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Today's Crypto Pulse

Bitcoin slides below $70k as energy‑price worries spark $1.8B in liquidations

Bitcoin fell under $70,000 amid heightened energy‑price uncertainty linked to U.S.–Iran tensions. The dip triggered roughly $1.8 billion in crypto liquidations, while institutional investors pulled more than $4.2 billion from digital‑asset positions.

NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams
NewsFeb 17, 2026

NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams

New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning that crypto‑based pig‑butchering scams are targeting New Yorkers through romance and professional ruses. The scams involve coaches who instruct victims to lie to bank staff, making fraud detection difficult....

By American Banker
Accumulate Bitcoin During Deep Price Drops; Ignore Fear
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Accumulate Bitcoin During Deep Price Drops; Ignore Fear

There is no need to worry about the current price level of #Bitcoin. The funny thing during these periods: people will only expect lower during depression phases. It's nearly impossible for a rally upwards, and when the markets start to rally, people...

By Michaël van de Poppe
Businesses Turn to Stablecoins for Domestic Payments
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Businesses Turn to Stablecoins for Domestic Payments

“There’s going to be a lot of domestic payment activity as well,” said Shawn Main , who is EVP and chief business architect officer at Vantage Bank . “Anecdotally, I’ve talked to plenty of customers who are already doing this....

By Caitlin Long
Saylor Says Strategy Can Survive Bitcoin Crashing to $8,000 – but Can It Escape the Slow Bleed of Dilution?
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Saylor Says Strategy Can Survive Bitcoin Crashing to $8,000 – but Can It Escape the Slow Bleed of Dilution?

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has turned its equity, convertible notes and preferred stock into a public Bitcoin proxy, holding over 717,000 BTC while its share price hovers below $130. The company faces a 2027 put on $1.01 billion of 2028 convertible notes...

By CryptoSlate
Altcoins Face 40% Crash If Support Fails
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Altcoins Face 40% Crash If Support Fails

THIS IS IT FOR ALTCOINS‼️ TOTAL2 is at support, which has been tested over the past three years Thus far, it has held and could bring around a good bounce A break below, and things get very nasty for the market and we...

By That Martini Guy
Ethereum Staking Breaks New Highs as Price Slumps
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Ethereum Staking Breaks New Highs as Price Slumps

Ethereum’s staking participation surged past the 30% threshold, with roughly 36.9 million ETH—about 30.4% of the circulating supply—locked across 967,000 validators. The price of ETH has retreated from its summer peak near $5,000 to around $2,000, creating a stark contrast between...

By The Defiant
Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody

Anchorage Digital and crypto liquidity provider B2C2 have deepened their collaboration as B2C2 joins Anchorage’s Atlas platform, a two‑way settlement system for institutional crypto trades. Through the partnership, B2C2 will custody assets with Anchorage and settle transactions directly on Atlas,...

By Crowdfund Insider
Gemini Space Station Shares Slide 14% Amid Executive Shake-Up
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Gemini Space Station Shares Slide 14% Amid Executive Shake-Up

Gemini Space Station’s stock slumped about 14% to roughly $6.50 after an 8‑K disclosed that its COO, CFO and CLO all resigned effective immediately. Co‑founder Cameron Winklevoss will absorb the COO duties while an interim CFO has been appointed. The...

By The Defiant
Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits,  Stanchart Stablecoin
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits, Stanchart Stablecoin

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has moved forward with its Digital Asset Innovation Hub, onboarding three stablecoin and tokenized‑deposit projects from more than 30 applicants. The sandbox pilots focus on domestic and cross‑border wholesale payments as well as settlement of tokenized...

By Ledger Insights
Dragonfly Raises $650M for Crypto Venture Fund IV
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Dragonfly Raises $650M for Crypto Venture Fund IV

Dragonfly Capital announced the close of its fourth crypto venture fund with $650 million in commitments, topping the original $500 million target. The fund will back early‑stage blockchain projects across infrastructure, DeFi, stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets. Recent allocations include...

By Ventureburn
Zora Launches Attention Markets on Solana
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Zora Launches Attention Markets on Solana

Zora introduced an "attention markets" token platform on Solana, allowing users to tokenize and trade real‑world trend exposure. Within 30 minutes the flagship $attentionmarkets token posted a $70,000 market cap and $170,000 in volume, with only three tokens surpassing $10,000....

By The Defiant
SBF Trial Centers on Theft, Not Crypto Regulation Politics
SocialFeb 17, 2026

SBF Trial Centers on Theft, Not Crypto Regulation Politics

About SBF's retrial motion: One debate is, what was wrong about how Gensler regulated crypto? The other is: "Is it legal to steal customer funds and lie about it?" "Even if you agree that crypto enforcement was politicized, that is...

By Laura Shin
Fintechs Embed Bitcoin, Bypassing Trust and Access Hurdles
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Fintechs Embed Bitcoin, Bypassing Trust and Access Hurdles

Bitcoin doesn’t need mass retail adoption to prove utility. It needs regulated distribution. That’s what SoFi Technologies just demonstrated with Bitcoin. This isn’t a “crypto comeback” story. It’s a regulatory arbitrage story. After exiting crypto in 2023 due to bank charter constraints, SoFi re-entered through...

By Lex Sokolin
Pumpfun Rolls Out 'Cashback Coins'
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Pumpfun Rolls Out 'Cashback Coins'

Solana‑based launchpad Pumpfun introduced “Cashback Coins,” a new fee‑routing option that lets creators allocate all creator fees to traders or keep traditional fees. The choice must be locked in before a token launch and cannot be changed later. The move...

By The Defiant
Dragonfly Raises $650M for New Fund to Back DeFi, Prediction Markets and Stablecoins
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Dragonfly Raises $650M for New Fund to Back DeFi, Prediction Markets and Stablecoins

Dragonfly Capital announced the close of its fourth venture fund, raising $650 million to back projects in decentralized finance, stablecoins and prediction markets. The fund marks the firm’s largest commitment yet, reflecting confidence that the crypto sector remains in an early...

By The Defiant
Bitcoin's Bullish Path: Gradual Gains Over Nuclear Surge
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Bitcoin's Bullish Path: Gradual Gains Over Nuclear Surge

What is the bullish case for Bitcoin? In my new conversation with @LynAldenContact we cover: 🔸Is Bitcoin headed lower? 🔸Where was retail this cycle? 🔸Why we could see a “gradual print” rather than a Big or “nuclear” print 🔸Why Lyn urges caution here with...

By Natalie Brunell
World Markets Launches ‘No ADL’ DEX on MegaETH
NewsFeb 17, 2026

World Markets Launches ‘No ADL’ DEX on MegaETH

World Markets (WM) debuted its decentralized exchange on the MegaETH network, integrating spot trading, perpetual contracts, and lending into a single on‑chain account. The platform eliminates auto‑deleveraging (ADL), promising protection for delta‑neutral positions and preventing forced liquidations that plagued earlier...

By The Defiant
Earn Yield From Stables and RWA Tokens on Kamino
BlogFeb 17, 2026

Earn Yield From Stables and RWA Tokens on Kamino

Kamino has emerged as the second‑largest DeFi protocol on Solana, managing just under $2 billion in total value locked. The platform blends lending, automated liquidity vaults, and a Multiply feature that lets users leverage stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs). RWAs...

By Lark Davis
Crypto Investor Hunted Down in Botched France Home Invasion as Crypto “Wrench Attack” Spike Spreads
NewsFeb 17, 2026

Crypto Investor Hunted Down in Botched France Home Invasion as Crypto “Wrench Attack” Spike Spreads

On Feb. 12, armed assailants attempted a home invasion in the Paris suburbs targeting the CEO of Binance France, marking a shift toward organized physical coercion against crypto executives. The suspects stole two phones before being apprehended in Lyon, highlighting...

By CryptoSlate
CredShields Leads OWASP Smart Contract Top 10 2026 as Governance and Access Failures Drive Onchain Risk
BlogFeb 17, 2026

CredShields Leads OWASP Smart Contract Top 10 2026 as Governance and Access Failures Drive Onchain Risk

In this episode, CredShields announces the release of the OWASP Smart Contract Top 10 2026, a risk prioritization framework built from a structured analysis of 2025 smart contract incidents that caused hundreds of millions in losses. The discussion highlights that governance and...

By Security Ledger
Fed's $16B Boost May Spark Volatile Crypto Market
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Fed's $16B Boost May Spark Volatile Crypto Market

The Fed is expected to inject $16 billion into the economy Is this gonna go into crypto? It could… However bitcoin is still early and therefore still trades like a risk on asset. And we’re currently in a risk off environment. Be cautious, this...

By Layah Heilpern
Bitcoin Gains as Crypto Winter Turns to Spring
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Bitcoin Gains as Crypto Winter Turns to Spring

We may be in the middle of a crypto winter, but spring is coming — and Bitcoin is winning. https://t.co/jxvzK3XwSN

By Michael Saylor
AI's Higher Valuation Drives Miners to Shift Permanently
SocialFeb 17, 2026

AI's Higher Valuation Drives Miners to Shift Permanently

Miners chasing AI isn’t desperation. It’s math. When the valuation gap between AI data centers and Bitcoin mining is this wide, capital follows. 💸 @JohnTodaro1 explains why that shift may be permanent. https://t.co/D5DlbL9br4

By Laura Shin
White House Plans Feb. 19 Meeting on Stablecoin Yield Rules
SocialFeb 17, 2026

White House Plans Feb. 19 Meeting on Stablecoin Yield Rules

UPDATE: 🚨 White House reportedly considers another meeting Feb. 19 between banks and crypto firms to resolve stablecoin yield rules. Source: Eleanor Terrett https://t.co/nicPcGuGe5

By Wendy O
Ethereum Hits Record Daily Transaction Volume
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Ethereum Hits Record Daily Transaction Volume

Activity on Ethereum is spiking 📈 The network is seeing the most traffic & usage ever A record 2,896,853 transactions were made this month in a single day https://t.co/ubk9zbhxzV

By That Martini Guy
Coin Center Champions Rule of Law, Speech, and Liability
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Coin Center Champions Rule of Law, Speech, and Liability

Coin Center continues to do God's work. These are fundamental issues touching on the Rule of Law, Freedom of Speech, and criminal liability. They are *more* fundamental to both industry and to rights than the other issues at hand—about market...

By Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn
Zora Unexpectedly Shifts From Base to Solana Attention Market
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Zora Unexpectedly Shifts From Base to Solana Attention Market

👀 Having Zora pivot from a Base app to an attention market on Solana was not on y 2026 Bingo card

By Laura Shin
TRON's Story Shows Why We Build Infrastructure
SocialFeb 17, 2026

TRON's Story Shows Why We Build Infrastructure

Stories like this are why we build. Thank you @GordianHogan for sharing your TRON story, this is exactly what infrastructure should feel like.  🔻

By Justin Sun
Crypto's Momentum Persists; Critics Must Engage Now
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Crypto's Momentum Persists; Critics Must Engage Now

Been in crypto long enough to know moral arguments won't stop momentum. Vitalik's take on AGI is valid, but I think I agree with @tayvano_ when she says those concerned have to get involved 👇 https://t.co/jhaMc5Nl1z

By Laura Shin
Beta Gift Invite Reveals Onboarding Friction
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Beta Gift Invite Reveals Onboarding Friction

Some valued partners (it was Anoma) sent me an invite thing for their beta Red Envelope gifts with a personal message, so I gave them some feedback on the user onboarding funnel for this one, idiosyncratic user (me). ⤵️

By Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn
Bitcoin Hits Most Oversold Levels Since 2018
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Bitcoin Hits Most Oversold Levels Since 2018

Another metric states that #Bitcoin is the most oversold it has been since 2018. That's how ridiculous the current price action is. The good part: lots of upside ready to come. https://t.co/ZGNTdSfnrY

By Michaël van de Poppe
Many Long Positions Stuck at $48K, New Data Shows
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Many Long Positions Stuck at $48K, New Data Shows

Coinglass has added a Prime subscription - now you can see liquidation data for the past two years. Take a look at how many longs are sitting at the $48K level. https://t.co/XfeIIknkik

By Crypto Jack
Jane Street’s IBIT Trade Is Hedged, Not Accumulating Bitcoin
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Jane Street’s IBIT Trade Is Hedged, Not Accumulating Bitcoin

It is so painful to watch this fumbling. Jane Street may be taking a position in IBIT, but that position is almost entirely offset by undisclosed options (on IBIT) and futures positions. They are certainly not “accumulating” a position in Bitcoin. That’s...

By Michael Green
Crime Uses Any Financial Tool, Not Just Crypto
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Crime Uses Any Financial Tool, Not Just Crypto

"There's no such thing as 'crypto crime.' "There's crime that is using whatever financial services or technology is available." -- Jessi Brooks https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
Debating Slower, Irreversible Crypto Transactions for Safety
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Debating Slower, Irreversible Crypto Transactions for Safety

Re crypto muggings: "Are we going to make transactions so they're not instantaneous or they're irreversible?" 😳 -- @TuongvyLe12 https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
Crypto's Appeal to Criminals Mirrors Everyday Benefits
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Crypto's Appeal to Criminals Mirrors Everyday Benefits

"You see criminals use crypto for the same reason it offers benefits to everyday people." -- @kkirkbos https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
Teenagers Attempt $66M Crypto Heist in Arizona
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Teenagers Attempt $66M Crypto Heist in Arizona

😱 "Two high schoolers last week in Arizona broke into a house dressed up as delivery people, tied people up, and tried to steal $66 million in crypto." -- Jessi Brooks https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
SEC Dismissals Aren’t Evidence of Corruption
SocialFeb 17, 2026

SEC Dismissals Aren’t Evidence of Corruption

"The SEC dismissing cases that should not have been brought is not corruption." 🦾 -- Jessi Brooks https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
Weekly Technical Outlook: DXY, GBP/USD, Gold, Bitcoin
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Weekly Technical Outlook: DXY, GBP/USD, Gold, Bitcoin

DXY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, Gold, Bitcoin, Oil Weekly Technical Outlook (webinar archive) https://t.co/nitfuFDsGb Asset Chaptered on YouTube: https://t.co/yidtEBNR4M

By Michael Boutros
SBF Skips Lawyer, Suggesting Financial Strain.
SocialFeb 17, 2026

SBF Skips Lawyer, Suggesting Financial Strain.

SBF's "not using a lawyer to file this motion, and could mean he doesn't have the money to pay for it or none of the lawyers he spend a gazillion dollars on would do it." -- Jessi Brooks https://t.co/jdHAEKYBe9

By Laura Shin
Crypto Week Highlights: XRP Surge, Polygon Overtakes ETH Fees
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Crypto Week Highlights: XRP Surge, Polygon Overtakes ETH Fees

Crypto things you might have missed: -CFTC fights states on prediction markets -StanChart drops XRP target to $2.80 -Grayscale: XRP 2nd most talked about after BTC -@vechainofficial StarGate VET staking upgrade -ETH RWA market surpasses $17B -Polygon flips ETH in daily tx fees

By Wendy O
Missed Bitcoin at $20k, Now Demand Housing Crash
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Missed Bitcoin at $20k, Now Demand Housing Crash

The people calling for a housing market crash are the same people that never bought #Bitcoin at $20,000 because they were waiting for a better entry.

By Nebraskan Gooner
Choppy Market Calls for Capital Preservation, Select Opportunities
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Choppy Market Calls for Capital Preservation, Select Opportunities

Still looking like a choppy week as the market doesn't want to make it easy for either side to win. I think there's still some opportunities here and there just not market-wide. Capital preservation. I posted my specific charts and positioning this...

By Nebraskan Gooner
Bitcoin Near Bottom, Bull Run Expected Within Quarters
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Bitcoin Near Bottom, Bull Run Expected Within Quarters

The bad news for BTC: a likely slide. The good news: recovery within quarters. With sentiment at rock bottom and the Bitcoin thesis questioned, we're nearing a bottom before a bull run. #Bitcoin #Crypto #IvanClips https://t.co/WGUSqWUN1T

By Ivan on Tech
Bitcoin's 4‑Year Cycle Predicts $35‑40K Bottom
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Bitcoin's 4‑Year Cycle Predicts $35‑40K Bottom

So far the 4 cycle has continued to play exactly how it’s always done. Typically bitcoin pulls back 70-80% in bear market. That would take BTC down to around 35-40k bottom. Do you think the 4 year cycle will continue to repeat itself?

By Layah Heilpern
BlackRock Files ETHB ETF with 0.25% Fee
SocialFeb 17, 2026

BlackRock Files ETHB ETF with 0.25% Fee

NEW: updated filing for BlackRock’s @iShares staked Ethereum ETF. Ticker $ETHB. Filing includes expense ratio which will be 0.25%. https://t.co/CW7pKVoJXX

By James Seyffart
Fewer MA Crossovers = Clearer Trends, Stronger Breakouts
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Fewer MA Crossovers = Clearer Trends, Stronger Breakouts

Best and Worst Moving Averages for Breakouts What you WANT --> Moving averages with minimal crossovers. This indicates a directional trend. What you DON’T --> Frequent crossovers. This signals chop and indecision. Fewer crossovers = cleaner trend or range = better momentum continuation. ↓

By Koroush Khaneghah
CFTC's Crypto Framework Aims to Boost Struggling Economy
SocialFeb 17, 2026

CFTC's Crypto Framework Aims to Boost Struggling Economy

The CFTC is pushing to get CRYPTO market structure done. The American economy is hurting and this will allow a new sector to contribute. https://t.co/mjyG0H8Ln0

By Wendy O
CFTC Claims Sole Authority over Prediction Markets, Defends Jurisdiction
SocialFeb 17, 2026

CFTC Claims Sole Authority over Prediction Markets, Defends Jurisdiction

NEW: CFTC chair Selig says the agency has exclusive authority over prediction markets and will defend its jurisdiction against state challenges. https://t.co/lOKfXA8tzw

By Wendy O