Bitcoin is trading around $68,700, down nearly 22% year to date and on pace for its weakest first quarter since 2018. After starting the year near $87,700, BTC has shed almost $20,000 in just a few weeks, putting pressure on the broader crypto market.
Strategy says it can endure a bitcoin plunge to $8,000 without jeopardizing its debt obligations, underscoring the company’s aggressive accumulation strategy and fortress balance sheet as it navigates volatility and reinforces long-term confidence in its crypto-heavy treasury model.
February 17, 2026, 12:30 amThe demand for energy from the AI sector is immediate and high, reflecting the urgency in energy provisioning. Hyperscalers prioritize bringing capacity online quickly, often over cost considerations, to maintain competitive advantage.
February 16, 2026, 11:50 pm
Steak ‘n Shake says its sales have climbed sharply since it started letting customers pay with Bitcoin nine months ago, marking one of the most aggressive cryptocurrency pushes in the fast-food industry. The national burger restaurant announced the sales increase on Tuesday, saying its decision to accept digital currency payments has paid off.
With the price of Bitcoin stuck below the $70,000 mark, analysts are beginning to flag this current performance as an indication of a bear market. After several weeks of downward pressure, many key metrics are beginning to flash signs of a continued correction phase, reinforcing the idea of a bear market scenario.
Bitcoin’s recent price decline has led to many traders betting on further downside, with on-chain data showing a notable increase in bearish positioning across major crypto exchanges. According to on-chain data from Santiment, aggregated funding rates have fallen into deep negative territory.
The cryptocurrency investment firm says Bitcoin mining is being unfairly lumped with AI data centers, arguing miners act as flexible grid demand, not constant energy drains.
As 2026 gets underway, digital currencies are still in a difficult period, but despite significant price declines over the past year, some analysts think brighter times are coming. Ethereum has declined even more precipitously than Bitcoin, which has lost between 45 and 50 percent since its 2025 peak.
The relief rallies in Bitcoin and several major altcoins are stalling near their respective overhead resistance levels, signaling that the bears remain in control.
The MicroStrategy stock price closed around $133 on February 13, rising 8.85% in one day. The weekly gain reached nearly 5%, showing strength despite broader uncertainty. But this rally comes at a strange time. Bitcoin fell about 2.2% over the same period, creating a gap between the two assets that rarely lasts long.
Demand from Bitcoin accumulation addresses reached a new high, with analysts citing a futures market CME gap as a prediction point for their higher short-term price targets.
In 2025 and early 2026, Bitcoin's behavior has been less “digital gold” and more regime-dependent. Sometimes it trades like a tech beta, then like a rates-and-liquidity-duration trade, and only intermittently like a hedge. The real story is which macro regime makes which identity dominate next. The setup matters.
$68,833.00 +0.31%
$1.38T Market Cap
$36.52B Total Volume (2.65%)
$126,080 All Time High -45.41%
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