El professor - The trader

1. Contexto General: Un Mercado Dividido Entre el Miedo y el Rebote
El mercado de criptomonedas el 14 de febrero de 2026, presenta un paisaje de fuertes contrastes: a pesar de señales técnicas de recuperación a corto plazo, la tendencia general sigue dominada por la cautela de los inversores y un clima de miedo.
Los inversores en Bitcoin (BTC) y Ethereum (ETH) ahora parecen estar mirando más allá del precio solo, teniendo en cuenta la creciente demanda de productos de renta fija, lo que está influyendo en su comportamiento de inversión.
Sin embargo, a pesar de las ocasionales noticias positivas, muchos participantes del mercado siguen temerosos, buscando lo que algunos analistas llaman una "salida"—una forma de salir antes de movimientos bruscos adicionales.

Si estás pensando en comprar tu primera criptomoneda, vale la pena tomarse un tiempo para entender en qué te estás metiendo. Aquí tienes lo que deberías considerar antes de comenzar.
En los últimos años, las criptomonedas han pasado de ser experimentos de internet de nicho a activos financieros que hacen titulares. La idea de dinero digital que no está controlado por bancos o gobiernos suena emocionante. Y sí, la posibilidad de altos retornos puede ser atractiva.
Pero las criptomonedas no son como la inversión tradicional. Los precios pueden fluctuar salvajemente. Las regulaciones aún están evolucionando. Y mantener tus fondos seguros requiere una responsabilidad adicional.

What is Bitcoin ?
Bitcoin can be described as a digital currency designed for the internet. Introduced in 2008 and officially launched in 2009, it became the first cryptocurrency ever created. Its major innovation lies in the ability to transfer value directly from one person to another, without going through a bank or other intermediary.
The term "Bitcoin" (with a capital B) generally refers to the underlying network or protocol, while "bitcoin" (with a lowercase b) refers to the monetary unit itself. On exchange platforms, it is identified by the symbol BTC.
Unlike traditional currencies such as the US dollar or the euro, which are issued and regulated by governments, Bitcoin operates in a decentralized manner. No central authority controls it. It relies on a peer-to-peer network maintained by participants worldwide.
One of Bitcoin's main advantages is financial sovereignty. Users have direct control over their funds and can transfer money internationally at any time. Furthermore, the system prevents double-spending: a single bitcoin cannot be spent twice.

How does Bitcoin work ?
At the heart of Bitcoin lies blockchain technology. A blockchain can be compared to a public digital ledger, accessible to everyone, but immutable after the fact.
Each transaction is grouped into a "block." Each block is cryptographically linked to the previous one, forming a continuous chain. Copies of this ledger are stored on thousands of computers, called nodes, around the world.
Because many independent computers maintain the same record, modifying past data would require overloading the entire network, an operation designed to be virtually impossible. If a participant attempts to manipulate transaction data, the other nodes reject the invalid changes.
The Bitcoin software is open source: anyone can view the code or participate in the network by running the software.
Key Features:
Decentralization: The ledger is managed by a distributed network, not a central institution.Immutability: Once confirmed and added to the blockchain, transactions cannot be altered or deleted.Security: Cryptographic mechanisms protect transactions, and adding new blocks requires significant computing power through a process called mining.
How a Bitcoin Transaction Works ?
Technically, Bitcoin doesn't rely on traditional account balances. Instead, it uses a system called UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output), which tracks individual transaction outputs as separate digital coins. For simplicity, it can be described as a balance transfer.
Let's say Alice wants to send 1 BTC to Bob.
The blockchain is updated to reflect that Alice's holdings decrease by 1 BTC and Bob's holdings increase by 1 BTC. This is equivalent to publicly recording the statement: "Alice transferred 1 Bitcoin to Bob."
Later, if Bob sends this bitcoin to Carol, the network verifies that Bob received it from Alice before approving the new transaction. All nodes remain synchronized because they constantly validate and communicate transaction data.
Bitcoin Mining
Mining is the mechanism that secures the network and puts new bitcoins into circulation.

When transactions are broadcast, miners group them into blocks. To add a block to the blockchain, miners must solve a cryptographic problem. The first miner to solve it earns the right to add the block and receives newly created bitcoins as a reward.
This block reward is the only way new bitcoins are put into circulation.
However, the total supply of bitcoins is capped at 21 million units. Once this limit is reached—around 2140—miners will no longer receive new bitcoins as a reward. They will then be compensated solely through transaction fees paid by users.
Proof of Work and Energy Consumption

Bitcoin relies on a consensus mechanism called Proof of Work (PoW). This mechanism is fundamental to the mining process and prevents double-spending.
With PoW, miners compete to solve complex mathematical problems. Solving these problems requires significant computing resources, making block creation expensive. However, verifying a correct solution is simple for the network to calculate.
If a miner attempts to submit an invalid block, the network immediately rejects it, and the miner cannot recover the resources spent.
What is Bitcoin used for ?
Bitcoin primarily serves two functions:
a digital payment system a store of value.
It allows you to buy goods and services online or in stores. A growing number of businesses, from e-commerce platforms to brick-and-mortar stores, are accepting Bitcoin payments.
While the basic Bitcoin network (Layer 1) can sometimes be slower or more expensive for small transactions, Layer 2 solutions, such as the Lightning Network, have been developed to improve speed and reduce fees.
From an investment perspective, many people buy BTC anticipating an increase in its value. Although the price of Bitcoin can be very volatile, some investors see it as a diversification tool or a potential hedge against inflation in the long term.
Who created Bitcoin ?
Bitcoin first appeared publicly in October 2008, when an individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Payment System." The document described a decentralized digital currency system, independent of banks and governments.

In January 2009, the network was officially launched with the mining of the Genesis block. Shortly after, the first recorded transaction took place between Satoshi Nakamoto and programmer Hal Finney, involving ten bitcoins.
As the project gained popularity, participation in the network increased. Initially, Bitcoin attracted a small group of tech enthusiasts intrigued by its decentralized design.
A major milestone was reached on May 22, 2010, when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. This event, now known as Bitcoin Pizza Day, is commemorated every year on May 22nd as the first documented real-world Bitcoin transaction.
The Mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto
The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains unknown. His name is of Japanese origin, but his fluency in English has fueled speculation about possible connections to English-speaking countries. Despite numerous investigations and theories, no confirmed identification has emerged.
Did Satoshi invent the blockchain?
Bitcoin did not originate from entirely new ideas. It incorporated several existing technologies, including earlier concepts related to blockchain-like data structures.
In the early 1990s, Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta proposed a cryptographic system for tamper-proof timestamping documents. Bitcoin also incorporates Merkle trees, a concept introduced by Ralph Merkle, which allows for efficient and secure data verification.
Bitcoin's true innovation was combining these established technologies within a functional decentralized payment system, capable of solving the double-spending problem without relying on a central authority.

Bitcoin's Supply and Halving
The maximum supply of Bitcoin is fixed at 21 million units. By January 2026, over 95% of these units had already been mined. However, producing the remaining supply will take over a century.
This slow issuance is due to events called "halvings," which occur approximately every four years. During a halving, the mining reward is reduced by half.
The last halving took place on April 19, 2024. The next one is expected around 2028.
Halvings are central to Bitcoin's economic model. They ensure that new bitcoins are put into circulation at a predictable and decreasing rate. This contrasts sharply with fiat currencies, which can be issued in unlimited quantities by central authorities.
Is Bitcoin safe?
Bitcoin presents both technological and market risks.
From a security perspective, users can be vulnerable to phishing attacks, where hackers use social engineering to obtain login credentials or private keys. Malware and ransomware attacks can also compromise devices and allow unauthorized access to wallets. In some ransomware cases, victims must pay a ransom in bitcoins to regain access to their encrypted files.
Because Bitcoin transactions are irreversible and not guaranteed by government institutions, it is the users' responsibility to protect their funds. Recommended precautions include using strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and offline storage solutions, such as hardware wallets that store private keys offline. It is also crucial to download software only from trusted sources.
Another risk lies in price volatility. Bitcoin's value can fluctuate considerably over short periods. While this creates opportunities, it also represents a significant risk for unprepared investors. Historically, volatility has tended to decrease as market liquidity improves and the asset matures.
Conclusion
Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has evolved from an experimental digital currency to a globally recognized financial asset, with increasingly numerous use cases and growing institutional participation.
Whether one wishes to use it for payments, short-term transactions, long-term investments, or simply to explore its technological foundations, Bitcoin represent a significant development in the evolution of digital finance.

Like all financial assets, the price of a cryptocurrency is influenced by supply and demand. These forces, in turn, are often shaped by public opinion, news, social media, and investor psychology. 
Many traders analyze the market's sentiment to predict the short and mid-term potential of a crypto asset. Along with the technical and fundamental analysis, investigating the crypto market sentiment can be a valuable addition to a trader's toolkit.

What Is Market Sentiment?
Market sentiment is the collective attitude of traders and investors towards a financial asset or market. The concept exists in all financial markets, including cryptocurrencies. Market sentiment does have the power to influence market cycles.
Still, favorable market sentiment doesn't always lead to positive market conditions. Sometimes, strong positive sentiment (it's going to the moon!) may come before a market correction or even a bearish market.
Besides providing insights into market demand, traders can analyze these sentiments to predict potentially profitable trends. Market sentiment doesn't always consider a project's fundamentals, but they might be linked sometimes.
Bullish vs. Bearish Sentiment
Investor sentiment typically falls into two main categories:
Bullish sentiment: Traders and investors feel confident that prices will go up. When the market is bullish, people are more likely to buy and hold onto their assets, hoping to make a profit as prices rise.

Bearish sentiment: Indicates pessimism and expectations of declining prices. In bearish conditions, investors are more likely to sell off holdings or open short positions.
These two mindsets can exist at the same time in different parts of the market or among different groups of investors, which often causes price swings and uncertainty.

Why Is Market Sentiment Analysis Important?
Market sentiment analysis is an essential part of many trading strategies. For instance, this analysis can help you investigate whether FOMO is justified or simply a result of herd mentality. Overall, combining technical and fundamental analysis with market sentiment studies allows you to:
Get a better idea of short and mid-term price action.Develop better control of your emotional state. Discover potentially profitable opportunities.
How to Perform Market Sentiment Analysis
To understand the market's sentiment, you'll need to collect the market participants' views, ideas, and opinions. To get a basic feel, you might consider investigating the relevant social media pages and channels to understand what the community and investors are feeling about a certain project or the market as a whole.
You may also consider joining official forums, Discord servers, or Telegram groups to talk directly with the project’s team and community members. But be careful! There are many scammers in those groups. Don’t trust random people, and make sure to do your own research before taking risks.
On top of monitoring social channels (particularly X, given its popularity among cryptocurrency users), you might also consider the following:
Track social mentions with data collection software tools.Stay up to date with the latest industry news through media portals and blogs. Binance Blog, Bitcoin Magazine, and CoinDesk are some examples.Set alerts or track large transactions made by whales. These movements are regularly tracked by crypto investors and might have an impact on market sentiment. You can find free whale alert bots on Telegram and X (e.g., WhaleAlert).Check market sentiment indicators and pricing signals on CoinMarketCap. These indexes analyze a range of different sources and provide easy summaries of current market sentiment.Measure the level of hype surrounding a cryptocurrency with Google Trends. For example, a large search volume for “How to sell crypto,” could suggest that the market sentiment is negative.
Market Sentiment Indicators
Fear & Greed Index
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is a popular indicator of crypto market sentiment. It shows market fear or greed on a scale of zero to 100 by analyzing different information sources, including volatility, market volume, social media, dominance, and trends.

Bull & Bear Index
The Bull & Bear Index by Augmento is a different sentiment indicator that focuses on social media. An artificial intelligence (AI) software analyzes 93 sentiments and topics using conversations on channels like X, Reddit, and Bitcointalk. The indicator value ranges from zero (bearish) to one (bullish).

Closing Thoughts
While many traders use market sentiment analysis in investment markets, it can also be useful in the cryptocurrency market. Because the blockchain industry and crypto markets are still relatively small, public perceptions and sentiment can cause volatile price fluctuations.
Market sentiment analysis tends to offer better results with more practice and experience, but it might not work in some cases. Make sure to do your due diligence before trading or investing and only risk what you can afford to lose.

Todos están observando a Bitcoin, pero Ethereum está planeando algo en secreto.

La Fase de Estancamiento
Actualmente, ETH está en una fase tranquila. La volatilidad se ha comprimido después de alcanzar un mínimo alrededor de $1,747.
Por qué esto no es debilidad
Absorción: El mercado está absorbiendo la presión de venta anterior.
Estructura: Históricamente, estos períodos de consolidación preceden a movimientos explosivos importantes.
Niveles Clave
Soporte: La zona de $1,747–$1,780 es una zona de demanda crítica.
Resistencia: Necesitamos recuperar $2,100 con volumen para confirmar el regreso de la fuerza.

En un mundo financiero cada vez más incierto, la confianza es la moneda más valiosa. Ahora más que nunca, es crucial entender cómo están protegidos tus fondos en Binance.

Imagen de Binance Safu
1. ¿Qué es la Prueba de Reserva (PoR)?
Binance utiliza una tecnología llamada Árboles de Merkle. Esto permite a cada usuario verificar matemáticamente que sus activos se mantienen en una proporción de 1:1 (más reservas) por la plataforma. A partir de febrero de 2026, Binance presume de una proporción de reservas que supera el 105% para activos principales como BTC, ETH y BNB.
2. El Fondo SAFU:

Hemos hablado mucho sobre "gemas de IA" como $FET o $RNDR, pero ¿realmente entendemos por qué esta unión es inevitable? Hoy, la IA necesita la cadena de bloques por tres razones críticas:
Transparencia de Datos: En la era de los deepfakes, la cadena de bloques nos permite certificar el origen de los datos o una imagen. Es la única forma de saber si la información fue generada por una IA confiable o un actor malicioso.
Computación Distribuida: Entrenar modelos de IA requiere poder que solo las granjas de minería de criptomonedas reutilizadas (como la red Render) pueden proporcionar a un costo competitivo.

A partir de 2026, las transacciones directas en Ethereum se convertirán en un lujo. Los volúmenes de transacción reales se llevarán a cabo en Layer 2 (L2). Pero con la explosión de L2, ¿dónde deberías colocar tus apuestas y dApps?

1. La Dominancia de Base y Arbitrum Actualmente, Base (L2 de Coinbase) es el líder con más de $4 mil millones en TVL (Valor Total Bloqueado), seguido de cerca por Arbitrum. ¿Por qué? Porque ambos han logrado crear un ecosistema con una experiencia de usuario fluida: casi cero tarifas y confirmaciones instantáneas.

La inteligencia artificial (IA) ya no es solo una palabra de moda; es la fuerza impulsora que está remodelando nuestro mundo y, por extensión, el ecosistema cripto. Mientras el mercado está experimentando cierta turbulencia, ciertos proyectos en la intersección de la blockchain y la IA están construyendo silenciosamente las bases para la próxima ola de crecimiento. Olvida la especulación; aquí, estamos hablando de valor fundamental.
Exploremos tres gemas cuyo enfoque innovador podría sorprender muy bien a los inversores en 2026.

1. The Graph ($GRT): El Google de la Blockchain Descentralizada