Relief Rally or Real Move?

DAILY MARKET OVERVIEW

Big Day, Same Story

👋 Hey, Crypto Enthusiasts! Altcoins finally caught a bid, but before we get too excited, let’s zoom out and look at what’s actually happening.

Bitcoin had a big day, jumping 11% from $62k, and most altcoins caught a ride higher along with it. NVIDIA also dropped a solid earnings report which helped push risk assets up across the board. SOL, ETH, UNI and a few other alts actually held up pretty well against BTC too.

ETFs were also a helping factor with a large $500m inflow for BTC and $150m for ETH.

That said, nothing has really changed when you zoom out. Most altcoin daily charts still look bearish, and this move feels more like a dead cat bounce inside a bigger downtrend than the start of something new. We're still sitting below key levels, and most coins are struggling to push through resistance rather than breaking out cleanly.

• Most alts are basically in the same boat, oversold, bouncing, and still trying to figure out where they're heading.

It's also worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. Yeah, a lot of alts are up nicely today, but they've actually been losing ground against Bitcoin for months, sometimes years. One or two good days doesn't fix that.

Looking ahead, Bitcoin's weekly RSI is still really oversold, which suggests there could be more upside coming into March. A retest of the $75k area over the next few weeks wouldn't be surprising.

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Ethereum Lays Out Long-Term Upgrade Vision

The Ethereum Foundation just shared a new long-term “strawmap” that outlines how the network could evolve through 2029.

The plan, introduced by researcher Justin Drake, sketches out around seven major upgrades, roughly one every six months. It’s not a fixed roadmap, but more of a guiding plan for where Ethereum wants to go.

The big focus is speed. 

• According to Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum could eventually cut block times from 12 seconds down to as low as 2 seconds, and reduce finality from about 16 minutes to potentially just seconds. In simple terms: faster blocks and much faster confirmations.

• Scalability is another key goal. The vision includes pushing Ethereum toward tens of thousands of transactions per second on Layer 1, and even higher throughput on Layer 2, using technologies like zero-knowledge proofs and better data handling.

• Security and privacy also matter. The plan includes moving toward post-quantum cryptography and adding native privacy features, like shielded ETH transfers, directly on the base layer.

There’s no fixed schedule yet, and this isn’t a promise of exact dates. Think of it as a direction of travel rather than a checklist. But the message is clear: Ethereum is aiming to become faster, more scalable, and more future-proof over the next few years.

NEWS OVERVIEW

The Latest Crypto Headlines 📰 

Circle Shares Jump 30% as USDC Gains Market Share
Circle stock surged after strong earnings, with USDC now nearing 50% of stablecoin transaction volume and onchain activity hitting $12 trillion.

Telegram Wallet Adds Yield for BTC, ETH and USDT
Telegram’s TON Wallet launched DeFi vaults offering onchain yield for bitcoin, ether and USDT, expanding beyond simple self-custody features.

Revolut Selected for UK Stablecoin Sandbox Trial
The UK FCA picked Revolut and three firms to test stablecoins in a regulatory sandbox, shaping upcoming national digital asset rules.

Vitalik Buterin Sells $35M in ETH for Long-Term Projects
Vitalik Buterin sold over 17,000 ETH to fund open-source initiatives, exceeding his previously outlined allocation while ETH prices climbed.

YOUTUBE INFLUENCER SUMMARY

Summary From The Top Influencers 📷️ 

CoinBureau – Wall Street Just Proved Bitcoin Is Not Digital Gold (The Data Is Terrifying) (26.02.2026 Summary)

Coin Bureau says Bitcoin just failed its biggest safe haven test. A surprise 15% global tariff hit markets, gold rallied, and Bitcoin dropped fast.

Key Points

• After the tariff announcement, BTC fell about 5% in hours, triggering heavy liquidations and wiping out leveraged positions.

• Gold surged while Bitcoin sank. BTC also moved closely with the Nasdaq, showing it trades more like a high-risk tech asset than digital gold.

• Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw billions in outflows, and some miners sold large portions of their reserves, adding supply pressure.

• Stablecoin growth slowed, suggesting less fresh capital entering crypto.

• Macro backdrop is tough: tariffs risk pushing inflation higher, which limits the Fed’s ability to cut rates. That is bad for risk assets like Bitcoin.

• Despite the panic, BTC is down roughly 40-50% from its highs, a range where it has historically recovered and made new all-time highs.

• Fear levels are extreme, similar to past major bottoms.

Final Takeaway
Short term, Bitcoin behaves like a risk asset tied to Wall Street, not a crisis hedge. Long term, extreme fear plus a typical mid-cycle drawdown could set up the next recovery, if history repeats.

Paul Barron – Epic Surge Incoming? (26.02.2026 Summary)

Paul Barron brings on trader Gareth Soloway to explain why crypto is pumping, and why he still thinks this is a tradeable bounce, not the start of a new bull market.

Key Points

• BTC: Flush to ~60K, big reversal candle, then tight consolidation, classic squeeze setup. Target 80K to 85K.

• Sentiment was extremely bearish, that often fuels short squeezes.

• Politics: no crypto mention was a relief, market feared worse.

• Bigger risk: he’s still bearish later if stocks roll over, flags private credit stress + AI bubble as catalysts.

• S&P 500: rounded top, institutions selling into retail buying, expects downside later.

• ETH: short-term breakout play, target 2.6K to 2.8K, heavy resistance. If BTC dumps, ETH could revisit ~1.5K.

• SOL: prefers SOL for speed, targets ~111 to 120.

• Other levels: SUI break ~1.03 then ~1.34 to 1.35, AVAX reclaim ~9.8 to 9.85 then ~11.35, XRP resistance ~1.60 to 1.95, big move above ~2.00.

• Friday summit headline risk, volatility into the weekend.

Final Takeaway
Trade the bounce, don’t marry it. Upside targets first, but he expects another bigger drop later if macro and stocks crack.

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