TLDR:

• Brazil’s Central Bank plans to finalize institutional VASP regulations within the 2026–2027 regulatory horizon.
  
• Companies like Ripple, Fireblocks, and BitGo will be directly affected by the incoming institutional VASP framework.
  
• Existing crypto firms operating in Brazil will have 270 days to report their activities to the Central Bank.
  
• Brazil’s Receita Federal is preparing a 3.5% tax on stablecoin flows used as dollar proxies for payments.

Brazil’s Central Bank is moving forward with a regulatory framework for institutional virtual asset service providers (VASPs) before 2027.

These firms build and operate crypto infrastructure for other businesses, not retail users. Companies like Fireblocks, BitGo, Ripple, and Wintermute fall under this category.

Antônio Marcos Guimarães, deputy head of the bank’s Regulation Department, confirmed the plans during a live broadcast on February 9, marking another step in Brazil’s growing crypto oversight agenda.

Framework Takes Shape from Market Consultations

The demand to regulate institutional VASPs came directly from the crypto industry itself. During public consultations, market participants urged the Central Bank to address this segment formally.

The regulator acknowledged the request but chose to tackle stablecoins and other pressing matters first. Now, the 2026-2027 window is reserved for institutional VASP oversight.

Guimarães made the bank’s direction clear during the February 9 broadcast. “The Central Bank is finalizing the authorization criteria for companies that already operate,” he said.

He added that those firms “will have 270 days to inform the Central Bank” of their activities. He also confirmed that “in the 2026-2027 horizon, we intend to advance in the regulation of institutional PSAVs (B2B).”

The Central Bank’s plan involves creating a negotiation model between authorized entities. Under this model, qualifying companies could serve as liquidity and infrastructure providers.

This structure differs significantly from traditional brokerage setups common in retail crypto markets. The approach reflects how institutional crypto operations actually function at scale.

Brazil has already taken steps to bring commercial banks into the crypto space in 2026. New rules streamlining bank participation in crypto markets were rolled out earlier this year.

The institutional VASP framework builds directly on that regulatory momentum. Together, these measures are shaping a more structured and transparent crypto environment across Brazil.

Technical Complexity Slows But Does Not Stop Regulatory Progress

One reason the Central Bank delayed institutional VASP regulation was the sector’s technical complexity. Guimarães explained that the complexity stems from “the nature of the operation of these companies.”

He noted there is “no brokerage system that organizes operations,” and that “trading takes place in a decentralized environment based on private networks and shared technological infrastructure.” That reality made standard regulatory tools difficult to apply without significant modification.

Transactions among institutional VASPs settle without a central intermediary organizing trades. This decentralized dynamic across private networks creates real challenges for monitoring and reporting.

The Central Bank recognized early that a tailored approach was necessary here. As a result, regulators studied the sector carefully before committing to a formal framework.

Brazil’s national revenue service, Receita Federal, is also preparing related measures. It is reportedly working on a 3.5% tax targeting stablecoin flows used as dollar-pegged payment proxies.

That proposal adds another layer to Brazil’s evolving digital asset policy. Both developments reflect a coordinated push toward broader crypto market governance.

The institutional VASP framework still has time to develop before the 2027 deadline arrives. Market participants and regulators will likely engage further as specific rules take shape.

Brazil’s methodical, consultation-driven approach continues to attract attention across the global crypto industry.

Ripple’s XRP joined the rest of the market in the past day, with another crash displaying continued weakness within a broader descending structure, as upside attempts repeatedly fail to generate sustained momentum. The price is now trading within a clearly defined range, awaiting a decisive breakout to determine the next directional move.

Ripple Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, XRP attempted to break above the channel’s middle boundary of $1.60 but failed to sustain the move. The brief push beyond this midline resulted in a liquidity sweep, where buy-side liquidity was taken before sellers stepped back in and drove the asset lower. This false breakout highlights the presence of supply overhead and confirms that bullish momentum remains fragile.

Following the rejection, the price rotated back into the established range and continues to fluctuate between the upper supply zone and the lower demand base. The structure now suggests ongoing consolidation rather than immediate trend reversal. Unless XRP can decisively reclaim and hold above the channel’s middle boundary, the market is likely to remain range-bound, with liquidity hunts on both sides shaping short-term volatility.

XRP/USDT 4-Hour Chart

On the 4-hour timeframe, XRP remains structurally bearish, trading inside a well-defined descending structure. After the failed daily breakout and liquidity sweep, the price resumed its downward trajectory and continues to form lower highs and lower lows within the channel boundaries.

The recent bounce from the lower demand zone near the $1.10–$1.20 region was sharp but corrective in nature. The asset is now consolidating around the $1.35–$1.40 area, which previously acted as intraday support.

As long as XRP remains below the channel’s mid-structure and the $1.50 zone, upside attempts are likely to face selling pressure. A move toward the $1.50–$1.55 supply region would be considered a corrective retest unless accompanied by strong momentum and a structural break. On the downside, losing the current support cluster would expose the lower boundary of the channel and increase the probability of another liquidity sweep below recent lows.

AUD/USD is attempting a fresh increase from 0.7015. NZD/USD is consolidating and could aim for a move above 0.6000 in the short term.

Important Takeaways for AUD/USD and NZD/USD Analysis Today

· The Aussie Dollar remained supported above 0.7000 and recovered losses against the US Dollar.

· There was a break above a key declining channel with resistance at 0.7070 on the hourly chart of AUD/USD at FXOpen.

· NZD/USD is consolidating above 0.5965 and 0.5950.

· There was a break above a declining channel with resistance at 0.5960 on the hourly chart of NZD/USD at FXOpen.

AUD/USD Technical Analysis

On the hourly chart of AUD/USD at FXOpen, the pair formed a base above 0.7000. The Aussie Dollar started a decent increase above 0.7035 against the US Dollar to enter a short-term positive zone.

There was a break above a key declining channel with resistance at 0.7070. The bulls even pushed the pair above the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the 0.7147 swing high to the 0.7015 low and the 50-hour simple moving average.

The AUD/USD chart indicates that the pair could struggle to clear the 76.4% Fib retracement at 0.7115. The first major hurdle for the bulls could be 0.7150.

An upside break above 0.7150 might send the pair further higher. The next major target might be 0.7220. Any more gains could clear the path for a move toward 0.7300. If there is no close above 0.7115, the pair might start a fresh decline.

Immediate bid zone could be near 0.7065 and the 50-hour simple moving average. The next area of interest is 0.7035. If there is a downside break below 0.7035, the pair could extend its decline toward 0.7015. Any more losses might signal a move toward 0.6965.

NZD/USD Technical Analysis

On the hourly chart of NZD/USD on FXOpen, the pair also followed AUD/USD. The New Zealand Dollar failed to stay above 0.6020 and corrected gains against the US Dollar.

The pair dipped below 0.5965 and the 50-hour simple moving average and 0.5830. A low was formed at 0.5937, and the pair is now attempting to recover losses. There was a move above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the 0.6052 swing high to the 0.5937 low.

Besides, there was a break above a declining channel with resistance at 0.5960. The NZD/USD chart suggests that the RSI is above 50, signaling a short-term positive bias. On the upside, the pair is facing resistance near 0.6010.

The next major hurdle for buyers could be near the 76.4% Fib retracement at 0.6025. A clear move above 0.6025 might even push the pair toward 0.6050. Any more gains might clear the path for a move toward the 0.6122 pivot zone in the coming sessions.

On the downside, there is support forming near 0.5965 and the 50-hour simple moving average. If there is a downside break below 0.5965, the pair might slide toward 0.5940. Any more losses could lead NZD/USD into a bearish zone to 0.5900.

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The week will be dominated by earnings reports from crypto-related companies, though the repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on tariffs on Friday are also likely to ripple through markets.

Miners including MARA Holdings (MARA) and Hut 8 (HUT) are on the roster, and will fuel the conversation over diversification into high-performance computing centers and support for AI. Also on the AI front, Nvidia (NVDA), a maker of chips for the AI industry and the world’s largest publicly traded company by market capitalization, reports earnings on Wednesday.

Circle Internet (CRCL), issuer of the second-largest stablecoin, USDC, is also on Wednesday’s list.

In the wider economy, a number of U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers are set to make speeches in the coming days. And don’t forget the U.S.-Iran talks, which resume on Geneva on Thursday even as both sides build up their military preparations.

What to Watch

(All times ET)

• Crypto
  • Feb. 23: Alchemy Chain’s testnet is scheduled to go live.
  • Feb. 25, 1 p.m.: SwissBorg to host its “biggest keynote ever.”
  • Feb. 25, 1 p.m.: Hedera mainnet to upgrade to version 0.7
  • Feb. 27: The Sandbox Season 7 starts.
• Macro
  • Feb. 23, 8:00 a.m.: Fed Governor Christopher Waller gives a speech on the economic outlook at the National Association for Business Economics.
  • Feb. 23, 10:00 a.m.: U.S. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index for February (Prev. -1.2)
  • Feb. 24, 8:15 a.m.: U.S. ADP employment change weekly (Prev. 10.25K)
  • Feb. 24, 9 a.m.: S&P Case-Shiller home price YoY (Prv. 1.4%)
  • Feb. 24, 10:00 a.m.: U.S. CB consumer confidence est. 86 (Prev. 84.5)
  • Feb. 24, 1:00 p.m.: U.S. money supply for January (M2) (Prev. $22.4T)
  • Feb. 25, 5:00 a.m.: Eurozone core inflation rate YoY final est. 2.2% (Prev. 2.3%)
  • Feb. 25, 4:30 p.m.: U.S. Fed balance sheet for week ending Feb. 25 (Prev. $6.61T)
  • Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m.: Bank of Japan Board Member Hajime Takata gives a speech at a meeting with local leaders in Kyoto
  • Feb. 26, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. initial jobless claims for week ending Feb. 21 (Prev. 206K)
  • Feb. 26, 10:00 a.m.: U.S. Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
  • Feb. 26, 6:50 p.m.: Japan Tokyo core CPI YoY for February est. 2% (Prev. 2%)
  • Feb. 27, 8:00 a.m.: German inflation rate YoY prelim. for February (Prev. 2.1%)
  • Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. PPI MoM for January est. 0.3% (Prev. 0.5%); Core PPI MoM est. 0.3% (Prev. 0.7%)
  • Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. PPI YoY for January est. 2.9% (Prev. 3%)
  • Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m.: Canada GDP growth rate annualized for Q4 (Prev. 2.6%); QoQ (Prev. 0.6%)
• Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
  • Feb. 24: Cipher Mining (CIFR), pre-market, $0.03
  • Feb. 25: Circle Internet (CRCL), pre-market, $0.16
  • Feb. 25: Core Scientific (CORZ), post-market, -$0.18
  • Feb. 25: Hut 8 (HUT), pre-market, -$0.13
  • Feb. 25: Nvidia (NVDA), post-market, $1.50
  • Feb. 26: MARA Holdings (MARA), post-market, -$0.11
  • Feb 26: TeraWulf (WULF), post-market, -$0.15
  • Feb. 26: American Bitcoin (ABTC), pre-market, $0.01
  • Feb. 26: Figure Technologies (FIGR), post-market,$0.20
  • Feb. 26: Sui Group (SUIG), post-market, $0.01
  • Feb. 26: Block (XYZ), post-market, $0.49

Token Events

• Governance votes & calls
  • Feb. 23: DYdX Foundation to host its February analyst call.
  • Feb. 26: Lido DAO to host a tokenholder update call.
  • Feb. 26: Maple Finance to host an investor call.
  • Uniswap DAO is voting to enable protocol fees across all V3 pools and eight layer-2 networks. Voting ends Feb. 23.
  • ZKsync DAO is voting to allocate $4.1 million in ZK tokens for the 2026 audit reimbursement program (ZARP v2) to fund forward-looking protocol security audits and retroactively reimburse eligible 2025 costs. Voting ends Feb. 23.
  • GMX DAO is voting to neutralize CEX supply overhang by restructuring liquidity, setting a temporary $5 buy-wall, and pausing staking rewards until the token price reaches $90. Voting ends Feb. 24.
  • The Sandbox DAO is voting to pause operations and transfer control to the project team to realign with “The Sandbox 3.0”. The proposal is currently facing ~98% opposition from voters. Voting ends Feb. 25.
  • Decentraland DAO is voting to create a customizable “Windfall Lotto Scene” template for land owners. Voting ends Feb. 25.
  • Unlock DAO is voting to delegate 2 million UP from the treasury to seven active community members to reliably secure a quorum on future proposals. Voting ends Feb. 26.
• Unlocks
  • Feb. 25: Humanity (H) to unlock 4.37% of its circulating supply worth $17.71 million.
  • Feb. 28: Grass (GRASS) to unlock 13.15% of its circulating supply worth $10.09 million.
  • Feb. 28: Jupiter (JUP) to unlock 7.94% of its circulating supply worth $39.34 million.
  • March 1: SUI$0.8909 to unock 1.13% of its circulating supply worth $40.97 million.
• Token Launches

Conferences

The final week of February 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal stretch for the altcoin market, with key technical setups, token unlocks, and network upgrades driving investor focus. While broader crypto sentiment remains cautious, some tokens still show potential for gains.

BeInCrypto has analysed three such altcoins that the investors should watch as February comes to an end.

Hedera (HBAR)

HBAR price is trading at $0.0959 at the time of writing, holding just above immediate support at the same level. The altcoin recently broke out of a bullish technical pattern but has not confirmed the move. Weak crypto market momentum has limited follow-through buying.

Muted market sentiment has kept HBAR subdued despite recent technical strength. However, Hedera announced in December 2025 a shift from cloud bucket storage to block nodes to improve network data access. Node operators have three months starting in February before the June upgrade. Infrastructure improvements can influence long-term token valuation.

If sentiment improves, HBAR price could break above $0.1030 and advance toward the projected 57% breakout target. Sustained buying would confirm bullish continuation. However, failure to gain momentum could push HBAR below $0.0901 support. A decline toward $0.0830 would invalidate the bullish outlook.

Sui (SUI)

SUI is a key cryptocurrency to watch this week as 53.82 million tokens are set to unlock. The release represents 0.54% of the total supply and is valued at more than $47.2 million. Token unlock events can increase volatility as additional circulating supply impacts short-term price action.

SUI price is trading at $0.891, while the Money Flow Index sits in the oversold zone. Oversold conditions often signal selling exhaustion and potential reversal setups. If investors absorb the new supply, SUI could exit its three-week consolidation range and break above $1.060, targeting $1.326.

However, downside risks remain if demand fails to match incoming supply. Losing the $0.874 support would signal renewed bearish pressure. In that case, the SUI price could decline toward $0.778. A deeper correction may extend losses to $0.629 if broader crypto market sentiment weakens further.

Kite (KITE)

KITE has consistently printed new all-time highs throughout February, drawing strong trader attention. The altcoin currently trades at $0.257 after reaching a fresh ATH of $0.288 last week. Sustained buying momentum and elevated trading volume have supported its upward price trajectory.

KITE remains roughly 12.3% below its recent peak, keeping bullish momentum intact. Technical structure suggests continued upside if capital inflows persist. A decisive breakout above $0.288 could attract additional momentum traders. In that scenario, KITE price may extend gains toward the next projected resistance at $0.328.

However, short-term profit booking could trigger corrective pressure. A decline below $0.240 would indicate weakening bullish control. The more critical level sits at $0.192 support. Losing that threshold would signal a broader trend reversal and increase the probability of an extended downside phase.

Currency markets opened on Monday with the US dollar under pressure, as traders assessed weekend developments related to US tariff policy. According to Reuters:

→ On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s sweeping tariffs exceeded his authority.
→ In response, the US president criticised the court and introduced a blanket 15% import levy. Trump also insisted that higher-tariff agreements with trade partners should remain in force.

Against this backdrop, USD/CAD slipped below the 1.3660 level today. This comes despite the upward move observed since 11 February (marked by purple lines), which developed after Canadian inflation slowed from 2.7% to 2.4%. The weaker inflation data weighed on the Canadian dollar, as markets began pricing in the possibility of future interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada.

Technical Analysis of the USD/CAD Chart

When analysing USD/CAD on 29 January (with the market trading near the psychological 1.3500 level), we:

→ highlighted the presence of a long-term descending channel;
→ noted that price was close to its lower boundary, which could act as support;
→ considered a rebound scenario.

Since then, USD/CAD has formed two bullish reversals near the 1.3500 area. However, on both occasions bullish momentum appeared to fade around 1.3700.

The current price action resembles a rounding top pattern, suggesting that sellers may soon attempt to regain control and push towards the lower purple boundary in an effort to resume the broader long-term downtrend.

Trade over 50 forex markets 24 hours a day with FXOpen. Take advantage of low commissions, deep liquidity, and spreads from 0.0 pips (additional fees may apply). Open your FXOpen account now or learn more about trading forex with FXOpen.

This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

TLDR:

• Missouri HB 2080 would create a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund managed by the State Treasurer under RSMo Chapter 30.
  
• Bitcoin donated to the fund must be held for a minimum of five years before it can be sold, transferred, or converted.
  
• The bill requires all Missouri government entities to accept Department of Revenue-approved cryptocurrency for taxes and fees.
  
• A biennial report detailing Bitcoin holdings, dollar value, security threats, and fund growth would be required under the bill.
  

Missouri’s 103rd General Assembly has introduced House Bill 2080, sponsored by Representative Keathley. The bill proposes creating a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund within the state treasury under RSMo Chapter 30.

If passed, the State Treasurer would manage the fund and accept Bitcoin donations from eligible Missouri residents.

The bill also allows government agencies to accept cryptocurrency for tax and fee payments. This marks a notable step in state-level digital asset policy.

How the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund Would Work

The bill defines Bitcoin as a decentralized digital asset operating without a central authority. Under the proposed law, the State Treasurer would serve as custodian of the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund.

Contributions may come through gifts, grants, donations, bequests, or devises from Missouri residents or governmental entities.

Once Bitcoin enters state custody, it must remain held for a minimum of five years. After that mandatory period, the treasurer may transfer, sell, appropriate, or convert the assets. This holding requirement aims to prevent short-term speculation with public digital assets.

Security protocols are a core part of the bill’s framework. The treasurer would be required to use cold storage and other secure custodial technologies.

A qualified, U.S.-based third-party cryptocurrency entity may also be contracted to support fund security.

To maintain transparency, the treasurer must conduct regular audits and publish biennial reports. These reports must detail total Bitcoin holdings, U.S. dollar equivalents, fund growth, transactions, security threats, and eligible conversion amounts. Reports are due before December 31 of each even-numbered year.

Crypto Payments and Donor Recognition Under the Proposal

Beyond the reserve fund, the bill introduces broader cryptocurrency acceptance across Missouri. Section 30.1030 requires all governmental entities to accept approved cryptocurrency for taxes, fees, fines, assessments, and other charges. The Department of Revenue would determine which cryptocurrencies qualify.

Service fees tied to cryptocurrency transactions may be passed on to the payer. This gives government entities flexibility while still opening the door to digital asset payments. The bill does not specify which cryptocurrencies outside Bitcoin would qualify for this use.

The bill also creates a recognition program for donors. Upon request, the State Treasurer may issue a certificate of acknowledgment to individuals or organizations that contribute Bitcoin. Significant contributions could receive additional public recognition through a formal honors program.

Donor eligibility remains at the treasurer’s discretion. If a donor is found ineligible, their Bitcoin must be returned. The bill strictly prohibits transactions involving foreign countries, entities outside Missouri, or parties known to engage in illegal activities.

Only U.S.-based partners may assist in fund operations. Rulemaking authority granted under the bill would become void if related legislative oversight provisions are later ruled unconstitutional.

Economist Timothy Peterson says Bitcoin may have strong odds of rising over the next 10 months.

Timothy Peterson’s model points to $122K Bitcoin

In a post on X, he noted that 50% of the past 24 months have closed positively for Bitcoin (BTC). Based on historical data going back to 2011, that reading implies an 88% chance that Bitcoin will be higher 10 months from now.

Peterson estimates the average forward return at exp(60%) − 1, or about 82%. That would translate to a BTC price near $122,000 over the next 10 months, based on current levels.

He described the indicator as an informal cycle tool. It measures frequency, not magnitude. In other words, it counts how many months were positive, not how large the gains were.

Bitcoin could move sideways for months and the metric could still fall. Even so, Peterson says it has helped identify inflection points in past cycles.

A chart shared with the post shows that stronger readings in positive-month frequency have historically aligned with higher forward returns.

Nevertheless, the posts drew divided reactions from users on X.

One user called it a “rare confluence of historical data,” arguing the setup points to a major recovery by the end of 2026. The 82% expected return, they said, remains a guiding signal for long-term investors.

Others were more cautious. One user wrote “Bitcoin doesn’t give a damn about historical averages.”

Why Most New Players Quit Tarkov (And How You Can Avoid It)

Let’s be honest—Escape from Tarkov doesn’t care about your feelings. This isn’t one of those games that holds your hand through tutorials or gives you participation trophies.

The learning curve isn’t just steep. It’s practically vertical. But here’s what makes it different from other punishing games: once you understand the core mechanics, everything clicks.

That moment when you extract with your first successful raid? Worth every frustrating death that came before it. The problem is most players never reach that point.

They get discouraged after their tenth death to someone they never even saw. They lose their best gear to a Scav boss and uninstall.

They wander aimlessly trying to find extraction points. This guide exists to prevent that from happening to you.

Accept the Reality: Everyone Else Is Already Ahead

Step one in surviving Tarkov? Accept pain. By the time you’re reading this in 2026, everyone else has already finished the early wipe rush.

They’ve got their hideouts upgraded, their flea market access unlocked, and enough ammo stockpiled to supply a small army.

You’re behind. That’s just reality. But here’s the thing—being behind doesn’t mean you can’t catch up. It means you need to be smarter about how you approach the game. Veterans rely on gear and map knowledge.

You’ll rely on strategy and patience until you build those same advantages.

Start in Offline Mode (Seriously)

Before you risk your precious starting gear in a live raid, spend time in offline mode. This isn’t cowardice. This is intelligence. Offline mode lets you explore maps without the risk of losing everything.

Learn where the extractions are located. Figure out which buildings have the best loot spawns. Get comfortable with the movement mechanics and how your stamina drains when you’re carrying heavy loads. Most importantly, practice against AI Scavs.

Their behavior mimics player Scavs closely enough that you’ll develop muscle memory for engagements without risking real gear.

The players who skip this step are the ones who spend their first twenty raids getting lost and dying to easily avoidable mistakes.

Your First Real Runs Should Be Scav Runs

Scav runs are your secret weapon for learning Tarkov without going broke. Every Scav run gives you completely random gear—sometimes you’ll spawn with decent armor and a rifle, other times you’ll get a pistol and dreams.

Either way, it’s free gear you didn’t have to risk. Use these runs to accomplish three things: Learn the map layouts and extraction points.

Move slowly and observe how other players (both PMCs and Scavs) behave. Collect anything valuable you find and extract safely—this becomes your PMC fund.

The cooldown timer between Scav runs depends on your Scav karma, but even with neutral karma, you can run a Scav every fifteen to twenty minutes.

That’s enough time to plan your next PMC raid while building up a stash of supplies.

The Two Factors That Determine Every Fight

Success in Tarkov comes down to armor and ammo. That’s it. You can have the best aim in the world, but if you’re shooting rounds that can’t penetrate your opponent’s armor, you’re just making noise.

Similarly, the thickest armor won’t save you from high-penetration rounds or a well-placed headshot. Tarkov uses realistic ballistics.

Every bullet has specific penetration values. Some rounds will bounce off class 4 armor like pebbles. Others will slice through class 5 armor like it’s not even there.

For beginners, focus on ammo that can penetrate class 4 armor at minimum. Yes, it costs more. But dying with a full magazine of useless ammo is infinitely more expensive.

And remember—headshots bypass armor entirely. One well-placed shot beats a dozen body shots with bad ammo.

Sound Is Your Most Powerful Weapon

If you’re not wearing a headset in Tarkov, you’re playing at a massive disadvantage. In-game headsets amplify footsteps, door opening sounds, and weapon handling noises.

The difference between playing with and without one is night and day. Move deliberately. Sprint only when necessary.

Every step you take is information you’re broadcasting to everyone nearby. Walking reduces noise significantly. Crouching reduces it even more.

Learn to distinguish between different sounds. PMC footsteps sound different from Scav footsteps. The sound of someone healing tells you they’re vulnerable.

Glass breaking means someone just moved through a window. The best Tarkov players don’t win because they see their enemies first.

They win because they hear them coming and prepare accordingly.

Quest Lines Are Your Roadmap (Use the Wiki)

Quests feel overwhelming at first because the game barely explains them. The solution? Pull up the Tarkov Wiki and follow it religiously.

Quests unlock crucial game features—trader levels, flea market access, hideout upgrades. They also force you to learn maps organically rather than wandering aimlessly. Take “Shooting Cans” on Ground Zero as an example.

The quest description is vague, but the wiki tells you exactly where to go and what to do. Following along removes the guesswork and lets you focus on survival instead of detective work. Don’t try to memorize everything.

Keep the wiki open in a second monitor or on your phone. Every veteran player does this—there’s no shame in it.

Your Hideout Progression Matters More Than You Think

The hideout isn’t just cosmetic. It’s essential for long-term progression. Your first priorities should be the generator and security station.

The generator requires a spark plug (around 100,000 rubles) plus construction materials. Security needs measuring tape (about 20,000 rubles for level 1).

These upgrades unlock passive benefits—faster healing between raids, access to better crafting recipes, increased stash size.

Every hour you delay building your hideout is an hour you’re falling behind players who started earlier. Certain hideout upgrades require items that aren’t available on the flea market.

You’ll need to find them in-raid, which means knowing which maps have the best spawn rates. Customs and Interchange are reliable for early hideout materials.

The Maps That Actually Matter for Making Money

Not all maps are created equal when it comes to profit potential. Lighthouse and Streets of Tarkov have the densest tech spawns and rarest loot.

If you can survive these maps, you’ll build wealth faster than grinding anywhere else. The tradeoff? These maps also attract the most geared players and have brutal AI. Rogues on Lighthouse have aimbot-level accuracy.

Streets has complex layouts that take dozens of raids to learn properly. For beginners, Customs remains the best starting map.

It’s required for early quests, has moderate loot density, and teaches fundamental Tarkov skills. Once you’re comfortable on Customs, branch out to Interchange for tech runs or Woods for safer, slower-paced raids.

Managing Hydration and Energy Saves Lives

Tarkov’s survival mechanics extend beyond health points. Let your hydration or energy drop too low, and your vision starts blurring.

Keep ignoring it, and you’ll start taking damage over time. There’s nothing more embarrassing than dying to dehydration with a backpack full of loot.

Pack food and water in your secure container. A bottle of water and a snack weigh almost nothing but prevent entirely avoidable deaths. Your secure container keeps these items safe even if you die.

This seems obvious until you’re deep into a forty-minute raid and suddenly realize you can’t see clearly because you forgot to pack water.

The Legitimate Advantages That Separate Winners from Losers

Some players dominate Tarkov through gear and time investment. Others find alternative ways to gain edges. Map knowledge beats gear quality nine times out of ten.

Knowing where enemies spawn, which routes they’ll take, and where to position yourself creates massive advantages.

Study spawn points. Learn high-traffic areas. Understand timing—when players hit specific locations based on raid timers.

Network optimization matters too. If your connection lags during crucial firefights, you’re already dead. Tools exist that reduce latency and packet loss, though choosing the right ones requires research beyond basic game settings.

The community also offers resources—from detailed ballistics charts to real-time price tracking for the flea market. Players who leverage these tools progress faster than those who don’t. For those seeking comprehensive enhancement options, EFT cheats discussions across various communities highlight how some players approach gaining competitive edges, though your mileage will vary significantly based on your priorities and risk tolerance.

Learning from Death (The Skill Nobody Talks About)

Every death in Tarkov teaches a lesson if you’re willing to learn it. Died from a headshot while sprinting across an open field? Lesson learned—never cross open areas at full sprint.

Got ambushed leaving a high-value loot area? Lesson learned—check corners when leaving hotspots.

The difference between players who improve and players who quit is simple: one group analyzes what went wrong, the other group blames the game. Keep a mental note of your deaths.

What could you have done differently? Where did you get careless? Which sounds did you ignore? This metacognitive approach transforms frustrating deaths into educational experiences.

After a hundred raids, you’ll have an instinct for danger that can’t be taught—only earned through repeated mistakes.

Join the Community and Actually Use It

Tarkov has one of the most active gaming communities online. Reddit, Discord servers, forums—they’re all filled with players eager to help newcomers.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The veteran players remember being confused beginners themselves. Team up with other players when possible.

Tarkov is exponentially less punishing when you have teammates covering angles and sharing resources. Solo play is viable once you’re experienced, but learning alone is needlessly masochistic.

The community also provides early warnings about patches, wipes, and meta changes. Being connected means you’re never caught off guard when major updates drop.

The Long Game

Tarkov rewards persistence above everything else. Your first fifty raids will be brutal. Your next fifty will be slightly less brutal.

Somewhere around raid two hundred, you’ll realize you’re actually getting good at this. The players who succeed in Tarkov aren’t necessarily the ones with the best aim or the fastest reflexes.

They’re the ones who refuse to quit after bad raids. They analyze, adapt, and keep pushing forward.

Every veteran player went through exactly what you’re experiencing now. The difference is they kept playing anyway.

So accept the pain. Learn from deaths. Build your skills one raid at a time. The rewards—both in-game and in pure satisfaction—are worth the struggle. Now get out there and survive.

I entered the crypto market at a time when Bitcoin traded around $6,000 — yes, that long ago. Back then, it existed in a no man’s land between experimentation and finance, and the market reacted to headlines or influential voices in a knee-jerk manner.

That wasn’t just my impression. Years later, a study analyzing Bitcoin and Dogecoin during the 2020–2021 cycle found statistically significant increases in price and trading volume on days when Musk posted about cryptocurrencies. The effect was especially pronounced for Dogecoin, whose volatility response was more than ten times stronger than that of Bitcoin.

Fast forward to today, and something feels different. Big news still happens. Prices still rise and fall. But the way the market responds has clearly changed. Below, I try to break down what’s actually different.

Headlines Used to Be the Market

Earlier crypto cycles were defined by immediacy. Liquidity was thinner, derivatives were far less dominant in price discovery, and positioning was far more visible in spot markets. As a result, price action clustered tightly around the moment news broke.

To assess whether Bitcoin’s reactions to news were immediate or gradual, I compared price behavior around major headlines across different market cycles. I selected two high-impact events from earlier cycles and two events of comparable significance from the post-2024 halving period. For each case, I tracked price movements before and after the news and normalized the data to focus on reaction patterns rather than absolute price levels.

In February 2021, Tesla disclosed that it had purchased $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin, which was trading around $38,000. Within hours of the announcement, the price surged more than 15% in a single session to the level above $44,000. There was little ambiguity in how the market interpreted the news. The headline itself was the catalyst.

The same dynamic worked in reverse just a few months later. In May 2021, as China intensified its crackdown on Bitcoin mining, Bitcoin fell from roughly $40,000 to near $30,000 in a matter of days. Headlines triggered panic selling, forced liquidations, and cascading declines that felt sudden and overwhelming. Price didn’t drift lower — it collapsed.

In those markets, volatility wasn’t an exception. It was the baseline.

How the Current Cycle Handles Big News

Can we say Bitcoin no longer reacts to news? Not exactly. But the way it reacts has clearly changed.

Take the regulatory shift surrounding Gary Gensler’s departure as Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — widely viewed as a meaningful inflection point for the crypto industry.

In November 2024, when news of his impending exit became public, Bitcoin was trading in the mid-$80,000s. Over the following weeks, price pushed higher to the $100,000 level. But the move unfolded gradually, with much of the appreciation taking place before the leadership change became official in January 2025.

There was neither a single breakout candle, nor sudden repricing at the moment of confirmation. Instead, the market embraced the development as part of a broader, already-expected regulatory shift.

A similar pattern emerged during the February 2025 macro-driven sell-off. As U.S. tariff announcements and rising global risk pushed markets into a risk-off mode, Bitcoin slipped from just above $100,000 to the mid-$90,000s. The decline was real, but measured and spread over several sessions rather than concentrated in a single shock. Unlike the China ban in 2021, there was no panic cascade and no sense of structural failure.Price fell, but it did so calmly.

Volatility Spread Out Over Time

The contrast is telling. In 2021, major headlines produced immediate double-digit moves jostled around the news itself. In the current cycle, developments of similar importance have resulted in multi-day trends, with price often moving ahead of official announcements.

Bitcoin didn’t stop rising and falling. The charts point to a different shape of volatility — with smoother price moves and fewer headline-driven extremes. Market reactions no longer reflect that wide-eyed, hair-scratching surprise, but are increasingly driven by positioning, liquidity, and expectations.

In short, Bitcoin didn’t stop reacting — it stopped overreacting.

Where the Reaction Went

Much of the current market’s adjustment happens away from the visible spot price. Large players now use futures and options to build and hedge exposure. Capital flows in and out via spot Bitcoin ETFs, while big trades move through OTC desks rather than hitting the spot market right away. Together, these channels mute the black-and-white reactions that once defined earlier crypto cycles.

Large players and whales are still there, but their influence no longer reveals itself through obvious spot-market shocks. They can reposition quietly, change exposure without immediately forcing price to respond.

It feels like the market has finally buried its emotional, headline-driven reactions in the past and matured toward a quieter process of repricing risk.

This shift is unfolding against a very different macro backdrop: tighter global liquidity, fewer expectations of automatic bailouts, and monetary policy focused on restraint rather than stimulus. Bitcoin, increasingly treated as a macro asset and accessed through regulated channels like ETFs, now responds more to liquidity conditions and capital flows than to isolated news events.

If you’re still expecting every major headline to trigger an instant breakout or crash, the market can feel broken. Step back, though, and a different picture emerges — one where the noise hasn’t vanished, but it no longer leads the story. What remains is a market learning to price risk with patience.