TLDR:

• Strategy requires only 1.5% annual Bitcoin appreciation to sustain $888 million dividend obligations 
• The company maintains a $2.25 billion cash reserve, providing 30 months of dividend coverage independently 
• Strategy holds 713,502 Bitcoin, representing 3.4% of total supply at $76,052 average purchase price 
• The firm operates with 13% leverage versus 23% for investment-grade companies, with 42 basis point debt
  

Michael Saylor unveiled a dividend sustainability model that requires Bitcoin to appreciate just 1.25% annually for perpetual payments.

The Strategy Inc. Executive Chairman made this revelation during the company’s Q4 2025 earnings call on February 6, 2026.

The announcement came as Bitcoin plunged to $63,596.56, marking a 13% single-day decline. Strategy reported a $12.4 billion net loss, yet Saylor defended the treasury strategy with confidence.

Minimal Bitcoin Growth Sustains Perpetual Dividend Model

Saylor’s dividend framework centers on an exceptionally low appreciation threshold for long-term sustainability. CEO Phong Le explained that the company needs Bitcoin to increase by only 1.5% annually to maintain payments indefinitely.

The model functions by selling incremental Bitcoin holdings to cover dividend obligations while preserving the core treasury position.

Strategy holds approximately $45 billion in Bitcoin reserves against annual dividend commitments of $888 million across preferred equity instruments.

This ratio provides 67 years of dividend coverage based solely on current holdings without any price appreciation. The mathematical simplicity of the model demonstrates the company’s confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term value trajectory.

Saylor extended the scenario even further during the earnings call, addressing the possibility of zero Bitcoin appreciation.

He stated that even if Bitcoin stopped appreciating entirely, Strategy would have “80 years to figure out what to do about that.”

This timeline provides substantial flexibility for strategic pivots while maintaining current dividend commitments to shareholders.

Cash Reserves and Financial Buffers Strengthen Payment Certainty

Strategy established a $2.25 billion USD cash reserve in Q4 2025 specifically to address dividend reliability concerns.

CFO Andrew Kang noted this reserve provides 30 months of coverage without requiring any Bitcoin sales. The cash buffer insulates dividend payments from short-term Bitcoin price volatility and market downturns.

Michael Saylor’s post on X highlighted the multi-layered approach to dividend security that Strategy has implemented.

The company designed this structure to weather extended bear markets while maintaining shareholder distributions. The combination of cash reserves and Bitcoin holdings creates redundant payment mechanisms across different time horizons.

The dividend adjustment framework recently shifted to monthly volume-weighted average price calculations instead of five-day periods.

This change addresses trading patterns around record dates and payment dates. Strategy’s Stretch digital credit product trades near its $100 stated amount with an 11.25% annualized dividend rate.

Bitcoin Holdings Position Company for Long-Term Execution

Strategy held 713,502 Bitcoin as of February 1, 2026, with total acquisition costs reaching $54.26 billion. The average purchase price stands at $76,052 per coin, representing roughly 3.4% of Bitcoin’s total supply.

The company maintains its position as the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder despite recent price declines.

The company achieved a 22.8% BTC yield for 2025, exceeding the lower end of its target range. This metric measures the percentage increase in Bitcoin per share, demonstrating acquisition rates faster than shareholder dilution. The strategy’s accumulation strategy continues regardless of short-term price movements or accounting losses.

The Q4 2025 net loss of $12.6 billion stemmed primarily from mark-to-market accounting on Bitcoin holdings. Operating losses reached $17.4 billion, while earnings per share came in at negative $42.93 versus forecasts of positive $2.97. However, the software business generated $123 million in revenue, exceeding expectations by 3.53%.

Market Volatility Tests Dividend Thesis Amid Capital Raising Success

Strategy’s stock closed at $119.74 in aftermarket trading, down 17.12% following the earnings announcement on February 6, 2026.

Bitcoin’s simultaneous decline to $63,596.56 intensified selling pressure across cryptocurrency-related equities. The company’s Bitcoin holdings fell below their cumulative cost basis for the first time since 2023.

Saylor appeared undaunted during the conference call, emphasizing that the company’s Bitcoin treasury strategy was built to withstand volatility.

He noted that Bitcoin’s 45% drawdown from its all-time high four months earlier was consistent with the asset’s 45% volatility profile. This perspective frames current losses as expected fluctuations rather than fundamental flaws.

Strategy raised $25.3 billion in capital during 2025, becoming the largest U.S. equity issuer for two consecutive years. The company raised an additional $3.9 billion in January 2026 and acquired 41,002 Bitcoin during challenging conditions.

Strategy operates with 13% leverage compared to 23% for investment-grade companies, with convertible debt carrying a 42 basis point average interest rate.

Monero has faced intense selling pressure over the past month, with the price collapsing nearly 60% in just four weeks. The sharp decline erased weeks of gains and pushed XMR into a sustained downtrend. 

This move signals quickly weakening investor confidence, as long-term holders and short-term traders alike reduce exposure amid broader market stress.

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Monero Traders Are Stepping Back

Derivatives data points to a clear trader exodus from Monero. Open interest has dropped sharply, falling from roughly $279 million in mid-January to about $118 million. This 57% decline reflects reduced participation across futures markets, signaling fading speculative interest in XMR.

Two factors largely explain this contraction. First, profit-taking followed earlier price spikes. Second, bearish market conditions eroded confidence among traders as participants exited positions, and liquidity thinned.

Lower engagement often weakens price support, increasing sensitivity to further selling pressure and volatility.

Despite declining participation, short-term momentum indicators suggest selling pressure may be easing. The Money Flow Index is forming a bullish divergence against the XMR price. While price continues to post lower lows, the MFI has produced higher lows, signaling declining downside momentum.

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This divergence indicates sellers are losing strength, even though the price has not yet responded. Historically, such setups can precede stabilization or short-term recoveries.

While not a guarantee of reversal, the signal suggests XMR may avoid immediate deeper losses if demand stabilizes.

XMR Price Recovery May Be Slow

XMR price is attempting a gradual recovery but lacks strong bullish confirmation. At the time of writing, Monero trades near $326, sitting just below the $335 resistance. Price remains locked within a nearly four-week-long downtrend, limiting upside potential for now.

A breakout above $335 appears challenging under current conditions. The next major resistance stands near $357, which could cap recovery attempts. Without renewed inflows or improving sentiment, XMR is more likely to consolidate within this range as buyers and sellers remain cautious.

Downside risk persists if bearish momentum intensifies. A potential Death Cross could form if the 200-day EMA moves above the 50-day EMA. Such a signal often marks prolonged weakness. Under this scenario, XMR could fall below $291 and slide toward $265 or lower, extending the decline.

Block Inc. (XYZ), the payments company run by Jack Dorsey, may reduce its workforce by as much as 10%, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Hundreds of employees at the bitcoin BTC$71,275.53-supporting owner of Cash App and Square have been told their jobs are at risk, Bloomberg said. The reviews are part of a broader overhaul of the Oakland, California-based company’s business, it said.

In addition to the payment apps, which allow individuals and businesses to transact in bitcoin, Block has Bitkey, a bitcoin self-custody hardware wallet, and Proto, a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Its Spiral unit builds and funds open-source projects advancing bitcoin adoption.

The company introduced a 12,000-employee cap in 2023 and reiterated its commitment to the number in its third-quarter earnings report. It had fewer than 11,000 in November, Bloomberg said.

Shares in the company have dropped 14% this year while the S&P 500 index, which it joined in July, rose 1.27%. The stock lost 23% in 2025.

Block is due to post fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 26. Adjusted earnings are forecast to come in at $403 million, or 68 cents a share, Bloomberg said. The company posted adjusted EPS of 71 cents in fourth-quarter 2024.

The company did not respond to an emailed request for comment sent outside regular U.S. business hours.

Pi Network price continued its strong downward trend this week and is nearing its lowest level on record as traders anticipated a big token unlock this week.

Pi Coin (PI) token was trading at $0.1450 on Sunday, a few points above the all-time low of $0.1305. It has dropped by over 90% from its all-time high, erasing billions of dollars in value.

Pi token may come under pressure this week as the network unlocks over 82 million coins in the next seven days. At the current price, these coins are valued at over $11 million. These coins are part of the 206 million tokens that come online this month. 

Token unlocks are risky for a cryptocurrency because they boost the circulating supply. Soaring supply at a time when demand is not rising will always put pressure on the price.

Pi Network’s supply will also jump in March when the team will issue the validator rewards. In a recent note, they said that they had completed the design and were currently testing it, with the implementation happening in March.

While many validators will hold their tokens, some will dump, leading to lower prices over time. 

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On the positive side, Pi Network has a major catalyst in that it was added on Kraken’s roadmap list. In most cases, this is usually the first stage before the company lists a token. A Kraken listing would be highly bullish for Pi because of its scale as the second-biggest American crypto exchange after Coinbase.

Pi Network price prediction: technical analysis

The daily timeframe chart shows that the value of Pi has remained under pressure in the past few months. It recently crossed the crucial support level at $0.1520, its previous all-time low.

The coin has remained below the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages. It also sits below the Supertrend indicator, a highly bearish sign in technical analysis. 

On the positive side, the coin has become highly oversold, with the Relative Strength Index remaining below 30. Therefore, the most likely scenario is where it remains in this range this week. A move above the key resistance at $0.1520 will invalidate the bearish outlook and point to more gains. 

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Bitcoin dips near $60K, leaving Strategy’s $59.75 billion holdings underwater.

Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, reported owning 713,502 BTC, worth approximately $59.75 billion as of February 1st. The company’s total cost basis for these holdings is $54.26 billion, which translates to an average cost of $76,052 per bitcoin.

With Bitcoin dropping to almost $60,000, well below Strategy’s average purchase price, the firm’s vast BTC treasury is currently underwater.

Treasury Under Strain

In 2025, Strategy achieved a full-year BTC yield of 22.8% and recorded gains of 101,873 BTC. The company continued to expand its BTC treasury in January 2026 and ended up acquiring an additional 41,002 BTC.

Strategy started in 1989 as a traditional software company focused on data analytics. In 2020, co-founder Michael Saylor made a major pivot to Bitcoin, seeing it as a safer alternative to cash during pandemic-era stimulus and low interest rates. The company began using BTC as a long-term treasury asset.

By 2025, it rebranded as Strategy and fully embraced its role as a BTC-first company. The pivot drew attention from regulators and index providers, who questioned whether a firm dominated by crypto should remain in major indices. MSCI suggested companies holding more than half their assets in Bitcoin might be considered non-operating. Strategy, however, argued that it actively uses Bitcoin to raise capital and drive shareholder value. Attempts to join the S&P 500 in September and December 2025 also failed.

Despite this, Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings have remained central to its financial structure and are closely tied to its digital credit instruments, particularly STRC, which acts as a complementary tool for risk management and capital amplification. STRC’s growth to $3.4 billion has been supported by higher liquidity and lower volatility in the crypto markets.

The company raised $25.3 billion in 2025 to support its BTC treasury and preferred stock offerings, which made it the largest US equity issuer for the second consecutive year. It also maintains a $2.25 billion USD Reserve, covering over 2.5 years of preferred stock dividends and interest obligations, providing additional stability amid market swings.

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The recent dip in the leading crypto asset has renewed concerns about corporate BTC exposure. Popular investor Michael Burry recently claimed that Bitcoin’s behavior as a speculative asset, rather than a hedge, could pose significant risks for companies holding large BTC treasuries. He observed that further price declines could leave major holders, including Strategy, deeply underwater and potentially limit access to capital markets, thereby amplifying financial stress.

Losses Surge in Q4

Meanwhile, Strategy’s operating losses for the quarter were found to be $17.4 billion, entirely due to unrealized losses on digital assets, compared with a $1.0 billion operating loss in Q4 2024 under the prior accounting model.

Net loss for the quarter was $12.4 billion, up from $670.8 million in the same period of 2024. Cash and cash equivalents rose to $2.3 billion from $38.1 million, driven largely by the establishment of the USD Reserve.

Block Inc. is pursuing a broad restructuring designed to sharpen efficiency, align its product lines, and knit together Cash App’s consumer payments with Square’s merchant services. The plan has prompted conversations within the company about role reductions during annual performance reviews, a sign that management is tightening cost controls as it recalibrates its business mix. People familiar with the matter say as many as 10% of Block’s workforce could be affected, a substantial slice for a company that employed just under 11,000 people as of late November. The move arrives as Block seeks to balance near-term profitability with long-running bets in crypto and fintech innovation.

The restructure, which began taking clearer form after a 2024 reorganization, is intended to bring Cash App more tightly in line with Square, Block’s merchant services division. By integrating the consumer-to-business payments ecosystem, executives hope to create a more seamless flow of users across services and reduce redundancies within operations. The strategy reflects a broader industry trend: fintech firms are recalibrating their internal structures to preserve margins as competition intensifies and users demand more integrated products.

Beyond cost discipline, Block has pressed ahead with growth initiatives that extend well beyond payments. The company has been expanding its newer lines, including a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) mining venture under Proto and an artificial intelligence project known as Goose. While some investors worry about “growth at any cost” disclosures, Block is positioning these projects as long-duration bets that could diversify revenue streams in a crypto-rich future. The balance sheet, however, continues to reflect the complexity of crypto exposure: the company’s third-quarter results highlighted both the potential and the risk of its bitcoin activities.

Block shares rallied on the latest trading day, ending Friday up nearly 5%. The move underscores a market that remains sensitive to earnings trajectories and the trajectory of Block’s efficiency drive as investors weigh the potential upside from its crypto and AI bets against the near-term impact of cost reductions.

The company is set to report its fourth-quarter results on February 26. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expected adjusted earnings of about $403 million, or 68 cents per share, on roughly $6.25 billion in revenue. Those projections sit against Block’s prior quarter, when it posted net income of $461.5 million on $6.11 billion in revenue. Gross profit rose 18% year over year, driven by 24% growth in Cash App and 9% growth in Square, though some performance metrics missed Wall Street expectations and weighed on sentiment.

On the revenue mix, Bitcoin contributed a significant portion in the third quarter, generating roughly $1.97 billion in revenue, a decline from $2.4 billion a year earlier but still the company’s second-largest revenue stream. Block held 8,780 BTC worth over $1 billion by the end of September, though the company logged a quarterly valuation loss of about $59 million on its bitcoin holdings. Those figures illustrate the tension between crypto as a revenue engine and the volatility that accompanies digital asset exposure.

Block’s push into crypto-enabled payments has been a core feature of its broader strategy. In November of last year, Square, Block’s payments arm, rolled out a Bitcoin payments option at checkout via its point-of-sale terminals, enabling merchants to accept BTC directly and offering multiple pathways for conversion and settlement. The feature builds on earlier tools that let merchants convert a portion of daily card sales into Bitcoin as part of Square’s wallet ecosystem, reinforcing the company’s aim to embed cryptocurrency into everyday transactions. The expansion has reached millions of sellers across eight countries, underscoring Block’s ambition to normalize crypto in everyday commerce.

The broader narrative around Block’s strategy also touches on how it manages digital-asset capabilities within a traditional payments framework. Some observers have flagged regulatory and market risks inherent in crypto-adjacent businesses, while others highlight the potential for cash flows from both merchant services and consumer wallets to harness network effects. In parallel with its payments ambitions, Block has signaled interest in stablecoins and other crypto-facilitated capabilities. The company’s crypto endeavors are occasionally framed as a hedge against the volatility of traditional payments margins, even as they introduce new layers of risk that investors must monitor closely. For readers tracking this space, it’s worth noting that stablecoin-related developments have drawn scrutiny and interest from regulators, a dynamic that could influence Block’s product roadmap and timing of crypto-enabled features.

Why it matters

The near-term significance lies in Block’s attempt to fuse its consumer and merchant ecosystems more tightly while continuing to push into crypto and AI experimentation. If the restructuring yields meaningful cost savings without sacrificing growth, Block could improve its operating leverage at a time when fintechs face margin pressure and competitive intensity. The company’s ability to deliver a coherent cross-sell thesis—pulling Cash App users into Square’s merchant services and vice versa—could unlock higher lifetime value per customer and create a more resilient revenue base.

From a crypto perspective, the scaling of BTC-related revenue and the ongoing mining and AI ventures signal a deliberate, long-horizon approach to digital assets as a core strategic differentiator. The Q3 bitcoin rebound in revenue—despite a year-over-year decline—demonstrates that crypto remains a material driver of Block’s top line, even as the company navigates volatility in asset prices and the valuation challenges that come with large BTC holdings. The question for investors is whether the company’s crypto investments translate into durable cash flows or whether they remain a portfolio of bets requiring ongoing capital allocation and risk management.

For users and developers in the payments and fintech space, Block’s moves underscore a broader shift toward platform-centric models that knit together payments, wallets, and crypto services. If successful, the integration of Cash App with Square could yield more seamless onboarding, better data integration, and richer product ecosystems, enabling the company to monetize increasingly large audiences across both consumer and merchant segments. The ongoing expansion into mining and AI suggests Block intends to diversify away from reliance on any single revenue source, a strategy that could resonate with investors seeking exposure to multiple growth vectors within a single corporate banner.

What to watch next

• Feb. 26 – Block’s fourth-quarter earnings release and accompanying guidance, including updated profit metrics and potential commentary on the restructuring’s impact on margins.
• Progress updates on the 2024 reorganization, specifically any milestones tied to aligning Cash App with Square and improving cross-product customer journeys.
• Operational updates from Proto (BTC mining) and Goose (AI) projects, including any partnerships, capital deployments, or pilot milestones.
• Regulatory developments or market signals affecting crypto-enabled payments and stablecoins, which could influence product timing and capital allocation.

Sources & verification

• Bloomberg article on Block cutting up to 10% of staff as part of an efficiency push.
• Block’s reported third-quarter results: net income, revenue, gross profit growth, and Bitcoin revenue details.
• Square’s November rollout of Bitcoin payments for merchants and related capabilities.
• Block’s anticipated fourth-quarter earnings release date (Feb. 26) and consensus estimates.

Block’s restructuring tightens focus on payments and crypto ventures

Block Inc. is pursuing a broad restructuring designed to sharpen efficiency, align its product lines, and knit together Cash App’s consumer payments with Square’s merchant services. The plan has prompted conversations within the company about role reductions during annual performance reviews, a sign that management is tightening cost controls as it recalibrates its business mix. People familiar with the matter say as many as 10% of Block’s workforce could be affected, a substantial slice for a company that employed just under 11,000 people as of late November. The move arrives as Block seeks to balance near-term profitability with long-running bets in crypto and fintech innovation.

The restructure, which began taking clearer form after a 2024 reorganization, is intended to bring Cash App more tightly in line with Square, Block’s merchant services division. By integrating the consumer-to-business payments ecosystem, executives hope to create a more seamless flow of users across services and reduce redundancies within operations. The strategy reflects a broader industry trend: fintech firms are recalibrating their internal structures to preserve margins as competition intensifies and users demand more integrated products.

Beyond cost discipline, Block has pressed ahead with growth initiatives that extend well beyond payments. The company has been expanding its newer lines, including a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) mining venture under Proto and an artificial intelligence project known as Goose. While some investors worry about “growth at any cost” disclosures, Block is positioning these projects as long-duration bets that could diversify revenue streams in a crypto-rich future. The balance sheet, however, continues to reflect the complexity of crypto exposure: the company’s third-quarter results highlighted both the potential and the risk of its bitcoin activities.

Block shares rallied on the latest trading day, ending Friday up nearly 5%. The move underscores a market that remains sensitive to earnings trajectories and the trajectory of Block’s efficiency drive as investors weigh the potential upside from its crypto and AI bets against the near-term impact of cost reductions.

The company is set to report its fourth-quarter results on February 26. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expected adjusted earnings of about $403 million, or 68 cents per share, on roughly $6.25 billion in revenue. Those projections sit against Block’s prior quarter, when it posted net income of $461.5 million on $6.11 billion in revenue. Gross profit rose 18% year over year, driven by 24% growth in Cash App and 9% growth in Square, though some performance metrics missed Wall Street expectations and weighed on sentiment.

On the revenue mix, Bitcoin contributed a significant portion in the third quarter, generating roughly $1.97 billion in revenue, a decline from $2.4 billion a year earlier but still the company’s second-largest revenue stream. Block held 8,780 BTC worth over $1 billion by the end of September, though the company logged a quarterly valuation loss of about $59 million on its bitcoin holdings. Those figures illustrate the tension between crypto as a revenue engine and the volatility that accompanies digital asset exposure.

Block’s push into crypto-enabled payments has been a core feature of its broader strategy. In November of last year, Square, Block’s payments arm, rolled out a Bitcoin payments option at checkout via its point-of-sale terminals, enabling merchants to accept BTC directly and offering multiple pathways for conversion and settlement. The feature builds on earlier tools that let merchants convert a portion of daily card sales into Bitcoin as part of Square’s wallet ecosystem, reinforcing the company’s aim to embed cryptocurrency into everyday transactions. The expansion has reached millions of sellers across eight countries, underscoring Block’s ambition to normalize crypto in everyday commerce.

The broader narrative around Block’s strategy also touches on how it manages digital-asset capabilities within a traditional payments framework. Some observers have flagged regulatory and market risks inherent in crypto-adjacent businesses, while others highlight the potential for cash flows from both merchant services and consumer wallets to harness network effects. In parallel with its payments ambitions, Block has signaled interest in stablecoins and other crypto-facilitated capabilities. The company’s crypto endeavors are occasionally framed as a hedge against the volatility of traditional payments margins, even as they introduce new layers of risk that investors must monitor closely. For readers tracking this space, it’s worth noting that stablecoin-related developments have drawn scrutiny and interest from regulators, a dynamic that could influence Block’s product roadmap and timing of crypto-enabled features.

Block’s restructuring and crypto bets illustrate a deliberate attempt to diversify revenue streams while strengthening core services. If the company can successfully integrate Cash App with Square, it would enable more robust cross-selling opportunities and a cohesive loyalty proposition that could boost retention and lifetime value. At the same time, the BTC mining and Goose AI initiatives serve as parallel growth rails, potentially generating new cash flows even as they introduce volatility and execution risk. The next earnings cycle will be crucial in signaling whether the restructuring translates into measurable margin improvement and sustainable long-term growth.

The former BitMEX CEO has moved millions of dollars worth of certain DeFi tokens, here’s which ones.

Arthur Hayes, perhaps best known for his leadership at BitMEX years ago, has made several high-value transfers for numerous altcoins, mostly from the DeFi space, which caught the attention of monitoring resources such as Lookonchain.

Given his history of offloading similar tokens in times of market uncertainty, the analysts speculated that he had likely made the transfers to sell $1.06 million worth of ENA, $954,000 worth of ETHFI, and $1.14 million worth of PENDLE.

Arthur Hayes(@CryptoHayes) is selling DeFi tokens.

In the past 15 minutes, he moved out 8.57M $ENA($1.06), 2.04M $ETHFI($954K), and 950K $PENDLE($1.14M) — likely to sell.https://t.co/loeYKUb9rN pic.twitter.com/ZOJnUHCTdr

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) February 8, 2026

Hayes made several big sell-offs in August last year, claiming that the crypto market was due for a large correction. However, the market went the other direction, and some of the assets he sold, such as ETH, skyrocketed in the following weeks.

Just days later, he regretted his decision with a post on X. Hayes explained that he had to buy it all back at higher prices, asked for forgiveness from the Ethereum community, and promised not to take ETH profits again.

In November, though, further on-chain data from Lookonchain showed that he disposed of 520 ETH for $1.66 million, alongside ENA and ETHFI.

Another report from late December 2025 indicated that he had sold additional ETH and purchased PENDLE, LDO, ENA, and ETHFI again. If he indeed offloaded the DeFi tokens now, it would result in a substantial loss given the latest market correction.

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Revolut’s fintech expansion across Europe and globally is severely constraining the playing field for European fintech founders. Attempting to build a European-scale fintech — which means competing directly with Revolut — has become extremely challenging, both from a product and marketing perspective.

By September 2025, Revolut reached 65 million customers worldwide, with 12 million in the UK alone. The company has also announced a firm timeline for serving 100 million customers, aiming to hit this milestone by mid-2027. As a result, the window of opportunity for European fintech development is rapidly narrowing. Entrepreneurs are left with only two viable options: either build a super-niche project, both in terms of product and geography — think local payment services — or exploit Revolut’s main blind spot. In their pursuit of banking licenses and regulatory relationships, they haven’t been developing crypto services with sufficient intensity.

The latter model offers several compelling advantages. Due to certain characteristics of the European startup scene, a crypto-finance project has excellent chances for global expansion, or at a minimum, pan-European growth.

Regulation

The rollout of Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation has given crypto projects a major boost — not because it specifically permitted or prohibited anything, but simply because it established clear, understandable frameworks for what a project must comply with to stay compliant in Europe.

There’s an unusual side effect to this regulation: MiCA enhances trust in crypto projects beyond Europe’s borders. For example, in Latin American markets, it creates an extremely positive attitude from regulators toward projects, so it becomes a notable green flag.

The workforce and economy

Compared to the US, hiring employees in Europe is significantly cheaper. Hiring one engineer in the US is equivalent to hiring two or three in Europe. It’s worth noting that in Europe, you can recruit the same developers or product managers from Revolut itself, which definitely makes sense in the context of expansion.

Cryptocurrency turnover is actively growing in Europe. Even our own statistics confirm that users are interested in receiving stablecoins to their accounts and using them as a means of payment.

Funding

While fintech attracted less and less money in recent years, the situation is now changing.

“If 2024 was defined by scarcity, 2025 was defined by bifurcation. The recovery in fundraising has been robust, with year-to-date figures reaching approximately €6.3 billion by September, surpassing 70% of 2024’s total.” 

Part of this money is flowing into crypto, as the sector becomes institutionalized through MiCA. A license significantly capitalizes a company, transforming it in investors’ eyes from an unproven concept into a clearly understood fintech company.

“With MiCA fully live, we expect 2026 to be the year of Stablecoin Rails. Major European banks are already piloting Euro-denominated stablecoins. The ‘wild west’ of crypto is over; the institutionalization of digital assets is here, and it will likely become the standard for cross-border B2B payments.”

What could be improved?

Despite being a major benefit, MiCa still hasn’t fully solved compliance. Current legislation and regulators still stumble over crypto-specific issues when it comes to how businesses earn and spend money in crypto form. Moreover, since we’re dealing with an extremely young fintech instrument, tax incentives could facilitate its development and growth.

So if you’re feeling the pressure from Revolut on your European fintech business, we strongly advise taking a serious look at the crypto-finance market. Europe provides numerous benefits to fintech businesses that they can leverage for global expansion.

Ethereum price could be preparing a strong rebound after forming a giant hammer candle and confirming the inverted head-and-shoulders chart pattern as the staking queue jumps to a record high.

Ethereum (ETH) token was trading at $2,080, up sharply from last week’s low of $1,738. This price is much lower than the all-time high of nearly $5,000. 

The ongoing Ethereum crash is notable as it is happening when the token has some of the best fundamentals ever. For example, more investors are delegating their coins to staking. Data shows that 4 million ETH coins are waiting in line to stake.

The entry queue has jumped to a record high of 4.06 million coins, while only 31,915 coins are waiting to get out. These numbers mean that the wait time to stake has jumped to 70 days. These numbers mean that there is still demand for Ethereum and that most holders are not panic-selling. 

Ethereum’s network statistics are booming, a sign that the Fusaka upgrade was successful. Nansen data shows that Ethereum’s active addresses jumped by 38% in the last 30 days to over 15 million. Its transactions soared by 37% to over 70 million, while its fees soared to nearly $20 million.

Ethereum is benefiting because of its commanding market share in some of the most important industries in the crypto industry. For example, it is the biggest chain in the real-world asset tokenization industry, with a market share of over 70%.

Ethereum price technical analysis

The weekly timeframe chart shows that the ETH price has been in a freefall in the past few months. It has dropped in the last three consecutive weeks, with the Relative Strength Index moving to the oversold level of 30.

The coin has been slowly forming the inverted head-and-shoulders pattern, a common bullish reversal sign. There are signs that the coin has completed the formation of the right shoulder. 

It has also formed a hammer candle, which is made up of a long lower shadow and a small body. A hammer is another common bullish reversal sign in technical analysis.

Therefore, the coin will likely bounce back in the coming weeks, potentially to the psychological point at $2,500. A move below the lower side of the hammer will invalidate the bullish outlook.

Hedera has come under renewed pressure after a broader market downturn dragged HBAR lower. The recent price drop reflects bearish cues driven by macro uncertainty and weakness in Bitcoin. 

While the long-term outlook for Hedera remains constructive, near-term recovery attempts may struggle as market headwinds continue to weigh on sentiment.

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HBAR Has A Different Target

Price action remains macro bullish, with HBAR trading inside a well-defined descending channel. The rejection from the channel’s upper boundary near $0.1290 confirmed seller dominance.

The recent drop toward $0.0893 shows weak demand, signaling continuation risk as momentum and structure remain tilted to the downside.

Immediate support sits at $0.0786, which previously triggered a short-lived bounce. As the pattern projects a bullish outcome, the breakout from it can trigger a 31% rise. This would send HBAR rallying towards $0.1252, marking a short bounce which in turn could lead to further recovery.

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

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HBAR Traders Are Preparing For New Lows

Derivatives data, however, paints a more nuanced picture of trader expectations. HBAR’s futures funding rate has stayed in negative territory for the past 48 hours, even as the price attempted to stabilize. Negative funding indicates short positions are paying longs, reflecting a bias toward further downside.

This positioning suggests traders expect additional weakness and are attempting to profit from it. Short contracts currently dominate longs, signaling skepticism around any immediate recovery.

While excessive short exposure can fuel sharp squeezes, it also highlights prevailing caution across speculative participants.

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HBAR’s high correlation with Bitcoin adds another layer of risk. The correlation coefficient between HBAR and BTC currently sits near 0.96. Such a strong relationship typically benefits altcoins during Bitcoin rallies, as capital flows across the market in unison.

In the current environment, however, this correlation acts as a constraint. Bitcoin has struggled to regain momentum, and continued weakness in BTC could delay HBAR’s recovery. Until Bitcoin stabilizes or reverses higher, HBAR is likely to mirror broader market pressure rather than decouple meaningfully.

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HBAR Price Support Levels Next

HBAR is trading near $0.0895 at the time of writing, sitting just below the $0.0907 resistance. This level has capped recent upside attempts. A successful flip of $0.0907 into support would be the first signal of improving structure, opening a path toward the $0.1029 target.

Given prevailing conditions, a failed breakout appears more likely in the near term. If HBAR cannot reclaim $0.0907, the price may consolidate above the $0.0832 support. A breakdown below that level would expose HBAR to a deeper decline toward $0.0710, extending the downtrend.

A more constructive outcome depends on reclaiming $0.1029. Securing that level would allow HBAR to recover a meaningful portion of recent losses. Such a move would invalidate the bearish thesis and signal that buyers are regaining control, provided broader market conditions, led by Bitcoin, also improve.