Bitcoin has wrapped up February with a significant decline, dropping 15% and recording its fifth straight month of negative performance. If March also ends in the red, it would mark six consecutive monthly losses — something that has happened only once before in Bitcoin’s history.

Since reaching its all-time high of $126,500 in October 2025, Bitcoin has fallen nearly 48%. For the first time ever, both January and February have closed lower within the same calendar year, highlighting ongoing pressure in the crypto market.

The new month has also started cautiously. Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have pushed investors toward safer assets, causing risk markets — including crypto — to struggle. At the same time, traders are closely watching key US economic indicators such as ISM manufacturing data, services PMI, ADP employment numbers, and non-farm payroll reports.

All eyes are now on the upcoming meeting of the Federal Reserve. Markets currently expect interest rates to remain unchanged. However, if economic data comes in weaker than expected, it could increase speculation about a possible rate cut — a move that might provide support for digital asset prices.

📊 Market Highlights

Despite Bitcoin’s decline, some altcoins showed strong momentum last week:

NEAR Protocol climbed 17%, rising from $1.009 to $1.184 following its NEARCON 2026 event in San Francisco. Major announcements included a new Super-App that allows users to manage accounts across more than 35 blockchains without manual bridging, along with a privacy-focused feature called “Confidential Intents.”

Polkadot also gained 17% as investors anticipate a major token supply reduction scheduled for March 14. Annual issuance will be cut by more than half, decreasing from roughly 120 million tokens to about 55 million.

🏦 Traditional Banks Step Into Crypto

While prices remain volatile, institutional adoption continues to expand.

Citibank has announced plans to integrate Bitcoin into its core banking infrastructure. The goal is to make Bitcoin more compatible with traditional financial systems. The bank intends to offer institutional-level custody, advanced key management, wallet services, and full tax and compliance reporting for digital assets. These services are expected to launch later this year.

Meanwhile in the UK, Barclays is reportedly developing a blockchain-based system for stablecoin payments and tokenized deposits. Earlier this year, the bank invested in Ubyx, a US clearing network designed for digital money transactions.

These moves signal a growing convergence between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem. Digital assets are increasingly being treated not just as speculative investments, but as part of mainstream financial infrastructure.

🔎 What Comes Next?

Investors will be watching:

Whether Bitcoin records a sixth consecutive monthly decline

Upcoming US economic data releases

The Federal Reserve’s policy decision

Progress on crypto initiatives from Citi and Barclays

Even as Bitcoin faces short-term pressure, the broader integration of crypto into banking systems suggests that the industry’s long-term evolution is still unfolding.#Binance