According to PANews, investment bank Bernstein has released a new report forecasting that the cryptocurrency bull market will continue until 2026, driven by stablecoins and the tokenization of securities. The report also highlights that Robinhood's cryptocurrency trading volume could triple by 2026 compared to 2024. Currently, 60% of Robinhood's trading revenue comes from non-crypto assets such as stocks and options, while 40% is derived from cryptocurrencies. Bernstein anticipates this ratio will reverse between 2025 and 2026.

Odaily Planet Daily News Investment bank Bernstein released its latest research report, saying that the cryptocurrency bull market is expected to continue until 2026, and this growth will be driven by stablecoins and securities tokenization. Robinhood's cryptocurrency trading volume will reach three times that of 2024 in 2026. The research report pointed out that currently 60% of Robinhood's trading revenue comes from non-crypto assets (stocks and options, etc.) and 40% comes from cryptocurrencies. This ratio is expected to reverse between 2025 and 2026. In addition, Morgan Stanley has previously stated that the improvement of the US regulatory environment will enable Robinhood to "more actively participate" in the crypto business. Influenced by the good news, Bernstein nearly doubled Robinhood's target share price to $105. (DL News)

Odaily Planet Daily News: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States: Tesla recalls 376,241 vehicles in the United States. (Jinshi)

Odaily Planet Daily News: Security company SlowMist posted on the X platform that Tether has frozen 11 TRON addresses and 7 Ethereum addresses. It is speculated that the assets involved in the incident are as high as 2.1 million US dollars.

Top Interest of the WeekDespite the overall decline in the cryptocurrency market, some digital currencies are experiencing notable price surges. One such example is Alchemy Pay’s $ACH token. Recently, Alchemy Pay obtained an Electronic Financial Business registration in South Korea, building on its prior approval from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), which oversees compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations. This advancement in Alchemy Pay's real-world payment solution has captured the interest of investors, leading to a significant increase in its price accompanied by higher trading volumes.Official Trump ($TRUMP) has attracted significant interest within the trading community following its recent launch in the South Korean cryptocurrency markets. Additionally, the enthusiasm for $TRUMP has been heightened by favorable remarks from Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of BitMEX. This has resulted in a surge in trading volumes and price fluctuations as traders respond to the developments and speculate on the token's potential trajectory.Mantra ($OM) has surpassed market performance with a remarkable 32.2% increase last week. Recognized as a frontrunner in the Real World Assets (RWA) sector, Mantra has revealed its collaboration with the DAMAC Group, a prominent real estate company in the UAE, to tokenize a $1 billion portfolio that encompasses high-end properties and business investments. This project, scheduled to launch in early 2025, seeks to improve investment accessibility and market liquidity by transforming physical assets into digital tokens, thereby facilitating trading in a more efficient manner than conventional real estate methods.Overall MarketSource: TradingViewThe above chart is the BTC price in the daily candle chart at the log scale.In our previous update, our OTC desk provided an analysis of the projected trajectory for Bitcoin ($BTC). We emphasized the importance of rekindling bullish momentum for BTC to surpass the $100,000 threshold. Our team has been closely monitoring the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and other indicators to identify market direction signals.However, last week, BTC traded within a historically tight range, reflecting low volatility. While the S&P 500 index, representing the US stock market, reached new all-time highs, cryptocurrencies remained in a state of stagnation, awaiting a clear direction. On Tuesday, BTC's price fell below $93,500 during the US trading session, largely influenced by the underperformance of Solana ($SOL). The Solana network experienced a notable drop in on-chain activity following the LIBRA scandal involving Argentina's President, Javier Milei. Additionally, market sentiment around SOL turned negative due to a significant unlock scheduled for March. The annualized inflation rate for Solana rose 30.5%, from 3.6% to “4.7%, after the introduction of Solana Improvement Document 96 (SIMD 96). SIMD 96 proposed utilizing the total priority fees for network validators instead of burning half. As a result, the daily SOL burn rate decreased dramatically from nearly 18,000 SOL to just 1,000 SOL.Despite the downward pressure from Solana, Bitcoin has demonstrated resilience, managing to close above the $95,000 mark on the daily chart. Moreover, we have noticed a divergence between BTC's price and the RSI indicator, suggesting the possibility of upward momentum. With more US states embracing the Bitcoin reserve concept—Montana recently becoming the fourth state to advance a Bitcoin reserve bill to the House—we believe BTC's consolidation phase is approaching its end.We anticipate that BTC will soon reclaim the crucial $100k level and explore additional upside potential. Our outlook for BTC remains optimistic, and we continue to believe that the peak of this cycle will be reached by the end of March.Options MarketThe above table is the 25-delta skew on BTC and ETH options.The 25-delta skew is a crucial indicator in the options market, reflecting the pricing dynamics between call and put options. Currently, this skew reveals that BTC call options are consistently traded higher than their put options across all expiration dates. This trend is particularly pronounced for longer-term options, where the premiums for calls are significantly elevated. Such pricing behavior suggests that options traders are exhibiting a strong preference for calls, indicating a collective belief in the potential for BTC's price to rise. This inclination to purchase calls over puts implies that traders are more focused on capitalizing on upward price movements rather than seeking protection against potential declines.In our previous update, we highlighted that the implied volatility for BTC options has been hovering at historically low levels. This low-volatility environment presents unique opportunities for traders to long Vol, particularly those employing strategies like long straddles or strangles. In these strategies, traders buy both puts and calls simultaneously, positioning themselves to profit from any significant price movement, regardless of direction. The rationale behind this approach is that as volatility increases, the value of both options can rise, allowing traders to benefit from the market's fluctuations. Our team has specifically recommended a long BTC straddle paired with a short Ethereum (ETH) straddle. This strategy aims to exploit the volatility premium present in the BTC options market while simultaneously hedging against potential movements in ETH, with the assumption that the ETH/BTC pair remains stable.The prevailing bullish sentiment in the options market, coupled with the observed divergence in the BTC spot market as mentioned in the above section, leads our team to believe that bullish momentum for BTC is indeed gaining traction. This sentiment is further reinforced by the anticipation that once BTC surpasses the critical psychological barrier of $100,000, it could trigger a wave of buying interest and positive sentiment among investors. Such a breakthrough could not only validate the bullish outlook but also attract new participants to the market, potentially accelerating BTC's upward trajectory. As we continue to monitor these developments, we remain optimistic about the prospects for BTC, particularly in light of the current market dynamics and trader sentiment.Macro at a glance Last Thursday (25-02-13)Initial jobless claims in the US were reported at 213,000, which is below the anticipated figure of 217,000.In January, the US Producer Price Index (PPI) experienced a monthly increase of 0.4%, surpassing the expected 0.3% but down from December's 0.5% rise. This PPI data indicates that inflation in the US remains above the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%, reinforcing the Fed's cautious stance regarding interest rate decisions.Last Friday (25-02-14)The Eurozone is anticipated to experience a GDP growth rate of 0.9% annually in the fourth quarter of 2024, aligning with market expectations.In January, US retail sales decreased by 0.9% monthly, following a 0.7% increase in December. This figure was below the anticipated decline of 0.2%. Additionally, core retail sales fell by 0.4% month over month after a 0.7% rise in the previous month.The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model has revised its forecast for GDP growth in the first quarter to 2.3%, down from an earlier estimate of 2.9%.On Monday (25-02-17)Japan's GDP is anticipated to grow at an annual rate of 2.8% in the fourth quarter of 2024, significantly surpassing the economists' predicted growth of 1.0%.On Tuesday (25-02-18)The Reserve Bank of Australia has reduced its interest rate by 0.25% to 4.10%, marking the first decrease since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Nevertheless, the bank cautioned that it is premature to consider inflation under control and expressed caution regarding the potential for additional rate reductions.In the UK, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded an annual growth rate of 3.0% in January, re-accelerating from 2.5% in December.On Wednesday (25-02-19)Federal Reserve officials indicated in January that a further reduction in interest rates would only be considered if inflation showed a significant decline. As noted in the meeting minutes, they also voiced apprehensions regarding the potential effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on achieving this goal.Convert Portal Volume ChangeThe above table shows the volume change on our Convert Portal by zone. Last week, Bitcoin (BTC) continued to fluctuate within a historically narrow range, searching for a clear direction. The overall trading activity in the cryptocurrency market was subdued, reflecting a lack of compelling narratives, although there was notable interest in small-cap altcoins.In the Fan Token market, trading volume experienced a remarkable increase of 260.3% last week, primarily fueled by the strong performance of Juventus Fan Token ($JUV), which achieved a 33% gain in the past seven days.In the Polkadot ecosystem, trading volume rose by 72.1% last week, with Heima ($HEI) significantly contributing to this increase.In the Monitoring sector, trading volume grew by 59.5% last week, largely driven by heightened demand for ARK ($ARK) and TROY ($TROY).Why trade OTC?  Binance offers our clients various ways to access OTC trading, including chat communication channels and the Binance OTC platform (https://www.binance.com/en/otc) for manual price quotations, Algo Orders, or automated price quotations via Binance Convert and Block Trade platform (https://www.binance.com/en/convert) and the Binance Convert OTC API. Email: trading@binance.com for more information.Join our Telegram (https://t.me/BinanceOTC) to stay up to date with the markets!

A 74-year-old Malaysian businessman lost RM26.65 million (about US$5.87 million) in a cryptocurrency scam after being lured by a fake investment scheme through the UVKXE app. Police investigations revealed the scam involved multiple victims and over RM61 million (about US$13.42 million) in total losses.

21 February 2025Macro/TradFiThe European Central Bank (ECB) has unveiled plans to develop a blockchain-based payment system for financial institutions to settle transactions in central bank money, potentially paving the way for a wholesale CBDC.The Fed's January minutes show the FOMC prioritizing inflation progress before rate cuts, citing pressures from proposed tariffs and immigration policies, keeping rates at 4.25%–4.50%.Metaplanet acquired 68.59 BTC at an average price of ~US$96,335, reaffirming its bullish outlook on Bitcoin as it targets 10,000 BTC by year-end.The SEC is launching the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU) to protect investors from bad actors in crypto and AI.The SEC acknowledged 21Shares' proposal to allow ETH staking for its Core Ethereum ETF. If approved, the ETF could generate additional returns and pass them to investors.The SEC acknowledged spot ETF filings from CoinShares for LTC and XRP ETFs. It had previously acknowledged similar filings from 21Shares, Bitwise, Grayscale, and Canary Capital.Nasdaq has proposed Rule 5712 to allow the listing and trading of digital asset-based investment interests. The rule would cover securities issued by entities holding digital assets and commodity-based investment interests linked to cash, derivatives, or other sources.Utah's ‘Blockchain and Digital Innovation Amendments’ bill advanced to a Senate committee on Feb. 18, bringing the state closer to allowing its treasurer to invest public funds in Bitcoin.The U.S. Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick, a crypto-friendly nominee, as the 41st Secretary of Commerce. Lutnick has led Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm that has acted as a custodian for Tether.CryptoL1/L2:Bitcoin's market dominance has surged to around 60%, rising 5% in the past month and 12% over the past year, reaching a multi-year high.Ethereum’s 7-day average transaction fees hovered around US$1 over the past week, hitting a low of US$0.77 on Feb. 15. This marks a 70% weekly decline and the lowest level since July 2020.The Hyperliquid EVM (HyperEVM) went live, introducing general-purpose programmability to the network. Its initial mainnet release supports native spot HYPE transfers and HyperEVM-based HYPE transactions.DeFi:EigenLayer, Polymarket, and UMA are collaborating on research for a next-gen oracle system, potentially leveraging EigenLayer’s infrastructure, restaking mechanism, and EIGEN token.Stablecoins:Cross-border payments firm MANSA secured US$10M in a funding round led by Tether. MANSA provides on-chain liquidity services using USDT to facilitate cross-border payments.Others:AR.IO, an Arweave-based network focused on permanent cloud data storage, launched its mainnet and token generation event on 20 Feb. Nansen, citing on-chain data, found that as of Feb. 18, 86% of traders had collectively lost US$251M on the Solana-based LIBRA memecoin.Universal, a crypto project developing a new wrapped token standard, raised US$9M in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz.Latest Binance Research Publications Check out our latest publications:Monthly Market Insights - February 2025From Challenges to Opportunities: How DeSci Reimagines ScienceFull-Year 2024 & Themes for 2025Explore our Binance Research website for more project and macro research.For more frequent market updates and insights, follow us on Twitter @BinanceResearch.That’s a wrap!Binance ResearchAbout Binance Research: Binance Research is the research arm of Binance, the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange. The team is committed to delivering objective, independent, and comprehensive analysis and aims to be the thought leader in the crypto space. Our analysts publish insightful thought pieces regularly on topics related but not limited to, the crypto ecosystem, blockchain technologies, and the latest market themes.General Disclosure: This material is prepared by Binance Research and is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities, cryptocurrencies or to adopt any investment strategy. The use of terminology and the views expressed are intended to promote understanding and the responsible development of the sector and should not be interpreted as definitive legal views or those of Binance. The opinions expressed are as of the date shown above and are the opinions of the writer, they may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and non-proprietary sources deemed by Binance Research to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by Binance. This material may contain ’forward looking’ information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. This material is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell in any securities, cryptocurrencies or any investment strategy nor shall any securities or cryptocurrency be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. Investment involves risks.

Social media platform TikTok has implemented a fresh round of layoffs, letting go of at least a dozen employees in Singapore, effective immediately. According to The Straits Times, the job cuts are part of the company’s broader effort to streamline back-end operations globally and align with long-term growth strategies.

AI Agent, Daydreams, AI agent framework competition: Eliza, Rig, Daydreams, who is better? Golden Finance, Crypto-native AI agent framework guide.

Bitcoin mining revenue remained stable at around $1.4 billion in January, per a new TheMinerMag report by Head of rResearch, Wolfie Zhao. Network activity registered at 780 EH/s following a period in which the overall hashrate advanced from 642 EH/s in September to 779 EH/s in December. Public mining companies, responsible for roughly 35 percent […] The post Bitcoin mining revenue holds steady... source: https://cryptoslate.com/insights/bitcoin-mining-revenue-holds-steady-at-1-4-billion-as-public-miners-face-declining-market-share/

Analyst and trader Michaël van de Poppe is highlighting one crypto asset that could go up by triple-digit percentage points while updating his outlook on Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Van de Poppe tells his 775,600 followers on the social media platform X that the native token of the decentralized machine-learning network Bittensor (TAO) is […] The post Crypto Trader Michaël van de Poppe... source: https://dailyhodl.com/2025/02/21/crypto-trader-michael-van-de-poppe-says-one-ai-altcoin-to-explode-100-updates-outlook-on-bitcoin-and-ethereum/

Argentina’s Senate voted Thursday to scrap primary elections, delivering a major legislative victory to President Javier Milei just as he faces intense scrutiny over his role in a crypto rug pull that wiped $4.6 billion from the market last weekend. Senators voted 43 in favour and 20 against, with six abstentions, to cancel this year’s […] source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/argentinas-senate-hands-javier-milei-a-win-amid-crypto-rug-pull-scandal/

According to Foresight News, Tether has issued an alert indicating that it has recently frozen 11 TRON addresses and 7 Ethereum addresses. The reasons behind these actions have not been disclosed.

Some netizens in China had thought of a very creative way of using Artificial Intelligence(AI); to predict the winning numbers of tomorrow's lottery.

Thomas Smith withdrew his previous not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to fraud charges after months of legal battles. He faced charges of wire fraud conspiracy and securities fraud conspiracy, which carried the possibility of up to 45 years in prison.

At CPAC 2025, Elon Musk brandished a chainsaw from Argentina’s President Milei, calling it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy.” But was this a symbolic stand against government overreach or mere political theatrics?

The success factors behind Coinbase's strong financial report in 2024 and Robinhood's market expansion.

Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek, for the first time, is considering funding from external stakeholders. This change in direction has drawn the attention of major Chinese tech companies such as Alibaba and various other state agencies, according to Chinese news agencies The Information.

Meme, Crypto Market, Back to Fundamentals: Some Thoughts on the Meme Coin Narrative Golden Finance, Why is the Market Falling?

The SEC has replaced its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit with the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU), shifting focus from crypto fraud to broader cyber threats like AI-related crime. While crypto enforcement continues, it is no longer the main priority under the new leadership.