Connect with us

Crypto World

IP Strategy Announces Share Repurchase Program of Up To 1 Million Shares

Published

on

IP Strategy Announces Share Repurchase Program of Up To 1 Million Shares

[PRESS RELEASE – GIG HARBOR, Washington, February 20th, 2026]

IP Strategy Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPST) (the “Company” or “IP Strategy”), the first company to adopt a treasury reserve policy centered on the $IP token, today announced the board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program whereby the Company may buy back up to 1 million shares of its outstanding shares of common stock through December 31, 2026.

As of February 18, 2026, IP Strategy had 10,259,226 shares of its common stock outstanding. Assuming the full execution of buying back 1 million shares, this would constitute a nearly 10% reduction in the number of outstanding shares of the Company. The Company may acquire shares through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including through a Rule 10b5-1 plan, at the discretion of management and on terms that management determines to be advisable.

IP Strategy is the largest independent owner of $IP tokens – the native token of the Story Layer 1 blockchain – with a current holding of 53.2 million tokens. The Company also recently began the transition from self-custodied validator work to third-party custodied validator work, a move which is expected to effectively double its related yield to 10% or more annually for 2026.

Advertisement

“The Board’s decision to authorize a share repurchase program reflects its belief that the market does not currently take into account the inherent value of our 53.2 million $IP tokens, nor the growth in higher-margin recurring revenue anticipated in 2026 from the transition to third-party custodied validator services,” said Justin Stiefel, Chief Executive Officer of IP Strategy. “When combined with the previously-announced streamlining and cost reduction plans for 2026, the implementation of a share repurchase program at this time reflects a very high degree of confidence in our long-term strategy and growth potential.”

About IP Strategy

IP Strategy Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPST) is the first Nasdaq-listed company to hold $IP tokens as a primary reserve asset and operate a validator for the Story Protocol. The Company provides public market investors broad exposure to the $80 trillion programmable intellectual property economy in a regulated equity format. IP Strategy’s treasury reserve of $IP tokens provides direct participation in the Story ecosystem, which enables on-chain registration, licensing, and monetization of intellectual property.

About Story

Advertisement

Story is the AI-native blockchain network powering the $IP token and making intellectual property programmable, traceable, and monetizable in real time. Backed by $136 million from a16z crypto, Polychain Capital, and Samsung Ventures, Story launched its mainnet in February 2025 and has rapidly become a leading infrastructure for tokenized intellectual property. Story allows creators and enterprises to turn media, data, and AI-generated content into legally enforceable digital assets with embedded rights, enabling automated licensing and new markets for intellectual property across AI and entertainment.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “goal,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “possible,” “potential,” “seeks,” “will,” and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company’s adoption of a share repurchase program and the number and percentage of outstanding shares it may repurchase, the timing of the implementation of the Company’s share repurchase program, the shift to third-party custody of its $IP tokens, the expected increased yield from the Company’s validator operations, and the effectiveness of the Company’s proposed cost-saving measures.

Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on IP Strategy’s current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the volatility of the Company’s common stock and any correlation between the Company’s stock price and the price of $IP tokens, the legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets generally, and expectations with respect to future performance and growth. These and other risks concerning IP Strategy’s programs and operations are described in additional detail in its registration statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 26, 2025, as amended by Amendment No. 1 filed on October 16, 2025, Amendment No. 2 filed on December 12, 2025 and Amendment No. 3 filed on December 19, 2025, its latest annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and any other subsequent filings with the SEC. IP Strategy explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law.

Advertisement
SPECIAL OFFER (Exclusive)

SECRET PARTNERSHIP BONUS for CryptoPotato readers: Use this link to register and unlock $1,500 in exclusive BingX Exchange rewards (limited time offer).

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crypto World

Bear Market Fears Grow as BTC Struggles Below $70K, CLARITY Act Resolution Nears: Weekly Crypto Recap

Published

on

Cryptocurrency Market Overview Weekly Feb 20. Source: QuantifyCrypto


Some of the most prominent names in the crypto industry believe the bill will be approved soon. Meanwhile, BTC’s price struggles continue.

After several consecutive weeks of intense volatility and new multi-year lows, bitcoin has finally found some support but also significant resistance that continues to suppress its breakout attempts.

Last Friday, the cryptocurrency tested the $65,000 support after it was stopped at $70,000 and $72,000 days earlier. The bulls intervened at this point and didn’t allow another breakdown. Just the opposite; bitcoin started to recover some ground and exceeded $70,000 in a rare weekend rally.

Advertisement

Nevertheless, that was another short-term fakeout as the asset’s attempt failed in its tracks. By Monday, it had already lost that coveted psychological level and began a gradual descent. After a few days of trading sideways between $68,000 and $70,000, it broke down to under $66,000 yesterday amid multiple calls about further declines, and new lows of down to $10,000 in some doomsday scenarios.

It reacted rather well to this drop and jumped to just over $68,000 earlier today. However, another rejection awaited, and BTC now sits below $67,000 once again. This means that its weekly performance is somewhat negative, given the fact that it traded slightly above this level at this time last Friday when we published our previous update.

Even the more volatile altcoin sector has not posted any significant moves in either direction. XRP, BNB, and ADA are slightly in the green, while ETH, LINK, and XLM are with some losses.

More impressive gains come from the likes of WLFI, PEPE, and ZEC, while HYPE has dropped the most from the larger-cap alts.

Advertisement

Cryptocurrency Market Overview Weekly Feb 20. Source: QuantifyCrypto
Cryptocurrency Market Overview Weekly Feb 20. Source: QuantifyCrypto

Market Cap: $2.36T | 24H Vol: $95B | BTC Dominance: 56.4%

You may also like:

BTC: $66,750 (-1%) | ETH: $1,930 (-2%) | XRP: $1.38 (+0.3%)

Ethereum Foundation Flags Post-Quantum Security as Core Priority in 2026 Protocol Roadmap. The Ethereum Foundation published a 2026 roadmap post, saying it would prioritize post-quantum security and further increases to the gas limit. It also wants to restructure its development efforts into three core tracks covering scaling, user experience, and Layer 1 security.

2,486 BTC: Strategy Doubles Down as Portfolio Hits Unrealized Loss. Although its enormous stash continues to be deep in the red (in terms of unrealized losses), Saylor’s Strategy announced another BTC acquisition this week, purchasing 2,486 BTC for just under $170 million. It now holds more than 717,000 BTC.

Advertisement

Ripple CEO Garlinghouse Predicts CLARITY Bill Has 90% Chance of Approval Soon. Although banks, the crypto industry, and lawmakers continue to struggle to find a resolution to the highly anticipated CLARITY Act, Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse said after the most recent meeting that bipartisan interest in the legislation is high, which is why he expects approval soon.

Ethereum Staking Address Now Holds Over Half ETH Supply For First Time Ever: Santiment. Data from the analytics company indicated that over half of ETH’s supply is now held by Ethereum’s proof-of-stake contract address for the first time in the asset’s eleven-year history.

CryptoQuant Founder Proposes Freezing Old Bitcoin Addresses to Prevent Quantum Attacks. It might be years away from deployment, but quantum computing is a main concern within the cryptocurrency community. CryptoQuant’s CEO proposed that old Bitcoin addresses might need to be frozen to prevent quantum attacks in the future.

Bitcoin Entering Phase 2 Bear Market, Analyst Warns. As mentioned earlier, analysts are rushing to offer their views on the bear market topic, suggesting that the asset might be months away from a more profound recovery. Veteran chartist Willy Woo said BTC has strengthened its bear market trend and has approached the second phase of a multi-stage downturn.

Advertisement

This week, we have a chart analysis of Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid – click here for the complete price analysis.

SPECIAL OFFER (Exclusive)

SECRET PARTNERSHIP BONUS for CryptoPotato readers: Use this link to register and unlock $1,500 in exclusive BingX Exchange rewards (limited time offer).

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

Here’s why the Ethereum-based privacy token AZTEC price is rising

Published

on

Here’s why AZTEC price is rising
Here’s why AZTEC price is rising
  • AZTEC has surged nearly 80% after listing on major Korean exchanges.
  • AZTEC has gained traction as a privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2 solution.
  • Key levels to watch are the support at $0.0188 and the resistance at $0.0371.

The Ethereum-based privacy token AZTEC has seen a dramatic surge in its price over the last 24 hours.

The current price of AZTEC is around $0.035, representing an impressive increase of nearly 80% in a single day.

Aztec price
Source: Coingecko

Trading volumes have also spiked, reflecting heightened market activity and strong investor interest.

Exchange listings fuel the rally

One of the main drivers behind AZTEC’s surge is its listing on major South Korean exchanges.

Upbit and Bithumb have added AZTEC trading pairs, including KRW-denominated options.

These listings make it easier for South Korean retail traders to access the token directly, without needing USDT or BTC as intermediaries.

Advertisement

The immediate effect has been a sharp increase in buying pressure, pushing the token to new all-time highs.

Such regional exchange activity often creates a premium, as local traders bid aggressively in the initial hours after a listing.

This surge is further supported by the token’s presence on global exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, KuCoin, and MEXC, which listed the token on February 12, immediately after the protocol went live.

What is AZTEC?

AZTEC is not just another altcoin.

Advertisement

It is the native token of Aztec, a privacy-focused Layer 2 protocol built on the Ethereum Network.

The protocol uses zero-knowledge proofs to enable private transactions while maintaining Ethereum’s security standards.

This combination of privacy and scalability makes Aztec particularly appealing to users and developers looking for confidential and efficient transaction solutions.

Recent protocol upgrades and network developments have also helped strengthen confidence in the token.

Advertisement

Investors see both short-term trading opportunities and long-term potential as adoption grows.

The market’s response reflects the perception that privacy solutions on Ethereum are gaining traction in a competitive landscape.

AZTEC price forecast

For traders and investors alike, the coming days will be crucial in determining if AZTEC can sustain its momentum and reach higher price levels.

The immediate support lies near $0.0188, which was the lower bound of the recent 24-hour range.

Advertisement

On the upside, the immediate resistance is at the current all-time high of around $0.0371.

If the token can break above $0.0371, the next area of interest may approach $0.04, a psychological barrier for many traders.

However, given the rapid pace of this rally, some short-term pullbacks are possible.

Volume trends and activity on both Korean and global exchanges will likely influence the next moves.

Advertisement

In the short term, traders should watch for consolidation around the $0.03–$0.035 range, as this may determine whether the rally continues or enters a retracement phase.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

HBAR Price Recovery Stalls Below $0.10: What’s Holding It Back?

Published

on

HBAR MFI

Hedera’s native token, HBAR, is attempting to regain lost ground after weeks of constrained trading. The price recently approached the $0.10 threshold but failed to secure a decisive breakout. Since the beginning of the month, resistance near this level has limited upward progress.

While HBAR briefly reclaimed $0.10, momentum stalled just below a key technical barrier. Traders have adjusted their positioning, though not decisively in favor of sustained upside. 

HBAR Holders Are Buying

The Money Flow Index, or MFI, indicates that buying pressure is gradually building on HBAR. This volume-weighted momentum indicator measures capital inflows and outflows based on both price and trading volume. Currently, the MFI is positioned above the neutral 50 mark, signaling that buyers are regaining influence.

An MFI reading in positive territory suggests accumulation may be underway. Rising inflows often precede price appreciation, especially when supported by higher trading activity. If this trend continues, HBAR could benefit from sustained accumulation, strengthening the case for a recovery attempt above immediate resistance levels.

Advertisement

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

HBAR MFI
HBAR MFI. Source: TradingView

Hedera Traders Remain Skeptical

Broader derivatives data offer a mixed but slightly constructive outlook. HBAR’s funding rate is currently skewed toward long positions, indicating that traders are willing to pay a premium to hold bullish contracts. Positive funding rates typically reflect expectations of upward price movement.

However, volatility in the funding rate over the past two weeks highlights lingering uncertainty. Between February 6 and February 11, short contracts dominated open interest, placing downward pressure on HBAR. This dominance quickly reversed, turned positive, and then shifted negative again.

HBAR Funding Rate
HBAR Funding Rate. Source: Coinglass

Such fluctuations reveal hesitation among leveraged traders. Although short dominance has declined recently, conviction remains fragile. Stable positive funding would strengthen the bullish thesis, but current data suggests sentiment is still reactive to short-term price swings rather than anchored in long-term confidence.

HBAR Price Aims High

HBAR is trading at $0.0992 at the time of writing. The token remains above the $0.0961 support level, which aligns with the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement. Holding this level is technically significant, as it represents a key inflection point for trend continuation.

However, resistance at $0.1035, at the 50% Fibonacci retracement, is capping upward movement and limiting breakout attempts.

Advertisement

A decisive move above $0.1035 would signal a short-term structural shift. Turning this resistance into support could attract fresh demand, particularly if buying pressure continues to rise. 

HBAR Price Analysis.
HBAR Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

The next target would stand at $0.1109, corresponding to the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement. This level is widely monitored by traders and often acts as a strong support zone once reclaimed.

However, if bullish indicators fail to strengthen, consolidation may persist near current levels. Continued outflows would weaken breakout attempts and reinforce resistance at $0.1035.

A breakdown below the $0.0961 support would shift the short-term structure bearish. In that scenario, HBAR could decline toward $0.0870, invalidating the immediate recovery outlook and restoring stronger control to sellers.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

Tennessee Judge Blocks State Crackdown on Kalshi Markets

Published

on

Adoption, CFTC, Legislation, United States, Prediction Markets

A US federal judge in Tennessee temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its gambling laws against prediction markets operator Kalshi’s sports event contracts. 

The ruling, issued by Judge Aleta Trauger of the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Thursday, allows Kalshi to continue offering sports-related event contracts to users in the state while its lawsuit against Tennessee regulators proceeds.

Trauger found that Kalshi is likely to succeed on the merits of its claim that federal commodities law preempts Tennessee’s attempt to regulate its sports markets as illegal gambling. 

The court concluded that Kalshi’s sports event contracts are “swaps” under the Commodity Exchange Act, over which the law grants the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) exclusive jurisdiction, and held that Tennessee’s enforcement efforts are likely preempted under conflict preemption principles. 

Advertisement
Adoption, CFTC, Legislation, United States, Prediction Markets
Preliminary injunction, Kalshi. Source: CourtListener

The injunction applies to the identified state officials, while the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council itself was dismissed on sovereign immunity grounds, and Kalshi was ordered to post a $500,000 bond.

Long-running clash with states

The Tennessee case marks another chapter in a broader clash over how to treat event contracts in the United States.

An earlier temporary restraining order from Trauger had already paused enforcement of Tennessee’s cease-and-desist letter, which alleged that Kalshi was operating unlicensed sports wagering, ordered it to stop offering sports event contracts to customers in Tennessee, void those contracts and refund deposits, and threatened fines and further legal action. 

Related: Nevada court hits Polymarket with temporary restraining order, tests CFTC control

Kalshi has similarly gone to federal court in multiple states, including Nevada, New Jersey, and Connecticut, over cease-and-desist actions targeting its event markets, with courts reaching divergent conclusions on whether to grant preliminary relief.

Advertisement

CFTC steps in to defend prediction markets

​The injunction also lands against a shifting federal backdrop, as the CFTC moves to assert primacy over prediction markets.

In a video message on Tuesday, CFTC Chair Michael Selig said the agency had filed a friend-of-the-court brief to defend its “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets, warning state authorities that the commission would meet them in court if they tried to undermine federal oversight of these derivative markets.

AI Eye: IronClaw rivals OpenClaw, Olas launches bots for Polymarket