On February 20, 2026, Sam Bankman-Fried published a "10 Myths" thread from detention, asserting FTX was solvent and customers would receive 119–143% of their holdings. Critics dispute the math, noting claims are valued at the November 11, 2022 bankruptcy date, while court records show his November 2023 conviction and March 2024, 25-year sentence.

According to a recent analysis by Fortune, Bitcoin and Ethereum are enduring one of their toughest year openings on record, with Bitcoin about 46% below its all-time high and Ethereum roughly 60% under its peak. Since January, the S&P 500 is up approximately 0.4%, the Dow Jones has gained 2.3%, and gold and silver have advanced around 17% and 14%, underscoring a divergence from crypto.

The SEC's Division of Trading and Markets issued guidance on Thursday allowing broker-dealers to apply a 2% haircut to proprietary positions in certain payment stablecoins. Commissioner Hester Peirce said the change could enable brokers to expand activities involving tokenized securities and other crypto assets. Industry voices added it may reduce friction by aligning treatment with money-market funds.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the Executive Branch lacks authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. President Donald Trump criticized the decision and said he would seek "other alternatives" to restore tariffs. A 100% China tariff announced on Oct. 10, 2025 previously sent Bitcoin from about $122,000 to about $107,000 within minutes.

On 20 February 2026, a Bloomberg Research report highlighted that the Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index plunged to 5, a reading below past major shock episodes, even as the price held mostly between 65,000 and 70,000 dollars. While the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance and reduced expectations for 2026 rate cuts are pressuring risk assets, institutional investors continue to accumulate BTC through spot ETFs and DeFi exposure despite several weeks of fund outflows. Revenue-generating DeFi protocols such as Hyperliquid, PancakeSwap, and Uniswap have outpaced broader crypto benchmarks, pointing to a shift toward infrastructure- and income-focused projects.

The Central Bank of Russia signaled that foreign crypto platforms can operate if they set up locally registered subsidiaries and comply with national rules. Under the forthcoming framework, transactions must go through regulated intermediaries, with administrative liability for using unlicensed services from July 1, 2027. First regulated crypto trades are expected by the end of 2026.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $165.8 million of outflows on Thursday, lifting weekly withdrawals to $403.9 million. According to session data, year-to-date losses are nearing $2.7 billion as trading volumes fell about 21% to their lowest since late December. Analysts describe the start of 2026 as historically weak for the category.

Crypto assets climbed on Friday morning after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated President Donald Trump's broad tariff regime. Bitcoin rose 1.75% to about $67,769 as Ethereum hovered near $1,960 and Solana around $84; Coinbase and other crypto-exposed stocks also advanced. Analysts said a negative tariff ruling could weigh on Treasuries and the dollar while favoring risk assets.