Core Insights - Base, the Ethereum Layer-2 network developed by Coinbase, has experienced a significant decline in its total value locked (TVL), dropping from approximately $5.3 billion in January to around $3.9 billion, a decrease of $1.4 billion in recent weeks [1][2]. Group 1: TVL and Market Dynamics - The decline in TVL is a critical indicator of capital activity and developer confidence within blockchain ecosystems, although fluctuations are common among Layer-2 networks, especially during market rotations or liquidity shifts [3]. - As liquidity tightens, Base is facing heightened criticism from various stakeholders, including founders, investors, and Coinbase leadership, indicating a challenging environment for the network [3]. Group 2: Perspectives on Growth and Strategy - Jesse Pollak, the creator of Base, views the current situation as part of a typical growth cycle for rapidly scaling ecosystems, emphasizing that the remaining builders will shape the future of the network [4]. - This perspective aligns with the belief among infrastructure teams that initial growth often attracts speculative capital, followed by a consolidation phase before further development [5]. Group 3: Criticism of Strategic Direction - Some founders and investors argue that the challenges faced by Base are more strategic than cyclical, with specific criticism directed at the rollout of the Base App, which was perceived as misaligned with user needs [6]. - Investor Mike Dudas has echoed these concerns, noting that the Coinbase Wallet's strategic pivots have shifted its focus away from being a comprehensive on-chain hub [6].

The Ethereum price is down more than 5% over the past few days and has now slipped below a key short-term structure. On February 10, ETH fell under $1,980 after failing to hold a narrow rebound channel. This move followed a sharp decline in DeFi activity and weakening institutional flows. Yet, despite the pressure, large holders have started adding again. The question is simple: is this early accumulation, or just a temporary pause before another leg lower? Pattern Break Confirms Weak 'Big Money' Support ...

Core Insights - Despite a broad market downturn in crypto, decentralized finance (DeFi) has shown resilience with total value locked (TVL) remaining relatively stable, indicating ongoing interest in passive income opportunities [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - Major cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, XRP, and SOL have reached multi-year lows, with ETH experiencing a 21% decline over the past week [1] - Total value locked in DeFi decreased from $120 billion to $105 billion, marking a 12% decline, yet this performance outpaced the overall market [2] Group 2: Investor Behavior - Traders are seeking safe returns in a down market, preferring to hold assets and earn between 3% and 5% in passive income rather than actively trading [3] - Some traders are employing a delta-neutral strategy by staking ETH for yield while shorting the derivatives market to mitigate exposure [4] Group 3: DeFi Market Dynamics - The 12% drop in TVL is attributed to falling asset prices rather than a mass exit by yield farmers, with the amount of ether in DeFi increasing from 22.6 million ETH to 25.3 million since the start of the year [5] - Current on-chain liquidations are significantly lower, with only $53 million in liquidatable positions, compared to previous market downturns [6][7] Group 4: Sector Maturity - The DeFi market has matured compared to previous cycles, where it was the first to collapse during downturns, as seen in the 2022 Terra blockchain incident [8]

Core Viewpoint - Analysts at Standard Chartered have raised their forecasts for Ethereum, predicting it could reach $25,000 by the end of 2028, representing an upside of over 730% from current prices [1] Group 1: Market Dynamics - Despite recent disappointing performance, there are factors that could drive Ethereum's price significantly higher, including increased accumulation by treasury companies and a surge in interest in stablecoins [3] - Ethereum continues to attract the largest number of developers, which is a positive indicator for its future growth [3] Group 2: Total Value Locked (TVL) Analysis - Ethereum's TVL has grown over 350% since the end of 2020, from around $15 billion to almost $68 billion today, indicating a strong correlation between TVL and price [6] - For Ethereum's price to reach $25,000, its TVL would need to increase by 850%, translating to a target of approximately $650 billion [6] Group 3: Future Projections - The growth of the stablecoin and real-world asset tokenization markets could lead to significant funds moving on-chain, with estimates suggesting between $3.1 trillion and $6 trillion may transition in the next five years, potentially benefiting Ethereum [8] - A substantial increase in on-chain finances and Ethereum's continued dominance as the blockchain of choice are essential for achieving the projected TVL growth [9]

Accumulation and Investment Trends - Trend Research withdrew 20,850 ETH worth $63.28 million from Binance and borrowed an additional $40 million in USDT, indicating aggressive accumulation as Ethereum trades near $3,000 [1] - Easy Come Easy Go's institutional arm controls 601,074 ETH valued at $1.83 billion, having borrowed $958 million in stablecoins for purchases at an average price of approximately $3,265 per token [2] - BitMine Immersion Technologies staked an additional $780 million in ETH, bringing its total to $1 billion over two days, solidifying its position as the largest Ethereum treasury holder with 4.07 million ETH [4] Market Dynamics and Staking - Entry queues for Ethereum have surged to 745,619 ETH with a 13-day wait, while exit queues have dropped to 360,518 ETH, potentially easing sell pressure by early January [3] - BitMine's aggressive staking activity has led to the addition of 98,852 ETH in the past week, surpassing the 4 million ETH threshold in just 5.5 months [5] - Approximately 70% of the 5% of Ethereum supply that changed hands since July was absorbed by BitMine, offsetting a large unstaking event [6] Future Projections - Joseph Chalom, co-CEO of Sharplink Gaming, forecasts Ethereum's total value locked could rise tenfold by 2026, with stablecoin issuance targeting $500 billion and tokenized real-world assets reaching $300 billion [7] - Chalom predicts that sovereign wealth funds will increase their Ethereum holdings and tokenization exposure by 5 to 10 times over the next year due to competitive pressure among large allocators [8]

Ethereum’s total value locked could rise tenfold in 2026 as institutional participation deepens and new use cases gain traction, according to Joseph Chalom, co-CEO of Sharplink Gaming. Key Takeaways: Ethereum’s TVL could jump 10× in 2026 as institutions and tokenized assets move on-chain. Stablecoin growth toward $500B is seen as a major driver of Ethereum activity. Ether’s price remains weak despite improving adoption trends. The forecast comes as major financial firms expand their presence on p ...

Key Points Sui's overarching bullish narrative has been degraded in recent trading days. A mixture of macro and token-specific headwinds continue to outweigh bullish developments for this layer-1 network. Here's what investors need to know about today's decline in this top cryptocurrency. 10 stocks we like better than Sui › Sui (CRYPTO: SUI) is among the top layer-1 cryptocurrencies I continue to watch closely, given that I believe there's plenty of market share to be captured over time by networ ...

Core Insights - The Stellar (XLM) network is experiencing a significant increase in on-chain activity in December 2025, despite muted price movements, indicating potential positive fundamentals for a price recovery [1][2] On-Chain Activity - In December 2025, the number of operations on the Stellar network reached its highest level of the year, marking a notable increase in network activity [2] - Operations related to Payment or Path Payment indicate a strong flow of cash and assets, suggesting rising real-world demand and increased liquidity within the system [3] - Stellar Chain Transactions, which include asset transfers and smart-contract interactions, have shown a steady upward trend throughout the year, with a notable spike in December [4][5] Institutional Interest - US Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in the U.S., has begun testing stablecoin issuance on the Stellar network, which may attract retail interest and further boost network activity [5] Total Value Locked (TVL) - Stellar's Total Value Locked (TVL) reached an all-time high of over $179.18 million in December 2025, indicating that investors are locking more XLM into Stellar-based ecosystems despite the price not recovering [6][7] Price Action and Support Levels - XLM is currently at a critical support zone, with a weekly chart indicating a range of $0.24 to $0.195, which has held multiple times in previous market cycles [7][8] - Analysts view this support level as an accumulation opportunity for those anticipating a broader crypto recovery in late 2025 and early 2026, with a target range of $0.40 to $0.49 [8] Market Sentiment - There is a noted divergence between fundamental strength and price action, as seen with XRP, which has not rallied despite significant developments, suggesting that strategies like dollar-cost averaging or waiting for improved market sentiment may be prudent [9]

Hyperliquid Exchange Overview - Hyperliquid has a $41 million whale long position with a liquidation price at $23.7 [1] - Hyperliquid's TVL (Total Value Locked) has reached $1.36 billion [1] Market Performance - Hyperliquid's native token HYPE is down 30% this month, making it the worst performer in the top 50 [1] Trading Strategy Implications - Defending the $23.7 level could trigger short covering, potentially driving the price to $35+ [1] - Breaking the $23.7 level could lead to a cascade effect, potentially driving the price down to $15 [1] Fee Structure - Hyperliquid is offering zero fees on both perpetual futures (perps) and spot trading [1]

RT Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal)L1s are easy to launch, hard to scale.If they weren’t, metrics like 'application TVL' would look far more evenly distributed.Today, @ethereum has a ~$250B lead to the runner-up. https://t.co/C4E8a3efZR ...