AI locally on personal hardware – accepts a tradeoff that doesn’t need to exist. For anyone trying to build serious AI applications, his framework offers no real path forward.

The ceiling on local compute

Running AI on your own device has obvious appeal. If the model never leaves your laptop, neither does your data. No third parties, no surveillance, no dependence on corporate infrastructure. This works for lightweight use cases. An individual running basic inference or a developer experimenting with a small model can create value with locally-hosted models. Vitalik acknowledges the current limitations around usability and efficiency, but frames them as temporary friction that will smooth out over time.

However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out.

However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out.

Local hosting doesn’t solve this, and implicitly accepts a binary that leaves most builders with nowhere to go: stay small and sovereign, or scale up and hand your data to Amazon, Google or Microsoft.

A false binary

The crypto community should be well-placed to recognise this framing for what it is. Decentralisation was never intended to shrink capability to preserve independence; it’s about enabling scale and sovereignty to coexist. The same principle applies to compute.

Across the world, millions of GPUs sit underutilised in data centres, enterprises, universities, and independent facilities. Today’s most advanced decentralised compute networks aggregate this fragmented hardware into elastic, programmable infrastructure. These networks now span over 130 countries, offering enterprise-grade GPUs and specialised edge devices at costs up to 70% lower than traditional hyperscalers.

Developers can access high-performance clusters on demand, drawn from a distributed pool of independent operators rather than a single provider. Pricing follows usage and competition in real time, not contracts negotiated years in advance. For suppliers, idle hardware can be transformed into productive capacity.

Who benefits from open compute markets

The impact extends well beyond cost savings. For the broader market, it represents a genuine alternative to the oligopoly that currently controls AI. Independent research groups can run meaningful experiments rather than scaling down ambitions to fit hardware constraints. Startups in emerging economies can build models for local languages, regional healthcare systems, or agricultural applications without raising the capital to secure hyperscaler contracts.

Regional data centres can participate in a global market instead of being locked out by the structure of existing deals. This is how we actually close the AI digital divide: not by asking developers to accept less powerful tools, but by reorganising how compute reaches the market. Vitalik is right that we should resist the centralisation of AI infrastructure, but the answer isn’t retreating to local hardware. Distributed systems that deliver both scale and independence already exist.

The real test of crypto’s principles

The crypto community enshrined decentralisation as a founding principle. Decentralised compute networks represent a chance to do what crypto has always claimed it could: prove that distributed systems can match and exceed centralised alternatives. Lower costs, broader access, no single point of control or failure. The infrastructure already exists; the question is whether the industry will use it, or settle for a version of sovereignty that only works if you’re willing to stay small.

The post Why Vitalik is Wrong About Self-Sovereign Computing appeared first on Cryptonews.

Breaking RBC reports suggest that Russia is manoeuvring to block foreign crypto exchange websites like Binance and OKX starting September 1 unless they comply with strict domestic regulations.

The strategic move funnels crypto customers to locally licensed and state monitored exchanges, securing control over cross-border on-chain capital flows while tightening the grip on retail speculation.

Key Takeaways

The Move: Foreign crypto exchanges face a potential blockade by September 1 under new “experimental” legal frameworks.

The Goal: Authorities want to centralize cross-border crypto payments to evade sanctions while monitoring domestic capital flight.

The Impact: Traders using offshore platforms may be forced onto planned state-backed exchanges in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Why Is This Happening Now?

Why limit access now? It comes down to control. Following the laws signed by President Putin in August 2024, crypto is no longer viewed merely as a speculative asset but as a critical tool for bypassing SWIFT bans. However, the Kremlin demands oversight.

Data from Chainalysis indicates Russia has pivoted toward “legislated sanctions evasion.” By forcing activity onto domestic platforms, authorities can monitor flows that were previously opaque.

Russia is setting up two Cryptocurrency exchanges—one for international trade, one for Russian — alongside its own stablecoin. Wave "bye" to another aspect of sanctions. pic.twitter.com/QnKyxGogNp

— James Porrazzo (@JamesPorrazzo) August 23, 2024

This broadly mirrors concerns across the continent in Brussels, where leaders like Christine Lagarde warn of regulatory gaps in digital finance. Moscow wants those gaps closed.

The government is essentially bifurcating the market. One lane is for state-sanctioned entities like exporters using crypto for international settlement.

The other lane (retail) is being subjected to extreme friction to prevent capital flight.

Discover: The best meme coins on Solana

How Will the Ban Work?

The proposed mechanism targets foreign platforms offering unlicensed access. While major players like Coinbase, which Cathie Wood recently doubled down on, rely on global accessibility, Russian user bases are substantial.

Under the new regime, only exchanges operating within specific “experimental legal regimes” (EPR) might survive.

Reports suggest plans for state-backed exchanges in St. Petersburg and Moscow are accelerating.

These venues would facilitate cross-border trade for approved exporters while retail traders get squeezed out of foreign venues. Compliance is the bottleneck.

As noted in Crystal Intelligence’s regulatory roadmap, strict KYC and capital requirements have been on the table for Russian regulators since 2022. Now, they are becoming entry barriers.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has previously admitted that Moscow finding a regulatory solution is complex but vital.

VTB CEO Urges Faster Crypto Legalization in Russia

Andrey Kostin called for rapid crypto legalization and domestic exchanges, citing exporter demand for regulated digital asset payments as Russia explores alternatives for cross-border trade settlement. pic.twitter.com/xFvtTLiM5b

— Jessica Gonzales (@lil_disruptor) February 19, 2026

Yet, the urgency to mitigate sanctions is overriding technical hesitations. This aligns with global trends where developer liability and platform compliance are central to legislative debates.

If foreign entities do not register locally, a move many will refuse due to Western sanctions, they face a hard block.

What Happens Next for Traders?

If the crackdown goes live in September, expect a liquidity fracture. Russian retail volume, estimated over a hundred billion annually, will likely flood into underground P2P networks or the few sanctioned domestic entities like Garantex.

As industry lobbying groups work to define clearer frameworks globally, Russia’s isolating move offers a stark counter-narrative: nationalization over decentralization.

In that light, the ruble pairing spreads may reveal the first signs of this shift.

Discover: The best new crypto

The post Russia May Block Foreign Crypto Exchanges Under New Domestic Regulations appeared first on Cryptonews.

Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted Sunday that retail traders are diamond handed, continuing to purchase Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) despite ongoing market volatility.

Retail users on Coinbase have been very resilient during these market conditions, according to our data:

– They’ve been buying the dip – we’ve seen a native unit increase for retail users across BTC and ETH

– They have diamond hands – vast majority of customers had native unit…

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) February 15, 2026

While institutional heavyweights now dominate the platform’s volume, individual investors are aggressively buying the dip rather than capitulating.

Key Takeaways

Strong Accumulation: Retail users are ignoring bearish signals to accumulate BTC and ETH during price drops.

Volume Divergence: Retail trading has shrunk to just 6.62% of Coinbase’s total volume, down from historic highs of over 80%.

Institutional Era: With $120 billion in recent quarterly institutional volume, the market structure has fundamentally shifted away from retail-driven rallies.

Why Is the Market Watching Retail Flows?

Armstrong’s comments come at a critical juncture. Historically, retail capitulation signals a market bottom, but current data suggests users are holding the line.

By confirming that verified users, now estimated at 120 million, are net buyers, Armstrong is countering the narrative of a retail exodus.

However, the mechanics of the market have changed. Historical patterns of retail inflows had often correlated with seasonal liquidity events, but today’s resilience suggests a structural shift in holder behavior.

Users aren’t just trading; they are accumulating blue-chip assets. This matters because while institutions provide volume flexibility, sticky retail capital often sets the support floor for major assets.

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Breaking Down the Numbers: The Institutional Takeover

The data paints a stark picture of Coinbase’s evolution from a retail app to an institutional powerhouse. According to usage statistics, retail volume hit approximately $43 billion in Q2 2025.

While substantial, this figure represents only 6.62% of the platform’s total $425 billion quarterly volume. Compare this to Q1 2018, when retail commanded over 80% of activity.

Despite the shrinking volume share, the revenue story remains robust. In a shareholder letter, Coinbase reported $6.6 billion in total revenue for 2024, driven by a user base where the average account holds over $5,000 in crypto assets.

Institutional volume crushed retail figures, recording $120 billion in recent quarters (a 71% share).

Armstrong’s emphasis on retail buying “during the dips” highlights a divergence: institutions trade the spread, but retail buys the asset.

Market structure is making great progress, and I believe we're going to reach a win-win-win outcome.

A win for the crypto industry.
A win for the banks.
And, most importantly, a win for the American consumer. pic.twitter.com/t0WM3XUZX4

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) February 18, 2026

What Does This Signal for Price Action?

The narrowing gap between retail sentiment and price direction is a great metric to watch. If retail continues to bid on dips while institutions hedge, the Bitcoin floor may be higher than technical charts suggest.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes believes falling fiat liquidity as the primary driver for recent choppy action. The lack of retail panic selling removes a key source of downside pressure.

This dynamic also reinforces the bullish case for Coinbase stock. Institutional investors like Ark Invest monitor these retention metrics closely to gauge revenue durability.

Ultimately all eyes will be on Coinbase’s upcoming earnings report; if the retail volume percentage ticks up from 6%, volatility could return quickly to the altcoin markets.

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The post Brian Armstrong Shares Fresh Coinbase Retail Metrics – What the Data Shows appeared first on Cryptonews.