🗞️Crypto Daily | 19/02/2026

1. Crypto Market Developments
• Fear & Greed Index: 9 (Extremely Fearful)
Market sentiment remains in panic zone, reflecting high investor caution.
• Bitcoin (BTC): $66,857.38 (-0.7%)
BTC is slightly weakening, currently about 50% below the all-time high of $126,300 set last year.
• Ethereum (ETH): $1,969.75 (-0.7%)
While retail investors are selling off, major players like Arthur Hayes and the Bitmine fund associated with Tom Lee are believed to be leveraging the correction to increase ETH positions.
• Rare Bright Spot:
WLFI token related to the Trump family rises nearly 19% ahead of the crypto forum at Mar-a-Lago.
2. Global & Macro News
• Legal pressures in the US:
Brian Armstrong (CEO of Coinbase) criticizes banking lobbying groups for slowing down the passage of crypto market structure bills → Short-term instability increases.
• US economic data:
Investors await the Initial Jobless Claims report (19/02) to assess labor market health and Fed policy direction.
• Impact of AI & tech stocks:
Bitcoin continues to show correlation with the tech stock group. News surrounding strategic partnerships between Nvidia and Meta are affecting risk asset flows.
• Capital flow shifts:
Speculation arises that large corporations like Berkshire Hathaway may be restructuring their portfolios → The market expects some capital to shift into digital assets.
3. Notable Events & Forecasts
• ETH Denver 2026:
The major Ethereum community event officially kicks off, focusing on builders, Layer 2 solutions, and practical applications.
• Forecasts:
Standard Chartered lowers its BTC target for the end of 2026 to $100,000 (from $150,000) due to prolonged macroeconomic pressures.
Summary
The market remains in a strong defensive stance, with extremely fearful sentiment and narrow volatility.
BTC & ETH are slightly correcting, while speculative capital continues to seek opportunities in story tokens.