Swyftx lead analyst Pav Hundal said on Thursday that Ether has already absorbed much of the short-term macro risk and industry news, making a period of subdued, sideways price action likely. He argued that confidence is still recovering from October's $19 billion liquidation cascade and that weak consumer sentiment, reflected in an "Extreme Fear" reading on the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, remains a key overhang even as large holders like BitMine Immersion Technologies keep adding to their Ether positions.

Crypto analytics firm Santiment reported on Thursday that the number of wallets holding at least 100 Bitcoin has climbed to 19,993 and could reach 20,000 by Friday. The firm views the growth in large holders as a sign of healthier distribution, even as Bitcoin trades around $67,260, roughly 47% below its October all-time high of $126,100. Santiment added that long-term holders appear to be both accumulating and selling, helping keep prices subdued despite rising confidence in a potential recovery.

In the week of Feb. 15–22, US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $165.8 million in outflows on Thursday, bringing weekly redemptions to $403.9 million and pushing year-to-date losses to $2.7 billion, while trading volumes fell 21%. Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich rejected accusations that the firm delayed or obscured disclosures around its Bitcoin purchases, options strategy and BTC-backed borrowings. The period also saw fresh debate on stablecoin rewards in US Senate negotiations and ongoing discussions over quantum risks, with Bitcoin developer Matt Corallo arguing that such fears do not explain Bitcoin’s recent 46% drawdown.

Robinhood head of crypto Johann Kerbrat said in an interview that many users view the ongoing market pullback as a chance to "buy the dip" and are trading a broader range of assets beyond Bitcoin and Ether. He noted strong traction for staking since Robinhood introduced the feature in December and increased interest in DeFi use cases, even as overall sentiment remains in "Extreme Fear" and U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs log several weeks of net outflows.

Economist Timothy Peterson said 50% of Bitcoin's past 24 months were positive and argued this implies an 88% chance the asset will be above its current level by December. BTC traded at $68,173 at publication, while Polymarket odds put November at 18% and December at 17% for 2026's best month, and the Fear & Greed Index registered 9.

Santiment reported on Friday that retail calls for Bitcoin to reach $150K–$200K, and even $50K–$100K, are drying up, framing the pullback in hype as a healthy sign as sentiment returns to neutral. Bitcoin fell to near $60,000 on Feb. 6 and was around $67,847 at publication, while the Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered a score of 8 in "Extreme Fear" on Saturday.

Macro analyst Lyn Alden said on a podcast published Thursday that an eventual peak in AI stock valuations could redirect capital into Bitcoin, which is still well below its October all-time high. She argued Bitcoin requires only a small influx of new demand to move higher, with long-term holders providing a price floor even as short-term traders exit.

On-chain analytics platform Parsec confirmed in an X post on a Thursday that it will shut down after operating for five years, with CEO Will Sheehan citing a misalignment with the industry's evolving focus. The firm, backed by Uniswap, Polychain Capital and Galaxy Digital, had concentrated on DeFi and NFTs, segments that have seen lower leverage and weaker sales volumes compared with prior peaks.

Bitcoin developer Matt Carallo told the Unchained podcast on Thursday that quantum-computing fears are not behind Bitcoin's latest slide, arguing Ether would be outperforming if they were. He noted Ether is down 58% since early October and around $1,957, while Bitcoin has fallen 46% from its October high of $126,100 to about $67,162.