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Binance’s position as the crypto market’s primary liquidity hub is being reaffirmed, as new data shows stablecoins and spot trading activity continuing to concentrate on the exchange rather than dispersing across competitors. CryptoQuant data shows that $47.5 billion in stablecoins is currently held on one exchange, with Binance accounting for roughly 65% of all stablecoin liquidity across centralized exchanges. The concentration comes even as broader bear market outflows continue to slow, signaling a shift in where capital is parked rather than an exit from crypto altogether.Stablecoin Liquidity Concentrates on BinanceStablecoins are a key proxy for deployable capital in crypto markets, often used as dry powder for trading, hedging, and risk management. CryptoQuant’s figures indicate that while overall exchange balances have stabilized, liquidity is increasingly clustering on Binance rather than dispersing across competitors.This dynamic suggests that traders and institutions are prioritizing venues with deeper order books, higher execution reliability, and lower slippage during volatile conditions.Binance Drives January Spot Market GrowthSpot market data reinforces the same trend. In January, Binance generated $409 billion in spot trading volume, marking a 12% month-over-month increase, according to CryptoQuant. That figure accounted for nearly half of total global centralized exchange (CEX) spot market growth during the month.By comparison, Binance’s spot volume was almost five times larger than the next-largest exchange, underscoring a widening gap in effective liquidity.The data points to real trading activity rather than promotional volume, with CryptoQuant highlighting that the growth reflects sustained user participation and capital deployment.

Nick Timiraos, known as the 'Fed's mouthpiece,' has forecasted a 0.37% month-on-month increase in the U.S. December PCE inflation, both core and overall, according to ChainCatcher. This growth is projected to elevate the annual rate of the core PCE index to 3%, marking the highest level since February 2025. The overall PCE annual rate is anticipated to reach 2.9%, the highest since March 2024.

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the Democratic Party for causing a government shutdown that he claims has led to a decrease in the U.S. GDP by at least two percentage points. According to Jin10, Trump expressed his concerns over the Democrats' tactics, suggesting they are attempting similar strategies on a smaller scale. He urged against further government shutdowns and advocated for lowering interest rates, labeling Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as ineffective.

Nvidia is close to finalizing a $30 billion investment in OpenAI, replacing an earlier plan for a massive $100 billion multi-year partnership. 

According to Financial Times, the deal would be part of OpenAI’s latest funding round, which could value the company at roughly $830 billion. OpenAI is expected to reinvest much of that capital into AI infrastructure, including Nvidia’s GPUs.

The shift from a $100 billion commitment to a smaller $30 billion equity investment changes the financial risk profile. 

Instead of funding massive infrastructure directly, Nvidia gains ownership exposure while still securing demand for its hardware. This restructuring has drawn close attention from investors already watching Nvidia’s volatile stock movements.

Nvidia Stock Price Over the Past Week. Source: Google Finance From Six-Week Lows to Strategic Rebound: Nvidia’s Volatile Month

Nvidia’s stock has moved sharply over the past several weeks. In early February, shares fell to around $177, marking a six-week low. 

The decline followed uncertainty over the original $100 billion OpenAI deal, concerns over US export restrictions on AI chips to China, and broader investor worries about the sustainability of AI spending.

However, the stock rebounded after Nvidia announced a smaller investment commitment, new partnerships, and major chip supply deals. 

Top 10 US AI Stocks. Source: INDmoney

A multi-year agreement to supply millions of AI chips to Meta also helped restore confidence. By mid-February, Nvidia shares recovered toward the high-$180 range.

Still, volatility persisted. Investors remained cautious about regulatory risks, high valuation levels, and whether AI infrastructure spending could deliver sustained returns.

Nvidia Commits to a Much Smaller Deal With OpenAI, But it Has a  Bigger Signal

The latest $30 billion investment is widely seen as strategically bullish for Nvidia. First, it removes the financial burden of the original $100 billion plan, which could have strained Nvidia’s balance sheet. 

Second, it strengthens Nvidia’s position as OpenAI’s primary hardware partner.

This means Nvidia benefits in two ways. It gains equity exposure to one of the world’s most valuable AI companies while continuing to sell the chips powering OpenAI’s models.

However, short-term reactions may remain mixed. Large investments always carry risk, and some investors prefer Nvidia to focus purely on chip sales. 

Still, the deal reinforces a key point: AI infrastructure spending continues to accelerate.

Ultimately, the investment strengthens Nvidia’s long-term outlook. It confirms that Nvidia remains at the center of the global AI boom, even as markets navigate short-term uncertainty.

World Liberty Financial and Securitize are tokenizing loan interests in the Trump International Hotel in the Maldives. Here's what accredited investors need to know.

A Bitcoin whale just moved 5,000 BTC (~$335M) to Binance minutes before the US Q4 GDP data dropped.
⏱️ Timing: ~10 minutes before release
📉 GDP print: 1.4%
📊 Weakest US quarter since Q1 2025
This wasn’t a slow distribution. It was a direct deposit to an exchange — the kind of move typically made to sell, not to hold.
Was it luck?
Was it macro hedging?
Or did someone know what was coming?
Markets reacted fast after the data, and the timing raises uncomfortable questions about information asymmetry in crypto + macro events.
Whales don’t move $335M without a reason.
The real question is: who was on the other side of this trade? 👀

ME News 消息，2 月 20 日（UTC+8）， 纳斯达克上市公司 Robinhood 发布 2026 年 1 月运营数据，其中披露用户、资产及交易量均保持持续增长，其中截至 1 月底平台总资产为 3,240 亿美元，环比增长 1%，同比增长 59%；股票名义交易量 2,273 亿美元，环比增长 21%，同比增长 57%；加密货币交易量达 229 亿美元，环比增 8%，同比增 12%，其中 Robinhood App 交易额 87 亿美元，Bitstamp 交易额 142 亿美元；事件合约交易量 3 亿份，环比增 17%。Robinhood 还披露截至 2 月 17 日本季度已回购约 210 万股 A 类普通股，总额约 1.73 亿美元，是 2025 年第四季度回购数量的两倍以上。（来源：ME）

Duing recent panel discussion, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkaristated that crypto is "useless."

Kashkari is concerned about the structural impact stablecoins could have on traditional finance.

"I'm very cautious about stablecoins and other things because I think it will put pressure on the economy because banks will lend less," he stated.

Cross-border illusion

When pressed, advocates often concede that the technology fails to solve domestic financial problems, according to Kashkari.

"When I push people on how is this useful, they very quickly have to admit it's not useful in America," he said. "It's useful to send money to another market or for customers in another country."

To illustrate his skepticism, Kashkari used a personal example regarding his family's ties abroad.

"My wife was born in the Philippines. She's a U.S. citizen, but her family's in the Philippines. So, if I want to send my father-in-law money to buy groceries, they say, 'Oh my gosh, it's so costly to do it today with this gee-whiz crypto stuff, you could do it instantly.'"

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However, Kashkari pointed out the perceived flaw in this transaction: the friction of converting digital assets back into usable fiat currency in the destination country.

When industry proponents counter that the end goal is for local merchants to accept the digital assets directly, Kashkari argued that this scenario ignores the reality of global economics.

"Then they say, 'No, no, no. Well, if the grocer also uses it, then he can buy.' So what they're really saying is if everybody in the world uses the same currency or the same payment platform, all these frictions go away," he explained. "But all these other countries are not going to abandon their own monetary policy."

He has regulators, policymakers, and the public to demand concrete answers from crypto advocates rather than accepting technological jargon.

"So you know, when it comes to anything about crypto or stablecoins, ask the most basic questions and don't settle for word salad nonsense answers," he warned. "Make them really explain how this thing actually works. And whenever I do that, there's just nothing there."

Kashkari's vocal skepticism is definitely not new. In 2018, he publicly labeled the cryptocurrency market a "farce."

Just last month, asreported by U.Today, he claimed that crypto had no use for everyday consumers.

During a recent Fox Businessinterview, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse noted that XRP has managed to weather the recent crypto market mayhem better than leading altcoin competitors.

For instance, it performed better than Ethereum (ETH), its leading competitor.

He added that the market's focus will increasingly move toward assets with real-world applications. "The more we demonstrate real practical utility using technologies to solve real problems, more you see that play out in a positive way," he said.

XRP is currently down 61.5% from its all-time high of $3.65, according to CoinGecko.

The uncertainty surrounding CLARITY Act

The Ripple executive attributed a portion of the recent market sell-off to legislative gridlock in Washington. The market experienced a significant correction after the digital asset market structure bill failed to pass the Senate.

"As the Clarity Act got pushed, stalled, late January, that did not help," he explained.

Asreported by U.Today, White House officials are actively stepping in to broker a compromise between the crypto industry and traditional banking lobbies over stablecoin rewards. In the meantime, Garlinghouse urged his peers not to hold up the legislation over minor details.

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"Our position is very much don't let perfection be the enemy of progress. No bill is perfect," he stated. Recalling Ripple's own prolonged legal battles with the SEC, he stressed that the broader sector needs regulatory certainty to survive. "The industry can't live in limbo, so our argument Clarity Act needs to get done to be industry thrives in the United States."

He also took aim at the previous administration's regulatory approach, declaring, "The war Biden administration waged on crypto failed in courts," he said.

Wall Street convergence

Garlinghouse recently noted a significant change in how traditional financial institutions view digital assets.

Commenting on the recent pro-crypto remarks from legacy banking executives like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, he acknowledged a new era of adoption.

"Tides changed significantly," Garlinghouse said. "That means traditional financial industry is coming into the crypto industry. More and more, they wanted to make sure for them to compete, they have those clear rules of the road."

Ripple has spent roughly $3 billion since 2023 acquiring companies to expand its treasury management and prime brokerage services. Garlinghouse sees a growing appetite among corporate executives to integrate crypto directly.

"More companies are saying, 'We want exposure to this. asset class on our balance sheet," he noted.

However, after aggressive expansion, the CEO confirmed that Ripple will focus on integrating its new acquisitions rather than buying more companies in the immediate future. "Going to slow down, before we speed up," he concluded.

An obscure Hong Kong firm called Laurore Ltd. holds $436M in BlackRock's IBIT with no other assets. Analysts suspect a Chinese capital conduit.

Chainlink Reserve holds 2.17 million LINK, converting enterprise and onchain revenue into token accumulation through transparent, time-locked smart contracts

Quick take:

Figure Technologies has launched FGRD, the first SEC-registered public equity natively issued and settled entirely on blockchain infrastructure

Due to robust institutional demand, the secondary offering was upsized to 4,375,000 shares of Series A Blockchain Common Stock, priced at $32.00 per share.

The stock will trade on the newly launched On-Chain Public Equity Network (OPEN), enabling T+0 settlement and direct peer-to-peer lending without traditional intermediaries.

Figure Technologies has officially debuted its tokenized stock, coinciding with a significantly upsized $150 million capital offering. This development marks a pivotal moment for the fintech giant, led by SoFi co-founder Mike Cagney, as it seeks to redefine how private equity is managed, traded, and settled.

According to the announcement, the new offering, which saw its target raised due to increased investor demand, underscores a growing appetite for institutional-grade digital assets. 

Figure is leveraging its proprietary Provenance Blockchain to provide a real-time, transparent ledger of ownership. This new system allows for instantaneous settlement and reduces the administrative friction typically associated with private share transfers.

Figure sees the transition into tokenized equity as being more than just a technical milestone but also a strategic one. Industry analysts also suggest that Figure is setting a blueprint for how private companies can access liquidity without the immediate need for a traditional IPO. 

Figure’s latest venture follows a series of aggressive expansions into the Web3 and DeFi sectors. The company went public last September, raising $787.5 million in an IPO that valued it at about $5.29 bilion. Earlier in 2025, Figure also received a $200 million investment from Sixth Street as part of a strategic partnership that would allow Figure to issue up to $2 billion in loans on-chain.

The company plans to use the $150 million injection to accelerate ecosystem growth, particularly its trading platform and digital asset services. As more institutional players look toward tokenization as the future of capital markets, Figure’s successful debut of tokenized stock serves as a high-profile proof of concept.

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The post Figure Introduces Tokenized Stocks With $150M Secondary Share Offering appeared first on NFTgators.

Since trading volume has drastically decreased and activity has collapsed by about 85% from its peak during the recent sell-off, XRP is going through a sharp cooling phase. On the other hand, Dogecoin is really at an important resistance level, while SHIB is struggling to find its footing for a proper recovery.

XRP cools off

The market has typically transitioned from a panic-driven environment into a period of stabilization, though not necessarily recovery, when this type of volume reset occurs. Rather, it frequently represents weariness on the part of both buyers and sellers.

The fact that XRP is still locked below significant moving averages on the chart indicates that the overall trend is still weak. There was a brief recovery after a sharp drop, but momentum soon waned as volume dried up. Price movements lose strength in the absence of steady participation, as the current structure demonstrates: smaller candles, slower directional movement and less range expansion.

Volatility is directly affected by this volume collapse. Emotional market behavior, aggressive positioning and high participation are usually necessary for high volatility. None of those conditions exists at this time. The market appears to be in a neutral state.

At least temporarily, the continuous reset is effectively eliminating volatility and causing XRP to enter a more stable phase, where sharp price fluctuations are less likely. This produces a mixed picture for investors. On the one hand, following a significant correction, lower volatility lowers the risk of a downside shock. However, because volume confirmation is necessary for breakouts, it also reduces upside potential.

Right now, XRP does not have the energy to propel a significant increase or decrease. For traders looking for rapid momentum, this frequently results in extended sideways action, which can be frustrating. As the market looks for new equilibrium, the most likely scenario is consolidation within a narrow range.

Dogecoin really close

With price action hovering just below the $0.10 mark, Dogecoin is currently sitting just on the edge of apsychologically significant zone.

The asset has attempted a brief recovery following a protracted downward trend that is evident on the daily chart, but the overall picture still shows bearish control. Whether DOGE can recover $0.10 and stabilize above it, or if this level stays a ceiling rather than a launch point, is currently the crucial question.

Dogecoin is very nearly at that threshold technically. Since the price is currently trading in the high $0.09 range, a comparatively small move will be sufficient to retest $0.10. But closeness by itself does not ensure a breakout. Volume has not increased enough to verify significant accumulation, and the recent rebound came after a steep drop. Put differently, the attempt at recovery appears to be more of a relief tactic than a verified reversal.

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This cautious view is supported by moving averages. The longer-term 200-day and 26-day EMAs are still much above the short-term averages, indicating that macro resistance is still present. The near-term resistance cluster, which is located between $0.105 and $0.11, must be broken and held above for DOGE to actually regain momentum. The first actual test for bulls is that zone.

Support for the downside is found near the recent local lows at $0.09 and $0.085, which are a little below. Losing this sector would probably render the recovery story implausible and put the asset at risk of fresh selling pressure.

Shiba Inu unlikely to recover

Shiba Inu is displaying short-term stabilization, but the overall market structure indicates that there is little chance of a bullish continuation.

Although there was a brief recovery leg following the recent rebound from local lows, the daily chart's overall trend is still very bearish, with the price continuing to trade below important moving averages and resistance zones.

At the moment, SHIB's primary problem is structural weakness. Although buyers intervened for a short while and drove the asset higher, there was little sustained action. As declining moving averages — which usually serve as dynamic resistance during protracted downtrends — compress price action, volume stays moderate. The current move appears more like a technical bounce than the start of a long-term rally because the chart is still dominated by the previous descending triangle breakdown.

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In the short term, investors who were hoping for a quick bull run are probably going to be let down. The higher 26-day average and the short-term EMA cluster are two resistance layers that SHIB would need to regain and hold above for a full reversal. The price is currently finding it difficult to sustain momentum above the immediate local support, which suggests hesitancy rather than growth.

Trend continuation is a significant additional factor. More of a corrective action within a more general bearish environment, the current upward attempt seems limited and brittle. It would be simple for SHIB to return to consolidation or recent lows if buying pressure wanes. This would support the idea that the market is not yet prepared for significant upside.

The most likely scenario is sideways-to-weak trading, in which volatility gradually decreases and SHIB moves within a narrow range. It is possible for a local resistance breakout to occur, but it is unlikely to be sustained in the absence of rising volume and improved sentiment across the market.

Hedge fund manager predicts Bitcoin will become zero (1:48)

The tremors of Oct. 10 continue to ripple through crypto markets. 

All it took was one post from President Donald Trump threatening to increase taxes on Chinese imports by 100%. Before he reversed his decision, the bloodbath had spread across markets, especially in crypto.

Now, each macro headline appears to be exerting immediate pressure on risk assets, including crypto. 

Related: Cathie Wood links Binance with October flash crash

Even CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer questioned Bitcoin’s hedge narrative, asking,

“What is Bitcoin levered to? I was thinking could be good hedge against Iranian war. NOPE.”

Now, retail anxiety is showing up in search data.

Google searches for terms like “Bitcoin zero” and “Bitcoin going to zero” have surged to their highest levels since 2022, according to Google Trends data. 

The spike comes as Bitcoin (BTC) struggles to regain momentum amid mounting macroeconomic uncertainty and renewed geopolitical tensions.

Over the past three months alone, the asset has fallen 20.8%, amplifying fears of a deeper correction.

Search interest mirrors past market bottoms

In Google Trends, search interest is measured on a relative scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents peak popularity for the selected period. 

Data shows that the term “Bitcoin Zero” has peaked several times during major downturns: May 2021 (52), June 2022 (66), July 2025 (81), and November 2025 (87). Each spike coincided with sharp price declines.

Google Trends data on term "Bitcoin Zero" (Source: Google Trends)

The term hit 100 on Feb. 6, surpassing all previous peaks, just before Bitcoin dropped to fresh cycle lows.

Related queries tell a similar story. Searches for “is Bitcoin going to zero” have climbed 40% over the past five years, while “Bitcoin will go to zero” has surged 140%. 

Popular on TheStreet Roundtable:

Analyst predicts next big crash for Bitcoin as markets rally

Another crypto company halts withdrawals as markets slide

Coinbase secures major legal win in banking lawsuit

Bitcoin related questions hit new highs (Source: Google Trends)

At press time, BTC was trading at $67,044.10 after slipping to $62,822 in the first week of February, its biggest plunge since it traded at similar levels in October 2024, as per CoinGecko.

XRP sentiment hits a 5-week high as Bitcoin and Ethereum face outflows. Here's what's driving the shift, from Coinbase collateral to XRPL infrastructure upgrades.

Bitcoin’s recent sell-off isn’t because of quantum computing fear, because if that were the case, Ether would be soaring, says Bitcoin developer Matt Carallo.

“I strongly disagree with the characterization that Bitcoin's current price is materially, because of some kind of quantum risk,” Carallo told journalist Laura Shin on the Unchained podcast on Thursday.

“If that were true, then Ethereum would be up substantially on Bitcoin,” he added. Ether (ETH) is down 58% since a major crypto market crash in early October, trading at $1,957 at the time of publication.

Carallo’s comments come as several Bitcoiners have argued that fears of quantum computing affecting the blockchain is partly why Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped 46% from its October all-time high of $126,100 to now trade at $67,162, according to CoinMarketCap.

Matt Carallo (right) speaking to Laura Shin (left) on the Unchained podcast. Source: YouTube

Ethereum zones in on quantum readiness

Some Bitcoin users have accused the blockchain’s developers of not moving quickly enough to make the network quantum-resistant, while the Ethereum Foundation has said it is taking measures to be ready. 

In its protocol update on Wednesday, the Ethereum Foundation outlined long-term post-quantum readiness as part of its broader security initiative.

Carallo said that although quantum computing poses long-term risks to Bitcoin, market makers don’t see it as a pressing short-term threat, arguing that the Bitcoin community is just looking for a scapegoat.

“There are a lot of Bitcoiners who want to blame something, blame someone for lackluster performance.”

Carallo said that a more likely reason for Bitcoin’s price decline is that it is now “competing for capital” in a way it never has before against other technologies such as artificial intelligence.

“AI is super capital-intensive,” he said, adding that it is a “massive new investment class that is substantially competing for capital.”

“There's a lot of interest in value accrual that will happen because of AI in traditional equities,” Carallo said. 

Bitcoiners are of the opposite opinion

Not all Bitcoiners agree with Carallo, as Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards said at Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE event on Feb. 12, that the risk should be priced into Bitcoin until it becomes quantum-resistant.

“Today, you kind of have to start to discount the value of Bitcoin based on that risk until it’s solved,” Edwards said.

Related: Bitcoin bottom signal that preceded 1,900% rally flashes again

Meanwhile, entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary told Magazine in December that using quantum computing to crack Bitcoin may not be the most efficient use of the resources, and there is more upside in using the technology for areas such as medical research.

In May 2025, the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, updated the registration statement for its iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) to warn investors of the potential risks to the integrity of the Bitcoin network posed by quantum computing.

Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum: BIP-360 co-author

The Injective community approved the IIP-619 upgrade with a 99.99% majority, scaling the network’s real-time EVM architecture and doubling token deflation mechanics.

Pineapple Financial (NYSE: PAPL) has solidified its position as a major stakeholder, acquiring 7% of the total INJ supply in a recent $2 million open-market purchase.

Analysts have identified a 30-60% upside potential if INJ maintains a 4-hour close above $3.50, targeting the key psychological resistance at $5.50.

The volatile world of cryptocurrency, Injective (INJ) has captured attention with signs of a potential reversal after a prolonged downtrend. A recent analysis from crypto trader Third Eye, shared on X, points to INJ “loading” at a current market price (CMP) of $3.38, positioning it in a robust demand zone following weeks of price bleed.

The accompanying 4-hour chart from TradingView illustrates this setup vividly: a sharp decline from highs near $6.50, stabilizing around $3.00 with horizontal support lines marking key levels at $5.515, $5.000, $4.500, $4.000, $3.500, and $2.920. The price action shows a consolidation phase, with a potential breakout signaled by a 4-hour close above $3.50.

IIP-619 Mainnet Upgrade: Scaling the Real-Time EVM Frontier

This bullish outlook aligns with significant developments in the Injective ecosystem. On February 19, 2026, the community overwhelmingly approved the IIP-619 governance proposal, enabling a mainnet upgrade that enhances real-time EVM architecture, supports next-generation payments, and expands the MultiVM ecosystem.

This news triggered an immediate 13% surge, pushing INJ to $3.60 before a slight pullback to around $3.20. The upgrade is seen as a catalyst for improved interoperability and faster transaction speeds, potentially attracting more DeFi users to the layer-1 blockchain known for its high-performance decentralized exchange infrastructure.

$INJ loading…

CMP: $3.38

Sitting in strong demand after weeks of bleed. Not a random bounce.

Support: $3.00 – $2.90
Invalidation: < $2.90
Breakout: $3.50 (4H close)

Targets: $4.50 $5.00 $5.50

30–60% upside if momentum hits.@injective pic.twitter.com/O2uqD8wBMq

— Third Eye ‍ (@Third_Eye_000) February 19, 2026

Adding fuel to the fire, Pineapple Financial announced a $2 million open-market purchase of 560,647 INJ tokens at an average of $3.567, bringing their holdings to 7% of the total supply. This move reflects increasing institutional interest in INJ, especially amid a scheduled protocol-level buyback on February 19 aimed at accelerating token deflation. Recent X posts echo this sentiment, with traders noting upside potential and community members hyping the chain’s future.

Deflationary Mechanics: The Impact of Protocol-Level Buybacks

Technically, the analyst sets clear parameters: support between $3.00 and $2.90, invalidation below $2.90, and targets at $4.50, $5.00, and $5.50—implying 30-60% gains if momentum builds. However, INJ has faced headwinds, trading 76% down yearly and testing key supports amid broader market pressures.

RSI at neutral levels and MACD in consolidation suggest room for movement, but a breakdown could target $2.98. As Injective evolves with RWAs and onchain finance innovations, this could mark a turning point. Traders should monitor volume and broader crypto trends, but the confluence of technicals, upgrades, and accumulation paints a compelling case for recovery. With a market cap around $317 million, INJ remains a high-risk, high-reward play in the Web3 space.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. CoinCryptoNewz is not responsible for any losses incurred. Readers should do their own research before making financial decisions.

<p>The post INJ’s 1 Strong Rebound: 60% Bullish Power Move Ahead first appeared on Coin Crypto Newz.</p>