Cryptopolitan

With the maturity of the crypto market, investors are getting choosy on where to allocate capital. The returns of previous cycles were not achieved by group leaders, but by those projects that exhibited good fundamentals at the beginning. Nowadays, once again analysts are making comparisons between well-established giants and a new altcoin that trades under the price of 1. This comparison does not concern hype. It concerns time, organization and observable movement. One project is becoming more and more popular in conjunction with Ripple and Solana as the focus switches to the next stage of growth.

Ripple (XRP)

The XRP is currently trading at approximately $1.40, and has a market cap of approximately 30 billion. It is also one of the most well-known cryptocurrencies because it has concentrated on cross-border remittances and long-term contracts. XRP was providing substantial returns in previous cycles and has a loyal following.

Price action has however been tightened. XRP is still under intense resistance around the $1.65 to $1.75 area where the cryptocurrency has been unable to remain over the last few years. Continued regulatory stress and reduced growth in the pace of the ecosystem have also curtailed the momentum. Although XRP is still one of the holdings that many investors live on, the upside potential of the coin is more gradual than explosive in the eyes of the analysts.

Solana (SOL)

Solana is trading in the range of $85 with a market cap of approximately $45 billion. It was able to grow quickly because of its rapid transactions, low charges, and rapid growth of the ecosystem. Outsized returns were observed by investors in SOL in the early days as it was adopted faster.

Solana is more established today. There is competition and an increase in expectations with size. The opposition has developed around $100 and $125, and the price increase is decreasing in comparison with the previous stages. It is due to this maturity that some of the early Solana investors are currently considering newer protocols. They are seeking the opportunities that were similar to the early building phase of Solana and not its present status.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol focused on structured, on-chain financial infrastructure. It is designed to allow users to supply capital, earn yield, and borrow assets through autonomous smart contract execution. The project emphasizes risk management, transparency, and long-term protocol design rather than short-term market trends.

To date, Mutuum Finance has raised over $20.5 million and attracted more than 19,000 holders. The MUTM token is currently priced at $0.04 in Phase 7 of its presale. While this places it well below the $1 threshold, it also positions the project in an early-stage growth phase—particularly when compared to more established assets such as XRP and Solana.

Why MUTM is attracting attention of Early XRP and SOL Investors

The common signals in Mutuum Finance are identified by many of the early investors in XRP and Solana. Both XRP and SOL experienced early adoption due to addressing particular issues and providing operating technology before the rest of the world noticed. The same trend is currently being talked about in the context of MUTM.

As an official statement posted to X stated, the V1 protocol is active on the Sepolia testnet. Liquidity pools can be tested, minting of the mtTokens can be observed, and debt tracking and automated liquidations. This shift of strategy into experimentation is commonly viewed as a major precursor to wider implementation. To seasoned investors, this is the point at which the risk starts moving around.

Market analysts have begun modeling potential trajectories for MUTM based on its current utility roadmap and the transition from testnet to mainnet. With a confirmed listing price of $0.06, the asset starts with a built-in 50% margin over the Phase 7 price of $0.04. As the protocol moves into its 2026 scaling phase, experts suggest that a mid-term target of $0.15 to $0.25 is achievable if the platform successfully captures a modest portion of the decentralized lending market.

MUTM Phase 7 Momentum

Engagement and safety are also areas that Mutuum Finance has worked on. The project has a 24 hour leaderboard which rewards active participation of the community. This will aid in the creation of steady interest and not a period of interest.

Security-wise, the protocol has undergone a Halborn audit, which further supports the belief in the smart contract design. This, in combination with continued testing, diminishes uncertainty at the early stages. The 7th stage of the token allocation is moving fast, which indicates the long-term demand with the milestones of development.

XRP’s and Solana’s development patterns have shifted. With the rotation of the capital, investors are again seeking the projects which resemble their initial stages. Mutuum Finance is getting noticed due to the combination of early pricing, visible development, and increasing participation. That is why analysts are drawing more and more analogies between this new altcoin under 1 and the early XRP and SOL.

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

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

SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the agency may start regulating prediction markets after the industry grew to $63.5 billion and raised significant legal and regulatory questions about its activities.

Atkins spoke the the Senate Banking Committee and said these markets fall under both the SEC and CFTC, so the agencies could help regulate the industry.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins says the SEC and the CFTC may both help regulate prediction markets

Atkins told lawmakers that prediction markets need closer attention because they mix finance and betting, making them harder to regulate. Some people use these markets to place trades based on what they believe will happen in the economy or markets, while others wager on outcomes like elections, sports, or other major public events. 

Atkins also said the Securities and Exchange Commission can’t just sit on the sidelines and leave all the regulation to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission because some prediction contracts are starting to look like securities. The SEC may need to step in if these products start acting like investments that track regulated assets.

The SEC chair went on to encourage both the SEC and the CFTC to work together to ensure prediction markets don’t fall into regulatory gaps, rather than pulling in different directions. He added that the SEC already has the authority to take action on prediction markets offering products that look like securities without waiting for Congress to pass brand-new laws. 

Atkins also said regulators will revise the contracts of each prediction market to understand its activities and services, and categorize it appropriately. For instance, a prediction market could be classified as a security under the SEC jurisdiction if its contract follows the price of an individual stock.

The rapid growth of prediction markets is prompting lawsuits and attracting greater attention from federal regulators

Prediction markets have grown so fast that they have caught the attention of lawmakers and regulators. These platforms started off as basic financial tools, but have grown too quickly for regulators to ignore, especially since a lot of money and millions of users flood the space.

Security researchers at Certik reported that the prediction market industry more than quadrupled in size during 2025 and now has a valuation of $63.5 billion. That’s a massive jump for a sector that only began operations in the United States almost two years ago. 

Many officials now worry that the rules have not kept pace with what these platforms have really become, given how quickly the industry has grown. 

Kalshi and Polymarket have received the most attention because they are currently valued at roughly $11 billion and $9 billion, respectively. These numbers show just how much prediction markets have moved into mainstream finance, and most of this rise happened in 2024 during the election period, when almost everyone was obsessed with political outcomes. 

But as the industry grows, it has faced significant resistance from state regulators, and several states have already filed lawsuits against prediction markets in recent months. These states claim that the contracts look much more like unlicensed sports betting and should fall under state gambling laws.

There have also been reports of insider trading, which would have allowed a person to trade unfairly and profit from the situation before the public was aware of what was happening. This has forced the regulators to propose laws that will restrict some types of bets, especially those involving political events.

CFTC Chair Michael Selig explained that prediction markets can still be used to determine what the general public expects and to help them gauge their risks. He emphasized that regulation is important because robust regulation is necessary to ensure that these prediction markets remain legitimate, safe, and within the United States, rather than allowing the industry to migrate to countries with less regulation.

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JPMorgan estimates the cost to produce a Bitcoin has dropped to $77,000 from $90,000 since the start of the year, driven by a decline in network hashrate.

In the past, this cost has acted as a “soft price floor” for Bitcoin, meaning BTC prices often find support near that level because miners do not want to sell at a loss below their production cost. The recent drop in production costs occurred because Bitcoin’s hashrate and mining difficulty decreased in recent months.

Hashrate measures the total computing power used to mine Bitcoin, while the network automatically adjusts mining difficulty to ensure that new blocks are added roughly every 10 minutes. When hashrate falls, difficulty also drops. 

Mining difficulty has fallen by about 15% so far this year, analysts led by managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou say. Mining difficulty is recalculated roughly every two weeks.

The system is intended to keep Bitcoin’s block production predictable. When fewer machines try to mine Bitcoin, the network lowers the difficulty. This makes it easier for the other miners, however, to solve the difficult puzzles needed to add new blocks to the blockchain. 

Lower production costs boost efficient miners’ profits

There are two major reasons for the decline, the analysts said. The price of Bitcoin has dropped this year, making mining less profitable for operators with high electricity costs or those with less efficient, older machines. Many of these miners were forced to turn off their equipment because they couldn’t continue operating profitably. 

Second, intense winter storms in the United States — not least in Texas, where hundreds of mining works — resulted in temporary shutdowns. In extreme weather, however, grid operators frequently restrict electricity use to safeguard the power network. Large mining complexes were among those that were forced to turn off. 

Historically, a sharp drop in mining difficulties has often been considered an indication of “capitulation.” That happens when high-cost miners leave the market and sometimes sell their bitcoin to get financed. 

The same happened in 2021 when China outlawed Bitcoin mining. That decision saw difficulty drop by about 45% between May and July of the year before, then rebound by the end of 2021.

JPMorgan thinks the falling difficulty is a relief for miners with businesses running today. Fewer competitors mean each unit of computing power is more likely to earn bitcoin rewards. This enhances profit margins for more effective miners and enables them to capture market share from those who have exited. 

Some high-cost miners have been selling their Bitcoin reserves to fund daily operations, reduce debt, or shift their focus to artificial intelligence projects this year, the analysts said. The selling activity put added pressure on Bitcoin’s price year to date. 

But it said it thinks the bad news for this adjustment has already subsided. When weaker players exit a stage like this, the remaining miners are usually much stronger and more efficient. 

JPMorgan said it’s already observing signs of a hashrate rebound. Maintaining that trend, mining difficulty and production costs may increase again in the next update. 

JPMorgan expects stronger institutional crypto investment

Despite the recent challenges in mining, JPMorgan remains optimistic about the broader crypto market heading into 2026. In a separate report titled “Alternative Investments Outlook and Strategy,” the bank said it expects stronger flows into digital assets next year, mainly driven by institutional investors rather than retail traders.

The analysts believe additional crypto regulations in the United States could help boost institutional participation. They pointed to possible legislation, such as the Clarity Act, as a factor that could create clearer rules and encourage more large investors to enter the market.

JPMorgan also repeated its long-term price target of $266,000 for Bitcoin. This estimate is based on a comparison with gold, adjusted for volatility. JPMorgan argues that if negative sentiment fades and Bitcoin is again viewed as a strong hedge against extreme economic risks, its price could rise significantly over time.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at around $65,660, down more than 1% over the past 24 hours, according to market data.

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Aave Labs, the primary software development company and key contributor behind the Aave Protocol, has recently proposed that all product-generated revenue be directed to the Aave DAO treasury, the financial backbone for the decentralized lending protocol.

This move is likely an effort to settle the recent disagreement between the private, for-profit software technology company and the community-driven decentralized autonomous organization. Apart from this discovery, analysts also noted that this action secures the future success of the top decentralized lending protocol.

Regarding this significant step of allocating 100% of revenue, Aave Labs requested feedback on the potential DAO approval of a new initiative, the “Aave Will Win Framework,” during an initial, informal survey held on Thursday, February 12. Notably, the objective of this plan is to position token holders as the principal beneficiaries of the Aave protocol. 

Aave Labs’ proposal sparks mixed reactions in the ecosystem 

Following Aave Labs’s recently announced proposal, sources with knowledge of the situation who wished to maintain their anonymity as the talks were private disclosed that the core contributors to the Aave protocol is committing 100% of earnings, derived from Aave-branded products like the Aave v3 and upcoming v4 protocols swap fees, revenue from aave.com, and other future ventures such as the Aave Card and AAVE ETF, to the Aave DAO treasury. 

These sources also alleged that Aave Labs proposed establishing a new Aave Foundation to manage Aave trademarks and intellectual property. Reports indicate that this suggestion has received mixed reactions from individuals. Critics began raising concerns about the move, though this proposal represents a fundamental shift in Aave’s ownership, positioning it as a test-and-learn initiative to manage a multi-billion-dollar brand through the DAO.

On the other hand, some individuals questioned whether any meaningful loss would actually occur when Aave Labs fulfills its commitment to redirect its revenue model.

In an attempt to answer this question, Marc Zeller, founder of the Aave Chan Initiative and an important member of the Aave DAO, mentioned that “I want to clarify what’s really happening here,” adding that, “We’ve seen this strategy before: start with extreme demands, handle pushback, then present a smaller request as ‘a fair compromise’ while still benefiting greatly.” 

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the decision on revenue allocation has been made after months of uncertainty over the ownership of Aave, the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that has guided the lending protocol since the introduction of its governance token, and Aave Labs, the initial brand developer.

Stani Kulechov initiates talks on revenue sharing and branding

Concerning Aave Labs’s suggestion, reports stressed that the Aave protocol’s development arm also sparked controversy in the community last December after deciding to redirect swap fees from the official aave.com site into a private wallet that the firm managed. Notably, these contributions previously sustained the  Aave DAO treasury. 

In response to this action, one anonymous token holder suggested a “poison pill” mechanism to claim the software technology company’s intellectual property, code, brand assets, and shares. Nonetheless, during a governance vote held over the holidays, this move to transform the firm into the DAO’s subsidiary was not passed.

The outcome apparently prompted Stani Kulechov, the founder and CEO of Aave Labs, to initiate talks on revenue sharing and branding. In the meantime, sources revealed that this event coincided with a period of substantial restructuring at Aave Labs, including the termination of its non-lending Web3 initiatives under the Avara brand. 

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The Federal Reserve has proposed a new margin scheme treating cryptos as an asset class of their own. The proposal would help better manage crypto’s high price volatility and address some of the risks associated with derivatives, in which traders borrow money and must provide collateral. 

Current systems fail to capture crypto’s specific risks, the central bank found, and new rules could help establish a safer, more stable trading environment. The proposal stems from a working paper published on Wednesday by Federal Reserve researchers Anna Amirdjanova, David Lynch, and Anni Zheng. 

They caution that crypto assets should be classified separately when calculating initial margin requirements. Initial margin is the amount traders must deposit before entering into derivative trades. This collateral serves to protect both sides when one party falls short of its obligation. 

The trio focused on “uncleared” derivatives markets, meaning markets that included over-the-counter trading. These transactions do not go through centralized clearinghouses and are thus more risky, since there is no one to verify the legitimacy of the exchange. 

Margin requirements are especially critical to risk management in such markets. Margin requirements are currently determined using the Standardized Initial Margin Model. This approach aggregates assets into segments, including interest rates, equities, foreign exchange, and commodities. 

However, the authors found that cryptocurrencies didn’t fit into any of these categories. Crypto assets are unlike conventional investments. They experience rapid price fluctuations, and unlike stocks or currencies, their prices are influenced by additional factors. 

As a result, existing categories can lead to an underestimation/misrepresentation of their risks. To address this, the Federal Reserve researchers recommend assigning specific risk weights to crypto assets. 

They call for separating “floating” cryptocurrencies, whose prices fluctuate freely, from “pegged” cryptocurrencies, or stablecoins, which aim to maintain a stable value.

Crypto volatility increases collateral requirements

The proposal’s biggest argument is about crypto’s lack of predictability. The price volatility of assets such as Bitcoin, Ether, and others can swing rapidly. This increases the likelihood that traders will not be able to make up for their losses. 

Traders in derivatives markets tend to leverage borrowed funds to raise potential profits. But that also raises the chances of losing money. Margin requirements serve as a buffer against financial risk. When assets are highly volatile, investors need to deposit more collateral to reduce the risk of default. 

The researchers proposed building a benchmark crypto index that combined both floating cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Not only would this index reflect overall behavior on both asset classes, but the whole crypto ecosystem would also be able to make an accurate approximation of overall market volatility. 

This index would help both regulators and financial institutions calculate margin requirements with more precision. By tracking the performance of this combined index, financial companies could then make necessary adjustments to collateral requirements in response to real market conditions. 

This would make risk management more accurate, enabling investors and institutions to more closely monitor whether the market has an adjustment point, thereby protecting both traders and financial institutions from unexpected shocks. 

The idea is that regulators are treating crypto as a separate financial category rather than pushing it into existing frameworks for traditional assets.

Fed signals broader shift toward crypto integration

The working paper also reflects a broader shift in regulators’ views of cryptocurrencies. Instead of ignoring or restricting crypto, the Federal Reserve is preparing systems that can safely include it within the financial system.

In December, the Federal Reserve reversed its 2023 guidance that had limited banks’ engagement in crypto-related activities. Previously, banks supervised by the Federal Reserve faced stricter oversight when dealing with digital assets.

The updated approach means banks and crypto-related firms may operate under clearer and more consistent rules. This could make it easier for financial institutions to offer crypto-related services while still maintaining safety standards.

The Federal Reserve has also discussed allowing crypto companies access to specialized bank accounts known as “skinny” master accounts. These accounts would allow crypto firms to connect directly to the central banking system, but with fewer privileges than those of full-service bank accounts. This approach could improve oversight while still allowing innovation.

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The crypto market has entered a phase where patience matters more than hype. With prices no longer in clear uptrends and many legacy narratives losing momentum, investors are asking tougher, more fundamental questions about which assets can still deliver meaningful upside.

One of those questions centers on Dogecoin. Once the emblem of a booming retail-driven cycle, DOGE now operates in a very different market environment. The speculative energy that fueled its rapid ascent has cooled, and the competitive landscape has evolved.

At the same time, attention is shifting toward newer crypto protocols that are demonstrating tangible technical progress and early signs of real-world adoption. This contrast is shaping how professionals evaluate long-term opportunities heading into 2027, increasingly favoring projects with measurable development, utility, and ecosystem growth over those driven primarily by narrative momentum.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Dogecoin is trading at an average of $0.10, and is bigger in terms of market capitalization that stands at about $14 billion. Its ascension in previous loops was propelled more or less solely by the vibe of social movement, celebrity involvement, and high involvement by retailers. DOGE has brought enormous profits within a very brief time in 2021 and became one of the most discussed cryptocurrencies on the market.

It is a very different case today. DOGE also has a lower on chain utility relative to newer protocols, and the inflationary supply remains a selling pressure. Analysts consider now that it will be hard to regain and maintain $0.15 by 2027 without a significant change in usage or narrative. 

A more conservative view has DOGE in the range of $0.10 to $0.14 in the long-term assuming that no new catalyst would arise. It is this sluggish growth trend that is making many investors seek something other than meme driven assets.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is developing a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol built around structured design and on-chain transparency. Rather than relying on market sentiment, the platform is engineered to facilitate capital efficiency through pooled liquidity markets, with peer-to-peer lending functionality planned for later phases. Users can supply assets to earn interest and borrow against collateral, with all processes governed by deterministic smart contract logic.

The V1 protocol has been deployed on the Sepolia testnet, marking a meaningful development milestone. This release enables users to test core mechanics, including liquidity pool participation, minting of mtTokens, debt accounting, and automated liquidation mechanisms. 

In parallel, the project has completed a security audit conducted by Halborn, reinforcing its focus on risk management and contract integrity. Collectively, these steps signal that the protocol has progressed beyond the planning stage and is now in active testing and validation.

MUTM Presale Structure

The current token distribution stage of the Phase 7 of Mutuum Finance is offering MUTM at the price of $0.04. This is after a systematic increment of the previous stages which began with an initial value of $0.01. A fixed price of launch of $0.06 is asserted to have been made thus putting the existing buyers beneath the scheduled market entry price.

The project has a 24 hour leaderboard to motivate people to participate in the project, and active members of the community can get extra rewards depending on the daily level of participation. Another feature is the card based purchases where the barrier to entry by new person users is reduced since they do not need to go through complicated onboarding processes. These characteristics are aimed at creating a stable activity at the initial levels.

Market analysts have begun modeling potential trajectories for MUTM based on its current utility roadmap and the transition from testnet to mainnet. With a confirmed listing price of $0.06, the asset starts with a built-in 50% margin over the Phase 7 price. As the protocol moves into its 2026 scaling phase, experts suggest that a mid-term target of $0.15 to $0.25 is achievable if the platform successfully captures a modest portion of the decentralized lending market.

MUTM vs DOGE

Comparing MUTM and DOGE, the disparity is reduced to market position and growth room. Dogecoin already has a multi billion dollar valuation, and this will restrict its rate at which it can grow in value. Mutuum Finance, in comparison, is at the beginning of its lifecycle and the adoption is pegged to the platform usage and not to the viral attention.

Phase 7 of MUTM distribution is selling fast and whale transactions in chains are in excess of over $115,000. This is important since bigger buyers tend to place early in cases where they have asymmetric upside. In the case of MUTM it is token demand that is linked to either lending activity, yield mechanism, or future protocol features instead of pure speculation.

This arrangement causes a sense of urgency with most veteran investors. DOGE might also provide stability but MUTM has a chance of growth due to utility, security and early adopters. This is why more professionals are becoming convinced that MUTM can be more successfully appreciated in the format of tokens than Dogecoin in the face of 2027.

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

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

Coinbase just dropped a grenade on Wall Street. The company missed big, reporting Q4 revenue of $1.78 billion, down 31%, and an earnings per share (EPS) of -$2.49.

Analysts had expected a profit of $0.96 per share. Instead, the company posted a massive net loss of $667 million. This was not a small miss. It was a full-on disaster.

Revenue fell across the board. Transaction revenue sank to $983 million, down 6% from the previous quarter. Subscription and services revenue dropped 3%, ending at $727 million. Expenses didn’t follow the same direction.

Coinbase’s operating costs actually went up 9%, hitting $1.5 billion. Coinbase’s spending on tech, admin, and sales grew 14% to $1.3 billion. The company also increased its full-time staff by 3%, ending 2025 with 4,951 employees.

Institutional trading lifts but consumer volumes tumble

Consumer trading did not help. Coinbase’s consumer spot trading volume fell to $56 billion, a 6% drop, and revenue from that dropped 13% to $734 million. The company blamed this on a shift from “simple” to “advanced” trades and growing use of the Coinbase One plan, which offers discounted fees. That’s the kind of trend that might feel good for users, but it hurts the bottom line.

On the institutional side, spot trading volume fell 13% to $215 billion, but revenue jumped 37% to $185 million thanks to derivative trading, especially through Deribit. CEO Brian Armstrong said, “We saw strength in institutional derivatives during the quarter, despite lower spot volumes.”

Despite the bloodbath in Q4, Coinbase’s full-year transaction revenue for 2025 totaled $4.1 billion, up 2% year-over-year. That came from $3.3 billion in consumer, $479 million in institutional, and $252 million in other transaction revenue.

Stablecoin activity hits new highs despite interest rate cuts

Not everything fell. Stablecoin revenue was up 3%, reaching $364 million in Q4. Coinbase said the average USDC held in its products rose 18% to $17.8 billion, a record high.

Average off-platform USDC balances also went up 11% to $58.4 billion. The company said, “We believe Coinbase continues to be one of the best places to use stablecoins.”

Source: Coinbase

Still, interest income got hit. Q4 interest and finance fee revenue dropped 8% to $60 million, mostly due to falling interest rates after cuts in October and December. Despite this, Coinbase’s institutional loan book hit an all-time high in daily average balances of $1.3 billion, with $1.4 billion in collateralized loans issued to clients, including Bitcoin miners.

On blockchain rewards, revenue dropped hard, down 18% to $152 million. ETH and SOL prices fell 13% and 16%, dragging down staking returns.

Also, Solana’s protocol reward rate declined 17%, though Coinbase did report higher staking volumes. Custodial fees were another weak spot, falling double digits due to lower crypto prices.

Coinbase One subscribers hit new record but earnings still bleed

Coinbase One, the firm’s subscription service, helped boost some numbers. Q4 subscription and services revenue included $152 million from other sources, up 6% quarter-over-quarter.

This included Coinbase One fees and rewards, which grew sharply. The number of paid Coinbase One subscribers hit 971,000, nearly four times higher than two years ago. The service now includes perks like a Coinbase One Card with up to 4% back in Bitcoin, and access to special offers like “Member Week”.

Brian Armstrong said, “Coinbase One continues to gain traction with both retail and institutional customers. We’re pleased with how adoption is growing.” The base plan costs $4.99/month, and Coinbase is betting that bundling services will boost long-term revenue.

Still, the cost of growth is showing. Stock-based compensation added about $250 million to the expense sheet for Q4.

Coinbase also spent $1.7 billion buying back its own stock during the quarter and through February 10, 2026. The company ended the year with $11.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents, which now includes payment stablecoins like USDC.

Outlook shows weak guidance for Q1 2026 as risks continue

Looking forward, the numbers aren’t looking better. Coinbase said it had already generated about $420 million in transaction revenue through February 10, 2026, but warned not to read too much into that. Subscription and services revenue is projected between $550 million and $630 million for Q1 2026, down from the $727 million in Q4.

Spending levels are expected to stay flat. The company forecasts $925 million to $975 million in tech and admin costs, and $215 million to $315 million in marketing. Coinbase expects transaction expenses to stay in the low-to-mid teens range as a percentage of net revenue. Stock-based compensation will remain around $250 million, driven by more hires and recent acquisitions.

Coinbase said, “As always, we urge caution in extrapolating results early in the quarter.” But it didn’t offer much else to comfort anyone still holding onto the stock.

2025 may have been a big year for crypto markets, with the total market cap hitting $4 trillion, and total crypto trading volume rising 26% year-over-year, but Coinbase’s earnings report shows they didn’t walk away with much profit.

Coinbase’s total revenue for 2025 was $7.18 billion, up 9% from 2024.

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London Stock Exchange Group said Thursday it will build a new on-chain settlement system for institutional investors.

The service will be called the LSEG Digital Securities Depository. It will connect traditional securities markets with blockchain networks. The goal is simple. Large institutions will be able to trade and settle tokenized bonds, equities, and private market assets using blockchain technology while staying linked to existing infrastructure.

The system will work across several blockchain networks. It will stay compatible with current settlement platforms already used by banks and asset managers.

LSEG said the first deliverable is planned for 2026, but it needs regulatory approval first. The company already operates a blockchain platform for private funds powered by Microsoft Azure. This new build expands that digital push.

Elliott increases pressure as banks back the digital plan

The announcement comes while LSEG faces pressure from activist hedge fund Elliott Management. Elliott has built a significant stake in the company. The fund is run by billionaire Paul Singer.

Elliott manages about 76 billion dollars in assets. The firm has been engaging with LSEG and its chief executive, David Schwimmer, to push for better financial performance.

Shares in LSEG have fallen by more than 35 percent over the past year. The stock was also hit during a broad selloff in global data and software companies tied to fears that new AI tools could hurt existing business models. On Thursday, the shares rose 0.9 percent. The company is also dealing with a weak listings market in the United Kingdom.

Elliott has encouraged LSEG to consider launching a multibillion-pound share buyback once a 1 billion pound tranche is completed. The hedge fund also wants the company to close the margin gap with rivals. LSEG trades at a lower valuation multiple than competitors such as Moody’s and CME Group.

In a statement on Wednesday, LSEG said, “LSEG maintains an active and open dialogue with our investors, while remaining focused on executing our strategy.”

Although many still see it mainly as a stock exchange operator, LSEG changed its structure after acquiring Refinitiv for 22 billion pounds in 2019. That deal turned it into a financial data and analytics company. LSEG also owns roughly a 10 billion pound stake in electronic trading platform Tradeweb.

The company said it will form a strategic partner group to gather feedback from market participants during the development of the depository. The aim is to build an ecosystem where institutions can transact between digital and traditional markets across time zones using different payment methods.

Support for the plan has come from major British banks and financial groups. Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest Markets, Standard Chartered, and Brookfield have welcomed the decision by LSEG.

The new depository places LSEG deeper into blockchain-based settlement. It links tokenized assets with established financial plumbing.

The first phase is expected in 2026 if regulators approve it. For now, LSEG is building the framework while managing investor pressure and market volatility at the same time.

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A recent blockchain investigation has exposed the developers of the Trove Markets Project, alleging that they gave preferential treatment to crypto influencers.

This investigation was conducted by crypto analytics platform Bubble Maps. The findings claim that while Trove’s anonymous development team claimed to have distributed the refunds transparently, on-chain data points toward the opposite. 

The project raised $11.5 million during its January ICO but refunded only $2.4 million to early investors after the token crashed, wiping out 98% of its value within minutes of trading. This left developers with approximately $9.4 million they claimed they would use to continue development on Solana.

$450,000 in stablecoins traced to new wallets after the crash

An analysis of the Bubble Maps’ data revealed that less than 24 hours after the Trove crash on January 19, 2026, $450,000 in stablecoin was transferred to wallets linked to the project’s deployer. 

These wallets had no prior transaction history, and the transactions ($100,000 in USDC and $350,000 in USDT) were linked to leaked Telegram conversations in which Trove’s founder discussed compensating a popular influencer who demanded a refund.

Bubble Maps discovered these transactions by using visual bubble map technology to identify connections between seemingly unrelated blockchain addresses. It analyzes transaction patterns, timing, and wallet relationships, which helps the firm to determine when multiple addresses are controlled by the same person. 

In Trove’s case, the on-chain evidence showed clear links between the deployer wallet that managed the presale funds and the destination addresses that received the stablecoin transfers after the crash. 

Influencers getting refunds while investors got 3% recovery

In the leaked Telegram conversations released by Bubble Maps, Trove’s founder can be seen trying to handle an opinion leader who demanded a refund after the crash and ensuring that the influencer received compensation.

Alleged leaked conversation between Trove’s founder and crypto KOLs. Source: Bubble Maps

Another documented case involves another influencer Joji (@meteversejoji on X), who described his experience with Trove on X. 

According to his story, his team invested in the project back in October 2025, and when he requested a refund days before the launch in January (after learning about the switch from HyperLiquid to Solana), he was told he would be “made whole at the token generation event,” even though the team had already spent much of the raised capital.

This story is a stark contrast to other accounts from many investors. One investor said that his $20,000 investment should have resulted in $14,000 USDC back and $6,000 worth of TROVE tokens based on the established distribution plan. However, because of the crash, the investor received only $600, a recovery rate of exactly 3% on their capital.

Screenshots circulating on social media also reveal more evidence of preferential treatment. Some influencers were allegedly offered monthly payments to place the TROVE logo in their X usernames, plus the privilege of buying ICO tokens at discounted prices compared to the prices marketed publicly.

This disparity uncovers a two-tier refund system. Influencers with leverage and inside information received larger compensations, while ordinary investors were left to count their losses with near-worthless tokens.

$9.4 million now left in developer hands

The Trove token launched on Solana in January 2026 after a last-minute change from the originally intended Hyperliquid blockchain. When trading started, the token was valued at an expected $20 million, but then crashed to around $330,000 in minutes, leaving investors desolate.

Analysts noted that catastrophic liquidity was the main catalyst for the crash. At the time of the launch, the token had only $50,000 in liquidity backing the $20 million valuation. 

With how volatile the crypto market is, the slightest selling pressure can trigger the most extreme price movements. This is exactly what happened as early holders rushed to exit the market, overwhelming the pool and sending the valuation below $1 million in minutes.

Trove had initially raised $11.5 million during its ICO. The developers announced that they had refunded around $2.4 million to investors, but would keep the remaining $9.4 million to continue building their exchange on Solana.

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By 2026, the crypto market will not focus solely on speculative altcoins. Intelligent capital is currently being invested in real time projects that can deliver financial value and high security. Although most investors are often drawn to large-cap assets, there is a new crypto quietly pursuing a growth trend that resembles early industry leaders. 

The value of this project has already increased 300%, but the technical process is only going to start. It is establishing a base of decentralized finance first and then is on its way to a big breakout. The algebra of its present trend points to the fact that the initial returns are only the beginning of a very big circle.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) develops a dual lending system making it flexible and quick at the same time. The former is the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) market. In this case, users can put assets such as ETH or USDT into common liquid pools to claim a passive Annual Percentage Yield (APY). The second one is the P2P (Peer to peer) market. This enables people to negotiate the terms of their own loans directly which is best in case of volatile assets.

The protocol’s whitepaper provides very high Loan-to-Value (LTV), which is usually as high as 75% of stable assets. This would imply that a user with a collateral of $2,000 would be able to get up to $1,500 in liquidity without selling the holdings. 

Mutuum Finance is at the moment in Phase 7 of its presale, the tokens are sold at $0.04. The project has already raised $20.5 million through the over 19,000 holders and this is an indication that there is a great demand for this new infrastructure.

Protocol Launch and Price Targets

One massive driving force behind Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is the official launch of V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet. In this version, yield-bearing receipts are introduced in the form of they are called mtTokens and are provided to liquidity providers. As borrowers make payments in the form of interest, these tokens increase in value as compared to the underlying asset. This makes the project a concept for working financial technology.

This technical advancement is caught by analysts. There are several targets that MUTM may rise to $0.45 in the near future after the official launch of this token at $0.06. This would be an increase of 10x the current levels. In the longer-term, in 2027, some analysts can envisage a route to the 1.00 mark, particularly with the platform expanding its user base and its deployment of the mainnet complete.

Security and Sustainable Growth

The MUTM ecosystem is designed to nourish its value on the basis of a buy-and-distribute mechanism. The trading fee of a percentage of the protocol will purchase MUTM tokens on a trading market and reallocate them to the stakers. In order to get the liquidations priced correctly, the system combines decentralized oracles, such as Chainlink. This eliminates artificial liquidations and insures user collateral in the market fluctuations.

The team also places the priority on security. The protocol has already passed through a complete audit by Halborn Security that is among the most reputable companies in the sector. It also has a high rate of trust by CertiK and a bug bounty program of $50,000. These are aimed at securing the already raised $20 million and giving future institutional capital a safe haven.

According to many analysts, MUTM is pursuing the same initial moves as Binance Coin (BNB). Similar to BNB, Mutuum Finance is establishing a large group of investors and a working ecosystem that would reach large exchanges. 

It is building a bankless liquidity hub where users get their money under their complete control. Mutuum Finance is no longer a speculation game with its V1 testnet live and Phase 7 selling out. It is a financial product of professional character that prepares itself for the next crypto significant DeFi cycle.

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

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

The AI scare trade has been used to explain price drops across multiple industries. Crypto has also fallen with the rest of the market, also falling prey to the influential market narrative. 

The AI scare trade spread contagion across markets. The narrative that new AI-powered tools can upend business models of major industries caused panic selling in multiple sectors of the stock market. 

The AI scare trade first showed its effect in January and has since become a major narrative over the past two weeks. The first industry to be affected was software, as the S&P software industry index dropped by over 18% in the year-to-date. 

The S&P software index lost over 18% in 2026, pressured by the narrative that AI will disrupt its business model. | Source: SP Global

The narrative spilled over to other stocks, including private credit companies, insurance, real estate, precious metals, and other markets. 

At this point, it remains unclear if AI-based products really exist to disrupt entire industries and their know-how. Yet even the expectation is enough to exacerbate the price drop. 

Will crypto survive the AI scare trade?

BTC has historically behaved in ways similar to NASDAQ, though with a higher volatility. In this case, BTC is tracking the software industry index, with deeper losses in 2026. 

During the latest overall market downturn, BTC slid into the $65,000 range, showing vulnerability to the AI scare trade in the short term. The price of BTC has not reacted to news of AI agents being deployed in the crypto ecosystem. 

In the past weeks, the AI scare trade showed that development did not lead to market optimism and did not lift all boats. This added to the uncertainty for BTC, extending the slide, as there are no signs of aggressively buying the dip. The AI scare trade arrived at a time of peak market uncertainty, causing a worsening spiral of market sentiment. 

Is the AI scare trade real?

In the past day, the AI scare trade affected the logistics industry, where claims were made that AI products could resolve freight stress points and increase capacity. 

The latest market downturn, which affected trucking and logistics, was caused by a suspiciously obscure company. 

The new potential AI product to disrupt logistics came from Algorhythm Holdings, Inc. The company trades near a five-year low, and only relies on OTC pink sheet listings for its liquidity. 

Algorythm Holdings (RIME) traded near a five-year low, and not even the hype around its potential AI product could lift its stock price. RIME traded at around $1 after the news. Before switching to the AI narrative, Algorhythm Holdings sold consumer-oriented karaoke equipment.

RIME crashed to a five-year low, but its speculation on launching an AI product disrupted the logistics stock market. | Sources: OTCQB

The performance of RIME suggests the AI scare may be caused by hype, and potentially dissipate with time and skepticism. The only worry is that there are no investors left to buy the dip on stocks, metals, or crypto, mostly due to the fear of further irrational price drops. 

If the AI scare narrative reverses, it may lead to more confident buying and a potential recovery. For now, any industry can fall to the narrative’s influence, only based on a future product announcement.

Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

The crypto market is huge. At its most recent peak in October 2025, its market cap reached over $4 trillion, rivalling the market caps of some mega companies and dwarfing the economies of nations. This surge was due to a shift towards clearer regulation, significant institutional inflows, especially through ETFs, and an overall renewed market optimism. 

Cumulative crypto market cap as of October 2025 | Source: Coingecko

As of February 2026, that value has dropped by about half with swings in between. Why is this the case? 

Why Emotions Matter More in Crypto

First, ask yourself: Emotion or Fundamentals… Which has the biggest impact on the cryptocurrency market?

The reality is that crypto behaves nothing like traditional finance – it is, in fact, more speculative. The crypto market trades 24/7, with high retail participation and narrative-driven cycles. Emotions, specifically Fear and Greed, have a stronger hold over the cryptocurrency market, often driving price extremes that charts and valuation models struggle to explain.

For example, the price of Bitcoin jumps 15% on news of institutional money inflows, and over the next 48 hours, the coin’s market value drops by 32% on the announcement of regulatory concerns or, in odd cases, for no particular reason. That’s a dramatic swing that happens in reality, and for the most part, defies what analysts would call “a fundamental value change.” It’s simply psychology operating at scale. 

Research demonstrates that socio-psychological and behavioral factors, such as loss aversion and regret, herding behavior, and overconfidence, have a substantial influence on investment decisions in the global market, but with more amplification in the crypto market. This means the crypto market remains extremely sensitive to the behavior of investors.

Investors feel good, greed sets in, and the market is green… Fear sets in, massive sell-offs follow, and the market is down. Hence, having a clear understanding of the market psychology and emotional cycles can be the huge difference between a costly mistake and disciplined decision-making.

This piece explores how fear and greed drive price action, volatility, and decision-making in crypto markets, helping you recognize emotional cycles so you can make more disciplined, risk-aware decisions.

What Is Market Psychology?

Market psychology refers to the collective sentiment and behavior of investors that influence financial markets. Unlike traditional economic theory, which assumes that economic participants make rational decisions based on economic or earnings data, market psychology recognizes that emotions and cognitive biases often drive trading decisions, sometimes more powerfully than fundamentals.

At its core, market psychology explains the gap between the ideal decision of an investor informed by rational models and what they actually do when fear, greed, cognitive biases, and social pressure set in. 

An individual investor may put in all the work, plan out their strategies, and even maintain composure during a period of market uncertainty. However, when other investors simultaneously panic, their collective actions create cascading price movements and an emotional feedback loop where selling triggers more selling. 

This herd mentality, in which investors follow the crowd without conducting a deep analysis of the market situation, is particularly prominent in crypto markets and is a significant factor that influences market direction.

Fear and Greed Explained

Fear in Crypto Market

Typically, in any market, fear emerges when investors perceive threats to the preservation of their capital, albeit more slowly in traditional markets. But in crypto, fear can spike instantly due to sudden price crashes, exchange failures (especially following a security breach), and regulatory announcements. 

Panic Selling and Loss Aversion

Panic selling is fear’s most visible manifestation. A recent example is the case of flow (FLOW), which experienced panic-driven token sell-offs and over 40% depreciation in market value due to a major security exploit. An investor who planned to HODL Bitcoin (BTC) for 6 months may abandon that course of action within minutes when losses hit 20%. Other times, an investor might sell a winning position too early because of loss aversion or hold a losing position too long, hoping to recover losses.

Market Capitulation

Other than panic selling, market capitulation is another factor that marks the extreme end of fear cycles. During this period, even long-term holders surrender to despair and exit positions, often at or near market bottoms. As of early February 2026, Glassnode data reveals that approximately 9.3 million BTC (about 45% of the circulating supply) were trading below their purchase price, the highest level of underwater holdings since January 2023. As Bitcoin dropped to about $60,000 on February 5-6, over $1 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated in a single day, exemplifying fear’s most destructive force in crypto markets.

Shift to Stablecoins or Cash

There is also the scenario in which investors shift their volatile assets to stablecoins or cash as fear intensifies across the crypto market. Technically, when stablecoins see rapid inflows, it is usually an indicator of a market-wide risk aversion.

Greed in Crypto Market

During a bull market and sustained price gains, reasoning often flies out the window for many investors, and greed tends to dominate. Greed in crypto markets manifests as:

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Imagine chasing a moving train headed to your final destination! This is the case for FOMO-driven investors. They begin to chase an asset that’s already in motion. The fear of missing out (FOMO) on opportunities overshadows risk considerations, and market participants become increasingly aggressive as prices pump. 

For example, the Bitcoin bull run of 2025 saw the coin hit an all-time high of $126,000 in October. Leading up to that milestone, the search interest for cryptos spiked dramatically, with hundreds of thousands of new entrants jumping in on the rally to avoid missing out. This sort of impulsive, greed-induced approach often coincides with late-stage bull markets, when the risk of losses is highest.

Recent Success vs Long-Term Performance

In some cases, market participants decide to invest in an asset based on its early successes or its most recent performance, neglecting pre-existing trends. Because upside narratives often spread instantly in the crypto space, these investors become overconfident as the price of the asset increases, validating their investment decisions. In that moment, the possibility of a price reversal is nonexistent to such investors.

Excessive Leverage

This is enabled by easy access to margin trading and derivatives, and it amplifies greed-driven risk-taking. Crypto platforms often allow traders to control positions that exceed their actual capital, with leverage ratios up to 100x or more. This means that a trader with $5,000 in capital could hold positions up to $500,000 (100x leverage). While this can magnify profits during favorable moves, a mere 1% adverse price movement completely liquidates the position.

For example:

Scenario 1: Price rises 2% Scenario 2: Price falls 1% Capital: $1,000

Leverage: 100x

Position size: $100,000

Profit: $2,000 

(200% gain on original capital)

Loss: $1,000 (100% of original capital)

The entire position is liquidated; the trader loses everything

During the 2025 rally, leverage ratios hit yearly highs, and when markets reversed, over $2 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated within a single 24-hour period.

Investors chase narratives and hype

Many investors shy away from fundamentals and personal research and continue to chase viral narratives and stories. Memecoins and tokens with minimal utility are usually the go-tos because they attract billions during bull markets. Investors justify purchasing these tokens not through deep analysis but by believing others will pay higher prices, often exemplifying the greater fool theory.

Why Crypto Markets Amplify Fear and Greed

24/7 Global Trading

Traditional stock markets close on holidays, weekends, and overnight, giving emotions time to cool off. The crypto market, on the other hand, never sleeps. A widely spread narrative at 2 AM, whether true or false, can trigger global selloffs before most crypto stakeholders even know it. This continuous operation creates an uninterrupted cycle of fear and greed.

High leverage availability

High leverage means that traders can magnify gains and equally suffer devastating losses. Knowing that you could potentially rake in significant gains from small price movements with a leverage of 50x, 100x, or more, fuels a continuous cycle of greed. 

Social media and real-time narratives

Social media platforms like Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit have become an integral part of the crypto economy. These are channels often used to propagate speculations, sentiments, and real-time narratives at unprecedented speed to millions of people. Orchestrated misinformation with high engagement can instantly shift market sentiment bullish or bearish.

Thin liquidity during stress events

During stress events, crypto markets often experience thin liquidity, meaning relatively small flows can cause outsized price movements. This mechanical fragility amplifies fear and greed.

Common Fear-Driven and Greed-Driven Market Phases

Blow-off tops

A blow-off top is a chart pattern in which an asset’s price and trading volume see a significant jump, followed by a sharp, dramatic decline. This phase is often characterized by parabolic price moves and euphoric sentiment. The disposition of market participants is one of widespread belief that “this time is different.” That line of action is narrative-driven rather than data-driven.

A chart describing Blow-off tops | Source: Tradervue

Sharp capitulation wicks

On price charts, a sharp capitulation wick appears as long downward candles, often accompanied by high volume. During this phase, fear dominates the market, prices drop violently, and sellers rush to exit, often liquidating leveraged positions at almost any cost. 

Capitulation wick | Source: Tradingview

Historically, sharp capitulations often mark short-term bottoms and potential rebounds, as overleveraged positions and fearful participants are flushed out. The question is: can you time this rebound? Maybe not, it remains unpredictable, as the market may just continue to accumulate losses.

Extended sideways fear phases

This is often referred to as the consolidation period for an asset and typically happens between extremes. The extended sideways fear phase gradually grinds through investor psychology. It is marked by a range-bound market, reduced participation, low confidence, and lingering skepticism that persists for weeks or even months. 

A chart showing Extended Sideways Fear

Euphoria during parabolic runs

The Euphoria phase is greed-driven and characterized by late bull markets. At this point in the market, investors believe that prices will continue to rise, causing them to ignore risks and take on speculative positions. The Euphoria phase historically precedes market corrections that erase substantial gains.

The Cycle of Market Emotions | Source: UK Investor Magazine

Indicators That Measure Market Sentiment

Fear and Greed (F&G) index

The Fear and Greed Index combines all investors’ feelings about the market in one number with a range of 0-100. It indicates whether investors feel frightened or greedy. When the index is low, investors are nervous and have low trading activity (risk-averse). 

Fear and Greed Index | Source: Capital.com

When the index is high, investors feel confident and/or are willing to take risks (risk-seeking). The index considers factors such as price movement, volatility, volume of trades, and investor sentiment into one overall score. The Fear and Greed index can indicate how emotional the market is; however, it does not indicate where the price of an asset will go next.

Funding Rates

Funding rates show which side of the market is using more leverage in perpetual futures. A positive funding rate means long traders pay short traders, indicating that the market is leaning bullish (perp. price > spot price). On the other hand, negative funding means short traders pay long traders, indicating that the market is leaning bearish (perp. price < spot price).

When funding rates become extreme, it suggests positions are crowded and highly leveraged. In those moments, even small price moves can trigger forced liquidations, often leading to sharp pullbacks or volatility spikes.

Open Interest

Open Interest (OI) is a tool that monitors the number of open positions in a specific crypto contract (futures or options). Simply put, OI provides traders and investors with information about interest and liquidity in a particular contract.

Rising open interest means new leveraged trades are being added.

If prices rise and open interest increases, it suggests growing confidence or greed.

If price rises while open interest falls, the move may come from positions closing rather than new buying.

Sudden drops in open interest usually signal liquidations, when fear forces traders out.

Social sentiment signals

A social sentiment indicator is an automated metric-driven tool that gauges public perceptions by analyzing the emotional tone of human-generated posts, comments, and mentions across social media platforms such as Reddit, X, and Telegram. If the overarching sentiment from social media is negative, that might prompt sell-offs and volatility spikes. Positive sentiments on the other hand could signal accumulation.

How Fear and Greed Affect Retail and Institutional Behavior

Retail emotional cycles

Retail investors are those individuals who trade with their personal money. This group of individuals often exhibits more impulsive, emotional responses to market movements. During fear phases, retail investors quickly sell volatile assets (typically memecoins and heavily speculative assets) and move their money into stablecoins or exit their positions entirely. The reverse is the case during a greed phase. Retail capital flows in the direction of meme tokens and altcoins in a bid for outsized returns. 

In essence, fear and greed lead retail investors to engage in momentum-following, narrative-driven behaviour. They hold through price increases and capitulate during declines.

Liquidity provision during stress

Retail investors frequently buy near peaks driven by greed and FOMO. But during fear-driven crypto sell-offs, they often panic and capitulate, creating buying opportunities for larger, more patient capital. This dynamic creates a wealth-transfer mechanism in which institutions often provide liquidity during periods of stress. They do so by absorbing retail selling and systematically benefiting from this predictable pattern.

So how do institutions benefit from emotional extremes? The idea is simple: when panic selling occurs, opportunities for discounted entry points arise. This is where institutional investors come in to accumulate assets for a low price with a target of strong long-term returns. Because this emotional cycle often repeats itself, institutions continue to benefit from its predictability. 

Institutions adopt a risk framework

Institutional investors such as hedge funds, asset managers, and family offices often take a structured risk management and longer time horizon approach to crypto. In terms of fund allocation, they push money to derivatives and to larger, established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

During a market downturn, institutional investors are less emotional and typically make limited changes to their portfolios, rather than reducing their positions to cut losses. This distinction in market reaction speaks to the risk appetite of both classes of participants.

Managing Emotional Bias as a Crypto Participant

Set predefined risk limits

Setting portfolio allocation limits, position sizes, and stop-loss limits prior to entering into a trade will help an investor put guardrails in place to prevent greed driven behavior.

Avoiding impulsive decisions

During peak fear or greed phases, the tendency to make impulsive decisions rises. Hence, it is a good approach to implement a waiting period between decision and execution, especially when making an unplanned trade that equals or exceeds your predefined limits.

Separating narratives from data

Always stick to verifiable data, not narratives. A token might surge on the hype of potential partnerships. It is the responsibility of an investor to verify the authenticity of those partnerships by seeking official communications from those involved. You must also be wary of social media hype, as it sometimes amplifies compelling narratives that may or may not reflect reality.

Long-term vs short-term mindset

Short-term is trading, and long-term is investment. Determining which category you fall into in advance matters significantly for emotional management. Traders, with a short-term mindset, actively react to market volatility. Investors, on the other hand, can often ignore it. An investor who purchased ETH as a 2-4 year position can weather a 35% price drop more easily than someone looking to cash out profits in a few weeks.

The Role of Fear and Greed in Crypto Cycles

Since the inception of Bitcoin, the crypto market has seen multiple boom-bust cycles, each accompanied by evolving technology, new narratives, participants, and changing regulatory frameworks. One thing, however, remains persistent: the psychological patterns of traders and investors.

During the fear phase, loss aversion has continued to drive panic selling, and in the greed phase, FOMO has continued to pull investors into late-stage rallies.

There are arguments that a mature crypto market, such as one with high institutional adoption, robust infrastructure, and regulatory clarity, may reduce the frequency of extremes. This, in actual fact, is true today.

Regulations are clearer, ETFs provide crypto exposure without actually holding crypto, and a lot more institutional money is flowing into the crypto market. However, as long as uncertainty, leverage, and human psychology coexist, fear and greed will remain a structural force in crypto, even though extremes may be nerfed.

Conclusion

Fear and greed are unavoidable features of the crypto market. They are structural features of an open, global, and emotionally responsive financial system. Understanding how these forces operate does not necessarily guarantee better outcomes, but it represents the first step toward more disciplined market participation. 

Knowing when the market is in a fear phase can prevent costly mistakes, such as capitulating at bottoms. Similarly, recognizing euphoric conditions can prompt appropriate risk management before corrections occur. Simply said, emotional awareness is a competitive advantage.

Sam Bankman-Fried is on the fourth day of a publicly chronicled challenge to his conviction, and his supporters are hoping the Trump administration will step in.  

The Biden administration has been repeatedly accused of being too harsh on the cryptocurrency industry, and supporters of crypto leaders in legal battles believe that the crypto-friendly Trump administration will review a lot of the cases. 

SBF is still appealing his conviction 

Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team is currently on day 4 of fighting to get his conviction overturned. They argue that the judicial process under the previous administration was flawed. 

The convicted executive has gone from questioning the legality of his conviction to the litigiation process that preceded it in recent days to commending the achievements of the Trump administration and its aggressive approach to economic growth.

For years, the crypto industry complained that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Biden administration were hostile. They claimed the government required companies to get licenses, but then refused to grant them, forcing many American-founded companies to move their operations offshore to places like the Bahamas or Dubai. 

Changpeng Zhao recently echoed the same complaint about the Biden administration’s DOJ on the All-In podcast. Cryptopolitan reported that he viewed the Department of Justice as being “uniquely aggressive” and attempting to stall innovation. 

Now, the Trump administration is signaling that the companies that were run off are “welcome back in America.” 

SBF cited how liquid prediction markets were mostly based offshore due to strict oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) before the Trump admin returned to office. Now, recent court rulings and a more hands-off approach from the current executive branch have allowed these markets to become available to American citizens.

President Trump has frequently pointed to “great jobs numbers” as proof that his economic plan is working. He argues that by expanding business tax breaks, the government is successfully pulling investment back to U.S. soil. 

However, President Trump told The New York Times in a January interview that he has no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried. The president also ruled out pardons for music producer Sean Combs and former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez.

The Trump administration has overhauled crypto landscape

Gary Gensler, who was known for being “tough on crypto” has left his position at the SEC and been replaced by pro-innovation successor, Paul Atkins. Several Bitcoin and Ethereum-based financial products are seeing faster approval times since the change.

The Trump administration is attempting to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” by creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve and ensuring that stablecoins are regulated in a way that keeps the dollar strong. 

Supporters of SBF and other crypto figures in legal trouble hope that this new “Golden Age” of crypto will lead to a review of past prosecutions. They argue that many “crimes” were actually just a result of confusing and contradictory rules that were impossible to follow.

Critics of the era, however, warn that total deregulation could lead to more collapses like the one seen with FTX. The Trump administration has stated that clear rules are the best way to protect people.

The screenshot of a post by President Trump that SBF attached showed the POTUS stating that since the U.S. is the strongest country in the world, it should have the lowest interest rates on its bonds. 

The president continues by stating that the United States currently pays hundreds of billions of dollars every year just in interest on its debt. By strengthening the economy and demanding better terms, the government could save at least $1 trillion per year in interest costs.

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Decentralized finance is a fast-paced environment, and individuals that follow technical development tend to discover the largest opportunities prior to making an appearance on the mainstream stage. Whereas most projects tend to rely on the hype of social media, there is a silent move towards protocols to be developed that establish real infrastructure at first. 

One particular new crypto project has already managed to overcome one of the significant milestones, demonstrating its usefulness and technical safety to an increasingly large world audience. It is picking up quickly as time to be an early participant starts to run out. The viewers of the charts have observed a gradual rise that is an indication of in-depth faith in the future of the platform.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a new crypto protocol that is meant to transform how people access liquidity and generate interest. It eliminates the banking institution through automated smart contracts. The essence of the system is a dual-market lending system to meet various financial requirements.

The former is the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) market. This is designed in a manner that is fast and efficient. As an illustration, a user is able to deposit USDT into a common pool. This pool then will have the borrowing by others, in real time where the depositor gains interest. 

The second one is the Peer-to-peer (P2P) market. This is geared towards tailor-made offers. To provide an example, a lender and a borrower are free to make their own specific interest rates and terms on a loan on a niche asset.

This protocol has already secured more than $20.5 million in investments. Better still the size of the community, which has shot to over 19,000 individual holders, is more impressive. Such a massive base is vital in that it guarantees that the protocol will be deep in liquidity and will have users by the time the protocol is launched. The trust has also been increased by the recent introduction of the V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet, as it is possible to view the code in action before the mainnet.

MUTM Growth and Supply Dynamics

The MUTM token has long-term stability economics. There are a total number of 4 billion tokens in the project. Of this, 1.82 billion (45.5%) have been earmarked to be given out at the presale community level at an early stage. There are more than 840 million tokens which are sold so far, almost a half of all the allocated tokens have been sold.

MUTM has taken a systematic course of appreciation since its inception. It began at an extremely low price of $0.01, and the price has already increased by 300% at this point. It implies that by this stage, the participants in the first round are already in a position to increase by 500%, within the time frame when the token will be officially launched at the price of $0.06.

MUTM is at Phase 7, with the price being fixed at $0.04. The second stage will be the price increase by approximately 20%. This step up mechanism is imperative as it sets up a definite advantage to the quick acting people. Each sell-out brings the project one step further to its launch in the eyes of the public, so the present point of entry is one of the last opportunities to have tokens before the market swamps it.

Security and Global Trust

The last element of the puzzle of any serious DeFi project is security. This has been a priority area by Mutuum Finance who has gone ahead to complete major independent reviews. CertiK has given the project a high trust rating of 90/100 token scan, which proves that its token contract is reliable.

Moreover, the team concluded an entire audit with Halborn Security. Halborn is a global company that has secured some of the largest companies in crypto. Their check-up went through all sections of the lending rationality and liquidation systems. 

A Bug Bounty of up to $50,000 is underway in order to further secure it. This would motivate professional developers to discover and disclose any small bugs before the majornet release. This kind of transparency is not common and it provides the investors with the tranquility that they require.

Despite the first weeks of 2026, investors are in a hurry. Mutuum Finance is not simply a token; it is a financial infrastructure that proves it works. It is cutting an enormous niche in the DeFi arena through the integration of the safety of the Ethereum network and a versatile dual-market approach. The project is now in the ideal position to take its next big crypto jump as the V1 protocol testnet is live and the supply is steadily decreasing.

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

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

Tens of thousands of people have downloaded what they believed were useful AI tools for their browsers, only to give hackers a direct path into their most private online activity, including emails.

According to LayerX, over 260,000 Chrome users installed at least 30 malicious browser extensions masquerading as AI helpers. These claimed features, like chat support, email drafting, and content summaries, but in reality, they were quietly siphoning data in the background.

Trusted AI names used as cover

The timing was not random. With people eagerly adopting AI tools for both work and personal use, attackers seized on that excitement to slip in under the radar. The bogus extensions claimed ties to familiar AI services such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok, brands that inspire instant recognition and confidence.

Although they went by different names, displayed varied logos, and carried distinct descriptions, all 30 extensions were fundamentally identical beneath the surface. They ran the same underlying code, requested the same broad permissions, and funneled data to the same concealed servers.

LayerX researchers described the approach as “extension spraying”, flooding the store with near-identical variants to evade detection and removal by Chrome Web Store moderators. The strategy paid off: several even earned “featured” placement, boosting their apparent legitimacy and helping rack up more installations.

What made these extensions particularly insidious was their method of operation. Instead of performing any genuine AI processing locally on the user’s device, they pulled in hidden full-screen overlays hosted on attacker-controlled servers, one confirmed domain being tapnetic.pro.

This setup allowed the operators to alter the extension’s behavior on the fly, without ever submitting updates through Google’s review process. Users had no way to spot the shifts.

Once active, the extensions could extract text, page titles, and other elements from any site a person visited, including protected pages that required logins, such as workplace portals or personal accounts, and relay everything to remote servers.

Gmail users in the crosshairs

Fifteen of the 30 extensions zeroed in on Gmail users specifically. LayerX dubbed this group the “Gmail integration cluster.” Marketed under separate names and pitched for different uses, all 15 shared the exact same code targeting Gmail. It injected scripts directly into Gmail’s interface, repeatedly grabbing the text of any open conversations visible on screen.

In simpler terms, full email content, including drafts and entire threads, could be pulled from Gmail and shipped off to the attackers’ servers. The report added that using Gmail’s built-in AI tools, such as smart replies or message summaries, sometimes triggered even greater capture of content, sending it beyond Google’s ecosystem.

This fits into a broader and worsening pattern. LayerX pointed out that only a month prior, they exposed 16 other extensions designed to steal session tokens from ChatGPT accounts, impacting over 900,000 users. In another case, two AI sidebar extensions leaked chat histories from DeepSeek and ChatGPT, affecting an additional 900,000 installs.

With Chrome boasting roughly 3 billion users globally and Gmail serving 2 billion, the browser’s extension ecosystem makes an especially tempting target for this kind of operation.

Anyone who is worried they’ve been hit can check LayerX’s published list of the malicious extensions. Simply head to “chrome://extensions” in your browser to inspect installed items and uninstall anything questionable. Enabling two-step verification on accounts is another smart step right now.

Zargarov delivered a blunt caution: “As generative AI continues to gain popularity, defenders should expect similar campaigns to proliferate.” Security professionals emphasize that the safest route is relying on AI features already integrated into trusted apps and platforms, rather than rolling the dice on unfamiliar third-party extensions.

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Gold tanked up to 4.1% before trimming some of that drop. Silver crashed 11%, and copper sank 2.9% as traders reportedly dumped metals to free up cash or cover losses elsewhere.

Dow plunged 530 points, or 1.1%, led by a brutal 11% drop in Cisco after weak guidance. The S&P 500 also fell 1.1%. Nasdaq sank 1.5%, with heavy losses in tech.

Bitcoin slid another $1,000 to $65K, continuing its recent losing streak. Risk appetite took a hit across the board.

A new wave of AI agents went live on Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, using the ERC-8004 token format. The agents launched within weeks of launching the new on-chain standard.

AI agents are having a revival on-chain, with a new wave of tools on Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. Some of the agents also boosted the previous leader, Virtuals Protocol. 

Previous agentic launches relied on tokenized agents with a predetermined personality. Several agents survive from that stage, especially crypto data and news aggregators. Some assets from the first wave of AI agent coins are still active, with a total valuation of over $2.9B. 

What makes ERC-8004 AI agents different?

The protocol proposed to create tools to discover, select, and interact with agents based on predetermined boundaries. This allows ERC-8004 agents to compete in a fully AI-driven economy. 

The agents can, in theory, fulfill small tasks like ordering a pizza or completing more demanding estimations. Developers can choose multiple mechanics for vetting agents, such as reputational systems with feedback, validation via staking, zero-knowledge proofs, or trusted execution environment (TEE) oracles. 

The standard was launched just as AI agents were tested for more independent behaviors and skills. Tools of on-chain verification can now be deployed to vet the available agents and have mechanisms to catch unwanted behaviors. 

Unlike the previous wave of Virtuals Protocol and other AI agents, the goal this time is to go beyond tokenized speculation and into real-world tasks. Agents have been released into copies of social media, similar to Moltbook. The agents also arrived just in time to tap the new infrastructure for interacting with humans.  

Nearly 21K agents launch on multiple chains

Just weeks after the ERC-8004 standard was tested, the network already carried 20,928 agents. Only a handful made it to the leaderboard with higher rankings. The network drew in over 15,000 users. 

The revival of agent creation is yet to show the real use cases and profitability of agents. However, the inflow of new users shows there is still demand for decentralized apps, and Ethereum still gets attention as a venue for new types of transactions. 

Previously, Virtuals Protocol and other agentic frameworks hosted interactions between agents in closed systems. The ERC-8004 standard, along with a unique ERC-721 NFT for each agent, means the AI bots have a wider area of potential influence. 

In the early stages, agents are deployed to newly built frameworks like LobKill, similar to the Moltbook environment. Transactions are saved on the blockchain for a verified record of each bot. 

The space still has to solve the problem of spam and the dependence on established social media as a venue for the bots. There is also no clear standard on token usage, as agent infrastructure is still fragmented. Most of the activity is experimental, testing if bots can become reliable users, avoiding risks such as wallet exposure.

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A key Senate committee voted Thursday to approve a plan that would break through the red tape that has slowed the development of satellite-based broadband across the United States, potentially reshaping internet access for millions of Americans in rural places.

The Senate Commerce Committee passed the measure following amendments pushed by Senator Maria Cantwell, the panel’s top Democrat. Her office said the changes were designed to ensure the Federal Communications Commission keeps a close eye on new satellites before they get the green light, a nod to concerns that the approval process could move too fast without proper checks.

Cruz and Welch lead the push

The bill was first introduced in January by Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, a Republican, and Democratic Senator Peter Welch. Their goal was to give satellite companies clearer rules to work with while simultaneously opening up faster internet to parts of the country that have long gone without it.

Cruz has argued the current FCC application process is stuck in the past and not built to handle today’s pace of satellite launches. “We have more rocket launches and satellite deployments today than ever before,” he said.

“However, innovative companies that seek to expand broadband access to Americans are facing a regulatory process that is outdated, leading to massive delays in the deployment of new satellite technologies.”

The timing of the bill’s advancement is difficult to ignore. Just under two weeks ago, Elon Musk’s SpaceX filed a request to launch a constellation of one million satellites that would circle the Earth and use solar power to run artificial intelligence data centers in orbit.

That filing, submitted on January 30, marked one of the most sweeping proposals ever put before federal regulators. The company already has roughly 9,500 satellites in service and recently won FCC approval to deploy another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, pushing its total network even further.

The surge in satellite applications has created a backlog at the FCC that the new legislation is directly aimed at addressing. Analysts say that by clearing the bottleneck, approval timelines could shrink from years to months, potentially speeding up deployments by 30 to 50 percent based on the size of existing backlogs.

According to FCC figures, about 19 million Americans in rural areas still lack access to high-speed internet, and backers of the bill say faster satellite licensing is one of the most direct ways to address that.

Concerns over interference remain

Still, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of imposing a rigid clock on the approval process. Cantwell raised red flags about a system that could effectively hand out permits through government inaction.

“I’m very anxious about a process, particularly with interference, that just says negligence by the FCC gets you your permits for a million satellites,” she said during committee debate.

Her office added that the final version of the bill ensures FCC experts, not a blanket timeline, decide which applications qualify for faster review. “We all want faster licensing, but we made sure the FCC’s experts set the rules for what gets fast-tracked, not a one-size-fits-all shot clock that treats a ground antenna the same as a million satellite constellations,” her office said.

The bill still requires the FCC to confirm that newly approved satellites will not disrupt signals for existing users, and to determine whether untested designs warrant additional scrutiny before moving forward.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has thrown its support behind the legislation, calling it a necessary update to keep American companies competitive. Industry forecasts put the global satellite sector on track to contribute $1 trillion to the world economy by 2040.

The drive comes as China files a request with the International Telecommunication Union for more than 200,000 satellites, the largest such petition on record, adding urgency to the United States’ attempts to maintain its space leadership.

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While Ethereum (ETH) continues to consolidate, new investors looking to get into the crypto market are searching for alternative buys. One new crypto, Mutuum Finance (MUTM), has gained strong momentum as investors jump in to secure discounted prices. This has resulted in over $20 million raised in the token’s presale, where more than 19,000 investors have participated.

Ethereum Faces Short-Term Pressure Below Key Support

Recently, Ethereum (ETH) broke below the long-term support trendline. This move has seen Ethereum gain bearish momentum as the price continues to trade below the descending resistance trendline. As Ethereum continues to trade below $2,000, it is expected to reach the $1,800 region as sellers continue to gain control in the market. This makes Ethereum an unattractive buy for new investors seeking strong upside in 2026. 

P2C and P2P Lending 

Mutuum Finance offers users the opportunity to enjoy the efficiency of Peer-to-Contract (P2C) as well as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending. In the P2C model, users can deposit popular cryptocurrencies like USDC or ETH into a pool to earn interest on their investment. For instance, if a user decides to deposit $20,000 into a P2C pool earning 10% APY, the user can earn $2,000 as interest on their investment. This way, the user can have $22,000 in a year without doing anything. Borrowers can borrow from the pool by depositing as collateral 150% or more of the borrowed amount.

On the other hand, the P2P model is geared towards more speculative or niche assets that may not be appropriate for lending pools. For instance, a user may need $15,000 in cash but is holding a volatile cryptocurrency like PEPE. They can connect with a P2P lender who is willing to lend $7,500 in USDC, collateralized by the PEPE. If the borrower and the lender can come to an agreement, the borrower gets the liquidity they need while still benefiting from the potential upside of the PEPE cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, the P2P lender earns $487.50 in interest after the loan is repaid.

Mutuum Finance has come up with several strategies geared towards engaging early investors and the community at large. For instance, the daily leaderboard recognizes the top buyer of the day and rewards them with a $500 MUTM bonus. Additionally, a $100,000 giveaway will see the distribution of $10,000 in MUTM tokens among ten randomly selected winners.

A Promising Early-Stage DeFi Opportunity

For those looking to invest in DeFi projects with high growth potential but want to get in early, Mutuum Finance presents an attractive investment opportunity. The protocol enables users to lend, generate yields via mtTokens, and manage risks. With 19,000 token holders and over $20.48 million raised to date, Mutuum Finance has shown impressive traction. Since its presale launch at $0.01 during Phase 1, the token has risen 4x to its current price of $0.04 during Phase 7. 

With subsequent presale phases set to raise its price even higher until an exchange listing price of $0.06, those investing during this phase stand to reap gains long before open market adoption. Take the example of an investor who puts $2,000 into the presale today. Their position will grow by $1,000 to $3,000 by the time of the exchange debut. This means the earliest investors stand to see the biggest gains. 

While Ethereum is facing short-term challenges, a new crypto sensation has taken over as a new DeFi crypto to invest in during 2026. With its presale currently priced at just $0.04, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) presents a strong investment opportunity for new crypto investors looking to get involved. With 300% gains already available to those who have backed its presale to date, Mutuum Finance is fast becoming known as the next crypto to explode.

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

Website: https://mutuum.com/ 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance