Analyst: Ethereum is currently experiencing a "narrative tension" between two narratives, with staking transforming the essence of an Ethereum ETF into a yield product
February 18 —
Ethereum has hovered around the $2,000 mark for weeks now, with market watchers noting this signals the network’s current struggle with a “narrative rut.”
Analyst Callan Sarre says: “For years, Ethereum’s core narrative has been straightforward: Layer 2 (L2) scaling, while the base layer remains lean and secure. Now that L2s handle billions in weekly transaction volume and fees are down 90%+, the question is: where does long-term value accrue?”
Markets are pushing for zero-knowledge (ZK) tech and privacy features closer to the base layer. “For traders clinging to old models, it feels like the ground is shifting beneath their feet,” Sarre adds.
Sarre highlights the tension between transparency and institutional demand: “Every Ethereum transaction is fully public today—something that doesn’t work for CFOs managing corporate treasuries or funds deploying nine-figure positions. To draw trillions in institutional capital, Ethereum must bake privacy into its protocol
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Stripe-Backed Stablecoin Infrastructure Company Bridge Granted Conditional Approval by US OCC
Bridge announced Tuesday (Feb. 18) that it has received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank. The greenlight lets Bridge National Trust Bank issue stablecoins, custody digital assets, and manage reserve assets under federal oversight.
This marks a key milestone for Bridge’s standing in the blockchain payments space, coming after its $1.1 billion acquisition by Stripe in 2024. Bridge noted the approval confirms its ability to build digital dollar products for businesses, fintechs, crypto firms, and traditional financial institutions within the federal framework.
Bridge added its systems already meet compliance standards outlined in last year’s GENIUS Act. While the OCC, Federal Reserve, and FDIC haven’t released specific implementing rules for the law yet, related processes are ongoing.
Bridge is among a growing number of firms developing stablecoin products within federal regulatory guardrails. La
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Mizuho Securities Initiates Coverage of BitGo with an "Outperform" Rating, Target Price Implies 70% Upside
February 18th
Despite a Tuesday drop in BitGo’s share price, Mizuho Bank maintained optimism about the institutional-grade crypto custody firm in its first-ever research report on the company.
Analysts Dan Dolev and Alexander Jenkins of Mizuho Bank labeled BitGo a “military-grade custodian,” pointing to its long-standing security track record and institutional client focus as key strengths in the fast-growing, competitive custody space. The report noted over 80% of BitGo’s revenue stems from recurring streams like custody and staking—rather than volatile trading—setting it apart from other crypto infrastructure firms.
The analysts assigned BitGo an “Outperform” rating and a $17 price target, implying nearly 70% upside from its current share price of roughly $10.15.
Mizuho forecasts revenue growth will accelerate as stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization boost institutional adoption.
Still, BitGo’s shares have fallen roughly 44% since its January listing on the New
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Analyst: Technicals and On-Chain Data Point to Bitcoin's Short-Term Downside Risk
Feb. 18: Bitcoin faces short-term downside risks, per analyst Yashu Gola, who cites both technical indicators and on-chain data.
**Technical Setup**: Bitcoin’s daily chart is forming a classic bear pennant. The pattern follows a sharp drop to the $60k region (the “flagpole”), with price now consolidating between converging trendlines—pressured by key moving averages and showing fading momentum.
**Key Levels**:
- A clear break below the pennant’s lower boundary could send Bitcoin tumbling to $56k in February (roughly a 20% drop from current levels).
- Conversely, a breakout above the upper trendline (~$72.7k, aligning with the 20-day moving average) would invalidate the bearish setup.
**On-Chain Data**: CryptoQuant figures show Bitcoin’s 7-day average Whale Inflow Volume Ratio has hit a record 0.619—well above its early-month 0.40 reading. The metric measures the share of total inflows from the top 10 transactions; a rise here typically signals growing whale selling pressur
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Kraken OTC Desk onboards with ICE Chat, becoming the first crypto platform to be granted access
February 18 — U.S. crypto exchange Kraken announced its over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk has officially integrated with ICE Chat, a messaging platform owned by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).
This means more than 120,000 banks, brokers, and trading firms across global financial markets can now directly connect with Kraken’s OTC team and access crypto liquidity through their existing trading workflows.
Kraken noted this makes it the first crypto platform granted access to ICE Chat, marking deeper integration of digital asset trading into traditional financial market infrastructure.
ICE—owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)—delivers data, clearing, and technology services to global financial markets. Over the past year, the firm has expanded its digital asset footprint: investing in prediction market Polymarket and crypto payment provider MoonPay, plus partnering with Chainlink to bring forex and precious metals data onto blockchain networks.
Post-integration, Krake
2 minutes ago
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