Crypto Market Pulse — February 2026

The crypto market showed modest gains in the last 24 hours, with Bitcoin approaching new highs and Ethereum climbing alongside. Many altcoins participated in the rally amid moderate volume, suggesting a generally risk-on mood among investors. Overall liquidity remains significant, bolstering a cautious bullish tone.

24h at a Glance

• Total Market Cap: ~$3.1–$3.9T (24h Δ ~0%)
• BTC Dominance: ~57% (Δ ~0%)
• ETH Dominance: ~11–12% (Δ ~0%)
• Spot Volume (24h): ~$120–$170B
• Market Breadth (Top 100): ~50 advancers vs ~50 decliners

Values vary by data source; ranges above reflect different tracking methodologies.

Why the Market Moved

• Macro/Flows: Renewed risk appetite in global markets and reports of crypto ETF inflows lifted major tokens. US equity strength and easing Treasury yields bolstered risk assets, driving Bitcoin and Ethereum higher.
• Crypto Catalysts: Growing on-chain activity (higher DeFi/NFT usage) and anticipation of upgrades supported altcoin demand. Ethereum and layer-2 networks drew interest on upgrade buzz, while memecoins gained from social-media hype.
• Idiosyncratic Events: No significant hacks or bans hit top assets; a minor exploit of a small protocol briefly rattled some traders but had limited market impact. Overall positive news and no major sell-side catalysts kept sentiment up.

Sectors & Movers

• Bitcoin: Continues leading the rally, buoyed by ETF-driven flows and bullish sentiment around new all-time highs.
• Ethereum & L2s: Strong network usage and expectations of upcoming improvements (e.g. scaling upgrades) kept ETH and related tokens in demand.
• Memecoins: High volatility and social-media trends drove memecoins (e.g. DOGE, SHIB, new viral tokens), amplifying risk-on chatter despite mixed fundamentals.
• DeFi & AI Web3: DeFi platforms and AI-linked tokens saw selective rotation; growing demand for yields and data oracle services modestly boosted projects like LINK and AVAX.
• Large-Cap Movers (≥ $5B): Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana — key market leaders climbed on broad bullish flows and encouraging on-chain metrics.
• Mid-Cap Movers (≥ $500M): Chainlink, Polkadot, Avalanche — rallied as oracle and cross-chain projects gained investor interest in decentralized finance and application growth.

What It Means

• Opportunity: Continued bullish bias in leading tokens may open selective upside for tactical entries, especially if pullbacks hold near support. Investors might eye high-momentum sectors (e.g. layer-2 and memecoin rotations) for targeted gains.
• Risk: The market remains volatile; any sudden macro or regulatory shifts could trigger sharp corrections. Overheated rallies in smaller tokens heighten drawdown risk, so prudent sizing and stops are advised.
• Timing/Regime: Current conditions resemble a Risk-On phase, as price gains were widespread and volume stayed relatively high. However, vigilance is warranted since market direction can tighten if macro data or policy cues surprise on the upside or downside.

Invest or Wait?

Crypto is volatile. This overview is informational only. Always do your own research and consider your risk tolerance.

Bottom Line

Overall, the market is modestly bullish in the near term, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum strength. However, broad volatility and external macro risks suggest investors should watch key support levels closely and stay prepared for quick market shifts.