Crypto World
Best AI Stocks 2026: NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet Top the List
TLDR
- NVIDIA commands 80% market share in AI chips with H100 and H200 GPUs setting industry standards for language model training
- Microsoft GitHub Copilot generates over $100 million annually while Azure AI services accelerate cloud revenue growth
- Alphabet’s Gemini AI models compete with GPT-4 using exclusive data from Search, YouTube, and Android platforms
- Palantir’s AIP platform drives commercial revenue acceleration by operationalizing AI in enterprise workflows
- CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform analyzes trillions of weekly security events using AI, maintaining 120%+ customer retention
The AI industry has transitioned from speculation to commercial reality. Five companies now lead the market with proven revenue streams and competitive advantages.
These stocks range from semiconductor manufacturers to security platforms. Each demonstrates actual earnings from AI products rather than future promises.
NVIDIA Leads AI Chip Market
NVIDIA holds approximately 80% of the AI chip market. Its H100 and H200 graphics processing units train most major language models.
The Blackwell architecture launches soon with enhanced performance capabilities. NVIDIA’s CUDA software platform serves as the industry standard for AI development.
Microsoft, Amazon, and Google buy NVIDIA chips to power their cloud AI services. The company expands into AI inference chips while building new data center partnerships.
NVIDIA’s market position remains strong as cloud providers compete for AI infrastructure. The software ecosystem creates barriers that competitors struggle to overcome.
Microsoft Monetizes OpenAI Partnership
Microsoft invested $13 billion in OpenAI and shows clear returns. GitHub Copilot now exceeds $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
Microsoft 365 Copilot gains enterprise customers despite premium pricing. Azure cloud growth accelerates as businesses adopt turnkey AI solutions.
The company profits from both infrastructure through Azure and applications through productivity tools. This dual approach maximizes revenue from AI adoption across customer segments.
Alphabet Offers Value Play
Alphabet operates DeepMind and Google Brain research divisions. Gemini AI models now match GPT-4 in capabilities and performance.
The company owns proprietary training data from Search, YouTube, and Android. Competitors cannot replicate these exclusive datasets.
Google Cloud grows as enterprises implement Vertex AI platform services. Search integration proceeds carefully to preserve advertising revenue streams.
Alphabet trades below Microsoft’s valuation despite comparable AI technology. The price difference creates opportunity for value-focused investors.
Palantir Solves Enterprise AI Challenges
Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform accelerates U.S. commercial revenue. The software operationalizes AI within existing enterprise workflows.
Companies face a “last mile” problem moving AI from pilot to production. Palantir addresses this challenge through its integration approach.
Government contracts deliver stable baseline revenue. Commercial expansion provides higher growth potential as the customer base expands.
Business economics improve as the platform scales. The company transitions from growth speculation to sustainable profitability.
CrowdStrike Defends Against AI Threats
CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform processes trillions of security events weekly. AI and machine learning detect threats in real-time.
Cybercriminals increasingly weaponize AI for sophisticated attacks. CrowdStrike’s AI-native architecture counters these evolving threats.
The company maintains customer retention above 120% while staying profitable. Platform capabilities expand to address new security challenges.
CrowdStrike provides lower-risk AI exposure than pure-play alternatives. The cybersecurity foundation offers stability beyond AI hype cycles.
Bitcoin (BTC) saw a sharp dip below $67,400 during the Monday session open, after it rallied above $70,000 over the weekend. An immediate recovery may come at the back of BTC order book data, which shows aggressive bid positioning, and onchain data pointing to a rise in long-term accumulation.
Analysts now say the move may extend toward the $80,000–$84,000 region, with order book liquidity playing a key role in the next move.
Key takeaways:
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The Bitcoin accumulator addresses held over 372,000 BTC on Feb. 15, up from 10,000 BTC in September 2024.
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BTC order books show the largest bid skew in over two years, signaling a stronger near-term support.
Bitcoin futures and order book data support $80,000 retest
Crypto analyst Mark Cullen said Bitcoin may move toward the early February CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) gap, placing $80,000 to $84,000 as his upper price target this week.
A CME gap forms when the Bitcoin futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange close for the weekend and reopen at a different price, leaving a price range with no traded volume.
Previously, Bitcoin has revisited these gaps to “fill” them, meaning the price trades back through that untested range.
The current gap sits roughly between $80,000 and $84,000, making it a clear technical level. With 9 out of 10 CME gaps filled since August 2025, the $80,000–$84,000 range stands out as the key unfilled level.
Meanwhile, the order book data shared by crypto trader Dom shows roughly $596 million in bids within 0–2.5% of price versus $297 million in asks. This near 2:1 bid-to-ask imbalance represents the largest bid skew in over two years.
A bid skew of this magnitude indicates stronger immediate demand than the supply, which can support a short-term upward trend if sustained.
Dom said traders were hesitant to buy during the sharp drop. After Bitcoin swept below $60,000, demand picked up near the lows, suggesting growing interest in accumulating at discounted prices.
Related: Metaplanet revenue jumps 738% as Bitcoin generates 95% of sales
BTC accumulation demand hits new highs
CryptoQuant data shows that the demand from addresses classified as “accumulators” has reached new highs at roughly 372,000 BTC on Feb. 15. In September 2024, that figure was around about 10,000 BTC.
Crypto analyst Darkfost explained that these addresses are filtered using strict criteria: no outflows, multiple inflows, a minimum balance threshold, at least one active period in the past seven years, and exclusion of exchange, miner, and smart contract wallets.
Meanwhile, the long-term holder (LTH) distribution 30-day sum, which measures the total BTC moved by long-term holders over a rolling 30-day period, has fallen below $100,000, compared to averages above $1 million in November 2025.
A lower distribution suggests reduced selling from the LTHs, partially offsetting whale-driven inflows.
Related: $75K or bearish ‘regime shift?’ Five things to know in Bitcoin this week
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
Total market value slipped 2% on the day as most large-cap tokens traded lower.
Crypto markets opened the week on softer footing, with prices slipping lower after last week’s brief rebound.
On Monday, Feb. 16, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading around $67,500, down about 2% on the day and 1.7% over the past week, though it briefly rallied to $70,000 earlier today.
Since dropping to as low as $60,000 the first week of February, BTC has mostly been trading in a tight range between $68,000-$70,000. Trading volumes remained around $40 billion over the past 24 hours, suggesting active but indecisive positioning.
Ethereum (ETH) is down slightly more over the past 24 hours with 3% losses, while down 3.5% on the weekly timeframe.
Total crypto market capitalization fell 2% over the past 24 hours to $2.39 trillion, with most of the top-10 tokens moderately lower on the day. TRON (TRX) was the lone exception, posting slight gains on the day, while Dogecoin (DOGE) lost the most, down 7.5% in the past 24 hours, but still nearly 7% in the green on the week.
‘Macro Hedge Narrative Remains Challenged’
Despite pockets of resilience, analysts continue to flag a lack of strong directional conviction. In a Monday note, analysts at Keyrock said Bitcoin remains tightly correlated with risk assets.
“Our Take: Bitcoin continues to trade as a high-beta extension of tech, struggling to decouple during growth-led drawdowns,” Keyrock wrote. They added:
“Rather than hedging fiat risk, its rising correlation with software stocks continues to weaken its diversification case. Until it begins responding inversely to dollar weakness, its macro hedge narrative remains challenged.”
As for the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, it still remains in “extreme fear” territory, where it’s been for most of the past month.
Big Movers and Liquidations
Looking at the top-100 assets by market cap, Cosmos (ATOM) led gains on the day, up just 2.4%, followed by Bittensor (TAO), which rose 1%.
On the downside, Rain (RAIN) slid over 8%, while Dogecoin was today’s second biggest loser among large-caps after its recent outperformance.
According to CoinGlass data, total liquidations of $232 million over the past 24 hours, with long positions accounting for roughly $159 million. Bitcoin and Ethereum liquidations were nearly even, with $105 million and $90 million, respectively.
ETFs and Macro Conditions
Flows into U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded funds remained negative on a weekly basis, despite a net positive day on Friday.
According to SoSoValue data, last week, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of nearly $360 million, similar to the previous week’s total, bringing total net assets at $87 billion by Feb. 13.
Spot Ethereum ETFs also posted weekly outflows of $161.2 million, with total net assets of $11.7 billion.
On the macro front, revised labor data reinforced caution. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed on Friday, Feb. 13, that employers added just 181,000 jobs in 2025. That is far below the previously estimated 584,000 and the 1.46 million added in 2024.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday in an interview for CNBC that Congress should advance the CLARITY Act to set federal rules for digital assets, calling it a source of “great comfort” for markets, while cautioning that bipartisan support could weaken later this year.
The crypto market entered the third week of February with notable recoveries across several altcoins. However, overall negative sentiment has yet to improve, creating conditions for potential liquidations among overly optimistic traders.
Altcoins such as XRP, DOGE, and TAO are drawing attention this week due to significant developments, but they also carry the following risks.
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1. XRP
XRP’s liquidation map shows that the cumulative liquidation volume of Long positions slightly exceeds that of Short positions.
This week, if XRP declines to $1.30, cumulative Long liquidations could surpass $200 million. Conversely, if XRP rises above $1.63, cumulative Short liquidations could reach $150 million.
On Sunday, XRP briefly climbed to $1.66 before quickly falling back below $1.50 on Monday. Analyst Dom identified selling pressure originating from the Upbit exchange through the XRP Spot Cumulative Volume Delta indicator.
The data shows that approximately 50 million XRP were net sold on Upbit within 15 hours, generating strong selling pressure. This pressure emerged ahead of the Lunar New Year’s Eve, a holiday period in many Asian countries that often raises concerns about declining liquidity.
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Meanwhile, XRP accounts for a significant share of trading volume on both Upbit and Bithumb in South Korea. As a result, selling pressure from Asian investors could put Long positions at risk this week.
2. Dogecoin (DOGE)
Recent bullish discussions within the community have encouraged traders to allocate capital to Long DOGE positions this week.
If DOGE falls to $0.091, cumulative Long liquidations could approach $90 million. Meanwhile, if DOGE rises to $0.114, cumulative Short liquidations could total around $53 million.
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Why should DOGE Long traders remain cautious? Data from Nansen shows that DOGE exchange balances (yellow line) surged abruptly from February 12, when DOGE began its recovery driven by rumors surrounding the upcoming launch of X Money.
Many DOGE investors appear to be using the recovery as an opportunity to exit positions by transferring tokens onto exchanges. If this trend continues this week, DOGE could correct and move toward liquidation levels for Long positions.
3. Bittensor (TAO)
The listing of TAO on South Korea’s Upbit exchange on February 16 could provide fresh momentum to support a price recovery.
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The liquidation map shows that if TAO climbs above $283 this week, Short liquidations could exceed $13 million. Conversely, if TAO declines to $160, Long liquidations could reach $11.5 million.
As crypto community discussions around AI continue to capture a high share of overall market attention and Bittensor (TAO) corrects toward a long-term support zone, analyst Michaël van de Poppe expects a strong recovery.
“I think that protocols working on AI <> Crypto are a must have in every portfolio and I’m glad I’ve added funds into this position. I think that we’re going to see more strength going forward from here. At least a mean reversion to ~$300,” Michaël van de Poppe stated.
New liquidity from Upbit, combined with Michaël van de Poppe’s assessment, could place TAO Short positions at risk.
More online businesses are integrating cryptocurrency into their payment systems. This trend is especially noticeable among companies serving customers in multiple regions. For them, it’s a useful addition to their existing payment methods.
To take crypto payments, a business needs a solid payment gateway to process them smoothly. This guide explains how to begin clearly and avoid mistakes.
Why Are Businesses Starting to Accept Crypto Payments?
Accepting crypto for payments makes many traditional problems easier to handle. Payments go through faster, you don’t have to wait long for settlements, and sending money abroad is simpler with fewer middlemen. This proves highly useful for online businesses and organizations that work with international clients.
Meanwhile, people are moving away from old payment methods. Many who already have digital assets prefer to pay with them rather than convert first. This way, crypto payments are not meant to replace existing options but to expand the choices available.
How to Pick a Crypto Payment Gateway?
What makes crypto payments so convenient is that the gateway does most of the work. Merchants don’t have to be experts since it takes care of processing, monitoring, and keeping records.
A reliable gateway often includes:
- Support for multiple coins and networks.
- Clear and transparent fees.
- Flexible integration options.
- Invoice management with accurate payment tracking.
- Automation tools to minimize manual work.
- Strong security.
How customers feel matters just as much as the payment itself. Simple steps, support in multiple languages, and a consistent brand make users feel secure and more likely to complete their payment. Platforms like Cryptomus bring all of this together, making crypto payments easier to handle.
How to Start Accepting Crypto Payments?
Cryptomus is a versatile platform designed for both businesses and personal use. It features a reliable cryptocurrency payment gateway built for everyday operations. It supports over 120 coins and is suitable for companies of all sizes, from major ones to small online services like VPNs or hosting providers.
Fees are really low, starting at just 0.4%, and withdrawals are completely free. Merchants can also transfer the payment commission to the buyer when creating an invoice, effectively reducing direct costs.
To begin, first create a merchant account and choose one of these integration options:
- API integration with documentation and keys.
- SDK tools with instructions and code samples.
- Plugins for e-commerce platforms.
After that, just choose which cryptocurrencies you want to accept, set up automatic conversion, and customize a payment page with your branding. From the dashboard, you can track all incoming payments. Withdrawals usually take 1–2 minutes and can be done manually or automatically. You can also schedule auto-withdrawals based on time, currency, or network. Fiat withdrawals are available via SEPA, SWIFT, and P2P exchanges.
Another point to keep in mind is security. Cryptomus offers two-factor authentication, PIN codes, and IP whitelisting, and its safety has been independently verified by Certik. Customer support is available 24/7 in several languages through Telegram, email, website chat, or a personal manager.
Why Should Your Business Accept Crypto?
Accepting cryptocurrency can give your business a competitive advantage. It shortens settlement times, makes cross-border payments easier, and provides clients with a payment option they may already use.
Cryptomus simplifies crypto integration, making it safe and easy even for those without technical expertise. You can accept various coins, track payments, and handle withdrawals easily.
Crypto doesn’t need to replace your usual payment methods. It works alongside them, giving your business more flexibility and helping you keep up with evolving customer demands.
Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content; it’s written by a third party. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and to do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.
Readers are also advised to read CryptoPotato’s full disclaimer.
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Zcash’s original creators have formally broken away from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) and launched a new independent development entity, marking the clearest structural split in the privacy coin’s history.
The team announced today that the Zashi wallet will be rebranded as “Zodl,” confirming that Zcash’s flagship wallet and its original engineers now operate outside ECC’s control.
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Original Builders Continue Zcash Development Outside ECC
The announcement formalizes a break that began in January, when the entire ECC staff resigned following a governance dispute with Bootstrap, the nonprofit that owns ECC.
That conflict centered on control, autonomy, and the future direction of Zcash development.
The newly formed ZODL now includes the same engineers and product team that built Zcash’s core privacy technology and developed its flagship wallet.
The organization said it will continue building tools to expand shielded ZEC adoption, independently of ECC and the Zcash Development Fund.
Critically, this means Zcash’s original creators did not leave the ecosystem.
Instead, they regrouped under a new entity and retained operational continuity through the wallet infrastructure. The Zodl wallet remains fully compatible with the Zcash blockchain.
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Meanwhile, ECC still exists as a legal entity under Bootstrap ownership. However, it no longer employs the original team that designed and maintained much of Zcash’s modern infrastructure.
As a result, Zcash now has two separate organizational centers tied to its future development.
Split Mirrors OpenAI and Anthropic’s Structural Break
The split closely resembles the OpenAI–Anthropic divide, where former OpenAI leaders left to form a new independent AI company after disagreements over governance and strategic direction. In both cases, the founding engineers and technical leadership exited the original organization and launched a parallel development effort aligned with their original mission.
Importantly, the Zcash blockchain itself has not forked. Blocks continue to process normally, and the ZEC asset remains unchanged.
However, development leadership and technical direction now exist outside the original corporate structure.
This distinction highlights a growing pattern in decentralized ecosystems, where developer continuity can matter more than institutional ownership.
In practice, the engineers who build and maintain protocol infrastructure often shape its long-term trajectory.
A week after the much-anticipated L2’s mainnet launch, the network is showing early liquidity gains, but traction is still below its KPIs for the MEGA token launch.
Ethereum Layer 2 MegaETH’s mainnet, which launched on Feb. 9 following a high‑profile stress test ahead of its debut, has seen total value locked climb to roughly $66.48 million as of today, Feb. 16. The total value on MegaETH represents a roughly 65% increase compared with TVL at the immediate post‑launch period, where it was around $40.3 million, data from DefiLlama shows.
Stablecoins account for the bulk of on‑chain balances, with the chain’s $99.2 million stablecoin market cap up 56% over the past week, while bridged asset TVL are about $122 million.
Decentralized crypto exchange Kumbaya is the largest app on MegaETH by value locked by a wide margin, with roughly $51 million in TVL, dwarfing other early entrants as users have parked capital in its liquidity pools since launch.
Behind Kumbaya, yield‑oriented vault Avon MegaVault, unified DEX World Markets and multi-chain lending protocol Aave collectively hold about $19 million in TVL as of press time.
Token Launch KPIs Lag
As The Defiant previously reported, MegaETH told supporters that its token generation (TGE) event for MEGA is explicitly tied to the network achieving one of three on‑chain key performance indicators after mainnet launch:
- A $500 million circulating supply of the network’s stablecoin, MegaUSD (USDM)
- At least ten “Mega Mafia” apps — the network’s first live and verified dApps — meeting usage thresholds of more than 100,000 transactions across at least 25,000 wallets
- At least three dApps generating $50,000 in daily fees for a month.
As of press time, none of the above conditions have been met, according to MegaETH’s own dashboard that tracks the network’s progress toward TGE. The “Live Mafia Apps” counter shows 5 of the required 10 apps have deployed and are live with verified contracts.
Meanwhile, USDM’s stablecoin circulation metric also sits at just about 10% of the $500 million target, with roughly 13% of that circulating supply deposited into verified smart contracts.
On the revenue front, none of the deployed dApps have hit the critical $50,000 daily fee threshold. According to the dashboard, both Kumbaya is generating $19,000 in daily fees, Cap has $13,000 in daily fees, and Avon hasn’t registered meaningful fee volume.
So, while L2’s infrastructure shows early traction with capital flows and app deployment, the core adoption milestones tied to TGE remain out of reach, at least for now.
MegaETH’s public token sale took place on Sonar in late October and was 20x oversubscribed, seeing over $1 billion in deposits competing for an allocation of the future MEGA token.
Bitcoin has revisited its 2024 whale entry zone as large holders keep buying even as prices keep on falling.
Bitcoin (BTC) has slipped back to price levels last seen in October 2024, the exact moment when whales began their most recent accumulation phase.
On-chain data now shows these large holders are continuing to buy, not exit, suggesting the current downturn may be viewed as a re-entry opportunity rather than a reason to flee.
Whales Accumulate as Retail Fears Grow
According to pseudonymous market watcher CW8900, there has been a steady accumulation among large BTC and Ethereum (ETH) holders. They wrote that Bitcoin’s current price matches the zone where whales started buying in October 2024, and they claim accumulation has increased rather than slowed.
“Despite the decline in $BTC, accumulation continues. In fact, it’s increasing,” CW8900 said.
In a separate post, the analyst noted that Ethereum whales now hold positions at losses comparable to earlier cycle lows, which they described as a pattern seen near bottoms.
The expert wrote regarding the giant ETH holders,
“Their target is the upcoming rally. They are still accumulating massive amounts in preparation for a bull market.”
Market data supports the context behind those claims, with numbers from CoinGecko showing BTC changing hands near $69,000 after moving between $68,000 and $71,000 in the past day. The asset is down about 2% this week, 10% over two weeks, and nearly 28% in a month.
On its part, ETH is showing deeper losses. At the time of writing, the token was trading at just under $2,000 after falling about 40% in a month and 13% in two weeks.
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Despite the prevailing conditions, Fundstrat’s Tom Lee believes ETH will rebound fully. He pointed to eight separate drawdowns exceeding 50% that the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency has faced since 2018, including a 64% drop earlier last year. In every case, the asset formed a V-shaped bottom and recovered completely.
However, not all large positions have survived. Trend Research, once Asia’s largest ETH long, closed its final position last week after accumulating $2.1 billion in leveraged longs. According to Arkham, the exit resulted in an $869 million realized loss and came even after founder Jack Yi had predicted ETH would reach $10,000 just days before.
Diverging Signals
Not all indicators are leaning bullish, as revealed by analyst Wise Crypto, who said Bitcoin’s recent 9% rebound between February 12 and February 15 may be a trap. The market technician pointed to hidden bearish divergence on 12-hour charts and a 90% surge in NUPL, which indicated a higher sell risk, with key support levels sitting at $65,000 to $66,000, and $60,000 as the major psychological floor.
To add context to that caution, a recent poll run by chartist Ali Martinez found that only 22.7% of respondents believed $60,000 was the cycle low, while the largest share expected prices to fall toward $38,000.
Interestingly, market intelligence provider Santiment has noted that BTC typically moves opposite crowd expectations, suggesting a potential rally if fear continues to dominate sentiment.
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TLDR
- Walmart stock has gained 20.18% in 2026, outperforming the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices.
- Walmart became the first retailer to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization.
- Analysts have a ‘Strong Buy’ rating for Walmart stock, but price targets suggest limited growth.
- Walmart stock is expected to retrace slightly, with a 12-month target price of $133.04.
- The company has exceeded earnings per share forecasts in three of the last four quarters.
Walmart (NYSE: WMT), one of the top-performing blue-chip stocks of 2026, is set to release its next quarterly earnings report on February 19. Investors are closely monitoring whether Walmart stock remains a solid buy ahead of the event. The retail giant has recently achieved impressive growth, making it a standout in a challenging market.
Walmart Stock Recent Performance
Walmart stock has surged 20.18% in 2026, outpacing both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices. In contrast, the broader market has struggled, with the S&P 500 declining by 0.33% and the Dow Jones rising by just 2.31%. This strong performance is raising questions about whether the stock can continue to climb or if a pullback is imminent.
The retailer’s market capitalization recently crossed $1 trillion, making it the first retailer to reach this milestone. Despite its success, there are concerns about the stock’s high valuation, especially ahead of its upcoming earnings report. A slight miss in earnings could trigger a correction, similar to what occurred with Microsoft’s stock after its latest report.
Wall Street remains largely positive on Walmart stock, with an average rating of ‘Strong Buy.’ However, analysts’ 12-month price targets suggest that the stock may see only modest growth. Walmart stock is expected to retrace 0.63%, with a target price of $133.04 in the next year.
Several analysts have raised concerns about potential pullbacks despite the positive outlook. Bernstein’s Zhihan Ma recently maintained a ‘Buy’ rating but forecasted a drop to $129. Similarly, Citi’s most bullish forecast of $147 suggests just a 9.79% increase from current levels. These predictions indicate that even optimistic estimates expect limited upside for the stock in the near term.
The Outlook for Walmart’s Earnings Report
Ahead of its earnings report, Walmart’s strong performance in recent quarters offers some reassurance. The company has exceeded earnings per share (EPS) forecasts in three of the last four quarters, increasing the likelihood of another beat. Walmart’s diversified business model, which includes e-commerce and technology, positions it well in both favorable and unfavorable economic conditions.
Even if the economy faces a downturn, Walmart’s reputation for offering ‘great value’ prices could drive continued consumer demand. This defensive nature of Walmart’s business model has contributed to its strong performance, making it a relatively safe investment in uncertain times.
Key insights
- MiCA + PSD2 licensing lets OKX legally offer EU-wide stablecoin payments and merchant settlement services.
- Mastercard partnership enables self-custody spending, auto conversion at checkout, and fiat payouts to merchants.
- Investment in tokenized RWA stablecoins signals shift from trading platform to full financial infrastructure provider.
Can Stablecoins Finally Be Used Like Everyday Money
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has received a Payment Institution (PI) license in Malta, clearing the way to offer regulated stablecoin payment services across the European Economic Area (EEA). The approval aligns the company with both the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which take full effect in March 2026.
🇪🇺 OKX EXPANDS CRYPTO PAYMENTS IN EUROPE
OKX just secured a European payments license to expand stablecoin payments and its crypto card business. pic.twitter.com/yZnQSkKWyh
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 16, 2026
Payment systems handling payments in stablecoins (treated as electronic money tokens) under PSD2 require either a payment institution or electronic money authorization. With the new license, OKX can legally process stablecoin payments while operating under a recognized European regulatory framework.
The exchange says the authorization strengthens its compliance structure and allows its payment products to function across multiple EU countries through passporting rights.
How Does the OKX Card Actually Work at Checkout?
The license supports the rollout of OKX Pay and the OKX Card, launched in partnership with Mastercard. The card enables users to use the stablecoins at merchants all over the world that accept Mastercard.
Funds remain in self-custody until the moment of purchase. At checkout, the stablecoins automatically convert to euros with a 0.4% market spread. Merchants get paid with fiat, whereas users will pay off their crypto account balances without manual conversion.
The card also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay and has up to 20% promotional rewards in crypto on eligible purchases. Transactions operate through a licensed European payments partner and follow strict AML and KYC requirements.
OKX Building More Than a Payment Card
The licensing move coincides with OKX’s broader investment in stablecoin infrastructure. Its venture arm recently backed STBL, a project developing a real-world-asset-backed stablecoin on the company’s X Layer blockchain. The initiative involves Hamilton Lane and Securitize and will provide tokenized exposure to a private credit fund.
By combining its earlier MiCA CASP authorization with the new PI license, OKX now operates a fully regulated crypto payments framework in Europe. The plan is to bridge traditional finance and blockchain settlement systems-enabling crypto to be not only tradable, but spendable in life.
With this move, OKX positions itself as a compliant, payment-ready crypto platform built for Europe’s next regulatory era.
Solana’s price invalidated its recent breakout attempt after failing to hold above key resistance, confirming a bull trap and shifting the short-term market structure back to bearish.
Summary
- Failed breakout above $88 confirms bull trap, trapping late buyers
- Rejection at the point of control signals bearish control, favoring downside rotation
- $78 support is the key level to watch, with potential reaction or swing-failure setup
Solana (SOL) price has entered a critical corrective phase after recent price action failed to sustain acceptance above major resistance levels. What initially appeared to be a bullish continuation has now revealed itself as a classic bull trap, catching late buyers before the price reversed sharply lower.
This type of failed breakout often marks an important inflection point, especially when it occurs at high-timeframe resistance and value extremes.
As price rotates back into its prior trading range, technical signals suggest that downside continuation is now the higher-probability scenario in the immediate short term.
Market participants are closely watching how Solana behaves as it approaches key support levels, where either further breakdown or a reactive bounce may emerge.
Solana price key technical points
- Bull trap confirmed above $88 resistance, invalidating the bullish breakout
- Rejection at the point of control signals weakness, favoring range rotation lower
- $78 high-timeframe support comes into focus, with Fibonacci confluence below
Solana’s recent rally pushed price above the value area high and into high-timeframe resistance near the $88 region. However, this move lacked sustained acceptance. Instead of consolidating above the resistance, the price quickly stalled and reversed, signaling that buyers were unable to maintain control at higher levels.
This behavior is characteristic of a bull trap, where price briefly trades above resistance to attract breakout buyers before reversing back into the prior range. Once acceptance above resistance fails, the resulting move lower is often sharp as trapped longs are forced to exit positions.
The inability to hold above the value area high was the first warning sign. This level typically defines the upper boundary of fair value within a range, and rejection here often leads to rotations back toward lower value.
Rejection at point of control confirms bearish shift
Following the failure above resistance, Solana rotated back into the trading range and attempted to stabilize near the point of control (POC). The POC represents the price level at which the highest trading volume has occurred and often serves as a balance point during consolidation phases.
However, Solana was unable to reclaim or hold above this level. The rejection at the POC confirms that sellers remain dominant and that the market has transitioned from balance into renewed imbalance. When a price is rejected at the POC after a failed breakout, it significantly increases the probability of a full-range rotation.
This rejection marks a clear shift in short-term market structure, turning the local bias bearish and opening the path toward lower support levels.
$78 support becomes the immediate downside target
With local structure now bearish, attention turns to the next major downside level. High-timeframe support near $78 stands out as the primary target. This region aligns with the value area low and represents the lower boundary of the broader trading range.
Importantly, the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement rests just below this level, adding further technical confluence. Fibonacci retracement zones often act as magnets for price during corrective phases, particularly after failed breakouts.
A move into this region would complete a full range rotation and likely coincide with increased volatility as liquidity is tested. Whether Solana stabilizes or continues to decline will depend heavily on the reaction at this support zone.
Swing failure pattern could signal reversal
While the immediate bias favors downside continuation, the $78 region is not just a bearish target — it is also a potential inflection zone. If price sweeps below this support, tests the 0.618 Fibonacci level, and then quickly reclaims the level, it could form a swing failure pattern (SFP).
Such behavior would indicate a liquidity grab rather than a true breakdown and could mark the beginning of a corrective bounce or even a larger reversal, depending on volume and follow-through. For this reason, price action around $78 should be monitored closely rather than treated as an automatic breakdown.
What to expect in the coming price action
From a technical, price action, and market structure perspective, Solana’s recent rejection confirms a bull trap and shifts short-term momentum firmly bearish. As long as the price remains below the value area high and the point of control, downside continuation toward the $78 support zone remains the higher-probability outcome.
Until bullish acceptance returns above key value levels, rallies should be treated with caution. The market is now in a corrective rotation phase, and how Solana reacts around $78 will likely define the next major move.
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