Invest ideasNews
20 Feb 2026, 12:31
Crypto markets predict when Bitcoin will hit new all-time high
Considering that Bitcoin ( BTC ) is, with its February 20 press time price of $67,307, trading at half the value it was in early October 2025, and has generally been on a downtrend, the battle between cryptocurrency bulls and bears has been surprisingly intense. Bitcoin price 30-day chart. Source: Finbold In this clash, crypto traders on the prediction platform Polymarket appear to be more on the pessimistic side. Specifically, while there is a trade with a volume of $2.3 million that is titled ‘Bitcoin all time high by ___?,’ with all the possible dates falling within 2026, the likelihood of it being resolved ‘yes’ with an actually new all-time high (ATH) is rather low. Here’s when the next Bitcoin all-time high might come Only four possible dates for BTC price hitting a new ATH are listed: by March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. Furthermore, the one with the highest likelihood is not only the farthest, but is itself at a rather low 21%. With the spread showing 15% on September 30, 7% on June 30, and 2% on March 31, it would appear that the cryptocurrency prediction market is factoring in less than a 50% chance of Bitcoin really climbing to new highs this year. The next Bitcoin price all-time high prediction market. Source: Polymarket Why the Bitcoin all-time high prediction market is odd Elsewhere, there are several interesting caveats to the predictive trade. To begin with, the market is concerned solely with BTC’s fluctuations on the cryptocurrency exchange Binance: “This market will resolve to “Yes” if any Binance 1 minute candle for BTC/USDT between 16 December ’25 10:30 and 11:59PM ET on the date specified in the title has a final “High” price that is higher than any previous Binance 1 minute candle’s “High” price on any prior date. Otherwise, this market will resolve to “No”.” The situation is made even more quaint by the fact that, at press time on February 20, 2026, the resolution date ‘specified in the title’ is listed as April 1, 2026. Bitcoin bear case in 2026 The rather high degree of certainty that there will be no new all-time high for Bitcoin in 2026 is backed by the prevailing attitude among many investors and analysts. Indeed, as many observers noted, BTC appears to be in the now-traditional downward section of its typical cycle. Ali Martinez, a popular blockchain analyst on X , previously estimated Bitcoin is almost certain to fall toward $50,000 – possibly even $38,000 – and might hit its next low in October. The legendary ‘Big Short’ investor Michael Burry similarly highlighted an apparent resonance between the early 2026 chart patterns and those evident in the 2021 and 2022 cryptocurrency markets that led to the previous ‘crypto winter.’ Bitcoin 2026 bull case Still, some of the ‘yes’ bets can find an anchor in multiple institutional forecasts. Earlier this year, Bernstein issued an exceptionally bullish opinion that Bitcoin is headed to a new ATH of $150,000 this year and that the bear case is exceptionally weak. The British banking giant Standard Chartered , for its part, took on a chimera approach. It has been bearish in that it lowered its previous $8 XRP price target and $150,000 BTC forecast, but bullish since it still forecasts a rally for both digital assets. Specifically, it now predicts Bitcoin will rebound to $100,000 and XRP to $2.80 . Featured image via Shutterstock The post Crypto markets predict when Bitcoin will hit new all-time high appeared first on Finbold .
20 Feb 2026, 12:00
Change Of Heart? Hacker Returns $21M Stolen Bitcoin To South Korean Prosecutors
A hacker has returned 320 Bitcoin (BTC) stolen from South Korean prosecutors throughout a phishing scam last year. As authorities face backlash over repeated incidents, officers have pledged to continue the investigation to uncover the full details and strengthen their custody practices. Stolen Bitcoin Returned To Gwangju Prosecutors On Thursday, the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office announced it recovered 320.8 Bitcoin lost in August to a phishing attack after the malicious actors willingly sent back the assets earlier this week. Local news outlet Digital Asset reported on Tuesday that the on-chain data showed the lost BTC, worth $21 million, had been transferred to a wallet managed by South Korean authorities. The assets were seemingly moved through multiple addresses before being transferred to a domestic crypto exchange wallet. As reported by Bitcoinist, South Korean prosecutors faced backlash last month after discovering that a large stash of seized BTC had gone missing months ago. Authorities reportedly learnt of the loss during a routine check of seized financial assets held as criminal evidence. After an internal review, prosecutors found that the crypto assets were lost to a scam in August during the handling of the sized assets. Reportedly, malicious actors drained the wallets after investigators mistakenly accessed a phishing website. Notably, the lost Bitcoin was originally seized during a 2021 investigation into an illegal gambling website. Prosecutors launched an investigation after discovering the incident. They also took measures to recover the assets, including blocking transactions from the perpetrator’s address to domestic exchanges and sending cooperation requests to overseas exchanges. According to the report, authorities believe that these measures exerted pressure on the hackers, ultimately pushing them to return the funds. Meanwhile, prosecutors are currently continuing to track down the malicious actors while also conducting related investigations and inspections. “(Regardless of the recovery of the Bitcoin), we will do our utmost to apprehend the perpetrators in the future,” The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office stated. “We plan to continue conducting a rigorous investigation to clearly uncover the full details of the case.” Authorities Slammed Over Repeated Incidents The Gwangju incident has led to a nationwide review of law enforcement’s handling of virtual assets. The review has revealed another security breach at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station. Last Friday, the Gangnam station announced it had lost 22 BTC that were voluntarily submitted to authorities during an investigation in November 2021. According to local reports, the leak had not been detected until now, since the investigation into that case had been suspended. The inspection revealed that the cold wallet storing the Bitcoin was not stolen, but the assets stored inside “had vanished without a trace.” As a response, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency launched a full-scale internal investigation to determine the details of the leak and whether any internal personnel were involved. The incidents have raised concerns about South Korea’s Bitcoin custody practices, just as the country prepares for the Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which is expected to serve as a comprehensive framework for the entire industry. Financial authorities are also conducting an inspection of local exchanges’ internal controls following the “ghost Bitcoin” incident at Bithumb. Earlier this month, the crypto exchange accidentally distributed 620,000 BTC, worth over $40 billion, to 249 users due to an employee’s mistake. Bithumb’s system failed to block the transaction and distributed assets that did not actually exist, distorting market prices. Lawmakers highlighted that the incident exposed “structural vulnerabilities” in the sector that must be addressed in the upcoming legislation. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced last month that it is studying a proposal for prosecution measures against suspects of crypto asset price manipulation. Some officials argue it’s necessary “to complement the current Virtual Asset User Protection Act by implementing measures for the confiscation of criminal proceeds or the preservation of recovery funds in advance.”
20 Feb 2026, 11:54
Binance Sees Major Investor Sentiment Shift: Biggest Whale Inflows Since 2024
Whales' crypto inflows to Binance have surged the highest since 2024, marking a major shift in investor sentiment.
20 Feb 2026, 11:42
Dual South Korean listings send Ethereum layer-2 token AZTEC surging 82%
Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb both added local currency pairs for the privacy-focused layer-2 token, triggering a sharp move in a thinly traded market.
20 Feb 2026, 11:27
XRP ‘Coiling’ for a Breakout? Liquidity Patterns Mirror Previous Explosive Rallies
XRP’s market structure is showing signs of renewed liquidity compression, as evidenced by exchange flows and on-chain liquidity conditions aligning in a way that has historically preceded increased volatility. Data tracking Binance exchange inflows revealed that large deposits previously surged ahead of a major XRP rally, a pattern often associated with rising volatility rather than immediate selling. Fragile Market Setup CryptoQuant explained that while exchange inflows are commonly interpreted as potential sell-side pressure, past behavior indicates that they can also mark positioning phases before sharp price expansions. During the earlier rally period, USD liquidity, which represents the depth of capital supporting XRP markets, expanded significantly. This allowed prices to support upward momentum despite high volatility. Current conditions, however, differ, as USD liquidity has been declining. Such a setting points to thinner market depth compared with prior expansion phases. Reduced depth typically increases sensitivity to flows and amplifies price reactions. On the supply side, the amount of XRP actively available for trading dropped sharply ahead of the previous breakout, a period that marked the start of the rally. That same pattern is beginning to reappear, as XRP liquidity is trending lower once again. In past cycles, similar setups, where exchange inflows spiked while overall liquidity tightened, were followed by sharp increases in price volatility. Whether those moves turned into steady trends depended largely on how much capital entered the market. Right now, exchange inflows remain relatively contained, but liquidity on both the USD and XRP side is shrinking. This points to a thinner market than during earlier expansion phases, where even modest changes in buying or selling pressure can have an outsized impact on price. With less liquidity to absorb trades, XRP’s price may react more quickly if activity picks up, which makes market conditions even more fragile than they appear on the surface. XRP Most Talked-About Asset After Bitcoin Even against this backdrop, investor interest in the asset has not faded. As recently reported by CryptoPotato , XRP has emerged as the second-most talked-about digital asset after Bitcoin, as per Grayscale. The asset manager observed that the crypto continues to attract significant attention due to steady interest from its user base and investors, even as market sentiment remains cautious. Speaking during Ripple Community Day, Grayscale’s Head of Product and Research, Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, described XRP as having a large and committed community, and added that client inquiries about the token remain consistently high. Advisors at Grayscale have reported that the token frequently ranks just behind Bitcoin in terms of discussion volume. The post XRP ‘Coiling’ for a Breakout? Liquidity Patterns Mirror Previous Explosive Rallies appeared first on CryptoPotato .
20 Feb 2026, 11:21
Binance Launches Junior Program as SAFU Fund Tops $1B in BTC
Binance recently launched a crypto app for families : Binance Junior . A new crypto-focused learning app specifically designed for families. This launch also comes at a time when Binance has completed a $1 billion BTC purchase for its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). A 15,000 BTC acquisition at an average price of about $70K, bringing the fund’s total holdings to roughly $1.005B. Although the two came almost at the same time, Binance Junior operates as a totally separate initiative. More of a financial literacy rather than market speculation. What Is Binance Junior? So, what’s all around Binance Junior? It functions as a kid’s sub-account directly linked to a parent’s main Binance account. This targets users aged between 6 and 17, who are ready to build and grow their family’s digital wealth. Entirely, the product acts as a savings and education tool, rather than a trading platform. But parents retain full control over: Deposits and withdrawals Transfer limits Account authorizations Notifications Because the app doesn't function as a trading app, it restricts access to spot, futures, and margin trading. It also blocks unsupervised withdrawals and open market access. In short, Binance structures the app to prevent exposure to high-risk crypto activities. And the best part of it is that each parent can create up to five Binance Junior accounts. How The Binance Junior System Works Parents initiate the process through their primary Binance account. After the sub-account is created, they download the Binance Junior app on their child’s device. A QR code scan links both accounts instantly.For the young users, they can: Check balances Receive crypto transfers Use Junior Flexible Simple Earn in eligible regions Send crypto to other Binance Junior accounts within preset limits Users aged 13 or older, depending on jurisdiction, may access Binance Pay with daily caps in place. The system blocks payments to merchants or unrelated adult accounts. Why limit features so tightly? Binance aims to separate learning from speculation. When it comes to building a legacy for one's family, the parent can save, earn and send into the child's Binance Junior app. On savings, the parent can deposit and withdraw crypto into their child’s Binance Junior app . On earnings, parents can decide how they want to grow their child’s crypto with APY payouts from Binance Earn. Lastly, a child can send crypto to other Binance Junior accounts, within pre-set transfer limits A Broader Strategy Beyond SAFU Another key development from Binance also comes up. Just recently, after a month or so, Binance’s SAFU fund purchased an extra 4,545 BTC worth about $304.58 million to complete its $1 billion allocation. SAFU purchase strengthens Binance’s user protection reserve; on the other end, Binance Junior addresses a different priority. Long-term financial education. Binance has lately appeared to focus on building early engagement rather than driving immediate trading volumes. Focus On Financial Inclusion Binance also notes the potential impact in regions with limited financial education. In Africa, digital finance adoption continues to rise, and as such, structured learning tools could shape how young users approach digital assets. The company notes key conditions: Availability depends on the jurisdiction Parents remain legally responsible The product carries no speculative purpose Binance now expands its ecosystem more than ever before, and Binance Junior shows the shift toward family-oriented crypto services. Looking at the bigger picture, this program is highly likely to influence broader adoption trends.
