Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead. Grab a coffee and put the charts away because something unusual seems to be happening across crypto markets. Price swings, institutional whispers, and uneasy macro signals are blending into a narrative that traders are only beginning to fully grasp in real time. Crypto News of the Day: Rumors of Institutional “10 AM Dumps” Collide with Bearish Macro Warnings Bitcoin’s rec ...

Core Insights - Bittensor (CRYPTO: TAO) is a cryptocurrency that merges blockchain technology with artificial intelligence (AI), allowing developers to collaborate and train machine learning models [1] - Recent improvements in sentiment towards AI have positively impacted Bittensor, contributing to a 5.1% price increase over the past week [2] - Structural changes, such as a post-halving supply shock, have reduced daily emissions of TAO tokens, leading to increased staking and potential price volatility [4] Industry Trends - The AI sector is experiencing a bullish trend, with increased spending and positive investor sentiment driving interest in related cryptocurrencies like Bittensor [2][5] - A 34% increase in subnet usage indicates growing demand for Bittensor's network capabilities, suggesting that the market may not fully reflect the potential for future growth [5][6] - Despite a significant decline of over 50% in Bittensor's value this year, there are expectations for substantial upside in the coming months due to its scaling roadmap and ability to host more AI workloads [6]

Core Insights - Bitcoin and Ethereum experienced negative returns in 2025, but investor optimism for long-term growth remains strong [1][6] - The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) provide direct exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum, respectively, and are compared based on fees, returns, risk, and portfolio composition [2] Group 1: Cost & Size - Both IBIT and ETHA have an expense ratio of 0.25% and are equally priced [3] - As of February 14, 2026, IBIT has an AUM of $51.53 billion, while ETHA has an AUM of $6.29 billion, indicating a significant difference in scale [3] Group 2: Performance & Risk Comparison - Over the past year, IBIT had a return of -29.35% and ETHA had a return of -23.90% [3] - The maximum drawdown for IBIT was -49.36%, while ETHA experienced a larger drawdown of -61.57% [4] - A $1,000 investment in IBIT would have grown to $720, while the same investment in ETHA would have grown to $753 over one year [4] Group 3: Fund Composition - IBIT, launched on January 5, 2024, exclusively holds Bitcoin, while ETHA, launched six months later, exclusively holds Ether [5] - Both funds are characterized by high volatility and provide direct exposure to the cryptocurrency market [5] Group 4: Market Context - The negative performance of Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2025 marks the first annual decline since 2022, highlighting the volatility of the crypto market [6] - Despite ongoing investments from governments and institutions in the crypto space, the market is expected to experience fluctuations similar to the stock market [6] Group 5: Long-term Outlook - Historically, IBIT has increased nearly 40%, while ETHA has decreased by 41%, suggesting a potential advantage for IBIT in the long term [8] - IBIT is associated with a cryptocurrency that has greater institutional and governmental support compared to Ethereum [8]

Core Insights - Dogecoin has experienced a dramatic increase of over 34,000% in the past decade, but it is currently trading 87% below its peak in May 2021, raising questions about its future viability as an investment [1] Group 1: Dogecoin's Position in the Market - Dogecoin operates on its own blockchain network, making it a direct competitor to Bitcoin, which is the most valuable cryptocurrency [2] - The market capitalization of Bitcoin is approximately 88 times greater than that of Dogecoin, indicating a significant disparity in perceived value and legitimacy [3] Group 2: Investment Considerations - Investors should only consider adding Dogecoin to their portfolios if they believe in its potential for growth as a store of value and medium of exchange [3] - Without a belief in Dogecoin's future adoption, investing in it lacks rationale due to its absence of fundamental characteristics such as a large developer network and regulatory buy-in [5] Group 3: Community and Market Sentiment - The community of Dogecoin supporters is crucial for its relevance, but this support appears to be waning as prices decline, leading to concerns about potential capital flight to newer digital assets [6] - The volatility of Dogecoin may present short-term trading opportunities, but attempting to time the market is risky and could lead to losses [6] Group 4: Long-term Viability - The investment philosophy suggests buying assets that can be held for five to ten years, a criterion that Dogecoin does not meet, with expectations that its price may decrease in the future [7]

Core Viewpoint - Tether's stablecoin (USDT) is projected to surpass Bitcoin and Ethereum in market value, indicating a significant shift in the cryptocurrency landscape [1]. Group 1: Market Trends - The stablecoin sector has seen substantial growth, with a total market value exceeding $307 billion, marking an increase of nearly 50% since January 2025 [2]. - Despite a recent downturn in the broader cryptocurrency market, stablecoins continue to rise, with Circle's USDC, the second-largest stablecoin, increasing by over 30% year-on-year [6]. Group 2: Predictions and Projections - Analyst Mike McGlone suggests that USDT would need to grow sevenfold to surpass Bitcoin's current market cap of $1.3 trillion, while also predicting a decline in the values of Bitcoin and Ethereum [3]. - McGlone estimates that Tether could "flippen" Bitcoin when its market cap reaches around $10,000, which is below current trading levels [4]. Group 3: Industry Developments - The use of stablecoins is expanding beyond speculative trading, with companies like Deel allowing payroll funding through USDC, indicating a growing acceptance in various sectors [7]. - The acquisition of Bridge by payments giant Stripe for $1.1 billion highlights the increasing interest and investment in the stablecoin market [6].

Core Insights - Ethena-supported suiUSDe stablecoin has officially launched on the Sui mainnet, marking it as the first synthetic dollar on the network [1] - SUI Group has invested $10 million into Bluefin's Ember protocol to initiate the suiUSDe yield vault, which will provide stablecoin yields and attract both institutional and retail users [1] Group 1 - The launch of suiUSDe stablecoin represents a significant development for the Sui network [1] - The investment of $10 million by SUI Group into the Ember protocol indicates a strategic move to enhance the ecosystem surrounding the stablecoin [1] - The yield vault aims to generate returns for users, thereby increasing participation from various market segments [1]

Core Viewpoint - XRP has experienced a significant price decline of 31% over the past week, with a notable drop of 21% on February 5, attributed to a broader downturn in the cryptocurrency market [1][3]. Group 1: Price Performance and Market Conditions - The decline in XRP's price is not due to any issues with the cryptocurrency itself, its blockchain, or its issuer, Ripple [2]. - The overall crypto market is facing a malaise, exacerbated by investors pulling back from previously successful trades, particularly in AI stocks and precious metals [3]. - Geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges are contributing to the downturn, although cryptocurrencies were already struggling prior to these events [3]. Group 2: Investment Thesis - Despite the current market conditions, the long-term investment thesis for XRP remains valid, as it is still viewed as a strong fintech coin [4][5]. - Ripple is developing the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to serve as a low-cost and efficient platform for financial institutions, aiming to create an integrated system for managing on-chain capital and liquidity [6]. - The use of XRP within the XRPL ecosystem is expected to drive demand and potentially increase its price as users need to fund accounts and transact with XRP [6]. Group 3: Future Outlook - While the bullish case for XRP is strong, there are no guarantees that the price will stabilize in the near term, especially if macroeconomic sentiment continues to decline [7]. - Investors are advised to consider their risk tolerance, as further price drops could lead to panic selling [7].

Core Viewpoint - The cryptocurrency market is positioned for potential recovery, with traditional financial institutions beginning to adopt blockchain solutions, which may drive prices higher. Solana and Chainlink are highlighted as two cryptocurrencies that could benefit from this trend [1]. Group 1: Solana - Solana experienced a decline of 35.7% in 2025, ending the year at $124.52, but previously reached an all-time high of $293.31 in January [3]. - The current price of Solana is $86.82, with a market cap of $49 billion [4]. - Analysts predict that the stablecoin market could grow to $4 trillion by 2030 from over $300 billion currently, indicating a potential increase of over 1,000% [5]. - Solana's speed and low transaction costs position it favorably for on-chain transactions, and it ranks second to Ethereum in developer activity and total value locked, suggesting strong future growth potential [6]. Group 2: Chainlink - Chainlink finished 2025 down nearly 40%, closing at $12.19, with a current price of $8.80 and a market cap of $6.2 billion [7][8]. - The price range for Chainlink over the past five years has been between $5.30 and $52.70, indicating it is currently near the lower end of this range, which presents a strong rebound potential [8]. - As an oracle coin, Chainlink provides essential data for smart contracts, which are crucial for the functioning of decentralized applications. Increased demand for stablecoins may drive the need for reliable data sources, enhancing Chainlink's relevance [9]. Group 3: Market Context - The cryptocurrency market faced a significant shock in October 2025, with over $19 billion in leveraged positions liquidated, impacting market momentum [11]. - Recent legislative changes in 2025 have removed some barriers to adoption, suggesting a potential shift in market dynamics as traditional finance embraces blockchain technology [12].

Group 1 - The core idea is that XRP maintains a price floor due to the psychology of its holder base, which prefers to hold rather than sell during tough times [1][5][6] - XRP's holder base is characterized as patient, dedicated, and vocal, contributing to a positive investment environment [5][6] - There are over 7.5 million active wallet addresses holding XRP, indicating a broad distribution of ownership rather than concentration in a few large wallets [7][8] Group 2 - The share of wallets holding at least 1 million XRP has been increasing, suggesting that some holders are willing to wait for their investment thesis to materialize [8] - The community's enthusiasm and commitment to holding XRP are seen as important factors that support the asset's price stability over time [6][8] - The overall context of XRP's market performance should be considered alongside the positive attributes of its holder base [9]

Core Insights - The CEO of Bullish, Tom Farley, predicts a "massive consolidation" in the cryptocurrency industry, suggesting that the current market correction will act as a significant catalyst for this trend [1] - Farley emphasizes that many companies will realize they are not operating a business but merely holding a product, indicating a need for mergers and acquisitions to achieve scale [1] - He notes that the industry consolidation should have occurred one to two years ago due to previously inflated valuations, and the end of unrealistic valuation expectations will facilitate this process as the bubble bursts [1]