President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is raising the global import tariff rate from 10% to 15%, effective immediately, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier "reciprocal tariffs" and fentanyl-related tariffs as unauthorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump is now invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows temporary tariffs of up to 15% on all imports for up to 150 days in cases of trade imbalance, a provision never previously used and requiring congressional approval for extension. The tariff applies to all global imports with potential exemptions for critical goods such as energy and key minerals, Trump said, adding that additional "lawful tariff measures" will be rolled out in coming months.

Vitalik Buterin converted 428.57 ETH into 850,178 GHO, ChainCatcher reports citing market sources. Since Feb. 2, he has sold a total of 7,386 ETH worth approximately $15.51 million at an average price of around $2,100 per ETH. The sources indicated he may continue these sales.

The cryptocurrency market is entering what analysts call "Altseason 3.0" as Bitcoin dominance weakens and capital rotates into major alternative assets, with large-cap volatility compressing and on-chain activity pointing to early accumulation, Crypto GEMs reported on February 19, 2026. Five assets—Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, Solana, and Shiba Inu—are being closely watched for potential short-term gains if broader momentum builds. Ethereum continues to anchor decentralized finance with network upgrades improving efficiency, while Litecoin has seen renewed transaction activity as low-fee transfers remain relevant; XRP shows rising on-chain volumes after regulatory clarity in several regions, and Solana maintains strong developer engagement with liquidity metrics indicating improving stability. Shiba Inu remains sentiment-driven but increasingly supported by evolving community-led utilities, analysts add.

A total of 403,404,817 USDC, worth $403,485,498, moved from one unknown address to another unknown address. No details on the counterparties were disclosed.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has raised over $20.6 million in its Phase 7 presale priced at $0.04, attracting more than 19,000 holders, CoinoMedia reports. The Ethereum-based lending protocol allows users to earn yield on deposits or borrow without surrendering ownership according to its whitepaper, with V1 live on Sepolia testnet, a completed Halborn Security audit, and a $50,000 bug bounty program. Onchain data show single whale allocations reaching $115,000, with token price set to rise from $0.04 to $0.045 when Phase 7 ends, according to CoinoMedia. XRP traded around $1.42 in February 2026 with an $86 billion market cap, facing resistance at $1.45, $1.60, and $1.81, with support near $1.30.

IoTeX disclosed on Saturday it is investigating unusual activity in one of its token safes after on-chain data showed a potential private key compromise, with estimated losses of about $4.3 million, analyst Specter said. The affected wallet lost multiple assets including USDC, USDT, IOTX, and wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), with stolen funds converted into Ether and roughly 45 ETH subsequently bridged to Bitcoin. IoTeX stated it is coordinating with major exchanges and security partners to trace and freeze addresses linked to the suspected attacker. Following the incident, IoTeX's native token IOTX fell over 8% in 24 hours to around $0.0049, CoinMarketCap data show, while security experts warned such breaches can trigger user withdrawals and lasting reputational damage.

Ethereum developers have scheduled a controversial upgrade for later this year. Vitalik Buterin said the change reinforces the network's cypherpunk principles.

Bitcoin is trading just below a concentrated short liquidity band between $69,000 and $70,000, which analyst Bitcoinsensus describes as a potential "liquidity magnet" that could support an upside move toward $70K. A 3-day liquidation heatmap shared by Bitcoinsensus on Feb. 20, 2026 shows heavy short liquidity stacked near $69K–$70K, with price action grinding upward and compressing beneath this cluster. Clearing these shorts could spark a breakout if buying pressure and momentum increase above the $69,000–$70,000 range, the analyst noted.

Five cryptocurrency exchanges are allegedly helping Russia evade sanctions and filling the gap left by Garantex, Elliptic reports. The blockchain analytics firm said the platforms have emerged as alternatives occupying the space previously associated with Garantex. Elliptic characterized the exchanges as stepping into a role linked to the sanctioned entity while being connected to Russia's sanctions circumvention efforts.