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24 Feb 2026, 21:29

Bitwise's Hunter Horsley says AI Is ‘unstoppable freight train’ for crypto, while Haun’s Monica urges caution

As artificial intelligence races ahead, some crypto executives believe it could become the force that finally pushes blockchain infrastructure into widespread use. Others aren’t convinced the leap is so straightforward.

24 Feb 2026, 21:00

Cardano Gains Institutional Momentum as Smart Contract Fund Exposure Surges

Institutional investors are improving exposure to smart contract platforms amid ongoing market volatility, with Cardano (ADA) increasingly becoming a central focus. Recent portfolio adjustments by major crypto asset managers suggest long-term positioning is gaining priority over short-term price movements. Related Reading: Strategy Makes 100th Bitcoin Purchase, Total Holdings Reach 717,722 BTC Digital asset manager Grayscale Investments has steadily increased its allocation to Cardano’s ADA token within its Smart Contract Fund, signaling growing institutional interest in the network’s evolving ecosystem and infrastructure strategy. Institutional ADA Allocation Expands Despite Market Weakness Grayscale’s latest rebalancing shows ADA accounting for roughly 20.2% of the Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index (SCPXC), up from about 18.55% at the start of the year. The increase makes Cardano the third-largest holding in the fund, behind Ethereum and Solana, which each command allocations above 28%. The fund maintains diversified exposure across several smart contract networks, including Hedera, Avalanche, and Sui, while managing approximately $1.8 million in assets under management with a net asset value of $5.81 per share. The rising allocation comes amid macro-driven pressure on crypto markets, with risk sentiment weakening across major tokens. Despite the downturn, institutional positioning suggests investors are reassessing long-term blockchain infrastructure plays rather than reducing exposure entirely. Cardano-LayerZero Integration Strengthens Ecosystem Outlook Alongside institutional accumulation, Cardano (ADA) has introduced technical developments to expand its interoperability. The network recently integrated with LayerZero, enabling cross-chain messaging and asset transfers across more than 80 blockchain networks. The upgrade allows dApps on Cardano to interact directly with ecosystems such as Ethereum and Solana, addressing long-standing liquidity fragmentation challenges. Developers can now move assets and data across chains without relying heavily on wrapped tokens or centralized bridges, potentially widening DeFi access. Additional roadmap initiatives, including protocol upgrades, privacy-focused sidechains, and stablecoin integrations, are designed to improve scalability and attract institutional-grade use cases over the coming year. Price Structure Remains Fragile Near Key Support While institutional signals have strengthened, ADA’s market structure remains under pressure. The token is trading around $0.25 after a prolonged downtrend from January highs around $0.42. Analysts are closely monitoring the $0.24 level, a long-standing demand zone that has historically attracted buyers during periods of heavy selling. Related Reading: CZ Eyes Binance US Expansion Following Withdrawal Of SEC’s Lawsuit – Report Technical indicators remain cautious, with resistance forming near the $0.30–$0.31 range. A sustained move above that zone could shift short-term sentiment, while a breakdown below support may expose lower historical price areas. Cover image from ChatGPT, ADAUSD chart on Tradingview

24 Feb 2026, 20:50

Meta plans to launch its stablecoin by second half of 2026

Meta Platforms is reportedly getting ready to bring dollar-backed tokens to over 3 billion users by working with an outside company. The move comes four years after the tech giant’s Libra project fell apart when regulators stepped in. Meta sent out requests to other firms for help setting up payments that use stablecoins and building a new digital wallet, three people familiar with the plans revealed on Tuesday. The company wants to get things running by the early second half of 2026. Stripe looks like the main partner for this. The payments firm bought stablecoin company Bridge last year for $1.1 billion and already works closely with Meta. Stripe boss Patrick Collison got a seat on Meta’s board in April 2025. This time, Meta is doing things differently. Rather than making its own digital token, it plans to use stablecoins that already exist through a partner company. Someone who knows about the plans said Meta wants some distance from running things directly. Getting this done would give Meta a way to let billions of people make payments without paying the steep fees banks charge. That puts Meta up against Elon Musk’s X and Telegram, which both want to turn into super apps with built-in payments. Libra had similar goals for WhatsApp messages and shopping on Facebook and Instagram. Libra collapsed under regulatory pressure in 2022 Meta rolled out Libra back in 2019 as new money for Facebook, WhatsApp, and other sites. Big names like Uber and PayPal were going to help launch a stablecoin tied to multiple regular currencies. But Congress wasn’t having it. Meta was already in hot water over the Cambridge Analytica mess, and lawmakers didn’t trust a tech company running currency. The Libra group backed off in 2020 and tried pivoting to different stablecoins for different currencies instead of one global token. The whole thing, renamed Diem by then, got killed in early 2022 before it ever went live. Meta sold what was left to Silvergate Bank. People who worked on Libra went off and started crypto businesses. David Marcus launched Lightspark for Bitcoin payments. Others built blockchains named Aptos and Sui using computer code Meta had written called Move. Things look different with regulators now. President Trump put his name on the GENIUS Act, which gave stablecoin companies their first real legal standing in America and let new players jump in. Regulators are still figuring out the nitty-gritty rules, though. The time matters here. The GENIUS Act gives stablecoins a legal home they didn’t have when Libra was around, but the full regulations aren’t done yet. Meta wants to launch second half of 2026. The GENIUS Act doesn’t actually kick in completely until January 18, 2027, or 120 days after banking regulators finish writing their rules, whichever comes first. That timing probably drove Meta to use partners instead of doing this alone. Going through Stripe and Bridge keeps Meta out of a regulatory mess while the government is still writing the rulebook. Meta hired crypto executive to explore stablecoins Signs of Meta’s renewed interest showed up last year. Fortune reported in May 2025 that five sources said Meta was talking to crypto companies about using stablecoins for paying people. Meta brought on Ginger Baker as a vice president that January. She’d worked at Plaid and sits on the board running the Stellar blockchain. Meta contacted crypto infrastructure firms in early 2025 for what were still early talks. The conversations centered on what stablecoins do well compared to regular money: getting payments to people in other countries without paying huge transfer fees. Someone at a crypto infrastructure company said that Instagram might use stablecoins for paying creators small amounts, like $100, in different countries, which costs way less than using dollars. They said Meta was still learning and would probably work with multiple stablecoins instead of just one, like Circle’s USDC . Two other crypto executives said they’d talked early on with Meta about paying people. Circle brought Matt Cavin over in March 2025 from blockchain gaming company Immutable to handle talks with Meta and other big tech firms, one source said. Cavin’s LinkedIn says he runs tier-1 strategic partnerships, but doesn’t name who. Meta has spent more than a year poking around stablecoins, but now it’s apparently rushing to launch before the rules it needs are actually finished. The GENIUS Act says payment stablecoins have to come from regulated outfits like state money transmitter licensees or trust banks. The tokens need proper reserves, public info on how to redeem them, and monthly reports from accountants showing the reserves match what’s out there. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

24 Feb 2026, 20:13

Arweave (AR) price prediction 2026-2032: Will AR recover soon?

Key takeaways Arweave’s price prediction anticipates a high of $5.5 by the end of 2026. In 2029, AR will range between $8 and $13.44, with an average price of $11.96. In 2032, Arweave (AR) could reach a maximum price of $32. Arweave (AR) is a unique cryptocurrency that underpins a decentralized, permanent data storage solution, setting it apart in the blockchain space. As Arweave’s ecosystem continues to grow, interest in its price trajectory has increased among investors and analysts alike. This price prediction explores potential future movements of AR, considering factors like market trends, technological advancements, and overall crypto market sentiment. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for those looking to invest or engage with Arweave’s long-term vision of decentralized, permanent data storage. Overview Cryptocurrency Arweave Ticker AR Current price $1.87 Market cap $122.38M Trading volume $19.43M Circulating supply 65.45M AR All-time high $90.94 Nov 05, 2021 All-time low $0.2988 Jan 31, 2020 24-hour high $1.89 24-hour low $1.82 Arweave price prediction: Technical analysis Metric Value Volatility (30-day variation) 21.97% (Extremely High) 50-day SMA $2.95 200-day SMA $4.57 14-Day RSI 30.47 (Neutral) Sentiment Bearish Fear and greed index 8 (Extreme Fear) Green days 9/30 (30%) Arweave price analysis TL;DR Breakdown AR dropped about 40% and is now holding steady around $1.78, a key support level. Buying pressure is slowly improving, but the price is still below the $1.97 resistance level. If AR falls below $1.78, more downside is likely. AR/USD 1-day chart On the daily timeframe for February 24, AR is trading at $1.874, up +1.02% on the session, attempting to stabilize above the $1.72–$1.78 support band after a multi-week decline from the $3.00 region, marking roughly a 38–40% drawdown from the recent high. The coin’s price rejected lower levels near $1.78 and printed a small recovery candle, but it still trades below the key resistance cluster at $1.97, $2.13, and $2.19. AR/USD 1-day chart by TradingView The structure remains corrective rather than impulsive. The bounce from around $1.78 is constructive, yet bulls must reclaim $1.97 to confirm short-term strength; otherwise, this is just a relief rally inside a broader downtrend. A daily close above $2.13 would shift momentum meaningfully and open room toward $2.44, while losing $1.78 exposes $1.72 and potentially a deeper capitulation leg. The MACD is curling upward with the histogram turning positive, signaling fading bearish momentum, but the signal lines remain below zero, meaning the trend hasn’t fully reversed yet. Arweave 4-hour price analysis On the 4-hour chart, AR sits at $1.869, marginally positive (+0.11%), and is trading below the Alligator moving averages, which are still fanned downward, confirming short-term bearish control. However, the recent sequence shows higher lows forming off the $1.82–$1.84 area, suggesting accumulation rather than continuation breakdown. AR/USD 4-hour chart by TradingView The RSI has rebounded to 40, recovering from near-oversold levels around 30, indicating bearish pressure is easing but not yet bullish. Immediate resistance lies at $1.89–$1.92 (aligned with the moving averages). A decisive break above $1.92 would likely trigger momentum toward $1.97, while failure here increases the probability of another sweep toward $1.82. The short-term trajectory is attempting a base, but confirmation requires reclaiming the moving average cluster. Arweave technical analysis: Levels and action Daily simple moving average (EMA) Period Value Action SMA 3 $2.72 SELL SMA 5 $2.38 SELL SMA 10 $2.12 SELL SMA 21 $2.05 SELL SMA 50 $2.95 SELL SMA 100 $3.42 SELL SMA 200 $4.57 SELL Daily exponential moving average (EMA) Period Value Action EMA 3 $2.36 SELL EMA 5 $2.70 SELL EMA 10 $3.12 SELL EMA 21 $3.40 SELL EMA 50 $3.73 SELL EMA 100 $4.26 SELL EMA 200 $5.42 SELL Arweave price analysis conclusion AR is in a broader corrective phase but is trying to form a local bottom around $1.78–$1.82. Momentum is improving, yet structure remains fragile until $1.97–$2.13 is reclaimed. If support holds, a relief push toward $2.10–$2.20 is probable. If $1.78 breaks, expect accelerated downside. Is Arweave a good investment? Arweave can be a good long-term investment for those with a higher risk tolerance. Its focus on permanent decentralized storage sets it apart from other crypto projects. However, it remains high-risk due to market volatility, competition, and adoption challenges. Will AR reach $50? Yes, Arweave (AR) reaching $50 is realistic, especially in a strong crypto market cycle. Will AR reach $100? AR has already reached about $90 during the 2021 bull market, so $100 is technically achievable again in a future bull run, but not guaranteed. It would require strong market momentum, widespread adoption of its decentralized storage solutions, and continued ecosystem growth. Does Arweave have a good long-term future? Arweave has strong long-term potential due to its unique focus on permanent decentralized storage and a growing ecosystem, especially with the launch of its AO computing platform. Its fixed token supply and adoption by major Web3 projects like Solana and The Graph strengthen its investment case. However, real-world usage, regulatory risks, and competition from other storage protocols remain key challenges. Recent news/opinion on Arweave Arweave daily update Your daily dose of Arweave, February 24th @_merdikim shares AOForm fork @ar_io_network celebrates anniversary @theelixyne wins Out of Context week 5 Plus: A UDL crash course featuring @OurBazAR and @wofi_ai Get the details 👇 pic.twitter.com/pFN0GysUCn — Only Arweave (@onlyarweave) February 24, 2026 Arweave price prediction February 2026 In February 2026, Arweave’s price may drop to a minimum of $1.6. The expected average value might be $1.82, with a maximum price of $3.51. Month Potential low ($) Potential average ($) Potential high ($) Arweave price prediction February 2026 1.6 1.82 3.51 Arweave price prediction 2026 In 2026, the price of Arweave is predicted to reach a minimum level of $1.53. Traders can anticipate a maximum price of $5.50 and an average trading price of $3.82. Year Potential low ($) Potential average ($) Potential high ($) Arweave price prediction 2026 1.53 3.82 5.50 Arweave price predictions 2027-2032 Year Minimum Price Average Price Maximum Price 2027 $4.20 $5.90 $7.84 2028 $6.00 $8.66 $9.92 2029 $8.00 $11.96 $13.44 2030 $11.20 $16.13 $17.92 2031 $14.40 $20.45 $22.40 2032 $17.60 $25.17 $32.00 Arweave price prediction 2027 The Arweave price prediction for 2027 suggests a minimum value of $4.20. AR’s price could reach a maximum price of $7.84 and an average forecast price of $5.90. Arweave price prediction 2028 Based on the Arweave price forecast for 2028, the digital asset could reach a maximum price of $9.92, an average price of $8.66, and a minimum price forecast of $6.00. Arweave price prediction 2029 The 2029 Arweave price prediction suggests that the AR tokens will trade at a minimum price of $8.00, an average price of $11.96, and a maximum price of $13.44. Arweave price prediction 2030 Arweave’s price forecast for 2030 suggests that the digital token could trade at a maximum value of $17.92 and a minimum price of $11.20. The average price of an AR token could be $16.13 within this period. Arweave price prediction 2031 The Arweave price forecast for 2031 expects AR coin to trade at a minimum price of $14.40, an average price of $20.45, and a maximum price of $22.40. Arweave price prediction 2032 According to the Arweave price forecast for 2032, AR could reach a maximum price of $32.00 and a minimum price of $17.60. The average trading value of the AR token is expected to be $25.17. Arweave price prediction 2026 – 2032 Cryptopolitan’s AR price prediction Our predictions suggest that Arweave could achieve a high of $5 in 2026. In 2029, AR will range between $8 and $10, with an average price of $8.7. Arweave (AR) might record a maximum price of 20 in 2032 if the bulls back the token. Arweave market price prediction: Analysts’ AR price forecast Firm 2026 2027 Digitalcoinprice $2.46 $1.13 Changelly $6.56 $1.78 CoinCodex $1.88 $1.60 Arweave historic price sentiment Arweave (AR) price history by Coingecko Arweave (AR) ‘s price fluctuated significantly from 2020 to 2024, reflecting its evolving position in the cryptocurrency market. Arweave started at $0.52 in late 2020, rose to $8-$10 in 2021, and peaked at an all-time high of ~$80 later in 2021 during a market boom. The price experienced a sharp correction in 2022, declining to $30-$40 as the market cooled. Arweave stabilized in 2023, trading between $10-$20, reflecting a period of consolidation. By early to mid-2024, Arweave experienced another price spike, reaching $40, but eventually settled at around $26.5. In August 2024, the price reached $27.37, but dipped to $13.27 in October. AR closed gained some momentum in December and closed the year at about $19. 2025: Extended consolidation phase. In 2026, AR is trading near long-term support levels.

24 Feb 2026, 18:28

The ‘Next-Generation Trading Chain’: BNB Chain Eyes 2026 Optimization Following Strong Ecosystem Momentum

After a defining year for the ecosystem, the BNB Chain is stepping up its efforts to build on its 2025 momentum and continue scaling its performance, execution capacity, and infrastructure strength amid sustained usage growth. Related Reading: Bitcoin Positioned For More Pain Following Weekly Close Below This Critical Level BNB Chain 2025 Technical Outcomes Pave The Way On Monday, the BNB Chain shared its Tech Roadmap 2026, outlining plans to continue operating at a large scale while supporting sustained growth across trading activity, stablecoins, and real-world assets (RWA). The roadmap noted that 2025 was a “defining year” for the ecosystem, with major milestones achieved without downtime. As they explained, the BNB chain focused on reliability, speed, cost efficiency, and fairness as the four core technical priorities of the year. “These goals translated into tangible network outcomes,” the BNB Chain affirmed, highlighting a 40.5% increase in total value locked (TVL), a 150% year-over-year (YoY) growth in daily transactions, a surge in trading volume and stablecoin market capitalization, and reaching the highest daily active users across blockchains. A recent report by CoinDesk Research pointed out that the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) leads the pack in stablecoin annual growth, soaring 133% YoY. The BSC significantly contributed to the surge in DEX volume, with its annual DEX trading volume surging by over 100% in 2025. The network also overtook Solana and Ethereum in daily volume during peak periods, capturing nearly 30% of the total DEX market share at one point. Meanwhile, the BNB Chain also led in app revenue growth YoY, increasing 48%. At the protocol level, the roadmap emphasized that BNB Chain’s performance improvements were driven by four major hardforks, which reduced block time from 3 seconds to 0.45 seconds and finality from 7.5 seconds to 1.125 seconds, while doubling network bandwidth to 133 million gas per second. Following these changes, the network has “consistently handled up to 5 trillion gas used per day, equivalent to approximately 238 million native transfers.” Meanwhile, gas Price dropped roughly 20 times, from 1Gwei to 0.05Gwei. Building The ‘Next-Generation’ Trading Chain Now, the BNB Chain is working on multiple network optimizations in 2026 to establish the BSC as a “highly optimized EVM trading chain.” It seeks to achieve 20,000 transactions per second (TPS) with sub-second finality, further reduce gas fees through software optimizations, and push finality deeper into sub-second territory with advanced consensus and network latency improvements. The BNB Chain plans to make enhancements for a “performance-optimized” EVM execution engine. These include a new execution engine “focused on best-in-class single-core performance using register-based interpretation and AOT/JIT techniques,” and “conflict-less parallel execution during block chasing using EIP-7928 (BAL).” The network is also planning to redesign storage systems for parallel-friendly access and continue developing middleware to reduce complexity for advanced applications, such as a privacy framework and an AI agent framework. In addition, the BNB Chain shared a long-term plan to design the “next-generation trading chain to support extreme performance requirements” between 2026 and 2028. Related Reading: Investors In Trump Family Memecoins Record $4.3 Billion In Losses As Tokens Sink The main goals include targeting approximately 1 million TPS, requiring sustained execution capacity of ~20 GGas per second; achieving near-instant transaction confirmation, with a best-case target of 150m; adopting a hybrid off-chain and on-chain compute architecture using execution proofs and attestations; strengthening decentralization through improved validator models and fault tolerance; and delivering best-in-class security and production reliability. “The next phase focuses on ensuring that this performance remains sustainable, fair, and extensible as the network continues to grow,” the roadmap concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

24 Feb 2026, 18:18

After Crashes, Hacks, and FTX, a Veteran Investor Says This Is the Real Bitcoin Danger

The blockchain’s quantum conundrum is intensifying, raising fresh concerns about whether Bitcoin can survive the long-term threat posed by quantum computing. A veteran bull has warned that it poses Bitcoin’s first truly existential risk, but is being ignored. “Fighting the Last War” Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments, said he is more concerned about Bitcoin’s future today than at any point across multiple market cycles, while citing the growing threat posed by quantum computing. In a post on X, Edwards explained that he had previously remained confident through extreme price crashes, exchange shutdowns, hacks, and major frauds such as the collapse of FTX. He said those events never undermined his long-term outlook on Bitcoin. However, the current risk is different in nature, according to Edwards, who warned that Bitcoin’s existing cryptographic defenses are not adequate to withstand advances in quantum technology. He compared the situation to outdated military strategies being deployed against modern warfare, and stated that Bitcoin “does not stand a chance” without adaptation. The investor also added that the most troubling aspect is not only the severity of the quantum threat itself, but what he described as the dismissal and lack of urgency surrounding the issue. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju had also voiced concerns about the growing quantum computing threat facing Bitcoin. He said that protecting the network may require difficult decisions. One potential solution, according to Ju, could be freezing older Bitcoin addresses as part of a quantum-resistant upgrade. He added that implementing such changes would be challenging, as the crypto community has often struggled to agree on protocol updates. Ju even went on to add that assets considered secure today may not remain safe if quantum technology continues to advance. Industry Remains Divided Not everyone in the crypto industry agrees on how urgent the threat to the world’s largest cryptocurrency really is. In December, Jameson Lopp, co-founder and chief security officer of Casa, said quantum computers do not pose a near-term risk to Bitcoin. He believes the technology remains far from being able to break Bitcoin’s cryptography. Lopp acknowledged that researchers should continue monitoring progress in the field, but said fears of an imminent threat are premature. He also noted that preparing Bitcoin for a post-quantum future would be a long process. Similar views have been expressed by Grayscale, which said in a recent report that quantum computing is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on crypto markets in 2026. While acknowledging long-term risks, the firm downplayed short-term consequences. More recently, Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor also minimized the concern. Speaking on Coin Stories with Natalie Brunell, Saylor said most cybersecurity experts believe any credible quantum threat remains more than a decade away. The post After Crashes, Hacks, and FTX, a Veteran Investor Says This Is the Real Bitcoin Danger appeared first on CryptoPotato .