• Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rattled markets over the weekend, sending Bitcoin to $63K, but the asset quickly reverted — suggesting the market is watchful, not panicked.

  • The S&P 500 remains range-bound, trading within 2.5% of its 50-day moving for over 68 sessions, as investors weigh competing risks from AI-driven margin compression in software, private credit contagion fears, and elevated geopolitical uncertainty.

  • Bitcoin sentiment remains in "Extreme Fear" territory throughout February, with funding rates at their lowest since 2023 — yet early signs of stabilisation emerged as spot ETFs recorded their first weekly net inflow ($787M) since mid-January, and long-term holder distribution pressure appears to be fading.

  • Tokenised real-world asset (RWA) trading continues to gain traction, with major exchanges expanding access to tokenised securities and decentralised perpetual platforms increasingly serving as real-time price discovery venues for traditional commodities during off-hours events.