Ethereum outlined a draft "Strawmap" extending upgrades through 2029 to evolve into a high‑performance Gigagas network with lower latency and faster finality. The plan explores erasure coding and P2P changes alongside a BFT‑style finality path. As of late February 2026, ETH hovered near $2,066 after a 6.5% rebound, while sentiment remained volatile.

On 24 February 2026, Bitcoin slipped under the key $63,000 mark while spot Bitcoin ETFs logged six straight weeks of net outflows. Investors pulled $203.8 million from these products on 23 February alone, with BlackRock's IBIT driving more than half of the day's redemptions as Bitcoin trades well below its October 2025 peak.

Cardano’s ADA has fallen over 22% in the last month and is struggling to hold the $0.27 level, even as its allocation in Grayscale’s Smart Contract Fund has been raised to 20.34%. This repeated increase since January 2026 has strengthened ADA’s position as the fund’s third-largest holding, while on-chain metrics show falling MVRV and Open Interest that often appear near market bottoms. Over the next 45 days, major technical upgrades and the planned launch of the Midnight privacy chain by the end of March could reshape sentiment around the asset.

In the final week of February, Bitcoin ETFs recorded $315.9 million in outflows, with $303.5 million leaving BlackRock's IBIT, while Grayscale's BTC Mini ETF drew $36 million in fresh capital. Over the same period, Ethereum ETFs swung from a $48.6 million inflow to a $130.1 million outflow, but Solana products attracted consistent inflows, peaking at $6 million on 19 February. A new Active Crypto ETF plan from T. Rowe Price, announced on 17 February, highlighted growing institutional interest in a broader basket of digital assets.

According to market data cited in the article, Bitcoin’s value has dropped from $1.76 trillion to $1.34 trillion, with its price near $68,000 and about $420 billion erased in a few weeks. While BTC is still attracting nearly 60% of total crypto investment, capital is shifting toward gold, stablecoins, and fast-growing prediction markets, raising doubts over Bitcoin’s long-term role.

In late 2025, Bitcoin climbed to a record $125,000 before sliding to about $66,888, marking a drawdown of nearly 46% amid growing fear and weakening demand. By February 2026, network data, ETF flows and falling active addresses showed a market dominated by risk reduction and uncertainty rather than strong retail participation.

An early Bitcoin-era investor moved 261,024 ETH, valued at about $543 million, to Binance while Ethereum traded near $2,089.30 after a 0.89% daily uptick. Despite this, the holder still controls over 808,000 ETH worth roughly $1.66 billion, as technical indicators, ETF flows, and declining derivatives open interest point to ongoing weakness in Ethereum’s market structure.

Bitcoin-focused stocks like MSTR, ASST, and GLXY have recorded daily gains of about 7%–9%, even as their monthly performance remains sharply negative. Despite Bitcoin trading near $70,400, indicators such as RSI, MACD, and ETF flows show weak institutional conviction following the December 2025 crash and large unrealized losses.

As Japanese interest rates climb and U.S. liquidity conditions tighten, Bitcoin has been reinforcing its position as a macro asset, trading at $70,681 after a 3.03% daily gain alongside a 2.03% rise in gold to $4,966.26 per ounce. Cathie Wood of ARK Invest argues that AI-driven "agentic commerce" is pushing blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into core financial infrastructure, encouraging institutions to use gold for stability and Bitcoin for growth and innovation. Even as short-term volatility and a decline in active Bitcoin users persist, rising market dominance near 59% and growing institutional participation are reshaping its traditional boom-and-bust cycle.