Ethereum gained over 4% after a weak start to 2026, rebounding toward the $2,050 area while still trading below key EMAs. Momentum gauges hint at stabilization, with the MACD turning slightly positive and the RSI recovering from oversold. Immediate resistance is $2,056–$2,081, then $2,518; supports sit at $1,864, $1,826, and $1,473.

Bitcoin climbed roughly 4% over the past 24 hours, with price now nearing resistance at $72,736 while support remains around $67,850. The daily structure stays below short- and medium-term EMAs, and momentum shows RSI rebounding from oversold as MACD stays negative, signaling a tentative relief phase rather than a clear reversal.

Crypto analytics firm Santiment says entrenched pessimism and "nostalgia" around meme coins may mark a contrarian bottom. Over the past month, the segment’s market cap fell more than 34% to roughly $31 billion, while Dogecoin dropped about 32%; on February 12, 2026, Santiment also noted a -2.2% weekly market-cap slip and -60.8% volume.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that advancing the CLARITY crypto market structure bill could steady sentiment amid a sharp downturn, and urged action before the 2026 US midterms. Prediction market data show about 47% expect split control of Congress, while roughly 37% view a Democratic sweep as likely.

In a newly published paper and blog post, Brave security researcher Sofía Celi and colleagues analyze the zkLogin authorization system used in the Sui blockchain ecosystem, warning that its security, privacy, and trust properties rely on assumptions not enforced by the protocol. They describe three main vulnerability classes involving JWT parsing, weak bindings between authentication and authorization, and dependence on centralized identity and proving services. The team says these issues arise from architectural design choices and recommends stricter token validation, stronger issuer and user bindings, and improved consent when forwarding tokens to external services.

On Thursday, World Liberty Financial said it is developing World Swap to support currency conversion and cross‑border remittances. The DeFi venture linked to the Trump family aims to offer a lower‑cost alternative to traditional transfer providers. It plans to compete in FX and payments markets, where activity reached $9.6 trillion per day in April 2025.

Standard Chartered has reduced its short-term and end-2026 price projections for major cryptocurrencies, warning that persistent spot Bitcoin ETF outflows and macroeconomic uncertainty could keep the market under pressure. The bank now sees Bitcoin potentially dropping toward $50,000 in the near term and finishing 2026 at $100,000, with Ethereum's outlook also lowered alongside revised targets for Solana, BNB and Avalanche.

U.S. discussions around the proposed GENIUS Act have intensified as critics warn that stablecoin issuers may be able to freeze stolen assets without clear mechanisms to return funds to victims. Industry figures such as Circuit chief of staff and Circle Alliance Program lawyer Kieran Donnelly argue the core challenge is operational, citing slow, high-friction recovery decisions and the lack of uniform procedures across issuers. Donnelly also highlights broader concerns around self-custody risks, the emergence of stablecoin-native payment rails, and the impact of political timelines on how quickly a comprehensive regulatory framework is finalized.

During a Wednesday House Financial Services Committee hearing, Democratic lawmakers criticized SEC Chair Paul Atkins for a perceived softening of crypto enforcement, saying it undermines investor confidence. They cited dropped or paused cases, including Binance, and questioned the halt in the Justin Sun lawsuit, linking the climate to a market drawdown exceeding $1 trillion.