Bitcoin’s 45% Collapse Doesn’t Mean It Failed, Bitwise’s Matt Hougan Says

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is seeing a debate over its true identity, with Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan argueing that critics are missing the bigger picture.

Bitcoin’s ‘Identity Crisis’

Bitcoin has fallen more than 40% from its peak amid broader market uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, with no clear catalyst driving crypto prices higher.

The debate now centers less on price and more on purpose. If Bitcoin is not clearly the best hedge, payment system or speculative vehicle, what exactly is it?

A report by Bloomberg noted that geopolitical tensions and U.S. dollar weakness would typically strengthen the “digital gold” narrative.

Instead, investors have poured billions into…

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Tom Lee: Bitcoin’s 50% Drop Is A ‘Crypto Squall,’ Not A Winter

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee called Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) 50% drawdown a “crypto squall” rather than a structural collapse, arguing technology and crypto sectors could revive as tariff uncertainty lifts.

The Squall vs. Winter Thesis

Lee told CNBC on Friday that Bitcoin’s decline stems from macro shocks, not fundamental weakness in blockchain networks. 

He pointed to parabolic growth in Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) daily transactions, accelerating tokenization, and Wall Street integration as evidence the market is expanding.

“Crypto suffers mainly because gold has done so well, attracting risk appetite away from speculative assets,” Lee said. 

“There’s no leverage in crypto, and those…

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XRP Stuck Below $1.50: What Is Going On?

Despite a 30% drop over the past month, technical and on-chain data suggest XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) may be nearing a potential rebound zone.

CryptocurrencyTickerPriceMarket Cap7-Day TrendXRP(CRYPTO: XRP)$1.41$86.2 billion-6.3%Bitcoin(CRYPTO: BTC)$66,273.24$1.32 trillion-5.3%Ethereum(CRYPTO: ETH)$1,920.41$231.8 billion-4.9%

Trader Notes: XRP has followed what trader Charting Guy described as a textbook Fibonacci structure.

Price rejected at the golden pocket, found support at the 0.236 level, rallied into the 1.236–1.272 extension zone and is now completing a healthy retest of the golden pocket.

A full retracement of the prior rally appears unlikely, with price more likely to stabilize near…

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Strategy (MSTR) Makes 100th Bitcoin Purchase, Adds 592 BTC

Strategy has completed its 100th bitcoin acquisition since adopting the cryptocurrency as its primary reserve asset in 2020, purchasing 592 BTC for roughly $39.8 million at an average price of $67,286 per coin.

The purchase was funded through the sale of 297,940 shares of its Class A common stock via its at-the-market offering program between February 17–22, generating $39.7 million in net proceeds, according to a company statement. 

Including this latest acquisition, Strategy now holds 717,722 bitcoin, acquired for an aggregate $54.56 billion at an average price of $76,020 per bitcoin, making it the largest corporate bitcoin treasury in the world.

The company still has $37.4…

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Missouri Advances Legislation For A State Bitcoin Reserve

Missouri House Bill 2080, introduced in January by Representative Ben Keathley, has been referred to the House Commerce Committee, where it awaits a public hearing and committee vote. The measure would create a “Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund” for the state.

It would authorize the treasurer to acquire, hold, and manage Bitcoin under defined statutory guidelines.

The proposal follows a failed 2025 effort by Keathley, whose prior bill stalled in committee and did not reach a floor vote. This year’s version arrives with revised committee placement and a more structured custody framework.

Under HB 2080, the state treasurer would be permitted to accept gifts, grants, donations,…

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Bitcoin At $66,000, Ethereum, XRP Dogecoin Drop Over 1%

Bitcoin climbed back above $65,000 after liquidations of over $500 million triggered a drop to $65,000 on early Monday morning.

Bitcoin ETFs saw $88.04 million in net inflows on Friday, while Ethereum ETFs reported $17.21K million in net inflows.

The meme coin sector fell about 2% over the past 24 hours to a market capitalization of $34.16 billion.

Trader Commentary:

Crypto trader Jelle said bear markets typically take time to fully unfold and urged patience. His approach is to gradually dollar-cost average into Bitcoin at lower levels and increase exposure once the broader structure turns bullish.

Michael van de Poppe described the move as a typical Monday liquidity sweep below recent lows….

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Bitdeer ($BTDR) Sells All Bitcoin After Eight-Week Drawdown

Bitdeer Technologies has fully liquidated its corporate bitcoin treasury, reporting zero BTC held as of Feb. 20 and completing an eight-week drawdown from roughly 2,000 BTC at 2025 year-end.

In its latest weekly production update, the Singapore-based miner disclosed that it produced 189.8 BTC during the period and sold the entire amount. It also offloaded its remaining 943.1 BTC in reserves in a single week, wiping out its balance sheet holdings. The figures exclude customer deposits.

The move marks a sharp break from the traditional public miner strategy of accumulating bitcoin as a treasury asset. With the liquidation, Bitdeer becomes the largest publicly traded miner by self-mining…

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Arthur Hayes’ Crypto Portfolio Beyond Bitcoin, Ethereum: One Bet Has Crashes 55% YTD While Another Climbs 13% – Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) (ARCA:BTC)

Arthur Hayes, Chief Investment Officer at Maelstrom Fund, gave details of his investment portfolio on Sunday, including two cryptocurrencies showing starkly different year-to-date performances.

Hayes Spotlights Crypto SelectionsZEC And HYPE: A Story Of Contrasts In 2026

Notably, ZEC and HYPE have diverged sharply in 2026. While ZEC has plunged up to 55% year-to-date in 2026, HYPE has surged 11% over the same period.

It’s worth mentioning that ZEC was one of the market’s biggest gainers in 2025, returning over 550% amid widespread corrections in leading cryptocurrencies.

Hayes had earlier described ZEC as “Bitcoin with complete privacy” and predicted that the token would rally to…

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Jack Dorsey’s Block Gears For Q4 Earnings: Analyst Expectations, Key Technical Signals, Price Targets And All You Need To Know – Block (NYSE:XYZ)

Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) will release its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2025 after the closing bell on Thursday. Here’s what investors should know before the announcement.

Earnings Expectations

Analysts estimate the fintech company to report earnings of 49 cents per share, down from 71 cents in the same quarter of the previous year.

Block is expected to report a quarterly revenue of $6.32 billion, up nearly 5% year-over-year.

The company’s stock had a consensus price target of $79.89 based on ratings of 39 analysts. The three latest ratings from Cantor Fitzgerald, Macquarie and Citigroup yield an average price target of $73.33, pointing to roughly 37.30% upside potential.

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