Core Insights - Bitcoin and Ethereum have both experienced a 30% decline in value over the past year due to high Treasury yields, expectations of slower monetary easing, reduced institutional interest, and leveraged liquidations [1] Group 1: Differences Between Bitcoin and Ethereum - Bitcoin utilizes a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, requiring significant energy for mining, while Ethereum transitioned to a proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanism in 2022, allowing for staking and the development of decentralized applications [2] - Bitcoin has a supply cap of 21 million tokens, with nearly 20 million already mined, and undergoes a "halving" every four years, enhancing its scarcity value [3] - Ethereum has a circulating supply of 121.6 million tokens without a maximum limit, with new tokens created through staking and excess tokens periodically burned to manage supply [4] Group 2: Investment Considerations - Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are considered more conservative investments compared to smaller altcoins, supported by their own spot price ETFs; however, Ethereum is favored for its clearer growth catalysts [5] - The Ethereum Foundation plans significant upgrades to enhance scalability, reduce network congestion and gas fees, and improve overall efficiency, which may strengthen Ethereum's position among developer-oriented blockchains [6]

（来源：吴说） 据华尔街日报，获赦免的 Binance 创始人赵长鹏自 2024 年出狱后首次返回美国，于 2026 年 2 月参加特 朗普家族支持的 World Liberty Financial 在 Mar-a-Lago 举办的加密峰会。赵长鹏与特朗普儿子 Eric Trump、Donald Trump Jr. 互动，并发布 X 帖表示 "学到很多"。峰会吸引 Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon、纽交所总裁 Lynn Martin、Kevin O'Leary、Coinbase 创始人 Brian Armstrong 及参议员 Bernie Moreno 等出席；Nicki Minaj 参与炉边谈话。 ...

Group 1 - The core development in the prediction market sector is the proposal of ETFs that could attract both institutional and individual investors, indicating a significant shift in the industry [1] - At least three ETF issuers, including Roundhill Investments, Bitwise Asset Management, and GraniteShares, have filed with the SEC to launch funds based on event contracts related to U.S. elections, highlighting the growing interest in prediction markets [1] - The proposed ETFs will hold event contracts that have binary outcomes, specifically betting on the results of the 2024 congressional elections and the 2028 presidential election, which could institutionalize prediction markets similar to how cryptocurrency funds have evolved [1] Group 2 - The popularity of prediction markets is increasing, prompting major derivatives firms like CME Group and Cboe Global Markets to explore offering event contracts to their clients, indicating a broader acceptance of these financial instruments [1] - The ETF filings currently lack detailed information regarding exchange usage and fee structures, which is typical in the early stages of the approval process, but they do outline unique aspects of the proposed ETFs, including settlement risks [1] - If election outcomes contradict the ETF strategy, significant losses could occur, as indicated in the filings, emphasizing the inherent risks associated with these investment products [1]

Key Takeaways A mysterious Hong Kong entity, Laurore Ltd., disclosed a $436 million stake in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT). Crypto industry leaders are speculating whether the structure could be a workaround for mainland Chinese investors. If Chinese-linked institutional money is quietly entering via offshore vehicles, it could boost long-term Bitcoin liquidity. A newly disclosed $436 million stake in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund has sparked speculation that capital from Chi ...

Core Insights - Bitcoin remains below $70,000, down approximately 23% year-to-date and 46% below its record close from October 2025 [1] - Ether's price is around $2,000, down about 33% year-to-date and 59% below its record close from August 2025 [1] - XRP, launched in 2012, was once a major cryptocurrency but has seen its market position decline [1] Bitcoin - Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency and has become a mainstream financial asset since its inception in 2009 [1] - The cryptocurrency is characterized by volatility but is also considered resilient [1] - Bitcoin's price has remained unchanged for the week, consistently below $70,000 [1] Ether - Ether operates on the Ethereum blockchain and was launched in July 2015, holding the second-largest market share among cryptocurrencies [1] - The price of Ether has decreased this week, hovering around the $2,000 mark [1] XRP - XRP was launched by Ripple in 2012 and was once among the larger cryptocurrencies [1] - The cryptocurrency has faced increased competition from newer coins in the market [1] Comparative Analysis - An index has been created to compare Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP, utilizing a logarithmic scale to illustrate relative percentage changes and long-term growth [1] - As of the time of writing, Bitcoin leads in price changes since November 9, 2017 [1] ETF Developments - On January 10, 2024, the SEC approved several spot Bitcoin ETFs from various issuers, including Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF and iShares Bitcoin Trust [1] - Spot Ether ETFs launched on July 23, 2024, from issuers such as Grayscale Ethereum Trust and Franklin Ethereum ETF [1]

By Vallari Srivastava and Laila Kearney Feb 19 (Reuters) - Southern Co raised its five-year spending plan by roughly 7% on Thursday as the major electric and gas utility in the U.S. South sells more electricity ‌to data centers and industrial manufacturers. U.S. utilities have invested heavily to upgrade electric grids as they face ‌extreme weather and growing demand from power-hungry data centers dedicated to AI and cryptocurrency, alongside a shift by homes and businesses toward electric ​heating and t ...

Core Insights - Southern Company forecasts annual profit below analysts' estimates and raises its five-year spending plan to support increasing power demands from large-load customers [1] Financial Performance - For the quarter ended December 31, Southern Company reported an adjusted profit of 55 cents per share, which is below the analysts' expectation of 57 cents [1] - Operating expenses increased by 14.7% during the quarter, while revenue rose by 10% [1] Spending Plans - Southern Company plans to spend approximately $81 billion from 2026 through 2030, an increase from its previous five-year plan of $76 billion [1] - The utility has contracted 10 gigawatts of large load customers, including major companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Compass Datacenters [1] Market Position - Southern Company serves 9 million customers and ranks as the second-largest utility in the U.S., operating in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia [1]

There is definitely no shortage of critics out there questioning the purpose of the entire cryptocurrency industry. However, that hasn't put off speculators that were bold enough to take risks and had the stomach to handle volatility to achieve monster returns. Just look at Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB). This meme token's price is up an unbelievable 97,000% in the past five years (as of Feb. 16). But it trades 93% below its record from October 2021. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just reveal ...

Group 1: Robinhood Markets - Robinhood operates an online trading platform targeting younger investors, holding nearly twice the number of millennial and Gen Z accounts compared to its closest competitor, Vanguard [5] - The company is gaining market share across various brokerage services, including cryptocurrency, equities, margin lending, and options, with its fastest-growing product line being prediction markets [6] - Robinhood is leveraging the AI boom with its investing assistant, Cortex, available exclusively to Gold membership users, aiming to provide advanced financial tools [7] - Despite a 50% decline in stock price due to reduced cryptocurrency transaction volume, Wall Street anticipates adjusted earnings to grow at 20% annually through 2027, making the current valuation of 36 times earnings reasonable [8] - The median target price for Robinhood among 28 analysts is $129 per share, indicating a potential upside of 72% from the current price of $75 [9] - Analysts Brian Bedell and Gautam Chhugani have set a target price of $160 per share, suggesting a 113% upside from the current share price [10] Group 2: Circle Internet Group - Circle is a fintech company known for minting stablecoins, particularly USDC, which is the largest fully compliant stablecoin in the U.S. and Europe [12] - The company generates revenue primarily from interest on reserve assets and has expanded into payments with the Circle Payments Network (CPN), which offers faster and cheaper cross-border payment solutions [13] - The stablecoin market is currently valued at approximately $315 billion, with projections suggesting it could grow to $2 trillion by 2030, indicating an annual growth rate of 45% [14] - Circle estimates that USDC circulation will increase by 40% annually, suggesting reserve income could grow faster than 30% annually, with total revenue potentially increasing more rapidly if CPN gains traction [15] - Wall Street forecasts revenue growth of 33% annually through 2027, making the current valuation of 5.8 times sales appear reasonable [16] - The median target price for Circle among 27 analysts is $107 per share, implying a 73% upside from the current share price of $62 [16]

“I own very little Bitcoin, but I’m watching it closely,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon revealed while speaking at the World Liberty Forum in Florida on 18 February 2026. I’m an observer of Bitcoin. While Solomon maintained that he owns minimal personal Bitcoin holdings, Goldman Sachs has been cautious in its institutional cryptocurrency strategy. But the bank’s expanding presence in the cryptocurrency sector has been evident. Recently, the bank relaunched its cryptocurrency trading desk and has been ac ...