In February 2026, long-term Bitcoin holders increased their positions by 212,000 BTC while the asset traded in a sideways range, following a significant capitulation phase in late 2025. Institutional demand also picked up, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recording a weekly net inflow of $787 million even as they closed the month with a $206 million net outflow. Strategy Inc. reported several Bitcoin purchases in February and early March, lifting its holdings to 720,737 BTC. Technical indicators, including a bullish MACD crossover and a 5.3% weekly price advance to around $67,325, point to a potential move toward $70,000.

Tom Lee, co-founder and Head of Research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, told CNBC's Squawk Box that he expects a broad rebound in both crypto and stock markets starting in March 2026. He projected the S&P 500 could climb to 7,700 by year-end and reiterated a Bitcoin target of $200,000–$250,000, alongside an Ethereum rally toward $7,000–$9,000 by early 2026. Lee's outlook, which highlights AI-driven productivity and strong corporate earnings, has drawn skepticism from some social media users who point to his historically bullish calls.

On February 28, Morgan Stanley filed with the OCC for a de novo national trust bank charter, aiming to operate as a regulated crypto custodian and later offer trading and staking. If approved, the bank would join BNY Mellon and Fidelity in custody services while pursuing a self-custody wallet and multiple spot ETF plans.

Cardano launched USDCx, a native stablecoin collateralized 1:1 with Circle's USDC via the xReserve smart contract. On February 27, 2026, Circle said USDCx on Cardano is available via xReserve. IOG will cover bridge fees for the first 10 days. ADA traded at $0.2775, down 2.87% over the past day.

Vitalik Buterin has presented eight Ethereum Improvement Proposals for the Glamsterdam hardfork scheduled in the first half of 2026, targeting scalability, user experience and stronger security including quantum resistance. The upgrade introduces changes to block building, gas costs and state management, while paving the way for parallel block verification and lower gas fees. Ahead of Glamsterdam and the subsequent Hegotá hardfork, ETH was trading at $1,919 after dropping below the $2,000 level, with institutional inflows and several firms holding ETH as a treasury asset.

The White House is moving to accelerate Senate consideration of the Clarity Act, which passed the House in 2025 but has since stalled after Coinbase Global withdrew its support. President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking a meeting with senior banking and cryptocurrency executives, as well as hosting discussions on stablecoin yields, while the broader crypto market remains under bearish pressure. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching and a pro-crypto administration in place, political backing for the bill is seen as a potentially positive signal for digital asset sentiment.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis has teamed up with Senator Ron Wyden to introduce the bipartisan Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, seeking to shield blockchain developers from money transmitter licensing rules. The Senate’s Clarity Act markup has been postponed to the last week of January, with officials signaling that final details are still being negotiated ahead of expected regulatory changes and a potential crypto market shift in 2026.

Zcash traded at approximately $574 on November 14, marking a 16% gain over the prior 24 hours. Bitcoin led a broader market selloff during the same period, reducing total cryptocurrency market capitalization by 2.3% to around $3.22 trillion. Institutional acquisitions of the privacy-focused token have reached 203,775 ZEC, valued at roughly $50 million.

Ethereum dropped more than 11% on Tuesday, briefly touching $3,060 before recovering to around $3,206. The decline marked ETH's steepest weekly fall since April 2025, with leveraged market liquidations exceeding $655 million—mostly from long positions.