Crypto Market Rebounds: BTC, ETH Lead Gains as Altcoins Surge on Renewed Demand

I. Crypto Market Overview

Key Takeaways

Macro Environment

South Korea's KOSPI index hit a record high, signaling robust risk appetite that could support crypto inflows. The US Dollar Index strengthened to 97.844, typically pressuring BTC and DeFi liquidity. China's continued gold accumulation and surging ETF demand highlight a shift toward hard assets, potentially benefiting Bitcoin's store-of-value narrative.

Crypto Market

The crypto market rebounded over the past 12 hours, with BTC up 3.13% to $65,820 and ETH rising 4.35% to $1,907.56, driven by renewed spot demand and positive sentiment. Altcoins outperformed, led by Pippin (+10.00%), Monero (+7.43%), and Solana (+5.08%), as ecosystem activity and privacy narratives gained traction. Decred also advanced 4.91%.

Today's Outlook

Key events today include WEMIX CEO Shane Kim's live Q&A at 3 AM UTC and the Central Bank of Hungary's rate decision, expected to cut to 6.25%. These could influence market sentiment and liquidity, especially for regional and DeFi-linked assets.

Fear and Greed Index

86.00% Annual Percentile

11 Fear

Total Crypto Market Cap

$2.22T

0.68%

Total Market Trading Volume

$91.70B

20.16%

Altcoin Season Index

41.67%

Quarterly Percentile

34 / 100

Total Futures Market Open Interest

3.15B

1.18%

Futures

358.12B

4.57%

Perpetuals

II. Industry Updates

Macro-economic Policies

KRWQ stablecoin completed its first purchase of tokenized South Korean government bonds, enhancing collateral transparency and liquidity. This move may boost stablecoin credibility and increase DeFi liquidity in Asia.

The South Korean KOSPI index broke the 6,000-point barrier for the first time, reflecting strong equity market sentiment. This bullish momentum could support risk appetite and indirectly benefit crypto asset inflows.

China's gold reserves reached a record $369.6 billion in January, marking the 15th consecutive month of accumulation. This ongoing diversification may weaken USD dominance and support Bitcoin's long-term store-of-value narrative.

China's gold ETF demand surged 52% in five months, signaling rising investor preference for hard assets amid global uncertainty. This trend may drive parallel interest in Bitcoin as a digital alternative to gold.

The U.S. Dollar Index climbed to 97.844 as the euro weakened, indicating renewed dollar strength. A stronger dollar typically pressures BTC prices and reduces DeFi and NFT market liquidity.

Cryptocurrency Regulatory Trends

Crypto.com has received conditional approval for a U.S. National Trust Bank Charter, enabling it to offer federally regulated custodial services. This regulatory milestone enhances institutional trust and could drive greater institutional participation in the crypto market.

The White House has intensified negotiations on stablecoin yield restrictions in the CLARITY Act, proposing a ban on yields for idle stablecoin balances. This move aims to balance innovation with risk oversight and may impact stablecoin product offerings and investor returns.

KRWQ stablecoin completed its first purchase of tokenized South Korean government bonds, integrating sovereign debt into its collateral. This regulatory-compliant structure may boost transparency and set a precedent for stablecoin reserve management in Asia.

Bitcoin Depot now requires ID verification for all ATM transactions following regulatory pressure to combat fraud and scams. This compliance measure is expected to reduce illicit activity but may slow retail crypto adoption due to increased user friction.

U.S. authorities seized over $61 million in USDT linked to a crypto investment scam, highlighting ongoing regulatory enforcement against crypto-related fraud. Such actions reinforce market integrity but may raise compliance costs for legitimate platforms.

PIPPIN (PIPPIN): PIPPIN surged 9.08% in 24h, reaching a $0.808 price and $102.4M volume, driven by strong Solana ecosystem activity and AI narrative hype.

Monero (XMR): Monero rose 8.09% in 24h to $329.1, with $91.3M trading volume, as privacy coin demand increased amid broader market volatility.

Decred (DCR): Decred gained 4.82% in 24h, trading at $27.80 with $6.34M volume, supported by ongoing community governance and hybrid PoW/PoS security model.

Smart Money Movements

MicroStrategy acquired 592 BTC for $39.8 million at an average price of $67,286, bringing its total holdings to 717,722 BTC, valued at $46.65 billion.

Jane Street increased its stake in MicroStrategy by 473% last quarter, now holding 951,187 shares valued at $124 million, reflecting rising institutional interest in Bitcoin exposure.

13F filers sold Bitcoin ETF shares equivalent to approximately 25,000 BTC in Q4 2025, with advisory firms and hedge funds leading the sell-off.

A newly created wallet withdrew 325.58 BTC worth $20.78 million from Binance, highlighting ongoing large-scale on-chain transactions.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sold 11,284 ETH since February, totaling $22.78 million at an average price of $2,027 per ETH.

Events to Watch

Feb 25 (Wed)

WEMIX CEO Shane Kim holds a live Q&A session at 3 AM UTC; Central Bank of Hungary announces rate decision, expected to cut to 6.25%.

Feb 26 (Thu)

Bitcoin++ Exploits Edition kicks off in Florianópolis, Brazil, focusing on Bitcoin security and technical research.

Feb 28 (Sat)

Major token unlocks: Jupiter (JUP) releases $36M+ in tokens; Grass unlocks $9.33M; Sound Money Soirée 2026 supports Bitcoin education.

Mar 1 (Sun)

Crypto Expo Europe 2026 opens in Bucharest, gathering global Web3 leaders; White House sets deadline for stablecoin rewards dispute resolution; ZBCN final token unlock completes, shifting to deflationary model.

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