Invest ideasNews
25 Feb 2026, 23:00
Bitcoin Emerges As Strategic Asset In Emirates NBD Investment Plans
In a sign of the growing convergence between traditional finance and digital assets, Emirates NBD is reportedly exploring the addition of Bitcoin to its investment portfolio. The development reflects a broader shift in institutional strategy, as major financial institutions increasingly recognize BTC’s potential role in portfolio diversification, inflation hedging, and long-term value preservation. Why Emirates NBD Is Exploring Bitcoin Integration Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the United Arab Emirates but frequently described as the UAE’s second-largest bank, is actively evaluating whether to add Bitcoin to its investment portfolio. Crypto market commentator MartyParty has mentioned on X that the news stems directly from comments by Maurice Gravier, the Group Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Emirates NBD, during an appearance on CNBC Squawk Box. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sees “Most Aggressive” Institutional Selling Ever, Analyst Says Gravier’s key points were viewing BTC as digital gold and framing it primarily as a store of value rather than merely an alternative currency. He noted that Bitcoin has matured significantly, citing its proof-of-work security model, limited supply, and structurally low inflation rate as attributes that enhance its appeal to institutional investors. Furthermore, Gravier has suggested that BTC’s current valuation appears more attractive compared to six months ago, when the price was considered relatively high. According to MartyParty’s summary, the bank has an internet model, and indicates that BTC could reasonably approach the $100,000 range within the next 12 months. However, the projections are still being refined. The Emirates NBD’s bank asset management division reportedly oversees approximately $16 billion in assets, and any potential allocation would be limited in size and used for diversification purposes. Nonetheless, with no final decision or execution, it is still under review amid ongoing market volatility. This consideration has highlighted a growing institutional interest in BTC across traditional finance in the Middle East. How Businesses Are Using BTC Payments At Scale While individuals are focused on Bitcoin dropping to $63,000, with the price down 50% from its high, a major milestone in its underlying network activity last week has largely gone unnoticed. Crypto analyst Fernando Nikolić pointed out that the Lightning Network surpassed $1 billion in monthly transaction volume for the first time, reaching approximately $1.17 billion across 5.2 million transactions in November. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red The data shows that the average transaction size nearly doubled year-over-year from $118 to $223, indicating that this is not just micropayment experimentation. Nikolić believes that businesses are using it, and exchanges are moving real money through it. In other words, its actual usage as a payment network just hit an all-time high. In his view, both realities can coexist and underscore a broader disconnect between market narratives and underlying network fundamentals. Also, Nikolić noted that the adoption milestone has received relatively little attention because it challenges the dominant bearish storyline surrounding the BTC price action. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com
25 Feb 2026, 21:29
Bitcoin Flirts With Historic Oversold Signal as Analyst Flags Cycle Reset
Bitcoin’s weekly RSI is sliding toward levels last seen in the harshest bear market phases. Meanwhile, another analyst says the pre halving record high shifted the entire cycle clock. Bitcoin Nears Rare Weekly RSI Lows as Price Holds Above 200 Week Average Bitcoin traded near the $68,000–$69,000 area on weekly charts as a key momentum gauge slid toward levels seen only during past bear market stress. Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) said Bitcoin is nearing all time oversold territory, with the weekly relative strength index, or RSI, dropping to about 15.6 on his chart. Bitcoin Weekly RSI and Moving Averages Chart. Source: Alex Thorn on X (@intangiblecoins) The chart shows the weekly RSI sitting lower than almost any reading since 2016. Thorn pointed to only two lower periods: November and December 2018, when Bitcoin fell from about $6,000 to roughly $3,000, and June and July 2022, when Three Arrows Capital collapsed and Genesis later turned out to be insolvent, he said. At the same time, the price panel in the chart places Bitcoin above its 200 week moving average, marked near $58,500, while trading below shorter weekly moving averages. As a result, the chart frames a market with extreme weak momentum on the RSI, while longer term support remains nearby on the 200 week line. Analyst Says Bitcoin Cycle Timing Shifted After Pre Halving High Meanwhile, Rekt Fencer (@rektfencer) argued that Bitcoin’s market cycle no longer matches the usual halving based pattern after the asset printed a record high before the halving. He said that move “breaks the whole model” and shifts the timing window traders typically use to map tops and bottoms. Bitcoin U.S. Dollar Two Week Chart (BTCUSD, Bitstamp). Source: Rekt Fencer on X (@rektfencer) The chart tracks Bitcoin versus the U.S. dollar on a two week timeframe using Bitstamp data. It marks prior cycle durations with green labels, including 1,183 days, 1,085 days, and 847 days across earlier runs. Those brackets highlight how long each upswing lasted before momentum faded and price rolled over. Rekt Fencer said the next phase should compress into a 700 to 800 day window instead of repeating the longer timelines shown on the left side of the chart. He linked that shift to the earlier record high, which moved the cycle’s peak and pullback sequence forward on the calendar. Based on that timing change, he placed the potential cycle low in July or August. He also compared buying during the current stretch to buying around the deeper pullback zone in the prior cycle, framing it as an equivalent stage rather than a direct price match.
25 Feb 2026, 21:22
POL Price Prediction as Brazil's Largest FX Bank Expands BBRL Stablecoin to Polygon
POL price has climbed nearly 5% to $0.1166 after Brazil’s largest foreign exchange bank expanded its BBRL stablecoin to Polygon. The move connects the Brazilian real to one of the most active stablecoin networks. Market participants reacted as on-chain data also showed rising liquidity. The token now trades with a market cap of $1.23 billion and daily volume above $109 million. Brazil’s FX Bank Expands BBRL to Polygon Grupo Braza announced that BBRL will now operate on the Polygon network. The stablecoin is fully backed by Brazilian reais and is audited. It is issued by an institution regulated by the Central Bank of Brazil. The company said the expansion increases liquidity and lowers transaction costs. BBRL has been available to individuals and businesses since 2025. With Polygon integration, users gain near-instant transfers and lower fees. According to Grupo Braza, the strategy aims to integrate the digitized real with major blockchain networks. The firm stated that the expansion supports payments, transfers, and international off-chain operations. Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron noted that regulated stablecoins backed by fiat currencies support global commerce adoption. Polygon Stablecoin Supply and Revenue Rise On-chain data shows strengthening activity across Polygon . Data from DeFiLlama indicates total stablecoin supply on the network reached $3.26 billion. This marks a sharp increase from $2.4 billion at the beginning of February. Weekly revenue generated by decentralized applications on Polygon also rose nearly 70% in recent weeks. Rising stablecoin liquidity often supports higher transaction activity. Increased network usage can contribute to improved fee generation and ecosystem growth. Source: Defillama The addition of BBRL adds another regulated asset to Polygon’s infrastructure. A broader stablecoin base supports cross-border payments and tokenized finance use cases. The network continues positioning itself as a hub for global digital payments. POL Price Prediction as Support Holds POL price previously peaked near $0.18 before entering a prolonged correction. The price formed lower highs and lower lows before finding support near $0.09. Since then, the token has established a higher low above $0.10. The token is now compressing below the $0.12 resistance zone. Technical indicators show strengthening momentum. The Relative Strength Index stands near 58 and remains above 50. This level suggests that the bulls' control may continue further, hence a more uptrend. Concurrently, the MACD indicator has crossed above its signal line, and the histogram is expanding, indicating a rising buying pressure, which is good for POL. Source: TradingView The Money Flow Index is near 65, which indicates capital inflows without overbought conditions. As a result, the immediate resistance for POL sits around $0.12, followed by $0.125 to $0.13 however, if bearish momentum seizes the market, support levels remain near $0.105 and the $0.09 base. If POL price closes decisively above $0.12, traders may watch the $0.13 and $0.15 levels. A sustained move could open a path toward the prior range near $0.17.
25 Feb 2026, 20:10
Russian government prepares for pre-launch testing of the digital ruble
Russian authorities are gearing up to soon put the digital ruble in test mode, announced the head of the executive power in Moscow. The news coincides with preparations to adopt a law, which, while legalizing cryptocurrencies, will also subject operations with them to strict control by the state. Russian government to begin testing the digital ruble The federal government in Russia will start trials with the digital ruble in real use, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced in front of lawmakers. Testing of the state-issued coin will commence in the near future and will be carried out together with the country’s central bank and finance ministry. Mishustin broke the news in a speech to members of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, who are currently reviewing his cabinet’s annual report. Quoted by the official TASS news agency and Interfax, the Russian premier stated: “Regarding the digital ruble, my colleagues from the Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Finance and I will now begin actively testing it.” Mishustin stressed “this is a complex matter,” adding authorities should be “extremely careful.” They must first build the necessary infrastructure and then assess transactions before determining the “volumes and methods of using it,” he elaborated. The digital version of the ruble is a central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR). It’s the third form of national fiat, after cash and electronic “bank” money. It has been in the making for several years now, with a pilot involving a limited number of participants underway since August 2023. Its release for public use was initially planned for mid-2025 but was later postponed by a year. Following a call from President Putin for mass adoption last spring, Russia’s monetary authority scheduled its launch for the fall of 2026. According to the latest timetable, the digital ruble will be introduced in several stages, with the first one starting on September 1, when major banks and merchants must be ready to offer their clients the option the use the CBDC. Universal banks and smaller trading companies, those with annual revenues exceeding 30 million rubles (over $390,000), will have another year to configure their systems to process digital ruble transactions. The remaining banking institutions and firms with an annual revenue below that threshold should be able to work with digital rubles on September 1, 2028. The only category exempted from this obligation will be that of retail outlets with revenues of less than 5 million rubles a year ($65,000). Russia hurries with digital ruble launch and crypto regulations Moscow’s latest push to bring its CBDC project closer to realization comes amid efforts to legalize and regulate operations with decentralized digital money as well. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian media reported that the finance ministry and the central bank have already drafted a law outlining the future architecture of the Russian crypto market. The document, seen by the business news portal RBC, aims to legalize an array of activities with digital assets, such as investment and trading. This should be done by July 1, in accordance with a plan to recognize cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as “monetary assets” published by the CBR in late December. At the same time, the bill introduces a number of restrictions , including a $4,000 cap on crypto purchases for non-qualified investors and rigorous standards for service providers that are likely to limit options for Russian citizens. For example, domestic platforms will have to meet minimum capital requirements while global exchanges may be blocked , unless they establish a presence in the country by registering a local subsidiary and storing client data on servers inside Russia. While Russian officials have been pushing the digital ruble , a report revealed earlier in February that the CBDC system has not necessarily been spared the strict treatment, given the Bank of Russia’s recently updated rules for opening digital ruble accounts. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.
25 Feb 2026, 19:57
A $272 Billion UAE Bank Just Called Bitcoin 'Digital Gold'
CIO of Emirates NBD, the second-largest bank in the United Arab Emirates by assets, described Bitcoin as "digital gold."
25 Feb 2026, 19:42
Hut 8 Q4 Loss: BTC Reserves and AI Move
Hut 8 announced a 279,7 million dollar loss in Q4, but 13.696 BTC reserve and Google AI deal are strong. While BTC rises +%7,19 to 68.930 dollars, mining stocks are shining with AI. Technically, st...
