At its core, professional trading is not about predicting the market — it is about interpreting strength. Price does not move randomly. Before every significant expansion phase, the market reveals subtle but measurable clues through candle structure, liquidity behavior, and momentum shifts. The key is not the color of a candle, but what that candle represents in terms of order flow and imbalance. This decision-making model operates on a powerful principle: true market intent is revealed through decisive displacement and structural confirmation — not noise.
1️⃣ The SELL Scenario: When Strength Turns Down The sell setup is defined by a deceptively weak bullish candle followed immediately by a strong bearish impulse candle that fully engulfs the prior body. This is not merely a red candle after a green one. It is a transfer of control. Professionally, this represents: Bearish engulfing with displacementBuyer liquidity absorptionA short-term break in market structureSmart money is initiating a short exposure Psychologically, the setup is elegant. Retail buyers see early upward movement and assume continuation. The market maker allows slight expansion to attract liquidity. Then, with a single aggressive impulse, the price reverses sharply, trapping late buyers in losing positions. That trapped liquidity fuels continuation to the downside. Professional execution is disciplined. Entry comes only after candle close confirmation — or on a pullback into the 50% equilibrium of the impulse candle. Risk is defined above the candle high. There is no anticipation, only confirmation. 2️⃣ The BUY Scenario: When Momentum Shifts Up The buy setup mirrors the sell, but in reverse. A bearish candle is followed by a strong bullish engulfing candle that absorbs prior selling pressure and closes with conviction. This reflects: Bullish engulfing with displacementSeller liquidity absorptionMomentum shiftEarly stage of upward expansion Here, the market psychology flips. Sellers believe continuation downward is likely. But the strong bullish candle invalidates that bias. It signals that large participants have stepped in aggressively, absorbing supply and pushing price beyond immediate resistance. Again, professionals do not chase mid-candle emotion. Entry comes after close confirmation or at the 50% retracement of the impulse candle. Stops are placed below the candle low — beyond the liquidity sweep. The trade is not based on hope. It is based on structural evidence. 3️⃣ The WAIT Scenario: When the Market Has No Edge The most overlooked edge in trading is the ability to do nothing. Doji candles, long wicks, small bodies, and overlapping price action indicate equilibrium — or manipulation. There is no clear dominance between buyers and sellers—volatility contracts. Liquidity accumulates without direction. Professionally, this phase represents: IndecisionLack of displacementPossible range-buildingPotential engineered liquidity trap Amateurs feel compelled to act. Professionals understand that market uncertainty should produce uncertainty in execution. Entering during indecision is statistically equivalent to gambling. Capital preservation is a strategy. The True Difference: Amateur vs Professional Amateurs react to color. Professionals react to strength. Amateurs buy green candles and sell red ones. Professionals wait for engulfment, displacement, and structure confirmation. Amateurs trade constantly. Professionals trade selectively. Patience is not passive — it is tactical. Integration with Broader Context This candle model is not standalone. It becomes powerful when aligned with: Supply and demand zonesHigh-liquidity highs and lowsKill zones (high-volume session windows)Higher timeframe structureMarket Structure Shift (MSS) or Break of Structure (BOS) Without context, even strong candles can fail. With alignment, they become high-probability signals. Final Perspective This framework is a decision filter: If there is confirmed sell strength → Sell. If there is confirmed buy strength → Buy. If there is indecision → Wait. Its simplicity is deceptive. But when applied with structural awareness and emotional discipline, it evolves into a precision tool — one that separates reactive traders from strategic operators. In markets, clarity comes to those who wait for strength — not those who chase movement. #TradeCryptosOnX #MarketRebound #TrendingTopic
Timing is of the essence. Here we have a perfect chart setup for a massive short, one that cannot be missed.
PIPPINUSDT went ultra-hyper bullish recently, hitting a new all-time high. This bullish move just now is running its course. It is over.
After a strong rise comes a major correction—the perfect short.
This is just a friendly reminder. All the signals from before are still present today: bearish divergence with the MACD and RSI, overbought conditions and an inverse relation with the rest of the market.
As Pippin goes down, Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Cardano, Dogecoin, Solana, Polygon, Pepe, and the rest of the market will grow.
It is hard to find one single chart in this market that is better positioned for a short.
Study suggests WLFI could act as an ‘early warning signal’ in crypto
Trump-linked WLFI dropped more than five hours before a $6.9 billion crypto liquidation event, raising questions about early market stress signals. World Liberty Financial Token (WLFI), a DeFi governance token affiliated with the Trump family, may have signaled a major market breakdown hours before Bitcoin moved, according to a new analysis by data provider Amberdata. The report examines trading activity on Oct. 10, 2025, when roughly $6.93 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated in under an hour. Bitcoin (BTC) fell about 15% and Ether (ETH) dropped roughly 20%, while smaller tokens lost as much as 70%. Amberdata found that WLFI began a sharp decline more than five hours before the broader market downturn. At the time, Bitcoin was still trading near $121,000 and showed little immediate stress. “A five-hour lead time is hard to dismiss as coincidence,” Mike Marshall, who authored the report, told Cointelegraph. “That duration is what separates a genuinely actionable warning from a statistical artefact,” he added. WLFI anomalies before the selloff Researchers analyzed three unusual patterns, including a surge in trading activity, a sharp divergence from Bitcoin and extreme leverage, to determine whether WLFI signaled stress before the broader market selloff. WLFI’s hourly volume jumped to roughly $474 million, about 21.7 times its normal level, within minutes of tariff-related political news. Meanwhile, funding rates on WLFI perpetual futures reached about 2.87% every eight hours, equivalent to an annualized borrowing cost near 131%.
The study does not claim insider trading occurred. Instead, it argues the way crypto markets are structured can make certain assets matter more than their size suggests. WLFI’s holder base is concentrated among politically connected participants, the report says, unlike Bitcoin’s widely distributed ownership. Marshall said the trading pattern appeared “instrument-specific,” meaning activity was focused on WLFI rather than across the broader crypto complex. “If this were superior analysis (sophisticated participants reading the tariff headlines faster and drawing better conclusions) you’d expect to see that reflected more broadly,” he said. “What we actually saw was concentrated activity in WLFI first.” The timing is notable. Trading volume accelerated roughly three minutes after public tariff news. Marshall said such speed suggests prepared execution rather than retail traders interpreting headlines in real time. The link between WLFI and the broader market drop comes down to leverage. Many crypto trading platforms let traders use several assets as collateral for borrowed positions. When WLFI fell sharply, the value of that collateral dropped, forcing traders to sell liquid assets like Bitcoin and Ether to cover their positions. Those sales pushed prices lower and triggered further liquidations across the market.
WLFI reacted faster than Bitcoin to stress Amberdata’s data shows WLFI’s realized volatility reached nearly eight times that of Bitcoin during the episode, making it particularly sensitive to stress. Researchers argue that structurally fragile, highly leveraged assets may move first during market shocks. Marshall said the findings should not be interpreted as proof that WLFI can reliably predict downturns. The analysis covers a single event, and more data would be needed to establish statistical consistency. Still, he believes the behavior is significant. $WLFI #MarketRebound #TRUMP #TrendingTopic #TradeCryptosOnX
XRP price jumped by over 4% today, February 14, reaching its highest level in over a week. It has now rebounded by over 30% from the year-to-date low of $1.1145. Ripple token has soared, mirroring the performance of the broader crypto market. Bitcoin jumped to $70,000, while other top cryptocurrencies like Zcash, Morpho, and Pippin soared by over 20%. The market capitalization of all coins rose by over 3.4% to over $2.38 trillion. XRP jumped as investors reacted to the recent US macro data, which raised the possibility that the Federal Reserve will deliver more interest rate cuts this year. The report showed that the headline consumer inflation report 2.4% in January, much lower than December’s 2.6%. Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy products, remained at 2.5%. These numbers mean that Trump’s tariffs have not had a major impact on inflation. XRP price also jumped as the Ripple USD stablecoin continued growing after the recent Binance listing. It now has over $1.5 billion in assets, and its usage is increasing. Ripple Labs is working on new features that will lead to more XRP and RLUSD usage. They are working on the upcoming permissioned DEX feature. Permissioned DEX resembles that of other popular DEX platforms like Uniswap and PancakeSwap, with the only difference being that it controls who can place and accept offers. It will be a useful tool for institutions on the XRP Ledger. XRP price technical analysis The daily timeframe chart shows that the XRP price bottomed at $1.1110 earlier this month and has now rebounded to $1.4700. This rebound has largely mirrored the performance of Bitcoin and other altcoins. Still, the token remains below the important support level at $1.807, its lowest level in April, October, November, and December last year. It also remains below the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages. The coin has remained below the Supertrend indicator. Therefore, while the Ripple price may have bottomed, there is a risk that the ongoing rebound may be a dead-cat bounce. A dead-cat bounce, commonly known as a bull trap, is a situation where an asset in a free fall rebounds briefly and then resumes the downtrend. A complete XRP rebound will be confirmed when it moves above the 50-day moving average and the resistance at $1.807. $XRP #MarketRebound #xrp #TrendingTopic
Senators ask Bessent to probe $500M UAE stake in Trump-linked WLFI
Here’s a comprehensive 600-word analysis of the recent news about U.S. senators urging a CFIUS probe into the UAE’s reported $500 million stake in the Trump-linked crypto firm World Liberty Financial (WLFI) — and what this could mean for the $WLFI token price and its market narrative. On February 13, 2026, Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim formally called on U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to determine whether the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) should review a reported foreign investment in World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture co-founded by former U.S. President Donald Trump and his family. The lawmakers requested a response by March 5, urging scrutiny of what they describe as “significant national security concerns” tied to the UAE’s nearly 49 % stake in WLFI. The reported investment, valued at roughly $500 million, was allegedly backed by an entity linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser. The acquisition reportedly occurred just days before Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, a timing that has fueled political controversy. The senators’ letter argues that such a transaction could give a foreign government influence over a U.S.-based crypto firm that handles financial and personal data, including wallet addresses and device identifiers — data points that may be sensitive from a national security perspective. Political Risk Meets Crypto Speculation From a market standpoint, WLFI has always been an outlier. The token’s narrative has centered on its political branding and associations rather than fundamental utility. Initial interest was driven by its connection to a high-profile public figure and promises of innovative financial services such as stablecoin issuance and remittance markets. However, this same political linkage has become a liability. The call for a CFIUS review adds a layer of regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical risk that most crypto tokens do not face. Regulatory risk eats into investor confidence. When a token is explicitly tied to national security concerns — especially one involving a sovereign wealth interest — traders and institutions become far more cautious. As one market analysis notes, this “creates a significant overhang” on WLFI’s liquidity and growth trajectory. Even if no formal action is taken, the mere prospect of a federal investigation or forced divestiture can keep capital on the sidelines. Price Action and Market Reaction Leading up to this news, WLFI has already exhibited volatility and on-chain tension. Notably, a high-profile holder linked to Justin Sun found his WLFI holdings blacklisted by governance controls, sparking debates over centralized authority within a decentralized project and contributing to downward price pressure. Over three months, this frozen position reportedly lost roughly $60 million in value, reflecting broader bearish sentiment and uncertainty around governance structures. The reported CFIUS probe adds another bearish catalyst. In liquid markets, where narrative and sentiment can outweigh fundamentals, regulatory uncertainty often translates into higher sell pressure and lower bid depth. Traders typically demand a premium for holding assets with unclear legal exposure. In WLFI’s case, price action around this news has already shown selling volume and cautious positioning, as noted by current trading volumes and significant market turnover. Governance and Structural Weaknesses Moreover, multiple earlier controversies have compounded WLFI’s risk profile. Ethical questions about conflicts of interest — such as insiders retaining WLFI holdings while serving in government roles — have invited additional political scrutiny. Letters from lawmakers to ethics offices have demanded insight into these overlapping interests, heightening concerns about whether WLFI can operate independently from political influence. These governance vulnerabilities can materially affect token price expectations. In decentralized finance, trust and transparency are core value propositions. When a token project is perceived as opaque or susceptible to political gamesmanship, investor confidence erodes, reducing demand and compressing valuations. Impact on WLFI Token Price 📉 Given the confluence of political, regulatory, and governance risks: Short-term pressure is likely to persist. Traders wary of legal entanglement may reduce exposure, increasing sell-side liquidity. Market volatility will remain high as news developments unfold — particularly around the March 5 CFIUS response deadline. Institutional appetite could be dampened. Sophisticated investors often avoid assets with unresolved geopolitical risk, particularly where national security concerns are at play. Speculative holders may reassess their positions, shifting capital to “cleaner” narratives without political entanglement. A Broader Precedent The outcome of this situation is not just critical for WLFI — it could represent an early test case in how foreign investment and political linkage are navigated within regulated crypto frameworks. A CFIUS review that leads to restrictions or forced divestment could set a precedent affecting other projects with foreign backing, especially those entwined with stablecoin or financial data products. Final Take WLFI’s journey has been shaped as much by headline risk as tokenomics. Regulatory scrutiny and national security review processes amplify uncertainty in price discovery and investor trust. Unless WLFI can demonstrate robust governance, compliance, and independence from geopolitical pressure, its token price is likely to remain vulnerable to sentiment swings driven by political narratives as much as crypto fundamentals. In the high-beta world of crypto, uncertainty is volatility — and volatility is risk. The ongoing WLFI story underscores that in the evolving interplay between politics and digital assets, token prices may be as sensitive to headlines and regulatory inquiries as they are to market cycles. #TRUMP #MarketRebound #TrendingTopic
Bitcoin refuses to lose $70,000 this weekend. Was my $49k bottom call wrong?
Bitcoin is holding its ground this weekend. After Friday’s soft CPI rally, price keeps leaning into the same overhead zone around $70,300, and bids keep showing up above $65,000. That detail matters more than the stall. Last Sunday I framed $71,500 as the market’s checkpoint, the line that decides whether this bounce becomes a recovery or fades into another leg down. The logic stays the same, the level stays the same, and the market’s behavior underneath it looks different this time. Bitcoin already lived through the violent part of this story. The crash down toward $60,000 left a long wick and a long memory. Since then, price has clawed back into the low $70,000s, and every push higher has forced the same question, is this rally rebuilding structure, or is it simply giving traders a cleaner place to sell? The soft CPI print gave Bitcoin the kind of fuel it usually needs to test resistance with conviction. Price rallied, the chart brightened, and the market drifted into that familiar decision zone again. Now it’s Saturday morning, liquidity is thinner, and the candles look like they’re hesitating around $70,300. On paper, this is where weak bounces often unwind, especially after a macro headline move. In practice, Bitcoin keeps refusing to give sellers the easy follow through. That refusal is the setup. A market that wants lower prices tends to show it quickly on a weekend. It slips through shelves, it hunts stops, it revisits the wick, and it turns every bounce into an exit ramp. This weekend has a different feel, the pullbacks keep getting caught, and the floor around $65,000 keeps holding even as price struggles to clear the next ceiling. That kind of behavior fits a familiar phase in a damaged market, the part where price stops falling fast, starts moving sideways, and forces both sides to wait. It also fits the human side of this cycle. Traders remember $60,000 as the panic candle. Long term holders remember the speed of the drop and the silence that followed. Newer investors remember how quickly confidence turned into liquidation. When price holds above $65,000 after a CPI-driven pop, it gives the crowd something they rarely get after a shock, time. The weekend floor is the real story, and $65,000 has turned into a barometer Weekend price action strips markets down to their basics. The order book gets thinner, the headlines slow down, and the only thing that matters is whether buyers actually show up when the chart looks heavy. Right now, they are showing up. Bitcoin keeps pressing into the $70,000 area, it keeps bumping into $70,300, and it keeps backing off in slow motion. The important part sits underneath, each dip keeps finding support before it turns into a slide. That support is clustering around $65,000, and it is starting to feel like a line the market respects. That matters because the last major reference point beneath it is the wick low near $60,000. That zone carries the kind of emotional weight that turns small pullbacks into big reactions. When price hovers in the high $60,000s and low $70,000s, the market starts asking whether another wick revisit is coming.
When price holds through a weekend, the market starts asking a different question, whether the wick already did its job. A local bottom rarely arrives with a clean announcement. It usually arrives as a change in rhythm. The rhythm shift looks like this, sellers push, buyers absorb, and price stops traveling as far on each wave. The chart starts building a range instead of building fear. The market starts trading time instead of trading distance. That is why a stall at $70,300 can still read bullish in context. A stall becomes valuable when it comes with resilience underneath. It turns resistance into a pressure test. It also turns support into a living level that everyone watches in real time. It is also worth remembering how $71,500 fits into this. Last week, Bitcoin kept knocking on that door, and each attempt ran out of oxygen. This week, the market is hesitating earlier, which often shows up when sellers try to defend sooner, and buyers keep stepping in anyway. That dynamic can lead to a breakout later, and it can also lead to more sideways frustration first, especially when traders keep trying to front-run the move Sideways action has a strange reputation in Bitcoin, because people associate it with boredom. In reality, sideways often marks the most important negotiation in the whole move. It’s where leverage resets, where late sellers finally exit, where patient buyers accumulate, and where the market decides whether the next push has support behind it. If Bitcoin keeps holding $65,000 while continuing to probe $70,300, the chart starts to look less like a failed bounce and more like a base forming under resistance. That base does not erase the larger cycle debate, but it does change the near-term path. $71,500 remains the checkpoint, and $60,000 remains the scar tissue The market still has a clear hierarchy of levels. $71,500 remains the major checkpoint, because it has already rejected price multiple times since the crash. It is the line where traders decide whether the recovery has real acceptance above it, or whether the move stays trapped in the same band. $70,300 matters today because it is where the market is stalling right now. It is also close enough to $71,500 to act like a pretest, a place where sellers try to lean early, and where buyers get a preview of how crowded the ceiling is. $65,000 matters because it is the line Bitcoin keeps defending during thin weekend liquidity. It is the nearest shelf that keeps the chart from sliding into the emotional gravity of the wick. Then $60,000 sits below everything as the scar tissue level. That wick low created a shared memory, and shared memories create reflexes. Traders tighten stops, holders feel tension, and the market becomes jumpier the closer price gets to that zone. Bitcoin's sideways action reduces the immediate pressure from that memory. It also gives the market space to do something healthier, to trade sideways and rebuild structure. This is where the broader cycle story still matters, because a local base can form inside a bigger bearish framework. The market can carve out a range, squeeze shorts, reclaim a level, and still face deeper stress later in the year when liquidity shifts, when risk appetite fades, or when macro conditions tighten again. My $49,000 bear target still sits in that bigger picture. It remains a plausible destination later this year if the cycle continues to unwind and if risk drains out of the system again. That target belongs to the macro path, the kind of move that comes with fear returning, volatility expanding, and market plumbing showing stress. Levels to watch, and what “bullish” looks like from here This setup is simpler than it looks. A bullish read in the near term looks like continued range building, price holding above key levels, and repeated pressure on $70,300 that eventually leads to another attempt at $71,500. It looks like dips that get bought quickly, and it looks like sellers struggling to push the market into a deeper unwind. It also looks like patience. A range can last longer than people expect, especially after a violent move. It can chop up both longs and shorts, and it can frustrate anyone who needs a clean narrative. That frustration often becomes fuel later, because it shakes out leverage and rebuilds a healthier base. Here is the clean map for the week ahead. $71,500, the major reclaim line, acceptance above it changes the tone and opens the higher bands.$70,300, today’s stall point, a sustained push above it increases the odds of a fresh $71,500 test.$70,000, the psychological hinge, a level that often decides whether dips stay controlled.$66,900, the mid band shelf, where momentum often resets and where weak moves often fade.$65,000, the weekend barometer, a level that keeps the local bottom thesis intact while it holds.~$60,000, the wick low memory zone, a revisit would likely bring speed and emotion back into the chart.$49,000, the larger cycle bear target, a later-year destination if macro stress returns and risk unwinds further. What I’m watching when the market moves is also simple. Speed, does Bitcoin slice through resistance or grind into it. Follow through, does price hold above reclaimed levels long enough for acceptance to form. Reaction, does the market defend support aggressively, or does it give it up in slow motion. Saturday’s data point so far is clear. Bitcoin is stalling around $70,300, and it is holding above local lows through thin liquidity. That combination leans bullish for a local bottom and a sideways phase, because it suggests demand is active underneath, and sellers are running into absorption. The bigger cycle still has room for another painful chapter later this year. The near term chart is printing a quieter signal, resilience after a shock. Disclosure, this is market commentary, financial decisions require personal responsibility and appropriate professional guidance. #BTC #MarketRebound $BTC #TrendingTopic
XRP Weakens at $1.35 Support Despite CEO’s $1T Ripple Target
XRP price today trades near $1.3551, down 0.54% in the past 24 hours as the token tests critical support following a 33% decline over the past month. The move comes as Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told XRP enthusiasts the firm has the opportunity to reach a $1 trillion valuation, calling XRP the company’s “reason for existence.” Garlinghouse Targets $1 Trillion Valuation With XRP Focus Speaking at XRP Community Day, Garlinghouse said he’s convinced a crypto firm will eventually eclipse the trillion-dollar mark, a feat achieved by only a dozen companies including Nvidia, Apple, and Alphabet. Ripple, currently valued at $40 billion following a $500 million November funding round, would need to increase 25x to reach that milestone. “Ripple’s reason for existence is driving success around XRP and the XRP ecosystem,” Garlinghouse said, calling the token the firm’s “north star.” The comments come as Ripple focuses on integration rather than new acquisitions in 2026 after spending billions last year on Hidden Road, GTreasury, Rail, and Palisade. Despite the bullish long-term vision, XRP price remains 62% below its $3.56 all-time high from 2025, reflecting the disconnect between corporate ambitions and current market conditions. Open Interest Falls As Participation Declines
According to Coinglass, XRP’s open interest dropped 1.63% to $2.26 billion, while volume fell 18.53% to $4.01 billion. The decline in both metrics signals reduced trader participation following the recent drawdown from highs above $3.50. Long/short ratios remain elevated at 2.30 on Binance and 2.13 on OKX, showing that leverage still skews bullish despite the price decline. Top trader positioning shows $18.48 million in longs versus $12.91 million in shorts on 1-hour timeframes, indicating that accounts remain positioned for recovery. The drop in open interest suggests traders are closing positions rather than adding leverage at current levels. When OI declines alongside falling price, it typically indicates capitulation or reduced conviction. Without a reversal in participation metrics, rallies will lack the fuel needed for sustained moves higher. Price Breaks Below All Major EMAs
On the daily chart, XRP has broken below every major moving average. The 20-day EMA sits at $1.5495, the 50-day at $1.7613, the 100-day at $1.9641, and the 200-day at $2.1624. All four EMAs are stacked downward, creating a clear resistance ceiling. The chart shows: Price breaking below the descending trendline from July highsRSI at 32.11, approaching oversold conditionsSupport zone at $1.35 under immediate pressure$1.50 resistance zone now overhead XRP lost the $1.50 support that held through early February, opening the door to a retest of the $1.35 psychological level. A daily close below $1.35 would expose the next demand zone near $1.20, where the price found support during prior corrections. RSI approaching 30 suggests the market is nearing oversold conditions, but momentum indicators alone do not guarantee reversal without volume confirmation A close above $1.5495 would flip the 20-day EMA and signal the first sign of trend exhaustion. Until that happens, the structure remains decisively bearish, with each bounce representing a relief rally inside a corrective phase. Descending Channel Guides Intraday Action
The 1-hour chart reveals XRP consolidating inside a descending channel pattern, with price testing the lower boundary near $1.3509. Supertrend sits at $1.3934, acting as immediate resistance. MACD remains negative with all lines converging near zero, indicating weak directional momentum. The structure shows: Price trapped inside descending channelFailed attempts to break above channel resistanceLower highs forming since February 11 Buyers are attempting to defend the lower channel boundary, but sellers continue to reject rallies at the descending resistance line. A breakout above $1.3934 would flip the Supertrend and place $1.40 back in range. A breakdown below $1.35 would invalidate the channel pattern and trigger another leg down toward $1.30. The channel compression suggests an imminent move is approaching. Given the downward slope and repeated rejections at resistance, the path of least resistance remains lower unless buyers can reclaim $1.40 with volume. Outlook: Will XRP Go Up? The next move depends on whether XRP can hold $1.35 and reclaim the descending channel resistance. Bullish case: A bounce from $1.35 with a close above $1.40 and the channel resistance would shift momentum and place $1.50 back in range. Reclaiming $1.5495 confirms trend exhaustion.Bearish case: A breakdown below $1.35 exposes $1.30, with further downside toward $1.20 if selling accelerates. Losing $1.35 marks a new multi-month low. #xrp #TrendingTopic #bullish
Binance France Executive Targeted in Failed Home Invasion, Suspects Arrested
A senior executive at Binance France became the target of a coordinated home invasion attempt on February 12, as three masked suspects forced their way into a residential building in Val-de-Marne. Authorities said the group searched for the executive’s apartment while he was away. Although they failed to find him, the suspects later carried out a second violent attempt in another suburb before police arrested them in Lyon. The case has raised fresh concerns about security risks facing prominent figures in the cryptocurrency industry. Suspects Move Across Suburbs Investigators said the three men entered the Val-de-Marne building around 7 a.m. They first broke into another resident’s apartment while seeking directions. Consequently, residents faced an alarming start to their morning. The suspects then located the Binance France chief’s unit. However, they discovered the apartment was empty. Police sources indicated the group searched the residence and left with two mobile phones. Besides that limited theft, they failed to secure any other valuables. CCTV cameras later linked the suspects to a vehicle seen earlier that morning in the area. Second Attempt Turns Violent Significantly, the suspects did not end their actions in Val-de-Marne. Around 9:15 a.m., officers in Hauts-de-Seine received a report of masked men assaulting a woman in Vaucresson. Authorities said the attackers struck her with gun butts during another attempted home invasion. Additionally, investigators traced the stolen phones to the same address involved in the earlier break-in. Witness accounts suggested the group realized they had targeted the wrong residence again. Hence, they fled the scene quickly. Law enforcement agencies across multiple departments coordinated their response. The Paris Organized Crime Unit joined forces with regional police and transport officers. Arrest at Lyon Station Moreover, officers tracked the suspects through public transportation networks. Surveillance teams observed them board a train heading to Lyon. Authorities then alerted specialized units in the city. The Lyon intervention brigade intercepted the trio at Lyon Perrache station and placed them into custody. Officials described the operation as swift and coordinated. Consequently, police prevented further incidents that day. The investigation now continues under the direction of organized crime specialists. Authorities will determine whether the suspects acted independently or targeted cryptocurrency executives deliberately. #Binance #TrendingTopic
Binance completes $1B Bitcoin conversion for SAFU emergency fund
Binance completed the $1 billion Bitcoin conversion for its emergency fund, committing to holding Bitcoin as its core reserve asset. Binance purchased another $304 million worth of Bitcoin on Thursday, completing the conversion of $1 billion in Bitcoin for its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) wallet, according to Arkham data.
The fund now holds 15,000 Bitcoin, worth over $1 billion, acquired at an average aggregate cost basis of $67,000 per coin, Binance said in a Thursday X post. “With SAFU Fund now fully in Bitcoin, we reinforce our belief in BTC as the premier long-term reserve asset.” The last tranche of BTC came three days after Binance’s previous $300 million acquisition on Monday. The exchange first announced it would convert its $1 billion user protection fund into Bitcoin on Jan. 30, initially pledging a 30-day window for the acquisitions, which were completed in less than two weeks. The exchange said it would rebalance the fund if volatility pushes its value below $800 million. Crypto investor sentiment plunges to lowest levels on record The conversion comes as broader market sentiment remains deeply negative. Sentiment took another hit following Bitcoin’s brief correction below $60,000 on Feb. 5, plunging to five on Thursday — the lowest reading on record — signaling extreme fear among investors, according to data from alternative.me. The index is a multifactorial measure of crypto market sentiment.
The industry’s leading traders by returns, tracked as “smart money,” are also hedging for more crypto market downside. According to crypto intelligence platform Nansen, smart-money traders held a cumulative $105 million net short position in Bitcoin and were net short across most major cryptocurrencies, with Avalanche the only notable exception, recording $10.5 million in net long exposure.
Bitcoin’s correction also took a significant supply of tokens at a loss equivalent to 16% of Bitcoin’s market cap, marking the highest pain point seen in markets since the implosion of algorithmic stablecoin issuer Terra in May 2022, wrote Glassnode in a Monday X post. Yet in a silver lining to the correction, the market structure is showing early signs of stabilization, according to Dessislava Ianeva, dispatch analyst at digital asset platform Nexo. “Derivative positioning remains cautious. Funding rates are neutral to slightly negative, reflecting subdued leverage demand, while open interest in native BTC terms has returned to early-February levels, suggesting stabilization rather than a renewed expansion phase,” the analyst told Cointelegraph.
When will Bitcoin start a new bull cycle toward $150K? Look for these signs
Bitcoin price could still reach $150,000 by year-end, but several things must happen for BTC price to find its technical footing and spark a new bull run. Key takeaways: Bitcoin must hold the 200-week SMA and see new-investor flows turn positive.Sidelined capital must flow back into crypto, and the quantum threat needs to be addressed.More rate cuts from the Fed in 2026 will bring risk-on investors back to BTC.
Bitcoin must hold above this key trend line One condition that has consistently defined Bitcoin’s transition from bear markets to new bull cycles is the price action around the 200-week simple moving average (200-week SMA, the blue wave). Historically, this wave has acted as a magnet during deep drawdowns and a solid floor once selling pressure subsides.
In both 2015 and 2018, Bitcoin bottomed near the 200-week SMA before entering multiyear uptrends. The 2022 bear market saw BTC price briefly breaking below it, but the failure proved short-lived. Bitcoin holding above the 200-week SMA will reduce the odds of a prolonged, 2022-style capitulation, while keeping the path open for a new bull phase. Bitcoin’s new investor flows must return Another prerequisite for a sustained bull run is a reversal in new investor flows. As of February, wallets tracking first-time and short-term holders show roughly $2.7 billion in cumulative outflows, the highest since 2022.
In healthy bull markets, pullbacks attract fresh capital and accelerate participation. However, in the current market, the opposite is happening, according to IT Tech, a CryptoQuant-associated onchain analyst. “Current readings resemble post-ATH transitions, in which marginal buyers exit and price is driven by internal rotation, not net inflows,” the analyst wrote in a Tuesday post. In prior cycles, including 2020, 2021 and 2022, sustained bullish reversals only emerged once new-investor flows flipped decisively back into positive territory.
The same must happen in 2026 to make a strong bull case for Bitcoin. Bitcoin ETF net flows turned positive on Monday, which could be a first sign that these investor flows are starting to come back. Sidelined Tether must flow back into crypto Tether’s (USDT) share of the total crypto market has risen in recent weeks to test a familiar 8.5%–9.0% resistance zone. Rising USDT dominance means investors are parking money in stablecoins and avoiding risk. Falling dominance usually signals the opposite: capital rotating back into Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.
Since November 2022, clear pullbacks from this 8%–9% area have aligned with strong Bitcoin rebounds. One rejection was followed by a 76% rally over 140 days, while another preceded 169% gains over 180 days. A similar setup occurred from 2020 to 2022, when the key ceiling sat near 4.5%–5.75%. USDT dominance broke above that range in May 2022, and Bitcoin then fell by 45%, further reflecting the inverse correlation between the two. As a result, Tether dominance must fall to start a new Bitcoin bull run. Quantum fears must subside Another headwind to overcome for Bitcoin is the potential quantum threat. These are theories that future quantum computers could break Bitcoin’s cryptography, putting BTC wallets at risk. Some note that 25% of Bitcoin addresses are already at risk. Several security-focused sources frame this as a threat that is still far off in the future. For example, in November 2025, cryptographer and Blockstream CEO Adam Back said Bitcoin faces no meaningful quantum threat for “20 to 40 years,” adding the network can be “quantum ready” well before it becomes a real problem. Bitcoin Optech also noted that near-term quantum risk would be concentrated in edge cases, such as reused addresses, rather than the entire network at once. For Bitcoin to build a bull case in 2026, this threat must be addressed for buyers to regain confidence. Doing just that, Coinbase and Strategy have launched initiatives, bringing in experts and mapping out a roadmap for Bitcoin security upgrades.
More rate cuts by the Fed Bitcoin’s chances of re-entering a bull cycle in 2026 improve if the US Federal Reserve delivers at least two rate cuts next year, which is what CME futures pricing was currently implying as of February.
Lower rates generally reduce the appeal of yield-bearing assets like U.S. Treasurys, pushing investors to seek higher returns elsewhere. That shift tends to favor risk assets, including equities and cryptocurrencies. Donald Trump may push the new Fed chair for three rate cuts in 2026, according to Lee Ferridge, strategist at State Street Corp. Three rate cuts this year may further increase Bitcoin’s appeal among risk traders. #BTC #TrendingTopic
Yes, theoretically, you can imagine a chain of unbelievable coincidences, aggressive risk-taking, and pure luck. But in reality, that path almost always ends with a blown account long before any meaningful growth happens.
However, most people who enter this field genuinely believe they’ll be the exception. They’re convinced it will work out for them. Social media plays a big role in this — the way trading is presented: a glamorous lifestyle, freedom, expensive cars, travel, and supposedly all you have to do is press “buy” or “sell.” The answer — You can’t. It creates the illusion of simplicity. But the market isn’t a button. It’s ca ompetition.
Chasing massive returns, people start trading low-liquidity, questionable assets. They increase leverage, go all-in on their account, and ignore stop losses. Risk management turns into a myth told by some crazy guy on the street, and their mental state starts resembling that of the same person preaching about discipline. Every trade becomes a casino bet.
First comes excitement. Then euphoria from a random win. Then aggression after a loss. And finally — the urge to “win it back.”
And that’s exactly when the account starts melting the fastest.
💡 The truth is, a successful trader isn’t someone who makes 100x in a month. A successful trader is someone who earns consistently.
Generating 10–14% per month with proper risk management is an extremely strong result. Most professional fund managers don’t even come close to delivering that consistently over time.
With a $300,000 account — that’s a solid income you can live on. With $100 — that’s ice cream money. And that’s okay.
📌 Now the important part.
If you want to start trading and you have $300 — great. Set it aside. But treat it not as a “life-changing opportunity,” but as tuition.
A small account should not be a gambling tool. It should be a discipline-building tool. It should be a system-testing tool. It should be a habit-forming tool.
With a deposit like that, you learn to: • respect risk per trade; • accept losses calmly; • avoid increasing size after a loss; • stay out of the market when bored; • follow rules even when emotions scream otherwise.
📈 If you can’t trade $300 consistently and with discipline, you won’t trade $30,000 successfully either. Not only profits scale, but mistakes scale too.
❗ And if you quit your job with a $300 account to “fully dedicate yourself to trading,” you should probably go back.
Trading doesn’t like pressure. When you need to pay rent, cover loans, and buy food, you start making decisions out of fear instead of following your system.
And fear and the market are a bad combination.
First — stable income outside the market. Then — stability on a small account. Then — capital growth.