Circle announced on Thursday, Feb. 5, that it has partnered with Polymarket, the largest on-chain prediction market by trading volume, to provide its U.S. dollar stablecoin settlement infrastructure.

The partnership focuses on integrating Circle’s stablecoin USDC as the primary collateral currency for trading on Polymarket. The prediction market, which operates on Polygon, currently uses Polygon Bridged USDC (USDC.E), but will move to native USDC “in the coming months.”

With a supply of $70.77 billion, Circle’s USDC is the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization after Tether’s USDT.

Circle said the partnership is focused on making settlement on Polymarket more “institutionally aligned” as trading activity increases. Over the past 24 hours, Polymarket processed $113 million in trades, with total value locked on the platform at $337.5 million, according to DefiLlama.

“Circle has built some of the most critical infrastructure in crypto, and partnering with them is an important step in strengthening prediction markets,” said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket. “Using USDC supports a consistent, dollar-denominated settlement standard that enhances market integrity and reliability as participation on the platform continues to grow.”

Record-Breaking Growth

The partnership comes as the prediction market sector continues to grow, attracting more users and liquidity. The top-three prediction marketplaces, Polymarket, Kalshi and Opinion, have all seen record-breaking monthly volumes over the past three months. In January, total TVL across crypto-focused prediction markets reached a new high of more than $550 million, The Defiant reported.

The news comes after Polymarket began rolling out trading fees for the first time earlier this year. That same week Polymarket also expanded its institutional reach, becoming the exclusive prediction market partner of the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones.

Last month, the platform generated about $2.6 million in fees and $1.6 million in revenue, according to DefiLlama. In the first few days of February, fees and revenue have already reached roughly $708,000 and $459,000, respectively.

The crypto market continued its recent crash today, Feb. 5, with Bitcoin falling below the key support at $70,000 and the valuation of all coins moving to $2.3 trillion from a record high of over $4.2 trillion.

Roubini is ready for a crypto market apocalypse 

The Bitcoin (BTC) sell-off accelerated. And Nouriel Roubini, a top economist popularly known as “Dr. Doom,” expects the top cryptocurrency and most altcoins to continue falling. Why? Not enough people use them.

Bitcoin remains in a bear market, while gold hovers near its all-time high, despite many proponents calling it a safe-haven asset.

Roubini, who accurately predicted the Global Financial Crisis, also warned that most cryptocurrencies were blockchain in name only. He said:

“95%  of ‘blockchain’ monies and digital services are blockchain in name only. They are private rather than public, centralized rather than decentralized, permissioned rather than permissionless, and validated by a small group of trusted authenticators.”

Doom isn’t alone

Other popular analysts have warned about the crypto industry.

For example, Peter Schiff, a top gold bull has continued to predict that the coin will continue falling over time.

However, other crypto proponents have argued that the ongoing crypto crash is a normal part of the process, citing other crypto crashes in the past. For example, Bitcoin dropped by over 70% in 2022 as companies like Terra and FTX crashed. In a statement, Michael Novogratz said:

“I do think we are at the lower end of the range. What I would say is we have been here before. Anyone who has been in crypto for more than five years realizes that part of the ethos of this whole industry is pain.”

There are a few reasons why the crypto market may recover in the coming weeks or months. First, the Federal Reserve will likely continue cutting interest rates, which will make risky assets more attractive  

Second, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index has moved to the extreme fear zone of 11. In most cases, crypto prices normally rebound when the index moves to the extreme fear zone  as we saw in December last year.

Additionally, the Relative Strength Index of most coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, has moved to the extreme fear zone. Other oscillators, like the Stochastics have also moved to the oversold level, where rebounds normally happen.

Fidelity Investments has entered the stablecoin market with the launch of Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), marking a significant step by one of the world’s largest asset managers into on-chain dollar instruments. Announced on February 4, 2026, the new stablecoin is issued by Fidelity Digital Assets, National Association, and is available to both retail and institutional clients. Each token is redeemable at a 1:1 ratio with the U.S. dollar, positioning FIDD as a regulated, institutionally managed alternative in a stablecoin market that now exceeds $316 billion in total capitalization.

Key takeaways

• Fidelity has launched its first U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), available to retail and institutional clients.
• FIDD can be purchased or redeemed directly through Fidelity platforms at a fixed rate of $1 per token.
• Reserve assets are managed internally, leveraging Fidelity’s long-standing asset management infrastructure.
• The stablecoin operates on the Ethereum mainnet and can be transferred to any compatible address.
• Daily disclosures provide transparency on circulating supply and reserve net asset value.
• The launch follows new U.S. regulatory clarity for payment stablecoins.

Sentiment: Neutral

Market context: The launch comes as regulatory clarity in the United States improves and traditional financial institutions increase their participation in tokenized cash, custody, and blockchain-based settlement infrastructure.

Why it matters

Fidelity’s move into stablecoin issuance signals a broader shift in how traditional asset managers approach blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Rather than relying solely on third-party stablecoins, Fidelity is now offering a proprietary digital dollar backed by its own balance sheet processes and operational standards.

For institutional investors, the availability of a stablecoin issued and managed by a globally recognized financial institution may reduce counterparty concerns that have historically limited stablecoin adoption in regulated environments. Retail users, meanwhile, gain access to an on-chain dollar that integrates directly with existing Fidelity platforms.

More broadly, the launch highlights how stablecoins are increasingly viewed as foundational financial plumbing rather than speculative crypto assets. As asset managers, banks, and payment firms adopt similar models, competition may shift toward transparency, reserve management, and regulatory alignment.

What to watch next

• Whether FIDD expands beyond Ethereum to additional blockchain networks.
• Potential exchange listings and liquidity growth outside Fidelity platforms.
• Regulatory reporting standards applied to Fidelity-issued stablecoins.
• Adoption by wealth managers and institutional treasury operations.

Sources & verification

• Fidelity’s official announcement dated February 4, 2026.
• Daily reserve and supply disclosures published on Fidelity’s website.
• Statements from Fidelity Digital Assets leadership regarding regulatory alignment.

Fidelity Digital Dollar enters the regulated stablecoin landscape

Fidelity Investments’ decision to issue a proprietary stablecoin represents a notable evolution in the firm’s digital asset strategy. The new token, Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), is designed to function as a blockchain-based representation of the U.S. dollar while remaining closely integrated with Fidelity’s existing financial infrastructure.

Issued by Fidelity Digital Assets, National Association, FIDD is available to eligible retail and institutional investors through Fidelity Digital Assets, Fidelity Crypto, and Fidelity Crypto for Wealth Managers. Clients can purchase or redeem the stablecoin directly with Fidelity at a fixed price of one U.S. dollar per token, a structure intended to mirror the operational simplicity of traditional cash balances.

Unlike many stablecoins that rely on external reserve managers or opaque custodial arrangements, FIDD’s reserve assets are managed by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC. This internal structure allows Fidelity to apply the same portfolio oversight, risk controls, and compliance standards used across its traditional asset management business.

Transparency is a central component of the product’s design. Fidelity publishes daily disclosures detailing FIDD’s circulating supply and the net asset value of its reserves as of each business day’s close. This approach aligns with growing regulatory expectations for stablecoin issuers and aims to address long-standing concerns around reserve sufficiency and disclosure practices in the sector.

From a technical perspective, FIDD is issued on the Ethereum mainnet, enabling holders to transfer tokens to any compatible Ethereum address. This design choice allows the stablecoin to integrate with existing decentralized finance infrastructure while remaining accessible through centralized platforms.

Fidelity Digital Assets President Mike O’Reilly described the launch as the result of years of internal research into stablecoins and blockchain-based financial systems. According to the firm, the goal is to provide investors with on-chain utility without sacrificing the stability and operational rigor associated with traditional financial products.

The timing of the launch is closely tied to regulatory developments in the United States. Recent legislation establishing clearer rules for payment stablecoins has reduced legal uncertainty for large financial institutions considering issuance. Fidelity has positioned FIDD as a response to this evolving framework, emphasizing compliance and investor protection alongside technological innovation.

Stablecoins have become a critical component of digital asset markets, facilitating trading, settlement, and cross-border transfers. With total market capitalization now exceeding $316 billion, the sector has attracted increasing scrutiny from regulators and policymakers. Fidelity’s entry reflects a broader trend of established financial firms seeking to bring stablecoin activity within regulated, institutionally managed environments.

Fidelity’s broader digital asset strategy provides important context for the move. The firm has been building blockchain-related infrastructure since 2014, long before digital assets became mainstream. Its offerings now include custody, trading, research, and investment products tailored to institutional clients, intermediaries, and retail investors.

By adding a proprietary stablecoin to this lineup, Fidelity is effectively extending its ecosystem into on-chain cash management. For wealth managers and institutional clients already using Fidelity’s digital asset services, FIDD may serve as a settlement layer that reduces reliance on external stablecoin issuers.

The launch also raises questions about how competition in the stablecoin market may evolve. As more traditional financial institutions issue their own tokens, differentiation may increasingly depend on regulatory status, transparency, and integration with existing financial services rather than yield incentives or aggressive growth strategies.

While Fidelity has not disclosed immediate plans for expanding FIDD beyond Ethereum or adding advanced programmable features, the infrastructure chosen leaves room for future development. Potential use cases could include on-chain settlement for tokenized securities, collateral management, or integration with institutional payment systems.

For now, Fidelity Digital Dollar stands as a signal that stablecoins are moving deeper into the core of traditional finance. Rather than operating at the margins of the financial system, regulated digital dollars issued by major asset managers may become standard tools for both crypto-native and traditional investors navigating an increasingly hybrid financial landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• Enterprises need production-ready, scalable AI systems to drive real business impact.
• Clarify business problems, workflows, and success metrics before choosing a partner.
• Look for technical expertise, domain knowledge, and co-development capabilities.
• Ensure data protection, governance, and ongoing support are built in.
• Evaluate use cases, conduct technical assessments, run PoCs, and finalize IP and support models.

The landscape of enterprise technology has shifted. In 2026, artificial intelligence is no longer an experimental feature; it is the core engine of corporate strategy. According to Gartner, by 2026, more than 80% of enterprises will have moved from basic generative AI pilots to production-grade systems, including multi-agent architectures and domain-specific models.

As the global AI market is projected to reach $312 billion in 2026, the pressure to choose a capable AI development partner has never been higher. This guide provides a strategic framework for identifying, evaluating, and onboarding the right AI development company to lead your digital transformation.

Understanding Your AI Requirements Before Engaging a Partner

Before evaluating any AI development company, enterprises must clearly define their internal objectives and constraints. As AI systems become more complex, success increasingly depends on aligning technical architecture with measurable business outcomes.

1. Clarify the Business Problem

Enterprises should begin by identifying the exact problem AI is expected to solve. This may include reducing operational inefficiencies, improving decision accuracy, automating high-volume workflows, or enabling new revenue models. Leading organizations are shifting away from bottom-up experimentation toward targeted, high-impact transformations aligned with strategic priorities.

2. Identify the Type of AI Solution Required

Different business goals require different AI approaches. Common enterprise-grade solutions in 2026 include:

• Multi-Agent Systems (MAS): Autonomous agents that collaborate to execute complex, multi-step workflows.
  
• Domain-Specific Language Models (DSLMs): Models trained or fine-tuned on industry-specific data to improve reliability and contextual understanding.
• Recommendation and Personalization Engines: AI systems that drive individualized experiences across marketing, sales, and digital platforms.

3. Define Success Metrics Early

Traditional metrics such as model accuracy are no longer sufficient. Enterprises increasingly track performance through operational and financial indicators, including decision latency reduction, inference cost relative to business value, risk mitigation, and employee productivity gains.

The Enterprise AI Partner Landscape in 2026

The market for custom AI development services has matured and diversified. Selecting the right AI development partner depends heavily on an organization’s scale, regulatory environment, and technical maturity.

Common Types of AI Service Providers

• Global Consulting Firms: Suitable for large-scale digital transformation initiatives, though often slower and more expensive to execute.
  
• Niche AI Specialists: Strong in advanced R&D and complex model development but may face challenges scaling enterprise-wide deployments.
• Product-Led AI Firms: Offer faster deployment using pre-built platforms, with potential limitations in customization and IP ownership.

1. Co-Development and IP Ownership

• Global Consulting Firms: Suitable for large-scale digital transformation initiatives, though often slower and more expensive to execute.
  
• Niche AI Specialists: Strong in advanced R&D and complex model development but may face challenges scaling enterprise-wide deployments.
• Product-Led AI Firms: Offer faster deployment using pre-built platforms, with potential limitations in customization and IP ownership.

2. Co-Development and IP Ownership

Enterprises are increasingly favoring co-development models that allow them to build proprietary intellectual property alongside their AI solutions provider. This approach reduces dependency on vendor-controlled platforms and supports long-term strategic flexibility.

3. Local vs. Distributed Delivery Models

While distributed teams offer cost efficiencies, enterprises in regulated industries often prioritize providers with a strong regional presence to address data residency, compliance, and governance requirements.

Core Criteria for Selecting an AI Development Partner

1. Technical Capability and Innovation

An enterprise AI development partner must demonstrate hands-on expertise with modern AI architectures, including agent-based systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and vector databases. Equally important is a commitment to continuous research and experimentation with evolving open-source and commercial AI frameworks.

2. Industry and Domain Knowledge

Domain familiarity significantly accelerates development timelines and reduces operational risk. Partners with experience in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or logistics are better equipped to handle domain-specific data structures, compliance obligations, and validation requirements.

3. Collaboration and Delivery Model

AI development is inherently iterative. Enterprises should look for transparent governance structures, clearly defined roles across data science and engineering teams, and agile delivery processes that emphasize frequent validation over long development cycles.

4. Security, Compliance, and Governance

In 2026, AI security and governance are non-negotiable. A qualified AI solutions provider for enterprises must demonstrate adherence to regional regulations, provide explainability mechanisms, and maintain full data lineage across training and deployment pipelines.

5. Pricing Structure and Long-Term ROI

Enterprise AI investments typically extend beyond initial development. Organizations should assess the total cost of ownership, including infrastructure usage, ongoing monitoring, retraining, and performance optimization. Flexible pricing models—such as dedicated teams or hybrid engagement structures—often provide better long-term value than rigid fixed-price contracts.

A Step-by-Step Enterprise AI Partner Selection Process

Step 1: Identify High-Value Use Cases

Rather than pursuing broad AI initiatives, enterprises should prioritize workflows where AI can deliver measurable operational impact. High-value use cases often involve decision automation, exception handling, or high-volume manual processes.

Step 2: Design a Future-Ready RFP

Modern RFPs should assess more than cost and timelines. Enterprises should evaluate a partner’s MLOps maturity, approach to model monitoring, explainability frameworks, and ability to support agentic workflows.

Step 3: Conduct a Technical Deep Dive

Involving senior technical stakeholders is essential. Enterprises should assess architecture design, data handling strategies, and cloud-native deployment approaches to ensure scalability and avoid vendor lock-in.

Step 4: Run a Production-Oriented PoC

A proof of concept should reflect real-world conditions. Using unrefined enterprise data allows organizations to evaluate a partner’s ability to manage data complexity, deliver reliable performance, and meet defined KPIs within a limited timeframe.

Step 5: Finalize Governance, IP, and Support Models

Before onboarding, enterprises should clearly define IP ownership, model maintenance responsibilities, performance SLAs, and post-deployment support mechanisms to ensure long-term alignment.

Critical Warning Signs When Evaluating an AI Development Partner

• Unclear System Architecture: If a provider cannot clearly explain how their AI system works end to end—including data flow, decision logic, and integration points—it’s a sign the solution may not be production-ready.
  
• No Plan for Post-Deployment Maintenance: AI models require continuous monitoring, retraining, and performance evaluation. A partner that treats deployment as the finish line is likely to deliver a system that degrades quickly over time.
• Lack of Cost Transparency: Be cautious of vendors who provide high-level estimates without detailing infrastructure usage, cloud compute requirements, data preparation costs, or long-term operational expenses.
• Generic or Reused Demonstrations: If the same demo or example is used across industries and use cases, it suggests limited customization capability. Enterprise AI solutions should be designed around specific business and domain requirements.
• Limited Accountability After Delivery: A weak or undefined support model—such as unclear SLAs, response times, or ownership boundaries—can create operational risk once the solution is live.

Positive Indicators When Evaluating an AI Development Partner

• Clearly Documented Development Processes: A strong AI development partner follows well-defined, repeatable frameworks for data ingestion, model training, validation, deployment, and monitoring. This signals maturity and reduces delivery risk.
• Deep Focus on Data Quality and Validation: Instead of starting with tools or timelines, the right partner spends time understanding your data sources, data integrity, labeling standards, and validation methods. This focus on ground truth is critical for reliable AI outcomes.
• Security Built into the Design Phase: Trusted enterprise AI partners address data protection, access controls, and model security early in the design process—often recommending secure execution environments and governance measures without being prompted.
• Strong Alignment with Business Objectives: A capable AI development company consistently connects technical decisions to business impact, ensuring models are designed to support measurable outcomes rather than theoretical performance.
• Clear Ownership and Long-Term Support Model: Reliable partners define responsibilities for maintenance, updates, monitoring, and issue resolution upfront, demonstrating accountability beyond initial delivery.

Building Long-Term AI Capability Through the Right Partnership

Choosing the right AI development partner is no longer just a procurement decision—it’s a strategic pivot. By 2026, the gap between AI leaders and laggards will be defined by the quality of their technical partnerships.

At Antier, we help enterprises build robust, scalable, and ethically grounded AI solutions. Whether you are looking for custom AI development services or need an enterprise AI solutions provider to overhaul your operations, our team is ready to bridge the gap between vision and production.

Bitcoin (BTC) sellers resumed their activity on Thursday as the BTC price dropped below $69,000, the lowest since Nov. 6, 2024.

Analysts said that Bitcoin showed signs of “full capitulation” and a potential bottom forming, due to extreme market fear, panic selling by short-term holders and the relative strength index (RSI).

Key takeaways:

• Short-term Bitcoin holders have sold nearly 60,000 BTC in 24 hours.

• The Crypto Fear & Greed index shows “extreme fear,” signaling a potential bottom.

• Bitcoin’s “most oversold” RSI points to seller exhaustion.

Short-term holder capitulation deepens

Nearly 60,000 BTC, worth about $4.2 billion at current rates, held by short-term holders (STHs), or investors who have held the asset for less than 155 days, were moved to exchanges at a loss over the last 24 hours, according to data from CryptoQuant.

This was the largest exchange inflow year-to-date, which is contributing to selling pressure.

“The correction is so severe that no BTC in profit is being moved by LTHs,” CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost said in a post on X, adding:

“This is a full capitulation.”

When analyzing the volume of coins spent at a loss, Glassnode found that the 7-day SMA of realized losses has risen above $1.26 billion per day.

This reflects a “marked increase in fear,” Glassnode said, adding:

“Historically, spikes in realized losses often coincide with moments of acute seller exhaustion, where marginal sell pressure begins to fade.”

Bitcoin’s capitulation metric has also “printed its second-largest spike in two years,” occurrences that have previously coincided with accelerated de-risking and elevated volatility as market participants reset positioning,” Glassnode said.

“Extreme fear” could signal market bottom

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall crypto market sentiment, posted an “extreme fear” score of 12 on Thursday.

These levels were last seen on July 22, a few months before the BTC price bottomed at $15,500 and then embarked on a bull run.

Data reveals that in all capitulation events where the index hit this extreme level, short-term weakness was common, but almost every event produced a rebound.

“We are at an ‘extreme fear’ level with a Crypto Fear and Greed Index of 11,” said analyst Davie Satoshi in an X post on Thursday, adding:

“History has shown this is the time to buy and accumulate more!”

Crypto sentiment platform Santiment said in an X post on Thursday that the investor sentiment has “​​turned extremely bearish toward Bitcoin.”

“This remains a strong argument for a short-term relief rally as long as the small trader crowd continues to show disbelief toward cryptocurrency as a whole.”

Bitcoin “most oversold” RSI signals seller exhaustion

CoinGlass‘ heatmap shows that BTC’s RSI is displaying oversold conditions on five out of six time frames.

Bitcoin’s RSI is now at 18 on the 12-hour chart, 20 on the daily chart and 23 on the four-hour chart. Other intervals also display oversold or near-oversold RSI values, such as 30 and 31 on the weekly and hourly time frames, respectively. 

In fact, data from TradingView shows that the weekly RSI is at 29 on Thursday, the “most oversold” since the 2022 bear market, according to analysts. 

“Bitcoin is now the MOST oversold since the FTX crash,” CryptoXLARGE said in an X post on Wednesday, adding that it reflects panic selling among investors.

“Historically, this is where fear peaks and opportunity begins,” the analyst added.

Bitcoin’s RSI is at the same oversold levels last seen around $16K in 2022, which marked the “last major capitulation,” phase, said analyst HodlFM in a recent post on X, adding:

“Not a timing signal by itself, but historically, this is where risk/reward favors the buyers.”