🚀🚀🚀Crypto Market Brief | Feb 23, 2026
The week opens under intense pressure. #Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading at $65,841, following a sharp 2.6% drop in early European hours. The market is reeling from a "sentiment shock," with the Fear & Greed Index plummeting to an unprecedented 5 (Extreme Fear). Despite the price dip, #BTC dominance remains firm at 56.32%, indicating that capital is fleeing altcoins in favor of the primary asset.
Key Headlines:
- MicroStrategy Milestone: Michael Saylor teased the firm's 100th Bitcoin purchase, captioned "The Orange Century." Strategy now holds 717,131 $BTC . Interestingly, their position is currently slightly "underwater" against their $76,027 average cost.
- SEC "Innovation Exemption": Commissioner Hester Peirce and Chair Paul Atkins (at #ETHDenver ) outlined a plan to fast-track crypto products through new exemptions. This aims to allow decentralized platforms to trade tokenized securities legally.
- Liquidity Flush: Over $300M in liquidations occurred in the last 24 hours, with long positions accounting for 96% of the wipeout.
🦄Analysis: We are in a "statistical capitulation" phase. Historically, an Index of 5 has been a generational buying opportunity, though aggressive bears like Ali Martinez warn of a "final leg down" toward $42k before a true reversal.