Cryptopolitan

Economist and Bitcoin supporter Lyn Alden says the US Federal Reserve may be moving into a gradual phase of money printing, increasing liquidity steadily rather than all at once. She expects that process to drive up asset prices, albeit not as much as some Bitcoin fans had anticipated. 

Alden’s view is that the Fed will not accelerate it on a massive scale, expanding its balance sheet progressively during a period of overall economic expansion and banking activity. 

In her investment strategy newsletter for February 8, Alden said her most important expectation for the Fed is to increase its balance sheet at a rate similar to the growth of total bank assets or national nominal GDP. This suggests the central bank would still add liquidity to the financial system. 

Such an expansion of the money supply is often called “money printing,” although it is primarily achieved through digital financial operations, not physical cash. When the Fed expands its balance sheet, it typically buys government bonds or other financial assets. 

This injects money into the banking system, making credit more available and encouraging investment. Alden noted that this environment helps hold “high-quality scarce assets.” That covers investments with a limited supply and strong store-of-value qualities. 

Commodities such as gold, certain stocks, and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are common examples. But she also cautioned investors to be wary of parts of the market that have gotten too hot and to pay attention to assets that remain undervalued or overlooked. 

Her comments were made soon after US President Donald Trump named Kevin Warsh to serve as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. The implication injected considerable uncertainty into financial markets because some investors believe Warsh aligns more closely with tighter monetary policy than other candidates. 

Markets remain unsure about interest rates before the Fed meeting

Interest rate policy is a major factor in financial markets (cryptocurrencies included). When interest rates are low and the money supply is high, many investors turn to riskier assets in search of higher returns. That can drive up prices of stocks, crypto, and other investments. 

Then, when interest rates are higher, and it’s more difficult to borrow money, asset prices can slow or fall. Recent market research indicates mixed hopes regarding the Fed’s next move. Roughly 19.9% of traders say the Fed will cut rates next month at its next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, according to CME FedWatch. 

That’s lower than 23% who had anticipated a rate cut only days previously, indicating waning confidence in the prospect of near-term easing. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has shown caution and at times sent mixed signals about future policy. The Fed cut interest rates several times in 2023, but Powell has cautioned that inflation risks persist. 

At the same time, he expressed concerns about employment. This illustrates very clearly how delicate a balance the Fed must maintain. Powell said he believes that after the December Federal Open Market Committee meeting, inflation risks remain tilted upward, and employment risks are tilted downward.

Fed leadership transition increases market uncertainty

The change in governance at the Federal Reserve is another factor shaping market expectations. Powell’s term as Fed chairman is set to expire in May 2025, and Kevin Warsh has been nominated as a possible successor. 

But Warsh has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, leaving uncertainty over the future direction of monetary policy. Different Fed leaders can have different priorities. Some advocate a tighter policy to tame inflation, while others advocate a looser policy to boost growth and employment. 

Investors pay close attention to leadership changes because they could impact interest rates, liquidity, and broader market conditions. But even as uncertainty continues to loom, Alden’s outlook suggests the Fed won’t increase the money supply by much in the foreseeable future. 

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Futures are slightly green heading into Monday, with S&P 500 up 0.2%, Nasdaq 100 up 0.3%, and Dow futures up 87 points, after a wild week of tech-led selling and a Friday bounce.

Bitcoin reclaimed $70,000 after diving below $61,000 on Thursday night. Gold is holding above $5,000 and silver’s still near $77, all steady going into the next macro print.

The dollar had its worst year in nearly a decade, and traders aren’t falling for the tough talk anymore. While officials inside Donald Trump’s White House keep insisting they’re backing a “strong dollar,” the currency is still slumping. The dollar index is down another 1% since the start of 2026. That’s on top of the 9% plunge it saw in 2025, its biggest annual loss in eight years.

Goldman Sachs foreign exchange strategists said in a note to clients that:- Fundamentally, we think the recent injection of policy uncertainty will be sufficiently durable to keep the dollar from making up lost ground.”

They said investors had been expecting more support for the economy in 2026. What they got instead was a series of new tariff threats, which shook those expectations.

Traders respond to tariffs and political shifts

The real damage started last April, when Trump rolled out his “Liberation Day” tariffs. Within days, the dollar sank more than 5%. Almost a year later, it still hasn’t bounced back. Traders haven’t forgotten. And the rally some people hoped for never came.

The dollar used to be the place everyone ran to in a crisis. It was seen as a safe haven. For decades, it held the unofficial title of the world’s reserve currency, which gave the US huge advantages. That status is now being questioned.

Thierry Wizman, a strategist at Macquarie Bank, said, “If the reserve status of the USD does depend on the US role in the world — as guarantor of security and a rules-based order — then the events of the past year carry the seeds of a reallocation away from the USD, and the search for alternatives.”

This isn’t just about tariffs. It’s also about the future of US monetary policy. President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor, to take over from Jerome Powell as the next Federal Reserve chair. Warsh is known as a hawk from his days during the 2008 crisis. But the market didn’t take the bait this time.

The dollar only jumped briefly when his name came up. That bounce faded fast. Traders quickly realized that Trump doesn’t want someone who’ll hike rates. In an interview with NBC News on February 4, Trump said clearly, “If he came in and said, ‘I want to raise them’ … he would not have gotten the job, no.” He added, “We’re way high in interest,” and said there’s “not much” doubt the Fed will lower rates under Warsh.

Investors search for hedges as confidence slips

As the political noise builds, the dollar is still technically the backbone of global finance. But a growing number of traders are looking for safer bets. They’re moving to the euro, the Swiss franc, and especially to gold. And it’s not just gold. Other metals like silver, platinum, copper, and steel are all spiking too.

Gold alone surged more than 60% through 2025. It’s still up over 70% across the past year, despite some recent cooling. The broader metals rally that started last year is still rolling into early 2026.

Macquarie’s Wizman doesn’t think this trend is short-term. “We do not think that over the medium- and long term the USD ‘diversification trade’ is over,” he said. According to him, weak dollar phases triggered by geopolitical shifts and policy chaos in Washington can drag on for ten years or more.

He added, “Under the direction in which the US administration seems to want to take the US vis-a-vis the rest of the world, the USD cannot maintain its reserve currency status indefinitely.”

So even though the White House keeps repeating that it backs a “strong dollar,” no one’s buying it. Not in the charts. Not in the trades. Not in the metals rally. And definitely not on the trading floors. Traders want less talk and more stability. Until they see that, the dollar isn’t getting their vote.

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Elon Musk acknowledged over the weekend that getting Tesla to a $100 trillion company value would demand massive effort and fortune. The statement came after investors suggested this sky-high number could happen if his various businesses merge together.

Right now, Tesla sits at $1.5 trillion in market value. Getting to $100 trillion would mean multiplying that number by 65 times. That target isn’t just about selling electric cars anymore. Musk wants robotaxis on roads, humanoid robots in factories, plus expanded energy storage and manufacturing operations.

“Obviously, a staggeringly enormous amount of work and good luck is needed for such an outcome! I’m just saying it isn’t impossible,” Musk wrote on X.

Wall Street projects massive markets for autonomous tech

The big question is whether these ambitious plans can actually deliver. Cryptopolitan reported in December that Tesla’s stock jumped when the company reached $1.5 trillion, driven mostly by excitement over robotaxis and AI rather than actual car sales. Analyst Dan Ives from Wedbush called 2026 “a monster year ahead for Tesla” as the autonomous driving story begins.

But here’s where things get interesting. ARK Invest, run by Cathie Wood, projects the robotaxi market alone could hit $10 trillion by 2030. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley and Citi estimate humanoid robots will create a $5 trillion to $7 trillion market. Musk says Tesla plans to make 100,000 Optimus robots every month within five years, potentially bringing in $30 billion yearly.

Tesla also deployed 14.2 gigawatt-hours of energy storage last quarter and 46.7 gigawatt-hours over the past year. That business keeps growing quietly while everyone focuses on robots and taxis.

Tesla shareholders approved Musk’s massive pay package back in November 2025, worth potentially $1 trillion. The deal ties his compensation directly to company growth in AI and robotics. Then in January, Musk switched Tesla’s Full Self-Driving service to subscription-only, which could pump up recurring revenue. These moves align with the broader valuation goals.

However, reality has been messier than the promises. Cryptopolitan reported in September how California regulators got confused and frustrated when Musk claimed Tesla would launch robotaxis in San Francisco without even applying for permits. The company had no driverless operations, just invite-only rides with human drivers. That same month, another report noted Musk had said 80% of Tesla’s future value would come from Optimus robots, even though the bots weren’t generating any revenue yet.

Optimus robots still can’t walk without help

Most recent examination of the Optimus shows the robots still need help walking, get trained by copying humans, and haven’t been deployed in Tesla factories despite earlier promises. The third version is under development with no delivery date.

Some critics point out Tesla’s current $1.5 trillion value already assumes massive success. The company trades at much higher multiples than traditional automakers, pricing in future products that don’t exist yet. Michael Burry, who predicted the 2008 housing crash, recently called Tesla “ridiculously overvalued” and warned about shareholder dilution from stock-based compensation.

Musk has defended his compensation by pointing to the irony of critics who claim Tesla is overvalued while questioning his stock award at the same time.

Cathie Wood from ARK Invest believes the convergence of Musk’s companies creates unique advantages. She argues Tesla has proprietary data from roads, Neuralink provides biological data, and X offers real-time human conversation data. Together, this could create AI capabilities nobody else can match.

But getting from $1.5 trillion to $100 trillion would make Tesla worth nearly four times the combined value of the world’s ten most valuable companies today. That includes tech giants like NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Tesla would essentially need to become bigger than entire industries.

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Large holders of Binance Coin (BNB) are beginning to shift part of their capital into a newer crypto protocol, and the numbers behind the move are starting to draw attention. As BNB trades in a tighter range and upside becomes harder to achieve at scale, some whales are reassessing where growth potential is strongest.

Analysts point out that even small reallocations from large-cap assets like BNB can have an outsized impact when directed toward early-stage protocols. This rotation is not driven by hype, but by simple math: lower market caps, active development, and clearer room for expansion. As a result, investors are closely watching how this capital shift could shape the next phase of the market.

Binance Coin (BNB)

Binance Coin (BNB) remains a titan of the industry, currently trading near $650 with a massive market capitalization of $100 billion. It is the backbone of the world’s largest exchange and the BNB Smart Chain. However, its recent performance shows signs of exhaustion. The coin has lost nearly 15% of its value in just the last week as traders shift into a risk-off mode. Despite its strong history, BNB is hitting a heavy wall of resistance between $850 and $915. For the price to move significantly higher, it needs billions of dollars in new capital, which is becoming harder to find in a saturated market.

The current technical outlook for BNB is cautious. Analysts warn that if the support level at $735 fails to hold, the price could retreat toward the $600 range. For long-term holders, the dream of a $1,000 BNB is still alive, but the path is getting steeper. 

With its all-time high of $1,370 still a far distance away, many investors are realizing that the “easy money” phase for BNB has passed. This stagnation is driving a rotation toward low-cap protocols that offer the same utility but with much more room for appreciation.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance is becoming a key destination for this rotating capital. It is a non-custodial lending protocol designed to let users access liquidity from their crypto without selling their positions. 

Since Q1 2025, the project has shown steady growth, raising over $20.2 million and attracting more than 19,000 holders worldwide. To build trust, Mutuum Finance has completed a full security audit with Halborn and maintains a strong 90/100 score from CertiK, which is an important signal for larger investors.

The structure of the MUTM presale is another point drawing attention. The total supply is fixed at 4 billion tokens, with 45.5%, or 1.82 billion tokens, allocated to the community. So far, over 840 million tokens have already been distributed. 

The token is currently priced at $0.04 in Phase 7, reflecting roughly 300% growth from the initial presale stages. With the stated launch price set at $0.06, current participants are entering below that level as the next crypto phase approaches.

MUTM vs. BNB: The $400 Contrast

To understand why whales are rotating, you only have to look at a small $400 investment. If you put $400 into BNB today, a move to $1,000 would result in a profit of about $124. While that is a solid gain, it does not change an investor’s life. 

On the other hand, putting that same $400 into MUTM at the current $0.04 price secures 10,000 tokens. When the token hits its launch price of $0.06, that $400 is already worth $600. As long as analysts are correct and MUTM reaches its long-term target of $0.40 by late 2026, that $400 could grow into $4,000.

This 10x potential is simply not possible for BNB anymore due to its massive size. BNB’s primary limitation is its market cap; it would need to reach a valuation of over $1 trillion to offer the same growth as a small DeFi protocol. 

By contrast, MUTM only needs to capture a small fraction of the global lending market to see massive vertical movement. For a whale, the choice is clear: stay in a slow-moving giant or rotate into a project with audited security and a 10x roadmap.

The window for this early entry is closing fast. The V1 protocol is already live on the Sepolia testnet, proving that the technology is real and functional. Investors can now test the lending pools and see exactly how the mtTokens earn yield. This transition from a concept to a working product has caused Phase 7 to sell out at a record pace. 

The project even features a 24-hour leaderboard that rewards the top daily contributor with a $500 bonus, keeping the momentum high around the clock. As the legacy market searches for its next direction, the whales have already made their move.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Thousands of Danes grabbed their phones and started scanning grocery store shelves, hunting for American products to avoid after President Donald Trump ramped up his talk about taking Greenland.

Two apps built to spot U.S. goods shot up the download charts in late January according to data from market intelligence firm Appfigures.

Made O’Meter, created by 53-year-old Copenhagen resident Ian Rosenfeldt, pulled in about 30,000 new users in just three days when tensions hit their peak. That’s out of more than 100,000 total downloads since the app launched last March.

Source: Appfigures

Another tool called NonUSA crossed the 100,000 download mark in early February. On January 21 alone, its 21-year-old creator Jonas Pipper watched 25,000 people grab the app, with users scanning 526 products in a single minute at one point.

Regular bar codes don’t tell you if a product is American or European. “Many people were frustrated and thinking, ‘How do we actually do this in practical terms,'” Rosenfeldt told the Associated Press. His app uses artificial intelligence to scan products and suggest European alternatives. Users can set their preferences, like blocking all U.S.-owned brands or only buying from EU companies. The app claims it’s more than 95% accurate.

From 500 to 40,000 daily scans

Made O’Meter was doing about 500 scans a day last summer. On January 23, that number exploded to nearly 40,000. It’s dropped since but still sits around 5,000 daily. The app now has more than 20,000 regular users in Denmark, plus people in Germany, Spain, Italy, and even Venezuela.

Trump later backed off his tariff threats after talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. He said they’d reached a “framework” for a deal about access to Greenland’s minerals and Arctic security.

As Cryptopolitan covered at the time, the EU had called emergency meetings and European leaders warned the tariffs would “undermine transatlantic relations.” Few details about Trump’s framework deal have come out since. U.S. and Danish officials started technical talks in late January about Arctic security, but Denmark and Greenland keep saying their sovereignty isn’t up for discussion.

Boycott apps won’t put a dent in the U.S. economy

Louise Aggerstrøm Hansen, an economist at Danske Bank, told Euronews that only about 1% of Danish food consumption comes directly from the United States.

Rosenfeldt understands his app won’t damage the American economy. His hope is different to send a message to grocery stores and encourage more reliance on European producers. “Maybe we can send a signal and people will listen and we can make a change,” he said.

Pipper called his app “a weapon in the trade war for consumers.” His numbers show about 46,000 users in Denmark and 10,000 in Germany. Some users told him the app lifted pressure off them. “They feel like they kind of gained the power back in this situation.”

The spread to other Nordic countries matters too. Beyond Denmark, NonUSA users include thousands in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. Threats to one Nordic country can feel like threats to all.

Whether larger companies will respond is the bigger question. Individual consumer choices might not move the needle much. But if Danish pension funds, institutional investors, or major retail chains start making decisions based on similar sentiments, the impact grows.

AkademikerPension, a Danish pension fund, already sold $100 million in U.S. Treasury bonds in January over the Greenland situation. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed it, saying “Denmark’s investments in US Treasury bonds, like Denmark itself, is irrelevant.” That kind of talk might actually encourage more institutions to make symbolic moves.

In the end, this isn’t really about apps or boycotts. It’s about what happens when people feel their government can’t protect them from bigger powers. They look for any tool available, even if they know it’s mostly symbolic. As Rosenfeldt put it, Danish citizens “love the American people, but we don’t like the way that the government is treating Europe and Denmark.”

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Address poisoning attacks have become a persistent issue on Ethereum, and ironically, they have contributed to the recent record-breaking daily transaction counts. 

According to ScamSniffer, there has already been a victim of address poisoning this year, and that loss cost $12.25 million. It happened in January when the victim copied the wrong address from their transaction history, not noticing until it was too late. 

A similar story emerged in December when one user lost a whopping $50 million in the same way. That makes it two victims across two months with a total loss of $62 million. 

According to a ScamSniffer’s January report, signature phishing also went up, with a total of $6.27M stolen across 4,741 victims in January. The two cases involved a user losing $3.02M and another losing $1.08M and accounted for 65% of all phishing losses.

Why address poisoning attacks have become rampant in recent months

Address poisoning is a kind of scam that depends heavily on social engineering, where attackers monitor the target’s transaction histories, create lookalike addresses, and then send tiny amounts of ETH, called dust transactions, effectively poisoning the target’s history. 

What follows is a waiting game until the victim makes a mistake. The most important part of the whole operation, the dust transactions, were too expensive on Ethereum, so those address poisoning attacks were never as common before now.

However, in late 2025, Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade came through, and it improved scalability while reducing the transaction fees, causing gas costs to drop sharply. The upgrade has done many great things for the ecosystem, but it also made these low-value dust transactions economically viable for bad actors at scale for the first time. 

Address poisoning contributes to daily transaction record on Ethereum 

As earlier stated, address poisoning attacks depend heavily on dust transactions that the attackers send to poison the target’s history. 

These dust transactions are a prerequisite to the attack itself and are often numerous, and they are set like traps. But not all of them catch prey. Nevertheless, these dust transfers count as real transactions on-chain, and they have been inflating Ethereum’s metrics. 

Ethereum daily transaction chart. Source: Etherscan

After the Fusaka upgrade, the network saw massive surges in activity that lasted into 2026. Daily transactions hit all-time highs, and active/new addresses spiked dramatically. 

However, analysts and researchers have pointed out that a substantial portion of the surge is linked to mass address poisoning campaigns rather than organic adoption or usage.

The fact that the ETH price barely had a bullish reaction to all these new records further justifies talk of artificial inflation. However, the Ethereum maxis are not nitpicking over where the traffic is coming from. 

They have celebrated the new records, and the Fusaka upgrade has been widely hailed as a great implementation. Never mind that low-value spam transactions dominated the records or that many of the new active addresses received such qualification because they received tiny stablecoin transfers as their first activity.

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Coinbase’s CEO, Brian Armstrong, has dismissed recent concerns about market volatility, pointing out that volatility is a standard part of the industry.

The cryptocurrency market’s recent volatility has been due to political factors, institutional trading. Recent concerns about quantum computing and the continued safety of Bitcoin have not helped matters either.

Should investors worry about the recent volatility in the cryptocurrency market?

In a post on X, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong made it clear that the current market turbulence has not had a negative effect on his optimism for the future of the cryptocurrency industry. He reminded investors in his post that volatility is a standard part of the industry and pointed out that the sector has already survived many similar cycles.

Armstrong argued that it is hard to be anything but bullish because cryptocurrency is “eating financial services at an incredible rate.” Despite the falling prices seen on trading screens, the CEO stated that Coinbase would continue to “keep shipping” new products and updates.

Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $126,210 in October 2025. However, by early February 2026, the price had slumped to near $63,000. This represents a 50% decline in value in just a few months.

The current volatility is driven by several complex factors, like political changes. For instance, when President Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Chinese imports, the market was immediately affected, with many investors selling off their shares.

Contributing to the problem, in previous years, many hedge funds engaged in “arbitrage” trades. They would buy Bitcoin through ETFs and sell futures to lock in small, safe profits. However, in early 2026, these trades became less profitable. Data from CoinShares suggests that hedge fund exposure to Bitcoin ETFs fell by nearly one-third as these professional traders pulled their money out.

In a recent Cryptopolitan report, Bitwise advisor Jeff Park attributed the latest sharp BTC price drop that occurred on February 5, 2026, to a cascading effect of derisking moves happening in TradFi rather than some terrible event in crypto like a hack or blow up of massive entities.

Furthermore, the “Coinbase premium,” that is, the difference between the price of Bitcoin on Coinbase compared to other exchanges, turned negative.

In February 2026, Bitcoin was trading significantly cheaper on Coinbase than on Binance, a sign that American institutional investors are selling their holdings. When these large players exit their positions, it creates a “domino effect.”

Coinbase plans for success amid market uncertainty

Coinbase continues to keep trading volumes active by listing new tokens based on popular demand. The company is also focusing on bringing in revenue from subscriptions and services to make the business less dependent on trading fees.

Coinbase’s stock price (COIN) has dropped about 45% over the last three months. It declined sharply from a high of $444 to approximately $179.

Despite the drop in value, Coinbase reported that its transaction revenue remains particularly strong in derivatives trading and also receives stablecoin income from USDC.

Armstrong has been a vocal supporter of clear regulations for digital assets like the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts and government adoption of cryptocurrencies.

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Gold prices crashed last week after a record-setting rally, and Scott Bessent blamed it on reckless trading in China.

Speaking live on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Scott said, “The gold move thing, things have gotten a little unruly in China. They’re having to tighten margin requirements. So gold looks to me kind of like a classical, speculative blowoff.”

That was his way of saying the spike and sudden fall had little to do with demand and everything to do with panic buying by leveraged traders.

The rally in precious metals had been driven by fears about global conflicts, loose speculation, and growing concern about whether the Federal Reserve still operates freely. Then it collapsed.

Chinese authorities raised margin requirements, and the money dried up. The price didn’t fall because of the economy. It fell because regulators in China yanked the brakes on traders who had gone way too far.

Scott pushes Senate to start hearings despite Powell investigation

While traders were getting burned in the gold market, Scott was also dealing with a political standoff in Washington. He said the Senate should get moving with confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve pick, Kevin Warsh.

Kevin was nominated on January 30 to replace Jerome Powell, but the process has been blocked.

Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina is behind the delay. He said he won’t let any of Trump’s Fed nominations go through until the Department of Justice finishes a criminal investigation into Powell.

The case is about comments Powell made to Congress last year about the costs of renovations at the Fed’s headquarters. Tillis said he was a witness and called it a threat to the Fed’s independence.

Even with that, Scott reminded everyone that Tillis had also called Kevin a strong candidate. “Senator Tillis has come out and said he thinks that Kevin Warsh is a very strong candidate,” Scott said. “So I would say: Why don’t we get the hearings under way and see where Jeanine Pirro’s investigation goes.” Pirro is the U.S. attorney running the case in D.C.

Scott outlines Fed policy, Japan ties, and Trump’s economy

Scott also spoke about how the Federal Reserve is handling its giant balance sheet. He said not to expect any sudden cuts.

“I wouldn’t expect them to do anything quickly,” he said. “They’ve moved to the ample-regime policy, and that does require a larger balance sheet, so I would think that they’ll probably sit back, take at least a year to decide what they want to do.”

On Kevin Warsh’s independence, Scott said Kevin “is going to be very independent, but mindful that the Fed is accountable to the American people.” He also said if Kevin didn’t lower rates like Trump wants, it would be up to the president to sue him.

Outside the Fed mess, Scott congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae for her coalition’s election win.

“She is a great ally, great relationship with the president,” Scott said. He added that Japan’s strength supports U.S. strategy in Asia, especially now with Donald Trump back in the White House.

When asked about how the economy was doing, Scott said:

“President Trump’s economy is delivering real results for the American people. POTUS’ policies are driving strong growth, bringing down inflation, and taking the stock market to historic highs, all while achieving the lowest crime rate in over a hundred years.”

Scott added that in 2025, Trump laid the foundation for strong job gains and income growth in 2026.

“The stock market lives in the future,” Scott said, “and its historic performance is a signal from Wall Street that Main Street will soon harvest the rewards from POTUS’ economic policies.”

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The crypto market is also moving into a period where first mover indicators, rather than headlines, are important. Although investors continue to pay attention to large, household assets, analysts are starting to pay attention to smaller protocols that have already begun to record actual improvements. 

They are initiatives that proceed unobtrusively through the process, establish a consistent demand, and a major breakthrough before the rest of the market takes notice. The analysts are now watching closely one such protocol as they highlight a possible 500% window of growth with efforts related to timing, implementation, and constrained initial supply.

Mutuum Finance Presale Development and MUTM Introduction

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is already at the seventh stage of its presale distribution, and the MUTM costs a value of $0.04. This step puts the project in the later stage of its presale, in which early prices are becoming scarcer. The price that is already confirmed is $0.06, which implies that the next crypto stage is almost twenty percent of growth over the current positions.

To date, the project has garnered more than $20.4 million dollars with a relatively increasing number of over 19,000 individual holders. This finance was not given out in a spurt. In its place, it accumulated over time with the increasing number of those joining the updates on development and testnet. Much of presale allocation has already been disbursed and some of the remaining supply at early price is constantly diminishing as Phase 7 progresses.

What Mutuum Finance is Building

Mutuum Finance is an on-chain decentralized lending protocol currently under development. The core idea is straightforward: users can access liquidity without selling their crypto. Long-term holdings can be kept in place while assets are either supplied to earn yield or used as collateral for borrowing.

At the center of the system are mtTokens. These tokens represent lending positions and are designed to increase in value over time as interest flows back into the protocol. mtTokens can already be tested in the current V1 testnet environment. The project also outlines a buy-and-distribute model in its whitepaper, where a portion of protocol fees is planned to be used to buy tokens from the market and distribute them to participants, linking token demand to platform activity rather than inflation.

Security is a major focus. Mutuum Finance has completed a full audit with Halborn, holds a strong CertiK security score, and maintains an active $50,000 bug bounty to support ongoing review and transparency as development continues.

Stablecoin Plans, and Analyst Outlook

The stablecoin functionality will also come with the broader ecosystem of Mutuum Finance. This is aimed at sustaining lending and borrowing that even in a volatile market will continue to be predictable. The protocol uses price oracles to monitor real-time asset values in order to assist in pricing it correctly. This assists in maintaining loans at the right level and pricing of positions.

Market wise, the gap between initial price formation and the estimated value based on utility is what analysts usually pay attention to. MUTM is currently trading at $0.04 and the launch price is set at $0.06, some analysts feel a shift to the range of $0.20 to $0.25 in the upcoming cycle would be realistic given the adoption dynamics. The range suggests that there could be a rise of approximately 500% of the current values, but on the basis of expected increased usage and not speculation.

Protocol Launch, Momentum Phase 7 and Whale Activity

One of the major causes of the increased attention is the launch of the V1 protocol in the Sepolia testnet. This release enables users to experiment with lending, borrowing, liquidity pools, mtTokens, debt tracking and risk controls. It is an assurance that the protocol is working and is no longer a mere idea.

Phase 7, meanwhile, is accelerating, and the allocations are taking place at a quick pace compared to previous levels. We are seeing bigger wallet entries as certain investors are already getting in positions before the following price tier. Such a mix of diminishing supply, increasing participation and working technology is commonly considered to be a pivotal juncture.

With the presale approaching an end and the project about to be expanded in wider use, the analysts note that, this can be one of the last chances to join in before the pricing and exposure can alter considerably.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Elon Musk and Reid Hoffman are pointing fingers at each other over connections to Jeffrey Epstein, but newly released government files show neither has clean hands.

Two of Silicon Valley’s biggest names, once colleagues in the tech world’s so-called PayPal Mafia, have spent recent days attacking one another on social media about their links to the convicted sex offender. The problem? Both men had more contact with Epstein than they previously admitted.

The Justice Department’s document dump has become ammunition in ongoing battles between powerful figures, but few fights have drawn as much attention as this one.

Musk shared records proving Hoffman traveled to Epstein’s private island back in November 2014. Hoffman fired back by highlighting emails where Musk asked about wild parties at that same island.

This is a classic case of people in glass houses throwing stones. Both tech leaders maintained relationships with Epstein years after his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor for prostitution made him a registered sex offender. Epstein later faced federal sex-trafficking charges before his death in 2019.

The documents paint a particularly troubling picture for Musk, who has repeatedly denied various aspects of his Epstein connection.

Back in November 2012, Musk sent an email asking, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” On Christmas Day that same year, he wrote again saying, “I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose.”

November 25, 2012 email from Elon Musk to Jeffrey Epstein. Source: Department of Justice Epstein files.

Epstein’s response mentioned that “the ratio on my island might make Talilah uncomfortable,” referring to Musk’s then-wife Talulah Riley. Musk quickly replied that “Ratio is not a problem for Talulah.” Yet days later, he backed out, writing that “Logistics won’t work this time around.”

The SpaceX situation gets even messier

In February 2013, emails show Epstein and multiple assistants were set to tour SpaceX facilities after Musk invited them. Musk’s own assistant arranged a lunch meeting between the two men during this visit.

On February 26, Epstein thanked Musk for the tour, writing, “you would have had fun at xmas.” Musk’s two-word reply: “I see.”

But in 2020, he wrote on social media that “to the best [of] our knowledge, he never toured SpaceX. Don’t know where that comes from.” The emails prove otherwise.

Musk has also claimed he never attended any Epstein parties and never flew on his plane. He posted on January 31 saying he has “many times call (sic) for the prosecution of those who have committed crimes with Epstein.”

Hoffman’s involvement looks equally bad

In September 2014, Epstein’s assistant arranged helicopter transport for Hoffman and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito to visit the island. Ito resigned from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019 when his Epstein ties came out.

On Christmas Eve 2014, Hoffman sent Epstein gifts: ice cream “for the girls” and “something that may strike your funny bone for the island.”

December 24, 2014 email from Reid Hoffman to Jeffrey Epstein. Source: Department of Justice Epstein files.

In January 2015, Hoffman confirmed he sent a metal sculpture as a gift, writing it might “strike your sense of humor” and had “an appropriate nature to the island.”

The artwork came from an artist who makes monster sculptures from recycled metal. Hoffman then offered to help with damage control. “Been giving a bit of thought to how I can help with the recent press fu,” he wrote, saying he was “mostly looking for help on the on-line front.” Epstein told him to wait out the storm.

Hoffman claimed on February 3 that he knew Epstein through an MIT fundraising relationship he regrets. He admitted to meetings from 2016 to 2018, contradicting his earlier claim they last met in 2015.

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Cryptocurrency protocols that are only starting to produce meaningful progress are becoming more and more of interest to investors looking into the future, in 2026. In such market rotation times, all investors tend to move off of large-cap assets and towards new altcoins that are still establishing a presence and gaining momentum.

In that regard, one emerging crypto protocol is being followed by the analysts as it has already begun to shine because of its developmental pace and popularity. Although it is still young, the recent achievements of the project make it possible to state that it may be among the altcoins to be observed when the next crypto stage of the market begins to shape.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance is a non-custodial lending hub designed to support different types of users through two planned market models. The first is the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) market. In this setup, users deposit assets into shared liquidity pools and earn interest over time. For example, depositing USDT into a pool offering 10% APY would return mtTokens. These mtTokens act as digital receipts and are designed to increase in value as borrowers repay interest, making passive income automatic and easy to track.

The second model is the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) market, which is intended for direct agreements between lenders and borrowers. Here, participants can set their own terms, such as interest rates and duration.

 Safety across both models is managed through Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits. For instance, with an 80% LTV, depositing assets worth $1,000 would allow borrowing up to $800 while keeping ownership of the collateral. An automated liquidator system is planned to monitor positions and step in if collateral values fall too far, helping maintain overall platform stability.

Momentum and MUTM Structure

The MUTM token has had tremendous demand. The project has received more than $20.4 million in addition to close to 19,000 holders across the world. The tokenomics are made to grow over a long period of time. 

The community presale is allocated 45.5%(1.82 billion tokens) of a total supply of 4 billion tokens. Up to now, more than 840 million tokens have been sold, that is, half of the amount of community supply is already exhausted.

There has been a stable and organized price action. It is evident that the token has reached its current price of $0.04 since the initial stage when it was only priced at a level of just $0.01. This is a 300% increase in the course of construction alone. 

The official price is set at $0.06 which offers people who sign up a 50% immediate edge. A 24-hour leaderboard will encourage the community to be active by offering the best daily contributor a $500 bonus each and every night.

Technical Preparation and Market Prospect

The main driver behind the recent surge is the official V1 protocol launch on the Sepolia testnet. This milestone shows that the project has moved from planning to execution. Users can now interact with a live version of the platform to test lending pools, borrowing flows, and the mtToken system, which tracks deposits and interest in real time within a risk-free environment.

Security has been treated as a top priority during this phase. The protocol has already completed a full audit with Halborn and maintains a strong CertiK score, alongside an active bug bounty program. These steps are designed to ensure the system behaves as intended while it continues to be tested and refined ahead of future upgrades. 

Due to this practical delivery, analysts have given good price projections. Most analysts tend to think that MUTM could hit $0.50 by the year 2027 as long as the mainnet is released. This would constitute over 1,100% increment to the current phase. 

The Road to Global Adoption

Looking ahead, Mutuum Finance has outlined plans for two key upgrades that are still under development: a native over-collateralized stablecoin and future Layer-2 integration. The stablecoin is intended to let users mint a dollar-pegged asset against their deposited holdings, aiming to provide more predictable liquidity within the ecosystem. At the same time, Layer-2 expansion is being explored to help lower transaction costs and improve speed as usage grows.

Interest around the project continues to build as Phase 7 progresses, with the token currently priced at $0.04. As this stage moves closer to completion, availability at this level is becoming more limited, which is drawing increased attention from early participants.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Dogecoin has taken a hard hit, with more than $30 billion wiped from its market cap, forcing many investors to stop and reassess their positions. What once felt like an unstoppable community-driven run has slowed, and the recent price action has made it clear that momentum alone is no longer enough to carry the token forward.

As DOGE struggles to regain traction, attention is starting to drift elsewhere. Many traders are now looking beyond meme-driven assets and asking a different question: where is real progress happening? This shift in focus reflects a broader change in the market, where investors are becoming more selective and are beginning to favor projects that offer clear use cases and visible development rather than relying on hype alone.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Dogecoin (DOGE) is at the moment trading at around 0.096 and this is way below its glory days. Although it continues to be one of the most renowned brands in the industry, its market value has suffered a huge blow. It is at approximately $16 billion after it lost billions in value in the past few months. The celebrity tweets and retail frenzy were the power behind the early wave that saw DOGE become a household name in 2021. In the absence of that equivalent energy of the virus, the coin is having a hard time thinking of a reason to go up.

The prognosis of Dogecoin in 2026 and 2027 is becoming rather skeptical. Lots of analysts are making poor price calls that DOGE is falling to as low as $0.05 in case it fails to locate a practical application. Its unlimited supply is the greatest issue. The price is continuously under pressure since it decreases with the 5 billion new tokens that are mined annually. The original meme coin will become an artifact of a bygone era market without a significant technological upgrade.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

As hype around older coins continues to fade, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is starting to attract more attention from investors looking for substance. The project is currently in its presale stage, with the token priced at $0.04. So far, it has raised over $20.2 million and gathered a community of more than 19,000 participants, reflecting steady interest rather than sudden spikes.

Mutuum Finance is positioned as a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol rather than a meme-driven asset. Its goal is to let users access liquidity without selling their crypto holdings. By using smart contracts, users can supply assets to earn yield or use them as collateral to borrow, all in a non-custodial setup where they retain control of their funds. 

The project has also reached an important technical milestone with its V1 protocol live on the Sepolia testnet, allowing users to test lending pools, mtTokens, and basic risk controls in a live but low-risk environment. This combination of working technology, growing participation, and clear utility is why the project is gaining visibility as the market becomes more selective.

Why Investors Shift From DOGE to MUTM

The explanation for this massive rotation is simple: utility. Dogecoin has seen its market value erode by nearly $30 billion over the last six months because it lacks an underlying financial purpose. It does not generate yield, and it does not power a functional economic machine. As a meme-based asset, its price is heavily dependent on social media sentiment and celebrity mentions, which are increasingly difficult to sustain in a more mature market. 

In contrast, Mutuum Finance is built on a foundation of tangible financial services. It offers a decentralized lending ecosystem where token value is tied to protocol usage rather than internet trends. Even though MUTM’s official launch price is set at $0.06, many investors expect the token to jump to $0.25 as the platform scales. This move would represent a potential 6x appreciation from the current Phase 7 price of $0.04. To put this into perspective, consider a $600 allocation into both assets.

In DOGE, given its multi-billion dollar market cap, a 6x return would require an astronomical amount of new capital, roughly $60 billion, just to move the price to that level. In a cooling meme-coin market, such a move is statistically difficult because the asset has already reached a high level of saturation.

In MUTM, because it is in an early-stage presale with a low market cap, a move to $0.25 is driven by the fundamental repricing of a new utility protocol. A $600 investment at the current $0.04 price could potentially grow to $3,750 if the analyst target is reached. This represents the difference between chasing a mature trend and participating in the growth of a fresh financial infrastructure.

Security Milestones

The difference in the price forecast is impressive. As DOGE struggles to remain relevant, analysts do not think that MUTM will not be above $5 at the end of 2026 as its mainnet and stablecoin schemes move into production. This growth is based on security. 

Mutuum Finance is already fully audited by Halborn, which is one of the best security firms globally. In order to make the community prolific, the project is equipped with a 24-hour leaderboard that provides the best daily contributor a bonus of $500 in mUTM. The time to enter into this new crypto era of finance is running out soon as the window to join in is narrowing down to the launch price of $0.06.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Retail traders just dumped $430 million into silver trades while the price was crashing. In six trading days, they loaded up on SLV, the biggest silver ETF on the market.

This happened while the metal’s price fell from $121 to as low as $64 before crawling back to $78. Most of those gains from earlier this year? Gone.

Vanda Research tracked the inflows and showed that over $100 million was added on January 30, the same day silver crashed 27% in a single session.

That was the biggest one-day drop the metal has ever seen. Retail investors weren’t scared off. They kept buying like nothing happened.

Retail traders buy SLV while silver crashes

Rhona O’Connell from StoneX said the wild drop made it more appealing to retail buyers. “People are being attracted by the sex appeal of the thing,” she said. She also said the “monumental sell-off” gave some traders the feeling they were getting a bargain.

Prices hit $64 a troy ounce on Friday after falling hard. That was a long way down from the $121 high in January. After hitting bottom, it bounced back up to $78, but still way below where it started. O’Connell said emotions had taken over. “It’s feeding upon itself,” she said. The crash made the buying more aggressive.

This wild trading came after a massive rally last year. Precious metals spiked after chaotic decisions from President Donald Trump, starting with trade fights and later more drama around Greenland, Iran, and the Fed. These events pushed traders toward silver and gold, first as safe bets, then as straight-up gambling.

At the beginning of 2025, silver was trading under $30. It more than quadrupled before crashing. Gold also soared from $2,600 to nearly $5,600, then dropped back under $5,000.

Trump’s Fed pick triggered the reversal across metals

The turning point was January 30. That was when Trump picked Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve. Traders no longer believed the Fed would be pressured into cutting rates hard. Once that fear went away, the demand for haven assets started to dry up fast.

During the rally, both metals caught fire with retail and speculative traders. But silver was the one with more chaos.

This week was wild. Prices dropped 6% Monday, jumped 7% Tuesday, fell nearly 20% Thursday, then swung again Friday, falling 10% early before ending the day up 9.5%. Most professional funds backed off. They have rules and margin limits. But retail traders kept going.

Vanda said many traders were pulling cash from gold ETFs, but not silver. SLV kept seeing inflows even when prices collapsed. No net selling.

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A majority of economists have shot down Kevin Warsh’s bold claim that artificial intelligence will give the Fed enough room to lower interest rates without inflation picking up.

According to a snap poll by the University of Chicago’s Clark Center and the Financial Times, nearly 60% of top economists say the impact of AI on inflation and borrowing costs over the next two years will be close to zero.

This is a direct challenge to the main argument being used by Donald Trump’s choice for Fed chair.

Kevin, nominated in late January to take over from Jay Powell in May, argues AI will spark “the most productivity enhancing wave of our lifetimes.” In his view, this would allow the Fed to slash interest rates from the current 3.5%–3.75% range without overheating the economy.

But economists aren’t buying the pitch. Most of the 45 respondents in the survey expect AI to shave off less than 0.2% from both PCE inflation and the so-called neutral rate, the rate that doesn’t slow or speed up growth, over the next 24 months.

Economists challenge Warsh’s view on AI’s short-term effects

Jonathan Wright, an economist at Johns Hopkins and former Fed staffer, said, “I don’t think [the AI boom] is a disinflationary shock. I don’t think — over the near term — it’s very inflationary either.”

About one-third of the economists polled actually believe AI could push the Fed to raise the neutral rate slightly. That completely undercuts Kevin’s suggestion that technology alone can justify lower rates.

Kevin’s bet on AI comes as he tries to win over the rest of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the rate-setting body. That won’t be easy. Many inside the Fed, including Vice Chair for Monetary Policy Philip Jefferson, have warned that AI could temporarily raise inflation by increasing demand.

“Even if AI ultimately succeeds in greatly enhancing the productive capacity of the economy,” Jefferson said at a Brookings event, “a more immediate increase in demand associated with AI-related activity could raise inflation temporarily,” especially as data centers and other infrastructure projects ramp up.

That puts Kevin in a tough spot. Trump wants aggressive rate cuts before the November midterms, but the Fed itself is forecasting just one 0.25% cut this year.

That leaves the main policy rate stuck above 3.25%, far above the 1% level Trump has said the economy needs. Convincing the FOMC to back a rapid loosening based on AI optimism alone looks like a losing battle.

Warsh’s balance sheet plan adds to the tension

Warsh has also taken aim at the Fed’s balance sheet, calling it “bloated” and pushing to shrink it further. This is another spot where he could clash with current Fed officials.

The FOMC just ended its three-year “quantitative tightening” effort, which cut the central bank’s asset stockpile from nearly $9 trillion to $6.6 trillion.

Trying to force more cuts could rattle bond markets and drive up long-term borrowing costs, including mortgage rates, right when housing affordability is already a political hot button.

Despite that risk, more than three-quarters of the economists polled say they want the balance sheet below $6 trillion within two years. Karen Dynan of Harvard says shrinking it “somewhat further is not unreasonable if done on a conditional basis,” meaning only if markets stay stable and liquidity doesn’t dry up.

Still, the idea that Kevin wants to slash short-term rates while also cutting the balance sheet has people scratching their heads. It’s a strange mix of dovish on rates and hawkish on assets, and it’s not clear how that would work. “Uncertainty abounds,” said Jane Ryngaert from Notre Dame. “It’s hard to say much about anything.”

Others say the whole situation could go in either direction. Robert Barbera, another economist at Johns Hopkins, laid out two extreme possibilities:

“The AI boom may generate a booming economy, shrinking budget deficits, higher neutral interest rates and comfortable shrinkage of the Fed’s balance sheet. Or we may experience a financial market crack-up, a deep recession, a dramatic rise for deficits, eliciting a return to zero short rates, a swoon for the dollar, and demands for another big dose of [balance sheet expansion].”

Lastly, Kevin’s backing of bank deregulation, also a Trump priority, isn’t sitting well with most economists either. Just over 60% said loosening financial rules would have little to no benefit for short-term growth and could make another financial crisis more likely.

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When Wall Street’s tech giants tumbled last week on earnings disappointments, China’s tech sector followed them down in Hong Kong trading. But the reason each market fell tells a different story and that could determine where investors put their money next.

The US decline came from companies missing earnings targets and raising concerns about returns on massive AI spending. China’s drop was mostly sentiment spillover and investors rotating their portfolios according to Ding Wenjie, an investment strategist at China Asset Management Co.

That left China’s tech valuations far more attractive, even as Hong Kong stocks entered a bear market.

Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech giants took heavy losses over five trading days. Chip companies Hua Hong Semiconductor fell nearly 15 percent and SMIC dropped around 10 percent. Short video company Kuaishou lost 11 percent, Tencent declined about 9.5 percent, and Alibaba fell more than 8 percent.

Mainland Chinese investors ignored the Hong Kong sell-off. They poured money into Tencent and Alibaba, making them the top two Hong Kong stocks by net mainland buying on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Wind Information data seen by CNBC.

The gap comes down to valuation. The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF trades at 16 times its price-to-earnings ratio. The mainland China tech innovation-focused KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF trades at 45 times.

Some Chinese tech stocks gained ground. Top performers in the STAR 50 Index included semiconductor materials company SICC, vacuum robot maker Roborock, AI industrial automation firm Supcon, and smartphone maker Transsion. Solar-related names climbed on reports of potential new deals tied to Elon Musk.

Massive valuation gap between US and Chinese tech

US software stocks cratered on fears that AI tools like Anthropic’s Cowork would disrupt their business models. ServiceNow is down 28 percent year-to-date and Salesforce down 26 percent. Chinese tech stocks started 2026 from deep pessimism. “China and Hong Kong enter 2026 from a position of low expectations. Valuations reflect significant pessimism,” Singapore-based Raffles Family Office said in its 2026 outlook.

Raffles increased its China and Hong Kong stock exposure while reducing US large-cap holdings. Despite macro weakness, China’s digital economy and AI ecosystem keep expanding. Earnings expectations in tech remain stable.

Chinese AI companies also work differently. They charge far less for AI services and focus on consumer-facing applications. Beijing keeps pushing for local chip and infrastructure development. Robotaxi operator Pony[dot]ai just announced a partnership with chip maker Moore Threads for autonomous driving technology. Both companies saw their stocks rise.

The future depends whether US tech companies can prove their massive AI spending will generate returns. Until then, investors are betting on China’s cheaper valuations and rapid AI market growth. As Cryptopolitan previously reported, global investors increasingly view Chinese AI as a hedge against expensive US tech valuations. In September, Chinese retail investors drove the CSI 300 Information Technology Index to its highest level since 2015.

The terrifying US spending race

Here’s what should terrify investors in US tech: Alphabet just announced it expects 2026 capital expenditures between $175 billion and $185 billion—nearly double its 2025 spending. Goldman Sachs projects total AI spending by hyperscalers could exceed $500 billion by 2026. Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Oracle are all in a similar arms race, each betting tens of billions that their competitors will blink first.

While American tech executives issue increasingly desperate justifications for their spending sprees, Chinese AI companies just did something remarkable: they went public and investors couldn’t get enough.

In early January 2026, MiniMax and Zhipu AI, two of China’s leading AI startups, completed blockbuster IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. MiniMax’s shares doubled on debut, closing up 109% and raising $620 million. Zhipu raised $560 million and closed up 13% on its first day. The demand was staggering: MiniMax’s retail tranche was oversubscribed 1,240 times, with investors borrowing HK$148.6 billion in margin financing just to get a piece.

What makes this significant is that both companies beat OpenAI and Anthropic to public markets. The supposed AI leaders in Silicon Valley are still private, still burning cash, still asking for more funding rounds at ever-higher valuations. Meanwhile, Chinese upstarts are facing public market scrutiny, and passing with flying colors.

This isn’t a fluke. Hong Kong is emerging as the global AI IPO hub, with 150 to 200 tech companies expected to list in 2026, potentially raising $300 billion. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange launched a Technology Enterprises Channel specifically to fast-track innovative tech and biotech companies. The message is clear: Asia is building the infrastructure to fund the next generation of AI companies, and investors are responding enthusiastically.

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Solana (SOL) is struggling to regain momentum as it continues to consolidate below the $100 level. After its earlier surge, price movement has slowed, and many investors are questioning how much upside remains in the near term.

As a result, attention is starting to shift toward a new, cheap crypto that is still early in its growth phase. Analysts note that when large-cap assets move sideways, capital often rotates into emerging projects with smaller market caps and clearer room for expansion.

Solana (SOL)

Solana (SOL) is currently stuck in a heavy consolidation phase, trading around the $84 mark with a market cap of $65 billion. It remains one of the most famous networks due to its early surge in previous cycles, where it rose from under a dollar to become a top-five asset. 

However, the path back to its all-time high is becoming increasingly difficult. The network is facing a massive resistance zone between $115 and $125. Every time the price nears these levels, selling pressure from early holders seems to push it back down.

The technical outlook for Solana has also become a subject of concern for some analysts. Cautious price predictions suggest that if SOL cannot break its current ceiling, it may face a cooling-off period. Some forecasts see a potential drop toward the $75 support level throughout 2026. 

Because Solana already has such a high market capitalization, doubling its value would require billions of dollars in new money. For investors seeking explosive returns, the massive size of Solana is now its greatest limitation. This is why many are starting to look at low-cap alternatives that offer similar utility but much more room for vertical growth.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a decentralized lending and borrowing hub built to give users full control over their assets. It allows people to earn interest on their crypto or borrow against it without using a bank. The project recently reached a major milestone with the launch of its V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet. 

This is a functional version of the platform where users can test lending pools, yield-bearing mtTokens, and debt mechanics. By providing a working product before its full release, the team has proven that they are building real infrastructure rather than just chasing hype.

Security is the biggest priority for the Mutuum team. The project has successfully completed a deep independent audit by Halborn Security, one of the top firms in the world. It also maintains an impressive 90/100 score on CertiK, verifying that its smart contracts are robust and safe. 

To further protect its users, the project offers a $50,000 bug bounty to reward anyone who finds a flaw in the code. This professional approach to safety is rare for a new project and has helped build a massive degree of trust with its community of over 19,000 holders.

Why Investors Prefer MUTM Over SOL

The growth of the MUTM community has been extraordinary, with the project raising over $20.4 million so far. It features a unique 24-hour leaderboard that publicly tracks participation. Every night, the top daily contributor is rewarded with a $500 bonus in tokens, which keeps the excitement high around the clock. 

To make the project accessible to everyone, the team has enabled direct card payments. This allows new users to join the ecosystem using a standard debit or credit card, removing the technical barriers that often stop people from entering the crypto market.

Top crypto investors believe MUTM is positioned to outperform SOL in token appreciation because of the “math of growth.” While Solana is a mature giant, Mutuum Finance is still in its early stages. Currently in Phase 7 of its presale, the token is priced at just $0.04. 

With a confirmed launch price of $0.06, investors are securing a 50% discount. The project recently saw a massive $115,000 whale allocation, which is a huge signal of institutional-level confidence.

Whales are moving in because Phase 7 is selling out quickly. As the available supply shrinks, the urgency to join at a discount is reaching a peak. For an investor, the difference is clear: a $1,000 investment in Solana might grow by 20% or 30%, but that same $1,000 in MUTM could multiply many times over as the protocol reaches the mainnet. With the V1 testnet live and a 50% discount still available, the window to catch this utility-driven breakout is closing fast.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

At the peak of the Dot Com bubble in the year 2000, Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (now just called ‘Strategy’) looked unstoppable. The stock had gone from a small software IPO to one of the wildest names in tech.

Strategy went public on June 11, 1998, and the IPO price was about $6 per share after later splits. During the late 1990s tech frenzy, money poured into internet and software stocks, so the MSTR stock went on a monster rally akin to the one we’ve seen in 2024-2025.

By early March 2000, Saylor’s stock had reached around $3,130. How crazy is that? For context, Strategy is worth $134 as of press time.

MSTR’s Dot Com crash began on March 20th, 2000.

You see, Saylor and his team had just announced that they would restate financial results due to accounting problems. That day, the MSTR stock fell about 62% in a single day. Prices dropped from the thousands into the $120 to $140 range during that panic selloff.

The crash did not stop there. As the wider tech crash spread through 2000 and into the early 2000s, the stock kept falling. By 2002, shares traded near $0.40 to $0.50. A former high flying tech stock had become a penny level name. The Dot Com era ended with massive losses locked in for long term holders. And Saylor gained a terrible reputation on Wall Street and Silicon Valley alike.

Bitcoin bet deepens Strategy’s modern crash

As you likely know, in August 2020, MicroStrategy changed direction. The company invested $250 million in bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, with management pointing to weak cash returns, a softer dollar, and global macro pressure.

Of course more bitcoin purchases followed. In a short period of time, the company became the largest corporate holder of bitcoin. And Saylor gained the nickname ‘Bitcoin King,’ dressing up as Bitcoin for 2 Halloweens in a row, and even hosting extravagant Bitcoin-themed parties. He is obsessed in ways that are probably unhealthy.

If you want to get me a birthday gift, buy some bitcoin for yourself. pic.twitter.com/ZbaIdIpj10

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 4, 2026

Anyway, as bitcoin pulled back, the stock sank with it. Over the past 52 weeks, MicroStrategy shares dropped 67.03%, and it is down exactly 26.94% year to date. In July 2025, shares hit a 52 week high of $457.22. Since then, they have fallen 71.8%.

The company added more risk in 2025. It launched four credit instruments during the second and third quarters. The total value reached $4 billion. Saylor told Bloomberg in a live interview that the securities were high yield perpetual instruments designed to lower bitcoin risk for investors. The market response stayed negative.

By late November 2025, Forbes reported the shares were down 60% from the prior year. Market value fell to $49 billion. That was below the $56 billion worth of bitcoin on the balance sheet. Around the same time, CEO Phong Le said the company might sell bitcoin. Soon after, bitcoin fell below $86,000 in early December.

Analysts meanwhile have adjusted expectations. Canaccord Genuity analyst Joseph Vafi (MSTR’s biggest bull by the way) cut his price target from $474 to $185 but kept a Buy rating. He said bitcoin no longer behaves like digital gold and is facing an identity crisis.

Mizuho analysts also reduced their target from $484 to $403 while keeping an Outperform rating. They pointed to fintech pressure and a growing divide between bitcoin and dollar backed stablecoins.

Even now, MicroStrategy remains heavily watched. Sixteen analysts cover the stock. Thirteen rate it Strong Buy. One rates it Moderate Buy. Two rate it Hold. The consensus target is $464.36, implying 324% upside. The highest target sits at $705, suggesting 544% upside.

A store employee’s quick action and police response saved a Liberty resident from losing $30,000 to scammers on Tuesday.

The Liberty, Missouri, Police Department said on Facebook that a clerk spotted an older customer using a cryptocurrency machine while talking on his phone. Something didn’t seem right about the situation, so the clerk called the police.

Police intervene before money is sent

Officers discovered that the man believed his computer was infected with a virus. Someone claiming to be from Microsoft support was speaking to him on the phone. In order to resolve the issue, the caller advised him to pay money via a cryptocurrency ATM.

Before any money was transferred, police halted the transaction. Because the clerk stepped in, the man lost nothing.

Law enforcement officials say this type of scam is happening more and more, especially to older people.

Liberty Deputy Police Chief Matt Kellogg has seen these crimes many times. He explained how the con artists work.

“They make them nervous enough to do what they’re told. They [the scammers] tell them not to talk to the tellers or police. They instruct them all along to keep the transaction a secret to ‘protect’ their funds,” Kellogg said.

The scammers often stay on the phone with victims the whole time they’re going to the machine. They walk them through each step and make sure they don’t talk to anyone else.

Regional losses reach $3 million

This case is part of a bigger problem across the Kansas City area. Cryptocurrency ATMs have been showing up in more places, and criminals are taking advantage. KMBC9 has reported on several other cases where people lost money.

The numbers are alarming. Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said 156 people in Clay County have lost a combined $3 million to these scams in the past two years.

Thompson explained why criminals choose using these crypto ATM machines. “Scammers prefer to use these machines because the transactions are near instantaneous and they’re really, really difficult to reverse and also trace,” Thompson said.

The money moves fast, and once it’s gone, it’s almost impossible to get back or track down.

Missouri is now acting. In December 2025, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway began a statewide investigation. Her office is looking into businesses like CoinFlip and Bitcoin Depot that run cryptocurrency kiosks.

According to a press statement from the Attorney General’s Office, investigators are trying to determine whether these companies are breaking the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The probe was spurred by reports of “devastating new scams” that targeted Missourians.

Hanaway’s office sent Civil Investigative Demands to several companies.

In Liberty, police are doing what they can to warn people. The department has put warning signs on every cryptocurrency machine in the city.

Police want everyone to know that real businesses, government offices, and tech support companies will never ask for payment through cryptocurrency machines. If someone says otherwise, it’s a scam.

The Liberty case shows that even with all the technology available today, sometimes the best protection is a person paying attention. The store clerk noticed something wrong and did something about it. That simple action saved the victim $30,000.

Police and prosecutors are working on bigger solutions, but right now, people like the store clerk are making a difference. In a problem that has cost the region $3 million, one observant employee can be the difference between someone keeping their life savings or losing everything.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a new alert on February 6, 2026, noting that alert retail workers are currently the most effective defense against this surge in kiosk fraud. This successful intervention proves that local vigilance remains the strongest safeguard for residents’ life savings while state investigations into these machines continue.

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